What does he think about the life of oblomov. I.A. Goncharov Oblomov lived! Oblomov is alive! Oblomov will live! Positive traits in the character of the protagonist

We all sooner or later think about the meaning of life. Despite the depth of this philosophical question, almost every person gives himself a simple answer to it, guided by his values. The meaning of a person's life reflects what is really important to him.

The protagonist of the novel by Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov "Oblomov" at first hardly arouses sympathy in the reader. He is inactive, devoid of aspirations ... He did not meet any special shocks and problems in his lifetime, which is the fault of his overly caring parents and aristocratic origin. The life of Ilya Ilyich proceeds calmly, and he is too accustomed to this to change anything. With all the inactivity, Oblomov is not empty: he has a lively soul and a rich imagination, which made him seriously interested in Olga Ilyinskaya.

What is the purpose of such a person's life? Oblomov dreams of finding peace, he does not need the seething energy of everyday life. His ideal is a calm and measured family life, surrounded by his beloved wife and children. Love is his highest value. That is why love for Olga raised the hero from the couch. He saw in her what he dreamed of, what he saw the meaning of his life in.

But he found peace not with Olga, but with Agafya Pshenitsyna. It was Agafya who was able to surround Ilya maternal love and care, as in childhood. Oblomov was able to return to his natural inactive state and devote himself to his wife and children.

Far from everyone understands and accepts the ideals of Ilya Ilyich. For some, he will seem like a lazy and fading person. Yes, Oblomov lived a short and imperceptible life for the world, but he was happy, having lived his last days in the circle of family and friends. He died, sincerely mourned by his beloved wife ...

The lifestyle of Andrei Ivanovich Stolz sharply contrasts with the lifestyle of his friend. Andrei cannot imagine his days without a permanent job. At the same time, throughout the novel, Goncharov does not write about what exactly this hero is doing. The meaning of his life is activity, self-realization. Like Oblomov, this ideal was instilled in Stolz as a child by his parents. His father taught him to independently achieve everything and strive for something.

Despite the huge difference in worldview, both heroes sincerely respect and appreciate each other. And they do the right thing, because all people are different and have different ideals but that makes them interesting and unique.

What is the sense of life? This is a question that is difficult to answer.

Sooner or later, in the life of every person there comes a moment when he asks himself if there is a meaning in life. Despite the global nature of this rhetorical question, almost every inhabitant of the planet gives himself a simple answer to it: the meaning of life is that you live. The meaning of life is that life is important.

The novel "Oblomov" was written by Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov. The protagonist of this work has few sympathy for anyone. He, a man who burns his life, has no purpose. Problems and worries rarely met on his life path, which is to blame for the excessive guardianship of parents and noble origin. Ilya's life proceeds measuredly. Many readers might say that it is empty, but in fact it had a rich inner world. The world of fantasies, beliefs and plans. Earth plans.

Oblomov longs to find peace and balance. He likes his quiet, inconspicuous life. He doesn't care much about what's going on around him. His goal is calmness and measuredness. Family was important to him. Family values ​​and life surrounded by a loving wife and healthy children. Love for him is the meaning of life. That is why the attraction to Olga makes him wake up. He saw the perfect woman in her.

But "his woman" was not Olga, but Agafya. Only with her he was able to find peace of mind and felt really happy. Family life, loving wife, children ... In this he saw the meaning of his life. Banal, you say. Perhaps, but most people on planet earth live just such dreams.

Not everyone is impressed by the ideals of Oblomov. Inaction is its main drawback. Almost nothing happens in his life, she stands still, but Oblomov is not oppressed, and moreover, satisfied. It had no fire and no lust for life. It did not have the passion that is present in people who lead an active lifestyle. Oblomov's life was short. She was inconspicuous and boring, but he was happy in his little world, having lived his last days in the circle of people who love him.

When he died, his relatives sincerely mourned his death, grieved for him. Then long years remembered.

But the lifestyle of Andei Stolz is the absolute opposite of Oblomov. Active. Purposeful. It was full of life. Stoltz was a workaholic. He was very passionate about his work. The meaning of his life was movement. Forward movement. Goncharov in his work does not specify the type of activity of Stolz, but this is not so important. The very fact of his employment already characterizes this hero. This hero is engaged in self-realization and certainly evokes sympathy.

Their worldview was different, but both heroes sincerely appreciate and respect each other. Their union can be called true friendship. The uniqueness of their friendship lies in the fact that, despite being different, their friendship was strong and unbreakable.

Some interesting essays

• The essence and meaning of the comedy Undergrowth Fonvizina essay

  At first, comedy is considered a simple everyday work - the main idea is linear and centralized on Sophia's marriage. She was left without parents as a child and lives in the Prostakov landlord family.

Galina Chetvertak is one of the main characters of the story “The Dawns Here Are Quiet…” by the famous Soviet writer, front-line soldier and hereditary officer Boris Lvovich Vasiliev. Of all the anti-aircraft gunners, she is the youngest.

• Examples of memory from literature (arguments for writing)

  The issue of memory retention is very acute. Memory is what helps us live right. There have been many different life situations in history that are repeated from year to year. This is how human life works

• Composition Turgenev girl in Asa Turgenev

  The main character of the story "Asya" is given through the perception of N.N., whom the girl met in Germany and whom she fell in love with mutually. However, love did not bring them happiness, since N.N. could not surrender to this love

• On the manifestation of the moral principle in history, in life, in fate, essay

  Morality is a concept that explains the desire of a person to comply with any norms, orders, or standards. Man by nature is a creature dependent on the opinions and assessments of the people who surround him

For Dobrolyubov, Oblomov is an artistically outstanding phenomenon, in terms of the public, Oblomov is the exposure of the "superfluous person", the embodiment of "inertness and passivity."

AT recent decades the problems of poetics came to the fore: the originality of the subject detail, Goncharov's life and being, the features of the author's speech, etc.

We return to the image of the protagonist as one of the variations, perhaps the main one, of the Russian national character and try to clarify its psychological content.

Like other Russian classic novels of the 19th century, Oblomov is the "story of the soul" of the hero, and in this case, the "story of the soul" and the story of life in chronological terms, in fact, coincide. We trace the fate of the protagonist from the age of seven to death.

"Oblomov" is very different, for example, from the novel "Fathers and Sons" by I.S. Turgenev, which ends with the death of the protagonist; after the death of Bazarov, we will learn a lot about his other heroes, but we will learn, so to speak, “behind the brackets”, in the epilogue.

Goncharov's novel, on the other hand, takes the death of the main character as one of its important components, continues and ends with a scene that makes one speak more about the "open" ending of the work than about its logical conclusion. Goncharov recreates the wide course of life, in which the trace of Oblomov's life becomes weaker until it ends completely, but there are many other heroes nearby who continue their journey or those who are just preparing to enter into life...

Before Oblomov, father and mother passed away in much the same way - their trace "thinned" imperceptibly, and the thread broke. We do not know how and when, in any case, this event was not singled out in Oblomov's life.

Oblomov is spiritually firmly connected with Oblomovka, although he lived in it for a much smaller part of his life. Already in Oblomovka, he went to school with Stolz's father, then he and his friend studied in Moscow with "forty professors"; shortly after this, Oblomov, following Stolz, goes to St. Petersburg, as it turns out, forever.

In Oblomovka, we see Ilyusha from the age of seven - in the circle of his parents, numerous households and courtyards. The desire for a family circle of relatives remained in him forever. He was not created to live alone, and not only because Zakhar dresses him, pulls on his stockings. Oblomov cannot bear the burden of a lonely existence, and cannot imagine a social circle outside the home, although this does not exclude the fact that he meets with someone, visits, however, less and less often by the beginning of the story.

The world of Oblomovka is closed, densely populated, where everyone has their own role, simple and clear, including the owners themselves. They limited their circle of activity to looking after what was going on in the estate. Everything besides that is carried out by itself: the peasants work for the landowner and his family, realizing that he exists, that he is nearby - in the estate, and this is enough for life to flow along the channel laid down for it - to some limit. When the new owner of Oblomovka does not provide, so to speak, even his presence on the estate, life is shaken: the headman lies, the peasants disperse to earn money, desolation is everywhere, disorder, convenient for abuse.

Matushka Ilyusha, with the participation of the whole house, was chiefly occupied with orders concerning food. The "menu" was compiled by the whole house, the decision was made after a long discussion. Cooking, lunch, tea drinking, dinner are the key moments in the life of Oblomovites. Goncharov describes in detail the hustle and bustle of preparations, the general revival, the many assignments for the servants... then lunch, and after that many hours of sleep. The dream is "Homeric", fabulous: not only the owners, household members, but also the courtyards - everyone sleeps, sleeps everywhere: on the benches, on the floor, whom the dream caught where, they sleep soundly, with pleasure, with the same with which dinner was prepared and eaten . And then - tea drinking - up to twelve cups at a time, and then - dinner ...

