“It seems to me that one should distinguish between the national ideal and the national character. The ideal does not always coincide with reality, even always does not coincide. But the national ideal is nonetheless very important. The people who create a lofty national ideal also create geniuses who approach this ideal” (D. S. Likhachev).
Well "National character in Russian literature" developed by teachers of the Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University. N. A. Dobrolyubova:
Galina Lvovna Gumennaya, candidate philological sciences, Associate Professor, author of the monograph “Here is the Muse, the frisky chatterer…” Pushkin's humorous poems in the movement of time” and more than 80 articles on Russian literature of the 18th-20th centuries (lecture one);
Maria Alexandrovna Alexandrova, candidate of philological sciences, associate professor, author study guide“Woe from Wit” by A. S. Griboedov in the Literary Context of the 1810s-1820s and more than 80 articles on the work of A. S. Griboedov, A. S. Pushkin, M. Yu. Lermontov, N. V. Gogol , I. S. Turgenev, V. V. Mayakovsky, A. A. Tarkovsky, A. A. Galich, B. Sh. Okudzhava (lectures two, three, five and six);
Arkady Germanovich Sadovnikov, candidate of philological sciences, associate professor, author of more than 60 articles on the work of N. M. Karamzin, A. P. Sumarokov, G. R. Derzhavin, V. A. Zhukovsky, A. S. Pushkin, I. S. Turgenev, L N. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhov, A.P. Platonov (lectures four and seven).
Course Description: cultural and historical formations are presented national character, captured over the course of the centuries-old development of Russian literature in the work of Russian writers, who made up the national classical canon.
Purpose of studying the course: the formation of ideas about various cultural and historical formations of a national character, captured over the centuries-old development of Russian literature in the works of those Russian writers who made up the national classical canon and became an integral part of world culture.
The result of studying the course: have an idea about the main aspects of the manifestation of the national character in the literature of the 11th-20th centuries, navigate the system of traditional values of Russian culture.
Course structure:
Lecture 1. Saints and righteous people in ancient Russian literature
Lecture 2. The image of a Russian European in the work of A.S. Pushkin
Lecture 3. Tragic maximalists in the work of I.S. Turgenev
Lecture 4. Man and history in the work of L.N. Tolstoy
Lecture 5. Humanitarians in the work of F.M. Dostoevsky
Lecture 6. The image of the Russian intellectual in the work of A.P. Chekhov
Lecture 7. On the femininity of the Russian soul: poetry and philosophy of the Silver Age
Russian character ... How many legends and stories go about him. Are there many such people, are they Russian or not? I think that there are many such people and that even people of other nationalities can be called a person with a Russian character. All this is because "Russian character" is an expression, a phraseological unit, which means that a person is morally very strong, hardy, can endure a test of any complexity and not "break down". I believe that few people have a Russian character, but there are nonetheless.
Consider people with such a character on examples from literature and from life. For example, the heroes, about whom legends were made and films and cartoons were made, had a hardy and strong character, never gave up, they did everything for the good of society, which means they had a "Russian character".
Also, the main character of Boris Polevoy's work "The Tale of a Real Man" has a "Russian character". Alexey Meresyev was left without feet in battle, which immediately deprived him of further service in the armed forces. But the main character did not give up, every day he trained, learned to walk, dance, fly a plane again. He had a "Russian character", which is why he found the strength to continue working on himself. After some time, he fully recovered and returned to the ranks of the armed forces.
Also in the story "Russian character", which was written by Alexei Tolstoy, a person with a truly "Russian character" is described. Yegor Dremov was seriously wounded during the battle, his face was completely disfigured, so that even his parents did not recognize him by his appearance. So Egor Dremov, after recovery and undergone operations, returned to the service. Main character did not give up, made great efforts to restore and he succeeded. After everything experienced, Yegor Dremov came home, but did not tell his parents that he was their son. He did not want to bring pain to his parents and his girlfriend, but relatives still recognized him and accepted him for who he is. Egor Dremov is a man with a truly "Russian character", because he endured all the difficulties, fought with them.
Thus, drawing a conclusion from the foregoing, I would like to add that a person with a "Russian character" can be not only Russian, he can have any nationality, because what qualities he possesses is more important. If a person is truly courageous, morally strong, hardy, brave, courageous, valiant, kind, honest and sympathetic, then he can be called a person with a "Russian character". If a person is not afraid to answer for his actions, if he can always help everyone, if he is smart, then we can say that he has a "Russian character". If a person respects people, behaves decently, then he can be called a person with a Russian character. Thus, the title of a person with a "Russian character" must be earned, and then also correspond to it.
Russian national character
The Russian national character has always been rather peculiar and individual. It is very diverse, which is associated with a large number of difficulties and trials that the Russian people had to experience in all their time. Thanks to all this, the Russian character is characterized by masculinity, steadfastness, a sense of duty and love for the motherland. This is confirmed in numerous classical works of Russian writers and poets.
Basic integral part Russian national character is the mentality. First, let's understand what mentality is. Mentality is a complex of emotional and cultural values related to one nation or people. It follows from this that the mentality of each country and each people has its own, and Russia is no exception.
Perhaps every foreigner knows that Russian people are the most friendly and hospitable, but we know that this is not entirely true. Only among us can sympathy coexist with indifference, and benevolence with rudeness. Most psychologists around the world associate this with serfdom, autocracy and famine, which, in their opinion, never existed in the West. But as you know, this is not at all the case, because they constantly create the impression that everything is good and beautiful there, and it has always been and will always be so.
According to one American psychologist, Nicholas Bright, this character of the Russian people was formed thanks to the idea of collective empathy, as a result of which our people were able to maintain unity and survive all the difficulties that our people faced.
What is the real Russian folk character in this dualism? The sincerity of our character lies in the fact that we do not hide our emotions and feelings. If you have fun, then to the fullest, and if you get angry, then so that everyone can hear. Also, laziness for us is a normal phenomenon, on the basis of which we always blame someone else (the state, bosses or magnetic storms). If you need to take responsibility for yourself, then this is not about us, in most cases we will shift it to someone else. It sometimes seems to a Russian person “that apples are better in the neighbor’s garden” and at the same time we ourselves do not want to move on. In addition to all of the above, I would like to add that we can say that living in Russia is bad, but at the same time we will stand as a wall for our state, if all this comes from the lips of a foreigner.
Essay on Russian character
The character of any person is manifested in the most difficult life circumstances. Therefore, using the example of different heroes, writers show the true Russian character in many of their works.
The most terrible and terrible events occur in the fate of people during the war. It is at this moment that character manifests itself in people, someone loses heart, and someone gives his life for his homeland.
Many pilots, going to certain death, directed their planes at the enemy, knowing that after the collision they would die.
It is precisely in such actions that the strength of the Russian character is visible, this is heroism, selflessness and boundless courage and courage. For the sake of a common cause, for the sake of victory over a common enemy, all the inhabitants of our country united and stood until their last breath.
Eventually long-awaited victory and the expulsion of the German invaders from our land. On the example of the hero Yegor Dremov, the writer A.N. Tolstoy shows the true character of the Russian soldier.
During the Battle, Yegor was wounded and received terrible scars on his face, the surgeon could not restore the soldier's former appearance. This circumstance did not break the soldier, he answered his general that he was ready to go into battle again.
When Egor was in the area of his native lands, he came to his village, but did not go to his parents, he was afraid to frighten and upset his mother. After their regiment went on, Yegor received a letter about his mother. She wrote that she loved him and, most importantly, that he was alive.
Unbroken character, courage, fortitude and fortitude, these are the character traits we see in this hero. Another example of selflessness and devotion to the motherland, the hero Andrey Sokolov, from the work of Sholokhov.
He was called to war, served honestly and selflessly, when he saw a traitor in his ranks, he destroyed this person. During his time in German captivity, Andrei behaved with dignity, which earned him the respect of German soldiers. When Andrei got out of captivity, he learned that he had neither family nor home.
It is so tragic and unbearable, but the hero does not give up, continues to fight on. And when he comes across a boy who has lost his family and home, he decides to keep him. This act shows compassion for people.
Here, on the example of such people, the strength of the Russian character is shown, this strength of courage and courage can be seen in many works of Russian writers.
Some interesting essays
- The image and characteristics of Lara in Doctor Zhivago Pasternak essay
In Pasternak's novel "Doctor Zhivago" there is a constant interweaving and clash of human lives against the background of the revolution. Perhaps in an ordinary, calm and peaceful life, these people would never have met.
- The image and characteristics of Tyburtsia in the story In a bad society Korolenko essay
The work "In Bad Society" was written by the writer during the years he spent in exile, and immediately after publication, brought the author unprecedented fame. The heroes of the story have real prototypes
- Composition based on the painting by Shishkin Rye grade 4 description
In the foreground of the picture is a sunny golden rye, neatly divided into two parts by a thin path. Rye glitters in the light, shimmering in a bizarre way against the background of distant trees and flying birds.
Since my early childhood, I have liked the profession of a designer. What I like most about it is that I can show all my creative potential as much as possible.
This work is dedicated to the battle of people from Ukraine for the independence and freedom of their homeland. The writer had a fairly good general idea of the history of his country
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education
«TAGANROG STATE PEDAGOGICAL INSTITUTE named after A.P. Chekhov"
Department of Literature
Course work
Image of Russian national character
Completed by a student of __ course
Faculty of Russian Language and Literature
Zubkova Olesya Igorevna
Scientific director
cand. philol. Sciences Kondratieva V.V.
Taganrog, 2012
Introduction
3 The problem of the Russian national character in "The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea"
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
The topic of this research term paper is "Image of the Russian national character".
The relevance of the topic is caused by a keen interest in our days in writers with a pronounced national consciousness, which includes Nikolai Semenovich Leskov. The problem of the Russian national character has become particularly acute in modern Russia, and indeed in the world. national identity is currently being updated by the active processes of globalization and dehumanization, the establishment of a mass society and the growth of socio-economic and moral problems. In addition, the study of the stated problem allows us to understand the writer's worldview, his concept of the world and man. In addition, the study of the stories of N.S. Leskova at school allows the teacher to draw the attention of students to their own moral experience, contributing to the education of spirituality.
Goals and tasks of the work:
1)Having studied the existing and available research literature, to reveal the originality of N.S. Leskov, his deeply folk origins.
2)To reveal the features and traits of the Russian national character, which are captured in the artistic work of N.S. Leskov as a certain spiritual, moral, ethical and ideological integrity.
The work is based on the study of literary criticism, critical literature; The conclusions obtained in the work are made on the basis of observations on artistic texts- the stories "The Enchanted Wanderer" (1873) and "The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea" (1881).
The structure of the work includes an introduction, two parts, a conclusion and a list of references.
The significance of the work is related to the possibility of using it in the study of this author in the course of literature at school.
Part 1. The problem of the Russian national character in Russian philosophy and literature of the 19th century
"Mysterious Russian soul" ... What only epithets were not awarded to our Russian mentality. But is the Russian soul so mysterious, so unpredictable? What does it mean to be Russian? What is the peculiarity of the Russian national character? How often have these questions been and are being asked by philosophers in scientific treatises, writers in works of various genres, and even ordinary citizens in table discussions? Ask and answer each in their own way.
Very accurately, the features of the character of a Russian person are noticed in folk tales and epics. In them, the Russian peasant dreams of a better future, but he is too lazy to realize his dreams. He still hopes that he will catch a talking pike or catch a goldfish that will grant his wishes. This primordial Russian laziness and love to dream of better times has always prevented our people from living. A Russian person is too lazy to grow or make something that a neighbor has - it is much easier for him to steal it, and even then not by himself, but by asking someone else to do it. A typical example of this is the case with the king and rejuvenating apples. All Russian folklore is based on the fact that being greedy is bad and greed is punishable. However, the breadth of the soul can be polar: drunkenness, unhealthy excitement, life for free, on the one hand. But, on the other hand, the purity of faith carried and preserved through the ages. A Russian person cannot believe quietly, modestly. He never hides, but for his faith he goes to execution, he goes with his head held high, striking enemies.
