Anikin A. A. The definition of “little man” is a true long-liver in school and university literary criticism. Deprived of scientific dryness, it is also convenient for exam topics. Therefore, it is natural that a certain semantic and emotional stereotype has developed that accompanies this expression. Even the literary heroes themselves frankly recommend themselves this way: “I, sir, am a little man” (Kuligin from A.N. Ostrovsky’s play “Thunderstorm”), with the natural addition: “You can offend me!”. That, it would seem, is the whole simple meaning of this name. But this is clearly crafty simplicity, which, due to its many years, and even centuries of existence, turns out to be completely unproductive both for literary analysis and for a living, sensible work. This apparent rusticity is aggravated by the fact that the image of the “little man”, out of compassion or something, is usually rejuvenated: it’s good when his pedigree is traced from “Poor Liza” N.M. Karamzin, otherwise they will throw back another half century and give N.V. Gogol with the story "The Overcoat". If we take an unbiased look, not through the prevailing dogmas, we will see a different picture. First, not every depicted poor person will fit this theme. The same Kuligin is filled with such pretentious pathos that the definition of "little man" is more like a mask than authenticity. He wants to "rule the thunders with his mind", he will reject all natural laws and invent "perpeta mobile", the notorious perpetual motion machine, a symbol of human pride; he sees himself as a rich man, the owner of a million, a judge and benefactor of the people, almost a herald of God (in the final remark, “she is now in front of a judge who is more merciful than you”), and it is hardly possible to “offend” him: they are too intrusive and defiant to him demands to “finance” him, Kuligin’s inventive whims… Secondly, from Kuligin’s short assessment it is clear that the content of the image with the emblem of the “little man” is far from monotonous, rather paradoxical, and this is what makes this topic interesting and alive, despite known costs of any stable expression. In short, the prevailing pattern is that the "little man" is regarded as a victim of certain social relations: if he is good (let's say, like Samson Vyrin), then society unfairly keeps him in the fourteenth, last class; if he is bad, like a ninth-grade official Akaki Bashmachkin, then society is to blame for his shortcomings (remember that N.G. Chernyshevsky called Akaki Akakievich nothing more than an "idiot": "a complete ignoramus and a complete idiot, incapable of anything" , 5, 323). To reveal a topic in such a spirit is not only vulgar or uninteresting, but the main thing is not to understand the text, but to adjust it to an ideological scheme that remains tenacious, despite the apparent change in social ideologies. So, in the future we will turn to the same images of Pushkin and Gogol, but we emphasize that building social protection for their heroes is not included in the author's position, and this, however, does not at all negate the motive of compassion: the authors see their heroes not in socio-political coordinates , but rather put them before God, before eternity, before the essence of human existence (bright symbolic episodes: the parable of the prodigal son, the choice of a name, death and transfiguration, etc.).
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Main part…………………………………………………………………………………………4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 "Death of an Official" "The Man in the Case". "Celebration of the Winner"
"Chameleon". "Thick and Thin"…………………………………………………………………………6
Chapter 4 "Poor people". "Crime and Punishment". ……………………..7
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Used literature………………………………………………………………………....8
Applications ………………………………………………………………………………………………9
Hypothesis: Man - does that sound proud?
Target: To identify the features of the image of this type of heroes in literature and understand the reasons for the appearance of such people in society
Tasks: read the works of Russian literature of the 19th century: the story "The Overcoat", the story "The Stationmaster", "The Bronze Horseman", "The Captain's Daughter"; study critical literature on the story; look at the Internet resources on this issue.
Methodology:
1. At the stage of determining the needs of students, methods such as:
A) studying the questionnaire of students, which determines the level of their knowledge on the topic;
B) the use of an analytical table that reveals the degree of understanding of the essence of the proposed study.
This stage is extremely important, as it allows the teacher to adjust the work on the project, and for the students to evaluate their own abilities and correlate them with the tasks of the project.
2. During the work of students on the project, it is possible to use a wide variety of methods:
a) drawing up a map-plan of the upcoming work, which will allow students to feel
responsibility for their own learning, as well as - to introduce evaluation criteria for each stage of work;
b) "brainstorming" - in order to concentrate ideas about the upcoming work;
c) informal observations of the teacher, which will support the correction of the study and give grounds for objective assessment;
d) feedback from peers, helping the student to evaluate the quality of his work and correlate it with the needs of the general study in the group;
e) self-assessment and reflection, giving the student the opportunity to evaluate their own work and consider methods for improving it;
f) reports on the implementation of the key stages of the project, presented in the form of draft sketches, plans, schemes, informal questionnaires, in which students express their thoughts about the progress of the study. These methods will allow the teacher and students to constantly evaluate the progress of work on the project, will contribute to the development of high-level thinking skills.
3. After the completion of the project, it is expected to evaluate the following final works of students:
a) reports - presentations on the study;
b) speeches at the final student conference;
c) creative works in the form of an essay and a wiki article;
d) staging fragments of Gogol's comedy "The Government Inspector"
e) portfolio of students with research materials.
When evaluating at each stage of the work on the project, the depth and completeness of the study, the use of various educational resources, creativity, the ability to connect the problem with other areas of science and see the prospect of its development will be taken into account.
What do I know: The spiritual world of the "little man" is scarce, of little interest.
What else to find: to reveal the true face, the spiritual potential of the "little man" on the example of the image of Bashmachkin from Gogol's story "The Overcoat", Samson Vyrin from the story "The Stationmaster" and the heroes of other works.
Introduction
The definition of "little man" is applied to the category of literary heroes of the era of realism, usually occupying a rather low place in the social hierarchy: a petty official, a tradesman, or even a poor nobleman. The image of the "little man" turned out to be all the more relevant, the more democratic literature became. The very concept of "little man", most likely, was introduced by Belinsky (article of 1840 "Woe from Wit"). The theme of the "little man" is raised by many writers. It has always been relevant, because its task is to reflect the life of an ordinary person with all its experiences, problems, troubles and small joys. The writer takes on the hard work of showing and explaining the lives of ordinary people. "The little man is the representative of the whole people. And each writer represents him in his own way.
