Love, family and other eternal values in the perception of Oblomov and Stolz
The friendship between such dissimilar people as Ilya Oblomov and Andrey Stolz is amazing. They've been friends since early childhood, and yet they have so little in common! One of them is surprisingly lazy, ready to spend his whole life on the couch. The other, on the contrary, is active and active. Andrey from a young age knows for sure what he would like to achieve in life. Ilya Oblomov did not encounter problems in childhood and adolescence. In part, this calm, easy life, along with an overly soft character, turned out to be the reason that Oblomov gradually became more and more inert.
Andrei Stoltz had a completely different childhood. From a young age, he saw how hard his father's life was and how much effort was required to "push off the bottom and emerge", that is, to earn a decent social status, capital. But the difficulties not only did not frighten him, but, on the contrary, made him stronger. As he grew older, the character of Andrei Stolz became more and more solid. Stolz knows well that only in constant struggle can he find his happiness.
The main human values for him are work, the opportunity to build a prosperous and happy life for himself. As a result, Stoltz gets everything that he dreamed about in his distant youth. He becomes a rich and respected person, wins the love of such an outstanding and unlike other girl as Olga Ilyinskaya. Stolz cannot stand inaction, he would never have been attracted to such a life, which seems to be the height of happiness for Oblomov.
But is Stolz so perfect compared to Oblomov? Yes, he is the embodiment of activity, movement, rationalism. But it is precisely this rationalism that leads him to the abyss. Stolz receives Olga, organizes their life at his own discretion and will, they live according to the principle of reason. But is Olga happy with Stolz? No. Stolz lacks the heart that Oblomov had. And if in the first part of the novel Stolz's rationality is affirmed as a denial of Oblomov's laziness, then in the last part the author is more and more on the side of Oblomov with his "heart of gold".
Oblomov cannot understand the meaning of human fuss, the constant desire to do something and achieve something. He was disillusioned with such a life. Oblomov often recalls his childhood, when he lived in the countryside with his parents. Life there flowed smoothly and monotonously, not shaken by any noteworthy events. Such calmness seems to Oblomov the ultimate dream.
In the mind of Oblomov there are no specific aspirations regarding the arrangement of his own existence. If he has plans for transformations in the countryside, then these plans very soon turn into a series of next fruitless dreams. Oblomov resists Olga's intentions to make a completely different person out of him, because this is contrary to his own life goals. And the very unwillingness of Oblomov to connect his life with Olga suggests that he understands deep down: family life with her will not bring him peace and will not allow him to selflessly indulge in his beloved work, that is, absolute inaction. But at the same time, Oblomov, this dove, has a "heart of gold." He loves with his heart, not with his mind, his love for Olga is sublime, enthusiastic, ideal. Oblomov goes with the flow and becomes Agafya's husband, because this fait accompli does not threaten his comfortable and peaceful existence.
Such a family life does not frighten Oblomov; Agafya's attitude towards him fits perfectly into his ideas about happiness. Now he can continue to do nothing, degrading more and more. Agafya takes care of him, being an ideal wife for Oblomov. Gradually, he ceases even to dream, his existence is almost completely likened to a vegetable one. However, this does not frighten him at all, moreover, he is happy in his own way.
Thus, Goncharov in his novel does not condemn either Oblomov or Stolz, but he does not idealize either of them. He just wants to show different views on the moral and spiritual values of two opposite people. At the same time, the author says that a rational attitude to life, feelings (Stolz) impoverishes a person no less than boundless daydreaming (Oblomov).
The characters of the main characters in Goncharov's novel "Oblomov" are exceptionally true and talentedly depicted by the author. If the artist's task is to snatch and capture the essence of life, inaccessible to the understanding of the layman, then the great Russian writer coped with it brilliantly. Its main character, for example, personifies a whole social phenomenon, named after him "Oblomovism". No less worthy of attention is the phenomenal friendship of Oblomov and Stolz, two antipodes who, it would seem, should have irreconcilably argued with each other or even despised each other, as often happens in the communication of completely different people. However, Goncharov goes against stereotypes, linking the antagonists with strong friendship. Throughout the novel, observing the relationship between Oblomov and Stolz is not only necessary, but also interesting to the reader. The clash of two life positions, two worldviews - this is the main conflict in Goncharov's novel Oblomov.
