The character of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin" became the subject of scientific disputes and research immediately after the publication of the work. To this day, Pushkinists cannot come to unambiguous conclusions. Who was Eugene - a lonely lost soul, an extra person or a carefree prisoner of his own idle thoughts. His actions are contradictory, his thoughts are covered with a haze of "world sorrow". Who is he?
Hero Prototype
In the novel "Eugene Onegin", a summary of which is provided against the backdrop of the development of the image of the hero, is the property of many literary critics and Pushkinists. We will show you the development of the character of the hero against the backdrop of the events of the novel.
Pushkin was not only a brilliant poet, but also a subtle psychologist. The writer devoted seven years to his only novel, his writing, editing. This work marked Pushkin's transition from romanticism to realism. The novel in verse was planned to be a completely realistic work, but the influence of romanticism is still very strong and tangible, which is not surprising, given that the idea of it arose after reading Byron's Don Juan.
The character of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin" is the result of the poet's creative search. It cannot be said that the main character had his own clear prototype. The role of the prototype was predicted by Chaadaev and Griboedov, Pushkin himself and his opponent Pyotr Katenin, with whom the poet exchanged veiled barbs in his works. However, Pushkin himself repeatedly said that Eugene is a collective image of noble youth.
What was the character of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin"?
In the first lines of the novel, we see a young man spoiled by a non-poor noble life. He is handsome and not deprived of the attention of women. Therefore, the reader is not at all surprised by the title key line of Tatyana's love for Onegin, and then Onegin's unrequited love for Tatyana.
Throughout the novel, the character of the hero undergoes major changes, which we will discuss in the following sections of the article. At first glance, one gets the impression that strong feelings are not available to him, he is so fed up with the attention of the fair sex that he considers himself entitled to give advice. “The less we love a woman, the more she likes us” has become an aphorism. But in the novel, Onegin himself falls into his own trap.
Onegin's characterization in the novel "Eugene Onegin" in chapter 1
The work was called "an encyclopedia of Russian life." It describes in great detail the balls and dresses of ladies and gentlemen, dishes and tableware, interiors and architecture of buildings. But most of all, the author's attention is directed to the atmosphere in which the poet himself lived, and in which his characters live.
The first chapter of the novel is dedicated to Eugene. On behalf of the narrator, we learn that the hero is saddened by a letter about his uncle's illness. He is forced to go to him, but Onegin has no desire to do this. Here we see the hero somewhat indifferent. Having learned about the illness and imminent death of a relative, he would grieve and sympathize, but Eugene cares only for his own comfort, unwillingness to leave secular life.
Image of Onegin
The characterization of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin" is quite deep. It begins with a description of the origin of the character, from which we learn that he is a nobleman, born in St. Petersburg. His father at balls and gambling debts "finally squandered."
Evgeny was brought up by hired teachers - tutors, who did not care at all about the fruit of their studies. The author says that in his time almost all noble children received such an upbringing.
Moral principles not instilled in time did their job: young Onegin became a thief of women's hearts. The attention of the ladies disgusted him, pushing him to "love exploits." Soon this way of life led him to satiety and boredom, frustration and blues.
The characterization of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin", a brief description of which we see in the first chapter, is gaining momentum with the development of the plot. The author does not justify the actions of his hero, but the realistic border of the novel shows us that he simply cannot be different. The environment in which he grew up could not bear other fruits.
Development of the characteristics of Eugene
The characterization of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin" chapter by chapter shows us completely opposite sides of the character's personality. In the first chapter we have before us a young masterful rake, balls and the conquest of beautiful girls, outfits and personal care are his main concerns.
In the second chapter, Eugene is the young heir of a dead uncle. He is still the same eccentric rake, but his behavior with the serfs tells the reader that he is capable of sympathy and understanding. Onegin saves the peasants from an unbearable tax, which causes discontent among his neighbors. However, he simply ignores them. For this, he is known as an eccentric and "ignoramus", his image is overgrown with rumors and speculation.
