Article menu:
“Undergrowth” is a play in five acts, written by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin. A cult dramatic work of the 18th century and one of the most striking examples of classicism. It entered the school curriculum, was repeatedly staged on the stage, received a screen embodiment, and its lines were dismantled into quotes that today live independently from the original source, becoming aphorisms of the Russian language.
Plot: a summary of the play “Undergrowth”
The plot of “Undergrowth” is well known to everyone since school years, but we still recall the summary of the play in order to restore the sequence of events in memory.
The action takes place in the village of Prostakov. Its owners - Mrs. and Mr. Prostakov and their son Mitrofanushka - live a quiet life of provincial nobles. The orphan Sofyushka also lives on the estate, whom the lady sheltered in her house, but, as it turns out, not out of compassion, but because of the inheritance, which she freely disposes of as a self-proclaimed guardian. In the near future, they plan to give Sophia for Prostakova's brother Taras Skotinin.
The lady's plans are shattered when Sophia receives a letter from her uncle Starodum, who was still considered dead. Stradum is alive and well and goes on a date with his niece, and he also reports a fortune of 10 thousand income, which he inherits from his beloved relative. After such news, Prostakova begins to court Sophia, whom she still has little complained about, because now she wants to marry her to her beloved Mitrofan, and leave Skotinin with nothing.
Fortunately, Starodum turned out to be a noble and honest man, wishing his niece well. Moreover, Sophia already had a betrothed - officer Milon, who had just stopped with his regiment in the village of Prostakov. Starodub knew Milon and gave the young people his blessing.
In desperation, Prostakova tries to organize the abduction of Sophia and forcibly marry her to her son. However, even here the treacherous mistress fails - Milon saves her beloved on the night of the abduction.
Prostakov is generously forgiven and not put on trial, however, her estate, which has long aroused suspicion, is transferred to the state guardian. Everyone is leaving, and even Mitrofanushka leaves her mother, because he does not love her, as, in general, he does not love anyone in the world.
Characteristics of heroes: positive and negative characters
As in any classic work, the characters in "Undergrowth" are clearly divided into positive and negative.
Negative characters:
- Mrs. Prostakova - the mistress of the village;
- Mr. Prostakov - her husband;
- Mitrofanushka - the son of the Prostakovs, undersized;
- Taras Skotinin is the brother of the Prostakovs.
Goodies:
- Sophia is an orphan, lives with the Prostakovs;
- Starodum is her uncle;
- Milon - an officer, Sophia's lover;
- Pravdin is a state official who came to control the affairs in the Prostakov village.
Secondary characters:
- Tsyfirkin - teacher of arithmetic;
- Kuteikin - teacher, former seminarian;
- Vralman - a former coachman, pretends to be a teacher;
- Eremovna is Mitrofan's nanny.
Mrs. Prostakova
Prostakova is the most striking negative character, and indeed the most prominent character in the play. She is the mistress of the village of Prostakovs and it is the lady who, having completely suppressed her weak-willed spouse, establishes the lordly order and makes decisions.
However, she is completely ignorant, devoid of manners, often rude. Prostakova, like other members of the family, cannot read and despises science. Mitrofanushka's mother is engaged in the education of Mitrofanushka only because this is how it should be in the New World society, but she does not understand the true value of knowledge.
In addition to ignorance, Prostakova is distinguished by cruelty, deceit, hypocrisy, and envy.
The only creature she loves is her son Mitrofanushka. However, the mother's blind, absurd love only spoils the child, turning him into a copy of himself in a man's dress.
Mr. Prostakov
The figurative owner of the Prostakovs' estate. In fact, everything is led by his imperious wife, whom he is madly afraid of and does not dare to say a word. Prostakov has long lost his own opinion and dignity. He cannot even say whether the caftan sewn by the tailor Trishka for Mitrofan is good or bad, because he is afraid to say something different from what the lady expects.
