Work:
Who lives well in Rus'
Matrena Timofeevna Korchagina is a peasant woman. The third part of the poem is dedicated to this heroine.
M.T. - “A portly woman, Broad and dense, 38 years old. Beautiful; hair with gray hair, Big strict eyes, Eyelashes of the richest, Harsh and swarthy.
Among the people about M.T. the glory of the lucky woman is coming. She tells the strangers who come to her about her life. Her story is told in the form of folk laments and songs. This emphasizes the typical fate of M.T. for all Russian peasant women: "It's not a matter of looking for a happy woman among women."
In the parental home of M.T. life was good: she had a friendly non-drinking family. But, having married Philip Korchagin, she ended up "from a girl's will to hell." The youngest in her husband's family, she worked for everyone like a slave. The husband loved M.T., but often went to work and could not protect his wife. The heroine had one intercessor - grandfather Savely, her husband's grandfather. M.T. she has seen a lot of grief in her lifetime: she endured the harassment of the manager, survived the death of the first-born Demushka, who, due to Savely's oversight, was bitten by pigs. M.T. failed to retrieve the son's body and he was sent for an autopsy. Later, another son of the heroine, 8-year-old Fedot, was threatened with a terrible punishment for feeding someone else's sheep to a hungry she-wolf. Mother, without hesitation, lay down under the rod instead of her son. But in a lean year, M.T., pregnant and with children, is likened to a hungry she-wolf herself. In addition, the last breadwinner is taken away from her family - her husband is shaved into soldiers out of turn. In desperation, M.T. runs into the city and throws himself at the feet of the governor's wife. She helps the heroine and even becomes the godmother of the born son M.T. - Liodora. But the evil fate continued to haunt the heroine: one of the sons was taken to the soldiers, "they burned twice ... God anthrax ... visited three times." In the "Woman's Parable" M.T. sums up his sad story: “The keys to female happiness, From our free will, Abandoned, lost From God himself!”
The image of Matryona Timofeevna (based on the poem by N. A. Nekrasov “Who should live well in Rus'”)
The image of a simple Russian peasant woman Matrena Timofeevna is surprisingly bright and realistic. In this image, Nekrasov combined all the features and qualities characteristic of Russian peasant women. And the fate of Matrena Timofeevna is in many ways similar to the fate of other women.
Matrena Timofeevna was born into a large peasant family. The very first years of life were truly happy. All her life, Matrena Timofeevna remembers this carefree time, when she was surrounded by the love and care of her parents. But peasant children grow up very quickly. Therefore, as soon as the girl grew up, she began to help her parents in everything. Gradually, the games were forgotten, there was less and less time left for them, hard peasant work took the first place. But youth still takes its toll, and even after a hard day's work, the girl found time to relax.
Matrena Timofeevna recalls her youth. She was pretty, hardworking, active. It's no wonder the boys were looking at her. And then the betrothed appeared, for whom the parents give Matrena Timofeevna in marriage. Marriage means that now the free and free life of the girl is over. Now she will live in a strange family, where she will not be treated in the best way. When a mother gives her daughter in marriage, she grieves for her, worries about her fate:
The mother was crying
“... Like a fish in a blue sea
You yell! like a nightingale
Flutter from the nest!
Someone else's side
Not sprinkled with sugar
Not watered with honey!
It's cold there, it's hungry there
There is a well-groomed daughter
Violent winds will blow,
Shaggy dogs bark,
And people will laugh!”
In these lines, the sadness of a mother is clearly read, who perfectly understands all the hardships of life that will fall to the lot of her married daughter. In a strange family, no one will show interest in her, and the husband himself will never stand up for his wife.
Matrena Timofeevna shares her sad thoughts. She did not want to change her free life in her parents' house for life in a strange, unfamiliar family.
From the very first days in her husband's house, Matryona Timofeevna realized how hard it would be for her now:
The family was big
Grumpy... I got it
From girlish holi to hell!
Relations with the father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law were very difficult, in the new family Matryona had to work hard, and at the same time no one said a kind word to her. However, even in such a difficult life that the peasant woman had, there were simple and simple joys:
Filippushka came in winter,
Bring a silk handkerchief
Yes, I took a ride on a sled
On Catherine's day
And there was no grief!