The differences between Oblomov and Stolz are not difficult to find. Firstly, the appearance is striking: Ilya Ilyich is a portly gentleman with soft features, puffy hands, and slow gestures. His favorite clothes are a spacious dressing gown that does not restrict movement, as if protecting and warming a person. Stolz - fit, slender. Constant activity and business acumen characterize his practical nature, so his gestures are bold, his reaction is quick. He is always dressed appropriately to move in the light and make the right impression.
Second, they have different upbringings. If little Ilyusha was cherished and cherished by parents, nannies and other inhabitants of Oblomovka (he grew up a pampered boy), then Andrei was brought up in strictness, his father taught him how to run a business, leaving him to make his own way. Stoltz, in the end, did not have enough parental affection, which he was looking for in his friend's house. Oblomov, on the contrary, was too affectionate, his parents spoiled him: he was not suitable either for the service or for the work of a landowner (taking care of the estate and its profitability).
Thirdly, their attitude to life differs. Ilya Ilyich does not like fuss, does not waste efforts to please society, or at least wedge into it. Many condemn him for laziness, but is it laziness? I think not: he is a nonconformist who is honest to himself and to the people around him. A nonconformist is a person who defends his right to behave differently from what is customary in his contemporary society. Oblomov had the courage and fortitude to silently, calmly adhere to his position and go his own way, not exchanging for trifles. In his manner of carrying himself, a rich spiritual life is guessed, which he does not put on a social showcase. Stolz lives in this window, because flickering in a good society always benefits the businessman. It can be said that Andrei had no other choice, because he is not a gentleman, his father earned capital, but no one will leave him villages by inheritance. He was taught from childhood that he himself should earn his living, so Stoltz adapted to the circumstances, developing hereditary qualities: perseverance, hard work, social activity. But if he is so successful by modern standards, why does Stoltz need Oblomov? From his father, he inherited obsession with business, the limitations of a practical person, which he felt, and therefore subconsciously reached out to the spiritually rich Oblomov.
They were drawn to the opposite, feeling the lack of certain properties of nature, but could not adopt each other's good qualities. None of them could make Olga Ilyinskaya happy: with one and the other, she felt dissatisfied. Unfortunately, this is the truth of life: people rarely change in the name of love. Oblomov tried, but still remained faithful to his principles. Stolz was also only enough for courtship, and after that the routine of living together began. Thus, in love, the similarities between Oblomov and Stolz manifested themselves: they both failed to build happiness.
In these two images, Goncharov reflected the conflicting trends in the society of that time. The nobility is the backbone of the state, but some of its representatives cannot take an active part in its fate, if only because it has gone and is petty for them. They are gradually being replaced by people who have gone through a harsh school of life, more skillful and greedy Stoltsy. They do not have that spiritual component that is needed for any useful work in Russia. But even the apathetic landowners will not save the situation. Apparently, the author believed that the merging of these extremes, a kind of golden mean, is the only way to achieve the well-being of Russia. If we consider the novel from this angle, it turns out that the friendship of Oblomov and Stolz is a symbol of the unification of various social forces for the sake of a common goal.
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Goncharov's novel "Oblomov" was highly appreciated by critics of the second half of the 19th century. In particular, Belinsky noted that the work was timely and reflected the socio-political thought of the 50-60s of the nineteenth century. Two lifestyles - Oblomov and Stolz - are considered in this article in comparison.
Characteristics of Oblomov
Ilya Ilyich was distinguished by a desire for peace, inaction. Oblomov cannot be called interesting and varied: he used to spend most of the day in thought, lying on the couch. Plunging into these thoughts, he often throughout the day never got up from his bed, did not go out into the street, did not learn the latest news. He did not read newspapers as a matter of principle, so as not to bother himself with unnecessary, and most importantly, meaningless information. Oblomov can be called a philosopher, he is concerned about other issues: not everyday, not momentary, but eternal, spiritual. He looks for meaning in everything.