So many things are mixed in a Russian person that you can’t count them on your fingers. Russians are so eager to preserve their own, dear, that they are not ashamed of the most disgusting aspects of their originality: drunkenness, dirt and poverty. Such a trait of the Russian character as long-suffering often crosses the boundaries of reason. From time immemorial, Russian people have meekly endured humiliation and oppression. The already mentioned laziness and blind faith in a better future are partly to blame here. Russian people would rather endure than fight for their rights. But no matter how great the patience of the people, it is still not unlimited. The day comes and humility is transformed into unbridled rage. Then woe to those who stand in the way. It is not for nothing that a Russian person is compared with a bear - huge, formidable, but so clumsy. We are probably rougher, certainly tougher in many cases. Russians have both cynicism, and emotional limitations, and a lack of culture. There is fanaticism, and unscrupulousness, and cruelty. But still, mostly Russian people strive for good. There are many positive features in the Russian national character. Russians are deeply patriotic and have high fortitude, they are able to defend their land to the last drop of blood. Since ancient times, both old and young have risen to fight against invaders.
Speaking about the peculiarities of the Russian character, one cannot fail to mention a cheerful disposition - the Russian sings and dances even in the most hard periods his life, and even in joy and even more so! He is generous and loves to walk in a big way - the breadth of the Russian soul has already become a parable in languages. Only a Russian person for the sake of one happy moment can give everything he has and not regret later. Russian man is inherent in the aspiration to something infinite. Russians always have a thirst for a different life, a different world, there is always dissatisfaction with what they have. Due to greater emotionality, a Russian person is characterized by openness, sincerity in communication. If in Europe people are quite alienated in their personal lives and protect their individualism, then a Russian person is open to being interested in him, showing interest in him, taking care of him, just as he himself is inclined to be interested in the life of those around him: both his soul is wide open, and it is curious - what's behind the soul of another.
A special conversation about the character of Russian women. A Russian woman has an unbending fortitude, she is ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of a loved one and follow him to the ends of the world. Moreover, this is not a blind following of a spouse, as in Eastern women, but a completely conscious and independent solution. This is what the wives of the Decembrists did, following them to distant Siberia and dooming themselves to a life full of hardships. Nothing has changed since then: even now, in the name of love, a Russian woman is ready to wander all her life through the most remote corners of the world.
An invaluable contribution to the study of the Russian national character was made by the works of Russian philosophers turn of XIX- XX centuries - N.A. Berdyaeva (“Russian Idea”, “Soul of Russia”), N.O. Lossky (“Character of the Russian people”), E.N. Trubetskoy (“The Meaning of Life”), S.L. Frank (“The Soul of Man”), etc. Thus, in his book “The Character of the Russian People”, Lossky gives the following list of the main features inherent in the Russian national character: religiosity and the search for absolute goodness, kindness and tolerance, powerful willpower and passion, sometimes maximalism . The philosopher sees the high development of moral experience in the fact that all strata of the Russian people show special interest to distinguish between good and evil. Such a feature of the Russian national character as the search for the meaning of life and the foundations of being, according to Lossky, is excellently illustrated by the works of L.N. Tolstoy and F.M. Dostoevsky. Among these primary properties, the philosopher includes both love for freedom and its highest expression - freedom of the spirit ... Having the freedom of the spirit, he is inclined to test every value, not only by thought, but even by experience ... Due to the free search for truth, it is difficult for Russian people to come to terms with each other ... Therefore, in public life, the love of freedom of Russians is expressed in a penchant for anarchy, in repulsion from the state. However, as rightly noted by N.O. Lossky, at positive qualities often there are negative sides. The kindness of a Russian person prompts him sometimes to lie so as not to offend the interlocutor, due to the desire for peace and good relations with people no matter what. In the Russian people, there is also the familiar "Oblomovism", that laziness and passivity, which is excellently depicted by I.A. Goncharov in the novel Oblomov. Oblomovism in many cases is the reverse side of the high qualities of a Russian person - the desire for complete perfection and sensitivity to the shortcomings of our reality ... Among the especially valuable properties of the Russian people is a sensitive perception of strangers mental states. This results in live communication even between unfamiliar people with each other. “The Russian people have highly developed individual personal and family communication. In Russia there is no excessive replacement of individual relations by social ones, there is no personal and family isolationism. Therefore, even a foreigner, once in Russia, feels: “I am not alone here” (of course, I am talking about normal Russia, and not about life under the Bolshevik regime). Perhaps it is these properties that are the main source of recognition of the charm of the Russian people, so often expressed by foreigners who know Russia well ... ”[Lossky, p. 42].
ON THE. Berdyaev in his philosophical work "The Russian Idea" presented the "Russian soul" as the carrier of two opposite principles, which reflected: "the natural, pagan Dionysian element and ascetic monastic Orthodoxy, despotism, hypertrophy of the state and anarchism, liberty, cruelty, a tendency to violence and kindness, humanity, gentleness, ritualism and the search for truth, a heightened consciousness of the individual and impersonal collectivism, universal humanity, ... the search for God and militant atheism, humility and arrogance, slavery and rebellion” [Berdyaev, p. 32]. The philosopher also drew attention to the collectivist principle in the development of the national character and in the fate of Russia. According to Berdyaev, "spiritual collectivism", "spiritual catholicity" is "a high type of brotherhood of people". Such collectivism is the future. But there is another collectivism. This is "irresponsible" collectivism, which dictates to a person the need to "be like everyone else." The Russian man, Berdyaev believed, is immersed in such collectivism, he feels himself immersed in the collective. Hence the lack of personal dignity and intolerance towards those who are different from the rest, who, due to their work and abilities, are entitled to more.
So, in the works of Russian philosophers of the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, as well as in modern studies (for example: Kasyanova N.O. "On the Russian national character"), among the main characteristics of traditional Russian national mentality three leading principles stand out: 1) the religious or quasi-religious nature of the ideology; 2) authoritarian-charismatic and centralist-powerful dominant; 3) ethnic dominant. These dominants - religious in the form of Orthodoxy and ethnic - were weakened in Soviet period, while the ideological dominant and the sovereign dominant, with which the stereotype of authoritarian-charismatic power is associated, have become stronger.
In the domestic literature of the 19th century, the problem of the Russian national character is also one of the main ones: we find dozens of images in the works of A.S. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontova, N.V. Gogol and M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, I.A. Goncharova and N.A. Nekrasov, F.M. Dostoevsky and L.N. Tolstoy, each of which bears an indelible stamp of the Russian character: Onegin and Pechorin, Manilov and Nozdrev, Tatyana Larina, Natasha Rostova and Matrena Timofeevna, Platon Karataev and Dmitry Karamazov, Oblomov, Judas Golovlev and Raskolnikov and others. You can’t list them all.
A.S. Pushkin was one of the first to pose in Russian literature the problem of the Russian national character. His novel "Eugene Onegin" became the highest degree folk art, "an encyclopedia of Russian life". Tatyana Larina, a girl from a noble environment, is the one who most significantly reflected the primordially national: “Russian soul, / Herself, not knowing why, / With her cold beauty / loved the Russian winter.” This twice repeated "Russian" speaks of the main thing: the domestic mentality. A representative of another nation can also love winter, but only the Russian soul can feel it without any explanation. Namely, “hoarfrost in the sun on a frosty day”, “radiance of pink snows” and “gloom of Epiphany evenings” are able to suddenly open to her. Only this soul has a heightened susceptibility to the customs, mores and traditions of the “common folk antiquity” with its card games. New Year fortune-telling, prophetic dreams and disturbing signs. At the same time, the Russian beginning for A.S. Pushkin is not limited to this. To be "Russian" for him is to be faithful to duty, capable of spiritual responsiveness. In Tatyana, as in no other hero, all this has merged into a single whole. This is especially evident in the scene of the explanation with Onegin in St. Petersburg. It has a deep understanding, and sympathy, and openness of the soul, but all this is subject to the observance of a necessary duty. It does not leave the slightest hope for Onegin in love. With deep sympathy, Pushkin also talks about the sad serf share of his nanny Tatyana.
N.V. Gogol in the poem "Dead Souls" also strives to vividly and succinctly portray the Russian person, and for this he introduces representatives of three classes into the narrative: landowners, officials and peasants. And, although the greatest attention is paid to landowners (such vivid images, like Manilov, Sobakevich, Korobochka, Plyushkin, Nozdrev), Gogol shows that the real carriers of the Russian national character are the peasants. The author introduces Mikheev, a coach-maker, Telyatnikov, a shoemaker, Milushkin, a brick-maker, and Stepan Cork, a carpenter, into the story. Particular attention is paid to the strength and sharpness of the people's mind, the sincerity of the folk song, the brightness and generosity of folk holidays. However, Gogol is not inclined to idealize the Russian national character. He notes that any meeting of Russian people is characterized by some confusion, that one of the main problems of a Russian person is the inability to bring the work begun to the end. Gogol also notes that a Russian person is often able to see the correct solution to a problem only after he has performed some action, but at the same time he does not like to admit his mistakes to others.
Russian maximalism in its extreme form is clearly expressed in the poem by A.K. Tolstoy: “If you love, then without reason, / If you threaten, then it’s not a joke, / If you scold, so rashly, / If you chop, it’s so off the shoulder! / If you argue, it’s so bold, / If you punish, then it’s for the cause, / If you ask, then with all your heart, / If it’s a feast, then a mountain feast!
ON THE. Nekrasov is often called a folk poet: like no one else, he often turned to the theme of the Russian people. The vast majority of Nekrasov's poems are dedicated to the Russian peasant. In the poem "To whom it is good to live in Rus'" a generalized image of the Russian people is created thanks to all the characters of the poem. This and central characters(Matryona Timofeevna, Savely, Grisha Dobrosklonov, Ermila Girin), and episodic (Agap Petrov, Gleb, Vavila, Vlas, Klim and others). The men came together with a simple goal: to find happiness, to find out who lives well and why. Typical for a Russian person, the search for the meaning of life and the foundations of being. But the heroes of the poem did not manage to find a happy peasant, only landlords and officials are at ease in Rus'. Hard Russian lives people, but there is no despair. After all, he who knows how to work, knows how to relax. Nekrasov skillfully describes village holidays, when everyone, young and old, start dancing. True, unclouded fun reigns there, all worries and labors are forgotten. The conclusion that Nekrasov comes to is simple and obvious: happiness lies in freedom. And freedom in Rus' is still very far away. The poet also created a whole galaxy of images of ordinary Russian women. Perhaps he romanticizes them somewhat, but one cannot but admit that he managed to show the appearance of a peasant woman in a way that no one else could. A serf woman for Nekrasov is a kind of symbol of the revival of Russia, her rebelliousness to fate. The most famous and memorable images of Russian women are, of course, Matrena Timofeevna in “Who Lives Well in Rus'” and Daria in the poem “Frost, Red Nose”.
The Russian national character occupies a central place in the work of L.N. Tolstoy. Thus, in the novel "War and Peace" the Russian character is analyzed in all its diversity, in all spheres of life: family, folk, social and spiritual. Of course, Russian features are more fully embodied in the Rostov family. They feel and understand everything Russian, because feelings play a major role in this family. This is most evident in Natasha. Of the whole family, she is most endowed with "the ability to feel the shades of intonations, looks and facial expressions." In Natasha, the Russian national character was originally laid down. In the novel, the author shows us two principles in the Russian character - militant and peaceful. Tolstoy discovers the militant principle in Tikhon Shcherbat. The militant principle must inevitably appear at the time people's war. This is a manifestation of the will of the people. A completely different person is Platon Karataev. In his image, Tolstoy shows a peaceful, kind, sincere beginning. The most important thing is the attachment of Plato to the earth. His passivity can be explained by his inner belief that all the same, in the end, good and just forces win and, most importantly, one must hope and believe. Tolstoy does not idealize these two principles. He believes that in a person there is necessarily both a militant and a peaceful beginning. And, depicting Tikhon and Plato, Tolstoy depicts two extremes.