Friendship with Lensky
A new neighbor settles next to Evgeny - Vladimir Lensky. He had just arrived from Germany, where the world of romanticism and poetry had captivated and fascinated him. At first, the characters do not find a common language, they are very different. But soon a friendship develops between them.
The young poet Lensky temporarily relieves Eugene from the insane boredom that overcomes him here as well. He is interested in the poet, but in many ways he does not understand his romantic impulses.
The characterization of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin" thanks to the image of Lensky quickly introduces the reader to the dark shades of the hero's soul. The spirit of rivalry and superiority throws Onegin on In the fifth chapter, a feast is organized at the Larins on the occasion of Tatyana's birthday. Frustrated with boredom and din, Eugene begins to flirt with Olga, Lensky's fiancee. He does this to anger Vladimir, and does not expect a challenge to a duel from him. In this duel, he kills a friend and leaves the village. Whether he grieves for a friend who died at his hands, the poet does not say.
Eugene and Tatiana
In the third chapter of the novel, Evgeny appears in the Larins' house. Tatyana falls into the power partly of her girlish dreams, partly - the charm of the hero. She puts her feelings into a letter. But there is no answer to it. At the beginning of the fourth chapter, the characters meet, and Onegin coldly tells Tatyana that if he wanted a quiet family life, he would not need anyone but Tatyana. However, now the family is not included in his plans, and marriage will bring both only disappointment and pain. He takes on the role of a noble mentor and advises the girl to be careful with her impulses, because "not everyone will understand you, as I understand."
The characterization of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin", a summary of which we are telling, is inseparable from the image of the protagonist. It is revealed precisely because of the love line. Tatyana is inconsolable in her unrequited love, Yevgeny's coldness hurts her to the very heart, deprives her of sleep and peace, plunges her into half-nightmarish, half-thingish dreams.
Second meeting with Tatyana
When Eugene meets a girl who was once in love with him in St. Petersburg, this becomes the culmination of the novel.
The character of Onegin in the novel "Eugene Onegin" undergoes completely unexpected changes. The hero falls in love for the first time in his life. And so much so that he is ready for any folly, just to win the girl that he once pushed away.
He writes a letter to her, where he confesses his feelings, but does not receive an answer to it.
The answer later will be a conversation with Tatyana, where she admits that she also loves him, but loyalty to her husband, honor and responsibility do not allow her to reciprocate his feelings. The novel ends at this dialogue, the poet leaves Yevgeny to reap the fruits of his madness in Tatyana's bedroom.
In the novel "Eugene Onegin" next to the main character, the author depicts other characters that help to better understand the character of Eugene Onegin. Among these heroes, first of all, Vladimir Lensky should be mentioned.
According to Pushkin himself, these two people are absolutely opposite: "ice and fire", - this is how the author writes about them. Nevertheless, they become inseparable friends, although Pushkin notes that they become such from "there is nothing to do."
Let's try to compare Onegin and Lensky. Are they so different from each other?
