Staged on the stage of the Moscow theater "Medox" on May 14, 1783, it was also a huge success.
One of the main characters of this comedy was Prostakov Mitrofan Terentyevich, the son of the Prostakovs, simply Mitrofanushka.
As soon as the name of the comedy "Undergrowth" is pronounced, the image immediately arises in the imagination sissy, a loafer and a stupid ignoramus. Before this comedy, the word "undergrowth" did not carry an ironic meaning. During the time of Peter I, this was the name given to noble teenagers who were under 15 years old. After the appearance of the play, this word became a household word.
The main character himself - Mitrofanushka - is deprived of any purpose in life. The main activities in life that he enjoys are eating, lounging and chasing pigeons. His doing nothing is encouraged by his mother. “Go and frolic, Mitrofanushka,” is how she answers her son when he is about to go chasing pigeons.
A sixteen-year-old boy at that time was supposed to go to the service at that age, but his mother did not want to let him go. She wanted to keep him with her until the age of 26.
Prostakova did not have a soul in her son, she loved with blind maternal love, which only harmed him: Mitrofanushka ate himself to the point of colic in his stomach, and Prostakova persuaded him to eat more. The nanny said to this that he had already eaten five pieces of pies. And Prostakova answered: "So you feel sorry for the sixth."
When they offended Mitrofanushka, she stood up for him, and he was her only consolation. Everything was done only for the sake of her son, even to provide him with a carefree future, she decided to marry him to a rich bride.
She tried not to bother him with anything, even studying. AT noble families teachers were hired. And Prostakova hired teachers for him, but not so that he would learn the mind, but it was just the way it was supposed to be. The names of the teachers spoke for themselves: the German coachman Vralman, the retired soldier Tsyfirkin, the half-educated seminarian Kuteikin. Mitrofan did not want to study and told his mother: “Listen, mother. I amuse you. I will learn; just for it to be last time. The hour of my will has come. I don’t want to study, I want to get married.” And Prostakova agreed with him, because she herself was illiterate, stupid. “Only you suffer, and everything, I see, is emptiness. Don't study this stupid science!"
All relatives irritated Mitrofanushka, he did not love anyone - neither his father nor his uncle. The nanny, who did not receive money for raising Mitrofan and always protected him from his uncle, tried to teach him something. She persuaded him: "Yes, teach at least a little bit." Mitrofan answered her: “Well, say another word, you old bastard! I’ll finish them off, I’ll complain to my mother again, so she’ll deign to give you a task for yesterday. No worries touched him. This hero combined the most evil qualities of the young nobles of that time.
All the mother's worries about her son did not find an answer. Mitrofanushka treated his mother with disdain. He did not respect her at all and played on her feelings: His words: “Vit is here and the river is close. I’ll dive, and remember your name, ”or“ The whole night, such rubbish climbed into my eyes. - What rubbish, Mitrofanushka? “Yes, then you, mother, then father,” they prove this.
Even at a difficult moment for the mother, the son refuses her. “You alone remained with me, my heartfelt friend,” Prostakova rushes to her son with these words. She seems to be looking for support in the only person close to her. Mitrofan indifferently throws: “Yes, get rid of you, mother, how you imposed yourself.”
Maternal upbringing and the environment in which Mitrofan Prostakov lived made him a heartless, stupid animal who only knows what to eat and have fun. The thoughts inspired by Mitrofan by his mother that lying on his side you can get both rank and money fell on fertile ground. It can be concluded that Mitrofan, if his fate had turned out the way his mother intended, would not have shamed his “surname”.
It seems to me that the meaning of this comedy is in the playwright's protest against the Prostakovs and Skotinins. Such inhuman, rude, stupid people should be as few as possible. They should not be the majority of society. I share the writer's point of view.
(One of the main characters of the comedy "Undergrowth" by Fonvizin is Prostakov Mitrofan Terentyevich, the noble son of the Prostakovs.
The name Mitrofan means "similar", similar to the mother. Maybe with this name Mrs. Prostakova wanted to show that her son was a reflection of Prostakova herself.
Mitrofanushka was sixteen years old, but his mother did not want to part with her child and wanted to keep her until the age of twenty-six, not letting him go to work.
Mrs. Prostakova herself was stupid, insolent, impolite, and therefore did not listen to anyone's opinion.
