Why Lensky and Onegin became friends, what brought them closer. Eugene Onegin and Vladimir Lensky: friends or enemies What is different between Onegin and Lensky

A. S. Pushkin is the greatest writer and poet of the 19th century. From his pen came many wonderful works. Pushkin's main work is considered to be "Eugene Onegin". The work reflects the features of the life of the noble youth of the XIX century.

Brief description of the work

"Eugene Onegin" is a novel in verse, striking in its artistic perfection of style and form, lightness and beauty of language. It reveals the variety of problems that worried Russian society at the beginning of the 19th century. In depicting all the noble groups, Pushkin reflects the two most common problems of the time: an idealistic departure from reality and disappointment.

The main characters of the work

Onegin and Lensky in the novel are among the "best people of the era." In their images, Pushkin reflected the very problems that were most relevant at that time. The heroes were not satisfied with either the brilliance that they considered cold and empty, or the wretched appearance and primitiveness of rural everyday life. Both characters strive to find meaning in life, something higher and brighter. Eugene Onegin and Lensky stand out from the usual noble environment. Both of them are educated, smart, noble. Heroes are united by the breadth of interests and views. This is what brought them closer and marked the beginning of friendship between them. Despite the differences in character, their mutual sympathy in the course of the story intensified, and communication became deeper. The conversations of the village landowners differed significantly from the conversations that Onegin and Lensky had. An analysis of their behavior, aspirations and views makes it possible to understand that both heroes had an inquisitive mind, sought to know the meaning of life and touch all spheres of human existence. The author emphasizes that the disputes of the characters touch upon the philosophical, moral, political problems that worried the progressive people of that era. Why, despite their similarities, did the duel between Lensky and Onegin happen? More on this later in the article.

Onegin and Lensky. Comparative characteristics

These two heroes are the central figures in the work. They are completely different, but at the same time they have a certain similarity. Their images are two paths along which the best representatives of the landlord intelligentsia of the early 19th century walked. The development of the relationship of the main characters reflects the huge difference between them, emphasizing not only the opposite of their traits, but also their attitude to reality and to the people around them. These two paths could end either with a dead end in life, or with someone's death.

Vladimir

In Lensky there was a poetic talent that revealed romantic moods in him. He sees the ideal even in the "empty" pretty Olga. Friendship with Onegin means a lot to Lensky. In the depiction of the image of Vladimir, the connection with the Decembrist trends is clearly visible, which gives reason to assume the likelihood of his rapprochement with the advanced noble intelligentsia, who were preparing the uprising of 1825, which gives him a chance to become the poetic voice of the people. Faith in friendship, freedom, love was the goal of life and the essence of Lensky.

Eugene Onegin

This hero received a classic aristocratic education. He was taught everything in jest, but despite this, Onegin received the knowledge he needed. In terms of mental development, he is much higher than his peers. Eugene is a little familiar with the works of Byron, has an idea about the works of Smith. But all his hobbies do not raise fiery and romantic feelings in his soul. Onegin spends his best years, like many young people of his time: in theaters, at balls, in love affairs. But soon the understanding comes to him that this whole life is empty, envy, boredom and slander reign in the world, and people senselessly burn their time, wasting inner strength on an imaginary brilliance. As a result, Onegin loses interest in life, falling into a deep blues because his sharp and cold mind is fed up with worldly pleasures.

Questions of good and evil in the relationship of the main characters

Among the intelligentsia of that time, the treatise of Rousseau (the writer and French philosopher) "The Social Contract" was very popular. It touched upon the most important social problems. The most topical issue was the question of the state system. The problem of the relationship between the authorities and the people, who had the right to overthrow the government that violated the agreement between the state union and the community of citizens, was revealed. The existing situation created both political and economic difficulties in Russia. Progressive-minded representatives of the nobility tried to find a solution to the existing problems by improving and introducing methods of agriculture, the use of machinery. Onegin and Lensky, which would not be complete without an indication of their type of activity, also thought about this issue. The first was the owner of waters and factories, and the second was a wealthy landowner. Ethical problems, questions of good and evil were often in the center of attention of young people. Moral theoretical principles, refracted in the characters' characters, determine both their views and their actions.