Why did they "get together"? Comparison of heroes is better presented in the form of a table:
| Eugene Onegin | Vladimir Lensky |
| Education and upbringing | |
| Traditional noble upbringing and education - as a child, a mamsel looks after him, then a monsieur, then he receives a good education. Pushkin writes: "We all learned a little something and somehow," but the poet received, as you know, an excellent education in the elite Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. | Studied in Germany. The author does not say anything about who was involved in his upbringing at an earlier age. The result of such an education is a romantic worldview, it is no coincidence that Lensky is a poet. |
| State of mind, attitude to human values | |
| Onegin feels tired of life, disappointed in it, for him there are no values - he does not value love, friendship, or rather, does not believe in the sincerity and strength of these feelings. >No: early feelings in him cooled down He was tired of the light noise. And then the author "makes a" diagnosis "of the state of his hero - in short: the Russian melancholy took possession of him little by little ..." |
Returning to his homeland, Lensky expects happiness and a miracle from life - therefore his soul and heart are open to love, friendship and creativity: The purpose of our life for him Was a tempting mystery He broke his head over her And I suspected miracles. |
| Eugene Onegin | Vladimir Lensky |
| Life in the village, relations with neighbors | |
| Arriving in the village, Onegin is looking for an application to his strength, a way out of an aimless existence - he is trying to replace the corvee with "easy dues", he seeks to find people who are close to him in look and spirit. But not finding anyone, Onegin himself separated himself with a sharp line from the surrounding landowners. And those, in turn, considered him an "eccentric", "farmason" and "stopped friendship with him." Soon boredom and disappointment take over again. |
Lensky is distinguished by an enthusiastic dreamy attitude to life, sincere simplicity and naivety. He had not yet had time to fade "from the cold debauchery of the world", he "was an ignoramus at heart." |
| Understanding the purpose and meaning of life | |
| Doesn't believe in any lofty goal. | I am sure that there is some higher goal in life, he just does not know it yet. |
| Poetic creativity and the attitude of heroes to it | |
| Onegin "could not... distinguish an iambic from a trochee..." had neither the ability to compose nor the desire to read poetry; to the works of Lensky, like A.S. Pushkin, he treats with slight irony. | Lensky is a poet. He wandered with the lyre in the world Under the sky of Schiller and Goethe Their poetic fire The soul ignited in him. Lensky is inspired by the work of German romantic poets and also considers himself a romantic. In some ways, he is similar to Pushkin's friend Kuchelbecker. Lensky's poems are sentimental, and their content is love, "separation and sadness, and something, and foggy distance, and romantic roses ..." |
| Love story | |
| Onegin does not believe in the sincerity of female love. Tatyana Larina, at the first meeting, does not evoke any feelings in Onegin's soul, except perhaps pity and sympathy. Only after a few years, the changed Onegin understands what kind of happiness he refused, rejecting Tatyana's love. Onegin's life does not make sense, since there was no place for love in it. | Lensky, as a romantic poet, falls in love with Olga. For him, the ideal of female beauty, fidelity - everything is in her. He not only loves her, he is passionately jealous of Olga for Onegin. He suspects her of treason, but as soon as Onegin leaves the evening dedicated to Tatyana's name day, Olga once again sincerely shows her affection and love for Lensky. |
Friendship
With all the differences in characters, temperaments and psychological types between Onegin and Lensky, one cannot fail to notice a number of similarities:
They are opposed to the nobility, both in the city and in the countryside;
They strive to find the meaning of life, not limited to the "joys" of the circle of secular youth;
Broad intellectual interests - and history, and philosophy and moral questions, and reading literary works.
Duel
The duel becomes a special tragic page in the relationship between Onegin and Lensky. Both heroes are well aware of the senselessness and futility of this fight, but neither of them could overcome the convention - public opinion. It was the fear of judgment from others that made the two friends stand at the barrier and point the muzzle of a pistol at the chest of their recent friend.
Onegin becomes a murderer, although according to the rules he does not commit murder, but only defends his honor. And Lensky goes to a duel in order to punish the universal evil, which at that moment, in his opinion, was concentrated in Onegin.
After the duel, Onegin leaves, he sets off to travel around Russia. He is no longer able to remain in that society, the laws of which force him to commit acts contrary to his conscience. It can be assumed that it was this duel that became the starting point from which serious changes in Onegin's character begin.
Tatyana Larina
The novel is named after Eugene Onegin, but in the text of the novel there is another heroine who can be fully called the main one - this is Tatyana. This is Pushkin's favorite heroine. The author does not hide his sympathy: “forgive me ... I love my dear Tatyana so much ...”, and, on the contrary, at every opportunity emphasizes his disposition towards the heroine.