A special role in Russian literature was played by F.M. Dostoevsky. Just as Pushkin was the "initiator" in his time, so Dostoevsky became the "finisher" of the Golden Age of Russian art and Russian thought and the "initiator" of the art of the new twentieth century. It was Dostoevsky who embodied in the images he created the most essential feature of the Russian national character and consciousness - its inconsistency, duality. The first, negative pole of the national mentality is everything "broken, false, superficial and slavishly borrowed." The second, "positive" pole is characterized in Dostoevsky by such concepts as "simplicity, purity, meekness, broadness of mind and gentleness." Based on the discoveries of Dostoevsky, N.A. Berdyaev wrote, as already mentioned, about the opposite principles, which "formed the basis of the formation of the Russian soul." As N.A. Berdyaev, “To understand Dostoevsky to the end means to understand something very significant in the structure of the Russian soul, it means to come closer to unraveling Russia” [Berdyaev, 110].
Among all the Russian classics of the 19th century, M. Gorky pointed precisely to N.S. Leskov as a writer who, with the greatest exertion of all the forces of his talent, strove to create a “positive type” of a Russian person, to find among the “sinners” of this world a crystal pure man, "righteous."
Part 2. Creativity N.S. Leskov and the problem of the Russian national character
1 Overview creative way N.S. Leskova
Nikolai Semenovich Leskov was born on February 4 (old style), 1831. in the village of Gorokhov, Oryol province, in the family of a petty judicial official, a native of the clergy and only before his death received documents on personal nobility. Leskov's childhood passed in Orel and in his father's estate Panin, Oryol province. Leskov's first impressions are connected with the Third Noble Street of Orel. "The most early paintings”, which opened on the next steppe carriage, were“ soldier drill and stick fight ”: the time of Nicholas I excluded“ humanism ”. Leskov encountered despotism of a different kind - direct serfdom in the village of Gorokhovo, where he spent several years as a poor relative in the house of an old rich man Strakhov, to whom a young beauty, Leskova's aunt, was married. The writer attributed his “excruciating nervousness from which he suffered all his life” to Gorokhov’s “terrible impressions” [Skatov, p. 321]. However, close acquaintance with serfs, communication with peasant children revealed to the future writer the originality of the people's worldview, so unlike the values and ideas educated people from the upper classes. Panino awakened the artist in the boy and brought him the feeling of being flesh from the flesh of the people. “I did not study the people from conversations with St. Petersburg cabbies,” the writer said in one of the first literary controversy, - and I grew up among the people on the Gostomel pasture, with a cauldron in my hand, I slept with him on the dewy grass of the night under a warm sheepskin coat, and on the Panin's crowded crowd behind the circles of dusty habits ... I was my own person with the people, and I have there are many godfathers and friends in it ... I stood between a peasant and rods tied to him ... ”[Leskov A., p. 141]. Childhood impressions and stories of my grandmother, Alexandra Vasilievna Kolobova, about Orel and its inhabitants were reflected in many of Leskov's works.
Initial education N.S. Leskov received rich relatives of the Strakhovs in the house, who hired Russian and foreign teachers for their children. From 1841 to 1846 he studied at the Oryol gymnasium, but did not finish the course, because. the thirst for independence and the attraction to the book prevented normal teaching in the gymnasium. In 1847 he entered the service of the Oryol Chamber of the Criminal Court, and in 1849 he transferred to the Kyiv treasury chamber. Living with Uncle S.P. Alferyev, professor of medicine at Kyiv University, Leskov found himself in the midst of young students and young scientists. This environment had a beneficial effect on the development of the intellectual and spiritual interests of the future writer. He read a lot, attended lectures at the university, mastered the Ukrainian and Polish languages, became closely acquainted with Ukrainian and Polish literature. Public service burdened Leskov. He did not feel free, did not see any real benefit to society in his own activities. And in 1857. he joined a commercial business. As N.S. himself recalled. Leskov, the commercial service "demanded constant traveling and sometimes kept ... in the most remote backwoods." He "traveled around Russia in a variety of directions", collected "a great abundance of impressions and a stock of everyday information" [Leskov A., p. 127].
From June 1860 N.S. Leskov began to collaborate in the St. Petersburg newspapers. In St. Petersburg Vedomosti, Modern Medicine, Economic Index, he published his first articles of an economic and social nature. In 1861 the writer moves to St. Petersburg, and then to Moscow, where he becomes an employee of the newspaper Russkaya Rech. His articles also appear in the Book Bulletin, Russian Invalid, Domestic Notes, and Vremya. In December 1861 N.S. Leskov returned to St. Petersburg and from January 1862. for two years Leskov was an active contributor to the bourgeois-liberal newspaper Severnaya Pchela. N.S. Leskov was in charge of the "Northern Bee" department of internal life and spoke on the most acute problems of our time. He wrote about the course of reforms in various areas of Russian life, the state budget, glasnost, the relationship of estates, the situation of women, and about the ways for the further development of Russia. Having shown himself to be a passionate polemicist, Leskov entered into an argument with both the revolutionary-democratic Sovremennik by Chernyshevsky and the Slavophile Den by I. S. Aksakov. In 1862, his first fiction work was published - the story "Extinguished Business" ("Drought"). This is a kind of sketch of folk life, depicting the ideas and actions of ordinary people, which seem strange, unnatural to an educated reader. Following him, the “Robber” and “In the tarantass” (1862) appear in the “Northern Bee”, “The Life of a Woman” (1863) in the “Library for Reading”, and “Stingy” (1863) in the “Anchor”. In the first stories of the writer there are features that are characteristic of more late works writer.
N. S. Leskov worked in literature for 35 years, from 1860 to 1895. Leskov is the author of a huge number of works of various genres, an interesting publicist, whose articles have not lost their relevance to this day, an excellent stylist and an unsurpassed connoisseur of the most different layers Russian speech, a psychologist who penetrated the secrets of the Russian national character and showed the role of national-historical foundations in the life of the country, a writer, in the apt expression of M. Gorky, “Pierced all Rus'” [Skatov, p. 323].
We find an interpretation of the essence of the character of a Russian person in many of his works. The period of Leskov's work in the 1870s - mid-80s is characterized by the writer's desire to find positive ideals in Russian life and oppose them to all forms of suppression of the individual. Leskov saw good and bright sides in the Russian people. And this is somewhat reminiscent of F.M.'s search for ideally beautiful people. Dostoevsky and L.N. Tolstoy. At the turn of the 70-80s. Leskov created a whole gallery of righteous characters. Such is the district Ryzhov, who rejects bribes and gifts, lives on one beggarly salary, boldly telling the truth in the eyes of high authorities (story "Odnodum", 1879). Another righteous person is the Oryol tradesman, the milkman Golovan from the story "The Non-Deadly Golovan" (1880); the story is based on stories Leskov heard in childhood from his grandmother. Golovan is the savior, helper and comforter of the suffering. He defended the narrator at an early age when he was attacked by an unleashed dog. Golovan takes care of the dying during a terrible pestilence and perishes in a large Oryol fire, saving the property and lives of the townspeople. Both Ryzhov and Golovan in the image of Leskov simultaneously embody the best features of the Russian folk character, and are opposed to those around them as exceptional natures. It is no coincidence that the inhabitants of Soligalich consider the disinterested Ryzhov a fool, and the Oryol residents are convinced that Golovan is not afraid to care for those suffering from the plague, because he knows a magical remedy that protects him from a terrible disease. People do not believe in the righteousness of Golovan, falsely suspecting him of sins.
Creating his “righteous”, Leskov takes them directly from life, does not endow them with any ideas of a pre-adopted teaching, as F.M. Dostoevsky and L.N. Tolstoy; Leskov's heroes are simply morally pure, they do not need moral self-improvement. The writer proudly declared: "The strength of my talent is in positive types." And he asked: “Show me in another writer such an abundance of positive Russian types?” [cit. according to Stolyarov, p.67]. His “righteous” go through difficult life tests, endure a lot of adversity and grief. And even if the protest is not actively expressed, their very bitter fate is protest. A “righteous man”, according to public opinion, is a “little man”, whose entire property is often in a small shoulder bag, but spiritually, in the mind of the reader, he grows into a legendary epic figure. The “righteous” bring charm to people, but they themselves act as if enchanted. Such is the hero Ivan Flyagin in The Enchanted Wanderer, reminiscent of Ilya Muromets. The most striking work on the theme of the "righteous" is "The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea." The tale of Lefty develops this motif.
2 The search for the righteous in the story "The Enchanted Wanderer"
Summer 1872<#"justify">Leskov Russian national character
2.3 The problem of the Russian national character in "The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea"
This work was first published in the magazine "Rus", in 1881 (No. 49, 50 and 51) under the title "The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea (Shop Legend)". The work was published as a separate edition the following year. The author included the story in his collection of works "The Righteous". In a separate publication, the author indicated that his work is based on the legend of Tula gunsmiths about the competition between Tula masters and the British. Literary critics believed this message of the author. But in fact, Leskov invented the plot of his legend. Critics ambiguously assessed the story: radical democrats saw Leskov’s work as a glorification of the old order, a loyal essay, while conservatives understood “Lefty” as an denunciation of uncomplaining submission common man"All kinds of hardships and violence." Both of them accused Leskov of lack of patriotism, of mockery of the Russian people. Leskov answered the critics in the note “On the Russian Left-hander” (1882): “I can’t agree in any way that in such a plot there was any kind of flattery to the people or a desire to belittle the Russian people in the person of the “left-hander”. In any case, I had no such intention” [Leskov N., vol. 10. p. 360].
The plot of the work mixes fictional and real historical events. Events begin around 1815, when Emperor Alexander I visited England during a trip to Europe, where, among other curiosities, he was shown a tiny steel flea that could dance. The emperor bought a flea and brought it home to St. Petersburg. A few years later, after the death of Alexander I and the accession to the throne of Nicholas I, a flea was found among the things of the late sovereign and for a long time they could not understand what the meaning of "nymphosoria" was. Ataman Platov, who accompanied Alexander I on a trip to Europe, appeared at the palace and explained that this was an example of the art of English mechanics, but immediately noticed that Russian masters knew their business no worse. Sovereign Nikolai Pavlovich, who was confident in the superiority of the Russians, instructed Platov to make a diplomatic trip to the Don and at the same time visit factories in Tula. Among the local craftsmen, one could find those who could adequately respond to the challenge of the British. In Tula, Platov called three of the most famous local gunsmiths, led by a craftsman named "Lefty", showed them a flea and asked them to come up with something that would surpass the British plan. Returning on the way back from the Don, Platov again looked into Tula, where the trio continued to work on the order. Having taken Levsha with unfinished work, as Platov considered dissatisfied, he went straight to St. Petersburg. In the capital, under a microscope, it turned out that the Tula people surpassed the British, shoeing a flea on all legs with tiny horseshoes. Lefty received an award, the Sovereign ordered to send a savvy flea back to England in order to demonstrate the skill of Russian masters, and to send Lefty there too. In England, Lefty was shown local factories, work organization and offered to stay, tempting him with money and a bride, but he refused. Lefty looked at the English workers and envied, but at the same time he was eager to go home, so much so that on the ship he kept asking where Russia was, and looked in that direction. On the way back, Lefty made a bet with the half-skipper that they should outdrink each other. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, half the skipper was brought to his senses, and Lefty, not having received in time medical care, died in the common people's Obukhvinsk hospital, where "an unknown class accepts everyone to die." Before his death, Lefty told Dr. Martyn-Solsky: “Tell the sovereign that the British don’t clean their guns with bricks: let them not clean ours either, otherwise, God forbid, they are not good for shooting.” But Martyn-Solsky could not convey the order, and, according to Leskov: “And if they had brought the left-handed words to the sovereign in due time, in the Crimea, in a war with the enemy, it would have been a completely different turn.”