“While Mitrofan is still underage, while he should be married; and there, in a dozen years, when he enters, God forbid, into the service, endure everything.
Mitrofanushka himself has no purpose in life, he only loved to eat, mess around and chase pigeons: “I’ll run to the dovecote now, so maybe either ...” To which his mother replied: “Go, frolic, Mitrofanushka.”
Mitrofan did not want to study, his mother hired teachers for him only because it was necessary in noble families, and not so that her son would learn the mind - the mind. As he told his mother: “Listen, mother. I amuse you. I will learn; just make sure it's the last one. The hour of washing the will has come. I don’t want to study, I want to get married.” And Mrs. Prostakova always echoed him: “It’s very nice for me that Mitrofanushka doesn’t like to step forward, With his mind, let him sweep far, and God forbid! Only you are tormented, and everything, I see, is emptiness. Don't study this stupid science!" The worst qualities of character, the most backward views on science characterize such young nobles as Mitrofan. He is also unusually lazy.
Mrs. Prostakova herself did not look for a soul in Mitrofanushka. Fonvizin understood the unreasonableness of her blind, animal love for her offspring, Mitrofan, a love that, in essence, destroys her son. Mitrofan ate himself to the point of colic in his stomach, and his mother tried to persuade him to eat more. The nanny said: “He already ate five buns, mother.” To which Prostakova replied: “So you feel sorry for the sixth, you beast.” These words show concern for the son. She tried to provide him with a carefree future, decided to marry him to a rich wife. If someone offends her son, she immediately comes to the defense. Mitrofanushka was one of her consolations.
Mitrofan treated his mother with disdain: “Yes! Just look what a task is from uncle: and there from his fists and for the watch book. ”What, what do you want to do? Remember, darling!" “Vit is here and the river is close. I’ll dive, and remember your name.” “Dead! God died with you! ”: these words prove that he does not love at all and he does not feel sorry for his mother, Mitrofan does not respect her and plays with her feelings. And when Prostakova, who has lost power, rushes to her son with the words: You are the only one left with me, my heartfelt friend, Mitrofanushka! ". And in response he hears a heartless: “Yes, get rid of you, mother, how you imposed yourself.” “The whole night such rubbish climbed into my eyes.” "What rubbish is Mitrofanushka?" “Yes, then you, mother, then father.”
Prostakov was afraid of his wife and in her presence he spoke of his son as follows: “At least I love him as a parent, this is a smart child, that is a reasonable, amusing, entertainer; sometimes I am overjoyed with him, I myself truly do not believe that he is my son, ”and added, looking at his wife:“ In your eyes, mine do not see anything.
Taras Skotinin, looking at everything that was happening, repeated: “Well, Mitrofanushka, I see you are a mother’s son, not a father!” And Mitrofan turned to his uncle: “What are you, uncle, overeating with henbane? Get out, uncle, get out."
Mitrofan was always rude to his mother and snapped at her. Although Eremeevna did not receive a penny for raising a minor, she tried to teach him good, defended him from his uncle: “I will die on the spot, but I will not give the child away. Sunsya, sir, just show yourself if you please. I will scratch out those thorns. I tried to make a decent person out of him: “Yes, teach at least a little.” “Well, say another word, you old bastard! I'll finish them off; I will again complain to my mother, so she will deign to give you a task in yesterday's way. Of all the teachers, only the German Adam Adamych Vralman praised Mitrofanushka, and even then because of the fact that Prostakov was not angry with him and scolded. The rest of the teachers openly scolded him. For example, Tsyfirkin: "Your nobility always toil around idle, if you please." And Mitrofan snapped: “Well! Come on board, garrison rat! Set your butts." “All butts, your honor. We are left behind with tasks, a century behind. Mitrofan's dictionary is small and poor. “Take them with a shot and Eremeevna”: this is how he spoke about his teachers and nanny.
Mitrofan was ill-bred, a rude, spoiled child, whom everyone around obeyed and obeyed, he also had freedom of speech in the house. Mitrofan was sure that the people around him should help him, give advice. Mitrofan had an inflated self-esteem.
No matter how smart and hardworking a person is, there is a particle of such Mitrofanushka in him. Every person is sometimes lazy. There are also people who try to live only at the expense of their parents, without doing anything themselves. Of course, many depend on the upbringing of children by parents.