| This is how you can imagine the heroine: | |
| What distinguishes Tatyana from representatives of her circle | Tatiana compared to Onegin |
| . She is not like all society girls. There is no coquetry, affectation, insincerity, unnaturalness in it. . She prefers solitude to noisy games, does not like to play with dolls, she likes to read books or listen to nurse's stories about the old days. And she also surprisingly feels and understands nature, this spiritual sensitivity makes Tatyana closer to the common people than to secular society. . The basis of Tatyana's world is folk culture. . Pushkin emphasizes the spiritual connection of a girl who grew up in the "village" with beliefs and folklore traditions. It is no coincidence that an episode is included in the novel, which tells about Tatyana's fortune-telling and dream. . There is a lot of intuitive, instinctive in Tatyana. . This is a discreet and deep, sad and pure, believing and faithful nature. Pushkin endowed his heroine with a rich inner world and spiritual purity: What is gifted from heaven rebellious imagination, Mind and will alive, And wayward head And with a fiery and tender heart... He believes in ideal happiness, in love, creates in his imagination, under the influence of the French novels he has read, the ideal image of his beloved. |
Tatyana is somewhat similar to Onegin: . The desire for loneliness, the desire to understand yourself and understand life. . Intuition, insight, natural intelligence. . The good disposition of the author to both characters. |
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Eugene Onegin from the novel of the same name by A.S. Pushkin is a unique character in which the positive and negative qualities of character converge in equal proportion. That is why his image, despite all the drama and the negative impact on the fate and lives of other characters, is attractive.
Age and marital status of Onegin
Eugene Onegin is a young nobleman of hereditary origin. In other words, his noble title passed to him from his ancestors, and was not deserved by Onegin himself. Eugene was born in St. Petersburg, where he spent most of his life. Onegin's parents had already died by the time of the story, the exact date of the death of the parents is unknown, the only thing that can be said is that at the time of the death of the parents, Onegin was not a small child - there are references in the novel that the parents took part in the process of his upbringing and education.
His parents had no other children. Onegin also has no cousins and sisters - his closest relatives are childless. Onegin was "the heir to all his relatives."
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After the death of his father, Eugene became the heir not only to the title of nobility, but also to numerous debts. A chance helped put an end to debts - his uncle was seriously ill, and according to all forecasts, he was soon to die. Since the uncle had no heirs, the closest relative should have become the owner of the uncle's estate. In this case, it was Onegin.
Eugene comes to the dying uncle, but Onegin is guided not by a feeling of affection for his uncle or love for a relative - in the case of Onegin, this was a tactical move.
Eugene only created the appearance of bitterness of loss, in fact, he is indifferent to the person of his uncle, and courting the dying man makes the young man sad and despondent.
After the death of his uncle, Eugene gives his father's estate to creditors and thus gets rid of debts. Thus, a young 26-year-old single nobleman has the opportunity to start life from a new leaf.
Education of Eugene Onegin and occupation
Eugene Onegin, like all nobles, was an educated person. However, his basic knowledge wants to be better - Onegin's teacher, Monsieur L'Abbe, was not a strict teacher, he often made Evgeny concessions and tried not to complicate Onegin's life with sciences, so the quality of Eugene's knowledge with his natural potential could be better. Nothing is known about whether Onegin received education in educational institutions. Despite such a clear disregard for the sciences, Onegin, like all nobles, knew French well (He spoke French perfectly / Could speak and write), knew a little Latin (He knew enough Latin, / To parse epigraphs). He did not like history very much: "He had no desire to rummage / In chronological dust / Genesis of the earth."
Pushkin in the novel says that Eugene lived carefree and did not experience any difficulties in life. He also had no goals in life - Onegin lived one day, indulging in entertainment. Eugene was not in the military or civil service. This was quite likely due to his whim, and not because of the inability to start the service.
Eugene Onegin leads an active social life - he is a frequenter of balls and dinner parties.
Attachment to fashion trends in clothing
Eugene Onegin is a real dandy. "Cut off in the latest fashion."
His suit is always in line with the latest fashion trends. Eugene spends a lot of time on hygiene procedures, dresses for a long time, examining his outfit from all sides: “He spent at least three hours / Spent in front of the mirrors.”
