In the novel "Eugene Onegin", Pushkin outlined the nobility with light strokes - the people in whose society Eugene Onegin revolved, and with whom, in addition to the main characters, he had to maintain relations and communicate. The metropolitan nobility was strikingly different from the provincial landowners who lived in the outback. This gap was all the more noticeable, the less often the landowners traveled to the capital. The interests, level of culture, and education of both were often at different levels.
The images of the landowners and the high-society nobility were only partly fictitious. Pushkin himself revolved in their environment, and most of the paintings depicted in the work were peeped at social events, balls, and dinners. The poet communicated with the provincial society during his forced exile in Mikhailovsky and during his stay in Boldino. Therefore, the life of the nobility, in the countryside, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, is depicted by poets with knowledge of the matter.
Provincial landed nobility
Along with the Larin family, other landowners also lived in the province. The reader gets acquainted with most of them at name days. But some touches-sketches to the portraits of neighbors-landlords can be seen in the second chapter, when Onegin settled in the village. Simple in their mental make-up, even a few primitive people tried to make friends with the new neighbor, but as soon as he saw the droshky approaching, he mounted his horse and rode off the back porch so as not to be seen. The maneuver of the newly-minted landowner was noticed, and the neighbors, offended in their best intentions, stopped their attempts to make friendship with Onegin. Pushkin interestingly describes the reaction to the replacement of corvée with dues:
But in his corner pouted,
Seeing in this terrible harm,
His prudent neighbor;
The other smiled slyly,
And in a voice everyone decided so,
That he is the most dangerous eccentric.
The attitude of the nobles towards Onegin became hostile. Sharp-tongued gossip began to talk about him:
“Our neighbor is ignorant; crazy;
He is a pharmacist; he drinks one
A glass of red wine;
He does not fit the ladies' hands;
All Yes Yes No; won't say yes, sir
ile no with". That was the general voice.
Invented stories are able to show the level of intelligence and education of people. And since he left much to be desired, Lensky was also not enthusiastic about his neighbors, although out of courtesy he paid them visits. Although
Lords of neighboring villages
He didn't like feasts;
Some landowners, whose daughters were growing up, dreamed of getting a "rich neighbor" to be their son-in-law. And since Lensky did not seek to fall into someone's skillfully placed networks, he also began to visit his neighbors less and less:
He ran their noisy conversation.
Their conversation is prudent
About haymaking, about wine,
About the kennel, about your family.
In addition, Lensky was in love with Olga Larina and spent almost all his evenings in their family.
Almost all the neighbors came to Tatyana's name day:
With his stout wife
The fat Trifle has arrived;
Gvozdin, an excellent host,
Owner of poor men;
Here Pushkin is clearly being ironic. But, unfortunately, among the landowners there were many such Gvozdins, who ripped off their peasants like sticky.
Skotinins, gray-haired couple,
With children of all ages, counting
Thirty to two years;
County dandy Petushkov,
My cousin, Buyanov,
In down, in a cap with a visor
(As you, of course, know him),
And retired adviser Flyanov,
Heavy gossip, old rogue,
A glutton, a bribe taker and a jester.XXVII
With the family of Panfil Kharlikov
Monsieur Triquet also arrived,
Wit, recently from Tambov,
With glasses and a red wig.
Pushkin does not need to spend long stanzas on characterizing the guests-landlords. The names spoke for themselves.
The celebration was attended not only by landlords representing several generations. Older generation represented by the Skotinins, the gray-haired couple, they were clearly over 50, the retired adviser Flyanov, he was also well over 40. In each family there were children who made up the younger generation, who regimental band and dancing.
The provincial nobility tries to imitate the capital by arranging balls and holidays, but here everything is much more modest. If in St. Petersburg dishes prepared by French chefs from overseas products are offered, then in the provinces their own stocks are put on the table. The oversalted fatty pie was prepared by yard cooks, tinctures and liqueurs were made from berries and fruits picked in their own garden.
In the next chapter, which describes the preparation for the duel, the reader will meet another landowner
Zaretsky, once a brawler,
Ataman of the gambling gang,
The head of the rake, the tribune of the tavern,
Now kind and simple
The father of the family is single,
Reliable friend, peaceful landowner
And even an honest person.