The tragedy of the relationship of the central characters

Onegin and Lensky, whose comparative characteristics cannot do without mentioning their personal qualities, were of different ages. Vladimir is younger, his ardent soul has not yet been spoiled by life. He is looking for beauty everywhere. Onegin, who had long gone through everything, listened to Lensky's passionate speeches with a smile, trying to restrain his irony. For Vladimir, friendship was an urgent need. Onegin, on the other hand, "befriended for the sake of boredom." But Yevgeny develops a special attachment to Vladimir. Analyzing the duel between Lensky and Onegin, it is impossible not to note the priorities that are quite clearly seen in each of them. So, the more experienced protagonist, despite his contempt for the world, valued his opinion, was afraid of reproaches and ridicule. Perhaps it was because of this false sense of honor that Onegin accepted Lensky's challenge. Vladimir, on the other hand, defended the purity of his romantic ideas from the skepticism of a friend. Having perceived Onegin's unsuccessful joke as betrayal and treason, Lensky challenges him to a duel.

Death of Vladimir

Onegin and Lensky, whose comparative characteristics show the essence of the differences in their views, in the course of the development of the plot, they turned from best friends into enemies. The first one, having received a challenge and realizing the senselessness of the duel itself and being wrong, accepts it. The murder of Vladimir turns the whole life of Yevgeny. He is no longer able to be in the places where the tragedy occurred. Tormented by remorse, Onegin begins to rush around the world. However, as can be seen below, changes are taking place in his soul: he becomes more sensitive and responsive to people, his heart opens up for love. However, here too he is disappointed. Comparing all the events, we can conclude that all his misfortunes are retribution for a life lived without a purpose.

conclusions

It can be said with certainty that Lensky's death is symbolic. Involuntarily, it leads to the thought that a romantic, a dreamer, an idealist - a person who has not known reality, must certainly perish when confronted with it. At the same time, skeptics like Onegin remain alive. They cannot be reproached for ignorance of reality or idealism. Onegin knows life very well, knows how to understand people well. But what gave him this knowledge? In addition to disappointment and blues, unfortunately, nothing. The consciousness of one's superiority over others puts a person on a rather dangerous path, which ultimately leads to disunity with the world and egoistic loneliness. The surviving Onegin is of little use to society and does not become happy.

Conclusion

In his novel, Pushkin showed reality as it was at that time. His work warns that in a society rotting from within, only mediocre people, whose interests are shallow and very limited, can find happiness. "Superfluous people" - Eugene Onegin and Lensky (an essay on this subject is included in the school literature course) - are unhappy in this life. They either die or continue to live devastated and disappointed. Even a high position and education do not give them happiness, do not make their path easier. Awareness of their own mistakes comes to them too late. However, it's hard to blame the characters themselves. Their life takes place in the conditions of light, which dictates its rules to them and puts them in certain conditions. Their characters are formed from birth under the influence of what is happening around them. As Pushkin himself says, only the environment made Onegin and Lensky, essentially noble, intelligent people, unhappy and disappointed.

What is he, a contemporary of Pushkin? When you read, or rather, enjoy reading Pushkin's masterpiece, it seems that Alexander Sergeevich wrote about himself.

He calls his protagonist "my good friend", among Onegin's friends there are friends of Pushkin himself, and Pushkin himself is invisibly present everywhere in the novel. However, it would be too primitive to say that Onegin is a self-portrait. Pushkin's soul is too complex and incomprehensible, too multifaceted and contradictory to be reflected in one "typical representative" of the "golden age". Perhaps that is why the young idealist Lensky lived his short bright life in the novel - also part of the poet's soul. Onegin and Lensky, both beloved by the author, so similar and different, close and distant, like the poles of one planet, like two halves of one soul ... How youth inevitably ends, how inevitably the maturity of the mind comes, and with it conformism, so inevitable for Pushkin in the novel, the death of a young romantic.

Eugene Onegin receives a typical aristocratic upbringing. Pushkin writes: “At first, Madame went after him, then Monsieur replaced her.” They taught him everything jokingly, but Onegin nevertheless received the minimum knowledge that was considered mandatory in the nobility. Pushkin, making sketches, seems to recall his youth:

* We all learned a little
* Something and somehow,
* So education, thank God,
* It is not surprising for us to shine ...

* He is perfectly French
* Could speak and write;
* Easy mazurka danced
* And bowed at ease;
* What do you want more?
* Light decided
* That he is smart and very nice.

In his mind, Onegin is much higher than his peers. He knew some classical literature, had an idea about Adam Smith, read Byron, but all this does not lead to romantic, fiery feelings, like in Lensky, or to a sharp political protest, like in Griboedov's Chatsky. A sober, "chilled" mind and satiety with the pleasures of the world led to the fact that Onegin loses interest in life, he falls into a deep blues:

* The blues was waiting for him on guard,
* And she ran after him,
* Like a shadow or a faithful wife.