Sang like I sang
In the parental home.
We were one-year-olds
Don't touch us - we have fun
We are always fine.
The relationship between Matryona Timofeevna and her husband did not always develop smoothly. A husband has the right to beat his wife if something does not suit him in her behavior. And no one will stand up for the poor thing, on the contrary, all relatives in the husband's family will only be happy to look at her suffering.
Such was the life of Matrena Timofeevna after marriage. The days dragged on monotonous, gray, surprisingly similar to each other: hard work, quarrels and reproaches from relatives. But a peasant woman has truly angelic patience, therefore, without complaining, she endures all the hardships that have fallen to her lot. The birth of a child is the event that turns her whole life upside down. Now the woman is not so embittered at the whole wide world, love for the baby warms and pleases her.
Philip on the Annunciation
He left, but on Kazanskaya
I gave birth to a son.
How written was Demushka
Beauty taken from the sun
The snow is white
Poppies have scarlet lips
The eyebrow is black in sable,
The Siberian sable
The falcon has eyes!
All the anger from my soul is my handsome
Driven away with an angelic smile,
Like the spring sun
Drives snow from fields...
I didn't worry
Whatever they say, I work
No matter how they scold - I am silent.
The joy of a peasant woman from the birth of her son did not last long. Work in the field requires a lot of effort and time, and then there is a baby in her arms. At first, Matrena Timofeevna took the child with her into the field. But then the mother-in-law began to reproach her, because it is impossible to work with a child with full dedication. And poor Matryona had to leave the baby with grandfather Savely. Once the old man overlooked - and the child died.
The death of a child is a terrible tragedy. But peasants have to put up with the fact that very often their children die. However, this is Matryona's first child, so his death turned out to be too difficult a test for her. And then there is an additional misfortune - the police come to the village, the doctor and the camp officer accuse Matryona of having killed the child in collusion with the former convict grandfather Saveliy. Matryona Timofeevna begs not to do an autopsy in order to bury the child without desecration of the body But no one listens to the peasant woman. She almost goes crazy from everything that happened.
All the hardships of a difficult peasant life, the death of a child still cannot break Matryona Timofeevna. Time passes, she has children every year. And she continues to live, raise her children, do hard work. Love for children is the most important thing that a peasant woman has, so Matrena Timofeevna is ready for anything to protect her beloved children. This is evidenced by an episode when they wanted to punish her son Fedot for an offense.
Matryona throws herself at the feet of a passing landowner to help save the boy from punishment. And the landowner said:
“Guardian of a minor
By youth, by stupidity
Forgive ... but a daring woman
Approximately punish!”
Why did Matrena Timofeevna suffer punishment? For his boundless love for his children, for his willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of others. Readiness for self-sacrifice is also manifested in the way Matryona rushes to seek salvation for her husband from recruitment. She manages to get to the place and ask for help from the governor, who really helps Philip free himself from recruitment.
Matrena Timofeevna is still young, but she has already had to endure a lot, a lot. She had to endure the death of a child, a time of hunger, reproaches and beatings. She herself says what the holy wanderer told her:
“The keys to female happiness,
From our free will
abandoned, lost
God himself!”
Indeed, a peasant woman can by no means be called happy. All the difficulties and difficult trials that fall on her lot can break and lead a person to death, not only spiritual, but also physical. Very often this is exactly what happens. The life of a simple peasant woman is rarely long, very often women die in the prime of life. It is not easy to read the lines that tell about the life of Matryona Timofeevna. Nevertheless, one cannot help but admire the spiritual strength of this woman, who endured so many trials and was not broken.
The image of Matrena Timofeevna is surprisingly harmonious. The woman appears at the same time strong, hardy, patient and gentle, loving, caring. She has to cope on her own with the difficulties and troubles that fall to the lot of her family, Matryona Timofeevna does not see help from anyone.
But, despite all the tragic that a woman has to endure, Matrena Timofeevna causes genuine admiration. After all, she finds the strength in herself to live, work, continues to enjoy those modest joys that from time to time fall to her lot. And let her honestly admit that she cannot be called happy in any way, she does not fall into the sin of despondency for a minute, she continues to live.
