Table based on the work "Eugene Onegin" Lensky and Onegin.
Eugene Onegin:
1) Portrait:
Handsome, well-groomed secular lion, 26 years old. He dresses in the latest fashion, takes care of his appearance. Spends at the mirror up to 3 hours a day. Knows how to please people, seduce women. Quickly loses interest in people, yawns from boredom, is cold and prudent .
2) Education and upbringing:
Home education and education, spoiled by teachers, shows no interest in learning.
Disappointed in life, corrupted by luxury. Understands all the emptiness and falsity of high society, Moody, gloomy and withdrawn character, hard and cold. Does not believe in love, rejects friendship, despises people with their weaknesses.
4) Life in the village, attitude towards neighbors:
He is bored in the village, looking for something to do. He does not like the land, since he grew up in the capital, Onegin does not understand peasants, landowner life, he is not interested in it. He avoids neighbors, allows Lensky to make friends with him, but does not get close to the rest.
Does not read poetry and does not understand poetry. Makes fun of romantics who write poetry. Does not read books at all, sometimes practical literature on economics. Never tried to compose himself.
Pushkin condescendingly treats Onegin as a close person. The author’s light irony regarding Evgeny’s shortcomings. The author warmly and cordially describes his hero, they are close in mind, they try to answer many questions, this brings the author and Onegin together. The hero is surrounded by fools in life, what unites the author and his character.
Vladimir Lensky
1) Portrait:
A young provincial nobleman, 18 years old. Pink cheeks, a slight healthy blush. Black-haired handsome man, stately and well-behaved, romantic and dreamer. Open, kind and naive young man, shy in the presence of ladies. Not spoiled by light, avoids balls and social events. Ardent young man, smart and educated.
2) Education and upbringing:
Noble upbringing, received an excellent education in Germany. He is fond of romanticism.
3) State of mind, attitude to human values:
Believes in goodness, an honest and disinterested young man. Knows how to love, admires beauty, writes poetry. Believes in friendship, is devoted and honest. Worships love, believes in sincerity of feelings. outlook on life.
5) Poetic creativity, attitude towards it:
He writes enthusiastic poems, loves poetry. Without hiding his feelings, he dedicates poetry to his ideal, first love, Olga Larina. Romantic, sensitive and sublime.
The author makes Lensky a romantic, bright and light. With tenderness, Pushkin describes his hero. Having given him a thin and vulnerable soul, Pushkin understands Lensky's doom. Such people do not survive in a soulless and empty world, Lensky dies in a duel. The author sympathizes with the hero, but quickly about forgets him.
Studying the works of A.S. Pushkin, we are increasingly imbued with respect for his literary activity. The constant interest in his works makes us dive deeper and deeper into the world of his creations. Everything that belongs to Pushkin's pen is capacious, beautiful, impressive. His immortal works will be studied by more than one generation of readers.
"Eugene Onegin" is a novel to which Pushkin devoted eight long years. The value of this novel for our cultural and spiritual life is undeniable. The novel is written according to the new canons - it is a novel in verse. The novel "Eugene Onegin" is a philosophical, historical novel.
Onegin and Lensky are the two central figures of the novel. In order to understand what these characters are, to understand the concept of the personality of these people, to penetrate deeper into the author's intention, we will give their comparative characteristics.
The comparative characteristics of the heroes are given according to the following criteria:
upbringing,
education,
character,
ideals,
relation to poetry
relationship to love
attitude to life.
Upbringing
Eugene Onegin. Onegin, by right of birth, belongs to a noble family. Under the guidance of a French tutor, Onegin, “having fun and luxury a child”, was brought up in the spirit of aristocracy, far from truly Russian, national foundations.
“At first Madame followed him,
Then Monsieur replaced her ...
Slightly scolded for pranks
And he took me for a walk in the Summer Garden"
Vladimir Lensky. Humanly attractive character. A handsome man, “black curls to the shoulders”, a rich man, youthfully enthusiastic and ardent. On what ideals Lensky was brought up, the author is silent.
Education
Eugene Onegin
“We all learned little by little, something and somehow,” A.S. Pushkin wisely remarks. Onegin was taught in such a way "so that the child would not be exhausted."
Prince P.A. Vyazemsky, a friend of A.S. Pushkin, wrote at one time that according to the canons of that time, insufficient knowledge of the Russian language was allowed, but ignorance of French was not allowed.
"He's completely French.