The tale of "Lefty" is a sad work. In it, under a cheerful enumeration of funny anecdotes, playful fervent words, irony is heard all the time - pain, resentment of the writer that such wonderful Tula masters should do stupid things, that people's forces are dying for nothing. In the center of the narrative is the motif of the competition, characteristic of the fairy tale. Russian craftsmen, led by the Tula gunsmith Lefty, without any complicated tools, shoe a dancing English-made steel flea. The victory of the Russian craftsmen over the British is presented both seriously and ironically: Lefty, sent by Emperor Nicholas I, is astonishing because he was able to shoe a flea. But the flea, savvy by Lefty and his comrades, stops dancing. They work in a disgusting environment, in a small cramped hut, in which "due to lifeless work in the air, such a spiral has become that an unaccustomed person from a fresh fad and once could not breathe." The bosses treat the craftsmen savagely: for example, Platov takes Lefty to be shown to the tsar at his feet, thrown by the collar into a carriage, like a dog. The master’s dress is beggarly: “in shawls, one trouser leg is in a boot, the other is dangled, and the ozyamchik is old, the hooks are not fastened, they are lost, and the scruff is torn.” The difficult position of the Russian artisan in the story is contrasted with the embellished position of the English worker. The Russian master liked the English rules, “especially with regard to the working content. Every worker they have is constantly full, dressed not in scraps, but on everyone a capable tunic waistcoat, shod in thick anklets with iron knobs, so that they don’t cut their feet anywhere; does not work with a boilie, but with training, and has a clue. In front of each, in plain sight, there is a multiplication table, and under the arm is an erasable tablet: everything. which the master makes - he looks at the dolbitsa and compares it with the concept, and then he writes one thing on the board, erases the other and brings it down exactly: what is written on the figures, then it actually comes out. The work of Russian masters is opposed to this work "according to science", by exact consideration - by inspiration and intuition, instead of knowledge and calculation, and by the hymnal and half dream book, instead of arithmetic.
The left-hander cannot object to the British, who, admiring his skill, at the same time explain to him: “It would be better if you knew at least four rules of addition from arithmetic, then it would be much more useful for you than the whole dream book. Then you could realize that every machine has a calculation of strength, otherwise you are very skillful in your hands, and you didn’t realize that such a small machine, as in a nymphosoria, is designed for the most accurate accuracy and cannot carry its horseshoes. The left-hander can only refer to his "loyalty to the fatherland." The difference between the civil rights of an Englishman and a subject is also briefly and intelligibly shown. Russian monarchy. The sub-skipper of the English ship and Lefty, who were betting on the sea - who will outdrink whom, were carried out dead drunk from the ship, but ... "they took the Englishman to the messenger's house on the Aglitskaya embankment, and Lefty to the quarter." And while the English sub-skipper was well treated and lovingly put to sleep, the Russian master, after being dragged from one hospital to another (they don’t accept anywhere - there is no document), was finally taken “to the common people’s Obukhvinskaya hospital, where they accept everyone to die of an unknown class.” They undressed the poor fellow, accidentally dropped the back of his head on the parapet, and while they ran in search of either Platov or the doctor, Lefty was already running out. And so the wonderful master died, who, even before his death, thought only that he should tell the military secret of the British, who told the doctor "that the British do not clean their guns with bricks." But the important "secret" did not reach the sovereign - who needs the advice of a commoner when there are generals. The bitter irony and sarcasm of Leskov reach the limit. The author does not understand why Rus', which gives birth to craftsmen, geniuses of craftsmanship, deals with them with its own hands. And as for the guns - this is a non-fictional fact. The guns were cleaned with crushed bricks, and the authorities demanded that the barrels sparkle from the inside. And inside, there is a carving ... So the soldiers destroyed it from an excess of zeal.
The left-hander is a skilled artisan, personifying the amazing talents of the Russian people. Leskov does not give a name to his hero, thereby emphasizing the collective meaning and significance of his character. The hero of the story combines both the virtues and vices of a simple Russian person. What features of the Russian national character does the image of Lefty embody? Religiosity, patriotism, kindness, fortitude and perseverance, patience, diligence and talent.
Religiosity is manifested in the episode when the Tula masters, including Lefty, before starting work, went to bow to the icon of "Mtsensk Nikola" - the patron saint of trade and military affairs. Also, Lefty's religiosity is intertwined with his patriotism. Lefty's faith is one of the reasons he refuses to stay in England. “Because,” he answers, “our Russian faith is the most correct, and as our right-wingers believed, descendants should also believe in the same way.” The left-hander cannot imagine his life outside of Russia, he loves its customs and traditions. “We,” he says, “are committed to our homeland, and my aunt is already an old man, and my parent is an old woman and used to going to church in her parish,” “but I want to return to my native place, because otherwise I might get insanity." The left-hander went through many trials and even at the hour of his death he remained a true patriot. The left-hander is inherent in natural kindness: he refuses the request of the British to stay very politely, trying not to offend them. And he forgives Ataman Platov for his rough treatment of himself. “Even though he has an Ovechkin fur coat, he still has the soul of a man,” says the “English half-skipper” about his Russian comrade. When Lefty, together with three gunsmiths, worked hard on an outlandish flea for two weeks, fortitude is manifested, as he had to work in difficult conditions: without rest, with windows and doors closed, keeping his work secret. Many times and in other cases, Lefty shows patience and steadfastness: when Platov “caught Lefty by the hair and began to pull back and forth so that shreds flew”, and when Lefty, sailing home from England, despite the bad weather, sits on the deck, to quickly see the Motherland: True, his patience and disinterestedness are inextricably linked with downtroddenness, with a sense of his own insignificance in comparison with Russian officials and nobles. The left-hander is accustomed to constant threats and beatings that the authorities in his homeland threaten him with. And, finally, one of the main themes of the story is the theme of the creative talent of the Russian people. Talent, according to Leskov, cannot exist independently, it must necessarily be based on the moral, spiritual strength of a person. The very plot of this tale tells how Lefty, together with his comrades, was able to "surpass" the English masters without any acquired knowledge, only thanks to talent and diligence. Extraordinary, wonderful craftsmanship is the main property of the Lefty. He wiped the nose of the "English craftsmen", shod a flea with such small nails that even the strongest "melkoskop" could not be seen.
In the image of Lefty, Leskov argued that the opinion put into the mouth of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich was wrong: foreigners “have such natures of perfection that, as you look, you will no longer argue that we Russians are no good with our significance.”
4 Creativity N.S. Leskov and the problem of the Russian national character (generalization)
In search of the positive beginnings of Russian life, Leskov, first of all, pinned his hopes on the moral potential of the Russian people. Exceptionally great was the writer's belief that good efforts individual people, combined together, can become a powerful engine of progress. The thought of the personal moral responsibility of each person to his country and other people runs through all creativity. With his works, and in particular with the gallery of the "righteous" created by him, Leskov appealed to his contemporaries with an appeal by all means in our power to increase the amount of goodness in himself and around him. Among the heroes of Leskov, all his strength, who spent his whole life to create a “positive type” of a Russian person, was dominated by active natures, actively intervening in life, intolerant of any manifestations of injustice. Most of Leskov's heroes are far from politics and from the struggle against the foundations of the existing system (as, for example, in Saltykov-Shchedrin). The main thing that unites them is an active love for people and the conviction that a person is called to help a person in what he temporarily needs, and help him get up and go, so that in turn he also helps another who needs support and help. Leskov was convinced that it is impossible to change the world without changing a person. Otherwise, evil will be reproduced again and again. Socio-political changes alone, without moral progress, do not guarantee an improvement in life.
Leskovsky "righteous" act more than think (unlike the heroes of F.M. Dostoevsky or L.N. Tolstoy). These are whole natures, devoid of internal duality. Their actions are impulsive, they are the result of a sudden good impulse of the soul. Their ideals are simple and unpretentious, but at the same time touching, majestic in their striving to provide for the happiness of all people: they demand human conditions of life for each person. And even if these are only the most elementary requirements so far, but until they are fulfilled, further movement along the path of true, and not imaginary, progress is impossible. Leskov's "righteous" are not saints, but quite earthly people, with their own weaknesses and shortcomings. Their selfless service to people is not a means for personal moral salvation, but a manifestation of sincere love and compassion. “The righteous were the keepers of those high standards of morality that the people had worked out over the centuries. Their existence served as proof of the strength of the national foundations of Russian life. Their behavior seems strange, they look like eccentrics in the eyes of the people around them. It does not fit into the generally accepted framework, but not because they contradict common sense or moral principles, but because the behavior of the majority of the people around them is abnormal. Leskov's interest in original people is a rather rare phenomenon in Russian literature of the second half of the 19th century. Already after the death of Leskov, eccentrics will be resurrected on the pages of Gorky's works, who will highly appreciate his predecessor. And in the Soviet era - in the works of V.M. Shukshin. The writer asks himself what qualities a person needs in order to survive in the struggle with life and help others, in order to preserve a person in himself and win. Unlike Tolstoy, Leskov does not show a person in the making, in the development of his character, and in this he seems to be moving closer to Dostoevsky. More than the slow spiritual growth of a person, Leskov was interested in the possibility of a sudden moral upheaval, which could drastically change both the character of a person and his fate. Leskov considered the ability for moral transformation to be a distinctive feature of the Russian national character. Despite his skepticism, Leskov hoped for the victory of the best sides of the people's soul, the key to which, in his view, was the existence of individual bright personalities among the people, real folk heroes embodying the best features of the Russian national character.
The study of N.S. Leskov began almost immediately after his death. Interest in his original works was especially intensified during the transitional eras - in the 1910s, 1930s and 1970s. One of the first studies of the writer's work was the book by A.I. Faresov “Against the currents. N.S. Leskov" (1904). In the 1930s, monographs by B.M. Eikhenbaum, N.K. Gudziy and V.A. Desnitsky dedicated to Leskov, as well as a biography of the writer by his son Andrei Nikolaevich Leskov (1866-1953). IN postwar period the most significant contribution to the study of Leskov's work was made by L.P. Grossman and V. Gebel. In the 1970s, Leskovian was supplemented by the fundamental works of L.A. Anninsky, I.P. Viduetskaya, B.S. Dykhanova, N.N. Starygina, I.V. Stolyarova, V.Yu. Troitsky and other researchers.
Conclusion
The works of Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov are distinguished by their originality and originality. He has his own language, style, his own understanding of the world, human soul. Leskov pays a lot of attention to human psychology in his works, but if other classics try to understand a person in connection with the time in which he lives, then Leskov draws his heroes separately from time. L.A. Anninsky spoke about this feature of the writer in the following way: “Leskov looks at life from some other level than Tolstoy or Dostoevsky; the feeling is that he is more sober and bitter than them, that he looks from below or from within, or rather, from the "inside". From an immense height, they see in the Russian peasant ... the unshakably strong foundations of the Russian epic - Leskov, on the other hand, sees the living precariousness of these supports, he knows something in the soul of the people that the celestials of the spirit do not know, and this knowledge prevents him from building a complete and perfect national epic » [Anninsky, p. 32].