An objective, unhurriedly narrating writer does not consider it necessary to add caustic, satirical colors to this picture. But there is no idealization or poetic flair in them either. Oblomovites thank God for every day they live and hope that others will be the same. They are not very religious. In prayers and church visits, there is more of the usual ritual than of a religious spirit that deeply penetrates the consciousness. Their whole life is the fulfillment of the habitual, generally accepted, the fulfillment is natural, instinctive, sincere. And their relationship to each other is simple, without any ulterior motive, open. There is no intent in their life, which means that there is no, for example, theft. When something from a bird was missing, it was discussed for a long time, and everyone came to the conclusion that the convoy passing by was to blame, “others”, people from a distant, “external” life, were to blame. There are many strange and dangerous things. Oblomovites, for example, having found a strange, motionless person in a ditch, walked around him, but did not approach - they were afraid. The Oblomov peasant, out of instinct, for a long time did not agree to take a letter from the postal clerk in the city, and the owner did not open it for even longer, while the household begged him not to do this at all.

In anticipation of future ranks, they agreed to send Ilyusha to school, but they also treated studies as something alien, "external", so they did not even suspect the dangers of Ilyushin's long absences, undertaken according to their understanding.

Ilyusha had very good inclinations. Instinct led him along the path of curiosity, the desire for communication, active movement. But all this was crushed by the adults' concern for him, their "fat caresses," as the writer himself says. Ilyusha slept softly, ate plentifully, his nanny and Zakhar dressed him, the adults did not offer him any occupation, dooming him to immobility and inactivity. Of course, they strived to ensure that their offspring lived even better than they did: apparently, so that later they would not even walk around the rooms, let alone such a “feat” as lifting a fallen fence, and not dream in the worst dream.

The fact that Oblomov on May 1 ... cannot get up from the sofa, even to wash himself, and, tormented by "two misfortunes", falls asleep again before the arrival of Stolz, this is not even laziness, but, as the doctor rightly says, an illness .

Dobrolyubov, as we remember, saw the roots of this disease in serfdom, in the fact that Oblomov's life was provided for by the efforts of the peasants, "three hundred Zakharov." In our opinion, references to serfdom are not exhaustive. Serfdom had many specific guises. As for Oblomovka, this is a patriarchal paradise, and not only for Oblomov's parents, numerous household members, but also for the peasants, whom the owner simply forgot about, and the gentry does not experience any special hardships. Among the servants, for example, is the perfect loafer Zakhar, which he remained forever. The nanny who looks after Ilyusha, no matter how strong she is, also falls into an afternoon nap, along with all the others, and no one is punished for this ... But the very position of the owners and the people dependent on them, of course, influenced the child's psyche ...

The inertia of some habitual actions, movements has exhausted itself and turned into the inertia of inaction in Oblomov. Oblomov's lying on the couch is, nevertheless, a phenomenon that is more psychological than social. It is one of the components of the Russian national character, in which passivity and dreaminess have not disappeared to this day, and will not disappear further, but from the middle of the 19th century something else appeared, and this "other" pressed the simple, primordial mores of Oblomovka.

In them, let us also pay attention to what the nanny told Ilyusha: about monsters, evil spirits, told fairy tales, reported various signs, etc. All this had nothing to do with real life, but it excited and shook the soul of the child. It was formed under the influence of these two principles: everyday life, in the center of which are plentiful family dinners and an afternoon nap, and fairy-tale fantastic stories in which terrible characters of Russian folklore acted, making the heart beat faster.

Immobility - with a beating heart ... This is what we see in Oblomov lying on the sofa at the beginning of the story, when he is already over thirty.

Oblomov is disappointed in the lives of "others" and those who fuss, get ranks, go out into the world, engage in empty chatter or caustically denounce. He is "working on a plan" to transform his estate. But this work is reduced to daydreaming on the couch about a life of a dead, beautiful life, in which there is a beautiful woman, children, friends, joint dinners, tea parties, picnics, quiet walks, music and books. In this life there is no place for work, tension. There is no movement in the pictures of dreams, they are all the same. When Oblomov met Olga Ilyinskaya, he tried to imagine her in the place of the beautiful woman from his dreams. But this was not entirely successful, or rather, it was possible only at the beginning of the relationship. Olga in her relationship with Oblomov is moving forward, and he once imagined the pictures of his dreams and was satisfied with them, there is nothing else in his plans for life.

He is outside of a life in which "others" are active, enterprising, and some are not clean-handed. "Others are moving," Zakhar says to Oblomov in response to his master's thoughts about how difficult it is, in fact, impossible to move. In response, regarding the "others", a mass of "pathetic" words fell upon Zakhar. Oblomov "positions" himself as a gentleman and puts into this word, in our opinion, not so much that he, being a gentleman, should not fuss, flicker, be eternally preoccupied and not have a moment of peace. The status of a gentleman for Oblomov is important in order to isolate himself from "others."

If for the parents "others" were somewhere far away, then Oblomov lives among the "others". In addition, he is a person who has received an education, prone to reflection, with a weak, but desire for personal self-determination, with reflection, which was completely not inherent in his parents. Parents did not feel the lack of reflection, it did not completely undermine their vitality, as in Oblomov, dreams and thoughts that weakened him arose in his life, vitality exhausted itself very quickly - at the beginning of the fourth decade of life. For some time, the ability to live was extended in him by Agafya Matveevna, in which Oblomov found his native, Oblomov movement without a goal, or rather, with an immediate goal - food, sleep, family communication, the center of which again became Ilya Ilyich, who was the center of the life of the parents' family . Oblomov cannot live otherwise: he cannot but be an object of attention and care; he could not separate the service from himself, himself from the service, he presented the service as something personally connected with him, and he wanted to perceive his colleagues as family members. The objective world for Oblomov, in fact, does not exist. This children's worldview is exclusively through the prism of their own "I", and this is done unconsciously and very poetically, otherwise we would hardly be able to overcome such a voluminous work. He communicates and gets along with a variety of people - from Stolz to Tarantiev, but cannot take the point of view of the "other", understand him, moving away from himself. He is simply created to be handled like a child, or, like a child, easily, effortlessly, deceived. But at the age of thirty, he is still capable of reflection, as mentioned above. After talking about the "others" with Zakhar, after some time he is more and more tormented by the fact that, perhaps, the "others" are worth something more than his ideas about them, he is disappointed in himself, tossing and turning from side to side. But he still does not lose his even frame of mind and, like a baby, falls asleep before the arrival of Stolz.

The only person who three times (as in a children's fairy tale) deprives Oblomov of a childishly even mood is Olga Ilyinskaya.

Before turning to an analysis of their relationship, let's say a few words about Stolz, who is considered to be Oblomov's failure. In our opinion, the novel is sustained in a single vein, embraced by a single artistic concept, and consider the image of Stolz a failure or less luck than main character, is not possible for us. Stolz and Tarantiev and K are two poles among the "others", and they are embodied according to the same laws artistic world, which is the main character.

The activities in Stolz, inherited from his father, a German burgher, are enriched by what he inherited from his mother, a Russian noblewoman, a former governess in a rich house. She despised everything ugly, practical use, sought to introduce her son to music, books, good manners. Andrei learned what came from his mother, but did not neglect anything from his father's instructions. Not without maternal influence, he developed the ability to get excited, to look for indirect answers in some situations, to see phenomena in volume, in many ways.

Stolz says that the meaning of life is life itself and work, constant movement. Work for Stolz, his father, for the German family opposite the house where Oblomov lives, is a need.

I remember: "What is good for a German is death for a Russian." By the way, did you remember this? ..

It should be noted that for Oblomov's parents, for himself, for household members, yard work is a punishment. You can not do without food - you need to bother, fuss. It is impossible not to perform the rites of birth, weddings, death - everything that is necessary should be done. But something besides that is from the evil one. In Oblomov, a new idea of ​​labor was born as reading, writing, "drawing up a plan." But in his everyday life these are ephemeral occupations, so that it is easy for him to persuade himself and imagine all this being carried out. There is no inner need to work on reading and writing, although, if necessary, he reads and writes in such a way that two "which" and two "what" do not collide with him. And the question here is not so much that they will send something from the village anyway - why work ... When the "brother" and K take away these incomes, Oblomov adapts to the new situation, she does not force him to change anything in his life (but compels Agafya Matveevna - according to her understanding).