Mitrofan
Son of the Prostakovs, undersized. In the family, he is affectionately called Mitrofanushka. And, meanwhile, it is time for this young man to enter adulthood, but he has absolutely no idea about it. Mitrofan is spoiled by maternal love, he is capricious, cruel to servants and teachers, pompous, lazy. Despite many years of studying with teachers, the young gentleman is hopelessly stupid, he does not show the slightest desire for learning and knowledge.
And the worst thing is that Mitrofanushka is a terrible egoist, nothing matters to him except his own interests. At the end of the play, he easily leaves his mother, who loved him so unrequitedly. Even she is empty space for him.
Skotinin
Brother of Mrs. Prostakova. Narcissistic, limited, ignorant, cruel and greedy. Taras Skotinin has a great passion for pigs, the rest is of little interest to this narrow-minded person. He has no idea of family ties, cordial affection and love. Describing how well his future wife will live, Skotinin only says that he will provide her with the best lighter. In his system of coordinates, this is where marital happiness lies.
Sofia
Positive female image of the work. A very well-mannered, kind, meek and compassionate girl. Sophia received a good education, she has an inquisitive mind and a thirst for knowledge. Even in the poisonous atmosphere of the Prostakovs' house, the girl does not become like the owners, but continues to lead the lifestyle that she likes - she reads a lot, thinks, is friendly and polite with everyone.
Starodum
Sophia's uncle and guardian. Starodum is the voice of the author in the play. His speeches are very aphoristic, he talks a lot about life, virtues, mind, law, government, modern society, marriage, love and other pressing issues. Starodum is incredibly wise and noble. Despite the fact that he clearly has a negative attitude towards Prostakova and her ilk, Starodum does not allow himself to stoop to rudeness and overt criticism, and as for light sarcasm, his narrow-minded “relatives” cannot recognize him.
Milon
Sophia's beloved officer. The image of a hero-defender, an ideal young man, husband. He is very fair, does not put up with meanness and lies. Milo was brave, and not only in battle, but also in his speeches. He is devoid of vanity and base prudence. All the “suitors” of Sophia spoke only about her condition, but Milon never mentioned that his betrothed was rich. He sincerely loved Sophia even before she had an inheritance, and therefore, in his choice, the young man was by no means guided by the size of the annual income of the bride.
“I don’t want to study, but I want to get married”: the problem of education in the story
The key problem of the work is the theme of provincial noble upbringing and education. The protagonist Mitrofanushka gets an education only because it is fashionable and “so established”. In fact, neither he nor his ignorant mother understand the true purpose of knowledge. They should make a person smarter, better, serve him throughout his life and benefit society. Knowledge is hard-earned and can never be forced into someone's head.
Mitrofan's home education is a dummy, a fiction, a provincial theater. For several years, the unfortunate student did not master either reading or writing. The comic test that Pravdin arranges, Mitrofan fails with a roar, but because of his stupidity he cannot even understand this. He calls the word door an adjective, because they say it is attached to the opening, he confuses science with stories that Vralman tells him in abundance, and Mitrofanushka cannot even pronounce the word “geography” ... too tricky.
To show the grotesqueness of Mitrofan's education, Fonvizin introduces the image of Vralman, who teaches "in French and all the sciences." In fact, Vralman (a surname that speaks!) is not a teacher at all, but a former coachman of Starodum. He easily deceives the ignorant Prostakova and even becomes her favorite, because he professes his own teaching method - not to force the student to do anything by force. With such zeal, as in Mitrofan, the teacher and student are simply idle.
Hand in hand with the acquisition of knowledge and skills goes education. For the most part, Mrs. Prostakova is responsible for it. She methodically imposes her rotten morality on Mitrofan, who (here he is diligent!) perfectly absorbs mother's advice. So, while solving the problem of division, Prostakova advises her son not to share with anyone, but to take everything for himself. Speaking about marriage, mother speaks only of the bride's wealth, never mentioning emotional affection and love. Mitrofan is not familiar with such concepts as courage, courage, valor underage. Despite the fact that he is no longer a baby, he is still taken care of in everything. The boy cannot even stand up for himself during a skirmish with his uncle, he immediately starts calling for his mother, and the old nanny Eremeevna rushes at the offender with his fists.
