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Signs inherent in the genre of the novel captain's daughter. Captain's daughter

Signs inherent in the genre of the novel captain's daughter. Captain's daughter

28.03.2019

« Captain's daughter"- a romance-growing up. This is the story of the growing up of Pyotr Grinev, who from a "green" young man reincarnates into a responsible man, having gone through severe life trials. He happened to take a direct part in the Pugachev uprising, and all his principles were thoroughly tested. He passed it, retaining his dignity and remaining true to his oath. The narration is in the form of memoirs, and the hero himself sums up the results of life from the height of his own experience.

Many readers think that The Captain's Daughter is just a story, but they are mistaken: a work of such volume cannot belong to small prose. Whether this is a story or a novel is an open question.

The writer himself lived at a time when full-fledged large epic genres attributed only those multi-volume works that are comparable in volume to Anna Karenina, for example, or to " Noble nest”, so he no doubt called his creation a story. In Soviet literary criticism, it was also considered so.

However, the work has all the hallmarks of a novel: the action covers a long period of time from the life of the characters, the book contains many minor characters, described in detail and not directly related to the main storyline, throughout the story characters undergoing spiritual evolution. In addition, the author shows all the stages of Grinev's growing up, which also clearly indicates the genre. That is, we have before us a typical historical novel, since the writer, while working on it, took facts from the past as a basis, and then Scientific research which he undertook to understand the phenomenon of the peasant war and convey it to posterity in the form of objective knowledge.

But the riddles did not end there, it remains to be decided what direction stands at the origins of the work "The Captain's Daughter": realism or romanticism? Pushkin's colleagues, in particular Gogol and Odoevsky, argued that his book, more than anyone else, influenced the development of realism in Russia. However, in favor of romanticism is the fact that historical material is taken as the basis, and the reader's attention is focused on the contradictory and tragic personality rebel Pugachev - exactly the same romantic hero. Therefore, both answers will be correct, because after the successful literary discovery of the sun of Russian poetry, Russia was overwhelmed by the fashion for prose, moreover, realistic.

History of creation

Pushkin was partly inspired to create The Captain's Daughter by Walter Scott, master historical novel. His works began to be translated, and the Russian public was delighted with adventurous plots and mysterious immersion in another era. Then the writer was just working on a chronicle of the uprising, scientific work dedicated to the peasant revolt of Pugachev. He has accumulated a lot useful material for implementation artistic intent to reveal to the reader a storehouse of eventful Russian history.

At first, he planned to describe precisely the betrayal of a Russian nobleman, and not a moral feat. The author wanted to focus on the personality of Emelyan Pugachev, and at the same time show the motives of the officer who violated the oath and joined the rebellion. The prototype would be Mikhail Shvanvich, really existing person, who, out of fear for his fate, was at the office of the rebel, and then also testified against him. However, for censorship reasons, the book could hardly have been published, so the writer had to step on his throat own song and portray a more patriotic story, especially historical examples he had enough courage. But a negative example fit to create the image of Shvabrin.

The book was published a month before the death of the author in his own journal Sovremennik, published on behalf of Grinev. Many noted that the trowel's style of narration of that time was conveyed by the writer, so many readers were confused and did not understand who the true creator of the memoirs was. By the way, censorship nevertheless took its toll, removing from public access the chapter on the peasant revolt in the Simbirsk province, where Peter himself comes from.

The meaning of the name

The work, oddly enough, is not titled in honor of Grinev or Pugachev, so you can’t immediately say what it is about. The novel is called "The Captain's Daughter" in honor of Maria Mirova, the main character of the book. Pushkin, thus, pays tribute to the courage of the girl, which no one expected from her. She dared to ask the Empress herself for the traitor! And she begged for forgiveness for her savior.

Besides, this story so called also because Marya was driving force storytelling. Out of love for her, the young man always chose a feat. Until she occupied all his thoughts, he was pathetic: he did not want to serve, he lost large sums in cards, he behaved arrogantly with a servant. As soon as sincere feeling awakened courage, nobility and courage in him, the reader did not recognize Petrusha: he turned from a minor into a responsible and brave man, to whom patriotism and awareness of his own “I” came through strong emotions addressed to a woman.

Historical basis

The events in the work took place during the reign of Catherine II. historical phenomenon in the novel "The Captain's Daughter" is called "Pugachevshchina" (this phenomenon was studied by Pushkin). This is Yemelyan Pugachev's rebellion against the tsarist government. It took place in the 18th century. The described actions take place in the Belgorod fortress, where the rebel went, gaining strength to storm the capital.