Out of boredom, Onegin tries to look for the meaning of life in any activity. He reads a lot, tries to write, but the first attempt did not lead to anything. Pushkin writes: "But nothing came out of his pen." In the village where Onegin goes to collect his inheritance, he makes another attempt at practical activity:

* He is a yoke of ancient corvée
* I replaced the quitrent with an easy one;
* And the slave blessed fate.

* But in his corner he pouted,
* Seeing terrible harm in this,
* His prudent neighbor...

But the lordly aversion to work, the habit of freedom and peace, lack of will and pronounced egoism - this is the legacy that Onegin received from the "high society".

In contrast to Onegin, another type of noble youth is given in the image of Lensky. Lensky plays an essential role in understanding Onegin's character. Lensky is a nobleman, he is younger than Onegin in age. He was educated in Germany: He is from foggy Germany He brought the fruits of learning, The spirit is ardent and rather strange ...

The spiritual world of Lensky is associated with a romantic worldview, he is "an admirer of Kant and a poet." Feelings dominate his mind, he believes in love, in friendship, in the decency of people, he is an irreparable idealist who lives in a world of beautiful dreams. Lensky looks at life through rose-colored glasses, he naively finds his soul mate in Olga, the most ordinary girl. Onegin was indirectly the cause of Lensky's death, but in fact he dies from rough contact with cruel reality. What do Onegin and Lensky have in common? Both belong to a privileged circle, they are smart, educated, in their inner development, they stand above those who surround them, the romantic soul of Lensky is looking for beauty everywhere. Onegin went through all this, tired of the hypocrisy and depravity of secular society. Pushkin writes about Lensky: “He was an ignoramus dear at heart, he was cherished by hope, and a new brilliance and noise of the world.” Onegin listened to Lensky's ardent speeches with the smile of an elder, he tried to restrain his irony: “And he thought: it's stupid for me to interfere with his momentary bliss; and without me the time will come; let him live for the time being and believe in the perfection of the world; let us forgive the fever of youth and youthful fever and youthful delirium. For Lensky, friendship is an urgent need of nature, while Onegin is friends "for the sake of boredom", although in his own way he is attached to Lensky. Lensky, who does not know life, embodies a no less common type of advanced noble youth, just like Onegin, disappointed in life.

Pushkin, opposing two young people, nevertheless notes common traits of character. He writes: “They got along. Wave and stone, poetry and prose, ice and fire are not so different from each other. "Not so different." How to understand this phrase? In my opinion, what unites them is that they are both egocentric, they are bright individuals who are focused only on their supposedly unique personality. "The habit of counting everyone as zeros, and as ones - oneself" sooner or later had to lead to a break. Onegin is forced to kill Lensky. Despising the world, he still cherishes his opinion, fearing ridicule and reproach for cowardice. Because of a false concept of honor, he destroys an innocent soul. Who knows what the fate of Lensky would have been if he had survived. Perhaps he would have become a Decembrist, or perhaps just a layman. Belinsky, analyzing the novel, believed that Lensky was waiting for the second option. Pushkin writes: “In many ways he would have changed, parted with the muses, married, happy in the village and would wear a quilted robe with horns.”

I think Onegin was nevertheless internally deeper than Lensky. His "sharp, cool mind" is much more pleasant than Lensky's sublime romanticism, which would quickly disappear, as flowers disappear in late autumn. Only deep natures can experience dissatisfaction with life, Pushkin is closer to Onegin, he writes about himself and about him: L was embittered, he is gloomy, We both knew the game of passions, The life tormented us both, In both hearts the heat died down.

Pushkin openly admits his sympathy for him, many lyrical digressions in the novel are devoted to this. Onegin suffers deeply. This can be understood from the lines: “Why am I not wounded by a bullet in the chest? Why am I not a frail old man, like this poor farmer? I am young, my life is strong; what should I expect? melancholy, melancholy!..” Pushkin embodied in Onegin many of those traits that would later appear in individual characters of Lermontov, Turgenev, Herzen, Goncharov and other writers. And such romantics as Lensky cannot withstand the blows of life: they either reconcile with it or perish.