When looking at him, one gets the impression that he is a happy freethinker, not burdened by the hardships and problems of external life. But life "touches, gets everywhere" Ilya Ilyich, makes him suffer. Dreams remain only dreams, because he does not know how to translate them into real life. Even reading tires him: Oblomov has many books he has begun, but they all remain unread, misunderstood. The soul seems to be dormant in him: he avoids unnecessary anxieties, worries, anxieties. In addition, Oblomov often compares his calm, secluded existence with the lives of other people and finds that it’s not good to live the way others live: “When to live?”
This is what constitutes the ambiguous image of Oblomov. "Oblomov" (Goncharov I.A.) was created in order to describe the personality of this character - uncommon and extraordinary in his own way. He is not alien to impulses and deep emotional experiences. Oblomov is a true dreamer with a poetic, sensitive nature.
Stolz characteristic
Oblomov's way of life can in no way be compared with Stolz's world outlook. The reader first meets this character in the second part of the work. Andrei Stoltz loves everything in order: his day is scheduled by the hour and minute, dozens of important things are planned that need to be urgently redone. Today he is in Russia, tomorrow, you see, he has already unexpectedly gone abroad. What Oblomov finds boring and meaningless is important and significant for him: trips to cities, villages, intentions to improve the quality of life of those around him.
He opens in his soul such treasures that Oblomov cannot even guess. Stolz's way of life consists entirely in activities that feed his whole being with the energy of cheerfulness. In addition, Stolz is a good friend: more than once he helped Ilya Ilyich in business matters. The way of life of Oblomov and Stolz is different from each other.
What is "Oblomovism"?
As a social phenomenon, the concept denotes a focus on an idle, monotonous, devoid of color and any kind of change in life. Andrei Stoltz called "Oblomovism" the very way of life of Oblomov, his desire for endless peace and the absence of any activity. Despite the fact that a friend constantly pushed Oblomov to the opportunity to change the way of existence, he did not budge at all, as if he did not have enough energy to do this. At the same time, we see that Oblomov admits his mistake, uttering the following words: "I have long been ashamed to live in the world." He feels useless, unnecessary and abandoned, and therefore he does not want to dust off the table, sort out books that have been lying there for a month, and leave the apartment once again.
Love in the understanding of Oblomov
Oblomov's way of life did not contribute in any way to the acquisition of real, and not fictitious, happiness. He dreamed and planned more than he actually lived. It is amazing, but in his life there was a place for a quiet rest, philosophical reflections on the essence of being, but there was a lack of strength for decisive action and the implementation of intentions. Love for Olga Ilyinskaya for a while pulls Oblomov out of his usual existence, makes him try new things, start taking care of himself. He even forgets his old habits and sleeps only at night, and goes about his business during the day. But still, love in Oblomov's worldview is directly related to dreams, thoughts and poetry.
Oblomov considers himself unworthy of love: he doubts whether Olga can love him, whether he suits her enough, whether he is capable of making her happiness. Such thoughts lead him to sad thoughts about his useless life.
Love in the understanding of Stolz
Stoltz approaches the issue of love more rationally. He does not indulge in ephemeral dreams in vain, as he soberly looks at life, without fantasy, without the habit of analyzing. Stolz is a business man. He does not need romantic walks in the moonlight, loud declarations of love and sighs on the bench, because he is not Oblomov. Stolz's lifestyle is very dynamic and pragmatic: he proposes to Olga at the moment when he realizes that she is ready to accept him.
What did Oblomov come to?
As a result of protective and cautious behavior, Oblomov misses the opportunity to build a close relationship with Olga Ilyinskaya. His marriage was upset shortly before the wedding - he gathered for too long, explained himself, asked himself, compared, estimated, analyzed Oblomov. The characterization of the image of Oblomov Ilya Ilyich teaches not to repeat the mistakes of an idle, aimless existence, raises the question of what love really is? Is she the object of lofty, poetic aspirations, or is it the calm joy, peace that Oblomov finds in the house of the widow Agafya Pshenitsyna?
Why did Oblomov's physical death occur?