The project is dedicated to a "cross-cutting" theme in Russian literature - the evolution of the image of the "little man". This topic is quite capacious, it reflected many of the literary and social processes that took place in Russia throughout the 19th century. The works contain rich material for the disclosure of this topic, for the development of analytical abilities, thinking, general intelligence of students. The project method will allow us to consider this topic in a comprehensive manner, in integration with psychology, sociology, and the realities of the modern world.
Main part
Chapter 1. "Little Man" Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin
It often happens in life that cruel and heartless people who humiliate and insult the dignity of other people often look more pitiful and insignificant than their victims. The same impression of spiritual miserliness and fragility from the offenders of the petty official Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin remains with us after reading Gogol's story "The Overcoat". Akaky Akakievich is a real "little man". Why? First, he stands on one of the lowest rungs of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is invisible at all. Secondly, the world of his spiritual life and human interests is narrowed to the extreme, impoverished, limited. Gogol himself characterized his hero as poor, ordinary, insignificant and inconspicuous. In life, he was assigned the insignificant role of a copyist of documents from one of the departments. Brought up in an atmosphere of unquestioning obedience and execution of orders from his superiors, Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin was not used to reflecting on the content and meaning of his work. Therefore, when he is offered tasks that require the manifestation of elementary intelligence, he begins to worry, worry, and eventually comes to the conclusion: "No, it's better to let me rewrite something." Bashmachkin's spiritual life is also limited. Collecting money for a new overcoat becomes for him the meaning of his whole life, filling it with the happiness of waiting for the fulfillment of his cherished desire. The theft of a new overcoat, acquired through such deprivation and suffering, becomes a disaster for him. Those around him laughed at his misfortune, and no one helped him. The "significant person" yelled at him so much that poor Akaky Akakievich lost consciousness. Almost no one noticed his death. Despite the uniqueness of the image created by the writer, he, Bashmachkin, does not look lonely in the minds of readers, and we imagine that there were a great many of the same humiliated, sharing the lot of Akaky Akakievich. Gogol was the first to talk about the tragedy of the "little man", respect for which depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer compassionately showed the injustice and arbitrariness of society in relation to the "little man" and for the first time called on this society to pay attention to inconspicuous, pitiful and ridiculous, as it seemed at first glance, people. It is not their fault that they are not very smart, and sometimes not smart at all, but they do no harm to anyone, and this is very important. So why laugh at them then? Maybe they should not be treated with great respect, but they should not be offended. They, like everyone else, have the right to a decent life, to the opportunity to feel like full-fledged people.
Chapter 2"The Stationmaster", "The Bronze Horseman", "The Captain's Daughter"
The greatest poet of the 19th century also did not leave the theme of the “little man” unnoticed, only he turned his gaze not to the image of a kneeling man, but to the fate of an unfortunate person, showing us his pure soul, unspoiled by wealth and prosperity, who knows how to rejoice, love, suffer. This is the story "The Stationmaster", which is part of the cycle "Belkin's Tales". Pushkin sympathizes with his hero. Initially, his life is not easy. "Who did not curse the stationmasters, who did not scold them? Who, in a moment of anger, did not demand from them a fatal book in order to write in it their useless complaint of oppression, rudeness and malfunction? Who does not consider them monsters of the human race, equal to the deceased let's be fair, let's try to understand their position, and maybe we'll judge them much more leniently. not always ... Peace, day or night. All the annoyance accumulated during a boring ride, the traveler vents on the caretaker. The weather is unbearable, the road is bad, the coachman is stubborn, the horses are not driven - and the caretaker is to blame. Entering his poor dwelling, the traveler looks at him as an enemy; well, if he soon manages to get rid of the uninvited guest; but if there are no horses? God! what curses, what threats will fall on his catch! In rain and sleet he is forced to run around the yards; in the storm, in the Epiphany frost, he goes into the canopy, just for a moment to rest from the screams and pushes of the irritated guest ... Let's delve into all this carefully, and instead of indignation, our heart will be filled with sincere compassion. "This is Pushkin's text, but behind it we hear the voices of Radishchev and Karamzin. But the hero of the story - Samson Vyrin - is quite happy and calm, he has long adapted to the conditions of service, the beautiful daughter Dunya helps him run a simple household. He dreams of simple human happiness, hoping to babysit his grandchildren, spend his old age with his family. But fate prepares him a difficult test. The passing hussar Minsky takes away Dunya, not thinking about the consequences of his act. The unfortunate father hopes to return his daughter, but how can he compete with a rich hussar! After an unsuccessful attempt to return his daughter, when the hussar "with a strong hand, grabbing the old man by the collar, pushed him on the stairs", Vyrin was no longer able to fight. He "thought, waved his hand and decided to retreat." Samson died in longing for his daughter, grieving for possible miserable fate. Eugene, the hero of The Bronze Horseman, looks like Samson Vyrin.
…Our hero
Lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere,
The nobles shy away…
He does not make great plans for the future, he is satisfied with a quiet, inconspicuous life.
What was he thinking about? About,
That he was poor, that he labored
He had to deliver
And independence, and honor;
What could God add to him
Mind and money.
He also hopes for his personal, albeit small, but family happiness that he needs so much.
Marry? To me? Why not?
It's hard, of course.
But well, I'm young and healthy
Ready to work day and night;
I'll somehow arrange myself
Shelter humble and simple
And I will calm Parasha in it.
It will pass, perhaps, a goy-another -
I'll get a place, Parashe
I will entrust our family
And raising kids.
And we will live, and so on to the grave
Hand in hand we will both reach,
And our grandchildren will bury us.
But all his dreams are in vain, because evil fate breaks into his life: the element destroys his beloved. Eugene cannot resist fate, he quietly worries about his loss. And only in a state of madness does he threaten the Bronze Horseman, considering the man who built the city on this dead place to be the culprit of his misfortune. Pushkin looks at his heroes from the side. They do not stand out either in intelligence or in their position in society, but they are kind and decent people, and therefore worthy of respect and sympathy. In the novel The Captain's Daughter, Pyotr Andreevich Grinev and Captain Mironov are included in the category of "little people". They are distinguished by the same qualities: kindness, justice, decency, the ability to love and respect people. But they have another very good quality - to remain faithful to the given word. Pushkin took out the saying in the epigraph: "Take care of honor from a young age." They saved their honor. And just as dear as the heroes of his previously named works.