The heroes of Leskov's work differ in their views, destinies, but they have something in common, which, according to Leskov, is characteristic of the Russian people as a whole. The "righteous" N. S. Leskov bring people the charm of themselves, but they themselves act as if enchanted. Leskov is the creator of legends, the creator of common nouns, not just grasping some specificity in the people of his time, but groping through, cardinal, underlying, soil, fundamental features of the Russian national consciousness and Russian destiny. It is in this dimension that he is now perceived as a national genius. The first legend that brought Leskov from everyday writers and anecdotes to myth-makers was the oblique Lefty, who shod a steel flea. Next they stepped into the Russian national synodic Katerina - for the sake of love, a gas chamber; Safronych, who shamed the German; unpredictable hero Ivan Flyagin; the artist Lyuba is the doomed-betrothed of a stupid serf artist.
The stories and novels written at the time of N. S. Leskov's artistic maturity give a fairly complete picture of all his work. Different and about different things, they are united by the thought of the fate of Russia. Russia is multifaceted here, in a complex intertwining of contradictions, wretched and plentiful, powerful and powerless at the same time. In all manifestations of national life, its trifles and anecdotes, Leskov is looking for the core of the whole. And he finds it most often in eccentrics and the poor. The story "The Enchanted Wanderer" is the most textbook, the most emblematic work of Leskov. In terms of the number of publications, it is far ahead of other Leskov masterpieces both here and abroad. This is the visiting card of "Russianness": the embodiment of heroism, breadth, power, freedom and righteousness lurking at the bottom of the soul, the hero of the epic in the best and highest sense of the word. It must be said that the epic lies at the very foundation of the story's intent. Folklore paint was introduced into the palette from the very beginning Enchanted Wanderer - a fact not very characteristic of Leskov; he usually does not display national-patriotic emblems, but hides them under neutral names. Certainly, The Enchanted Wanderer - the name is not quite neutral, and critics of those times sensitively caught the mystical raid in it.
The Russian character is complex and multifaceted, but this is what makes him beautiful. It is beautiful for its breadth and openness, cheerful disposition and love for the motherland, childish innocence and fighting spirit, ingenuity and peacefulness, hospitality and mercy. And with all this palette best qualities we owe it to our homeland - Russia, a fabulous and great country, warm and affectionate, like the hands of a mother.
Bibliography
1.Leskov N.S. "The Enchanted Wanderer" // Collected. Op. in 11 volumes. M., 1957. T. 4.
2.Leskov N.S. "The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea (Shop Legend)" // Collected Works in 5 volumes. M., 1981. T. III
3.Leskov N.S. Sobr. Cit.: In 11 volumes - M., 1958 V.10.
.Anninsky L.A. Lesk necklace. M., 1986.
.Berdyaev N.A. Russian idea. The fate of Russia. M., 1997.
.Wisgell F. prodigal sons and wandering souls: "The Tale of Woe-Misfortune" and "The Enchanted Wanderer" by Leskov // Proceedings of the Department ancient Russian literature Institute of Russian Literature ( Pushkin House) RAS. - SPb., 1997. - V.1
.Desnitsky V.A. Articles and research. L., 1979. - p. 230-250
8.Dykhanova B.S. "The Sealed Angel" and "The Enchanted Wanderer" by N.S. Leskov. M., 1980
.Kasyanova N.O. On the Russian national character. - M., 1994.
10.Lebedev V.P. Nikolai Semenovich Leskov // "Literature at school" No. 6, 2001, pp. 31-34.
.Leskov A.N. The life of Nikolai Leskov according to his personal, family and non-family records and memories. Tula, 1981
.Lossky N.O. The character of the Russian people.// Questions of Philosophy. 1996. No. 4
.Nikolaeva E.V. The composition of the story by N.S. Leskov "The Enchanted Wanderer" // Literature at school No. 9, 2006, pp. 2-5.
.Skatov N.N. History of Russian Literature of the 19th century (second half). M., 1991.
.Stolyarova I.V. In search of an ideal (creativity of N.S. Leskov). L., 1978.
.Cherednikova M.P. Old Russian sources of the story "The Enchanted Wanderer" by N.S. Leskov // Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature of the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Textology and Poetics of Russian Literature of the 11th-11th centuries. - L., 1977. - T. XXX11
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Introduction
1. Reflection of the features of the Russian mentality in the fiction of the 19th century
2. Russian artistic culture of the second half of the 19th century
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
Fiction is actively involved in modern life, influencing the souls of people, their culture and ideology. And at the same time, it is a mirror: on its pages, in the images and paintings it created, the spiritual development of society over many decades is captured, the feelings, aspirations and aspirations of the masses of people at different stages of the country's historical past are expressed, the mentality of the Russian people is embodied.
Since the task of our study is to trace how the features of the character and culture of the Russian people are displayed in Russian literature, we will try to find manifestations of the above features in the works of fiction.
However, little scientific literature has been devoted to this issue, only a few scientists have seriously worked on this topic, although by analyzing our past and present and identifying the direction of our character and culture, we can determine the correct path along which Russia should move in the future.
The object of our study is the culture and character of the Russian people, its features and distinctive features.
When writing this work, three main methods were used: analysis and synthesis of philosophical literature on this issue, analysis and synthesis of 19th century fiction and analysis historical events Russia.
The purpose of this work is to study the features and distinctive features of the character and culture of the Russian people through works of philosophical and fiction and historical events.
The purpose of this study is to trace how Russian literature reflects the features of the Russian character and culture.
1. Reflection of the features of the Russian mentality in the fiction of the 19th century
If we turn to N.V. Gogol, then in his poem "Dead Souls" one can observe the manifestation of all that scope and ignorance of the measure that are so characteristic of the Russian people. The composition of the work is based on the journey of the protagonist Chichikov through the boundless Russian expanses. Chichikov's britchka, a Russian troika, "equipped" by a "quick-witted Yaroslavl peasant", turn into a symbolic image of the rapid, "wonderful movement of Rus' into an unknown distance."
The writer did not know where Rus'-troika was rushing, because Rus' is wide and immense. In chapters V and IX, we observe landscapes of endless fields and forests: "... And menacingly embraces me a mighty space, with terrible force reflected in my depth; my eyes lit up with an unnatural power: wow! what a sparkling, wonderful, unfamiliar distance to the earth! Rus'!.." But even in the images created by Gogol, we observe scope, breadth, prowess. Manilov is extremely sentimental and dreamy, which prevents him from properly managing the earth.
Nozdryov clearly expressed irrepressible energy in real life, daring and pernicious inclination to participate in all kinds of "stories", fights, booze: "Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person. Not a single meeting where he was could do without history. What Somehow the story would certainly happen: either the gendarmes would lead him out of the hall by the arms, or his own friends would be forced to push him out. sideboard in such a way that he only laughs, or breaks through in the most cruel way ... "Gogol speaks of Plyushkin as an unusual phenomenon for Russia:" I must say that such a phenomenon rarely comes across in Russia, where everything likes to turn around rather than shrink. Plyushkin is distinguished by greed, incredible stinginess, stinginess to the extreme, so he seems to "shrink". But Nozdryov, who "would revel in the full width of the Russian prowess of the nobility, burning through life, as they say," - "loves to turn around." The desire to cross the boundaries of decency, the rules of the game, any norms of behavior is the basis of Nozdryov's character. He says these words when he goes to show Chichikov the boundaries of his estate: “Here is the border! , it's all mine." It creates a rather blurry idea of what is nostril and what is not. For him, there are no boundaries in anything - the clearest example of such a feature of the Russian mentality as the desire for scope. His generosity even crosses all boundaries: he is ready to give Chichikov all the dead souls that he has, just to find out why he needs them.
Plyushkin, on the other hand, goes to the other extreme: a liquor, carefully cleaned of dust and boogers, and an Easter cake brought by his daughter, somewhat spoiled and turned into a cracker, he offers Chichikov. And speaking of landowners in general, their inhumanity knows no bounds, just as Nozdryov knows no bounds in his revelry. Breadth, going beyond, scope can be traced in everything; the poem is literally saturated with all this.
The list of the Russian people found its clearest reflection in Saltykov-Shchedrin's History of a City. The tribe of bunglers, in order to achieve some sort of order, decided to gather all the other tribes living in the vicinity, and "it began with the fact that the Volga was kneaded with oatmeal, then the calf was dragged to the bath, then porridge was cooked in a purse" ... But nothing happened. Boiling porridge in the purse did not lead to order, head-pulling also did not give results. Therefore, the bunglers decided to look for a prince. There is a phenomenon of searching for a protector, intercessor, steward, which is so characteristic of the Russian people. The bunglers cannot solve their problems on their own, only throw hats on Kosobryukhov. The desire for revelry prevailed and led to complete disarray in the tribe. They need a leader who will do everything for everyone. The wisest in the tribe say this: "He will provide us with everything in an instant, he will make Soldiers with us, and he will build a prison, which he should," (the breadth of spaces still puts pressure on the inhabitants of Foolov, and they want to somehow fence themselves off, as evidenced by such detail, like a prison). The Foolovites, who are the personification of the Russian people, relaxed in the presence of the mayor Brudasty, and after that, "the Foolovites had barely learned that they were completely without a mayor, as driven by the power of love of the authorities, they immediately fell into anarchy", which manifested itself in smashing windows in a fashionable institution of one Frenchwoman, in throwing Ivashkas off the roll and drowning innocent Porfis. fiction gogol mentality
However, the intensification of administrative activity in Glupov led to the fact that the inhabitants "were overgrown with hair and sucked their paws." And they even somehow got used to it! This is for happiness: "So we live, that real life we don’t have.” The woman of the city of Glupova is the force that brings movement to the life of the city. Archer Domashka - “she was a type of a Khalda woman, cursing like a woman,” “she had extraordinary courage,” “from morning to evening she rang through her settlement voice". The mayor Ferdyshchenko even forgot why he came to the field, what he wanted to tell the Foolovites when he saw Domashka, "acting in one shirt, in front of everyone, with a pitchfork in her hands."
If we pay attention to the applicant for the position of mayor, we see from the description that each of them has a masculine trait: Iraidka, "uncompromising character, courageous build", Klemantinka "was tall, loved to drink vodka and rode like a man" and Amalia , strong, lively German. It should also be noted that in the legend of the six city governors, for some time the government was in the hands of Clementine de Bourbon, who was connected with France by some family relationship; from the German Amalia Karlovna Stockfish, from the Pole Aneli Aloizievna Lyadokhovskaya. In the novel "Oblomov" I.A. Goncharov, we also find a manifestation of the features of the Russian mentality. The brightest example a passive person - Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. And the point is not whether he is just a loafer and a lazy person, having nothing sacred, just sitting in his place, or he is a person of a highly developed culture, wise and spiritually rich, he, nevertheless, does not show activity. Throughout almost the entire novel, we observe him lying on the couch. He cannot even put on boots and a shirt himself, as he is used to relying on his servant Zakhar. Oblomov was brought out of the state of "immobility and boredom" by his friend Andrei Stolz (again a German). The passivity of the Russian people, called by Berdyaev “eternally womanish,” finds an outlet in Goncharov when describing Ilya Ilyich: “in general, his body, judging by the matte, too white color of the neck, small plump hands, soft shoulders, seemed too pampered for a man.” His lying on the couch was occasionally diluted by the appearance of fellow carousers, for example, an ardent reveler and robber Tarantiev, in which one can hear a roll call with Gogol's Nozdryov. Immersion in the depths of thought and spiritual life, distracting Oblomov from external life, suggests a leader who will always guide the hero that Stolz becomes. Oblomov's passivity is also manifested in his love for Olga Ilyinskaya.
The letter that was written to her began with the statement that such a phenomenon of writing is very strange, since Olga and Ilya Ilyich see each other a lot and an explanation could have been made long ago. This indicates some timidity, passivity even in such a matter as love! .. It is from Ilyinskaya that the initiative comes. It is Olga who always brings Oblomov into conversation, she is some kind of engine of these relations (like a real Russian woman, brave, strong and persistent), offering some kind of meetings, walks, evenings, and in this we see an illustration of that feature of the mentality of the Russian people , which characterizes the position of women and men.