The result of Ilya Ilyich's philosophical reflections is this: he preferred to bury his former aspirations and even lofty dreams in himself. with Olga, his life focused on everyday existence. He knew no greater joy than to eat well and sleep after dinner. Gradually, the engine of his life began to stop, subside: ailments and cases became more frequent. Even his former thoughts left him: there was no longer any place for them in a quiet room that looked like a coffin, in all this sluggish life that lulled Oblomov, more and more away from reality. Mentally, this man was long dead. Physical death was only a confirmation of the falsity of his ideals.
Achievements of Stolz
Stolz, unlike Oblomov, did not miss his chance to become happy: he built family well-being with Olga Ilyinskaya. This marriage was made out of love, in which Stolz did not fly into the clouds, did not stay in destructive illusions, but acted more than reasonably and responsibly.
The way of life of Oblomov and Stolz are diametrically opposed and opposed to each other. Both characters are unique, inimitable and significant in their own way. This may explain the strength of their friendship over the years.
Each of us is close to either the type of Stolz or Oblomov. There is nothing wrong with that, and the coincidences are likely to be only partial. Deep, loving to reflect on the essence of life, most likely, Oblomov's experiences, his restless mental throwing and searching will be understandable. Business pragmatists, who have left romance and poetry far behind, will embody themselves with Stolz.
The absolute opposite of Oblomov is Stolz, who becomes the embodiment of calculation, activity, strength, determination, purposefulness. In the German upbringing of Stoltz, the main thing was the development of an independent, active, purposeful nature. When describing the life of Stolz, Goncharov most often uses the words "firmly", "straight", "walked". And the very name of Stolz - sharp, jerky, and his whole figure, in which there was not a fraction of roundness and softness, as in the appearance of Oblomov - all this reveals his German roots. His whole life was drawn once and for all, imagination, dreams and passions did not fit into his life program: “It seems that he controlled both sorrows and joys like a movement of hands.” The most valued quality in a person for Stolz is “perseverance in achieving a goal”, however, Goncharov adds that Stolz’s respect for a persistent person did not depend on the quality of the goal itself: “He never denied respect to people with this perseverance, as if their goals were not important.
The goal of Stolz's life, as he formulates it, is work and only work. To Oblomov’s question: “Why live?” - Stolz, without thinking for a minute, answers: "For the work itself, for nothing else." This unequivocal “for nothing else” is somewhat alarming. The results of Stolz's work have a quite tangible "material equivalent": "He really made a house and money." About the nature of Stolz's activities, Goncharov speaks very streamlined, casually: "He is involved in some company that sends goods abroad." For the first time in Russian literature, an attempt appeared to show a positive image of an entrepreneur who, having no wealth at birth, achieves it with his own labor.
Trying to elevate his hero, Goncharov convinces the reader that from his mother - a Russian noblewoman - Stoltz took the ability to feel, appreciate love: "he developed for himself the conviction that love, with the power of the Archimedean lever, moves the world." However, in Stolz's love, everything is subject to reason, it is no coincidence that the "reasonable" Stolz never understood what happened between Oblomov and Olga, what became the basis of their love: “Oblomova! Can't be! - he added again in the affirmative. “There is something here: you didn’t understand yourself, Oblomov, or, finally, love!”, “This is not love, this is something else. It didn’t reach your heart: imagination and pride, on the one hand, weakness on the other. Stolz did not understand that love can be different, and not just the one that he calculated. It is no coincidence that this inability to accept life in its diversity and unpredictability eventually leads to "Oblomovism" and Stolz himself. Having fallen in love with Olga, he is already ready to stop, freeze. “I found my own,” thought Stoltz. - I waited! .. here it is, the last happiness of man! Everything is found, there is nothing to look for, there is nowhere else to go!” Having already become Stolz's wife, feeling true love for him, realizing that she found her happiness in him, Olga often thinks about the future, this “silence of life” frightens her: “What is it? she thought. – Where to go? Nowhere! There is no further road. Really not, have you already completed the circle of life? Is everything here, everything?”