The life of Matrena Timofeevna is a constant struggle for survival, and she manages to emerge victorious from this struggle.
He did not carry a heart in his chest,
Who did not shed tears over you.
In the work of N.A. Nekrasov, many works are devoted to a simple Russian woman. The fate of a Russian woman has always worried Nekrasov. In many of his poems and poems, he speaks of her plight. Starting with the early poem “On the Road” and ending with the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”, Nekrasov spoke about the “female share”, about the dedication of the Russian peasant woman, about her spiritual beauty. In the poem “In full swing the village suffering”, written shortly after the reform, a true reflection of the inhuman hard work of a young peasant mother is given:
Share you! - Russian woman's share!
Hardly harder to find...
Talking about the hard lot of the Russian peasant woman, Nekrasov often in her image embodied high ideas about the spiritual power of the Russian people, about their physical beauty:
There are women in Russian villages
With calm gravity of faces,
With beautiful strength in movements,
With a gait, with the eyes of queens.
In the works of Nekrasov, the image of a “majestic Slav” appears, pure in heart, bright in mind, strong in spirit. This is Daria from the poem "Frost, Red Nose", and a simple girl from the "Troika". This is Matrena Timofeevna Korchagina from the poem "Who in Rus' should live well."
The image of Matrena Timofeevna, as it were, completes and unites the group of images of peasant women in Nekrasov's work. The poem recreates the type of the “dignified Slav”, a peasant woman of the Central Russian strip, endowed with restrained and strict beauty:
stubborn woman,
Wide and dense
Thirty-eight years old.
Beautiful; gray hair,
The eyes are large, stern,
Eyelashes are the richest
Stern and swarthy.
She, smart and strong, the poet entrusted to tell about his fate. “Peasant Woman” is the only part of the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”, all written in the first person. Trying to answer the question of the men-truth-seekers, can she call herself happy, Matrena Timofeevna tells the story of her life. The voice of Matrena Timofeevna is the voice of the people themselves. That is why she sings more often than talks, sings folk songs. "Peasant Woman" is the most folklore part of the poem, it is almost entirely built on folk poetic images and motifs. The whole life story of Matrena Timofeevna is a chain of continuous misfortunes and suffering. No wonder she says about herself: “I have a downcast head, I carry an angry heart!” She is convinced: "It's not a matter of looking for a happy woman between women." Why? After all, there was love in the life of this woman, the joy of motherhood, the respect of others. But with her story, the heroine makes the peasants think about the question of whether this is enough for happiness and whether all those hardships and hardships that befall the Russian peasant woman will outweigh this cup:
Silent, invisible to me
The storm has passed,
Will you show her?
For me insults are mortal
Gone unpaid
And the whip passed over me!
Slowly and unhurriedly Matrena Timofeevna leads her story. She lived well and freely in her parents' house. But, having married Philip Korchagin, she ended up with a "maiden's will to hell": a superstitious mother-in-law, a drunkard father-in-law, an older sister-in-law, for whom her daughter-in-law had to work like a slave. With her husband, she, however, was lucky. But Philip only returned from work in the winter, and the rest of the time there was no one to intercede for her, except for grandfather Savely. A consolation for a peasant woman is her first-born Demushka. But due to Savely's oversight, the child dies. Matrena Timofeevna becomes a witness to the abuse of the body of her child (in order to find out the cause of death, the authorities perform an autopsy of the child's corpse). For a long time she cannot forgive Savely's "sin" that he overlooked her Demushka. But the trials of Matrena Timofeevna did not end there. Her second son Fedot is growing up, then misfortune happens to him. Her eight-year-old son is facing punishment for feeding someone else's sheep to a hungry she-wolf. Fedot took pity on her, he saw how hungry and unhappy she was, and the wolf cubs in her den were not fed:
Looking up, head up
In my eyes ... and howled suddenly!
In order to save her little son from the punishment that threatened him, Matryona herself lies under the rod instead of him.
But the most difficult trials fall on her lot in a lean year. Pregnant, with children, she herself is likened to a hungry she-wolf. A recruiting set deprives her of her last intercessor, her husband (he is taken out of turn):
hungry
Orphans are standing
In front of me...
unkindly
The family looks at them
They are noisy in the house
On the street pugnacious,
Gluttons at the table...