The Peasant War of 1773 - 1775 unfolded in the southeast Russian Empire. It was attended by serfs and factory peasants, representatives of national minorities (Kyrgyz, Bashkirs) and Ural Cossacks. All of them were outraged by the predatory policy of the ruling elite and the increasing enslavement common people. People who did not agree with the fate of the slaves fled to the outskirts of the country and formed armed gangs with the aim of robbery. The fugitive "souls" were already outside the law, so they had no choice. Over them tragic fate and the author reflects, portraying the leader of the uprising, not devoid of virtue and laudable character traits.

But Catherine II demonstrates a strong temper and remarkable cruelty. The Empress, according to historians, really was strong-willed nature, but did not shy away from tyranny and other charms of absolute power. Her policy strengthened the nobility, granting him all sorts of privileges, but the common people were forced to bear the burden of these benefits. The royal court lived in grand style, and not noble people starved, endured violence and the humiliation of a slave position, lost, sold under the hammer. Naturally, social tension only grew, and Catherine did not use folk love. A foreign woman was involved in a conspiracy and, with the help of the military, overthrew her husband, the legitimate ruler of Russia. The serfs, beaten and squeezed in the grip of injustice, believed that the murdered Peter the Third was preparing a decree on their release, and his wife killed him for it. Emelyan Pugachev took advantage of superstition and rumors, Don Cossack who proclaimed himself the surviving king. He spurred the discontent of the armed Cossacks, whose petitions no one listened to, and inspired the peasants, tortured by arbitrariness and corvée, to revolt.

What is the piece about?

We get acquainted with Petrusha, an undergrowth, who can only "sensibly judge the properties of a greyhound male." All his aspirations are in the "dust-free service" in St. Petersburg. However, we see that a huge impact on young man provided by the father. He teaches his son to serve the fatherland, to preserve the traditions of the family, not to give of great importance awards. Having received such a strict upbringing, the young man goes to serve. What is told in his “tale of bitter torment” is plot outline works. The fact is that we learn all this from the lips of the venerable old nobleman, what Peter became.

There, far from his father's home, the hero goes through a harsh school of life: first, he plays cards and offends his faithful servant, experiencing pangs of conscience. Later, he falls in love with Maria Mironova and risks his life in a duel with Shvabrin, defending the honor of his beloved. The father, having learned about the cause of the fight, refuses to bless the marriage with the dowry. After capture Belogorsk fortress Peter remains true to his oath, and nobility grants him the indulgence of Pugachev: he respects the choice of the young man and does not touch him. The rebel's decision was influenced by the kindness of the prisoner: once on the road he gave the Cossack a short fur coat and treated him very kindly. A simple man appreciated the mercy of the master and returned the favor with a favor. Pushkin confronts them more than once, and the nobleman is always rescued by his directness and generosity.

His trials did not end there: life put him before a choice between saving his beloved and serving, the good name of an officer. Then the hero chooses love and disobeys the order of the boss, freeing his beloved on his own from the hands of Shvabrin. Alexey forced the girl to marry him. Pugachev again shows respect for the daredevil and releases the captive. However, the autocratic power does not forgive free will, and Grinev is arrested. Fortunately, Masha managed to beg Catherine II for a pardon. This is what is said in the novel "The Captain's Daughter", which ended happy ending: young people get married with the received blessing. But now the leader of the uprising is sentenced to quartering.

Main characters and their characteristics

The main characters of the novel are Pyotr Grinev, Maria Mironova, Emelyan Pugachev, Arkhip Savelyev, Alesya Shvabrin and Catherine II. The characters are so numerous that their description would take more than one article, so we neglect them.