Looking around, we will definitely find those who, even without being sure that they will be full tomorrow, hope for a "maybe", but do nothing to change their situation. Our current life situation makes everyone move, search, fight, and if you can’t overcome the “generic”, Oblomov in yourself, if you don’t grow up, then trouble will not take long to wait. At the same time, we must not forget that the "generic", Oblomov's contains a lot of good, kind, soft, poetic ...

However, why is it Oblomov, and not Stolz, who is kind in our view? After all, Oblomov is "only" the unwillingness of evil to another, and Stolz is an active help to a childhood friend and, most likely, to someone else. At the same time, he has to expel Tarantiev from Oblomov's entourage, destroy his intrigues, "brother" and Zated. That is, to be "unkind"? ...

Good Oblomov, unable to overcome himself, dooms Olga to tears, illness, sad memories ...

Olga Ilyinskaya is the only character with whom Oblomov enters into, so to speak, not contemplative, but active relations. In Stolz, active - from a German father, in Olga Ilinskaya the desire for development, unwillingness to stand still, perhaps due to her orphanhood, the absence of that soft parental cradle in which the child, growing up, continues to rock and hear lulling songs. Olga, next to her aunt, had to choose a lot, decide for herself, although under supervision, but unobtrusive and shallow supervision.

In the first meetings, Olga watches Oblomov kindly, but a little mockingly, and this mockery is almost childish. This worries Oblomov, he wants to look “decent” in her eyes, he is ashamed of the huge hill of pretzels that he ate out of excitement, he is ashamed that Olga knows him lying on the sofa, his different stockings put on him by Zakhar. Her openness, naturalness, wonderful singing excited Oblomov so much that for the first time he did not sleep at night, he wandered around the city.

For Olga, the relationship with Oblomov is very important: she hopes that she will be able to re-educate him, that is, wean him from lying on the couch, and then they are destined for family happiness.

In Oblomov, she is attracted by naturalness, simplicity. She is touched by his tenderness, feels the absence of cynicism in him. But in her relationship with this adult child, her surprises and trials lie in wait for her.

Instinctively, Oblomov, in our opinion, feels that he will not be able to set a goal for himself and go towards its implementation, that is, he will not be able to ask for Olga's hand and arrange their family life. He is absorbed in the experiences themselves, all the new turns in their relationship, which excite him, excite him, and even deprive him of sleep. But even more strongly they influence Olga. For example, scenes with a lilac branch, the main thing in which Oblomov made it clear to Olga: she loves him, he knows it, but he will never admit it. Olga understood this game of his spiritual movements, and this was the first moment that embarrassed her, hurt her pride, excited her. She came out of this situation matured and more restrained. The further history of their relationship is mutual love and Oblomov's doubts about whether he is worthy of love, whether Olga loves him by mistake. He tells himself that he loves “others”... This is how their love “poem” is played out: walks alone, conversations, doubts, hesitation, delight, sadness, disappointment and again - fascination ... "Lord! What a whirlpool I have fallen into! " Oblomov exclaims, referring to the pool of emotions. The culmination of their relationship at the dacha is an explanation after receiving a letter that Oblomov wrote at night and in which he poured out anxiety for Olga, for her choice, warning against a mistake and believed that they no longer need to see each other.

He is excited, worried that Olga will read the letter in private and he will not be able to support her at this moment. But something similar to curiosity is also strong in him: will she cry and how exactly? He runs - invisible to Olga - after her and watches from the bushes as she, with tears in her eyes, passes by. This, of course, is not cruelty, but immaturity, a lack of understanding of one's responsibility for what has already been experienced. Later, Oblomov admits that he does not want to leave at all and does not know why he wrote the letter. The heroine Goncharova “diagnoses” wonderfully: “Yes ... yesterday you needed my“ love ”, today you needed tears, and tomorrow, maybe you want to see how I die.” But this remark did not become the final one at all, it flashed in even more touching words and sighs.

Oblomov lives a tense inner life. She blossomed, so to speak, during their walks alone. But for him it became an incident, and unpleasant, when they met the crew with Olga Sonechka's friend and her companions "What will they say when they find out, when it blows up ..." Oblomov complains. He, with difficulty overcoming the internal struggle, makes Olga an offer to become his wife. Asks for help, gets lost, hesitates. He expects tears and delight from Olga and is very disappointed when they did not follow. As if provoking tears and passion, he speaks of "another way" for a woman who does not expect marriage...

In the mind of Oblomov, there are a lot of ready-made clichés about romantic youths and fallen women, about the passion and "intoxicating happiness" of a woman who has been proposed; all this is bookish, by no means experienced in life, deducted at the time of friendship with two sisters. Emotions in Oblomov are chaotic, changeable, diverse, but they are little in tune with the logic of life in him, reason, which is much inferior to emotions. These are the emotions of a young man, not an adult.

In passing, we note that in Oblomov, ready-made clichés also apply to the only sphere of public life that offends him - the peasants. At some point, he perceives his dreams of an estate as efforts in the name of their good. If he were not so helpless and good-natured, these words would be perceived as a parody.

Let's return to Oblomov's words "What will they say when they find out ..."

He instinctively feels that when a love relationship becomes known, it immediately imposes an obligation, a responsibility. Involuntarily, relatives, acquaintances, neighbors, servants enter into the relationship of two people - the whole, so to speak, society around a couple in love. This is how Oblomov sees it: “A person ceases to be called Ilya Ilyich or Pyotr Petrovich, but is called“ groom. they won’t let you pass the street ... And you go every day, like a damned one, in the morning to the bride, and everything is in fawn gloves, so that you have a dress with a needle, so that you don’t look bored, so that you don’t eat, don’t drink properly, in detail, otherwise, the wind would have lived and bouquets! .. "Oblomov "dies", "throws about with anxiety" he "alarms from the bottom of his soul". He is afraid of "others", fences himself off from them. And meanwhile the stomach shows its rights! ..

This fright was exacerbated by a date in the Summer Garden, which Oblomov experienced almost like a disaster. Fear undermined his strength, and he began to visit Olga less and less.

Oblomov is a conscientious person. He kept waiting for a consoling - for some reason - a letter from the village, he even thought that "others" could borrow money and repair the house in the village. But all this frightens him, brings confusion to the soul, he retreats without trying to overcome difficulties. The very need in the future to live among "others" paralyzes his will, and he wants to freeze, disappear, lie low on the sofa in Agafya Matveyevna's house. To live among "others" means to be constantly evaluated, a stranger to someone. Let us recall how he was wounded by an accidentally overheard conversation in the theater. "Some kind of Oblomov! .. A friend of Stolz!" .. And only? No, he is "on his own", he is master Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, which in his subconscious means "an object of attention, affection, the center of the family circle." He he cannot stand it when he is treated "from the side", "from the outside", as if he were a stranger, he just gets sick, like a child whom adults caressed for a long time, and then suddenly distracted by something else. The child feels cold, abandoned, resentful .. .

In this regard, Oblomov's "pathetic words" in his relationship with Zakhar are interesting: they, perhaps, are a kind of psychological compensation for the "damage" that Zakhar inflicts on him, resorting to examples from the life of "others" and mentally including his master in similar situations. Oblomov spends a lot of energy, calls himself "unfortunate", "suffering". He pedals emotions, gets excited himself and excites Zakhar with his monologues in the course of their eventless life. The role of "pathetic words" is similar to fairy tales and legends of a nurse, which made the child's heart beat faster, distracted him from running and climbing, playing with peasant children. An adult agitates his soul himself, defending in the eyes of Zakhar his exclusivity and the impossibility of action, although "others" in such situations do something.

So, this is a novel about how Stolz, who was lying on the couch, raised Oblomov and involved him in a situation in which the main character fell in love, was loved, proposed, received consent and ... did not marry. Oblomov's soul hurts about Olga, he is ashamed, but that's all ... The scene of the last explanation is amazing ...

But the romance continues. Illness, recuperation, sympathy for the hostess, Agafya Matveevna, a strong entry into the life of her house, which became dear to Oblomov ... Marriage is not singled out as an event, the birth of a child is not emphasized as an event.

Oblomov ideally "coincided" with Agafya Matveevna, with her simplicity, childlike "primordialness", serenity. Peace reigns in their relationship, one day is like another. The simple-hearted Oblomovites thanked God for this. But Oblomov is also completely satisfied, although he "does not voice" this. Regarding each of the guests on the day when the story begins, Oblomov thought with regret, perceiving their fuss as empty and asking himself "When will I live?" Now he lives, he is especially kind, gentle, calm. Finally, "life" does not "touch", if you do not take into account the intrigues of "brother" and K, which Oblomov is not aware of, and therefore is not tormented by them. It should be noted that life with him had a beneficial effect on Agafya Matveevna, on her children and his own child, whom he never distinguishes in any way. Olga remembers him with sadness, but very warmly and enthusiastically accepts her son Oblomov into her family.