Could speak and write
What other knowledge did Eugene shine with? He was a little familiar with classical literature, Roman, Greek. He was interested in history (“from Romulus to the present day”). He had an idea about the social sciences (“he knew how to judge how the state gets richer and how it lives”), political economy (“but read Adam Smith”).
“A small scientist, but a pedant:
He had a lucky talent
No compulsion to speak
Touch everything lightly
With a learned look of a connoisseur.
In general, Onegin can be described as an intelligent person, critical of reality, able to weigh all the pros and cons.
Vladimir Lensky
"Half-Russian" student at the University of Göttingen. Pretty smart, passionate about philosophy (“an admirer of Kant”) and poetry.
"He's from foggy Germany
Bring the fruits of learning ... "
Perhaps he had a bright future, but, most likely,
"... the poet
An ordinary one was waiting for a fate.
Ideals
Eugene Onegin. In order to understand Onegin's ideals, one must understand the very concept of "ideal". The ideal is what we strive for. What was Onegin aiming for? To harmony. Which way did he go? Onegin's path is a struggle between the eternal (national) and the temporal (that which has settled in the character of the hero thanks to society and the ideals of a foreign, introduced philosophy).
Vladimir Lensky. Lensky's ideal is eternal love and holy friendship to the grave.
Character
Eugene Onegin. The character of Onegin is contradictory, complex, as his time is complex and contradictory.
What is he, Onegin?
Onegin is lazy (“which occupied his melancholy laziness all day long”), proud, indifferent. He is a hypocrite and a flatterer, a hunter to slander and criticize. He likes to draw attention to himself, to philosophize. At the feast of life, Onegin is superfluous. He clearly stands out from the crowd around him, seeks to seek the meaning of life. He is tired of hard work. Boredom, spleen, loss of orientation in life, skepticism are the main signs of "superfluous people", to which Onegin belongs.
Vladimir Lensky. Lensky is the exact opposite of Onegin. There is nothing rebellious in Lensky's character.
What is he, Lensky?
Enthusiastic, freedom-loving, dreamy. He is a romantic, a sincere person, with a pure soul, not spoiled by the world, direct, honest. But Lensky is not ideal. The meaning of life for him is a mystery.
"The purpose of our life for him
Was a tempting mystery…”
Lensky and Onegin are different. But at the same time, they are similar: both do not have a worthwhile business, reliable prospects, they lack firmness of mind.
Attitude towards poetry
Eugene Onegin.“Yawning, I took up the pen, I wanted to write ...” What literary material did Onegin decide to take on? It is unlikely that he was going to write poetry. "He could not iambic from chorea, No matter how hard we fought, to distinguish ...". At the same time, it cannot be said that Onegin was averse to poetry. He did not understand the true purpose of poetry, but he was engaged in poetry. He wrote epigrams. (An epigram is a small satirical poem that ridicules a person or social phenomenon).
"And make the ladies smile
Fire of unexpected epigrams"
Vladimir Lensky. Lensky's attitude to poetry is the most favorable. Lensky is a poet, romantic, dreamer. And who is not a romantic at eighteen? Who does not secretly write poetry, does not awaken the lyre?
Attitude towards love
Eugene Onegin.“In love, being considered an invalid, Onegin listened with an air of importance ...” Onegin’s attitude to love is skeptical, with a certain amount of irony and pragmatism.
Vladimir Lensky. Lensky is a singer of love.
"He sang love, obedient to love,
And his song was clear ... "
Attitude to life
Eugene Onegin. Onegin's views on life: life is meaningless, empty. There is no worthy goal in life to strive for.
Vladimir Lensky. Romance, with an ardent spirit and enthusiastic speeches, is alien to a deep look at life.
Conclusion
A.S. Pushkin is the great son of the Russian land. He was given the opportunity to open a new page in Russian literature.
Onegin and Lensky are antipodes. Onegin is a man in whom a good beginning is dormant, but his superficial "ideals" lead to constant conflicts, internal disharmony.
Lensky is freedom-loving, dreamy and enthusiastic, he firmly believes in his ideals. But he is cut off from his native soil, he has no inner core.
One of the plot lines of the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" is the relationship of two young people - and.
In fact, Lensky and Onegin are the heroes of the opposite. But there would be no confrontation without unity. They have a lot in common. Both were young men of noble origin. Both were left without parents early and inherited the estate, becoming full owners. True, the Onegin estate received from his father went for debts, but he got the uncle's estate. Both young men are rich, attractive, and were enviable suitors for county young ladies. Both arrived at the estate almost simultaneously: one from Germany, the other from St. Petersburg. For both honor and nobility was not an empty phrase. In political matters, they adhere to liberal views, and both are fond of philosophy and economics. Moreover, Onegin immediately tried to put his economic knowledge into practice.