Name meaning: two sides of the coin
The title of the play has a direct and figurative meaning.
The direct meaning of the name
Undergrowth in the old days was called teenagers, young men who had not yet reached the age of majority and had not entered the public service.
The figurative meaning of the name
Undergrowth was also called a fool, an ignoramus, a narrow-minded and uneducated person, regardless of his age. With the light hand of Fonvizin, it was precisely this negative connotation that was attached to the word in modern Russian.
Every person is reborn from a minor youth into an adult man. This is growing up, the law of nature. However, not everyone turns from a dark undergrowth-half-educated into an educated self-sufficient person. Such transformation requires effort and perseverance.
Place in literature: Russian literature of the 18th century → Russian drama of the 18th century → The work of Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin → 1782 → The play “Undergrowth”.
The topic of today's story is the history of the creation and analysis of Fonvizin's "Undergrowth". The work of the author of the Catherine era has not lost its relevance today. Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth" was included in the fund of classical literature. This work will touch upon a number of problems and issues that attract readers at all times.
The analysis of Fonvizin's "Undergrowth" should include a brief description of the heroes of this dramatic work. It is also worth talking about the idea of a Russian writer. What inspired Fonvizin to write a comedy that has been popular for over two hundred years? What shortcomings of society did the author primarily want to ridicule in his essay? And what was the reaction of contemporaries to this work? The answers to all these questions are contained in the article. But before proceeding to the analysis of Fonvizin's "Undergrowth", one should talk about the main events depicted in the play.
Actions, as in any other dramatic work of the era of classicism, take place within just one day.
Events take place in the village of landowners Prostakov. What is the meaning of the name of the comedy "Undergrowth" by Fonvizin? Even without knowing the meaning of this word, one can guess that it has a negative connotation. The meaning of the name of the comedy "Undergrowth" by Fonvizin should be sought in the realities of the 18th century. The writer's contemporaries used this term in relation to young nobles who did not receive a special certificate indicating that they had received an education. This document was issued by the teacher. If the young man did not have a certificate, he was not accepted into the service and was not allowed to marry.
The undergrowth in the comedy is the son of the main character - the landowner Prostakova. The work begins with a scene taking place in her house. Prostakova is angry with Trishka, because he sewed an overly wide caftan for her son Mitrofanushka. The fact that the servant does not have the necessary skills in tailoring, and giving him such instructions was initially a mistake, she does not take into account.
The sixteen-year-old boy does not show much zeal in his studies, which is facilitated by the ignorance and stupidity of his mother. We'll talk more about these characters later. First, the author introduces readers to Sophia, the positive heroine of the work.
The girl not so long ago lives in Prostakova's house. She is a relative of the landowner, and she does not have any fortune. At least, Prostakova believes so. But one day Sophia receives a letter from her uncle Starodum. Mrs. Prostakova is not able to read the message, because she is not educated in reading and writing. Pravdin, after reading the letter, gives her a summary. In Fonvizin's Undergrowth, this hero, along with Starodum, is a supporter of enlightenment.
What is the letter received by Sophia about? Starodum writes to his niece that he bequeaths to her a huge fortune. This leads to the excitement of almost all the characters in the comedy. Prostakova believed that the girl was an orphan. But an unexpected turn of events suggests that Starodum's niece can be married off to the careless Mitrofan.
Skotinin also begins to dream of marrying Sophia. However, Sophia's heart is busy. She is in love with officer Milon, whom she met in Moscow before she was orphaned. Soon she will meet the young man again, and he will save her from the claims of the mercenary Skotinin and the despotic Prostakova.
Starodum arrives in a small town where the main events take place. He recognizes one of Mitrofanushka's teachers as his former coachman. The teachers of the son of Prostakova deserve special attention.
Kuteikin is a half-educated seminarian. Tsyfirkin - retired sergeant. Vralman, whose last name speaks very eloquently about his human qualities, Mitrofanushka does not teach anything, because he himself knows little. As already mentioned, he used to work as a coachman. But he was fired, he did not find a suitable job, and therefore he became a teacher. The fact that Vralman is incompetent in teaching, Prostakova does not notice, since she herself is extremely ignorant.