This is him, Onegin is afraid, not daring to offer Lensky reconciliation. He knew that Zaretsky could
Friends quarrel young
And put them on the barrier
Or make them reconcile,
To have breakfast together
And then secretly defame
A funny joke, a lie.
Moscow noble society
Tatyana came to Moscow not by chance. She came with her mother to the bride fair. Close relatives of the Larins lived in Moscow, and Tatyana and her mother stayed with them. In Moscow, Tatyana came into close contact with the society of the nobility, which was more archaic and frozen than in St. Petersburg or the provinces.
In Moscow, Tanya was received warmly and sincerely by her relatives. The old women scattered in their memories, the “young graces of Moscow”, looking closely at the new relative and friend, found with her mutual language, shared the secrets of beauty and fashion, talked about their heartfelt victories and tried to extort her secrets from Tatyana. But
the secret of your heart,
Treasured treasure and tears and happiness,
Keeps silent meanwhile
And they don't share it with anyone.
Guests came to Aunt Alina's mansion. In order not to appear overly distracted or arrogant,
Tatyana wants to listen
In conversations, in general conversation;
But everyone in the living room takes
Such incoherent, vulgar nonsense;
Everything in them is so pale, indifferent;
They slander even boringly.
All this was not interesting to a romantically inclined girl, who, deep down, might have been waiting for some kind of miracle. She often stood somewhere on the sidelines, and only
Archival young men in a crowd
They stare at Tanya
And about her among themselves
They speak unfavorably.
Of course, such "archival young men" could not interest the young lady. Here Pushkin used the Old Slavic form of the adjective to emphasize the belonging of "young men" to the "last century". IN late XVIII- In the first half of the 19th century, late marriages were not uncommon. Men were forced to serve in order to make a certain fortune, and only then did they get married. But they chose young girls as brides. So marriages of unequal age were not uncommon at that time. They looked down on the provincial young lady.
Together with her mother or cousins, Tatyana visited theaters, she was taken to Moscow balls.
There is tightness, excitement, heat,
The roar of music, the sparkle of candles,
Flashing, whirlwind of fast couples,
Beauties light dresses,
People full of choirs,
Brides a vast semicircle,
All the senses strike suddenly.
Here they seem dandies note
Your impudence, your vest
And an inattentive lorgnette.
Holiday hussars come here
They rush to appear, to thunder,
Shine, captivate and fly away.
At one of the balls, her future husband drew attention to Tatyana.
Nobles of St. Petersburg
In the first part of the poetic novel, the secular society of St. Petersburg was described light sketches, viewed from the side. About Onegin's father, Pushkin writes that
Serving excellently nobly,
His father lived in debt
Gave three balls annually,
And finally screwed up.
Not one Onegin Sr. lived in this way. For many nobles, this was the norm. Another stroke of the secular society of St. Petersburg:
Here is my Onegin at large;
Shaved in the latest fashion
How dandy London dressed -
And finally saw the light.
He's completely French
Could speak and write;
Easily danced the mazurka
And bowed at ease;
What do you want more? The world decided
That he is smart and very nice.
Description, Pushkin shows what interests and worldviews aristocratic youth have.
No one is embarrassed that the young man does not serve anywhere. If noble family there are estates and serfs, then why serve? In the eyes of some mothers, perhaps Onegin was a good match for the marriage of their daughters. This is one of the reasons why young people are accepted and invited to balls and dinners in the world.
He used to be in bed:
They carry notes to him.
What? Invitations? Indeed,
Three houses for the evening call:
There will be a ball, there is a children's party.
But Onegin, as you know, did not seek to tie the knot. Although he was a connoisseur of the "science of tender passion."
Pushkin describes the ball to which Onegin arrived. This description also serves as a sketch to characterize Petersburg customs. At such balls, young people met, fell in love
I was crazy about balls:
There is no place for confessions
And for delivering a letter.
O you venerable spouses!
I will offer you my services;
I ask you to notice my speech:
I want to warn you.