To people like Mitrofan, I am neither good nor bad. I just try to avoid talking to people like that. In general, I think that such people should try to help with their difficulties and problems. We need to reason with him, make him learn. If such a person does not want to improve himself, studies and studies, but, on the contrary, remains stupid and spoiled, treats his elders disrespectfully, then for the rest of his life he will remain undersized and ignorant.
Image of the people and images in the work “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” by Radishchev Roman A. Radishcheva “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” is one of the most significant phenomena of Russian literature of the eighteenth century. It is written in the then popular genre of “travel”, which was discovered by L. Stern, the founder of sentimentalism. In his assessment of man, Radishchev generally followed the sentimentalist writers and wrote that it is precisely the ability to sympathize that distinguishes man from the beast. Sympathy, compassion are the main emotions of the narrator in the novel: “I looked around me - my soul became wounded by the sufferings of mankind.”
What is the narrator's compassion for? The position of the people. The novel gives a broad panorama of the life of the serfs. And Radishchev is outraged not so much by the poverty and hard work of the peasants, but by the fact that they, like serfs, are deprived of free will, legally deprived of rights. “The peasant in law is dead,” writes Radishchev. And he is dead only when the protection of the law is required. This is what the head of “Zaitsevo” says. For many years, the cruel landowner and his family tortured the peasants, and no one ever stood up for the unfortunate. When the peasants, driven out of patience, killed the monster, the law remembered them, and they were sentenced to death.
The fate of the peasant is terrible: "And the lot of a riveted in bonds, and the lot of a prisoner in a stinking dungeon, and the lot of an ox in a yoke." But the narrator, brought up on the ideas of enlightenment, affirms the equality of all people. But the peasants for the most part are just human better than the landowners. The landlords in Radishchev's novel are almost all negative characters, nonhumans. The morals of the peasants are healthy and natural, they are not infected by artificial civilization. This is especially clear when comparing urban and rural girls: “Look how all the members of my beauties are round, tall, not twisted, not spoiled. It's funny to you that they have feet at five. vershokov, and maybe six. Well, my dear niece, with your three-toothed leg, stand next to them and run in a run, who will sooner reach the tall birch that stands at the end of the meadow?
Village beauties are healthy and virtuous, while urban beauties “have blush on their cheeks, blush on their hearts, blush on their conscience, on sincerity ... soot.”
Main merit Radishchev and his main difference from most accusatory literature of the eighteenth century is that he does not complain about individual negative examples, but condemns the very order of things, the existence of serfdom: Slave peace under the shadow of Golden Fruits will not increase; Where all the mind abhors striving, Greatness will not vegetate there.
The peculiarity of Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow lies in the fact that Radishchev, having taken the form of a “journey”, filled it with accusatory content. Sensitive Hero sentimental literature, although capable of compassion, seeks to escape from the evil of this world into himself, and the narrator from Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow is concerned public affairs and seeks to serve the public good.
“Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” - the first Russian ideological novel, where not so much artistic as political tasks are set. This is its originality and significance for all our literature. The image of Mitrofan in Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth" The name Mitrofan is translated as like a mother, like a mother. He was sixteen years old, he should have already gone to the service at fifteen, but Mrs. Prostokova did not want to be separated from her son.
He did not have a goal in life, he did not think about the future and about his studies, and Mitrofanushka chased pigeons all day long. He was not industrious, but was very lazy. He never overworked himself. After all, from a spoiled son, Mitrofani turns into cruel man, a traitor. He betrays his mother when he finds out that she is no longer the mistress of the house. He shows his real attitude towards her. It seems to me that there can be no worse punishment, even one like Prostakova. Mrs. Prostakova says that people live and lived without sciences.
Nanny Eremeevna, who raised Mitrofanushka as best she could, endured all insults, but after all this Mitrofan wanted her to protect him from everyone.
And his mother, to whom he constantly complained about the nanny and his teachers, always cursed and did not pay her, thinking that the nanny was already indebted to her for the fact that she was fed and she lived with them. To his teachers, of which only the teacher of arithmetic tried to transfer his knowledge to Mitrofan, he treated with disdain.
Mitrofan does not notice his father at all, because he does not help him in anything.
Mitrofanushka is a very capricious and careless child, he is stupid and impolite, does not think about his future and people.
I think that people like Mitrofanushka don't know what happiness is, because they don't even think about it, so they can't be happy.