Much can be said about the characters in their relationship to each other. Oblomov sincerely loves Stolz, in relation to his friend one feels true disinterestedness and generosity, one can recall, for example, his joy at the happiness of Stolz and Olga. In relations with Stolz, the beauty of Oblomov's soul is manifested, his ability to think about the meaning of life, activity, about its focus on a person. Oblomov appears as a person who passionately seeks, although he does not find the norm of life. In Stolz, in relation to Oblomov, there is some kind of “insensitivity”, he is not capable of subtle spiritual movements: on the one hand, he sincerely sympathizes with Ilya Ilyich, loves him, on the other hand, often in relation to Oblomov he turns out to be not so much a friend as a “terrible teacher." Stolz was for Ilya Ilyich the embodiment of that turbulent life that always frightened Oblomov, from which he tried to hide. To the bitter and annoying Oblomov: “Life touches”, Stolz immediately responds: “And thank God!”. Stolz sincerely and persistently tried to force Oblomov to live more actively, but this persistence sometimes became harsh, and sometimes cruel. Not sparing Oblomov and not considering that he has the right to do so, Stolz touches on the most painful memories of Olga, without the slightest respect for his friend’s wife, says: “Yes, look around, where are you and who are you with?” The phrase "now or never" itself, formidable and inevitable, was also unnatural to Oblomov's soft nature. Very often, in a conversation with a friend, Stolz uses the words “I will shake you”, “you must”, “you must live differently”. Stolz drew a life plan not only for himself, but also for Oblomov: “You must live with us, near us. Olga and I decided so, and so it will be!” Stolz "saves" Oblomov from his life, from his choice - and in this salvation he sees his task.
What kind of life did he want to involve a friend in? The content of the week that Oblomov spent with Stolz was essentially different from the dream on Gorokhovaya Street. There were some business this week, dinner with a gold miner, tea at the dacha in a large company, but Oblomov very accurately called it fuss, behind which one cannot see a person. In his last meeting with a friend, Stoltz said to Oblomov: “You know me: I have long set myself this task and will not back down. So far I have been distracted by various things, but now I am free. So the main reason appeared - various things that distracted Stolz from the life of a friend. And indeed, between the appearances of Stolz in Oblomov's life - like failures, like abysses - years pass: "Stoltz did not come to St. Petersburg for several years", "a year has passed since the illness of Ilya Ilyich", "the fifth year has gone, as we have not seen each other." It is no coincidence that even during Oblomov's lifetime, between him and Stolz, "an abyss opened", "a stone wall was erected", and this wall existed only for Stolz. And even during the life of Oblomov, Stolz buried his friend with an unambiguous sentence: “You died, Ilya!”
The attitude of the author to Stolz is ambiguous. Goncharov, on the one hand, hoped that soon “many Stolz would appear under Russian names”, on the other hand, he understood that artistically it was hardly possible to call the image of Stolz successful, full-blooded, he admitted that the image of Stolz was “weak, pale - it looks too bare of an idea.”
The problem of the hero in the novel "Oblomov" is connected with the author's reflections on the present and future of Russia, on the generic features of the Russian national character. Oblomov and Stolz are not just different human characters, they are different systems of moral values, different worldviews and ideas about the human person. The hero's problem lies in the fact that the author does not give preference to either Oblomov or Stolz, each of them leaving his right to truth and choice of life path.
I. A. Goncharov worked on the novel Oblomov for ten years. In this (best!) work, the author expressed his convictions and hopes; he displayed those problems of contemporary life that worried and deeply hurt him, revealed the causes of these problems. Therefore, the image of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov and Andrei Ivanovich Stolz acquired typical features, and the very word "Oblomovism" began to express a quite definite, almost philosophical concept. One cannot exclude the image of Olga Sergeevna Ilyinskaya, without which the characters of men would not have been fully illuminated.
To understand the character of a person, the motives of his actions, you need to turn to the origins of personality formation: childhood, upbringing, environment, and finally, to the education received.
In Ilyusha, it seems, the strength of all the generations of his ancestors was concentrated; he felt the makings of a man of the new time, capable of fruitful activity. But Ilya's aspirations to explore the world on his own were stopped by the nanny who kept her eyes on him, from whose supervision he escaped only during the afternoon nap, when all living things in the house, except for Ilya, fell asleep. “It was some kind of all-consuming, invincible dream, a true likeness of death.”