Yarem he is an old corvée
Replaced with a light quitrent ...
What caused the discontent of the neighbors. The young people were not like the provincial landowners, and they considered them both strange.
What was the meaning of life for Onegin and Lensky? Perhaps they themselves could not answer this question. Although it is more or less clear with Lensky. Over time, he would marry Olga and run his household, gradually decrepit and becoming like his neighbors.
And Onegin lived for today, not looking into tomorrow. An expression appeared in literary criticism - superfluous people. Onegin was one of them. He didn't want to start a family. He did not show any desire to serve the fatherland either in civil or military service. Eugene really did not love anyone but himself, he was lazy.
Despite the similarity of some of the views and conditions in which Onegin and Lensky found themselves, the young people were completely different. Let's try to highlight their main differences.
They agreed. Wave and stone
Poetry and prose, ice and fire.
Stone, prose and ice was Onegin, who believed that by the age of 26 he had managed to know the life and character of women. Onegin received a superficial education. In adolescence, Monsieur did not bother the child with classes. It was enough that "he was perfectly able to speak and write in French." Onegin acquired philosophical knowledge on his own by reading books. Lensky, with his restless character, was like a wave, passionate and energetic. He received an excellent education at the University of Göttingen. And at the time when Lensky was studying philosophy, economics and other sciences in Germany, Onegin was learning in the capital "the science of tender passion."
Lensky was a poet, Onegin was
He could not iambic from a chorea,
No matter how we fought, to distinguish.
Branil Homer, Theocritus;
Lensky was an enthusiastic dreamer, a romantic in love with a sincere and pure soul. All his feelings and thoughts were on the surface, on his face. Onegin, opposite
How early could he be hypocritical,
Hold hope, be jealous
disbelieve, make believe
To seem gloomy, to languish.
Love, relationships with people were a game for him.
It is quite possible that if Lensky could even half suspect this ability of Onegin in Onegin, he would not have taken Onegin's cruel joke at Tatyana's name day so sharply. But not knowing how to prevaricate himself, Lensky did not suspect such talents in others.
In the poem, it sets off and complements Onegin. We must not forget that there is a significant age difference between young people. What Onegin was at 18, and what Lensky would have become at 26, we do not know. Pushkin says nothing about Onegin's first love. Was it how it ended. After all, not just like that, not from spiritual laziness Onegin became a skeptic. And maybe from her, dear. Maybe Onegin never experienced true love for a woman, but only imitated the heroes of the books he read, and the salon boyfriends?
Did Onegin fall in love with Tatyana when he met her in Petersburg? Or was it the suffering of wounded vanity? He was trying to win over the woman he once rejected. Pushkin believes that he really loved, but Tatyana Onegin herself does not believe. Pushkin does not answer all these questions, thus giving readers food for thought.
A. S. Pushkin is the greatest writer and poet of the 19th century. From his pen came many wonderful works. Pushkin's main work is considered to be "Eugene Onegin". The work reflects the features of the life of the noble youth of the XIX century.
Brief description of the work
"Eugene Onegin" is a novel in verse, striking in its artistic perfection of style and form, lightness and beauty of language. It reveals the variety of problems that worried Russian society at the beginning of the 19th century. In depicting all the noble groups, Pushkin reflects the two most common problems of the time: an idealistic departure from reality and disappointment.
The main characters of the work
Onegin and Lensky in the novel are among the "best people of the era." In their images, Pushkin reflected the very problems that were most relevant at that time. The heroes were not satisfied with either the brilliance that they considered cold and empty, or the wretched appearance and primitiveness of rural everyday life. Both characters strive to find meaning in life, something higher and brighter. Eugene Onegin and Lensky stand out from the usual noble environment. Both of them are educated, smart, noble. Heroes are united by the breadth of interests and views. This is what brought them closer and marked the beginning of friendship between them. Despite the differences in character, their mutual sympathy in the course of the story intensified, and communication became deeper. The conversations of the village landowners differed significantly from the conversations that Onegin and Lensky had. An analysis of their behavior, aspirations and views makes it possible to understand that both heroes had an inquisitive mind, sought to know the meaning of life and touch all spheres of human existence. The author emphasizes that the disputes of the characters touch upon the philosophical, moral, political problems that worried the progressive people of that era. Why, despite their similarities, did the duel between Lensky and Onegin happen? More on this later in the article.