Oblomov only knows how to "live", and nothing more, and life gave him a fate in which nothing else needs to be known. A sense of responsibility for someone, for anything, is not developed in him, he instinctively strives to be the object of attention, care, affection. He is a child, soft, kind, not cynical, easily entering the existing circle and closing in it. He is emotional, feelings are developed, but consciousness usually uses something familiar, once read from books. But the life invented in books still excites, requires the work of the soul. It is better to use your strength for a kind word, a kind look directed at your family, for a delicious dinner and sleep.

Goncharov says that most of all a person loves himself, recklessly, like a child. But some (Oblomov's guests) expect something, demand from others, use others. Oblomov, who simply “lives”, against this background, is better than his guests, who are also naive, but, unlike the Oblomovs, naive proudly and “actively”. And activity, so to speak, expands the space of self-love. Oblomov is also proud in his own way (comparison with "others"), but his space is narrowing, and his pride is imperceptible, but his good nature, his unwillingness to harm anyone, his ability to be ashamed of himself are more prominently presented to our eyes.

A novel in four parts

Part one

I

In Gorokhovaya Street, in one of the large houses, the population of which would have been the size of an entire county town, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov was lying in bed in his apartment in the morning. He was a man of about thirty-two or three years of age, of medium height, of pleasant appearance, with dark gray eyes, but with no definite idea, no concentration in his features. The thought walked like a free bird across the face, fluttered in the eyes, settled on half-open lips, hid in the folds of the forehead, then completely disappeared, and then an even light of carelessness glowed all over the face. From the face, carelessness passed into the poses of the whole body, even into the folds of the dressing gown. Sometimes his eyes were darkened by an expression as if of weariness or boredom; but neither fatigue nor boredom could for a moment drive away from the face the gentleness that was the dominant and basic expression, not only of the face, but of the whole soul; and the soul shone so openly and clearly in the eyes, in the smile, in every movement of the head and hand. And a superficially observant, cold person, glancing casually at Oblomov, would say: “There must be a kind man, simplicity!” A deeper and more sympathetic person, peering into his face for a long time, would walk away in pleasant thought, with a smile. Ilya Ilyich's complexion was neither ruddy, nor swarthy, nor positively pale, but indifferent or seemed so, perhaps because Oblomov was somehow flabby beyond his years: from a lack of movement or air, or maybe that and another. In general, his body, judging by the dull, too white light of the neck, small plump hands, soft shoulders, seemed too pampered for a man. His movements, when he was even alarmed, were also restrained by softness and laziness, not devoid of a kind of grace. If a cloud of care came over the face from the soul, the look became foggy, wrinkles appeared on the forehead, a game of doubt, sadness, fright began; but seldom did this anxiety solidify in the form of a definite idea, still more rarely did it turn into an intention. All anxiety was resolved with a sigh and faded into apathy or drowsiness. How Oblomov's home costume went to his dead features and to his pampered body! He was wearing a dressing gown made of Persian material, a real oriental dressing gown, without the slightest hint of Europe, without tassels, without velvet, without a waist, very roomy, so that Oblomov could wrap himself in it twice. The sleeves, in the same Asian fashion, went from fingers to shoulder wider and wider. Although this dressing gown had lost its original freshness and in some places replaced its primitive, natural gloss with another, acquired, it still retained the brightness of oriental color and the strength of the fabric. The dressing gown had in the eyes of Oblomov a darkness of invaluable virtues: it is soft, flexible; the body does not feel it on itself; he, like an obedient slave, submits to the slightest movement of the body. Oblomov always went home without a tie and without a vest, because he loved space and freedom. His shoes were long, soft and wide; when, without looking, he lowered his legs from the bed to the floor, he would certainly hit them at once. Lying down with Ilya Ilyich was neither a necessity, like a sick person or a person who wants to sleep, nor an accident, like one who is tired, nor a pleasure, like a lazy person: this was his normal state. When he was at home - and he was almost always at home - he was always lying, and everyone was constantly in the same room where we found him, which served him as a bedroom, study and reception room. He had three more rooms, but he rarely looked in there, unless in the morning, and then not every day when a person swept his office, which was not done every day. In those rooms, the furniture was covered with covers, the curtains were lowered. The room where Ilya Ilyich lay seemed at first glance to be beautifully furnished. There was a bureau of mahogany, two sofas upholstered in silk, beautiful screens embroidered with birds and fruits unknown in nature. There were silk curtains, carpets, a few paintings, bronzes, porcelain, and many beautiful little things. But the experienced eye of a man of pure taste, with one cursory glance at everything that was there, would read only a desire to somehow maintain the decorum of inevitable decorum, if only to get rid of them. Oblomov, of course, only bothered about this when he cleaned his office. Refined taste would not be satisfied with these heavy, ungraceful mahogany chairs, wobbly bookcases. The back of one sofa sank down, the pasted wood lagged behind in places. Exactly the same character was worn by paintings, and vases, and trifles. The owner himself, however, looked at the decoration of his office so coldly and absent-mindedly, as if asking with his eyes: “Who dragged and instructed all this here?” From such a cold view of Oblomov on his property, and perhaps even from a colder view of the same object of his servant, Zakhar, the appearance of the office, if you look there more and more closely, struck by the neglect and negligence that prevailed in it. On the walls, near the paintings, cobwebs saturated with dust were molded in the form of festoons; mirrors, instead of reflecting objects, could rather serve as tablets for writing down some memoirs on them over the dust. Carpets were stained. There was a forgotten towel on the sofa; on the table, a rare morning, there was not a plate with a salt shaker and a gnawed bone that had not been removed from yesterday's dinner, and there were no bread crumbs lying around. If not for this plate, and not for a pipe just smoked leaning against the bed, or not for the owner himself lying on it, then one would think that no one lives here - everything was so dusty, faded and generally devoid of living traces of human presence. . On the bookcases, it is true, there were two or three open books, a newspaper was lying about, and an inkstand with feathers stood on the bureau; but the pages on which the books were unfolded were covered with dust and turned yellow; it is clear that they were abandoned long ago; the number of the newspaper was last year's, and if you dipped a pen in it, only a frightened fly would have escaped with a buzz. Ilya Ilyich woke up, contrary to his usual habit, very early, at eight o'clock. He is very concerned about something. On his face alternately appeared not the fear, not the melancholy and annoyance. It was evident that he was overcome by an internal struggle, and the mind had not yet come to the rescue. The fact is that on the eve of Oblomov received from the village, from his headman, a letter of unpleasant content. It is known what kind of troubles the headman can write about: crop failure, arrears, a decrease in income, etc. Although the headman wrote exactly the same letters to his master last year and in the third year, this last letter also had an effect as strong as any an unpleasant surprise. Is it easy? We had to think about the means to take some action. However, we must do justice to the care of Ilya Ilyich about his affairs. According to the first unpleasant letter from the headman, received several years ago, he had already begun to create in his mind a plan for various changes and improvements in the management of his estate. According to this plan, it was supposed to introduce various new economic, police and other measures. But the plan was still far from being fully thought out, and the headman's unpleasant letters were repeated every year, prompting him to activity and, consequently, disturbing the peace. Oblomov was aware of the need to do something decisive before the end of the plan. As soon as he woke up, he immediately set out to get up, wash himself and, after drinking tea, think carefully, figure something out, write it down and generally do this business properly. For half an hour he lay still, tormented by this intention, but then he reasoned that he would still have time to do this even after tea, and tea can be drunk, as usual, in bed, especially since nothing prevents thinking while lying down. And so he did. After tea, he had already risen from his bed and almost got up; glancing at the shoes, he even began to lower one foot from the bed towards them, but immediately picked it up again. It struck half past ten, Ilya Ilyich started up. “What am I, really? he said aloud in annoyance. - You need to know your conscience: it's time to get down to business! Just let yourself go and... - Zakhar! he shouted. In the room, which was separated only by a short corridor from Ilya Ilyich's office, there was heard at first like the grumbling of a chained dog, then the sound of feet jumping off from somewhere. It was Zakhar who jumped off the couch, on which he usually spent his time, sitting immersed in a slumber. An elderly man entered the room, in a gray frock coat, with a hole under the arm, from which a piece of shirt stuck out, in a gray waistcoat, with copper buttons, with a skull bare as a knee, and with immensely wide and thick blond with graying whiskers, of which each it would be three beards. Zakhar did not try to change not only the image given to him by God, but also his costume, in which he walked in the village. The dress was sewn for him according to the pattern he had taken out of the village. He also liked the gray frock coat and waistcoat because in this semi-uniform he saw a faint recollection of the livery that he had once worn when seeing the late gentlemen to church or on a visit; and the livery in his memoirs was the only representative of the dignity of the Oblomov family. Nothing more reminded the old man of the lordly, wide and quiet life in the wilderness of the village. The old gentlemen have died, the family portraits have remained at home and, tea, are lying around somewhere in the attic; legends about ancient life and the importance of surnames fade away or live only in the memory of the few old people left in the village. Therefore, a gray frock coat was dear to Zakhar: in it, and even in some signs preserved in the face and manners of the master, reminiscent of his parents, and in his whims, to which, although he grumbled, both to himself and aloud, but which between he respected it inwardly, as a manifestation of the lord's will, the master's right, he saw faint hints of obsolete greatness. Without these whims, he somehow did not feel the master over him; without them, nothing revived his youth, the village that they left long ago, and the legends about this old house, the only chronicle kept by old servants, nannies, mothers and passed down from generation to generation. The Oblomovs' house was once rich and famous in its own area, but then, God knows why, everything became poorer, smaller, and finally imperceptibly lost among the not old noble houses. Only the gray-haired servants of the house kept and passed on to each other the faithful memory of the past, cherishing it as a shrine. That is why Zakhar loved his gray coat so much. Perhaps he valued his whiskers because in his childhood he saw many old servants with this ancient, aristocratic decoration. Ilya Ilyich, immersed in thought, did not notice Zakhar for a long time. Zakhar stood in front of him silently. Finally he coughed. — What are you? asked Ilya Ilyich.