Bibliography
For the preparation of this work, materials from the site http://sochinenia1.narod.ru/ were used.
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Mitrofan Terentyevich Prostakov (Mitrofanushka) - undergrowth, son of landowners Prostakov, 15 years old. The name "Mitrofan" means in Greek "manifested by his mother", "similar to his mother." It has become a household word for a stupid and arrogant ignorant sissy. Yaroslavl old-timers considered the prototype of the image of M. a certain barchuk who lived in the vicinity of Yaroslavl, as reported by L. N. Trefolev.
Fonvizin's comedy is a play about an undergrowth, about his monstrous upbringing, which turns a teenager into a cruel and lazy creature. The word "undergrowth" before Fonvizin's comedy did not carry negative semantics. Undergrowths were called teenagers under the age of fifteen, that is, the age determined by Peter I for entry into the service. In 1736, the period of stay in the "undergrowth" was extended to twenty years. The decree on the freedom of the nobility abolished the mandatory term of service and granted the nobles the right to serve or not to serve, but confirmed the compulsory education introduced under Peter I. Prostakova follows the law, although she does not approve of it. She also knows that many, including those in her family, circumvent the law. M. has been studying for four years, but Prostakova wants to keep him with her for ten years.
The plot of the comedy is based on the fact that Prostakova wants to marry the poor pupil Sophia for her brother Skotinin, but then, having learned about 10,000 rubles, the heiress of which Starodum made Sophia, decides not to miss the rich heiress. Skoti-nin doesn't want to give in. On this basis, between M. and Skotinin, between Prostakova and Skotinin, enmity arises, turning into ugly quarrels. M., set up by his mother, demands collusion, declaring: “The hour of my will has come. I don't want to study, I want to get married." But Prostakova understands that first you need to get the consent of Starodum. And for this it is necessary that M. appear in a favorable light: “While he is resting, my friend, at least for the sake of appearance, learn, so that it comes to his ears how you work, Mitrofanushka.” For her part, Prostakova in every possible way praises M.'s diligence, successes and her parental care for him, and although she knows for sure that M. has not learned anything, she nevertheless arranges an “exam” and encourages Starodum to evaluate the successes of her son (case 4, yavl. VIII). The lack of motivation for this scene (it is hardly appropriate to tempt fate and present the son in a bad light; it is also unclear how the illiterate Prostakova could appreciate M.'s knowledge and the pedagogical efforts of his teachers) is obvious; but it is important for Fonvizin to show that the ignorant landowner herself becomes a victim of her own deceit and sets a trap for her son. After this farcical comedy scene, Prostakova, confident that she will push her brother back by force, and realizing that M. could not stand the test and comparison with Milon, decides to forcibly marry M. to Sophia; instructs him to get up at six o'clock, put "three servants in Sophia's bedroom, and two in the hallway to help" (d. 4, yavl. IX). To this M. replies: "Everything will be done." When Prostakova’s “conspiracy” fails, M., at first ready, after her mother, “to be taken for people” (d. 5, fig. III), then humbly asks for forgiveness, and then rudely pushes her mother away: “Get off, mother, how imposed itself” (case 5, yavl. last). Completely bewildered and having lost power over people, he must now pass new school education (“Let’s go serve,” Pravdin tells him), which he accepts with slavish obedience: “According to me, where they are told.” These last words M. become a kind of illustration to the words of Starodum: “Well, what can come out of Mitrofanushka for the fatherland, for which ignorant parents also pay money to ignorant teachers? How many noble fathers who moral education they entrust their son to their serf slave! Fifteen years later, instead of one slave, two come out, an old uncle and a young master ”(d. 5, yavl. I).
The struggle for the hand of Sophia, making up the plot of the comedy, puts M. in the center of action. As one of the "imaginary" suitors, M. with his figure connects two worlds - the ignorant nobles, tyrants, the world of "malice" and the enlightened nobles, the world of good morals. These "camps" are extremely alienated from each other. Prostakova, Skotinin cannot understand Starodum, Pravdin and Milon (Prostakova says to Starodum in complete bewilderment: “God knows how you judge you now” - d. 4, phenom. VIII; M. cannot understand , which the same characters demand of him), and Sofya, Pravdin, Milon and Starodum perceive M. and his relatives with open contempt. The reason for this is a different upbringing. The natural nature of M. is distorted by upbringing, and therefore he is in sharp contradiction with the norms of behavior of a nobleman and with ethical ideas about a good-natured and enlightened person.