- nobleman, officer main character. He received a strict upbringing in the house of his father, a retired military man. He is only 16 years old, but his parents felt that he was ready for service. He is poorly educated, does not particularly aspire to anything and does not in any way resemble perfect man. Going on a journey, the young man bears little resemblance to a soldier: good-natured, gullible, unstable to temptations and not knowing life. He is spoiled, because at first he loses a significant amount in cards and does not understand why Savelich (his servant) reacts emotionally to this. He does not know the value of money, but he shows arrogance and rudeness towards a devoted servant. However, innate conscientiousness does not allow him to continue to continue to be carried away by garrison pity. Soon he falls seriously in love with the daughter of the captain of the fortress, and from that moment begins his growing up: he becomes brave, courageous and courageous. For example, in a duel with Shvabrin, the young man fought honestly and boldly, unlike his opponent. Further, we see an ardent and passionate lover in his face, and after a while he is ready to risk his life for the sake of honor, refusing to swear allegiance to Pugachev. This act betrays in him a highly moral and firm person in his convictions. Later, he will show valor more than once, fighting the enemy, but when the fate of his beloved is at stake, he will neglect caution and set off to save her. This betrays the depth of feeling in him. Even in captivity, Peter does not blame the woman and is ready to accept unfair punishment, if only everything was fine with her. In addition, it is impossible not to note the self-criticism and maturity of judgments inherent in Grinev in old age.
Marya Mironova- the daughter of the captain of the fortress, main character. She is 18 years old. Masha's appearance is described in detail: "... Then a girl of about eighteen entered, chubby, ruddy, with light blond hair, combed smoothly behind her ears, which she was on fire ...". In addition, it is mentioned that she is the owner of an "angelic" voice and good heart. Her family is poor, owns only one serf, so she cannot claim marriage with Peter (who has 300 souls). But the young charmer is distinguished by prudence, sensitivity and generosity, because she sincerely worries about the fate of her lover. Naturalness and gullibility make the heroine an easy prey for the wicked Shvabrin, who tries to woo her with meanness. But Marya is cautious and not stupid, therefore she easily recognizes falsehood and depravity in Alexei and avoids him. She is also characterized by loyalty and courage: the girl does not betray her beloved and bravely goes to unfamiliar city to obtain an audience with the Empress herself.
Pugachev in the novel "The Captain's Daughter" appears before readers in two guises: bold and noble man, able to appreciate devotion and honor, and a cruel tyrant who without restraint arranges executions and reprisals. We understand that the rebel's message is noble, he wants to defend the rights of ordinary people. However, the way he fights lawlessness does not justify him in any way. Although we sympathize with Pugachev - decisive, courageous, intelligent - his cruelty makes us doubt the correctness of his path. In the episode of the first meeting, we see a smart and cunning governor, in a dialogue with Grinev - an unfortunate person who knows that he is doomed. The Kalmyk tale told by Pugachev reveals his attitude to life: he wants to live it freely, albeit fleetingly. It is impossible not to note his personal qualities: he is a leader, the first among equals. He is obeyed unconditionally, and this corrupts his nature. For example, the scenes of the capture of the fortress demonstrate the cruelty of Pugachev's power, such despotism is unlikely to lead to freedom (the death of the Mironovs, the abduction of Masha, destruction). Image idea: Pugachev is naturally endowed with a heightened sense of justice, intelligence and talent, but he does not pass the test of war and unlimited power: the people's choice has become the same tyrant as the empress, against whom he rebelled.
Catherine II. A sweet woman in a house dress turns into an adamant ruler when she listens to a request for a traitor. Masha Mironova at Catherine's reception tries to talk about Peter's extenuating circumstances, but the Empress does not want to hear reasonable arguments and evidence, she is only interested in her own opinion. She condemned the "traitor" without trial, which is very significant for autocratic power. That is, its monarchy is hardly better than Pugachev's.
Alexey Shvabrin- Officer. Peter and Alexey, it would seem, are similar in their own way. social status and age, but circumstances breed them according to different sides barricade. After the very first test, Shvabrin, unlike Grinev, makes a moral fall, and the faster the plot develops, the more obvious that Alexei is a vile and cowardly person who achieves everything in life with cunning and meanness. Features of his character are manifested in the course of love conflict: he wins Masha's favor with hypocrisy, secretly slandering her and her family. The capture of the fortress finally puts everything in its place: he was ready for betrayal (he found a peasant dress, cut his hair), and Grinev would rather prefer death to breaking the oath. The final disappointment in him comes when the hero tries to force and blackmail the girl to marry him.
Savelich (Arkhip Saveliev)- elderly servant He is kind, caring and devoted to the young master. It is his resourcefulness that helps Peter avoid reprisals. Risking his life, the peasant comes to the defense of the master and speaks with Pugachev himself. He is distinguished by thriftiness, a sober lifestyle, stubbornness and a tendency to read notations. He is distrustful, likes to grumble, argue and bargain. Knows the value of money and saves it for the owner.

Pushkin in the novel "The Captain's Daughter" gives a detailed description of the characters, giving the reader the opportunity to figure out his own likes and dislikes. Not in the book author's assessment what is happening, because the memoirist is one of the characters.

Theme of the story

Themes come to the fore in the work moral choice, decency, dignity. Grinev demonstrates high moral values, and Shvabrin lacks them, and we see the influence of these circumstances on their destinies. So Pushkin shows that moral superiority always gives a person an advantage, even though he disdains cunning, which would lead him to the goal faster. Despite the fact that Alesei used all his resourcefulness, the victory still remained with Peter: Maria remained with him like a good name.
Honor and dishonor. Each hero faced a choice between honor and dishonor, and everyone made it differently: Maria preferred devotion to a profitable marriage (Peter's father initially did not consent to marriage, so she risked remaining an old maid, driving Alexei away), Grinev decided more than once in favor of moral duty, even when it was a matter of life and death, but Shvabrin always chose profit, shame was not terrible for him. We discussed this issue in detail in the essay "".
The theme of education. An example of the main character will help to understand what good means. family education, that is, what is not enough for dishonorable people, and how it affects their lives. Shvabrin's childhood passed us by, but we can say with confidence that he did not receive the most important spiritual foundations on which nobility is built.
The main themes include love: the union of Peter and Mary is an ideal for loving hearts. The hero and heroine throughout the novel defended their right to life together even against parental will. They were able to prove that they deserve each other: Grinev repeatedly stood up for the girl, and she saved him from execution. The theme of love is revealed with the sensitivity inherent in Pushkin: young people swear an oath to each other eternal devotion, even if fate never brings them together again. And they fulfill their obligations.
Examples from "The Captain's Daughter" will be useful for the topics "man and state", "power and man". They illustrate the violent nature of power, which cannot but be cruel by definition.