Chapter 3. "Death of an Official" "The Man in the Case". "Celebration of the Winner" "Chameleon". "Thick and thin".
"Little Man" is constantly found on the pages of works. This is the main character of his work. Chekhov's attitude towards such people is especially vividly manifested in his satirical stories. And the relationship is clear. In the story "The Death of an Official", the "little man" Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov constantly and obsessively apologizes to General Brizzhalov for accidentally splashing him when he sneezed. "I sprayed him!" Thought Chervyakov. "Not my boss, someone else's, but still awkward. I must apologize." The key word in this thought is "boss". Probably, Chervyakov would not endlessly apologize to an ordinary person. Ivan Dmitrievich has a fear of the authorities, and this fear turns into flattery and deprives him of self-respect. A person already reaches the point where he allows himself to be trampled into the dirt, moreover, he himself helps to do this. We must pay tribute to the general, he treats our hero very politely. But the common man is not accustomed to such treatment. thinks that he was ignored and comes to ask for forgiveness for several days in a row. Brizzhalov gets fed up with this and finally yells at Chervyakov. "-Get out !! - the general suddenly turned blue and trembling."
"What, sir?" Chervyakov asked in a whisper, trembling with horror.
-Go away!! repeated the general, stamping his feet.
Something broke in Chervyakov's stomach. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed away to the door, went out into the street and trudged along ... Arriving home mechanically, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and ... died. This is what the fear of the highest ranks brings, eternal admiration and humiliation before them. For a more complete disclosure of the image of his hero, Chekhov used a "speaking" surname. Yes, Ivan Dmitrievich is small, pitiful, like a worm, you can crush him without effort, and most importantly, he is just as unpleasant.
In the story "The Triumph of the Victor" Chekhov presents us with a story in which father and son humiliate themselves before the boss so that the son can get a position.
“The boss was talking and, apparently, wanted to seem witty. I don’t know if he said anything funny, but I only remember that dad every minute pushed me in the side and said:
-Laugh!...
... - So, so! - Dad whispered. - Well done! He looks at you and laughs... It's good; maybe he'll actually give you a job as an assistant clerk!"
And again we are faced with admiration for superiors. And again, this is self-humiliation and flattery. People are ready to please the boss in order to achieve their insignificant goal. It doesn’t even occur to them to remember that there is a simple human dignity that cannot be lost in any case. I wanted all people to be beautiful and free. "Everything in a person should be beautiful: the face, and clothes, and the soul, and thoughts." So Anton Pavlovich thought, therefore, ridiculing a primitive person in his stories, he called for self-improvement. Chekhov hated self-humiliation, eternal subservience and admiration for officials. Gorky said of Chekhov: "Vulgarity was his enemy, and he fought against it all his life." Yes, he fought against it with his works, he bequeathed to us "drop by drop to squeeze a slave out of ourselves." Perhaps such a vile way of life of his "little people", their low thoughts and unworthy behavior is the result not only of personal character traits, but also of their social position and the orders of the existing political system. After all, Chervyakov would not have apologized so diligently and lived in eternal fear of officials if he had not been afraid of the consequences. The characters of the stories "Chameleon", "Thick and Thin", "The Man in the Case" and many others have the same unpleasant qualities of character. Anton Pavlovich believed that a person should have a goal to which he will strive, and if it is not there or it is very small and insignificant, then the person becomes just as small and insignificant. A person must work and love - these are two things that play a major role in the life of any person: small and not small.
Chapter 4 "Poor people". "Crime and Punishment".
If Chekhov's characters are humiliated, do not realize their insignificance, then Dostoevsky's "little man" fully understands his uselessness, uselessness.
In the novel "Poor People" it is about "little people". Makar Devushkin and Varvara Alekseevna also belong to the lower stratum of society. They want to live well, work, hope for their happiness. Makar Devushkin loves Varenka very much, he is like a father to her: he buys her what she dreams of, although she does not ask him about it, and he himself remains virtually without food, becomes a debtor to the mistress of the house in which he lives. Varenka, having learned about the misfortune of Makar Devushkin, tries to help him: she sends him money so that he can pay off the hostess and buy something for himself. It should be noted that she gives far from the extra money earned by her painstaking work. Pity and kindness are characteristic of this tender girl and her friend Makar Devushkin, who once saved her from an evil relative. Mutual assistance is very important here, because only these people can hope for it. The author wanted to point out the problems of the disadvantaged with his works. They are forced to live in gloomy, dirty, vile and smelly areas of the city. And why did so many of them deserve it? How did Sonya Marmeladova deserve this? How did Makar Devushkin and Varvara Alekseevna deserve this? This is what Dostoevsky draws attention to. His "little man" knows how to reason. He is not only "humiliated and insulted", understanding his insignificance, he is also a philosopher, posing questions of the greatest importance to society.
Conclusion
The idea of a "little man" changed throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each writer also had his own personal views on this hero. But already from the second third of the 20th century, this image disappears from the pages of literary works, since the method of socialist realism does not presuppose such a hero. In the process of studying the subject, we came to the conclusion that it is impossible to identify any system for changing the views of writers on these heroes. But you can find common ground in the views of different writers. For example, writers of the first half of the 19th century (Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol) treat the "little man" with sympathy. Standing apart is Griboyedov, who looks at this hero in a different way, which brings his views closer to those of Chekhov and partly Ostrovsky. Here the concept of vulgarity and self-humiliation comes to the fore. In the view of L. Tolstoy, N. Leskov, A. Kuprin, a "little man" is a talented, selfless person. Such a variety of views of writers depends on the peculiarities of their worldview and on the diversity of human types that surrounds us in real life.
findings
As a result of the work, we came to the conclusion that a person is not just a physiological and social being living among other people, but also a person endowed with his own rich inner world, feelings, thoughts, rights. Gogol was the first to talk about the tragedy of the "little man", respect for which depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer with compassion showed the injustice and despotism of society in relation to the "little man" and for the first time called on this society to pay attention to inconspicuous, pitiful and ridiculous, as it seemed at first glance, people. It is not their fault that they are not very smart, and sometimes not smart at all, but they do no harm to anyone, and this is very important. So why laugh at them then? Maybe they should not be treated with great respect, but they should not be offended. They, like everyone else, have the right to a decent life, to the opportunity to feel like full-fledged people.