Author's attitude to M., as well as to others negative characters, is expressed in the form of a "monologue" self-exposure of the hero and in replicas goodies. The rudeness of vocabulary betrays in him hardness of heart and evil will; ignorance of the soul leads to laziness, empty pursuits (chasing pigeons), gluttony. M. is the same tyrant at home as Prostakova. Like Prostakova, she does not consider her father, seeing in him empty place, in every possible way treats teachers. At the same time, he holds Prostakov in his hands and threatens to commit suicide if she does not protect him from Skotinin (“To wind here and the river is close. Dive, so remember your name” - d. 2, yavl. VI). M. knows neither love, nor pity, nor simple gratitude; in this respect he surpassed his mother. Prostakova lives for her son, M. for herself. Ignorance can progress from generation to generation; coarseness of feelings is reduced to purely animal instincts. Prostakov remarks with surprise: “It’s strange, brother, how relatives can resemble relatives. Our Mitrofanushka looks like an uncle. And he is a pig hunter from childhood, just like you. As he was for another three years, it used to happen, when he saw a pig, he would tremble with joy ”(d. 1, yavl. V). In the fight scene, Skotinin calls M. "damned ingot." With all his behavior and speeches, M. justifies the words of Starodum: “An ignoramus without a soul is a beast” (d. 3, yavl. I).
According to Starodum, there are three types of people: an enlightened smart girl; unenlightened, but possessing a soul; unenlightened and soulless. M., Prostakova and Skotinin belong to the latter variety. They seem to grow claws (see the scene of Skotinin’s quarrel with M. and the words of Eremeevna, as well as the fight between Prostakova and Skotinin, in which M.’s mother “pierced” Skotinin’s scruff), bearish strength appears (Skotinin says to Prostakova: “It will come to breaking , I will bend, so you will crack" - d. 3, yavl. III). Comparisons are taken from the animal world: “Have you heard that a bitch gave out her puppies?” Worse, M. stopped in its development and is then only capable of regression. Sophia says to Milon: “Although he is sixteen years old, he has already reached the last degree of his perfection and will not go far” (d. 2, yavl. II). Absence family and cultural traditions turned into a triumph of "malice", and M. breaks even those "animal" ties that united him with his kindred circle.
In the face of M. Fonvizin brought peculiar type slave-tyrant: he is a slave to low passions, which turned him into a tyrant. The “slave” upbringing of M. in the narrow sense is connected with the “mother” Eremeevna, in the broad sense - with the world of the Prostakovs and Skotinins. In both cases, dishonorable concepts were instilled in M.: in the first, because Eremeevna was a serf, in the second, because the concepts of honor were perverted.
The image of M. (and the very concept of "undergrowth") became a household word. However, the educational idea of the mechanistic dependence of human behavior on his upbringing was subsequently overcome. AT " Captain's daughter» Pushkin Petrusha Grinev receives an education similar to M., but develops independently and behaves like an honest nobleman. Pushkin sees in M. something radical, Russian, charming, and with the help of the epigraph (“Mitrofan for me”) raises the narrator - and partly the characters - of “Belkin's Tales” to the hero of “Undergrowth”. The name "Mitrofan" is found in Lermontov ("Tambov Treasurer"). The satirical development of the image is given in the novel by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin “Lords of Tashkent”.
Prostakova is the wife of Terenty Prostakov, mother of Mitrofan and sister of Taras Skotinin. The surname indicates both the simplicity, ignorance, lack of education of the heroine, and the fact that she falls into a mess.
The name Mitrofan means “similar”, similar to the mother. Maybe with this name Mrs. Prostakova wanted to show that her son is a reflection of Prostakova herself.
Mitrofanushka was sixteen years old, but his mother did not want to part with her child and wanted to keep her until the age of twenty-six, not letting him go to work.
Mrs. Prostakova herself was stupid, insolent, impolite, and therefore did not listen to anyone's opinion.
“While Mitrofan is still in the undergrowth, while he is to be married; and there, in ten years, when he enters, God forbid, into the service, endure everything.