Main problems

The problem of power. Pushkin argues which government is better and why: anarchic, spontaneous Pugachevism or Catherine's monarchy? Obviously, the peasants preferred the first to the second, risking their own lives. The nobles, on the contrary, defended the order that was convenient for them. Public controversy divided united people into two opposing camps, and each, it turns out, has its own truth and its own charter. Historical issues includes questions about the justice of the rebellion, the moral assessment of its leader, the legality of the actions of the empress, etc.
The problem of man and history. What role do historical events play in the fate of a person? Obviously, the rebellion put Peter in a difficult position: he was forced to test his character for strength. Surrounded by enemies, he did not change his convictions and risked openly not taking their side. He was threatened with certain death, but he preferred honor to life, and kept both. Pugachevism is dark side stories, with the help of which Pushkin shaded the fate of the characters. This is evidenced even by the title of the novel "The Captain's Daughter": the author named it after a fictional heroine, and not Pugachev or Ekaterina.
The problem of growing up and educating a person. What must a person go through to become an adult? Thanks to the Pugachev rebellion, the young man matured early and became a real warrior, but the price of such evolution can be called too expensive.
The problem of moral choice. In the work there are antagonist heroes Shvabrin and Grinev, who behave differently. One chooses betrayal for his own good, the other puts honor above personal interests. Why is their behavior so different? What influenced them moral development? The author comes to the conclusion that the problem of immorality can be solved only individually: if morality is respected in the family, then all its representatives will follow the duty, and if not, then the person will not stand the test and will only crawl and cheat, and not protect honor.
The problem of honor and duty. The hero sees his destiny in the service of the Empress, but in reality it turns out that she is not worth much in the eyes of Catherine. Yes, and duty, if you look at it, is very doubtful: while the people were rebelling against arbitrariness, the army helped to suppress it, and the question of honor to participate in this violent act is very doubtful.
One of the main problems of the work "The Captain's Daughter" is social inequality. It was it that stood between the citizens of one country and directed them against each other. Pugachev rebelled against him and, seeing Grinev's friendly gesture, spared him: he hated not the nobles, but their arrogance towards the people who fed the entire state.

The meaning of the work

Any government is hostile to common man, be it the imperial crown or war chiefs. It always provides for the suppression of the individual and a strict regime that is contrary to human nature. “God forbid to see a Russian rebellion, senseless and merciless,” Pushkin sums up. This is the main idea of the work. Therefore, serving the fatherland and the king are not the same thing. Grinev honestly fulfilled his duty, but he could not leave his beloved in the hands of a villain, and his, in fact, heroic actions are regarded by the empress as a betrayal. If Peter had not done this, he would have already been served, became a weak-willed slave of a system to which human life is alien. Therefore, mere mortals, who are not allowed to change the course of history, need to maneuver between orders and their own moral principles otherwise the error will be too costly.

Beliefs determine a person's actions: Grinev was raised by a decent nobleman and behaved accordingly, but Shvabrin did not pass the test, his life values limited to the desire to win at any cost. Pushkin's idea is also felt in this - to show how to preserve honor if temptations frolic from all sides. According to the author, it is necessary to instill in boys and girls from childhood an understanding of morality and true nobility, which is expressed not in the panache of dress, but in worthy behavior.

A person's maturation is inevitably connected with trials that determine his moral maturity. They should not be feared, they should be overcome courageously and with dignity. It is too the main idea novel The Captain's Daughter. If Peter had remained a “connoisseur of greyhound cables” and an official in St. Petersburg, then his life would have been ordinary and, most likely, he would not have understood anything about it. But the adventures that his stern father pushed him to quickly raised a man in a young man who understood a lot about military affairs, love and the people around him.

What does it teach?

The novel has a pronounced edifying tone. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin calls on people to cherish their honor from a young age and not to succumb to the temptations to turn off the honest path onto a crooked path. A moment's advantage is not worth the loss good name, this statement is illustrated by a love triangle, where the main character chooses the worthy and virtuous Peter, and not the cunning and resourceful Alexei. One sin inevitably leads to another, and the string of falls ends in complete collapse.