References.
Textbooks, teaching aids, anthologies, laboratory manuals, reference material, etc.
Printed materials Dictionaries, manuals, reference materials, etc.
1. Voropaev Vasilyevich Gogol. Russian writers. 19th century. - M., 2000.
2. "Overcoat"
3. "Crime and Punishment"
4. "Inspector"
5. Esin and methods of analysis of a literary work. - M., 2000.
6. Lotman space in Gogol's prose. - M., 1978.
7. Mann Gogol. - M., 1978.
8. Gogol's machine world. - M., 1983.
The image of the "little man" in Russian literature
The very concept of "little man" appears in literature before the very type of hero is formed. Initially, this is the designation of people of the third estate, which became of interest to writers due to the democratization of literature.
In the 19th century, the image of the "little man" becomes one of the cross-cutting themes of literature. The concept of "little man" was introduced by V.G. Belinsky in his 1840 article "Woe from Wit". Initially, it meant a "simple" person. With the development of psychologism in Russian literature, this image acquires a more complex psychological portrait and becomes the most popular character in the democratic works of the second half. XIX century.
Literary Encyclopedia:
"Little Man" is a number of diverse characters in Russian literature of the 19th century, united by common features: a low position in the social hierarchy, poverty, insecurity, which determines the peculiarities of their psychology and plot role - victims of social injustice and a soulless state mechanism, often personified in the image "significant person". They are characterized by fear of life, humiliation, meekness, which, however, can be combined with a sense of the injustice of the existing order of things, with wounded pride and even a short-term rebellious impulse, which, as a rule, does not lead to a change in the current situation. The type of "little man", discovered by A. S. Pushkin ("The Bronze Horseman", "The Stationmaster") and N. V. Gogol ("The Overcoat", "Notes of a Madman"), creatively, and sometimes polemically in relation to tradition , rethought by F. M. Dostoevsky (Makar Devushkin, Golyadkin, Marmeladov), A. N. Ostrovsky (Balzaminov, Kuligin), A. P. Chekhov (Chervyakov from "The Death of an Official", the hero of "Tolstoy and Thin"), M. A. Bulgakov (Korotkov from the Diaboliad), M. M. Zoshchenko and other Russian writers of the 19th-20th centuries.
“Little man” is a type of hero in literature, most often it is a poor, inconspicuous official who occupies a small position, his fate is tragic.
The theme of the "little man" is a "cross-cutting theme" of Russian literature. The appearance of this image is due to the Russian career ladder of fourteen steps, on the lower of which small officials worked and suffered from poverty, lack of rights and insults, poorly educated, often lonely or burdened with families, worthy of human understanding, each with his own misfortune.
Little people are not rich, invisible, their fate is tragic, they are defenseless.
Pushkin "The Stationmaster" Samson Vyrin.
Hard worker. Weak person. He loses his daughter - she is taken away by the rich hussar Minsky. social conflict. Humiliated. Can't take care of himself. Got drunk. Samson is lost in life.
Pushkin was one of the first to put forward the democratic theme of the “little man” in literature. In Belkin's Tales, completed in 1830, the writer not only draws pictures of the life of the nobility and county ("The Young Lady-Peasant Woman"), but also draws the attention of readers to the fate of the "little man".
The fate of the "little man" is shown here realistically for the first time, without sentimental tearfulness, without romantic exaggeration, as a result of certain historical conditions, the injustice of social relations.
In the very plot of The Stationmaster, a typical social conflict is conveyed, a broad generalization of reality is expressed, revealed in the individual case of the tragic fate of an ordinary man Samson Vyrin.
There is a small postal station somewhere at the crossroads of carriageways. The 14th grade official Samson Vyrin and his daughter Dunya live here - the only joy that brightens up the hard life of the caretaker, full of shouting and cursing passing people. But the hero of the story - Samson Vyrin - is quite happy and calm, he has long adapted to the conditions of service, the beautiful daughter Dunya helps him run a simple household. He dreams of simple human happiness, hoping to babysit his grandchildren, spend his old age with his family. But fate prepares a difficult test for him. The passing hussar Minsky takes away Dunya, not thinking about the consequences of his act.
The worst thing is that Dunya left with the hussar of her own free will. Having crossed the threshold of a new, rich life, she abandoned her father. Samson Vyrin goes to St. Petersburg to "return the lost lamb", but he is kicked out of Dunya's house. The hussar "with a strong hand, grabbing the old man by the collar, pushed him onto the stairs." Unhappy father! Where can he compete with a rich hussar! In the end, for his daughter, he receives several banknotes. “Tears again welled up in his eyes, tears of indignation! He squeezed the papers into a ball, threw them on the ground, stamped them with his heel and went ... "
Vyrin was no longer able to fight. He "thought, waved his hand and decided to retreat." Samson, after the loss of his beloved daughter, got lost in life, drank himself and died in longing for his daughter, grieving about her possible deplorable fate.
About people like him, Pushkin writes at the beginning of the story: “Let us, however, be fair, we will try to enter into their position and, perhaps, we will judge them much more condescendingly.”
Life truth, sympathy for the "little man", insulted at every step by the bosses, standing higher in rank and position - that's what we feel when reading the story. Pushkin cherishes this "little man" who lives in grief and need. The story is imbued with democracy and humanity, so realistically depicting the “little man”.
Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman". Eugene
Eugene is a "little man". The city played a fatal role in fate. During the flood, he loses his bride. All his dreams and hopes for happiness perished. Lost my mind. In sick madness, he challenges the "idol on a bronze horse" Nightmare: the threat of death under bronze hooves.
The image of Eugene embodies the idea of confrontation between the common man and the state.