History of writing
The idea of the comedy "Undergrowth" came from Fonvizin in 1778. The Russian writer spent more than a year in France, where he studied jurisprudence and philosophy. He watched how European aristocrats live, and came to a rather disappointing conclusion: the Russian nobility was mired in inertia and ignorance. Upon returning home, Fonvizin began writing the work. It took him over three years.
The idea of the comedy "Undergrowth" by Fonvizin was very original at that time. The writer sought to ridicule the shortcomings of typical representatives of the landowner class. It is not surprising that both in Moscow and in St. Petersburg they refused to stage his comedy for a long time.
Criticism of contemporaries
The theme of the comedy "Undergrowth" by Fonvizin seemed interesting to the censors, but there were too many bold remarks in it. The play premiered in 1782. Fonvizin's work was a resounding success. True, the theater on the stage of which the play was staged was almost closed. In addition, the comedy displeased Catherine II.
The idea of the work
The spiritual decay of the representatives of the nobility under the conditions of serfdom is the main theme of the comedy, which is discussed in this article. According to Fonvizin, pedagogical methods determine the moral character of an entire generation. In the 18th century, landowners often entrusted the upbringing of their children to half-educated sextons, illiterate nannies, and foreigners with dubious education. Such "teachers" are able to teach only young men like Mitrofanushka, the central character in Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth".
The author of this work, using simple examples, showed that the nobles for the most part do not remember either honor or dignity. They do not serve the interests of the state, do not comply with moral and state laws. The sharpness of Fonvizin's dramatic work is given by the victory of good over evil, which, however, has an accidental character. If Starodum had not returned from Siberia on time, and Pravdin had not received an order to take Prostakova's property, everything would not have ended so well for Sophia. She would not have left the city with the young educated officer Milon, but would have become the wife of the stupid Mitrofanushka.
Characters
The image system in Fonvizin's "Undergrowth" is quite simple. Heroes are divided into positive and negative, almost all of them have speaking names: Vralman, Starodum, Pravdin. Negative characters are representatives of the old nobility, trying with all their might to hold on to the outdated ideas of the feudal system. They are opposed by heroes who support the ideas of the Enlightenment - Pravdin, Sophia, Milon, Starodum.
Positive and negative characters
Among the characters of the comedy, several dual pairs can be distinguished. So, Sophia is opposed to Mitrofanushka. Starodum is an adherent of enlightenment views. This is a man of the new age. Therefore, he is the opposite of the landowner Prostakova. Milon is opposed to Skotinin. If the first is educated and brought up and has sincere feelings for Sophia, then the second wants to marry a girl for selfish reasons. Skotinin dreams of acquiring land where he will be actively engaged in animal husbandry, namely raising pigs.
Mitrofanushka
An analysis of Fonvizin's "Undergrowth" cannot do without a description of this bright character. A stupid spoiled young man is absolutely not prepared for an independent life. Everything for him is done by his mother, servants or nannies. From Prostakova, the lad takes over an uncontrollable passion for money. He, like his mother, is rude, disrespectful to his relatives. Mitrofanushka inherited his lack of will from his father. A sixteen-year-old boy does not want to study, but he wants to get married. He is the opposite of Sophia, an educated, serious, intelligent girl with a difficult fate.
Prostakov
When making an analysis of Fonvizin's "Undergrowth", attention should be paid to the negative heroine. Prostakova is an uneducated, stupid woman, but at the same time very cunning. She is a practical housewife, a loving mother. For Prostakova, the carefree future and happiness of Mitrofanushka are above all else. But in education she makes fatal mistakes, because she does not know anything about the correct pedagogical methods. She treats her son the way her parents once treated her. In managing the household and raising her son, the landowner uses exhausted values and ideas.