It is unacceptable for him to have something less than perfect in his appearance. Onegin does not look ridiculous in his suit, he is comfortable in such clothes. His plasticity of movements is successfully emphasized with the help of certain elements of clothing.
Onegin and society
Going out into society for Onegin became an everyday entertainment - therefore, soon all types of behavior of aristocrats became well known to him, and the appearances that once carried him away began to tire and bore.
Eugene rarely gets carried away with anything - he is tired of everything: the theater, and balls, and dinner parties - everything bores the young dandy. That is why Eugene tries to distance himself from any communication - he is too tired of society and prefers solitude. He was bored with the noise of light .... and in the village boredom is the same.
In general, Eugene did not like either society or people. The only person he envied and respected was Vladimir Lensky:
Although he knew people, of course
And in general he despised them, -
/ But (there are no rules without exceptions)
He was very different from others.
And he respected the feeling of others.
Leisure Onegin
Since Eugene Onegin is not in the service and is actually not busy with anything, there is a lot of free time in his arsenal. However, despite all the accompanying factors, he toils for a long time, not knowing what to do with himself. Onegin is not interested in anything - neither science nor travel.
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From time to time Onegin spends time reading books. Mostly these are works on economic topics, for example, the work of Adam Smith, but this did not last long "like women, he left books." Eugene himself loves to philosophize, although he does not have deep knowledge in any branch of science or culture.
Eugene Onegin and women
Onegin was a prominent personality in the eyes of aristocrats. His youth, natural beauty and good manners made him a favorite in the sorority. At first, such attention to his person flattered Onegin, but soon Eugene got tired of it.
Onegin notices that basically all women are fickle - they easily change their minds and this leaves a negative imprint on relationships with women.
The beauties didn't last long
The subject of his habitual thoughts;
Changes got tired
After arriving in the village, Onegin meets a young landowner, the romantic poet Vladimir Lensky. It is thanks to Lensky that Evgeny ends up in the Larins' house.
Olga, the younger sister, was the bride of Lensky, but the eldest, Tatyana, did not have a groom. Despite the fact that Tatyana is noticeably different from other female representatives, her person does not arouse Onegin's interest. However, the same tendency does not work in the case of Tatyana - the girl falls in love with a young man and decides to be the first to confess her feelings. However, Onegin does not feel in love with the girl, he tries to give her advice and behaves rudely with her, which brings her considerable mental anguish and disappointment.
Eugene Onegin and Lensky
After moving to the village, Eugene gets rid of numerous debts, but he did not succeed in escaping from society and boredom. As in any other village located at a remote distance from big cities, the arrival of any new person causes a stir. Therefore, Onegin's hopes for a solitary life could in no way be justified. This sad trend was also reinforced by the fact that Eugene was young, wealthy and single, which means that he was a potential groom.
Interest in the person of Onegin arose not only among young unmarried girls and their parents. In the person of Onegin, Vladimir Lensky intended to find a friend for himself. Eugene was not at all similar in temperament and character to Vladimir. Such a disagreement in views and personal qualities attracted the young poet. Over time, Onegin became a friend of Lensky, despite the fact that friendship, like love, was already rather tired and disappointed him: "friends and friendship are tired."
It cannot be said that Onegin and Lensky are connected by the true concept of friendship, at least from the side of Eugene. He maintains his association with the young poet solely out of boredom and lack of other company.
During the celebration of the name day of Tatyana Larina, where Lensky brought him against his will, Onegin is rather bored, he is angry with Tatyana's behavior. Soon, Eugene decides to take revenge on Vladimir for bringing him here by force - he dances with Olga, Lensky's fiancee, which causes an attack of jealousy from his friend. The incident was not over at this point - a duel followed a fit of jealousy. Eugene is well aware that he was wrong, but he does not dare to explain himself to a friend - Eugene deliberately neglects some of the duel rules (he is late, takes a servant as a second), hoping that because of this Lensky will postpone the duel, but this does not happen. As you can see, Onegin is not a hopeless person, but he is unable to publicly admit his mistake, which leads to tragedy - Lensky was mortally wounded and died on the spot:
Killed!.. With a terrible exclamation
Struck, Onegin with a shudder
Leaves and calls people ...