"The poor man was not afraid for himself." "The blood boiled." “A flame ran through the heart”, “Already for you!”. Yevgeny's protest is an instant impulse, but stronger than that of Samson Vyrin.
The image of a shining, lively, magnificent city is replaced in the first part of the poem by a picture of a terrible, destructive flood, expressive images of a raging element over which a person has no power. Among those whose lives were destroyed by the flood is Eugene, whose peaceful cares the author speaks at the beginning of the first part of the poem. Eugene is an “ordinary man” (“small” man): he has neither money nor ranks, he “serves somewhere” and dreams of making himself a “humble and simple shelter” in order to marry his beloved girl and go through life with her.
…Our hero
Lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere,
The nobles shy away…
He does not make great plans for the future, he is satisfied with a quiet, inconspicuous life.
What was he thinking about? About,
That he was poor, that he labored
He had to deliver
And independence, and honor;
What could God add to him
Mind and money.
The poem does not indicate either the hero's surname or his age, nothing is said about Yevgeny's past, his appearance, character traits. By depriving Yevgeny of individual features, the author turns him into an ordinary, typical person from the crowd. However, in an extreme, critical situation, Eugene seems to wake up from a dream, and throws off the guise of "insignificance" and opposes the "copper idol". In a state of madness, he threatens the Bronze Horseman, considering the man who built the city on this dead place to be the culprit of his misfortune.
Pushkin looks at his heroes from the side. They do not stand out either in intelligence or in their position in society, but they are kind and decent people, and therefore worthy of respect and sympathy.
Conflict
Pushkin for the first time in Russian literature showed all the tragedy and insolubility of the conflict between the state and state interests and the interests of the private individual.
The plot of the poem is completed, the hero died, but the central conflict remained and was transferred to the readers, not resolved and in reality itself, the antagonism of the “tops” and “bottoms”, the autocratic power and the destitute people remained. The symbolic victory of the Bronze Horseman over Eugene is a victory of strength, but not of justice.
Gogol "Overcoat" Akaki Akikievich Bashmachkin
"Eternal titular adviser". Resignedly takes down the ridicule of colleagues, timid and lonely. poor spiritual life. Irony and compassion of the author. The image of the city, which is terrible for the hero. Social conflict: "little man" and soulless representative of the authorities "significant person". The element of fantasy (casting) is the motive of rebellion and retribution.
Gogol opens the reader to the world of "little people", officials in his "Petersburg Tales". The story "The Overcoat" is especially significant for the disclosure of this topic, Gogol had a great influence on the further movement of Russian literature, "responding" in the work of its most diverse figures from Dostoevsky and Shchedrin to Bulgakov and Sholokhov. “We all came out of Gogol's overcoat,” wrote Dostoevsky.
Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin - "eternal titular adviser." He resignedly endures the ridicule of his colleagues, he is timid and lonely. The senseless clerical service killed every living thought in him. His spiritual life is poor. The only pleasure he finds in the correspondence of papers. He lovingly drew the letters in a clean, even handwriting and completely immersed himself in work, forgetting the insults caused to him by his colleagues, and the need, and worries about food and comfort. Even at home, he only thought that "God will send something to rewrite tomorrow."
But even in this downtrodden official, a man woke up when the goal of life appeared - a new overcoat. In the story, the development of the image is observed. “He became somehow more alive, even firmer in character. Doubt, indecision disappeared by itself from his face and from his actions ... ”Bashmachkin does not part with his dream for a single day. He thinks about it, as another person thinks about love, about family. Here he orders a new overcoat for himself, “... his existence has become somehow fuller ...” The description of Akaky Akakievich’s life is permeated with irony, but there is both pity and sadness in it. Introducing us into the spiritual world of the hero, describing his feelings, thoughts, dreams, joys and sorrows, the author makes it clear what happiness it was for Bashmachkin to acquire an overcoat and what a disaster its loss turns into.
There was no happier person than Akaky Akakievich when the tailor brought him an overcoat. But his joy was short-lived. When he returned home at night, he was robbed. And none of those around him takes part in his fate. In vain Bashmachkin sought help from a "significant person." He was even accused of rebellion against superiors and "higher". Frustrated Akaki Akakievich catches a cold and dies.
In the finale, a small, timid man, driven to despair by the world of the strong, protests against this world. Dying, he "badly blasphemes", utters the most terrible words that followed the words "your excellency." It was a riot, albeit in a deathbed delirium.
It is not because of the overcoat that the “little man” dies. He becomes a victim of bureaucratic "inhumanity" and "ferocious rudeness", which, according to Gogol, lurks under the guise of "refined, educated secularism." This is the deepest meaning of the story.
The theme of rebellion finds expression in the fantastic image of a ghost that appears on the streets of St. Petersburg after the death of Akaky Akakievich and takes off his overcoats from offenders.
N.V. Gogol, who in his story "The Overcoat" for the first time shows the spiritual stinginess, squalor of poor people, but also draws attention to the ability of the "little man" to rebel and for this he introduces elements of fantasy into his work.
N. V. Gogol deepens the social conflict: the writer showed not only the life of the “little man”, but also his protest against injustice. Let this "rebellion" be timid, almost fantastic, but the hero stands up for his rights, against the foundations of the existing order.
Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment" Marmeladov
The writer himself remarked: "We all came out of Gogol's Overcoat."
Dostoevsky's novel is imbued with the spirit of Gogol's "Overcoat" "Poor people and". This is a story about the fate of the same "little man", crushed by grief, despair and social lawlessness. The correspondence of the poor official Makar Devushkin with Varenka, who lost her parents and is persecuted by a procuress, reveals the deep drama of the life of these people. Makar and Varenka are ready for each other for any hardships. Makar, living in extreme need, helps Varya. And Varya, having learned about the situation of Makar, comes to his aid. But the heroes of the novel are defenseless. Their rebellion is "rebellion on their knees." Nobody can help them. Varya is taken away to certain death, and Makar is left alone with his grief. Broken, crippled life of two wonderful people, broken by cruel reality.
Dostoevsky reveals the deep and strong experiences of "little people".