1. The beginning of Lensky's friendship with Onegin
2. Relations with the Larin family
3. Duel

In the novel by A. S. Pushkin, we meet two young people, educated nobles, rich enough to spend time idly and not depend on anyone. This is Onegin and Lensky. They met in the village; their estates were in the neighborhood, and the men arrived there at about the same time: Onegin from St. Petersburg, and Lensky from Germany, where he studied at the university. The neighbors did not like Eugene: he did not want to communicate with them and did not say “yes” and “no”. And Vladimir, on the contrary, was liked by many, especially girls.

Handsome, in full bloom of years,
Kant's admirer and poet.
He is from foggy Germany
Bring the fruits of learning:
freedom dreams,
The spirit is ardent and rather strange,
Always an enthusiastic speech
And shoulder-length black curls.

Eugene, of course, was not as educated: "We all learned a little something and somehow." Of course, this is ironic, but still Onegin did not graduate from the university and did not know how to write poetry. His main skill was in seducing women, Onegin was spoiled by female attention, an idle lifestyle, because he spent most of his life at balls and in entertainment.

Lensky, on the other hand, was not spoiled by the high society, he retained in his soul the lofty ideals of honor, love and friendship. Lensky expressed all the enthusiasm of his feelings, his sincerity in poetry, he was not only fond of the work of great poets, but also wrote poetry himself. Lensky and Onegin did not talk about feasts and balls, since all this was alien to Lensky, and Onegin was tired. Young people argued a lot about everything in the world: about good and evil, about the meaning of life and about death ... Onegin treated Lensky condescendingly, listening to his enthusiastic conversations with a smile, not trying to insert his “cooling word”, believing that with age Lensky’s naivety will disappear by itself.

Many parents would like to marry their daughters to the young and handsome Lensky, so he was always a welcome guest on all estates, but Lensky was looking not for cordial adventures, but for cordial friendship, spiritual intimacy, recognition, finally. Therefore, he became friends with Onegin:

They agreed. Wave and stone
Poetry and prose, ice and fire
Not so different from each other.

The poet even jokingly remarks that this friendship was formed from “there is nothing to do” (I think it was jokingly, because Pushkin compares his heroes with himself, and we all know what a wonderful friend Alexander Sergeevich was!). Of course, at first, the difference in the views of young people was repulsive, then this difference, on the contrary, they liked:

First, mutual differences
They were boring to each other;
Then they liked it; Then
Riding every day
And soon they became inseparable.

Relations with the Larin family also characterize the heroes of the poem in different ways. Vladimir is fascinated by Olga, Tatiana's sister. He has long been fascinated by her and it would be her dream to see his bride. Lensky often visits the Larins' house, which surprised Onegin, considering such a pastime of Lensky boring. And so Lensky invites Onegin with him to the Larins' house, where he meets Tatyana. Onegin, who has managed to see many beauties, draws attention to Tatyana: “Are you really in love with a smaller one?”

Onegin manifests himself as a more experienced person who knows how to understand people. The tastes of friends differ even in the choice of women. The romantic Lensky is fond of Olga's external qualities, her lightness and cheerfulness, not noticing that she is ordinary and not very smart. He believes in Olga's loyalty, in her love and makes plans for a happy future. Onegin, wise by experience, appreciates women for other qualities, he is more interested in deep and modest girls, in Tatyana he notices a beautiful soul, nobility and tenderness, believing that she can become a wonderful wife, able to be faithful to her husband and love him to the end their days. And he's not wrong about that. We are convinced of this at the end of the novel, when during the last meeting she proves her loyalty to her husband, saying: “But I am given to another; I will be faithful to him forever.

In the scene of Tatyana's name day, Evgeny does not show himself from the best side: he behaves ugly and heartlessly, being kind to his friend's beloved, inviting her to a mazurka and whispering to her "some kind of vulgar madrigal." Hot and romantic, Vladimir cannot excuse his friend's behavior and challenges him to a duel. Onegin behaves coolly, calmly accepting the challenge. Although he scolds himself for making such an evil joke with Lensky:

He blamed himself for many things:
First of all, he was wrong
What is above love, timid, tender
So the evening joked casually ...

The thing is that he was too annoyed, seeing the crowd of neighbors he despised, Tatyana's confusion and agitation, and was angry with Lensky, who deceived him into this gathering. Undoubtedly, Lensky got excited with the duel challenge, while Onegin was too indifferent to it. Eugene should have apologized to his friend, and the matter would have been resolved amicably. Onegin understands that he is older than Vladimir and should have been more circumspect than him, cooling his ardor, not accepting the young poet's tomfoolery. Now Onegin could not cancel the duel, he did not want to “laugh fools”, besides, the old duelist Zaretsky participated in the case: “He is angry, he is a gossip, he is a talker ...”. After Lensky was killed, Onegin runs to him, calling, but too late.