And they began to pinch them,
Bang on the head...
Shut up, soldier mother!
Matrena Timofeevna decides to ask the governor for intercession. She runs to the city, where she tries to get to the governor, and when the porter lets her into the house for a bribe, she throws herself at the feet of the governor Elena Alexandrovna:
How do I throw
At her feet: “Stand up!
Deception, not godly
Provider and parent
They take from children!
The governor took pity on Matryona Timofeevna. The heroine returns home with her husband and newborn Liodorushka. This incident cemented her reputation as a lucky woman and the nickname "governor".
The further fate of Matryona Timofeevna is also full of troubles: one of the sons has already been taken to the soldiers, "they burned twice ... God anthrax ... visited three times." The "Baby Parable" sums up her tragic story:
Keys to female happiness
From our free will
abandoned, lost
God himself!
The life history of Matryona Timofeevna showed that the most difficult, unbearable conditions of life could not break a peasant woman. The harsh conditions of life honed a special female character, proud and independent, accustomed to relying on her own strength everywhere and in everything. Nekrasov endows his heroine not only with beauty, but with great spiritual strength. Not resignation to fate, not stupid patience, but pain and anger are expressed in the words with which she ends the story of her life:
For me insults are mortal
Gone unpaid...
Anger accumulates in the soul of a peasant woman, but faith remains in the intercession of the Mother of God, in the power of prayer. After praying, she goes to the city to the governor to seek the truth. Saved by her own spiritual strength and will to live. Nekrasov showed in the image of Matryona Timofeevna both a readiness for self-sacrifice when she stood up for her son, and strength of character when she does not bow to formidable bosses. The image of Matrena Timofeevna is, as it were, woven from folk poetry. Lyrical and wedding folk songs, lamentations have long told about the life of a peasant woman, and Nekrasov drew from this source, creating the image of his beloved heroine.
Written about the people and for the people, the poem "To whom it is good to live in Rus'" is close to the works of oral folk art. The verse of the poem - Nekrasov's artistic discovery - perfectly conveyed the lively speech of the people, their songs, sayings, sayings, which absorbed centuries-old wisdom, sly humor, sadness and joy. The whole poem is a truly folk work, and this is its great significance.
Matryona Timofeevna (part "Peasant Woman"), based on the poem "Who Lives Well in Rus'"
"Peasant Woman" picks up and continues the theme of the impoverishment of the nobility. Wanderers find themselves in a ruined estate: "the landowner is abroad, and the steward is dying." A crowd of servants released into the wild, but completely unadapted to work, is slowly stealing away the master's property. Against the backdrop of blatant devastation, collapse and mismanagement, labor peasant Rus' is perceived as a powerful creative and life-affirming element:
The strangers sighed lightly:
Them after the yard aching
seemed beautiful
Healthy, singing
A crowd of reapers and reapers...
In the center of this crowd, embodying the best qualities of the Russian female character, Matryona Timofeevna appears before the wanderers:
stubborn woman,
Wide and dense
Thirty-eight years old.
Beautiful; gray hair,
The eyes are large, stern,
Eyelashes are the richest
Stern and swarthy.
She has a white shirt on
Yes, the sundress is short,
Yes, a sickle over the shoulder.
The type of "dignified Slav woman", a peasant woman of the Central Russian strip, is recreated, endowed with restrained and strict beauty, full of self-esteem. This type of peasant woman was not ubiquitous. The life story of Matryona Timofeevna confirms that it was formed in the conditions of a seasonal fishery, in a region where most of the male population went to the cities. On the shoulders of the peasant woman lay not only the whole burden of peasant labor, but also the entire measure of responsibility for the fate of the family, for the upbringing of children. Harsh conditions honed a special female character, proud and independent, accustomed to relying on her own strength everywhere and in everything. Matrena Timofeevna's story about her life is built according to the laws of epic narration common to the folk epic. "The Peasant Woman," notes N. N. Skatov, "is the only part, all written in the first person. However, this story is by no means only about her private share. The voice of Matrena Timofeevna is the voice of the people themselves. That is why she sings more often than she talks, and sings songs not invented for her by Nekrasov. "Peasant Woman" is the most folklore part of the poem, it is almost entirely built on folk poetic images and motifs.