Mitrofanushka himself has no purpose in life, he only loved to eat, mess around and chase pigeons: “I’ll run to the dovecote now, so maybe either ...” To which his mother replied: “Go, frolic, Mitrofanushka.”
Mitrofan did not want to study, his mother hired teachers for him only because it was necessary in noble families, and not so that her son would learn the mind - the mind. As he told his mother: “Listen, mother. I amuse you. I will learn; just make sure it's the last one. The hour of my will has come. I don’t want to study, I want to get married” And Mrs. Prostakova always echoed him: “It’s very nice for me that Mitrofanushka doesn’t like to step forward, With his mind, let him sweep far, and God forbid! Only you are tormented, and everything, I see, is emptiness. Don't study this stupid science!"
The worst qualities of character, the most backward views on science characterize such young nobles as Mitrofan. He is also unusually lazy.
Mrs. Prostakova herself did not look for a soul in Mitrofanushka. Fonvizin understood the unreasonableness of her blind, animal love for her offspring, Mitrofan, a love that, in essence, destroys her son. Mitrofan ate himself to the point of colic in his stomach, and his mother tried to persuade him to eat more. The nanny said: “He already ate five buns, mother.” To which Prostakova replied: “So you feel sorry for the sixth, you beast.” These words show concern for the son. She tried to provide him with a carefree future, decided to marry him to a rich wife. If someone offends her son, she immediately comes to the defense. Mitrofanushka was one of her consolations.
Mitrofan treated his mother with disdain: “Yes! Just look what a task is from uncle: and there from his fists and for the watch book ”What, what do you want to do? Come to your senses, darling!” “Vit here and the river is close. I’ll dive, and remember your name.” “Dead! God is dead with you!”: these words prove that he does not love at all and he does not feel sorry for his own mother at all, Mitrofan does not respect her and plays on her feelings. And when Prostakova, who has lost power, rushes to her son with the words: You are the only one left with me, my heartfelt friend, Mitrofanushka! ". And in response he hears a heartless: “Yes, get rid of you, mother, how you imposed yourself.” “The whole night such rubbish climbed into my eyes.” “What kind of rubbish Mitrofanushka?”. “Yes, then you, mother, then father.”
Prostakov was afraid of his wife and in her presence he spoke of his son as follows: “At least, I love him as a parent, this is a smart child, that is a reasonable, amusing, entertainer; sometimes I am beside myself with joy, I myself truly do not believe that he is my son, ”and added, looking at his wife:“ In your eyes, mine do not see anything.
Taras Skotinin, looking at everything that was happening, repeated: “Well, Mitrofanushka, I see you are a mother’s son, not a father!” And Mitrofan turned to his uncle: “What are you, uncle, overeating with henbane? Get out, uncle, get out."
Mitrofan was always rude to his mother and snapped at her. Although Eremeevna did not receive a penny for raising a minor, she tried to teach him good things, defended him from his uncle: “I will die on the spot, but I will not give the child away. Sunsya, sir, just show yourself if you please. I'll scratch out those thorns." I tried to make a decent person out of him: “Yes, teach at least a little.” “Well, say another word, you old bastard! I'll finish them off; I will again complain to my mother, so she will deign to give you a task in yesterday's way. Of all the teachers, only the German Adam Adamych Vralman praised Mitrofanushka, and even then because of the fact that Prostakov was not angry with him and scolded. The rest of the teachers openly scolded him. For example, Tsyfirkin: “Your nobility is always idle toil, if you please.” And Mitrofan snapped: “Well! Come on board, garrison rat! Get your asses back." “All butts, your honor. We’ll be left with tasks a century behind. ” Mitrofan's dictionary is small and poor. “Shoot them with Yeremeevna too”: this is how he spoke about his teachers and nanny.
Mitrofan was ill-bred, a rude, spoiled child, whom everyone around obeyed and obeyed, he also had freedom of speech in the house. Mitrofan was sure that the people around him should help him, give advice. Mitrofan had an inflated self-esteem.
No matter how smart and hardworking a person is, there is a particle of such Mitrofanushka in him. Every person is sometimes lazy. There are also people who try to live only at the expense of their parents, without doing anything themselves. Of course, many depend on the upbringing of children by parents.
To people like Mitrofan, I am neither good nor bad. I just try to avoid talking to people like that. In general, I think that such people should try to help with their difficulties and problems. We need to reason with him, make him learn. If such a person does not want to improve himself, studies and studies, but, on the contrary, remains stupid and spoiled, treats his elders disrespectfully, then for the rest of his life he will remain undersized and ignorant.