Starodum
When analyzing Fonvizin's "Undergrowth", special attention should be paid to the hero, who symbolizes educational ideas, about which few were known in Russia in the 18th century. Starodum communicates with Sophia in a completely different way than Prostakova and Mitrofanushka. He uses completely different methods of education. Talking with Sophia on an equal footing, he instructs, gives advice based on his rich experience. Knowing nothing about Sophia's feelings for Milon, he does not make decisions for her. Starodum wants her niece to marry an intelligent, educated officer, but does not impose his views on her.
In this image, the author portrayed his ideal educator and parent. Starodum is an authoritative strong personality who has come a worthy path. For modern readers, this hero, of course, is not an ideal educator. But he made a strong impression on Fonvizin's contemporaries, who were inspired by educational ideas.
Mrs. Prostakova- Prostakov's wife. An active, rude, uneducated woman who thinks more about her own gain than about people around and virtue, tries to solve everything by force or cunning.
Prostakov Mitrofan- the son of the Prostakovs, an undergrowth, a young man of 16 years old, as stupid as his parents, completely weak-willed, agrees to everything that his mother or others say (in the end, he immediately agrees to join the army).
Pravdin- the guest of the Prostakovs, a government official who came to deal with the disorders in their estate, to resolve the issue of Prostakov's cruelty towards the servants. A highly moral person, a representative of the "new" educated nobility, personifies the truth and the word of the law in the work "Undergrowth".
Starodum- a person with high moral principles, who achieved everything in his life himself, without resorting to deceit or cunning. Sophia's uncle and guardian.
Sofia- an honest, educated, kind girl. After she lost her parents, she lives with the Prostakovs, in love with Milon.
Milon- Sophia's fiancé, whom they had not seen for several years. The officer, who was distinguished in the service by courage and courage, has high concepts of human virtue and honor.
Skotinin- the brother of Mrs. Prostakova. A stupid, uneducated man, looking for profit in everything, easily lies and flatters for the sake of profit.
Other characters
Prostakov- Prostakova's husband. Virtually nothing decides in the house, in fact the shadow and henpecked wife, uneducated, weak-willed.
Eremeevna Mitrofan's nanny.
Kuteikin(a seminarian who himself stopped studying halfway, because he did not master science, cunning and greedy, a grammar teacher), Vralman(the former groom of Starodum, simple, but able to skillfully deceive - called himself a German teacher of secular life), Tsyfirkin(retired sergeant, honest man, arithmetic teacher) - Mitrofan's teacher.
Trishka- tailor, Prostakov's servant.
Article menu:
“Undergrowth” is a play in five acts, written by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin. A cult dramatic work of the 18th century and one of the most striking examples of classicism. It entered the school curriculum, was repeatedly staged on the stage, received a screen embodiment, and its lines were dismantled into quotes that today live independently from the original source, becoming aphorisms of the Russian language.
Plot: a summary of the play “Undergrowth”
The plot of “Undergrowth” is well known to everyone since school years, but we still recall the summary of the play in order to restore the sequence of events in memory.
The action takes place in the village of Prostakov. Its owners - Mrs. and Mr. Prostakov and their son Mitrofanushka - live a quiet life of provincial nobles. The orphan Sofyushka also lives on the estate, whom the lady sheltered in her house, but, as it turns out, not out of compassion, but because of the inheritance, which she freely disposes of as a self-proclaimed guardian. In the near future, they plan to give Sophia for Prostakova's brother Taras Skotinin.
The lady's plans are shattered when Sophia receives a letter from her uncle Starodum, who was still considered dead. Stradum is alive and well and goes on a date with his niece, and he also reports a fortune of 10 thousand income, which he inherits from his beloved relative. After such news, Prostakova begins to court Sophia, whom she still has little complained about, because now she wants to marry her to her beloved Mitrofan, and leave Skotinin with nothing.
Fortunately, Starodum turned out to be a noble and honest man, wishing his niece well. Moreover, Sophia already had a betrothed - officer Milon, who had just stopped with his regiment in the village of Prostakov. Starodub knew Milon and gave the young people his blessing.
In desperation, Prostakova tries to organize the abduction of Sophia and forcibly marry her to her son. However, even here the treacherous mistress fails - Milon saves her beloved on the night of the abduction.