Already the first chapter of "Before Marriage" is not just a narrative, but, as it were, a traditional rite of peasant matchmaking taking place before our eyes. Wedding parables and lamentations "They equip themselves in the huts", "Thanks to the hot baenka", "My dear father ordered" and others are based on truly folk ones. Thus, talking about her marriage, Matrena Timofeevna talks about the marriage of any peasant woman, about all their great multitude.
The second chapter is directly titled "Songs". And the songs that are sung here are, again, folk songs. The personal fate of the Nekrasov heroine is constantly expanding to the limits of the all-Russian, without ceasing at the same time to be her own destiny. Her character, growing out of the general people, is not completely destroyed in it, her personality, closely connected with the masses, does not dissolve in it.
Matrena Timofeevna, having achieved the release of her husband, did not turn out to be a soldier, but her bitter thoughts on the night after the news of her husband's impending recruitment allowed Nekrasov to "add about the position of a soldier."
Indeed, the image of Matrena Timofeevna was created in such a way that she, as it were, experienced everything and went through all the states that a Russian woman could be in.
This is how Nekrasov achieves an enlargement of the epic character, striving for his all-Russian features to shine through the individual. In the epic, there are complex internal connections between individual parts and chapters: what is only outlined in one of them often unfolds in another. At the beginning of the "Peasant Woman" the theme of noble impoverishment, stated in "The Landowner", is revealed. The story outlined in the priest's monologue about "at what price the priesthood is bought" is picked up in the description of Grigory Dobrosklonov's childhood and youth in "A Feast for the Whole World."
Bibliography
For the preparation of this work, materials from the site http://www.bobych.spb.ru/
One of the works of Russian literature studied in Russian schools is Nikolai Nekrasov's poem "Who Lives Well in Rus'" - perhaps the most famous in the writer's work. A lot of research is devoted to the analysis of this poem and its main characters. Meanwhile, there are minor characters in it, which are by no means less interesting. For example, the peasant woman Matrena Timofeevna.
Nikolai Nekrasov
Before talking about the poem and its heroes, it is necessary to dwell at least briefly on the personality of the writer himself. The man, known to many primarily as the author of “Who Lives Well in Rus'”, wrote many works in his life, and began to create from the age of eleven - from the moment he crossed the threshold of the gymnasium. While studying at the institute, he wrote poems to order - saving money for the publication of his first collection of poems. Having been published, the collection failed, and Nikolai Alekseevich decided to turn his attention to prose.
He wrote stories and novels, published several magazines (for example, Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski). In the last decade of his life, he composed such satirical works as the already repeatedly mentioned poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”, “Contemporaries”, “Russian Women” and others. He was not afraid to expose the sufferings of the Russian people, whom he deeply sympathized with, writing about their troubles and destinies.
"To whom in Rus' it is good to live": the history of creation
It is not known for certain when exactly Nekrasov began to create a poem that brought him great fame. It is believed that this happened around the beginning of the sixties of the nineteenth century, however, long before writing the work, the writer began to make sketches - therefore, there is no need to talk about the time of the idea of the poem. Despite the fact that the year 1865 is indicated in the manuscript of its first part, some researchers are inclined to believe that this is the date of completion of the work, and not of its beginning.
Be that as it may, the prologue of the first part was published in Sovremennik at the very beginning of the sixty-sixth year, and the entire first part was published intermittently for the next four years. The poem was difficult to print because of censorship disputes; however, censorship "vetoed" many other publications of Nekrasov, and in general on his activities.
Nikolai Alekseevich, relying on his own experience and on the experience of his fellow predecessors, planned to create a huge epic work about the life and fate of various people belonging to the most diverse strata of society, to show their differentiation. At the same time, he definitely wanted to be read, heard by the common people - this is the reason for the language of the poem and its composition - they are understandable and accessible to the most ordinary, the lowest strata of the population.