You also, mothers, are stricter
Look after your daughters:
Keep your lorgnette straight!
At the end of the novel, St. Petersburg secular society is no longer as faceless as at the beginning.
Through the close row of aristocrats,
Military dandies, diplomats
And proud ladies she glides;
Here she sat quietly and looked,
Admiring the noisy crampedness,
Flashing dresses and speeches,
Apparition of slow guests
In front of the young mistress ...
The author introduces the reader to Nina Voronskaya, a dazzling beauty. Pushkin gives a detailed portrait of the secular society of the capital in the description of dinner at Tatyana's house. Here gathered, as they said then, all the cream of society. Describing the people present at the dinner, Pushkin shows how high Tatyana rose up the hierarchical ladder, marrying a prince, a military officer and a veteran. Patriotic War 1812.
capital color,
And to know, and fashion samples,
Everywhere you meet faces
Necessary fools;
There were old ladies
In caps and roses, they look evil;
There were a few girls
Not smiling faces;
There was a messenger who said
About state affairs;
There he was in fragrant gray hair
The old man, joking in the old way:
Superbly subtle and smart
Which is kinda funny these days.Here he was greedy for epigrams,
Angry sir to everything:
But, along with representatives of high society, the dinner was attended by several random people who came here for various reasons.
There was Prolasov, who deserved
Known for the meanness of the soul,
In all albums blunted,
St.-Priest, your pencils;
At the door another ballroom dictator
He stood like a magazine picture,
Blush, like a willow cherub,
Tightened, dumb and immovable,
And the vagrant traveler,
Overstarched impudent.
Noble status made very high demands on its representatives. And in Russia there were many truly worthy nobles. But in the novel "Eugene Onegin" Pushkin shows, along with brilliance and luxury, vices, emptiness and vulgarity. The propensity to spend, living beyond one's means, and the desire for imitation, unwillingness to serve and benefit society, the impracticality and carelessness of secular society are shown in full in the novel. These lines were intended to make readers think, most of whom represented this very nobility, to reconsider their way of life. It is not surprising that "Eugene Onegin" was received by the reading public ambiguously, and not always favorably.
In the novel "Eugene Onegin" Pushkin describes his time, noting for life everything that was essential for the life of generations: the life and customs of people, the state of their souls, popular philosophical, political and economic trends, literary preferences, fashion. Throughout the novel and digressions the poet shows all layers of Russian noble society: the high society of St. Petersburg, the local and Moscow nobility.
The author of the novel pays special attention to the Petersburg nobility, a typical representative of which is Eugene Onegin. The poet describes in detail the day of his hero, and Onegin's day is a typical day of the capital's dandy. Thus, Pushkin recreates a picture of the life of the entire St. Petersburg secular society. Fashionable daytime walk along a specific route:
Wearing a wide bolivar,
Onegin goes to the boulevard
And there he walks in the open,
Until the dormant breguet
Lunch will not ring for him.
Then lunch at a restaurant, a visit to the theater:
The theater is an evil legislator,
Fickle Admirer
charming actresses,
Honorary Citizen Backstage…
Pushkin describes Onegin's office and his outfit in great detail:
But pantaloons, tailcoat, vest,
All these words are not in Russian ...
So, Eugene Onegin is a typical young " secular lion", a representative of a freedom-loving and at the same time dissatisfied, bored youth. We are confronted by a "young rake", an egoist and a skeptic with a sharp with an evil tongue. The environment to which Eugene belonged, and the mores of that society, formulated his convictions, morals and interests. Pushkin speaks of the St. Petersburg nobility with a fair amount of irony and without much sympathy, for life in the capital is "monotonous and motley", and "the noise of the world" gets boring very quickly. Thus, we see that the life of the nobility in St. Petersburg from morning to night is filled with entertainment, but it should be noted that the provincial society is also represented in the novel quite widely.
A vivid example of the petty nobility is the family of Tatyana Larina, Uncle Onegin and guests at Tatyana's name day. The Larin family is the environment in which Tatyana grew up, having absorbed all the kindness, simplicity, patriarchy and cordiality of local customs and way of life. Her mother loved Richardson, but "not because she read it," but because her cousin Alina often talked about him. She got married involuntarily:
Her husband, but by captivity;
She sighed for a friend
Who in heart and mind
She liked much more...