Also in The Captain's Daughter there is a message to love faithfully and not give up on your dreams, no matter what happens. Marya is a dowry, and any marriage proposal should have been in her case great luck. However, she rejects Alexei over and over again, although she risks being left with nothing. Peter's engagement was denied, and he would hardly have gone against his parent's blessing. But the girl dismissed all rational arguments and remained faithful to Grinev, even when there was no reason for hope. The same was true of her lover. For constancy, both heroes were rewarded by fate.

Criticism

V. F. Odoevsky in a letter to Pushkin expressed his admiration for the story, he especially liked Savelich and Pugachev - they are "masterfully drawn." However, he considered the image of Shvabrin unviable: he was not ardent and stupid enough to take the side of the rebels and believe in their success. In addition, he demanded marriage from the girl, although he could use her at any moment, since she was only a prisoner: “Masha has been in his power for so long, but he does not use these minutes.”

P. A. Katerinin calls the historical novel “natural, alluring and smart”, noting its similarity with “Eugene Onegin”.

V. A. Sollogub highly appreciated the restraint and logic of the narrative, rejoicing that Pushkin "overcame himself" and did not indulge in lengthy descriptions and "impulses". He commented on the style of the work as follows: “he calmly distributed all parts of his story in due proportion, approved his style with dignity, calmness and conciseness of history and conveyed a historical episode in a simple but harmonious language.” The critic believes that a writer has never been so exalted in the value of his books.

N.V. Gogol said that The Captain's Daughter was much better than anything that had been published earlier in the world of prose. He said that reality itself seems like a caricature compared to what the writer portrayed.

V. G. Belinsky was more restrained in his praises and singled out only secondary characters, the description of which is “a miracle of perfection”. The primary characters did not make any impression on him: “The insignificant, colorless character of the hero of the story and his beloved Marya Ivanovna and the melodramatic character of Shvabrin, although they belong to the sharp shortcomings of the story, however, do not prevent it from being one of the remarkable works of Russian literature.” P. I. Tchaikovsky also spoke about the spinelessness of Masha Mironova, who refused to write an opera based on this novel.

A. M. Skabichevsky also analyzed the work, speaking of the book with unfailing respect: "... historical impartiality, the complete absence of any patriotic glorifications and sober realism you see ... in Pushkin's The Captain's Daughter." He, unlike Bellinsky, praised the image of the protagonist and noted his exceptional truthfulness and typical features for the era being depicted.

Conflicting characteristics were given by the critic N.N. Strakhov and the historian V.O. Klyuchevsky. The first criticized Pushkin for being historical tale has nothing to do with history, but is a chronicle of the fictional Grinev family. The second, on the contrary, spoke of the book's exceptional historicism and that even the author's research says less about Pugachevism than a historical work.

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Pushkin was consummate master concise, succinct word. His meaningful phrases sometimes carry more information than entire newspaper articles. Until now, literary critics have been arguing and discussing what the "Captain's Daughter" is: a story, or a novel.

In Russian literary criticism, it is customary to call a novel large multifaceted works in which significant historical events are depicted, epochs are covered. Additional ones are intertwined with the main storyline.

The genre of the story is prose work with main protagonist limited storylines time frame, scope of work.

The captain's daughter is a small book of medium thickness. Pushkin himself defined the genre of this work as a story. But modern literary critics lean more towards the genre of the historical novel. Indeed, against the background of Tolstoy's novels "War and Peace" by Anna Karenina or "The Idiot" by Dostoyevsky, Pushkin's "novel" looks more than modest.

In this work, in a concise form, quite a few significant events, fiction is intertwined with historical truth, real historical heroes. Although, if we recall that Pushkin went to the Orenburg province to collect material about the Pugachev rebellion, it is possible that he brought the story about the events that took place in the Belogorsk fortress from there.

One chapter contains the growing up and education of a noble undergrowth, who was brought up at first, and then he was discharged from Moscow by a French tutor who did not really bother to educate a young nobleman.

At the age of 17, Pyotr Grinev was sent to the service by his father. But not to Petersburg, which, according to the father, will corrupt the young man, but further away, to Orenburg, under the command of a former colleague.

The subsequent chapters describe the acquaintance, the Pugachev rebellion and the death of Captain Mironov, his wife, and the capture of their daughter. The image of Shvabrin, his actions are a separate storyline in Pushkin's work.

There are several story lines. Some of them are mentioned here. It is worth adding the siege of Orenburg, Grinev's participation in the hostilities against Pugachev under the command of Zurin, Grinev's arrest and Masha's meeting with the Empress. All this allows us to classify The Captain's Daughter as a genre of the novel.