According to the original intention of the author, the work was to consist of seven or eight parts. Travelers, having passed through their entire province, had to reach Petersburg itself, meeting there (in order of priority) with an official, merchant, minister and tsar. This plan was not given to be realized due to the illness and death of Nekrasov. However, the writer managed to create three more parts - in the early and mid-seventies. After the departure of Nikolai Alekseevich from life, there were no instructions left in his papers on how to print what he wrote (although there is a version that Chukovsky found in Nekrasov’s documents a record that after “Last Child” there is a “Feast for the whole world”) . The last part saw the light only three years after the death of the author - and then with censorship blots.
It all starts with the fact that seven simple village peasants met “on the pillar path”. We met - and started a conversation among themselves about their lives, joys and sorrows. They agreed that the life of an ordinary peasant is by no means fun, but they didn’t decide who had fun. Having expressed various options (from the landowner to the king), they decide to look into this issue, talk to each of the voiced people and find out the right answer. And until then - not a step home.
Having set off on a journey with a self-assembled tablecloth they found, they first meet a lordly family led by a mad owner, and then - in the city of Klin - a peasant woman named Matryona Korchagina. The peasants were told about her that she was both kind, and smart, and happy - which is the main thing, but it is precisely in the latter that Matrena Timofeevna dissuades unexpected guests.
Characters
The main characters of the poem are ordinary peasant men: Prov, Pakhom, Roman, Demyan, Luka, Ivan and Mitrodor. On their way, they managed to meet both the same peasants as themselves (Matryona Timofeevna Korchagina, Proshka, Sidor, Yakov, Gleb, Vlas and others), and landowners (Prince Utyatin, Vogel, Obolt-Obolduev and so on). Matrena Timofeevna is perhaps the only (and at the same time very important) female character in the work.
Matrena Timofeevna: characterization of the hero
Before talking about Matryona Korchagina, one must remember that Nikolai Alekseevich was worried about the fate of a Russian woman throughout his life. Women in general - and even more so peasant, because she, not only was a disenfranchised serf, she was also a slave to her husband and her sons. It was to this topic that Nekrasov sought to attract public attention - this is how the image of Matrena Timofeevna appeared, into whose mouth the writer put the main words: that “the keys to women's happiness” had long been lost.
Readers get acquainted with Matryona Korchagina in the third part of the poem. Wandering men are led to her by a rumor - they say, it is this woman who is happy. The characteristic of Matrena Timofeevna is immediately manifested in her friendliness to strangers, in kindness. From her subsequent story about her life, it becomes clear that she is a surprisingly persistent person, patiently and courageously enduring the blows of fate. The image of Matrena Timofeevna is given some heroism - and her children, whom she loves with all-consuming maternal love, contribute a lot to this. She is, among other things, hardworking, honest, patient.
Matrena Korchagina is a believer, she is humble, but at the same time resolute and courageous. She is ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of others - and not just to sacrifice, but even, if necessary, to give her life. Thanks to her courage, Matrena saves her husband, who was taken into the soldiers, for which she receives universal respect. No other woman dares to do such things.
Appearance
The appearance of Matryona Timofeevna is described in the poem as follows: she is about thirty-eight years old, she is tall, "important", of a dense build. The author calls her beautiful: big strict eyes, thick eyelashes, swarthy skin, in her hair - gray hair that has already appeared early.
History of Matrena
The story of Matrena Timofeevna is told in the poem in the first person. She herself opens the veil of her soul in front of the men, who so passionately want to know if she is happy and if so, what is her happiness.
The life of Matrena Timofeevna could only be called sweet in girlhood. Her parents loved her, she grew up "like in God's bosom." But peasant women are married off early, so Matryona, in fact, as a teenager, had to leave her father's house. And in her husband's family, she was not treated too kindly: her father-in-law and mother-in-law disliked her, and the husband himself, who promised not to offend her, changed after the wedding - once he even raised his hand to her. The description of this episode once again emphasizes the patience of the image of Matryona Timofeevna: she knows that husbands beat their wives, and does not complain, but humbly accepts what happened. However, she respects her husband, perhaps even partly loves him - it’s not without reason that she saves him from military service.
Even in a difficult married life, where she has many responsibilities, and unfair reproaches are pouring in like a bucket, Matryona finds a reason for joy - and she also tells her listeners about this. Whether her husband arrived, whether he brought a new handkerchief, whether he took a ride on a sled - everything delights her, and insults are forgotten. And when the first child is born, true happiness comes to the heroine. The image of Matryona Timofeevna is the image of a real mother, recklessly loving her children, dissolving in them. It is all the more difficult for her to survive the loss when her tiny son dies by an absurd accident.