Tatyana's mother was at first unhappy in marriage, but "the habit has sweetened the grief, which cannot be repelled by anything ...". She revealed the secret of how to manage her husband, and she herself managed the expenses, "salted mushrooms for the winter", "went to the bathhouse on Saturdays." But, as Pushkin says, "her husband loved her heartily." Often guests came to the Larins, the same small-scale nobles. The author gives us a description of them at Tatyana's name day:
With his stout wife
The fat Trifle has arrived;
Gvozdin, an excellent host,
Owner of poor men;
Skotinins, gray-haired couple,
With children of all ages, counting
Thirty to two years;
County dandy Petushkov,
My cousin, Buyanov,
In down, in a cap with a visor
(As you, of course, know him),
And retired adviser Flyanov,
Heavy gossip, old rogue,
A glutton, a bribe taker and a jester.
Here the author uses speaking surnames endowing the landowners with mostly negative traits: they are ruthless feudal lords, people of low culture, with base interests, all their conversations are "about haymaking, about wine, about the kennel, about their relatives."
Differs from small landowners, perhaps, only Lensky. He is "a romantic and nothing else," according to Belinsky. "With a soul directly from Goettingen," because Vladimir was educated in Germany. Pushkin himself sees two ways out, talking about the future of Lensky. The author believes that Vladimir could become either a famous Russian poet or an ordinary landowner, such as Onegin's uncle or Dmitry Larin.
The world of the local nobility is far from perfect, because in it spiritual interests and needs are not decisive. However, Pushkin writes about the local nobility with more sympathy than about St. Petersburg. It is the local nobility that lives in close proximity to the people, and therefore it probably contains the idea of revival.
Pushkin pays less attention to the Moscow nobility than to the Petersburg nobility. He speaks of him rather harshly, sharply saterically, thus giving very unflattering characteristics:
But there is no change in them;
Everything in them is on the old sample:
At Aunt Princess Elena's
All the same tulle cap;
Everything is whitening Lukerya Lvovna,
All the same Lyubov Petrovna lies,
Ivan Petrovich is just as stupid
Semyon Petrovich is just as stingy...
In the living room everyone is occupied with "incoherent, vulgar nonsense":
They slander even boringly;
In the barren dryness of speeches,
Questions, gossip and news
Thoughts will not flash for a whole day ...
All around reigns unrestrained melancholy, so Moscow society are busy talking about nothing. Tatyana herself is stuffy in a secular environment, she wants to escape from this fuss:
Tatyana looks and does not see
The excitement of the world hates ...
Pushkin emphasizes the typical characteristics of the derived faces with a variety of examples that fit under one general definition- Griboedovskaya Moscow. It is not for nothing that the author introduces Griboedov's lines into the epigraph to the seventh chapter, thereby emphasizing that nothing has changed in Moscow since then. Thus, in the novel "Eugene Onegin" Pushkin painted for us Russian society in one of interesting moments its development", recreating a truly realistic picture of the manners and customs of Russia in the first quarter XIX century.
In this article, we bring to your attention an essay about the nobility, as Pushkin shows it in the novel "Eugene Onegin".
Nobility (high society) in the novel "Eugene Onegin".
A.S. Pushkin in his novel "Eugene Onegin" depicted the life of the Russian nobility in the twenties of the XIX century. According to V. G. Belinsky, “ he decided to present to us inner life this class ».
The author of the novel pays special attention to the Petersburg nobility, a typical representative of which is Eugene Onegin. The poet describes in detail the day of his hero, and Onegin's day is a typical day of the capital's nobleman. Thus, Pushkin recreates a picture of the life of the entire St. Petersburg secular society.
Pushkin speaks of Petersburg high society with a fair amount of irony and without much sympathy, for life in the capital is “monotonous and motley”, and “the noise of the world” gets bored very quickly.
The local, provincial nobility is represented in the novel quite widely. This is Uncle Onegin, the Larin family, guests at Tatiana's name day, Zaretsky.