Onegin and Lensky. Comparative characteristics
These two heroes are the central figures in the work. They are completely different, but at the same time they have a certain similarity. Their images are two paths along which the best representatives of the landlord intelligentsia of the early 19th century walked. The development of the relationship of the main characters reflects the huge difference between them, emphasizing not only the opposite of their traits, but also their attitude to reality and to the people around them. These two paths could end either with a dead end in life, or with someone's death.
Vladimir
In Lensky there was a poetic talent that revealed romantic moods in him. He sees the ideal even in the "empty" pretty Olga. Friendship with Onegin means a lot to Lensky. In the depiction of the image of Vladimir, the connection with the Decembrist trends is clearly visible, which gives reason to assume the likelihood of his rapprochement with the advanced noble intelligentsia, who were preparing the uprising of 1825, which gives him a chance to become the poetic voice of the people. Faith in friendship, freedom, love was the goal of life and the essence of Lensky.
Eugene Onegin
This hero received a classic aristocratic education. He was taught everything in jest, but despite this, Onegin received the knowledge he needed. In terms of mental development, he is much higher than his peers. Eugene is a little familiar with the works of Byron, has an idea about the works of Smith. But all his hobbies do not raise fiery and romantic feelings in his soul. Onegin spends his best years, like many young people of his time: in theaters, at balls, in love affairs. But soon the understanding comes to him that this whole life is empty, envy, boredom and slander reign in the world, and people senselessly burn their time, wasting inner strength on an imaginary brilliance. As a result, Onegin loses interest in life, falling into a deep blues because his sharp and cold mind is fed up with worldly pleasures.
Questions of good and evil in the relationship of the main characters
Among the intelligentsia of that time, the treatise of Rousseau (the writer and French philosopher) "The Social Contract" was very popular. It touched upon the most important social problems. The most topical issue was the question of the state system. The problem of the relationship between the authorities and the people, who had the right to overthrow the government that violated the agreement between the state union and the community of citizens, was revealed. The existing situation created both political and economic difficulties in Russia. Progressive-minded representatives of the nobility tried to find a solution to the existing problems by improving and introducing methods of agriculture, the use of machinery. Onegin and Lensky, which would not be complete without an indication of their type of activity, also thought about this issue. The first was the owner of waters and factories, and the second was a wealthy landowner. Ethical problems, questions of good and evil were often in the center of attention of young people. Moral theoretical principles, refracted in the characters' characters, determine both their views and their actions.
The tragedy of the relationship of the central characters
Onegin and Lensky, whose comparative characteristics cannot do without mentioning their personal qualities, were of different ages. Vladimir is younger, his ardent soul has not yet been spoiled by life. He is looking for beauty everywhere. Onegin, who had long gone through everything, listened to Lensky's passionate speeches with a smile, trying to restrain his irony. For Vladimir, friendship was an urgent need. Onegin, on the other hand, "befriended for the sake of boredom." But Yevgeny develops a special attachment to Vladimir. Analyzing the duel between Lensky and Onegin, it is impossible not to note the priorities that are quite clearly seen in each of them. So, the more experienced protagonist, despite his contempt for the world, valued his opinion, was afraid of reproaches and ridicule. Perhaps it was because of this false sense of honor that Onegin accepted Lensky's challenge. Vladimir, on the other hand, defended the purity of his romantic ideas from the skepticism of a friend. Having perceived Onegin's unsuccessful joke as betrayal and treason, Lensky challenges him to a duel.
Death of Vladimir
Onegin and Lensky, whose comparative characteristics show the essence of the differences in their views, in the course of the development of the plot, they turned from best friends into enemies. The first one, having received a challenge and realizing the senselessness of the duel itself and being wrong, accepts it. The murder of Vladimir turns the whole life of Yevgeny. He is no longer able to be in the places where the tragedy occurred. Tormented by remorse, Onegin begins to rush around the world. However, as can be seen below, changes are taking place in his soul: he becomes more sensitive and responsive to people, his heart opens up for love. However, here too he is disappointed. Comparing all the events, we can conclude that all his misfortunes are retribution for a life lived without a purpose.
conclusions
It can be said with certainty that Lensky's death is symbolic. Involuntarily, it leads to the thought that a romantic, a dreamer, an idealist - a person who has not known reality, must certainly perish when confronted with it. At the same time, skeptics like Onegin remain alive. They cannot be reproached for ignorance of reality or idealism. Onegin knows life very well, knows how to understand people well. But what gave him this knowledge? In addition to disappointment and blues, unfortunately, nothing. The consciousness of one's superiority over others puts a person on a rather dangerous path, which ultimately leads to disunity with the world and egoistic loneliness. The surviving Onegin is of little use to society and does not become happy.