This peasant woman had to go through a lot in her life by her thirty-eight years. However, Nekrasov shows her to a fate that did not give up, strong in spirit, who stood against everything. The mental strength of Matryona Korchagina seems truly incredible. She alone copes with all the misfortunes, because there is no one to pity her, she has no one to help - her husband's parents do not love her, her own parents live far away - and then she loses them too. The image of Matrena Timofeevna (who, by the way, according to some sources, was written off from one of the author’s acquaintances) causes not only respect, but also admiration: she does not give in to despondency, finding the strength in herself not only to live on, but also to enjoy life - although rarely .
What is the happiness of the heroine
Matrena herself does not consider herself happy, directly declaring this to her guests. In her opinion, you cannot find lucky women among the “women” - their life is too hard, they get too many difficulties, sorrows and insults. Nevertheless, people's rumor speaks of Korchagina precisely as a lucky woman. What is the happiness of Matrena Timofeevna? In her fortitude and stamina: she steadfastly endured all the troubles that fell to her lot, and did not grumble, she sacrificed herself for the sake of people close to her. She raised five sons, despite the constant humiliation and attacks, she did not become embittered, did not lose her self-esteem, retained such qualities as kindness and love. She remained a strong person, and a weak person, eternally dissatisfied with his life, cannot be happy by definition. This definitely does not apply to Matryona Timofeevna.
Criticism
The censorship perceived the works of Nikolai Alekseevich "with hostility", but colleagues spoke of his works more than favorably. He was called a person close to the people - and therefore knowing how and what to tell about this people. They wrote that he "knows how to work miracles", that his material is "skillful and rich." The poem "To whom it is good to live in Rus'" was called a new and original phenomenon in literature, and its author himself was the only one who has the right to be called a poet.
- Nikolai Alekseevich did not study well at school.
- By inheritance, he inherited a love of cards and hunting.
- He loved women, throughout his life he had many hobbies.
This poem is a truly unique work in Russian literature, and Matryona is a synthesized image of a real Russian woman with a wide soul, of those about whom they say - “she will enter a burning hut and stop a galloping horse.”
Characteristics of the hero
Matrena Timofeevna Korchagina is a peasant woman. The third part of the poem is dedicated to this heroine.
M.T. - “A portly woman, Broad and thick, 38 years old. Beautiful; hair with gray hair, Big strict eyes, Eyelashes of the richest, Harsh and swarthy.
Among the people about M.T. the glory of the lucky woman is coming. She tells the strangers who come to her about her life. Her story is told in the form of folk laments and songs. This emphasizes the typical fate of M.T. for all Russian peasant women: “It’s not a matter of looking for a happy woman among women.”
In the parental home of M.T. life was good: she had a friendly non-drinking family. But, having married Philip Korchagin, she ended up "from a girl's will to hell." The youngest in her husband's family, she worked for everyone like a slave. The husband loved M.T., but often went to work and could not protect his wife. The heroine had one intercessor - grandfather Savely, her husband's grandfather. M.T. she has seen a lot of grief in her lifetime: she endured the harassment of the manager, survived the death of the first-born Demushka, who, due to Savely's oversight, was bitten by pigs. M.T. failed to retrieve the son's body and he was sent for an autopsy. Later, another son of the heroine, 8-year-old Fedot, was threatened with a terrible punishment for feeding someone else's sheep to a hungry she-wolf. Mother, without hesitation, lay down under the rod instead of her son. But in a lean year, M.T., pregnant and with children, is likened to a hungry she-wolf herself. In addition, the last breadwinner is taken away from her family - her husband is shaved into soldiers out of turn. In desperation, M.T. runs into the city and throws himself at the feet of the governor's wife. She helps the heroine and even becomes the godmother of the born son M.T. — Liodora. But the evil fate continued to haunt the heroine: one of the sons was taken to the soldiers, "they burned twice ... God anthrax ... visited three times." In the "Woman's Parable" M.T. sums up his sad story: “The keys to female happiness, From our free will, Abandoned, lost From God himself!”