It is curious to note that Makar Devushkin reads Pushkin's The Stationmaster and Gogol's The Overcoat. He is sympathetic to Samson Vyrin and hostile to Bashmachkin. Probably because he sees his future in him.
F.M. told about the fate of the “little man” Semyon Semyonovich Marmeladov. Dostoevsky on the pages of the novel "Crime and Punishment". One by one, the writer reveals before us pictures of hopeless poverty. Dostoevsky chose the dirtiest part of strictly St. Petersburg as the scene of action. Against the background of this landscape, the life of the Marmeladov family unfolds before us.
If Chekhov's characters are humiliated, do not realize their insignificance, then Dostoevsky's drunken retired official fully understands his uselessness, uselessness. He is a drunkard, insignificant, from his point of view, a person who wants to improve, but cannot. He understands that he has condemned his family, and especially his daughter, to suffering, worries about this, despises himself, but cannot help himself. “Pity! Why pity me!” Marmeladov suddenly yelled, standing up with his hand outstretched… “Yes! There’s nothing to pity me for! Crucify me on the cross, and don’t pity me!
Dostoevsky creates the image of a real fallen person: Marmelad's importunate sweetness, clumsy ornate speech - the property of a beer tribune and a jester at the same time. Awareness of his baseness (“I am a born cattle”) only strengthens his bravado. He is disgusting and pitiful at the same time, this drunkard Marmeladov with his ornate speech and important bureaucratic posture.
The state of mind of this petty official is much more complex and subtle than that of his literary predecessors - Pushkin's Samson Vyrin and Gogol's Bashmachkin. They do not have the power of introspection, which the hero of Dostoevsky achieved. Marmeladov not only suffers, but also analyzes his state of mind, he, as a doctor, makes a merciless diagnosis of the disease - the degradation of his own personality. Here is how he confesses in his first meeting with Raskolnikov: “Dear Sir, poverty is not a vice, it is the truth. But ... poverty is a vice - p. In poverty, you still retain all the nobility of innate feelings, but in poverty, never anyone ... for in poverty I myself am the first ready to offend myself.
A person not only perishes from poverty, but understands how he is spiritually devastated: he begins to despise himself, but does not see anything around him to cling to, which would keep him from the decay of his personality. The finale of Marmeladov's life fate is tragic: on the street he was crushed by a dandy gentleman's carriage drawn by a pair of horses. Throwing himself under their feet, this man himself found the outcome of his life.
Under the pen of the writer Marmeladov becomes a tragic way. Marmelad's cry - "after all, it is necessary that every person could at least go somewhere" - expresses the last degree of despair of a dehumanized person and reflects the essence of his life drama: there is nowhere to go and no one to go to.
In the novel, Raskolnikov sympathizes with Marmeladov. Meeting with Marmeladov in a tavern, his feverish, as if delirious, confession gave the protagonist of the novel Raskolnikov one of the last proofs of the correctness of the “Napoleonic idea”. But not only Raskolnikov sympathizes with Marmeladov. “More than once they have already pitied me,” says Marmeladov to Raskolnikov. The good general Ivan Afanasyevich also took pity on him, and again accepted him into the service. But Marmeladov could not stand the test, he took to drink again, drank all his salary, drank everything, and in return received a tattered tailcoat with a single button. Marmeladov in his behavior reached the point of losing the last human qualities. He is already so humiliated that he does not feel like a man, but only dreams of being a man among people. Sonya Marmeladova understands and forgives her father, who is able to help her neighbor, to sympathize with those who so need compassion
Dostoevsky makes us feel sorry for the unworthy of pity, to feel compassion for the unworthy of compassion. "Compassion is the most important and, perhaps, the only law of human existence," said Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.
Chekhov "Death of an official", "Thick and thin"
Later, Chekhov would sum up a peculiar result in the development of the theme, he doubted the virtues traditionally sung by Russian literature - the high moral merits of the "little man" - a petty official. Chekhov. If Chekhov “exposed” something in people, then, first of all, it was their ability and readiness to be “small”. A person should not, does not dare to make himself "small" - this is Chekhov's main idea in his interpretation of the "little man" theme. Summing up all that has been said, we can conclude that the theme of the "little man" reveals the most important qualities of Russian literature. XIX century - democracy and humanism.
Over time, the "little man", deprived of his own dignity, "humiliated and insulted", causes not only compassion, but also condemnation among progressive writers. “Your life is boring, gentlemen,” Chekhov said with his work to the “little man”, resigned to his position. With subtle humor, the writer ridicules the death of Ivan Chervyakov, from whose lips the lackey “Yourself” has not left his lips all his life.
In the same year as "The Death of an Official", the story "Thick and Thin" appears. Chekhov again opposes philistinism, servility. The collegiate servant Porfiry giggles, "like a Chinese", bowing in an obsequious bow, having met his former friend, who has a high rank. The feeling of friendship that connected these two people is forgotten.
Kuprin "Garnet bracelet".Zheltkov
In AI Kuprin's "Garnet Bracelet" Zheltkov is a "little man". Once again, the hero belongs to the lower class. But he loves, and he loves in a way that many of the highest society are not capable of. Zheltkov fell in love with a girl and for the rest of his life he loved only her alone. He understood that love is a sublime feeling, it is a chance given to him by fate, and it should not be missed. His love is his life, his hope. Zheltkov commits suicide. But after the death of the hero, the woman realizes that no one loved her as much as he did. The hero of Kuprin is a man of an extraordinary soul, capable of self-sacrifice, able to truly love, and such a gift is a rarity. Therefore, the "little man" Zheltkov appears as a figure towering above those around him.
Thus, the theme of the "little man" underwent significant changes in the work of writers. Drawing images of "little people", writers usually emphasized their weak protest, downtroddenness, which subsequently leads the "little man" to degradation. But each of these heroes has something in life that helps him endure existence: Samson Vyrin has a daughter, the joy of life, Akaky Akakievich has an overcoat, Makar Devushkin and Varenka have their love and care for each other. Having lost this goal, they die, unable to survive the loss.
In conclusion, I would like to say that a person should not be small. In one of his letters to his sister, Chekhov exclaimed: “My God, how rich Russia is in good people!”