Conclusion
In his novel, Pushkin showed reality as it was at that time. His work warns that in a society rotting from within, only mediocre people, whose interests are shallow and very limited, can find happiness. "Superfluous people" - Eugene Onegin and Lensky (an essay on this subject is included in the school literature course) - are unhappy in this life. They either die or continue to live devastated and disappointed. Even a high position and education do not give them happiness, do not make their path easier. Awareness of their own mistakes comes to them too late. However, it's hard to blame the characters themselves. Their life takes place in the conditions of light, which dictates its rules to them and puts them in certain conditions. Their characters are formed from birth under the influence of what is happening around them. As Pushkin himself says, only the environment made Onegin and Lensky, essentially noble, intelligent people, unhappy and disappointed.
The source of the development of society at all times was the dissatisfaction of people with their own lives and social foundations. On the threshold of the nineteenth century in Russia, among the advanced noble youth, unconsciously, gradually, dissatisfaction with the surrounding reality began to be felt. Typical representatives of this circle are Eugene Onegin and Vladimir Lensky - the heroes of the novel by A. S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin".
The main common feature of Onegin and Lensky is their dissatisfaction with the noble society, although they received an upbringing typical for the nobles of that time. Cut off from Russian culture, brought up by French tutors, they did not have any serious goal in life. Therefore, Onegin soon became disillusioned with the idle bustle of the world: “although he was an ardent rake, he finally fell out of love with scolding, and a saber, and lead,” “he completely cooled off” to life. Lensky was also alien to secular interests: "he did not like feasts, he fled from noisy conversation."
In the countryside, living among limited, self-satisfied landowners and being spiritually superior to those around them, they became friends, although they represented opposite human natures. Onegin in his best years fell into a spleen, was "indifferent to everything", Lensky - a lyrical nature, possessing "freedom-loving dreams", always "enthusiastic speech", he was "an admirer of Kant and a poet." Lensky considered poetry to be his element, while in Onegin Pushkin emphasizes "a sharp, chilled mind."
In Lensky, the poet notes love for nature, "the noble aspiration of feelings and thoughts of the young, high, tender, daring", "thirst for knowledge and work and fear of vice and shame." On Onegin’s arrival in the village, “for two days, secluded fields seemed to him new, the coolness of a gloomy oak forest, the murmur of a quiet stream, on the third - a grove, the hills no longer occupied him”, “hard work was sickening to him”, and when he, “ yawning, he took up the pen, ”it didn’t work out for him. Being by nature an outstanding person, Onegin cannot apply himself to anything in the society in which he is forced to live, and he himself suffers from this.
In Onegin, Pushkin highlights the ability to understand people, to be critical of them. He immediately understood Olga's mediocrity and at first glance appreciated Tatyana's originality, highlighting. her from the others. The poet shows Lensky as a person who lacks knowledge and understanding of reality. “A dear ignoramus with a heart,” Pushkin characterizes him in this way. Lensky idealizes Olga, a simple girl. Her behavior after the ball is taken for treason. This circumstance leads to an unreasonable duel and his death. But if Lensky behaves in connection with the duel like a sentimental youth with an impractical attitude to life; then Onegin, being a sober-minded person, "loving the young man with all his heart", had to prove himself "a ball of prejudice ... but a husband with honor and intelligence." But Onegin turned out to be below the prejudices of the society that brought him up, he turned out to be an egoist and, frightened by the “whisper, laughter of fools”, killed a friend. Onegin's false concept of noble honor pushed him to kill Lensky. Belinsky called Onegin a suffering egoist, an unwilling egoist, since his egoism is due to the upbringing he received in a noble society.
In the images of Onegin and Lensky, Pushkin showed the characteristic path, the inner life of a whole layer of young people in Russia of that time. Smarter, more sensitive, more conscientious, they could not find a calling in life and faded away.
For us now, I mean my generation, it is not at all easier to find a calling in life. In today's society of chaos and disorder, it is very difficult not to make a mistake. It seems to me that every person is destined to create something in his life, to leave a mark, otherwise why are we humans created?
You must always remember this and strive for your calling. Yes, it's difficult, maybe impossible, but I'll try not to give up.