An attentive child observes everything that is done in the house, “saturates the soft mind with living examples and unconsciously draws a program of his life for the life around him”, the “main concern of life” of which is good food, and then - sound sleep.
The quiet course of life was disturbed only sometimes by "diseases, losses, quarrels and, among other things, labor." Labor was the main enemy of the inhabitants of Oblomovka, a punishment imposed "on our forefathers." In Oblomovka, they always got rid of work at the opportunity, “finding it possible and proper.” Such an attitude to work was brought up in Ilya Ilyich, who adopted a ready-made standard of life, passed down from generation to generation without changes. The ideal of inaction was reinforced in the child's imagination by nurse's tales about "Emel the Fool" receiving various gifts from a magic pike, and undeserved ones at that. Fairy tales penetrate deeply into the consciousness of Ilya, and he, being already an adult, "unconsciously sad sometimes, why a fairy tale is not life, and life is not a fairy tale."
The desire for independence, young energy was stopped by the friendly cries of the parents: “What about the servants?” Soon, Ilya himself realized that ordering was calmer and more convenient. A dexterous, mobile child is constantly stopped by parents and a nanny for fear that the boy will “fall, hurt himself” or catch a cold, he was cherished like a hothouse flower. "Seeking manifestations of power turned inward and drooped, withering."
In such conditions, an apathetic, lazy, difficult to rise nature of Ilya Ilyich developed. He was surrounded by the excessive cares of his mother, who made sure that the child ate well, did not overwork on learning from Stolz, and was ready, under any, even the most insignificant pretext, not to let Ilyushenka go to the German. She believed that education was not such an important thing, for which you need to lose weight, lose your blush and skip the holidays. But still, Oblomov's parents understood the need for education, but they saw in it only a means for career advancement: they began to receive ranks, awards at that time "nothing but through learning." Parents wanted to give Ilyusha all the benefits "somehow cheaper, with various tricks."
The cares of the mother had a detrimental effect on Ilya: he did not get used to systematic studies, he never wanted to learn more than the teacher asked.
A peer and friend of Oblomov, Andrei Ivanovich Stolz, loved Ilya, tried to stir him up, instill an interest in self-education, set him up for activities that he himself was passionate about, to which he was disposed, because he was brought up in completely different conditions.
Andrei's father, a German, gave him the upbringing that he received from his father, that is, he taught him all the practical sciences, forced him to work early and sent his son who had graduated from the university away from him, as his father had done with him in his time. But the rough burgher upbringing of the father constantly came into contact with the tender, affectionate love of the mother, a Russian noblewoman, who did not contradict her husband, but quietly raised her son in her own way: “... taught him to listen to the thoughtful sounds of Hertz, sang to him about flowers, about the poetry of life , whispered about the brilliant vocation of either a warrior or a writer ... "The neighborhood of Oblomovka with its" primitive laziness, simplicity of morals, silence and immobility "and princely" with a wide expanse of aristocratic life "also prevented Ivan Bogdanovich Stolz from being the son of the same burgher, what he was. The breath of Russian life "takes Andrey away from the straight line drawn by his father." But still, Andrei adopted from his father a serious outlook on life (even on all its little things) and pragmatism, which he tried to balance "with the subtle needs of the spirit."
Stoltz kept all emotions, deeds and actions under the “never dormant control” of the mind and spent strictly “according to the budget”. He considered himself the cause of all his misfortunes and sufferings, he “did not hang guilt and responsibility, like a caftan, on someone else’s nail”, in contrast to Oblomov, who did not find the strength to plead guilty to his troubles, to the worthlessness of his barren life: “. .. burning reproaches of conscience stinged him, and he tried with all his might ... to find the guilty one outside of himself and turn their sting on him, but on whom?