Prostakov is generously forgiven and not put on trial, however, her estate, which has long aroused suspicion, is transferred to the state guardian. Everyone is leaving, and even Mitrofanushka leaves her mother, because he does not love her, as, in general, he does not love anyone in the world.
Characteristics of heroes: positive and negative characters
As in any classic work, the characters in "Undergrowth" are clearly divided into positive and negative.
Negative characters:
- Mrs. Prostakova - the mistress of the village;
- Mr. Prostakov - her husband;
- Mitrofanushka - the son of the Prostakovs, undersized;
- Taras Skotinin is the brother of the Prostakovs.
Goodies:
- Sophia is an orphan, lives with the Prostakovs;
- Starodum is her uncle;
- Milon - an officer, Sophia's lover;
- Pravdin is a state official who came to control the affairs in the Prostakov village.
Secondary characters:
- Tsyfirkin - teacher of arithmetic;
- Kuteikin - teacher, former seminarian;
- Vralman - a former coachman, pretends to be a teacher;
- Eremovna is Mitrofan's nanny.
Mrs. Prostakova
Prostakova is the most striking negative character, and indeed the most prominent character in the play. She is the mistress of the village of Prostakovs and it is the lady who, having completely suppressed her weak-willed spouse, establishes the lordly order and makes decisions.
However, she is completely ignorant, devoid of manners, often rude. Prostakova, like other members of the family, cannot read and despises science. Mitrofanushka's mother is engaged in the education of Mitrofanushka only because this is how it should be in the New World society, but she does not understand the true value of knowledge.
In addition to ignorance, Prostakova is distinguished by cruelty, deceit, hypocrisy, and envy.
The only creature she loves is her son Mitrofanushka. However, the mother's blind, absurd love only spoils the child, turning him into a copy of himself in a man's dress.
Mr. Prostakov
The figurative owner of the Prostakovs' estate. In fact, everything is led by his imperious wife, whom he is madly afraid of and does not dare to say a word. Prostakov has long lost his own opinion and dignity. He cannot even say whether the caftan sewn by the tailor Trishka for Mitrofan is good or bad, because he is afraid to say something different from what the lady expects.
Mitrofan
Son of the Prostakovs, undersized. In the family, he is affectionately called Mitrofanushka. And, meanwhile, it is time for this young man to enter adulthood, but he has absolutely no idea about it. Mitrofan is spoiled by maternal love, he is capricious, cruel to servants and teachers, pompous, lazy. Despite many years of studying with teachers, the young gentleman is hopelessly stupid, he does not show the slightest desire for learning and knowledge.
And the worst thing is that Mitrofanushka is a terrible egoist, nothing matters to him except his own interests. At the end of the play, he easily leaves his mother, who loved him so unrequitedly. Even she is empty space for him.
Skotinin
Brother of Mrs. Prostakova. Narcissistic, limited, ignorant, cruel and greedy. Taras Skotinin has a great passion for pigs, the rest is of little interest to this narrow-minded person. He has no idea of family ties, cordial affection and love. Describing how well his future wife will live, Skotinin only says that he will provide her with the best lighter. In his system of coordinates, this is where marital happiness lies.
Sofia
Positive female image of the work. A very well-mannered, kind, meek and compassionate girl. Sophia received a good education, she has an inquisitive mind and a thirst for knowledge. Even in the poisonous atmosphere of the Prostakovs' house, the girl does not become like the owners, but continues to lead the lifestyle that she likes - she reads a lot, thinks, is friendly and polite with everyone.
Starodum
Sophia's uncle and guardian. Starodum is the voice of the author in the play. His speeches are very aphoristic, he talks a lot about life, virtues, mind, law, government, modern society, marriage, love and other pressing issues. Starodum is incredibly wise and noble. Despite the fact that he clearly has a negative attitude towards Prostakova and her ilk, Starodum does not allow himself to stoop to rudeness and overt criticism, and as for light sarcasm, his narrow-minded “relatives” cannot recognize him.