Characteristics of the personal qualities of Eugene Onegin
From infancy, Eugene Onegin was not deprived of attention. He grew up in prosperity and permissiveness, so in adulthood he was a selfish and spoiled person.
Onegin has a huge potential for the development of his personality - he has an extraordinary mind, he is quick-witted and attentive, but he neglects all this. He does not want to do something useful that would bring him positive results in the future - he likes to go with the flow.
Onegin knows how to impress people - he knows how to talk on any topic, regardless of the superficiality of his knowledge. Onegin is not an emotional and unromantic person. He has a "sharp, chilled mind."
Onegin "Always frowning, silent, / Angry and coldly jealous!". He seems strange and eccentric to others, and this attracts people to him even more.
Thus, Eugene Onegin is an unusual character - he has every opportunity to change his life and bring a lot of positive things to the lives of his relatives, but he neglects this because of his intemperance and inability to force himself to do the necessary, but uninteresting things. His life is like an endless holiday, but, like any other activity, constant entertainment bored Onegin and became the cause of his blues.
It is difficult to find a writer in the world who would give as many great examples of creativity in various types of living literary style as A.S. Pushkin.
Among his main works is the novel "Eugene Onegin". What is the value of this novel?
"Eugene Onegin" is one of the most complex and important works of the poet. It is made in an innovative genre - in the style of "novel in verse".
The protagonist of the novel is Eugene Onegin. What is Onegin? A young man, a nobleman, whose birth caught the change of centuries: the eighteenth and nineteenth. A frequenter of secular society, a "deep economy", a philosopher, an expert in the "science of tender passion." In society, he succeeded in everything. Educated, elegantly dressed, properly "cut", a connoisseur of Latin and dancing, an admirer of Adam Smith. He knew how to bow at ease, to be in time everywhere - to the theater, to the ballet, to receptions.
“What do you want more? The world decided
That he is smart and very nice."
But very quickly Onegin got tired of the tinsel and glitter, the noise and bustle of the world. “Feelings in him have cooled down,” betrayals are tired, “friends and friendship are tired.” And the ailment familiar to many called "Russian melancholy" began to take possession of him.
The soul of Eugene Onegin is not crippled by nature. It is corrupted by superficial things: the temptations of society, passions, inaction. Onegin is capable of good deeds: in his village, he replaces corvée with "easy dues."
Onegin feels: the relations that have developed in society are false. There is no spark of truth in them, they are thoroughly saturated with hypocrisy. Onegin yearns; and this eternal longing for something worthwhile, true.
By the will of fate, Onegin finds himself in the village, where he meets Tatyana Larina, a thoughtful, dreamy county young lady. She writes him a love letter - and here the selfishness and coldness of Onegin's soul are fully manifested. He teaches her life, reads her an insensitive rebuke, rejects her love.
The case brings Onegin to a young neighbor Lensky. Lensky is a romantic, he is far from reality, his feelings are genuine and direct. With Onegin, they are completely different. A quarrel arises between them, a duel follows, and Onegin kills Lensky in this duel. And then, with even greater longing from remorse for this involuntary, unnecessary villainy, he leaves to wander around Russia.
Onegin returns to St. Petersburg, meets again with Tatiana. But what is it? What a striking change. At the sight of Onegin, her eyebrow did not even move. An indifferent princess, an impregnable goddess.
What happens to Onegin? "Care of youth - love? .."
In his soul, previously cold and prudent, a tender feeling began to glow. But now he is rejected. Sacrificing her love and Onegin's love, Tatyana may have shown the main character the path to moral and spiritual rebirth.
Eugene Onegin is a product of a secular society, he observes the rules of decency, but at the same time, light is alien to him. The secret here lies not in society, but in itself. In his inability to work, to live with firm ideals and goals. He has no tasks to solve, he does not find true meaning in anything.