In XX century, the theme was developed in the images of the heroes of I. Bunin, A. Kuprin, M. Gorky, and even at the end XX century, you can find its reflection in the work of V. Shukshin, V. Rasputin and other writers.
1. Introduction p.3
2. Main body
2.1. The history of the concept of "little man" page 4
2.2. The image of the "little man" in the works of A. S. Pushkin ("The Stationmaster") pp. 4 - 5
2.3. Reflection of the theme of the "little man" in the "Overcoat" pp. 5 - 6
N. V. Gogol.
2.4. The image of the "little man" in the work of pp. 6 - 7
Dostoevsky.
2.5. Reflection of the "little man" theme in the stories pp. 7 - 9
V.M. Shukshin and M.M. Zoshchenko
3. Conclusion page 9
4. References p. 10
Introduction.
The words are well known: - “We all came out of Gogol's Overcoat, although their authorship and
the circumstances of the pronunciation are still being discussed. But the meaning itself is attractive:
Gogol was able to tell about something that was then deepened, developed, developed
other writers, he brought out the human type that has always been and always will be.
Or maybe - "we" are ordinary people who have visited Bashmachkin's place more than once?
"Little man" - a type of literary hero that arose in Russian
literature with the advent of realism, that is, in the 20-30s of the XIX century.
This image was of interest to writers, and many works help
convey to us the high value of "small" people.
The concept of the "little man" has changed throughout the 19 -
20 centuries. Each writer had his own personal views on this hero.
In my work, I tried to reveal the significance of each character in individual
works of classics and writers of the 19th - 20th centuries.
Relevance (significance) of this topic: behind the whole routine of our life, we do not notice a number of "little people", their existence in society. Usually a small person is treated as a separate type - humiliated, humble, uncomplaining. Has this little man's life changed over the years? Apparently not. In the same way, he is defenseless against passers-by, swindlers, bosses, offices, departments, organizations, authorities, the state, fate, circumstances, and how many more offenders do the unfortunate have? The authors - and we, along with them - mourn not only the untimely death of a little man, but the loss of the very title of a man, when people are divided into significant and insignificant, when they neglect the timid, weak, patient, offend and indifferently take away from them the most precious thing, therefore the relevance of the theme of the “little” person does not fade even today.
Research problem: evolution of the image of a "little" person in the works of Russian writers.
Object of study: creativity of Russian writers.
Subject of study: image of a "little" person.
Purpose of the study: identification and comparison of the symbolic nature
"little man" in literature, the evolution of the image.
Research objectives:
1. Summarize and compare critical literature on the topic.
2. Analyze works,
3. To trace the development of the theme of the "little man" in Russian literature.
Research hypothesis: the image of the "little man" is found in the literature of the XIX-XX centuries. in connection with the historical events of that time and evolves as the situation in social circles changes.
Research methods:
Analysis of the material read;
- generalization and systematization of the data obtained during the research;
- comparison and comparison of heroes;
- use of Internet resources.
Main part.
The history of the concept of "little man".
The first period of Russian literature, as we know, is ancient Russian literature, the heroes of which were princes, saints, wars. Only at the end of the period of existence of ancient Russian literature is a simple person “allowed” into it, not a hero, not a saint, not a ruler. Then classicism comes to literature from the West, this direction corresponded to the needs of that time. Peter I built a "strong" state. The classicists were worried about the needs of the state and a citizen who was useful to his country. Only with the advent, again from Western literature, to Russian literature of sentimentalism, did writers become interested in the personal needs and experiences of people. The first writer to discover the world of "little people" was Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin. The greatest influence on subsequent literature was his story "Poor Liza". The narrator tells about the fate of the heroine with sadness and sympathy. It was essential for the sentimentalist writer to address social issues. The social inequality of the heroes and the natural complexity of the human soul become an obstacle to Liza's happiness. The author does not convict Erast of Liza's death: the young man is just as unhappy as the peasant girl. But this is especially important: Karamzin was perhaps the first to discover in Russian literature the “living soul” in the “little man”, in the representative of the “lower” class. “And peasant women know how to love” - this phrase became a catch phrase in Russian literature for a long time. This is where another tradition of Russian literature begins: sympathy for the “little man”, his joys and troubles. Protecting the weak, the oppressed and the voiceless - this is the main moral task of the artists of the word. Humanity, the ability to sympathize and be sensual turned out to be very in tune with the trend of the times, when literature moved from the civil theme, characteristic of the Enlightenment, to the theme of a person’s personal, private life, and the inner world of an individual became the main object of its attention. Karamzin laid the foundation for a huge cycle of works about "little people", took the first step in the study of a previously unknown topic. It was he who opened the way for such writers as Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky.
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Introduction
In this study, we must find out what defines the expression "Little Man" and find examples in familiar works.
Target research - to find out the true meaning of this statement, and also try to find this type of people in literature, and then in your environment.
The material used can be used in literature and Russian language lessons.
Research methods: search, selective, semantic, informational, method of analysis and synthesis.
1. The concept of "Little Man".
So who is small man? This is not at all the one whose height is less than average. A small person is a type of people who are not distinguished by willpower or self-confidence. Usually, this is a clamped, closed person who does not like conflicts and causing harm to others. In works of literature, such people are usually in the lower classes of the population and do not represent any value. Such is the psychological characteristic of this hero in literary works. However, their writers did not show for the same reason that everyone was convinced of their insignificance, but in order to tell everyone that this “little man” also has a big world inside him, understandable to every reader. His life resonates with our souls. He deserves to have the world turn to face him.
2. Examples in works
Let's consider how the image of the "little man" appeared and developed in Russian literature, we will make sure that he has his own history and his own future.
N.M. Karamzin "Poor Lisa"
In this work, the main character, a peasant woman, can become an excellent representative of a small person. Liza, which is obliged to provide for its own life. She is kind, naive, chaste, which is why she is quickly consumed by falling in love with Erast. Having turned her head, he soon realizes that he was not in love with Lisa, and all his feelings were only a temporary effect. With these thoughts, he marries a rich widow, without burdening Lisa with explanations of his loss. Finally, she, having learned that her beloved betrayed her, unable to restrain such a strong torment, is thrown into the river. Liza shows herself as a small person, not only because of her status, but also because of the lack of strength to withstand rejection and learn to live with the pain in her heart.