The search turned out to be useless, because the reason for the ruined life of Oblomov is himself. It was very painful for him to realize this, since he "painfully felt that some good, bright beginning was buried in him, as in a grave, perhaps now already dead ...". Oblomov was tormented by doubts about the correctness and necessity of his life. However, over the years, excitement and repentance appeared less frequently, and he quietly and gradually fit into the simple and wide coffin of the rest of his existence, made with his own hands ... ".
The attitude of Stolz and Oblomov to the imagination, which has two opposite incarnations, is different: "... a friend - the less you believe him, and an enemy - when you fall asleep trustingly under his sweet whisper." The latter happened to Oblomov. Imagination was a favorite companion of his life, only in his dreams did he embody the rich, deeply buried abilities of his "golden" soul.
Stolz did not give free rein to the imagination and was afraid of any dream, she "had no place in his soul"; he rejected everything that "was not subjected to the analysis of experience, practical truth", or accepted it per"a fact which the turn of experience has not yet reached." Andrei Ivanovich persistently "walked towards his goal", he put such persistence above all else: "... it was a sign of character in his eyes." He only then retreated "from the task when a wall arose in his way or an impenetrable abyss opened up." He soberly assessed his strength and departed, not paying attention to the opinions of others.
Oblomov was afraid of any difficulties, he was too lazy to make even the slightest effort to solve not great, but the most pressing problems. He found consolation in his favorite “conciliatory and soothing” words “maybe”, “maybe” and “somehow” and protected himself from misfortunes with them. He was ready to shift the case to anyone, not caring about its outcome and the decency of the chosen person (this is how he trusted the swindlers who robbed his estate). Like a pure, naive child, Ilya Ilyich did not even allow the thought of the possibility of deception; elementary prudence, not to mention practicality, was completely absent in Oblomov's nature.
Ilya Ilyich's attitude to work has already been discussed. He, like his parents, in every possible way avoided labor, which in his view was synonymous with boredom, and all the efforts of Stolz, for whom “labor is the image, content, element and purpose of life”, to move Ilya Ilyich to any activity were in vain, the matter did not go beyond words. Figuratively speaking, the cart stood on square wheels. She needed constant pushes of a fair amount of force to move. Stolz quickly got tired (“you are messing around like a drunkard”), this activity was also disappointing for Olga Ilyinskaya, through love for which many aspects of the characters of Oblomov and Stolz are revealed.
Introducing Ilya Ilyich to Olga, Stoltz wanted to “bring into Oblomov’s sleepy life the presence of a young, pretty, intelligent, lively and partly mocking woman,” who could awaken Ilya to life, illuminate his dim existence. But Stolz "did not foresee that he was bringing in fireworks, Olga and Oblomov - and even more so."
Love for Olga changed Ilya Ilyich. At Olga's request, he gave up many of his habits: he did not lie on the couch, did not overeat, he traveled from the dacha to the city to fulfill her instructions. But he could not finally enter a new life. “To go forward means to suddenly throw off a wide robe not only from the shoulders, but from the soul, from the mind; together with dust and cobwebs from the walls, sweep the cobwebs from your eyes and see clearly! And Oblomov was afraid of storms and changes, he absorbed the fear of the new with his mother's milk, in comparison with. which, however, went ahead (Ilya Ilyich already rejected “the only use of capital is to keep them in the chest”, realizing that “it is the duty of every citizen to maintain the general welfare by honest work”), but achieved little, given his abilities.
He was tired of Olga's restless, active nature, and therefore Oblomov dreamed that she would calm down and quietly, sleepily vegetate with him, "crawling from one day to another." Realizing that Olga would never agree to this, Ilya decides to part with her. The break with Olga meant for Oblomov a return to old habits, a final spiritual fall. In life with Wheat, Ilya Ilyich found a pale reflection of his dreams and "decided that the ideal of his life had come true, although without poetry ...".
Having put a lot of effort into awakening in Oblomov a craving for activity, Olga soon becomes convinced, in the words of Dobrolyubov, "in his decisive rubbishness", that is, in his inability to spiritual transformation, and leaves him.
After going through love and disappointment, Olga began to take her feelings more seriously, she grew so morally that Stoltz did not recognize her when they met a year later, and suffered for a long time, trying to unravel the cause of the dramatic changes in Olga.