- You called, didn't you? - Called? Why did I call - I do not remember! he answered, stretching. - Go to yourself for now, and I will remember. Zakhar left, and Ilya Ilyich continued to lie and think about the accursed letter. A quarter of an hour has passed. - Well, it's full to lie down! he said; - Zakhar! Again the same jump and grumbling stronger. Zakhar entered, and Oblomov again plunged into thought. Zakhar stood for about two minutes, unfavorably, looking a little sideways at the master, and finally went to the door. — Where are you? Oblomov suddenly asked. “You don’t say anything, so why stand here for nothing?” Zakhar croaked, for lack of another voice, which, according to him, he lost while hunting with dogs, when he rode with an old master and when a strong wind blew into his throat. He stood half-turned in the middle of the room and kept looking sideways at Oblomov. “Are your legs withered that you can’t stand up?” You see, I'm preoccupied - just wait! Haven't stayed there yet? Look for the letter I received yesterday from the headman. Where are you doing it? - What letter? I didn’t see any letter,” said Zakhar. - You took it from the postman: such a dirty one! “Where did they put him—why should I know? said Zakhar, patting the papers and various things that lay on the table with his hand. “You never know anything. There, in the basket, look! Or fell behind the sofa? Here, the back of the sofa has not yet been repaired; what would you call a carpenter to fix? After all, you broke it. You won't think of anything! “I didn’t break it,” Zakhar answered, “she broke herself; it will not be a century for her to be: someday she must break. Ilya Ilyich did not consider it necessary to prove the contrary. Did you find it? he asked only. “Here are some letters.- Not those. “Well, it’s not like that anymore,” Zakhar said. - All right, come on! said Ilya Ilyich impatiently. - I'll get up, I'll find it myself. Zakhar went to his room, but as soon as he put his hands on the couch in order to jump on it, a hasty cry was heard again: “Zakhar, Zakhar!” - Oh, my God! Zakhar grumbled, going back to the office. — What is this torment? If only death would come sooner! - What do you want? - he said, holding on to the door of the office with one hand and looking at Oblomov, as a sign of displeasure, so sideways that he had to see the master half-heartedly, and the master could only see one immense whisker, from which you just expect two to fly out - three birds. — Handkerchief, quickly! You yourself could guess: you do not see! Ilya Ilyich remarked sternly. Zakhar did not show any particular displeasure or surprise at this order and reproach from the master, probably finding both of them very natural on his part. - And who knows where the handkerchief is? he grumbled, walking around the room and feeling each chair, although it could be seen that there was nothing on the chairs. - You're losing everything! he remarked, opening the door to the drawing-room to see if anyone was there. - Where to? Search here! I haven't been there since the third day. Yes, rather! - said Ilya Ilyich. - Where is the scarf? I don't have a scarf! said Zakhar, spreading his arms and looking around in all corners. “Yes, there he is,” he suddenly wheezed angrily, “under you!” There the end sticks out. Lie on it yourself, and ask for a handkerchief! And without waiting for an answer, Zakhar went out. Oblomov felt a little embarrassed at his own mistake. He quickly found another reason to make Zakhar guilty. - What a cleanliness you have everywhere: dust, dirt, my God! There, there, look in the corners - you're not doing anything! “If I don’t do anything ...” Zakhar spoke in an offended voice, “I try, I don’t regret my life!” And I wash and sweep the dust almost every day ... He pointed to the middle of the floor and to the table on which Oblomov dined. “Out, out,” he said, “everything is swept up, tidied up, as if for a wedding ... What else? — And what is this? interrupted Ilya Ilyich, pointing to the walls and the ceiling. — And this? And this? - He pointed to the towel thrown from yesterday and to the forgotten plate with a slice of bread on the table. “Well, I’ll probably take that away,” Zakhar said condescendingly, taking the plate. - Only this! And the dust on the walls, and the cobwebs? .. - Oblomov said, pointing to the walls. “I clean this up for the holy week: then I clean the image and remove the cobwebs ... - And books, pictures sweep? .. - Books and pictures before Christmas: then Anisya and I will go through all the cabinets. Now when are you going to clean up? You are all at home. - I sometimes go to the theater and visit: if only ... — What a cleaning at night! Oblomov looked reproachfully at him, shook his head and sighed, while Zakhar looked indifferently out the window and sighed too. The master, it seems, thought: “Well, brother, you are even more Oblomov than I myself,” and Zakhar almost thought: “You're lying! you are only a master of speaking tricky and miserable words, but you don’t care about dust and cobwebs. “Do you understand,” said Ilya Ilyich, “that moths start from dust?” I sometimes even see a bed bug on the wall! - I have fleas too! Zakhar replied indifferently. — Is it good? After all, this is bullshit! Oblomov noted. Zakhar grinned all over his face, so that the grin even covered his eyebrows and sideburns, which parted to the sides from this, and a red spot spread all over his face up to his forehead. - What is my fault that there are bugs in the world? he said with naive surprise. Did I make them up? “It’s from impurity,” Oblomov interrupted. - What are you all lying about! “And I did not invent the impurity. - You have mice running around at night - I can hear it. And I didn't invent mice. There are a lot of this creature, like mice, cats, bedbugs, everywhere. - How can others not have moths or bedbugs? Distrust was expressed on Zakhar's face, or, to put it better, calm confidence that this does not happen. “I have a lot of everything,” he said stubbornly, “you can’t see through every bug, you can’t fit into a crack in it. And he himself, it seems, thought: “Yes, and what kind of sleep is it without a bug?” “You sweep, pick rubbish from the corners, and there will be nothing,” Oblomov taught. - Take it away, and tomorrow it will be typed again, - said Zakhar. “It won’t be enough,” the master interrupted, “it shouldn’t. “It will be enough, I know,” the servant repeated. - And it will be typed, so sweep it again. — How is it? Every day touch all the corners? Zakhar asked. — What kind of life is this? Better go to your soul! - Why are others clean? Oblomov objected. “Look opposite, at the tuner: it’s nice to look, but there’s only one girl ... “Where will the Germans get rubbish,” Zakhar suddenly objected. “Look how they live!” The whole family has been eating bones for a whole week. The coat passes from the shoulders of the father to the son, and from the son again to the father. The dresses on the wife and daughters are short: they all tuck their legs under themselves like geese ... Where can they get rubbish? They don’t have this, like we do, so that in the closets a bunch of old, worn-out dresses lie over the years, or a whole corner of bread crusts accumulated over the winter ... They don’t even have a crust lying around in vain: they make crackers, and drink with beer! Zakhar even spat through his teeth, talking about such a stingy life. - Nothing to talk about! - Ilya Ilyich objected, you better clean it up. “Sometimes I would take it away, but you don’t give it yourself,” said Zakhar. — Went yours! You see, I'm in the way. “Of course you do; you are all sitting at home: how will you clean up in front of you? Go away for the day, and I'll clean it up. - Here's what I thought up - to leave! Come on, you're better off. - Yes, right! Zakhar insisted. - Well, if only today they left, Anisya and I would clean everything up. And then we can’t manage it together: we still need to hire women, wash everything. - E! what an idea - bab! Go to yourself, - said Ilya Ilyich. He was no longer glad that he called Zakhar to this conversation. He kept forgetting that if you touch this delicate object just a little, you will not end up with trouble. Oblomov would like it to be clean, but he would like it to be done somehow, imperceptibly, naturally; and Zakhar always started a lawsuit, as soon as they began to demand from him sweeping dust, washing floors, etc. In this case, he will begin to prove the need for a huge fuss in the house, knowing very well that the mere thought of this horrified his master. Zakhar left, and Oblomov plunged into thought. A few minutes later another half hour struck. — What is it? said Ilya Ilyich, almost with horror. - Eleven o'clock soon, but I haven't got up yet, haven't washed my face yet? Zahar, Zahar! - Oh, my God! Well! - was heard from the hall, and then a well-known jump. - Ready to wash? Oblomov asked. - Done a long time ago! Zakhar answered. Why don't you get up? Why don't you tell me it's ready? I would have gotten up a long time ago. Come on, I'm following you now. I have to study, I'll sit down to write. Zakhar left, but returned a minute later with a scribbled and oily notebook and scraps of paper. “Well, if you write, then, by the way, if you please, and check the accounts: you have to pay the money. - What accounts? What money? Ilya Ilyich asked with displeasure. - From the butcher, from the greengrocer, from the laundress, from the baker: everyone asks for money. - Only about money and care! grumbled Ilya Ilyich. “And why don’t you file the bills a little, but all of a sudden? - You all drove me away: tomorrow, yes tomorrow ... “Well, now, isn’t it possible until tomorrow?” — No! They are already very annoying: they don’t lend anymore. Today is the first number. — Ah! Oblomov said sadly. — New concern! Well, what are you standing? Put it on the table. I’ll get up now, wash myself and look around,” said Ilya Ilyich. "So, are you ready to shower?" - Done! Zakhar said.- Well, now... He began, groaning, to push himself up in bed to get up. “I forgot to tell you,” Zakhar began, “just now, while you were still resting, the janitor’s manager sent: he says that you definitely need to move out ... you need an apartment. — Well, what is it? If you need it, then, of course, we will go. What are you doing to me? This is the third time you've told me about this. - They come to me too. - Say we'll go. - They say: you have been promising for a month, they say, but you still don’t move out; we say we'll let the police know. - Let them know! Oblomov said decisively. “We will move ourselves, as soon as it gets warmer, in three weeks. — Where weeks through three! The manager says that in two weeks the workers will come: they will break everything ... “Move out, he says, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow ...” — Eee! too nimble! See what else! Would you like to order now? Don't you dare remind me of the apartment. I already forbade you once; and you again. Look! — What am I to do? Zakhar replied. — What to do? - that's how he gets rid of me! answered Ilya Ilyich. He's asking me! What do I care? You do not bother me, but there as you want, and dispose of it, only so as not to move. Can't try for the master! - But how, father, Ilya Ilyich, I will arrange? Zakhar began with a soft hiss. - The house is not mine: how can one not move from someone else's house, if they are driven? If my house were, so I would with my great pleasure ... Is there any way to persuade them? “We, they say, have been living for a long time, we pay regularly.” “I did,” Zakhar said.- Well, what are they? — What! They set up their own: “Move, they say, we need to redo the apartment.” They want to make one big apartment out of the doctor's office and this one, for the wedding of the master's son. - Oh, my God! - Oblomov said with annoyance. “After all, there are such asses that get married!” He rolled onto his back. “You should write, sir, to the landlord,” said Zakhar, “so maybe he wouldn’t touch you, but would order you to break down that apartment over there first.” Zakhar pointed with his hand somewhere to the right. - Well, as soon as I get up, I'll write ... You go to your room, and I'll think about it. You don’t know how to do anything,” he added, “I have to worry about this rubbish myself. Zakhar left, and Oblomov began to think. But he was at a loss as to what to think about: whether about the letter from the headman, whether about moving to a new apartment, whether to begin to settle scores? He was lost in the tide of worldly worries and kept lying, tossing and turning from side to side. From time to time only jerky exclamations were heard: “Oh, my God! It touches life, it reaches everywhere. It is not known how long he would have remained in this indecision, but the bell rang in the hall. “Someone has come!” - said Oblomov, wrapping himself in a dressing gown. “And I haven’t gotten up yet—shame and that’s all!” Who would it be so early? And he, lying down, looked with curiosity at the door.