Bright representatives of the provincial nobility gather at Tatyana's for a name day: Grozdin, " excellent host, owner of poor men "; Petushkov, county dandy "; Flyanov, " heavy gossip, old rogue ". If in the story of the metropolitan nobility Pushkin introduces real historical persons, for example, Kaverina, then in this case the author uses the names of famous literary characters: Skotinins are the heroes of Fonvizin's "Undergrowth", Buyanov is the hero of V.L. Pushkin. The author also uses speaking surnames. For example, Trike means " caned ”- a hint that he cannot be accepted in high society, but in the province he is a welcome guest.
The world of the local nobility is far from perfect, because in it spiritual interests, needs are not decisive, just as their conversations do not differ in intelligence:
Their conversation is prudent
About haymaking, about wine,
About the kennel, about your family.
However, Pushkin writes about him with more sympathy than about St. Petersburg. In the provincial nobility, naturalness and immediacy are preserved as properties of human nature.
Good family of neighbors
Unceremonious friends.
Local nobles in the sense of attitude, life were quite close to the people. This is manifested in relation to nature and religion, in the observance of traditions. Pushkin pays less attention to the Moscow nobility than to the Petersburg nobility. Several years have passed since Pushkin wrote the 1st chapter of his novel, and A.S. Griboedov finished the comedy Woe from Wit, but Pushkin introduces Griboyedov's lines into the epigraph of the seventh chapter, thereby emphasizing that little has changed in Moscow since then. The second capital has always been patriarchal. So, for example, Tatyana is met by a gray-haired Kalmyk at her aunt's, and the fashion for Kalmyks was at the end of the 18th century.
The Moscow nobility is a collective image, in contrast to the Petersburg one, where Eugene Onegin is the main character. Pushkin, speaking of Moscow, seems to populate it with the heroes of Griboedov's comedy, which time has not changed:
But they don't see the change
Everything in them is on the old sample ...
A real historical person also appears in Moscow society:
Vyazemsky somehow sat down to her (Tatyana) ...
But in Moscow there is still the same fuss, " noise, laughter, running around, bows "which leave both Tatyana and the author indifferent
Pushkin managed to give in "Eugene Onegin" a detailed picture of the life of the nobility, and at the same time, according to Belinsky, the whole society "in the form in which it was in the era he chose, that is, in the twenties of the current XIX century."
Here is an essay high society in the novel Eugene Onegin.
The novel "Eugene Onegin" occupies a central place in the work of Pushkin. Work on the novel lasted eight years, from 1823 to 1831, but the events taking place in the work are contained in other historical framework- from 1819 to the Decembrist uprising. And it was not for nothing that Belinsky called "Eugene Onegin" "an encyclopedia of Russian life". Indeed, in his novel in verse, Pushkin was able to depict almost all aspects of Russian life in the 19th century, all sectors of society.
One of the main places in the work is the description of the nobility. The first chapter is devoted to the description of Onegin's life in St. Petersburg. Here Pushkin shows his hero in the environment of the St. Petersburg nobility, from which he emerged. Having absorbed all the norms of his environment, Onegin leads an idle lifestyle: he goes out at night, drives around balls, takes walks along Nevsky Prospekt, visits theaters. But soon “feelings cooled down” in Onegin, “he got bored with light and noise”, he was attacked by the blues - a disease of rich young people of that time and his circle, aimlessly burning their lives. And Onegin decided to leave for the village.
Pushkin depicts the life of the nobility capaciously and fully with just a few strokes and characteristic details. Here, dandyism, the pursuit of inheritance, revelry are quite acceptable. Thus, the life of the nobility is shown as idle, full of entertainment, far from folk simplicity and therefore empty. Onegin, on the one hand, is shown as a full-fledged representative of the noble society, and on the other, as a man tired of his own environment. True Values he realizes only when he acquires a simple but real human love, whose roots are not secular, but natural, natural.