Another feature of the Russian mentality - Russian love - can be traced in this work. Oblomov, realizing that "they don't like such people," did not demand from Olga a mutual feeling for his love, he even tries to warn her against the erroneous choice of a groom in his face: "You are in error, look around!" Here it is the sacrifice of Russian love. You can also note another feature of the Russian mentality - duality, since Oblomov does not want to recognize what is so unpleasant for him - the erroneous, false love of Olga Ilyinskaya - and can marry her to herself while she thinks she loves, but immediately we are faced with the characteristic of the Russian people inconsistency: he is afraid to hurt Olga by marrying her forever, and at the same time hurts himself, because he loves the heroine and breaks off relations with her. The image of Agafya Pshenitsina also illustrates the passivity and sacrifice of Russian love: she does not want to disturb Oblomov with her feeling: "Agafya Matveevna does not make any prodding, no demands." Thus, using the example of Goncharov's novel "Oblomov", we have traced how such features manifest themselves in literature: sacrifice and cruelty in love, promiscuity and passivity, fear of suffering and inconsistency. The stories of Nikolai Semenovich Leskov "Chertogon" and "The Enchanted Wanderer" very clearly illustrate the above features of the mentality of the Russian people.
In the first story "Chertogon" we can observe a ceremony "which can be seen only in Moscow alone." Within one day, a series of events happen to the hero of the story, Ilya Fedoseevich, about which his nephew tells the reader, who first saw his uncle and spent all this time with him. In the image of Ilya Fedoseevich, that Russian prowess, that Russian scope, which is expressed by the proverb to walk like a walk, is represented. He goes to the restaurant (where he is always a welcome guest), and at his behest, all visitors are expelled from the restaurant and they begin to cook every single dish indicated on the menu for a hundred people, order two orchestras and invite all the most eminent persons of Moscow.
The fact that Ilya Fedoseevich sometimes forgets about the measure and can plunge into revelry, the author lets the reader know by assigning to his hero a "half-gray massive giant" Ryabyk, who "was in a special position" - to protect his uncle, in order to have someone to pay off . The party went on all evening at full speed. There was also felling of forests: my uncle cut down the exotic trees exhibited in the restaurant, as the gypsies from the choir hid behind them; "taken prisoner": dishes flew, the roar and crackle of trees was heard. “Finally, the stronghold was taken: the gypsies were seized, hugged, kissed, each one put a hundred rubles for the“ corsage ”, and it was over ...” The theme of worshiping beauty is traced, since the uncle was fascinated by gypsy charms. Ilya Fedoseevich and all the guests did not skimp on money, as they threw expensive dishes at each other and paid extra for a hundred rubles here and there. At the end of the evening, Ryabyka would pay for all this revelry instead of his uncle with a huge amount of money - as much as seventeen thousand, and the uncle only without any concern, "with a calmed and worked up soul," said to pay. There is the whole breadth of the Russian soul, ready to burn life through and not be limited in anything: for example, the requirement to lubricate the wheels with honey, which is "more curious in the mouth."
But also in this story there is a “combination of the difficult to combine” and that special Russian holiness that requires only humility, albeit in sin: after such a revelry, the uncle puts himself in order at the hairdresser and visits the baths. Such a message as the death of a neighbor with whom Ilya Fedoseevich drank tea for forty years in a row was not surprising. The uncle replied that "we will all die", which was only confirmed by the fact that he walked the same way as the last time, without denying anything and not limiting himself in anything. And then he sent to take a stroller to Vsepeta (!) - he wanted to "fall before Vsepeta and cry about sins."
And in his repentance, the Russian does not know the measure - he prays in such a way that it is as if the hand of God lifts him by the tuft. Ilya Fedoseevich is both from God and from a demon: "he burns with his spirit to heaven, but he still sorts through hell with his legs." In Leskov's story "The Enchanted Wanderer" we see a hero who throughout the story is a combination of mutually exclusive properties. Ivan Flyagin overcomes hard way, which is a circle on which we can observe all the above features of the Russian mentality, the defining one of which is duality. The whole work is built on a continuous antithesis and Flyagin himself is the connecting link of the opposing elements. Let's get back to the plot. He, a praying son, protected by the Lord (which in itself contradicts the commission of some kind of sin), saves the count and countess, feels compassion for the murdered missionaries, but the death of a monk and a Tatar is on his conscience; whatever the reason, Grusha was killed by him. Also, the inconsistency of the image lies in the fact that he loves a gypsy, whom he barely knows, Grushenka, and does not recognize his Tatar wives, although he lived with them for eleven years; he cares for someone else's child, but does not love his own legitimate children due to the fact that they are not baptized. When Flyagin lived in the count's house, he kept pigeons, and the count's cat ate the eggs laid by the dove, so the hero decided to take revenge on her and cut off the tail with an ax.
This speaks of the inconsistency of his character - love for a bird (or for a horse, since Flyagin's work was connected with them) gets along with such cruelty to a cat. Flyagin cannot resist making an "exit", meaning that he will be gone for some amount of time, since any such exit is not complete without a visit to an inn, if this is not the main reason at all ... Here is an example of Russian ignorance of the measure: Flyagin goes with five thousand rubles of his master to a tavern, where, under the influence of some magnetizer (by the way, speaking French words, which emphasizes the fact that a Russian person is under the influence of foreign influence), he is treated for drunkenness with vodka (!), As a result, he gets drunk to hell in literally this word, and wanders into a tavern (again, in the story there are gypsies, who in Russian fiction are a symbol of daring, scope, revelry, drunken fun and revelry), where gypsies sing.
With all his broad Russian soul, he begins to throw lordly "swans" under the feet of the gypsy, like the rest of the guests (it is not by chance that "other guests" are used in the stories - Ilya Fedoseevich chopped trees with a late general, and Flyagin tried to outdo the hussar all the time - so as these heroes are not isolated phenomena, they make up the whole Russian people), having become infected with this captivating carefree fun of a gypsy tavern, first one at a time, and then with a whole fan: “Why should I torture myself like this in vain! I’ll let my soul walk freely.” Interestingly, on the way to the tavern, Flyagin goes into the church to pray that the lord's money does not disappear, as if anticipating a loss of control over himself, and, by the way, manages to show the figurine to the demon in the temple. Here, such features of the Russian mentality as a statement and worship of beauty are also manifested: Flyagin no longer controls, power over him belongs to the beautiful gypsy Grushenka, who captivated the hero with her unprecedented beauty. Flyagin says the following about this: “I can’t even answer her: she did this to me right away! Right away, that is, how she bent over the tray in front of me and I saw how it was between her black hair on her head, silver, the parting twists and falls behind my back, so I became mad, and my whole mind was taken away from me ... "Here it is, - I think, - where is the real beauty, that nature's perfection is called ... "There is also Russian love in this story, which manifested itself in the murder of Grusha, who would have been forever tormented by feelings for the prince and his betrayal: "I trembled all over, and ordered her to pray, and did not prick her, but took it so from the steepness into the river shoved ..." Despite all those sins that the hero accomplished in his life, during the narration of this story, he became a church minister.Flyagin walks the path of sin, but prays and repents of his sins, for which he becomes a righteous man.On the example of this image, we see that in a Russian person angelic and demonic can coexist how large the amplitude of fluctuation is - from committing a murder to becoming a servant of God.
In the poem by N.A. Nekrasov, one can trace the features of the Russian mentality. The scope of the Russian soul is vividly represented here: "Yakim Nagoi lives in the village of Bosovo, he works to death, drinks half to death! .." Accustomed to turning around in everything, the Russian man forgets to stop here too. We can observe in the poem the manifestation of such a feature of the Russian mentality as the worship of beauty. Yakim Nagoi during the fire ran first of all to save pictures from beautiful images bought for my son. Also note that the people see their happiness in suffering! Although this contradicts another feature of the mentality - the fear of any suffering in general. Perhaps the people would like to avoid some "isolated" grief, but when all life consists of nothing but sad things, they learn to live with it and even find in it some kind of happiness that is understandable, probably only to the Russian people ... in suffering, in torment! The poem writes about this like this: "Hey, peasant happiness! Leaky with patches, humpbacked with calluses ..." there are a lot of songs in the poem that reflect the mood of the people, which express the above-mentioned feature of the Russian mentality: "- Eat a prison, Yasha! Milk- then no! "Where is our cow?" - They took away my light! The master took her home for offspring. It is glorious to live for the people in Holy Russia! This song is called fun. In the chapter about Saveliy, the Holy Russian Bogatyr, we meet a peasant who, for non-payment of tribute, suffered torture every year, but was even proud of it, because he was a hero and protected others with his chest: “Hands are twisted with chains, legs are forged with iron, back ... on it - they broke. And the chest? Ilya the prophet rattles on it, rides in a chariot of fire ... The hero endures everything! " There is a Russian woman, strong, hardy, courageous - Matryona Timofeevna: “Matryona Timofeevna, a portly woman, wide and thick, about thirty-eight. Yes, a short sundress, and a sickle over the shoulder. She endures all the hardships of life, cruelty from her father-in-law and mother-in-law, from her sister-in-law. Matryona Timofeevna sacrifices herself for the sake of her beloved husband and tolerates his family: “The family was huge, grumpy ... I ended up in hell with a girl’s hell! redeem." Yes, and her husband Philip, an intercessor (the leading Russian slave person; in the role of the leader, the role of the intercessor is the governor and the governor's wife, to whom Matryona Timofeevna went to resolve her misfortune), at least once, but hit her: "Philip Ilyich got angry, waited until I put the pot on the rack, and slap me on the temple! .. Filyushka also added ... And that's it! Belief in signs and superstition, in fate in this poem is reflected in the fact that the mother-in-law of Matryona Timofeevna was offended all the time if someone acted, forgetting about signs; even a famine in the village happened because Matryona put on a clean shirt on Christmas eve. Savely, on the other hand, said the following words: “No matter how you fight, stupid, what is written in the family, you can’t escape it! There are three paths for men: a tavern, prison and hard labor, and women in Russia have three loops: white silk, the second - red silk, and the third - black silk, choose any! .." Another feature of the Russian mentality - holiness is displayed in the following episodes of the poem. Grandfather Savely leaves for the monastery after overlooking Dyomushka, in search of an absolution of sins. In the story of two great sinners, we again see Russian holiness. Kudeyar, the robber ataman, "has awakened the conscience of the Lord." For repentance for sins, "God took pity." The murder of the sinful pan Glukhovsky is a manifestation of the full awareness of the sins once committed by Kudeyar, the murder of a sinner atones for sins, so the tree that had to be cut with Kudeyar's knife fell down by itself as a sign of forgiveness: , the echo shook the whole forest." It is no coincidence that we noted external manifestations Russian mentality. What explains such behavior of the heroes of the above works can be found in Tyutchev's lyrics and when considering the connection between the hero of Dostoevsky's novel Mitya Karamazov and Apollon Grigoriev.
In the lyrics of Tyutchev, one can observe how the features of the mentality of the Russian people are manifested. In many poems, the poet speaks of inconsistencies, of absolutely opposite things that coexist simultaneously in the Russian soul.
For example, in the poem "O my prophetic soul!" the duality of the soul of a Russian person is illustrated: "Let the suffering chest be agitated by fatal passions - the soul is ready, like Mary, to cling to the feet of Christ forever." That is, again, the soul is a "resident of two worlds" - the sinful world and the holy world. We again see a contradiction in the words lyrical hero: "Oh, how you fight on the threshold of a kind of double being! .." in the poem "Our Age" we note the combination of unbelief and faith in one person: "Let me in! - I believe, my God! Come to the aid of my unbelief!. The hero turns to God, therefore, the desire to believe and the desire to deny everything coexist in him at the same time, his soul constantly fluctuates between these two opposite sides. In the poem "Day and Night" we see confirmation that at the heart of the Russian soul there is always something dark, spontaneous, chaotic, wild, drunken": "and the abyss is naked to us with its fears and darkness, and there are no barriers between us ... "We observe the cruelty and sacrifice of Russian love in the poem" Oh, how deadly we love ... ":
"Fate is a terrible sentence
your love was for her,
and undeserved disgrace
she lay down on her life!