N.V. Gogol "Overcoat"
This character, like no other, can show the nature of a small person in all details. The protagonist of this story is soft, ingenuous, living a completely mediocre life. He was small in stature, in abilities, and in social status. He suffered from humiliation and mockery of his personality, but preferred to keep quiet. Akaki Akakievich before acquiring an overcoat, he remained an inconspicuous commoner. And after buying the desired little thing, he dies of grief, not having time to enjoy the work done due to the loss of his overcoat. It was his closeness from the world, from people and unwillingness to change something in his life that this character became famous as a small person.
A.S. Pushkin "The Stationmaster"
A hero can become a vivid example of a small person. Samson Vyrin, who showed himself as a benevolent, good-natured character, trusting and ingenuous. But in the future - the loss of his daughter did not come easily to him, because of longing for the Dunya and all-consuming loneliness, Samson, in the end, died without seeing her because of the indifference of those around him.
F. M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"
Marmeladov in this work showed himself as an outstanding personality, suffering from inaction. Due to his addiction to alcohol, he constantly lost his job, because of which he could not feed his family, which is one of the confirmations of his small nature. Mr. Marmeladov himself considers himself a "pig", "beast", "cattle" and "scoundrel" who should not be pitied. This shows that he is well aware of his position, but is not going to change anything at all.
Maxim Maksimovich is a nobleman. However, he belongs to an impoverished family, and besides, he does not have influential connections. The hero presented his weakness and his vices as a drama on a universal scale. In the end, his weakness and spinelessness killed him - unable to get rid of alcohol addiction, while spoiling his health (they said about him: “with a yellow, even greenish face swollen from constant drunkenness and with swollen eyelids”), he falls into in a drunken state under the horses and from his injuries he dies almost on the spot. This hero perfectly shows a small person who independently drove himself into a hopeless situation.
"Little Man" in 20th Century Literature.
V.G. Belinsky said that all our literature came out of Gogol's "Overcoat". You can confirm this fact by taking almost any work written later. In The Overcoat, Gogol showed us that sometimes it is important to convey not the situation itself, but how the situation affects a person, his inner world and feelings that overwhelm him to the very head. What matters is what happens inside, not just outside.
Thus, we want to give examples of a small person living between the lines in more modern, works of the 20th century (mostly Soviet) works, showing that in the subsequent development of literature, the theme of inner experiences has not lost its importance, still settling in plot of any story.
L.N. Andreev " Petka in the country"
Such an example is the work "Petka in the country", where this time the main character is a simple errand boy. He dreams of a simple life, where one day would not be like another. But no one listens to Petya, does not even take a single word seriously, just continuing to shout “Boy, water!”. One day, luck smiles at him, and he goes to the country, where he realizes that this is exactly the place where he would like to run away without looking back. However, fate again plays a cruel joke with him, and Petya is sent back to the dullness of weekdays. Returning, he still warms himself with memories of the dacha, where the peak of his happy days has frozen.
This work shows us that even a child can be a small person, whose opinion, according to adults, is not at all necessary to be considered. Indifference and misunderstanding on the part of the others simply squeezes the boy, forcing him to bend under undesirable circumstances.
V.P. Astafiev "Horse with a pink mane"
This story may reinforce the earlier arguments. The story "The Horse with a Pink Mane" also tells about a boy who dreamed of a gingerbread with a horse, poured with pink icing. Grandmother promised him to buy this gingerbread if he picked up a bunch of berries. Having collected them, the main character, through ridicule and taking “weakly”, forced them to eat, because of which, in the end, there were only a small handful of berries. After his trick Vitya does not have time to tell her grandmother about the lie, she leaves. All the time that she was away from home, the boy reproached himself for the perfect deed and mentally understood that he did not deserve the promised gingerbread.
And again, we can say that oppression by others, ridicule of someone's weakness, ultimately leads to disappointment, self-hatred and regret.
Conclusion
Based on the research received, we can finally conclude who, after all, is such a “little man”, and what he is like.
First, it must be said that the theme of the “little man”, from the moment it was introduced by the first works (Such as “The Stationmaster”, “The Overcoat”) has become one of the most important and relevant even to this day. There is not a single book where the theme of the feelings and experiences of the characters would not now be touched upon, where the whole importance an inner storm of emotions that rages daily in an ordinary person who lives in his time. So who, ultimately, is this "little man"?
It may be a person who was driven into the abyss of loneliness and longing external circumstances or surroundings. And also there may be someone who himself did not bother to save himself from the overtaken misfortune. A small person usually does not represent something important. He does not have a high social status, a large fortune, or a huge line of connections. His fate can be obtained in many ways.
But, in the end, every little person is a whole personality. With my problems, with my feelings. Do not forget how easy it is to lose everything and become just as oppressed by life. This is the same person who also deserves salvation, or at least simple understanding. Regardless of privileges.
Bibliography
1) A. S. Pushkin - "Station Master". // www.libreri.ru
2) N.V. Gogol - "Overcoat". // N.V. Gogol "Tale". - M, 1986, p. 277 - 305.
3) F. M. Dostoevsky - “Crime and Punishment”. - v. 5, - M., 1989
4) N. M. Karamzin - “Poor Lisa”. - M., 2018
5) L. N. Andreev - "Petka in the country" // www. libreri.ru
6) V.P. Astafiev - “A horse with a pink mane” // litmir.mi
8) “http ://fb .ru /article /251685/tema -malenkogo -cheloveka -v -russkoy -literature ---veka -naibolee -yarkie -personaji"
Application
List of analyzed characters:
Lisa - N.M. Karamzin "Poor Lisa"
Akaki Akakievich (Bashmachkin) - N.V. Gogol "Overcoat"
Samson Vyrin - A.S. Pushkin "The Stationmaster"
Maxim Maksimovich (Marmeladov) - F. M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"
Petka - L.N. Andreev "Petka in the country"
Vitya - V.P. Astafiev "Horse with a pink mane"