Goncharov's novel "Oblomov" was written in 1859, when the issues of choosing between the old, feudal, primordially Russian foundations and new, bourgeois, pro-European ideas became especially acute in Russian society. The ambiguous depiction of the characters, the lack of a precisely formulated opinion of the author, and the subtle psychologism of the narration make it difficult to understand the ideological content of the novel, but understanding the essence of Oblomov is possible through analysis. central characters works - Oblomov and Stolz.

Oblomov is depicted in the novel as a lazy, apathetic, unwilling to do anything, reflective character. For the hero, leaving the “comfort zone” is not equivalent to a step forward, but to a life catastrophe. Even when Stolz takes him to guests and social events for a while, it’s hard for Ilya Ilyich even physically - it’s not convenient for him to walk all day in boots. Oblomov sees the essence of his life in a distant, almost unattainable future, similar to his childhood in Oblomovka, where everything was quiet, calm, filled with rituals and inaction. The native village for Ilya Ilyich, on a philosophical scale, becomes a symbol of everything primordially Russian, which everyone dreams of subtle nature with the Russian mentality.

The complete opposite of Oblomov is Stolz. Andrei Ivanovich is an active, purposeful, constantly moving forward person. If for Oblomov it is scary to go beyond the boundaries of his little world, then for Stolz it is scary to stay at one point without developing further. At first glance, against the background of Ilya Ilyich, Andrei Ivanovich evokes sympathy, as a person who knows what he wants and what he strives for. However, this is not so - it is not for nothing that many researchers compare Stolz with an automated mechanism that works for the sake of work. He does not see the ultimate goal of his life and why he lives, and therefore returns to Oblomov as the bearer of principles and fundamental truths, which he lacks.

Oblomov and Stolz in the novel are not just characters opposed to each other, they organically complement each other - that is why their friendship continues from the very beginning. early years. Goncharov showed that it is fundamentally wrong to choose one of the paths - the old one or the new one. A person walking only one thing deprives himself of a full life, living it as if half - half asleep like Oblomov or in a frantic race like Stolz. The essence of the novel "Oblomov" is the author's goal to convey to the reader the importance of harmonizing the wisdom of the ancestors in oneself with the speed and variability of the modern world.

Often referred to as a mystery writer, Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov, extravagant and inaccessible to many contemporaries, went to his zenith for almost twelve years. "Oblomov" was printed in parts, crumpled, added to and changed "slowly and heavily", as the author wrote, whose creative hand, however, approached the creation of the novel responsibly and scrupulously. The novel was published in 1859 in the St. Petersburg journal Otechestvennye Zapiski and was met with obvious interest from both literary and philistine circles.

The history of writing the novel prancing in parallel with the tarantas of the events of that time, namely with the Gloomy Seven Years of 1848-1855, when not only Russian literature was silent, but everything Russian society. It was an era of increased censorship, which was the reaction of the authorities to the activity of the liberal-minded intelligentsia. A wave of democratic upheavals took place across Europe, so politicians in Russia decided to secure the regime with repressive measures against the press. There was no news, and writers were faced with the caustic and helpless problem of having nothing to write about. What, perhaps, they wanted, the censors ruthlessly pulled out. It is this situation that is the result of that hypnosis and that lethargy that wraps the whole work, like Oblomov's favorite dressing gown. The best people of the country in such a suffocating atmosphere felt unnecessary, and the values ​​​​encouraged from above felt petty and unworthy of a nobleman.

“I wrote my life and what grew to it,” Goncharov briefly commented on the history of the novel after finishing touches on his creation. These words are an honest recognition and confirmation of the autobiographical nature of the greatest collection eternal questions and answers to them.

Composition

The composition of the novel is circular. Four parts, four seasons, four states of Oblomov, four stages in the life of each of us. The action in the book is a cycle: sleep turns into awakening, awakening into sleep.