Representatives of the local nobility in the novel are Onegin's uncle and the Larin family. Uncle Onegin led a life characteristic of all local nobles in the village: “for forty years he scolded the housekeeper, looked out the window and crushed flies”, “kept a notebook of expenses, drank apple liqueurs and, except for the calendar, did not look at other books.” For Onegin, brought up on new teachings, on the books of Adam Smith, this way of life was unacceptable: he decided to establish in his household " new order"-" he replaced the corvée with quitrent, "which caused discontent among his neighbors, who decided that he was" the most dangerous eccentric. Here Pushkin draws a parallel between Griboedov's Chatsky and Onegin. Just as Chatsky was declared insane by Moscow society, the opinion of the local nobility about Onegin was the same: "our neighbor is an ignoramus, crazy."
Pushkin especially colorfully describes the life and customs of the local nobility using the example of the Larin family and their guests at Tatyana's name day. The life of the Larins is attractive to the author for its simplicity:
They kept in a peaceful life
Sweet old habits.
In relation to others noble families there is obvious irony and even some disdain:
Lay mosek, smacking girls,
Noise, laughter, crowd at the threshold.
The names of the guests are not devoid of irony: Pustyakov, Petushkov, Buyanov, Flyanov, Karlikova. Pushkin portrays the local nobility as unnatural, pretending to secularism, with pretentious manners.
Among the guests appear Monsieur Triquet - a "true Frenchman" from Tambov, whose image echoes Griboyedov's "Frenchman from Bordeaux". The author is ironic about how, after Triquet's "false singing", "shouts, splashes, greetings" rained down on him. Thus, Pushkin once again emphasizes the moral emptiness, stupidity and hypocrisy of the guest landowners. Thus, depicting the habits and customs of the local nobility, Pushkin to some extent compares it with the St. Petersburg nobility.
The Moscow nobility is shown from a slightly different point of view. The poet emphasizes the conservatism of the way of life of the Moscow nobility: “But there is no change in them ...” - in many respects comparing it with Griboedov's Moscow. However, Pushkin's Moscow is kinder, although just as soulless and pragmatic.
The action of the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" ends in St. Petersburg. At the end of his work, Pushkin again depicts the Petersburg nobility, comparing it with the image of Petersburg given at the beginning of the novel. But not so much Petersburg itself has changed, but Onegin's attitude towards it. Now main character Romana looks at secular entertainment from the outside, now he already feels not so much fatigue as alienation from this society. Love for Tatyana helped him understand the emptiness of relations between people in the world, the falsity of the splendor and splendor of the balls. To focus the reader's attention on this, Pushkin describes the St. Petersburg nobility not with light irony, as at the beginning of the novel, but harshly satirical.
Thus, in his novel in verse, Pushkin managed to show all sides noble life, the immoderation of her morals and the vulgarity of the foundations, whether it be the local nobility or the city. The work implicitly shows the idea that it was the environment, the vicious environment that ruined Onegin and he received his sight too late, for which he was punished, having lost his personal happiness.
Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" is the first Russian realistic novel, truthfully and widely showing Russian life in the 20s XIX years century. This was the time of the rise of national self-consciousness, awakened by the war of 1812, the growing dissatisfaction of the progressive noble intelligentsia with the autocratic-feudal system.
Pushkin, advanced man of his era, could not pass by the most pressing issues of the day and responded to them with the novel "Eugene Onegin", rightly called by the critic Belinsky "an encyclopedia of Russian life."
One of the questions raised on the pages of the novel was the question of the Russian nobility, provincial and metropolitan. In his novel, Pushkin truthfully showed the way of life, life, interests of the nobility and gave an accurate description of the representatives of this society. Behind the good nature of the author is often a very ironic description of a particular hero. For example, when it comes to Uncle Onegin, who lives on his estate, the poet writes:
For forty years I quarreled with the housekeeper,
He looked out the window and crushed flies.
With the same irony, the poet speaks of the "life of the peaceful" Larin family, but he likes their "habits of dear old times." And for this closeness to folk customs Pushkin sympathizes with the Larin family. The winds of the world have not yet reached them, and they still famously dance the mazurka, bake pancakes for Shrovetide, “twice a year they go to bed” and “they carry dishes according to their ranks.” Dmitry Larin himself "... was a kind fellow, belated in the last century." He did not read books, did not delve into the economy, into the upbringing of children, "ate and drank in a dressing gown" and "died an hour before dinner."