We can say that the friends initially reacted to this story in completely different ways. Lensky treated her with all seriousness, he wanted to protect Olga's honor, punish Onegin, while Onegin treated the duel completely coolly, even overslept, being late for it. Vladimir is worried before the fight, he composes poems dedicated to Olga - his love testament, seeks to spend the last minutes with his beloved, while Eugene is absolutely calm.

Summing up, we can say that Vladimir Lensky in the work is the personification of romanticism, and Onegin is the personification of cold experience. "Ice and fire," as rightly noted in one of the chapters. These two characters are very different, but they seem to complement each other. In Lensky, one can note those qualities of character that Eugene so lacks, and in Onegin there was something that Lensky lacked. Onegin could have cooled Lensky's "flame" with his "ice", but did not. And the poet died.

Onegin and Lensky are the two central characters of the work. For a better representation of the characters, understanding their actions, understanding the concept of personality, insight into the author's intention, we will conduct a comparative description of them.

Education of the main characters

Eugene comes from a noble family. He, the “young rake”, received an upbringing corresponding to his time under the supervision of a tutor from France - upbringing in the spirit of literature, not tied to any national stratum.

Lensky is an endearing young man. Handsome (“black curls”), rich, emotional, full of lofty expectations from life. Paying great attention to the description of the appearance and character of the hero, Alexander Sergeevich is silent about education.

Ideals of Eugene and Vladimir

For a correct perception of Onegin's ideals, it is first necessary to understand what "ideal" means. The concept of "ideal" implies our aspirations. What was Onegin's soul longing for? To harmony. And how did he achieve this? He struggled between the eternal (national) and the temporal (what appeared in his character under the influence of society and extraneous views on life).

The ideals of Lensky are devoted love and sincere friendship until the end of days.

Realist Onegin and dreamer Lensky

The complex and contradictory nature of Eugene corresponds to his time - the same difficult and ambiguous.

Onegin is lazy, full of pride and indifference. Hypocritical and flattering. He likes to slander and criticize. At the celebration of life, most likely, superfluous. Noticeably different from his surroundings, trying to find the meaning of life. Unwillingness to work, despondency, melancholy, lack of life goals, skepticism are the hallmarks of the “extra person”, to which Onegin is ranked.

Vladimir Lensky is the opposite of his neighbor. Not a rebel. Enthusiastic, freedom-loving, always in dreams. Romantic. His genuine sincerity, spiritual purity, honesty and directness are captivating, but Lensky is not an ideal. The meaning of life is a mystery. What functional load, according to the idea of ​​the author of the novel, does this character carry in the work? The meaning of Vladimir is to emphasize the character of Eugene.

These two characters are different. But at the same time, their similarities are noticeable: the lack of prospects, a suitable occupation in life, the indecision of character.

The relationship of characters to poetry

“Yawning, he took up the pen, wanted to write…”. I wonder what literary genre Eugene gravitates towards? It is unlikely that poetry (“he could not distinguish iambic from chorea ... distinguish ...”). But one cannot say that writing poems was alien to him. He did not understand the real meaning of great poetry, but he nevertheless tried to occupy himself with the selection of rhyme.

Epigrams - that's what Onegin had enough imagination for. (Here we will make a small digression and explain that an epigram is a short poem, the purpose of which is to ridicule a person or event). Onegin loved epigrams to "excite the smile of the ladies."

In opposition to Onegin, Lensky respects poetry. After all, he is a poet. He dedicates his poems to his bride Olga.

Love in the lives of heroes

Eugene, "considered an invalid in love", is skeptical about the sublime feeling, with some irony and pragmatism. At the end of the novel, his attitude changes. Feelings awaken in him, hitherto unknown, to Tatyana.

Lensky was in a state of falling in love (“sang love”).

Difference in perception of life

According to Onegin, existence is meaningless and empty. The days are filled with sadness and gloom. There are no goals, no striving forward.

Lensky soars on the bustle. His romantic, emotional and naive nature is not characterized by a deep understanding of life.

Conclusion

Onegin and Lensky are clear opposites. They are distinguished by a warehouse of character, ideals, attitude to life and love. Deep in Onegin's soul lies a good beginning, but the reader is aware of internal conflicts and disharmony.

Lensky appears as freedom-loving and dreamy, sincerely believing in his ideals. It is not attached to reality, it has no foundation.