The entire work is written in a short, thesis form of memoirs. This brevity allows the reader to speculate on the plots, reflect on the actions and characters of the characters, and complete the sketchy images.

Is it possible to classify The Captain's Daughter as a novel genre? Literary critics answer this question in the affirmative. We can agree with them or accept the opinion of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin himself.

The events of A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" takes place against the backdrop of the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev. The story is told on behalf of the main character, Pyotr Grinev, who was a participant in those events and managed to maintain the honor and courage of a real officer, having gone through a harsh life test. We invite you to familiarize yourself with brief analysis works according to the plan "The Captain's Daughter". This material can be used to work in literature lessons in grade 8, and in preparation for the exam.

Brief analysis

Year of writing- 1883 - 1836

History of creation- Pushkin worked on the story during the period from 1833 to 1836. At first, the poet wanted to create a documentary essay, but in the process of studying historical materials, he had the idea of creating a work of art.

Subject- The main theme of "The Captain's Daughter" is the moral choice in difficult conditions, the preservation of honor and dignity. Also in the text there are themes of love and education.

Composition- The story is built in the form of notes of a young nobleman, in which he tells a story about the Pugachev uprising.

Genre- There is still an open question about the genre of The Captain's Daughter. Artwork covers big period time, phases of growing up of the protagonist, historical documentary data, all this allows us to attribute this essay to the genre of the novel. At the time of the writer, multi-volume works were considered novels, and The Captain's Daughter received the genre of a story.

Direction- Realism and romanticism.

History of creation

The history of the creation of the "Captain's Daughter" has many motives, some of which the writer learned from the novels of Walter Scott, in whose works there were historical facts. The poet studied history Russian state, and the figure of Emelyan Pugachev aroused great interest in him. Pushkin collected historical facts, conducted conversations with participants in the events Pugachev rebellion. Initially, his decision was to create a documentary historical work. The writer had collected a lot of material, and he came up with the idea of writing artistic narrative, where the image of Pugachev was more clearly expressed. The author began work on The Captain's Daughter in 1833, the final year of writing the story was 1836.

In The Captain's Daughter, the analysis of the work requires the disclosure of the main idea of this narrative. Any power acts on the suppression of the individual, using a hard regime. The poet comes to the conclusion that: "God forbid to see a Russian rebellion, senseless and merciless." This is the whole point of his story.

Subject

The theme of the peasant revolution covers the huge problems of that troubled time. Main problems"The Captain's Daughter" is the problem of power, the moral choice of a person, his place in history, and, as one of the components, the problem of education.

The fact is that the meaning of the name"The Captain's Daughter" contains the essence of the whole work. Against the backdrop of a love theme, the whole action of the story takes place. It was Maria Mironova who became the catalyst for all Grinev's actions, for her sake, he is ready for exploits. The feeling of love experienced by Grinev plays a big role in the formation of his character, this is also expressed in the conflict with Shvabrin, when Grinev, without hesitation, defends the girl's honor, and in the episode with Pugachev, when the nobleman again tries to protect Maria and save her life.

Pugachev, seeing such selflessness and courage of Grinev, adequately assesses his behavior. And Maria herself, this timid and defenseless girl, for the love of Grinev, dared to seek help from Catherine II herself.

Thanks to the feeling of love awakened in him, Grinev was able to demonstrate high moral principles, he opposed himself to Pugachev, but was able to maintain honor and dignity, important role The worthy upbringing of the young man also played a role in this.

Shvabrin, with his lack of spirituality and petty vile character, could not stand the test, and easily committed betrayal. His dodgy nature is ready only to save his life by any means.

Composition

The features of the composition used by the writer allowed him to overcome censorship barriers. With their expressive artistic means, as if setting out the essence of the events through the mouth of Grinev, the author reliably and consistently presents the historical facts of the peasant revolution.

The compositional construction of the story describes two opposing camps, between which there is a war. Emelyan Pugachev is at the head of the people's camp, and Catherine II is at the head of the nobles.

By contrast, the great Russian poet makes it clear what these opposing forces really are. Descriptions of landscapes are of great importance in the story. Drawn with maximum accuracy, they fully correspond to the events taking place, giving them great expressiveness and significance.

Comparing all the above facts of analysis, we can conclude that the moral maturity of a person comes through tests to which his convictions are subjected. Much in the formation of character depends on education, on the environment where a person lived and was brought up. An important role in this is played by the personal example of senior comrades, their dedication and courage, firm conviction that they are right, purposefulness and unshakable will.

Understanding what this work teaches, it becomes clear that the author calls for the fact that the honor of a person is brought up from a young age, and only firm convictions, And strong will enable them to make the right moral choice.

Main characters

Genre

Many of the critics praised genre originality Pushkin's stories.