Why does Pushkin put his hero, as the bearer of a lofty idea - the human person, its freedom and rights, in such a strange position, why in the minds of this person is an unsuccessful and untenable hero? The explanation here can be twofold. According to the first version, Pushkin created his hero under the influence of Byron, and thus Onegin is an echo of those heroes, "anxious types", imbued with skepticism and disappointment, which Western culture put forward at that time, and as such, being transplanted into foreign soil , they are actually unsuccessful and untenable here.
Another explanation may lie in the fact that such “anxious types” could have arisen independently on Russian soil, thanks in part to the same Western culture on the one hand, and on the other hand, thanks to Russian life, which provided sufficient material for skepticism and for disappointment.
Their inconsistency and unsuitability for Russian life was first realized by Pushkin, and this consciousness penetrated into our public self-consciousness, which is proved by all our subsequent Russian literature. These "anxious types" continued to exist for a long time in our literature in the works of Lermontov, Griboyedov, Turgenev and other authors, with the same character of inconsistency and unsuitability for Russian life.
Conclusion
Pushkin introduced into our public consciousness the lofty idea of the human personality, its freedom and its rights, but at the same time he introduced into our consciousness the fact that this lofty idea is in the hands of our progressive people, who have both education and upbringing, often, and for the most part, it breaks down on their personal egoism, as a result of which it does not bring the expected results. While in the mass of the Russian people the idea flickers like a spark under a mass of ashes, and at every opportunity is ready to catch fire, moving the mass and each individual person to great feats.
In the novel "Eugene Onegin" next to the main character, the author depicts other characters that help to better understand the character of Eugene Onegin. Among these heroes, first of all, Vladimir Lensky should be mentioned.
According to Pushkin himself, these two people are absolutely opposite: "ice and fire", - this is how the author writes about them. Nevertheless, they become inseparable friends, although Pushkin notes that they become such from "there is nothing to do."
Let's try to compare Onegin and Lensky. Are they so different from each other?
Why did they "get together"? Comparison of heroes is better presented in the form of a table:
| Eugene Onegin | Vladimir Lensky |
| Education and upbringing | |
| Traditional noble upbringing and education - as a child, a mamsel looks after him, then a monsieur, then he receives a good education. Pushkin writes: "We all learned a little something and somehow," but the poet received, as you know, an excellent education in the elite Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. | Studied in Germany. The author does not say anything about who was involved in his upbringing at an earlier age. The result of such an education is a romantic worldview, it is no coincidence that Lensky is a poet. |
| State of mind, attitude to human values | |
| Onegin feels tired of life, disappointed in it, for him there are no values - he does not value love, friendship, or rather, does not believe in the sincerity and strength of these feelings. >No: early feelings in him cooled down He was tired of the light noise. And then the author "makes a" diagnosis "of the state of his hero - in short: the Russian melancholy took possession of him little by little ..." |
Returning to his homeland, Lensky expects happiness and a miracle from life - therefore his soul and heart are open to love, friendship and creativity: The purpose of our life for him Was a tempting mystery He broke his head over her And I suspected miracles. |
| Eugene Onegin | Vladimir Lensky |
| Life in the village, relations with neighbors | |
| Arriving in the village, Onegin is looking for an application to his strength, a way out of an aimless existence - he is trying to replace the corvee with "easy dues", he seeks to find people who are close to him in look and spirit. But not finding anyone, Onegin himself separated himself with a sharp line from the surrounding landowners. And those, in turn, considered him an "eccentric", "farmason" and "stopped friendship with him." Soon boredom and disappointment take over again. |
Lensky is distinguished by an enthusiastic dreamy attitude to life, sincere simplicity and naivety. He had not yet had time to fade "from the cold debauchery of the world", he "was an ignoramus at heart." |
| Understanding the purpose and meaning of life | |
| Doesn't believe in any lofty goal. | I am sure that there is some higher goal in life, he just does not know it yet. |