• Exposure. In the first part of the novel, there is almost no action, except perhaps only in Oblomov's head. Ilya Ilyich lies, he receives visitors, he shouts at Zakhar, and Zakhar shouts at him. Characters of different colors appear here, but basically they are all the same ... Like Volkov, for example, to whom the hero sympathizes and rejoices for himself that he does not fragment and does not crumble into ten places in one day, does not loom around, but retains his human dignity in his chambers . The next “out of the cold”, Sudbinsky, Ilya Ilyich also sincerely regrets and concludes that his unfortunate friend is bogged down in the service, and that now much will not move in him for a century ... There was a journalist Penkin, and colorless Alekseev, and heavy-browed Tarantiev, and all he was equally sorry, sympathized with everyone, retorted with everyone, recited ideas and thought ... An important part is the chapter "Oblomov's Dream", in which the root of "Oblomovism" is exposed. The composition is equal to the idea: Goncharov describes and shows the reasons for the formation of laziness, apathy, infantilism, and in the end, a dead soul. It is the first part that is the exposition of the novel, since here the reader is presented with all the conditions in which the personality of the hero was formed.
• Tie. The first part is also the starting point for the subsequent degradation of the personality of Ilya Ilyich, because even the leaps of passion for Olga and devoted love for Stolz in the second part of the novel do not make the hero a better person, but only gradually squeeze Oblomov out of Oblomov. Here the hero meets Ilyinskaya, which in the third part develops into a climax.
• Climax. The third part, first of all, is fateful and significant for the protagonist himself, since here all his dreams suddenly become real: he performs feats, he makes an offer of marriage to Olga, he decides to love without fear, he decides to take risks, to duel with himself... Only people like Oblomov don't wear holsters, don't fence, don't sweat during battles, they doze off and only imagine how heroically beautiful it is. Oblomov can’t do everything - he cannot fulfill Olga’s request and go to his village, since this village is a fiction. The hero breaks up with the woman of his dreams, choosing to keep his own way of life and not striving for the best and eternal struggle with oneself. At the same time, his financial affairs are hopelessly deteriorating, and he is forced to leave a comfortable apartment and prefer a budget option.
• Interchange. The fourth and final part, "Vyborg Oblomovism", consists of marriage to Agafya Pshenitsyna and the subsequent death of the protagonist. It is also possible that it was marriage that contributed to Oblomov’s stupefaction and imminent death, because, as he himself put it: “There are such donkeys that get married!”.

It can be summarized that the plot itself is extremely simple, despite the fact that it is stretched over six hundred pages. A lazy, kind middle-aged man (Oblomov) is deceived by his vulture friends (by the way, they are vultures - each in their own area), but a kind loving friend (Stolz) comes to the rescue, who saves him, but takes away the object of his love (Olga), and therefore and the main nourishment of his rich spiritual life.

Features of the composition are in parallel storylines on different levels perception.

• Main story line there is only one here and she is loving, romantic ... The relationship between Olga Ilyinskaya and her main cavalier is shown in a new, bold, passionate, psychologically detailed way. That is why the novel claims to be a love story, being a kind of model and manual for building relationships between a man and a woman.
• The secondary storyline is based on the principle of opposing two destinies: Oblomov and Stolz, and the intersection of these very destinies at the point of love for one passion. But in this case, Olga is not a turning point, no, the look falls only on a strong male friendship, for a pat on the back, for wide smiles and mutual envy (I want to live the way the other lives).

What is the novel about?

This novel is primarily about vice public interest. Often the reader can notice the similarity of Oblomov not only with his creator, but also with the majority of people who live and have ever lived. Which of the readers, as they got closer to Oblomov, did not recognize themselves lying on the sofa and reflecting on the meaning of life, on the futility of being, on the power of love, on happiness? Which reader has not crushed his heart with the question: “To be or not to be?”?

Ultimately, the writer's property is such that, trying to expose another human flaw, he falls in love with it in the process and gives the reader a flaw with such an appetizing aroma that the reader eagerly wants to feast on it. After all, Oblomov is lazy, untidy, infantile, but the public loves him only because the hero has a soul and is not ashamed to reveal this soul to us. “Do you think that a thought does not need a heart? No, it is fertilized by love" - ​​this is one of the most important postulates of the work, laying the essence of the novel "Oblomov".

The sofa itself and Oblomov, lying on it, keep the world in balance. His philosophy, promiscuity, confusion, throwing run the lever of movement and the axis of the globe. In the novel, in this case, not only the justification of inaction takes place, but also the desecration of action. The vanity of the vanities of Tarantiev or Sudbinsky does not bring any sense, Stolz is successfully making a career, but it is not known which one ... Goncharov dares to slightly ridicule work, that is, work in the service, to which he hated, which, therefore, was not surprising to notice in the character of the protagonist . “But how upset he was when he saw that there must be at least an earthquake in order not to come to the service of a healthy official, and earthquakes, as a sin, do not happen in St. Petersburg; a flood, of course, could also serve as a barrier, but even that rarely happens. - the writer conveys all the meaninglessness state activities, about which Oblomov thought and waved his hand in the end, referring to Hypertrophia cordis cum dilatatione ejus ventriculi sinistri. So what is Oblomov talking about? This is a novel about the fact that if you are lying on the couch, you are probably more right than those who walk somewhere or sit somewhere every day. Oblomovism is a diagnosis of humanity, where any activity can lead either to the loss of one's own soul, or to the stupid crumbling of time.

Main characters and their characteristics

It should be noted that the surnames of the speakers are typical for the novel. For example, everyone wears them. minor characters. Tarantiev comes from the word "tarantula", journalist Penkin - from the word "foam", which hints at the surface and cheapness of his occupation. With their help, the author completes the description of the characters: the name of Stolz is translated from German as “proud”, Olga is Ilyinskaya because it belongs to Ilya, and Pshenitsyna is a hint at the vileness of her petty-bourgeois lifestyle. However, all this, in fact, does not fully characterize the heroes, this is done by Goncharov himself, describing the actions and thoughts of each of them, revealing their potential or lack thereof.

1. Oblomov- the main character, which is not surprising, but the hero is not the only one. It is through the prism of the life of Ilya Ilyich that a different life is visible, only here, what is interesting, Oblomovskaya seems to readers more entertaining and original, despite the fact that he does not have the characteristics of a leader and is even unsympathetic. Oblomov, a lazy and overweight middle-aged man, can confidently become the face of melancholy, depression and melancholy propaganda, but this man is so unhypocritical and pure in soul that his gloomy and stale flair is almost invisible. He is kind, subtle in love matters, sincere with people. He asks himself: “When will we live?” - and does not live, but only dreams and waits for the right moment for the utopian life that comes into his dreams and slumbers. He also asks the great Hamlet question: “To be or not to be,” when he decides to get up from the sofa or confess his feelings to Olga. He, just like Cervantes' Don Quixote, wants to accomplish a feat, but does not, and therefore blames his Sancho Panza - Zakhar for this. Oblomov is naive, like a child, and so sweet to the reader that an overwhelming feeling arises to protect Ilya Ilyich and quickly send him to an ideal village, where he can, holding his wife by the waist, walk with her and look at the cook in the process of cooking. We have discussed this in detail in our essay.
2. The opposite of Oblomov is Stolz. The person from whom the narration and the story of "Oblomovism" is conducted. He is German by father and Russian by mother, therefore a man who has inherited the virtues of both cultures. Andrei Ivanovich read both Herder and Krylov from childhood, he was well versed in "hard-working money-making, vulgar order and boring correctness of life." For Stolz, the philosophic nature of Oblomov is equal to antiquity and the past fashion for thought. He travels, works, builds, reads avidly and envies the free soul of a friend, because he himself does not dare to claim a free soul, or maybe he is simply afraid. We have discussed this in detail in our essay.
3. The turning point in Oblomov's life can be called in one name - Olga Ilyinskaya. She is interesting, she is special, she is smart, she is educated, she sings amazingly and she falls in love with Oblomov. Unfortunately, her love is like a list of certain tasks, and the beloved for her is nothing more than a project. Having learned from Stolz the peculiarities of thinking of her future betrothed, the girl is eager to make a “man” out of Oblomov and considers his boundless and quivering love for her to be her leash. In part, Olga is cruel, proud and dependent on public opinion, but to say that her love is not real means to spit on all the ups and downs in gender relations, no, rather, her love is special, but genuine. also became a topic for our essay.
4. Agafya Pshenitsyna is a 30-year-old woman, the mistress of the house where Oblomov moved. The heroine is an economic, simple and kind person who found in Ilya Ilyich the love of her life, but did not seek to change him. It is characterized by silence, calmness, a certain limited outlook. Agafya does not think about something high, beyond the scope of everyday life, but she is caring, hardworking and capable of self-sacrifice for the sake of her beloved. More detailed in the essay.

Topic

Dmitry Bykov says:

Heroes of Goncharov do not shoot duels, like Onegin, Pechorin or Bazarov, do not participate, like Prince Bolkonsky, in historical battles and writing Russian laws, do not commit crimes and transgression over the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" as in Dostoevsky's novels. Everything they do fits into the framework of everyday life, but this is only one facet

Indeed, one facet of Russian life cannot encompass the whole novel: the novel is divided into both social relations and friendly relations, and for love ... Exactly last topic is the main and highly acclaimed by critics.