And what about long torment,
like ashes, did she manage to save?
Pain, the evil pain of bitterness,
pain without joy and without tears!
Oh, how deadly we love!
As in the violent blindness of passions
we are the most likely to destroy,
what is dearer to our heart! .. "
Speaking about the Russian mentality, one cannot say about such a person as Apollon Grigoriev. One can draw a parallel between him and the hero of Dostoevsky's novel, Mitya Karamazov. Grigoriev was not, of course, in the full sense the prototype of Dmitri Karamazov, but, nevertheless, we see in the latter many characteristic Grigoriev features and the connection between them seems to be quite close.
Mitya Karamazov is a man of the elements. A minute dominates his life, dragging him along and opening up two abysses all the time. Delight and fall, Schiller and debauchery, noble impulses and low deeds in turn, or even together burst into his life. Already these fairly obvious features indicate a mental situation very close to Grigoriev's. It is the clash of the ideal and the earthly, the need for a higher existence with a passionate thirst for life that can be seen both in the fate of Grigoriev and in the fate of Mitya. If we take as an example the attitude towards a woman and love, then for both of them it is like some kind of point in life where contradictions converge. For Mitya, the ideal of the Madonna somehow came into contact with the ideal of Sodom (two extremes), and it was beyond his power to separate them. Grigoriev had that "ideal of the Madonna" seen in the painting by Murillo. In the Louvre, he begs Venus de Milo to send him "a woman - a priestess, not a merchant." The frenzied Karamazov feeling is heard in his letters almost as distinctly as in Mitya's hymns to Queen Grushenka. “Frankly, what I haven’t done with myself for the past four years. What meanness I didn’t allow myself in relation to women, as if taking revenge on them all for the damned Puritan purity of one, and nothing helped ... I sometimes love her to meanness , to self-humiliation, although she was the only thing that could lift me up. But it will be ... ". This split, the incompatibility of the two sides of existence, tears the soul of Apollon Grigoriev in its own Karamazovian way. The subjugation of the unconscious elements does not yet bring inner integrity. He realized that he was releasing "wild and unbridled" forces, and already, while these forces were taking more and more power over him, he felt more and more sharply that he was not living the way he should. Here are examples from his letters: "A whole strip of dissolute and ugly life lay down here in a layer, I escaped from it all the same wild gentleman who is known to you from all his good and bad sides ... how I lived in Paris, you better not ask about it Poisonous blues, crazy - bad hobbies, drunkenness to visions - this is this life.
The two abysses of Apollon Grigoriev's life became more and more distinct. He wrote about the duality of the Russian soul and tried to justify everything that happened to him with it. But duality, with his acute critical consciousness, also turned out to be unbearable. From the end of his stay in Italy, there was a struggle in his soul, a struggle between life and death. He wrote: “For example, no human efforts can save or fix me. get out and can't get out. He still continued to believe in life with impenetrable Russian faith, which, in fact, is difficult to define as a vital phenomenon - what is Russian faith? Grigoriev felt himself captured by the vortex beginning and, in the name of his faith, gave himself to it to the end with that feeling that later Alexander Blok called love to death. A terrible monument to his last wandering was the poem "Up the Volga", ending with a groan: "Vodka or what? .." Up the Volga, Grigoriev returned to St. Petersburg, where his forty-year-old man was waiting for a quick death almost under the fence.
The rhythm of vortex motion is equally present in the lives of Apollon Grigoriev and Dmitry Karamazov. In Dostoyevsky's novel, this rhythm plays an almost decisive role. Despite the stops and turns in Mitya's fate, the speed of movement is increasing, and life is rapidly carrying Mitya to disaster. This rhythm finds its highest expression in the scene of a desperate ride in the wet, when the passion for a woman struggles in him with the passion of renunciation and shame for what has been done draws the only way out for the confused mind - suicide. "And yet, despite all the accepted determination, it was vague in his soul, vaguely to the point of suffering, and the determination of calmness did not give ... There was one moment on the way that he suddenly wanted ... to get his loaded pistol and end everything without waiting and dawn. But this moment flew by like a spark. Yes, and the troika flew, "devouring space", and as it approached the goal, again, the thought of it, of it alone, more and more captured his breath ... "
And in the fall, Grigoriev finds rapture and beauty, if there is no other way out, and finds the only true and beautiful solution to fall to the end, as the Russian scope allows. Just like Mitya: “Because if I fly into the abyss, then it’s straight, head down and heels up, and I’m even pleased that it’s in this humiliating position that I fall and consider it beauty for myself.” Apollon Grigoriev also traces the theme of gypsies in the cycle "Struggle" - a gypsy Hungarian. In him, we finally see an accurate and exhaustive definition of the gypsy theme: "It's you, the dashing spree, you - the fusion of evil sadness with the voluptuousness of the badeyarka - you, the motive of the Hungarian!"
In general, Mitya and Apollon Grigoriev were always attracted by beauty, and, perhaps, because "beauty is a terrible and terrible thing", a mysterious thing, a "divine riddle", to guess which means to say goodbye to this world; “When you look into the abyss, you don’t want to go back, and it’s impossible.” But the desire to give an exact, almost mathematical definition is not inherent in the poet ... Yes, Grigoriev - the scientist was not completely defeated by Grigoriev the poet and Grigoriev the scientist did not completely defeat Grigoriev the poet, leaving Apollon Grigoriev in a state bifurcation. Grigoriev the man won, a Russian, a truly Russian man. Before us various works different authors, but they are united by some common features, traced here and there: breadth, scope, unbridled desire to look into the abyss, fall into it and the desire of the soul for the light, for the divine, for the temple, as soon as she left the tavern. Flyagin, Ilya Fedoseevich, Oblomov, Yakim Nagoi, Tarantiev, Nozdrev - this is a whole gallery of images illustrating the features of the Russian mentality. Fluctuation from extreme to extreme - from the tavern to the temple of Ilya Fedoseevich, from the temple to the tavern of Ivan Flyagin - closes the path of a Russian person into an endless circle, on which other features of the mentality of the Russian people, such as a statement, passivity, worship beauty, holiness, etc. The interaction of all these features confirms that we have not listed some independent and isolated features that manifest themselves among the Russian people, we have named the features of the mentality, which, by definition, is a combination of these features and something holistic, unified, where each element is in close relationship with others.
2. Russian artistic culture of the second half of the 19th centuryA
Russian literature of the second half of the 19th century continues the traditions of Pushkin, Lermontov, and Gogol. There is a strong influence of criticism on the literary process, especially N.G. Chernyshevsky Aesthetic Relations of Art to Reality. His thesis that beauty is life underlies many literary works of the second half of the 19th century.
Hence the desire to uncover the causes of social evil. The main theme of works of literature and, more broadly, works of Russian artistic culture becomes at this time the theme of the people, its sharp socio-political meaning.
In literary works, images of men appear - righteous, rebels and altruistic philosophers.
The works of I.S. Turgenev, N.A. Nekrasov, L.N. Tolstoy, F.M. Dostoevsky are distinguished by a variety of genres and forms, stylistic richness. The special role of the novel in the literary process as a phenomenon in the history of world culture, in the artistic development of all mankind is noted.
"Dialectics of the Soul" was an important discovery in Russian literature of this period.
Along with the appearance of the "great novel" in Russian literature, small narrative forms of great Russian writers appear (please see the program on literature). I would also like to note dramatic works A.N. Ostrovsky and A.P. Chekhov. In poetry, the high civic position of N.A. Nekrasov, soulful lyrics by F.I. Tyutchev and A.A. Feta.
Conclusion
Solving the tasks, exploring the materials on this topic, we came to the conclusion that the Russian mentality has such features and distinctive features: ignorance of the measure, breadth and scope (an illustration is such heroes of works of fiction as Nozdrev, a "burning life" reveler from Gogol's poem , a reveler and a robber Tarantiev from Oblomov, Ilya Fedoseevich, ordering a dinner of the most expensive dishes for a hundred people, arranging the cutting of exotic trees in a restaurant, Ivan Flyagin, who gets drunk in a tavern and squanders five thousand rubles per night in a lord's tavern); payroll and irresistible faith (this feature is clearly reflected in Saltykov-Shchedrin's "History of a City": there was no order without a prince, and the inhabitants of the city of Glupov threw Ivashkas off the roll and drowned innocent Porfisheks, believing that a new city chief would come and arrange their lives, put things in order); passivity (an example of a passive person is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, who cannot deal with economic affairs in any way, and even in love cannot be active); a Russian man is a generator of ideas, a Russian woman is the engine of Russian life (Olga Ilyinskaya orders Oblomov to read books and then talk about them, calls him for walks and invites him to visit, she feels love when Ilya Ilyich is already thinking that in the future she meet his true soulmate); cruelty and sacrifice in Russian love (In the story "The Enchanted Wanderer" Ivan Flyagin kills Grushenka, the one he loves, and Ilya Ilyich Oblomov breaks up with Olga, although he loves); admiration for beauty (Yakim Nagoi in Nekrasov's poem "Who is it good to live in Russia?" During a fire, he ran to save the pictures that he had once bought for his son, since something very beautiful was depicted on them. The reader does not know what exactly was in the pictures, but the author makes it clear that the people with irresistible force are drawn to the beautiful, they are attracted by beauty); holiness (Ilya Fedoseevich from Leskov's story "Chertogon" allows himself to arrange a drunken felling of trees, breaking dishes in a restaurant and chasing gypsies from the choir and at the same time repents for all this in the temple, where he, by the way, as in the restaurant, is a regular) ; duality, inconsistency, a combination of the difficult to combine (Mitya Karamazov and Apollon Grigoriev all the time vacillate between delight and fall, find happiness in grief, rush between a tavern and a temple, want to die from love, and dying, they talk about love, look for an ideal and immediately give up earthly passions, desire a higher heavenly existence and combine this with an irresistible thirst to live).
Bibliography
1. Gachev G.D. The mentality of the peoples of the world. M., Eksmo, 2003.
2. Likhachev D.S. Reflections on Russia: St. Petersburg: Izd-vo LOGOS, 2001.
3. Ozhegov S.I., Shvedova N.Yu. Dictionary Russian language. M., 1997.
4. Likhachev D.S. Three foundations of European culture and Russian historical experience // Likhachev D.S. Selected works on Russian and world culture. SPb., 2006. S. 365.
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5
Department of General and Vocational Education
Municipal educational institution
“Secondary school No. 1”
Features of the Russian national character
(on the example of N.S. Leskov's story "The Enchanted Wanderer"
and the story of M.A. Sholokhov "The Fate of Man").
Performed:
Novikova Ekaterina,
student of 11 "B" class.
Supervisor:
Myasnikova T.V.,
teacher of Russian language and literature.
Tchaikovsky
2005 year
Content.
1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………3
2. Russian national character……………………………………………4
3. Features of the Russian national character in the literature of the 19th century (on the example of N.S. Leskov’s story “The Enchanted Wanderer”)…………….......9
4. Features of the Russian national character in the literature of the XX century (on the example of M.A. Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of a Man”)……………..……14
5. Conclusion………………………………………………………………..19
6. References……………………………………………………….21
I. Introduction.
In the modern world, the borders between states are being erased, culture is becoming common, international. This is due to the large amount of communication between representatives different peoples, there are now many international marriages. So, for example, if 20-30 years ago Russia was closed from external influences of other countries, now you can see the influence of the West everywhere, and culture is no exception. And sometimes a Russian person knows the culture of some other country much better than his own.