Milon
Sophia's beloved officer. The image of a hero-defender, an ideal young man, husband. He is very fair, does not put up with meanness and lies. Milo was brave, and not only in battle, but also in his speeches. He is devoid of vanity and base prudence. All the “suitors” of Sophia spoke only about her condition, but Milon never mentioned that his betrothed was rich. He sincerely loved Sophia even before she had an inheritance, and therefore, in his choice, the young man was by no means guided by the size of the annual income of the bride.
“I don’t want to study, but I want to get married”: the problem of education in the story
The key problem of the work is the theme of provincial noble upbringing and education. The protagonist Mitrofanushka gets an education only because it is fashionable and “so established”. In fact, neither he nor his ignorant mother understand the true purpose of knowledge. They should make a person smarter, better, serve him throughout his life and benefit society. Knowledge is hard-earned and can never be forced into someone's head.
Mitrofan's home education is a dummy, a fiction, a provincial theater. For several years, the unfortunate student did not master either reading or writing. The comic test that Pravdin arranges, Mitrofan fails with a roar, but because of his stupidity he cannot even understand this. He calls the word door an adjective, because they say it is attached to the opening, he confuses science with stories that Vralman tells him in abundance, and Mitrofanushka cannot even pronounce the word “geography” ... too tricky.
To show the grotesqueness of Mitrofan's education, Fonvizin introduces the image of Vralman, who teaches "in French and all the sciences." In fact, Vralman (a surname that speaks!) is not a teacher at all, but a former coachman of Starodum. He easily deceives the ignorant Prostakova and even becomes her favorite, because he professes his own teaching method - not to force the student to do anything by force. With such zeal, as in Mitrofan, the teacher and student are simply idle.
Hand in hand with the acquisition of knowledge and skills goes education. For the most part, Mrs. Prostakova is responsible for it. She methodically imposes her rotten morality on Mitrofan, who (here he is diligent!) perfectly absorbs mother's advice. So, while solving the problem of division, Prostakova advises her son not to share with anyone, but to take everything for himself. Speaking about marriage, mother speaks only of the bride's wealth, never mentioning emotional affection and love. Mitrofan is not familiar with such concepts as courage, courage, valor underage. Despite the fact that he is no longer a baby, he is still taken care of in everything. The boy cannot even stand up for himself during a skirmish with his uncle, he immediately starts calling for his mother, and the old nanny Eremeevna rushes at the offender with his fists.
Name meaning: two sides of the coin
The title of the play has a direct and figurative meaning.
The direct meaning of the name
Undergrowth in the old days was called teenagers, young men who had not yet reached the age of majority and had not entered the public service.
The figurative meaning of the name
Undergrowth was also called a fool, an ignoramus, a narrow-minded and uneducated person, regardless of his age. With the light hand of Fonvizin, it was precisely this negative connotation that was attached to the word in modern Russian.
Every person is reborn from a minor youth into an adult man. This is growing up, the law of nature. However, not everyone turns from a dark undergrowth-half-educated into an educated self-sufficient person. Such transformation requires effort and perseverance.
Place in literature: Russian literature of the 18th century → Russian drama of the 18th century → The work of Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin → 1782 → The play “Undergrowth”.
Positive actors include Pravdin, Sophia, Starodum and Milon. Each of them supports the ideas of the Enlightenment, considering virtue, honesty, love for the motherland, high morality and education as the main human values.
Their complete opposite is portrayed by negative characters - the Prostakovs, Skotinin and Mitrofan. They are representatives of the "old" nobility, which with all its might clings to the outdated ideas of serf and feudalism. Their core values are money, position in the social hierarchy, and physical strength.
In Fonvizin's play "Undergrowth", the main characters are divided into peculiar dual pairs, in which the author portrays people with similar social roles, but portraying them in a mirror distortion. So, in addition to a couple of "children" - Sophia and Mitrofan, one can distinguish "educators" - Starodum and Prostakov, "grooms" - Milon and Skotinin, as well as "owners" - Prostakov and Pravdin.