The poet's contemporaries were convinced that his book belongs to the direction of realism, reflecting real events, but descriptions using historical materials central figure which is the romantic hero Pugachev, give him the characteristics of romanticism.

Both the historical line and romantic plot, all this leaves the story "The Captain's Daughter" popular today.

The question seems strange - the author answered it both definitely and categorically: a historical novel. Back in 1830, reflecting on this genre, he wrote: “In our time, by the word novel we mean the historical era developed in fictional narrative". Seems clear? Indeed, doesn't The Captain's Daughter correspond to this Pushkinian understanding of the novel? Isn't it revealed historical era popular uprising, developed on the basis of a fictional narrative?

When The Captain's Daughter was written and the manuscript handed over to the censor, Pushkin wrote to him on October 25, 1836: “The name of the maiden Mironova is fictitious. My novel is based on a legend…” No less common is the view that Pushkin wrote a “family chronicle,” the history of two patriarchal families, the Grinevs and the Mironovs. The origin of such an interpretation of The Captain's Daughter (accepted by many Soviet Pushkinists) is extremely interesting and instructive, and therefore deserves the closest attention.

And, finally, the last "point of view: the form of" The Captain's Daughter "is memories, and therefore the narration is conducted on behalf of Grinev, and Pushkin acts only as the publisher of his "notes". Consideration of the memoir form of The Captain's Daughter not only did not help the understanding of the genre, but even more complicated its study. Even more so, because with these estates a new and, perhaps, the most difficult problem arises. What is its essence? If the author is the narrator Grinev, then what is the position of another author, Pushkin, in this case?

Pushkin studies solve this problem in a contradictory way. Some believe that Grinev's announcement as an "author" is a simple hoax of Pushkin and refer to Belkin's Tale. Grinev, they say, is the same author as I am Belkin. Others argue that the narrow-minded, close in his mental level to Mitrofan Prostakov, Grinev simply could not write like that, could not raise significant public and moral issues, which are raised in "The Captain's Daughter". All this, they say, only Pushkin can do. Still others prefer evasive answers. Of course, they write, it is necessary to trust Pushkin and recognize Grinev's authorship, but in some cases, at times, Pushkin undoubtedly uses Grinev to express his convictions, Pushkin's views are manifested in Grinev's words.

Defining the genre of The Captain's Daughter should give the researcher a clue to understanding the novel as a whole. That is why, despite the difficulties, when starting to analyze Pushkin's work, it is necessary first of all to clarify its genre.

The history of the emergence of the concept of "The Captain's Daughter" as a "family chronicle" is very instructive. It is possible to establish with accuracy the time and causes that led to its appearance. It was put forward by Apollon Grigoriev in 1859. The critic did not analyze, did not consider The Captain's Daughter, but, based on his soil-based convictions, he interpreted Pushkin as the spokesman for truly Russian ideals, who embodied "the highest aspirations and the whole spirit of meekness and love ..."

Pushkin's ideal, according to Grigoriev, was most fully expressed in Belkin. “The type of Ivan Petrovich Belkin was almost the favorite type of the poet in the last era of his activity. What state of mind expressed to us by the poet in this type and what is his own mental attitude to this type, getting into the skin, taking the look of which he tells us so many good-natured stories, among other things, “Chronicle of the village of Gorokhin” (At that time the name of the work was read erroneously) and the Grinev family chronicle, this ancestor of all the current “family chronicles”?

So it was "the word is found." The “family chronicle” genre imposed on The Captain’s Daughter made it possible to imagine Pushkin as the creator of a “positive Russian person”, in love with the patriarchal landlord life with “humble, Savelich”. Moreover, such a definition polemically rejected the prevailing view of the novel as a chronicle of the events of a great popular uprising. This view of Pushkin's novel was expressed most consistently before Grigoriev II. A. Vyazemsky. In an article of 1847, he wrote: “In The Captain's Daughter, the history of the Pugachev rebellion or the details about it are somehow more alive than in the story itself. In this story, you briefly get acquainted with the situation in Russia in this strange and terrible time. Pugachev himself is depicted aptly and impressively. You see him, you hear him."

Apollon Grigoriev wrote his article twelve years after Vyazemsky and called it "A look at Russian literature since the death of Pushkin." It is hardly by chance that the critic almost repeated the title of Vyazemsky's article - "A look at our literature in the decade after Pushkin's death." The “look” of the Westerner Vyazemsky was opposed by his own “Look”. According to Vyazemsky, Pushkin created historical chronicle, a story about the terrible time of the Pugachev rebellion, capturing masterfully in “ compressed picture"Russia" from the fortress of Belogorsk up to Tsarskoye Selo. Heroes Pushkin's novel"belong to the Russian epic about Pugachev." Apollon Grigoriev claims: no, Pushkin wrote a “family chronicle” and told a “good-natured story” about privacy Grinev. The critic hushes up the image of Pugachev and declaratively declares Pushkin a singer of humility, which most fully reveals the “Russian type”. In this he sees the greatness of Pushkin and the secret of his enormous influence on literature.