Very figuratively, the poet showed us the guests of the Larins, who had come to Tatyana's name day. Here are “fat Pustyakov”, and “Gvozdin, an excellent host, owner of poor peasants”, and “county dandy Petushkov”, and “retired adviser Flyanov, a heavy gossip, an old rogue, a glutton, a bribe taker and a jester”. "Skotinins - a gray-haired couple" - as if from "Undergrowth" they migrated to Pushkin's novel. Such is the provincial nobility XIX century, not far gone in their views and way of life from the nobility of the XVIII century.
The landlords lived in the old fashioned way, did not trouble themselves with anything, led an empty lifestyle. They cared only about their well-being, had “a whole system of liqueurs” and, having gathered together, they spoke “... about haymaking, about wine, about the kennel, about their relatives” and condemned each other. Beyond these conversations, their interests did not go. Unless talking about new people who appeared in their society, about whom they composed a lot of fables. The landowners, on the other hand, dreamed of giving their daughters in marriage profitably and literally caught suitors for them. So it was with Lensky: "All the daughters predicted their half-Russian neighbor."
The cultural demands of the provincial nobles were also very low. Pushkin, in just a few words, gives a well-aimed and complete description cruelty of the landowners. So, Larina "shaved the foreheads" of the guilty peasants, "she beat the maids when she was angry."
A cruel and greedy serf, she forced the girls to sing while picking berries, “so that the master’s berries would not be secretly eaten by the evil lips.”
When Eugene, having arrived in the village, “replaced the yoke ... of corvée with an old quitrent with a light one,” then “... in his corner he pouted, seeing this as a terrible harm, his prudent neighbor,” probably like the Skotinins or the same Gvozdin. Everything the poet talks about is true; this and his personal observation of the life of the provincial nobility, in exile in Mikhailovsky he saw it all with his own eyes.
The novel also depicts the life of the capital's aristocratic society. The life of the nobility is a continuous holiday. It was the system of the autocratic-serf system that allowed them to lead such a way of life. Theaters, balls, restaurants - this is the main occupation metropolitan nobility. They did not want to work, because "stubborn work was sickening to them." Empty, inactive life in secular society considered normal. The author of the novel introduced us in detail to "the studies of Eugene Onegin and, using the example of one day spent by him, showed that the life of society was very" monotonous and motley, and tomorrow is the same as yesterday. Pushkin, who is critical of such a life, satirically draws typical representatives high world. The color of the capital is "necessary fools", "for all the angry gentlemen", "dictators", "evil-looking ladies" and "non-smiling girls". Without a goal, without moving forward - this is how we saw the aristocratic nobles who filled the secular living rooms of St. Petersburg and Moscow:
Everything in them is so pale, indifferent:
They slander even boringly,
In the barren dryness of speeches,
Questions, gossip and news
Thoughts will not flash for a whole day.
Though by chance, even at random.
Both the local nobility and the capital bowed to everything foreign. In every nobleman's house there were foreign luxury items that Paris and "London scrupulous ... carry us for timber and lard." Everywhere they wore clothes in a foreign style and spoke French:
But pantaloons, tailcoat, vest,
All these words are not in Russian.
Tatyana, "Russian in soul", having got into Petersburg society, learned the science of "ruling oneself", about which Onegin spoke to her. Elite can re-educate anyone into a secular person, as he should be in the understanding of “decisive and strict judges”, so that they “say about him for a century: what a wonderful person”.
WITH early childhood the nobles were instilled with the traits of a chirrier man, who should be a grip or a dandy, so that “he could endure the cold of life over the years,” so that he “did not shy away from the mob of the secular” and at the age of thirty he “was married favorably.”
The characterization of the nobles given by the poet shows that they had one goal in front of them - to achieve fame and rank. Pushkin is true to his principles and always condemns such people in his works. In the novel "Eugene Onegin" he satirically denounces the lifestyle of the local and metropolitan nobility. At the same time, the poet accurately points to the main enemy that allows the nobility to lead such a way of life - the autocratic-serf system.