In my opinion, "saving the face" of the people and a person's awareness of himself as a representative given people becomes one of the main problems not only in Russia, but also in the world as a whole.
A distinctive feature of the people is the national character. I am aware of myself as a Russian person, and it became interesting to me how my character corresponds to the idea of the Russian national character.
The problem of national character was also of interest to writers and philosophers of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Goncharov, Leskov, Nekrasov, Yesenin, Klyuev, Sholokhov, and others.
The purpose of my work is:
1. Get acquainted with the description of the Russian national character in the works of Leskov N.S. “The Enchanted Wanderer” and Sholokhova M.A.
"Destiny of Man".
2. Compare the character traits of representatives of the 19th century. and XX century., to identify common and differences.
Research methods:
1. Study artwork.
2. Analysis.
3. Comparison of character traits of heroes.
II. Russian national character.
Character - a set of mental, spiritual properties of a person, found in his behavior; a man of character, a strong character.
Sow a habit, you reap a character, sow a character, you reap a destiny. old truth
Character (in literature) - the image of a person in literary work, outlined with a certain completeness and individual certainty, through which both the historically conditioned type of behavior and the author's inherent moral and aesthetic concept of human existence are revealed. The principles and methods of character reconstruction differ depending on the tragic, satirical and other ways of depicting life, on the literary type of the work and genre; they largely determine the face of the literary movement.
The national character is the idea of the people about themselves, it is certainly an important element of their national self-consciousness, their total ethnic self. And this idea is truly fateful significance for his story. After all, in the same way as an individual, a nation, in the process of its development, forming an idea of itself, forms itself and, in this sense, its future.
Features of the Russian national character.
Positive character traits: perseverance, generosity, self-confidence, honesty, courage, loyalty, ability to love, patriotism, compassion, diligence, kindness, selflessness
“The Russian character,” A. N. Tolstoy wrote, “is light, open, good-natured, compassionate ... when life does not require him to make a heavy sacrifice. But when trouble comes - a Russian person is harsh, hard-working and merciless towards the enemy - not sparing himself, he does not spare the enemy either ... In small things, a Russian person can be unfair to himself and others, get off with a joke, boast there, pretend to be a fool ... But justice in big ideas and big deeds lives in him ineradicably. In the name of justice, in the name of the common cause, in the name of the Motherland, he, without thinking about himself, will throw himself into the fire.
The rhythm and economic structure of Russian life certainly unequivocally determines the main dominant of the Russian national character - the heroic dominant.
There is nothing surprising in the fact that in the family of superethnoi of mankind the role of the Hero is played by the Russian family of peoples. And within the Russian family of peoples, the same role of the Hero belongs to the Russian people. The Russian national character is first of all a heroic character.
Russia is a cold northern country with an abundance of icy rivers and lakes. If you look at a map of population density and compare it with a map of the distribution of peoples, it will become clear that Russians are rivermen living along the banks of rivers. This is reflected by the many words with the same root with water and river meaning: “Rus”, “channel”, “dew”, “mermaid”. The Russian road is a river.
The heroic dominant of the Russian character is betrayed by every small detail of life, for example, Russian manners of handling water. Russians wash under running water, which shocks foreigners with such irrationality. The British, for example, in order to save money, never rinse, but, getting out of the bathroom, wipe the soap with a towel. The dishes are also not rinsed, but in soap and put in the dryer. There is enough water in England, and endless rains pour down, but stinginess is an English national character trait. No nation in the world uses water on such a scale as the Russians. So, the Japanese bathe in the bath with the whole family in turn, without changing the water.
Russians bathe differently than Europeans. This is especially noticeable at international resorts: Europeans usually either lie on the shore or splash at a depth a little shallower than waist-deep, while Russians swim long and far - according to the principle: "I swim to the buoy - nothing will happen ... nothing." When Russians arrive in a new place, the first thing they ask is: Where do you swim here?” - and climb into the nearest body of water.
The national character is manifested in the creativity and culture of peoples. Russian music is easily distinguishable by ear - flowing. Our classics are Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Rachmaninov's inspired, heroic “Hymn of Russia”. The musical style is not characterized by “creaking and squealing”.
The main trouble of the Russian people is drunkenness. We do not know how to “drink culturally” - this does not correspond to our character - we do not know how to stop, and booze turns into hard drinking. If other nations can have multi-day feasts with fun and songs, then our booze ends in a collective fight, while fences and wattle fences will certainly be taken apart for stakes. In no other country in the world there is such a number of crimes motivated by drunkenness, as in Russia.
Any social event - dancing, birthday, wedding, holiday or folk festivals - is a booze and scuffle. A typical Russian scenario: they drank vodka, went “to the women”, got into a fight on the way. Another favorite scheme: to drink, and then - to swim in ice water.
The Russian character is an “explosive”, daring character, but not quick-tempered, not angry, not vicious, not vindictive and not cruel. The men will drink, fight, then get drunk together again.
The general style of Russian life is boredom and languor, which are interspersed with explosions of deeds. Production plans are always carried out on the last day with the help of a “hands-on job”, and then again “don't hit the recumbent” - boredom. It has long been noticed: “Russians harness for a long time, but then they quickly jump.” Still would! - “What Russian does not like to drive fast!” The “Siberian” character is famous for its special prowess.
All attempts to conquer Russia developed according to one scenario: first, Russia suffers defeats, and then, in a decisive battle, wins and smashes the conqueror. What for Russia is “invigorating frost”, for foreigners is “unbearable climatic disasters”, “General Frost”.
The thirst for deeds is torn through all Russian literature, the main theme of which is how to overcome the “longing and boredom of being”. The masterpieces of Russian romanticism are the images of Danko tearing his heart out of his chest and the “Petrel”. And the favorite topic of compositions is “In life there is always a place for a feat!”.
The Russian character is characterized by a breadth of interests and scope of undertakings. Russians have a “broad soul”, “wide open”. We do everything on a grand scale: if we publish a library, so "worldwide", we make a revolution - then certainly a world one. We, Russians, are better able to accomplish the impossible, the unthinkable, the fantastic than the mundane and utilitarian.[
Russians folk tales, in contrast to Western European, almost exclusively heroic tales. If the plots of Western European fairy tales are involved in profit, money, enrichment, the search for gold or treasures, then in Russia the motivation for actions is different than in Western Europe - heroic, not selfish.
It should be noted that the basis of any nation is made up of people with the character of a Friend-Worker. This role is associated with a sense of friendship and unity, with a sense of "WE". It is this feeling that unites the Russian and other peoples, and also unites the peoples around the Russian into an integral Russian superethnos.
Russian people are able to get along with other nations. It was precisely because of such traits of the national character that the Russian people managed to spread and settle from the Carpathians to Kamchatka and Alaska, which no other people could.
The dominant of the Russian character - the role of the Victim, the role of the "superfluous" person is reflected in the phenomenon called "Russian God-seeking", as well as in "Russian self-sacrifice".
The Russian national character is not characterized by such features as: arrogance or arrogance, envy or greed, malice or meanness.
One of the most accurate evidence of the national character of a people, tribe or social group (class) are anecdotes. There are thousands of them. Thousands of anecdotes are thousands of testimonies. The anecdotes reflect the experience and collective opinion of peoples. Arguing with jokes is pointless. Each anecdote is polished by millions of storytellers. People retell those jokes that they like, that is, they correspond to their opinion and ideas. If some character traits are noticed and reflected in jokes, then this is actually the case, this is the true truth.
All anecdotes testify to the presence of stable character traits among peoples. So. All anecdotes certainly reflect Russian prowess and excitement. If a Russian thinks of something, he will do it in a way that no one has ever dreamed of, no one else has been able to think of. This means that jokes assign the role of the Hero to the Russians.
The main features of the Russian character, in my opinion, can be considered: heroism, resilience, generosity, self-confidence, honesty, courage, loyalty, generosity, the ability to love, patriotism, compassion, diligence, kindness, selflessness, prowess, breadth of interests, scope of undertakings , propensity to drink, can get along with everyone, feeling dignity.
III. Features of the Russian national character in literatureXIXcentury (on the example of N.S. Leskov’s story “The Enchanted Wanderer”).
The image of the wanderer Ivan Flyagin summarizes the remarkable features of people who are energetic, talented by nature, inspired by boundless love for people. It depicts a man from the people in the intricacies of his difficult fate, not broken, even though "he died all his life and could not die in any way."
The kind and simple-minded Russian giant is the main character and central figure story. This man with a childish soul is distinguished by irrepressible fortitude, heroic mischief and that excess in hobbies, which is so alien to the moderation of virtuous bourgeois heroes. He acts at the behest of duty, often on the intuition of feeling and in an accidental outburst of passion. However, all his actions, even the strangest ones, are invariably born from his inherent philanthropy. He strives for truth and beauty through mistakes and bitter repentance, he seeks love and generously gives love to people. He saves people from inevitable death not for the sake of any benefit, reward, not even out of a sense of duty. When Flyagin sees a person in mortal danger, he simply rushes to his aid. As a boy, he saves the count and countess from death, and he himself almost dies. He also goes instead of the old woman's son for fifteen years to the Caucasus.
Behind the outward rudeness and cruelty, Ivan Severyanych hides the enormous kindness inherent in the Russian people. We recognize this trait in him when he becomes a nanny. He really became attached to the girl he was courting. In dealing with her, he is caring and gentle.
The “enchanted wanderer” is a type of “Russian wanderer” (in the words of Dostoevsky). This is Russian nature, requiring development, striving for spiritual perfection. He seeks and cannot find himself. Each new haven of Flyagin is another discovery of life, and not just a change of one or another occupation. The wide soul of the wanderer gets along with absolutely everyone - whether they are wild Kyrgyz or strict Orthodox monks; he is so flexible that he agrees to live according to the laws of those who adopted him: according to the Tatar custom, he is cut to death with Savarikey, according to Muslim custom, he has several wives, takes for granted the cruel “operation” that is with him done by the Tatars; in the monastery, he not only does not grumble because, as a punishment, he was locked up for the whole summer in a dark cellar, but he even knows how to find joy in this: “Here the church bells are heard, and comrades visited.” But despite such a accommodating nature, he does not stay anywhere for a long time. He does not need to humble himself and desire to work in his native field. He is already humble and, by his muzhik rank, is faced with the need to work. But he has no peace. In life, he is not a participant, but only a wanderer. He is so open to life that she carries him, and he follows her course with wise humility. But this is not a consequence of spiritual weakness and passivity, but a complete acceptance of one's fate. Often Flyagin is not aware of his actions, intuitively relying on the wisdom of life, trusting her in everything. And the higher power, before which he is open and honest, rewards him for this and keeps him.
Ivan Severyanych Flyagin lives primarily not with his mind, but with his heart, and therefore the course of life imperiously carries him along, that is why the circumstances in which he finds himself are so diverse. The path that the hero of the story goes through is the search for his place among other people, his vocation, comprehension of the meaning of his life efforts, but not with reason, but with his whole life and his destiny.
It is no coincidence that in response to the request of Mr. Raray, who “takes from an English, scientific point of view”, to tell him the secret of his skill, Ivan Severyanovich innocently says: “What is the secret? - it is nonsense". This "stupidity" is clearly visible when Flyagin pacifies the horse, from which Rarey retreated. Ivan Severyanych breaks the pot on the horse's head and at the same time whips it on both sides with a whip. In addition, he scares him with a terrible gnashing of teeth. The horse eventually gives up in exhaustion. So, Flyagin wins not with prudence, but with “stupidity”, with internal cunning.
In the psyche of Ivan Severyanych there is not a trace of humiliation, on the contrary, he has a high degree of self-esteem and self-respect. This is evidenced by his already inherent demeanor: “But, with all this, he is kind, etc. .................