1. Love Theme embodied in Oblomov's relationship with two women: Olga and Agafya. So Goncharov depicts several varieties of the same feeling. Ilyinskaya's emotions are saturated with narcissism: in them she sees herself, and only then her chosen one, although she loves him with all her heart. However, she values ​​her brainchild, her project, that is, the non-existent Oblomov. Ilya's relationship with Agafya is different: the woman fully supported his desire for peace and laziness, idolized him and lived by taking care of him and their son Andryusha. The tenant gave her new life, family, long-awaited happiness. Her love is adoration to the point of blindness, because indulging her husband's whims led him to an early death. The main theme of the work is described in more detail in the essay "".
2. Friendship Theme. Stolz and Oblomov, although they survived falling in love with the same woman, did not unleash a conflict and did not betray friendship. They always complemented each other, talked about the most important and intimate in the lives of both. This relationship has been ingrained in their hearts since childhood. The boys were different, but got along well with each other. Andrei found peace and good-heartedness visiting a friend, and Ilya gladly accepted his help in everyday affairs. You can read more about this in the essay "Friendship of Oblomov and Stolz".
3. Finding the meaning of life. All heroes are looking for their own way, looking for the answer to the eternal question about the destiny of man. Ilya found it in reflection and finding spiritual harmony, in dreams and the very process of existence. Stolz found himself in the eternal movement forward. Detailed in the essay.

Problems

The main problem of Oblomov is the lack of motivation to move. The whole society of that time really wants, but cannot wake up and get out of that terrible depressing state. Many people have become and are still becoming Oblomov victims. A living hell is to live life as a dead man and not see any purpose. It was this human pain that Goncharov wanted to show, resorting to the concept of conflict for help: there is a conflict between a person and society, and between a man and a woman, and between friendship and love, and between loneliness and an idle life in society, and between work and hedonism. and between walking and lying down and so on and so forth.

• The problem of love. This feeling can change a person for the better, this transformation is not an end in itself. For Goncharov's heroine, this was not obvious, and she put all the strength of her love into the re-education of Ilya Ilyich, not seeing how painful it was for him. Remaking her lover, Olga did not notice that she was squeezing out of him not only bad character traits, but also good ones. In fear of losing himself, Oblomov could not save his beloved girl. He had a problem moral choice: either remain yourself, but alone, or play the whole life of another person, but for the good of the spouse. He chose his individuality, and in this decision you can see selfishness or honesty - to each his own.
• Friendship issue. Stolz and Oblomov passed the test of one love for two, but could not snatch a single minute from family life to keep the partnership. Time (and not a quarrel) separated them, the routine of days tore the former strong friendly ties. From separation, they both lost: Ilya Ilyich finally launched himself, and his friend was mired in petty worries and troubles.
• The problem of education. Ilya Ilyich became a victim of a sleepy atmosphere in Oblomovka, where servants did everything for him. The boy's vivacity was dulled by endless feasts and slumbers, the dull stupor of the wilderness left its mark on his addictions. becomes clearer in the episode "Oblomov's Dream", which we analyzed in a separate article.

Idea

Goncharov's task is to show and tell what "Oblomovism" is, opening its wings and pointing out both its positive and negative sides and enabling the reader to choose and decide what is paramount for him - Oblomovism or real life with all its injustice, materiality and activity. The main idea in the novel "Oblomov" is a description of a global phenomenon modern life which has become part of the Russian mentality. Now the name of Ilya Ilyich has become a household name and denotes not so much a quality as a whole portrait of the person in question.

Since no one forced the nobles to work, and the serfs did everything for them, phenomenal laziness flourished in Russia, engulfing the upper class. The backbone of the country was rotten from idleness, in no way contributing to its development. This phenomenon could not but arouse concern among creative intelligentsia Therefore, in the image of Ilya Ilyich, we see not only a rich inner world, but also inaction that is disastrous for Russia. However, the meaning of the kingdom of laziness in the novel "Oblomov" has a political connotation. No wonder we mentioned that the book was written during a period of stricter censorship. It has a hidden, but, nevertheless, the main idea that the authoritarian regime of government is to blame for this general idleness. In it, a person does not find any use for himself, stumbling only on restrictions and fear of punishment. The absurdity of subservience reigns around, people do not serve, but are served, therefore a self-respecting hero ignores the vicious system and, as a sign of silent protest, does not play an official who still does not decide anything and cannot change. The country under the gendarmerie's boot is doomed to regress, both at the level of the state machine, and at the level of spirituality and morality.

How did the novel end?

The life of the hero was cut short by obesity of the heart. He lost Olga, he lost himself, he even lost his talent - the ability to think. Living with Pshenitsyna did not do him any good: he was mired in a kulebyak, in a tripe pie, which swallowed and sucked poor Ilya Ilyich. Fat ate his soul. His soul was eaten by Pshenitsyna's repaired dressing gown, the sofa, from which he swiftly slid down into the abyss of innards, into the abyss of offal. This is the finale of the novel Oblomov - a gloomy, uncompromising verdict on Oblomovism.

What does it teach?

The novel is cheeky. Oblomov holds the reader's attention and places this very attention on the whole part of the novel in a dusty room, where the main character does not get out of bed and shouts: "Zakhar, Zakhar!". Well, isn't that nonsense?! And the reader does not leave ... and can even lie down next to him, and even wrap himself in an “oriental robe, without the slightest hint of Europe”, and not even decide anything about the “two misfortunes”, but think about them all ... Goncharov’s psychedelic novel loves to lull reader and pushes him to fend off the fine line between reality and dream.

Oblomov is not just a character, it is a lifestyle, it is a culture, it is any contemporary, it is every third inhabitant of Russia, every third inhabitant of the whole world.

Goncharov wrote a novel about the universal worldly laziness to live in order to overcome it himself and help people cope with this disease, but it turned out that he justified this laziness only because he lovingly described every step, every weighty idea of ​​the bearer of this laziness. It is not surprising, because Oblomov's "crystal soul" still lives in the memories of his friend Stolz, his beloved Olga, his wife Pshenitsyna, and, finally, in the tearful eyes of Zakhar, who continues to go to the grave of his master. In this way, Goncharov's conclusion- to find the golden mean between the "crystal world" and the real world, finding a calling in creativity, love, development.

Criticism

Readers of the 21st century rarely read a novel, and if they do, they do not read it to the end. It is easy for some fans of Russian classics to agree that the novel is somewhat boring, but boring on purpose, forcing. However, this does not frighten reviewers, and many critics were happy to disassemble and still analyze the novel by psychological bones.

One popular example is the work of Nikolai Alexandrovich Dobrolyubov. In his article “What is Oblomovism?” the critic gave an excellent description of each of the characters. The reviewer sees the reasons for laziness and inability to arrange Oblomov's life in education and in the initial conditions where the personality was formed, or rather was not.

He writes that Oblomov is “not a stupid, apathetic nature, without aspirations and feelings, but a person who is also looking for something in his life, thinking about something. But the vile habit of getting the satisfaction of his desires not from his own efforts, but from others, developed in him an apathetic immobility and plunged him into a miserable state of moral slavery.

Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky saw the origins of apathy in the influence of the whole society, since he believed that a person was originally a blank canvas created by nature, therefore, some development or degradation of this or that person is on the scales that belong directly to society.

Dmitry Ivanovich Pisarev, for example, looked at the word "Oblomovism" as an eternal and necessary organ for the body of literature. "Oblomovism" according to him is a vice of Russian life.

The sleepy, routine atmosphere of a rural, provincial life added to what the labors of parents and nannies did not have time to do. The greenhouse plant, which in childhood had not become acquainted not only with the excitement of real life, but even with childish sorrows and joys, smelled of a stream of fresh, lively air. Ilya Ilyich began to study and developed so much that he understood what life is, what the duties of a person are. He understood this intellectually, but could not sympathize with the accepted ideas about duty, about work and activity. The fatal question: why live and work? - the question that usually arises after numerous disappointments and deceived hopes, directly, by itself, without any preparation, presented itself in all its clarity to the mind of Ilya Ilyich, - the critic wrote in his well-known article.

Alexander Vasilievich Druzhinin looked at Oblomovism and its main representative in more detail. The critic singled out 2 main aspects of the novel - external and internal. One lies in the life and practice of the daily routine, while the other occupies the area of ​​​​the heart and head of any person, which does not cease to collect crowds of destructive thoughts and feelings about the rationality of the existing reality. If you believe the critics, then Oblomov became dead because he preferred to die, and not live in eternal incomprehensible fuss, betrayal, self-interest, monetary imprisonment and absolute indifference to beauty. However, Druzhinin did not consider "Oblomovism" an indicator of attenuation or decay, he saw sincerity and conscience in it, and believed that Goncharov himself was responsible for this positive assessment of "Oblomovism".

Interesting? Save it on your wall!