Mitrofan is a minor and the main character of the comedy - a spoiled stupid youth of sixteen years old, for whom everything was always done by his mother, nanny or servants. Having adopted love for money, rudeness and disrespect for relatives from his mother (Prostakova is ready to deceive her brother in order to settle a marriage that is beneficial for her), and from his father complete lack of will, he behaves like a small child - he does not want to study, while he finds marriage fun fun. The complete opposite of Mitrofan is Sophia. This is an educated, intelligent and serious girl with a difficult fate. Having lost her parents at an early age and living in the care of the Prostakovs, Sophia does not adopt their values, but, in fact, becomes a “black sheep” in their society (Prostakova even resents that the girl can read).
Prostakova appears to readers on the one hand as an uneducated, cunning woman who is ready for almost anything for the sake of profit, and on the other, as a practical housewife and loving mother, for whom the happiness and carefree future of her son is above all else. Prostakova brought up Mitrofan the way she was brought up, and therefore she could convey and show by her own example outdated ideas and values that had long exhausted themselves.
Starodum has a completely different approach to education - he does not treat Sophia like a small child, talking with her on an equal footing, instructing her and advising her based on his own experience. In the matter of marriage, a man does not undertake to finally decide for a girl, because he does not know whether her heart is free.
In the image of Starodum, Fonvizin portrays his ideal of a parent and educator - an authoritative strong personality who herself has traveled a worthy path. However, analyzing the character system of The Undergrowth from the point of view of the modern reader, it is worth noting that the image of Starodum as an educator is also not ideal. All the time he was away, Sophia was deprived of parental care and left to herself. The fact that the girl learned to read, appreciates morality and virtue is rather the merit of her parents, who instilled this in her at a young age.
In general, the theme of kinship is important both for the positive characters of the play "Undergrowth" and the negative ones. Sophia is the daughter of worthy people, Milon is the son of a good friend Starodum. Prostakova received this surname only after marriage, in fact she is Skotinina. Brother and sister are very similar, they are both driven by greed and cunning, they are not educated and cruel. Mitrofan is depicted as a real son of his parents and a pupil of his uncle, who inherited all their negative traits, including a love for pigs.
Characters whose relationship is not mentioned in the play are Prostakov and Pravdin. Prostakov is fundamentally different from his wife, in comparison with the active and active Prostakova, he looks weak-willed and passive. In a situation where he must show himself as the owner of the village, the man is lost in the background of his wife. This leads to the fact that the more active Pravdin, who was able to pacify Prostakova, becomes the owner of the lot. In addition, Prostakov and Pravdin act as some kind of "auditors" of what is happening. Pravdin is the voice of the law, while Prostakov is the opinion of a simple (remember the “speaking” names of the play) people who do not like how the “old” nobility in the person of his wife and brother-in-law behaves, but is afraid of their wrath, therefore he speaks only aside and not agreeing.
The last pair of characters is Skotinin and Milon. Men represent old and new ideas about marriage and family life. Milon has known Sophia since childhood, they love each other, and therefore their relationship is based on mutual respect and friendship. Skotinin does not even try to get to know the girl better, he is only concerned about his dowry, and he is not even going to arrange good conditions for her after marriage.
In addition to the main characters, there are secondary characters in the play - the teachers and educators of Mitrofan the underage. The characterization of the characters of the second plan - Eremeevna, Tsyfirkin, Kuteikin and Vralman - is connected with their social role in the play. The nanny is an example of a serf who faithfully serves his mistress all his life, enduring beatings and injustice. On the example of the images of teachers, the author exposes all the problems of education in Russia in the 18th century, when children are taught by retired military men who did not graduate from the seminary or even grooms.
For the 18th century, Fonvizin's innovation consisted in the fact that the author portrayed the characters in The Undergrowth without excessive pathos and stereotypes inherent in many works of classicism. Each hero of a comedy is undoubtedly a composite image, but created not according to a ready-made “stencil”, but having its own individual features. That is why the characters of the work "Undergrowth" even today remain the brightest images of Russian literature.