| Poetic creativity and the attitude of heroes to it | |
| Onegin "could not... distinguish an iambic from a trochee..." had neither the ability to compose nor the desire to read poetry; to the works of Lensky, like A.S. Pushkin, he treats with slight irony. | Lensky is a poet. He wandered with the lyre in the world Under the sky of Schiller and Goethe Their poetic fire The soul ignited in him. Lensky is inspired by the work of German romantic poets and also considers himself a romantic. In some ways, he is similar to Pushkin's friend Kuchelbecker. Lensky's poems are sentimental, and their content is love, "separation and sadness, and something, and foggy distance, and romantic roses ..." |
| Love story | |
| Onegin does not believe in the sincerity of female love. Tatyana Larina, at the first meeting, does not evoke any feelings in Onegin's soul, except perhaps pity and sympathy. Only after a few years, the changed Onegin understands what kind of happiness he refused, rejecting Tatyana's love. Onegin's life does not make sense, since there was no place for love in it. | Lensky, as a romantic poet, falls in love with Olga. For him, the ideal of female beauty, fidelity - everything is in her. He not only loves her, he is passionately jealous of Olga for Onegin. He suspects her of treason, but as soon as Onegin leaves the evening dedicated to Tatyana's name day, Olga once again sincerely shows her affection and love for Lensky. |
Friendship
With all the differences in characters, temperaments and psychological types between Onegin and Lensky, one cannot fail to notice a number of similarities:
They are opposed to the nobility, both in the city and in the countryside;
They strive to find the meaning of life, not limited to the "joys" of the circle of secular youth;
Broad intellectual interests - and history, and philosophy and moral questions, and reading literary works.
Duel
The duel becomes a special tragic page in the relationship between Onegin and Lensky. Both heroes are well aware of the senselessness and futility of this fight, but neither of them could overcome the convention - public opinion. It was the fear of judgment from others that made the two friends stand at the barrier and point the muzzle of a pistol at the chest of their recent friend.
Onegin becomes a murderer, although according to the rules he does not commit murder, but only defends his honor. And Lensky goes to a duel in order to punish the universal evil, which at that moment, in his opinion, was concentrated in Onegin.
After the duel, Onegin leaves, he sets off to travel around Russia. He is no longer able to remain in that society, the laws of which force him to commit acts contrary to his conscience. It can be assumed that it was this duel that became the starting point from which serious changes in Onegin's character begin.
Tatyana Larina
The novel is named after Eugene Onegin, but in the text of the novel there is another heroine who can be fully called the main one - this is Tatyana. This is Pushkin's favorite heroine. The author does not hide his sympathy: “forgive me ... I love my dear Tatyana so much ...”, and, on the contrary, at every opportunity emphasizes his disposition towards the heroine.
| This is how you can imagine the heroine: | |
| What distinguishes Tatyana from representatives of her circle | Tatiana compared to Onegin |
| . She is not like all society girls. There is no coquetry, affectation, insincerity, unnaturalness in it. . She prefers solitude to noisy games, does not like to play with dolls, she likes to read books or listen to nurse's stories about the old days. And she also surprisingly feels and understands nature, this spiritual sensitivity makes Tatyana closer to the common people than to secular society. . The basis of Tatyana's world is folk culture. . Pushkin emphasizes the spiritual connection of a girl who grew up in the "village" with beliefs and folklore traditions. It is no coincidence that an episode is included in the novel, which tells about Tatyana's fortune-telling and dream. . There is a lot of intuitive, instinctive in Tatyana. . This is a discreet and deep, sad and pure, believing and faithful nature. Pushkin endowed his heroine with a rich inner world and spiritual purity: What is gifted from heaven rebellious imagination, Mind and will alive, And wayward head And with a fiery and tender heart... He believes in ideal happiness, in love, creates in his imagination, under the influence of the French novels he has read, the ideal image of his beloved. |
Tatyana is somewhat similar to Onegin: . The desire for loneliness, the desire to understand yourself and understand life. . Intuition, insight, natural intelligence. . The good disposition of the author to both characters. |