From the age of six, the children of nobles were assigned to some regiment as lower ranks: corporals, sergeants, and even privates. By the age of majority, the young men received an officer's rank for their length of service and had to "go to work". Teenagers under the age of sixteen were called "undergrowths", which meant: they had not grown up to responsibility, adulthood.
The family of the future officer was obliged to provide the underage with a certain level of education, which was tested in the exam. Often such a check was formal, and young man allowed to continue homeschooling until the age of 25. All this time he received a promotion in ranks without leaving home. Spoiled and undereducated, often already married and having children, the officer immediately occupied a high position. It is not difficult to guess how this affected the combat capability of the army. The situation with the civil service was no better.
Such a vicious practice home schooling nobles and ridiculed by Denis Fonvizin in the comedy "Undergrowth". Main character works are not accidentally named Mitrofan, which means - "like mother". Mrs. Prostakova embodies the most unattractive features of a landowner from the time of serfdom: tyranny, cruelty, greed, swagger, ignorance. Her weak-willed and narrow-minded husband is afraid to say a word without the approval of his wife.
Prostakova is trying to make a copy of her son. Mitrofanushka grows up as a selfish, rude and arrogant loafer, all of whose interests are centered around tasty food and entertainment. The immoderate appetite of an overgrown "child" is encouraged in every possible way by the mother, even to the detriment of her son's health. Despite a hard night after a hearty dinner, Mitrofanushka eats five buns for breakfast, and Prostakova demands that he be served the sixth. It is not surprising that the undersized, according to the mother, "delicate build".
Mitrofan's entertainment is the most primitive. He loves to drive pigeons, play pranks and listen to the stories of the cowgirl Khavronya. Mother encourages such idleness, because Prostakova herself is illiterate, like her parents, husband and brother. She even prides herself on her ignorance: “Don’t be that Skotinin who wants to learn something”. But the landowner is forced to invite teachers to her son. Because of her pathological greed, she hires the cheapest "specialists". The retired sergeant Tsyfirkin teaches arithmetic, the half-educated seminarian Kuteikin teaches grammar, and the former coachman Vralman teaches "everything else".
However, stupidity and laziness do not allow Mitrofan to receive even those primitive knowledge that the unfortunate teachers are trying to convey to him. Tsyfirkin admits that he did not learn the ward in three years "count three", and Kuteikin complains that the undergrowth is four years old "ass mumbling". Vralman's science is to constantly advise "to kid" stress less and not communicate with smart people. Mrs. Prostakova's fears that there will be no company for her beloved child, Vralman easily refutes: “What a motherfucking son, there are millions of them on the planet”.
Support from the German only strengthens in the mind of the landowner a contemptuous attitude towards education. And this makes Mitrofanushka very happy. He had not even heard of geography, and the word "Door" considers it an adjective because "she is attached to her place".
It should be noted that although Mitrofan is stupid, he is cunning, he perfectly understands his own benefit. He deftly manipulates his mother's feelings. Not wanting to start the lesson, the teenager complains that his uncle beat him, promises to drown himself from such an insult.
Mitrofan does not value those who are lower than him in rank or position in society, but fawns over wealth and power. The appeals of the undergrowth to servants and teachers are characteristic: "old bastard", "garrison rat". He calls the dreaming parents "such rubbish", but fawns over the rich Starodum and is ready to kiss his hands.
Mitrofan is very cowardly. He threatens with the wrath of his mother, whom others are afraid of, but in a skirmish with Skotinin, he hides behind old nanny. Prostakova does not have a soul in an only child, protects him and tries to arrange a happy future. For the sake of her son, she enters into a fight with her own brother, by hook or by crook she tries to marry him to the rich heiress Sophia.
The ungrateful Mitrofanushka pays Prostakova for love and care with her indifference. When in the final scene, a woman who has lost power rushes to her son for consolation, the undergrowth repels Prostakova with contempt: "Yes, get rid of you, mother, how imposed".
The image of Mitrofanushka has not lost its relevance even after two and a half centuries. Problems of education, blind maternal love, ignorance and rudeness, unfortunately, remain also important for modern society. And lazy, mediocre students can easily be met today.