“All our veins were beating in Pushkin's nature, and at the present moment our literature develops only his tasks - especially the type and view of Belkin. Belkin, who wrote the chronicle of the Grinev family in The Captain's Daughter, also wrote the chronicle of the Bagrov family…”.

The tendentiousness of such an interpretation of Pushkin's novel is obvious. I would only like to emphasize this frankness of interpretation of The Captain's Daughter for the sake of his favorite idea: the critic not only hushed up the most important pictures in the novel peasant uprising, but announces Pugachev episodic person, claiming that Pushkin portrayed Pugachev "for a glimpse". The novel has fourteen chapters; Pugachev is present in eight chapters of them - as a rule, as a central character, on which the fate of Grinev and Masha Mironova depends. ABOUT last meeting Grinev with Pugachev (from Moscow, at the time of the execution of the latter) reports the “publisher” - Pushkin.

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What is the genre of The Captain's Daughter?

Why is it necessary to define the genre of this work

The most popular judgments about the genre of this book contradict each other. This applies equally to both the definition of the main genre (story or novel) and its features. It's easier to say, if you nevertheless characterize this work as a novel, then you need to understand what it is: historical, family, love.

So, let's try to analyze how this book combines the features of various genres. Also, we will try to come to a certain conclusion that will make you feel more knowledgeable if someone suddenly asks you: "Indicate the genre of the work" The Captain's Daughter ".

Understanding "The Captain's Daughter" as a story

So, we need to understand what genre of the work "The Captain's Daughter" is. Let's try to figure out whether this is a novel or a story. Researchers who adhere to the first opinion proceed from the fact that this work is small in volume and covers a short period. The first adherent of this point of view is considered to be V.G. Belinsky, who finds Grinev and his entourage mediocre and colorless.

Definition of The Captain's Daughter as a Novel of Education

The Captain's Daughter can be considered a kind of parenting novel. The main character changes a lot in a relatively short period time. Constantly facing dangers, Grinev learns to overcome them. According to literary traditions, the presence of an adventure at the beginning of the work and the motive of the road (the symbol is characteristic of an educational novel. If you re-revise the work, then make sure that most of the time the main character is on the road.

So, the genre of the work "The Captain's Daughter" by Pushkin A.S. can rightly be defined as a novel of education.

Features of a love story in The Captain's Daughter

It should be noted that the novel contains love affair. In addition, at this work there is an invariable feature of this genre - a love triangle.

However, the theme of love in the work is not the leading one, although, undoubtedly, it shows the birth of the feeling of Peter and Masha, the duel for her beloved, separation, the union of Grinev and Mary at the end of the book. Nevertheless love theme in the book, rather, goes by the wayside. She is not the main one.

So, the genre of the work "The Captain's Daughter" cannot be defined as a love story, although the theme of love is present in the work.

Historical novel "The Captain's Daughter"

A significant part of literary critics define this work as a "historical novel". Indeed, it is dedicated to a specific historical event, namely the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev. The work contains historical characters: Catherine the Great and When writing the novel, Pushkin turned to documents, talked with eyewitnesses of that time. The author, of course, managed to convey the atmosphere of this historical period.

For this reason, if there is a task "Specify the genre of the work" The Captain's Daughter "", it is quite possible to answer that this is a historical novel. However, Pushkin's work differs in a number of features from other works of this type.

As B. Tomashevsky, a researcher of the writer's work, notes, Pushkin created his novel under the influence of the events of the present, trying to see and convey what united the two eras.

It is worth noting another feature of this work. Pushkin wrote The Captain's Daughter in memoir form. main reason, according to which he decided to narrate on behalf of Grinev, most researchers consider the desire to circumvent censorship.

IN AND. Lavretskaya notes that this form of presentation helped the author hide his attitude to. There is also an opinion that Pushkin, using a memoir method of presentation, sought to show Grinev's controversial position. This allowed the writer to reveal the complexity of the image of Emelyan Pugachev and emphasize not only his ruthlessness, but also the nobility of his soul.

The third reason why the author chooses the memoir form, as Lotman points out, is the writer's desire to show historical characters in ordinary life. For example, he depicts the Empress as a lady "in a night cap". Pugachev is also shown by the author in a relaxed atmosphere.

The genre of the work "The Captain's Daughter" cannot be a story. This is a novel, because it depicts the background of which are important historical events for Russia.

Thus, the work combines the features of an educational novel, a love story, and a historical novel. The memoir form gives this work an everyday flavor.