Oblomov and Stolz: Comparative Characteristics. Literature lesson on the topic: "Oblomov and Stolz

The novel "Oblomov" is one of the iconic works of the 19th century, covering many social and philosophical themes. An important role in revealing the ideological meaning of the work is played by the analysis of the relationship in the book of the two main male characters. In the novel "Oblomov" the characterization of Oblomov and Stolz reflects their completely different natures, opposed by the author.
According to the plot of the work, the heroes are best friends from an early age, helping each other as much as possible even in adulthood: Stolz Oblomov - by solving many of his pressing problems, and Ilya Ilyich to Andrei Ivanovich - with pleasant conversations that allow Stolz to return peace of mind.

Portrait characteristics of heroes

Comparative characteristics of Oblomov and Stolz in Goncharov's novel Oblomov are given by the author himself and is most remarkable when comparing their portrait characteristics, as well as characters. Ilya Ilyich is a soft, quiet, kind, dreamy, reflective goof who makes any decision at the behest of his heart, even if his mind leads the hero to the opposite conclusions. The appearance of the introverted Oblomov fully corresponds to his character - his movements are soft, lazy, round, and the image is inherent in excessive effeminacy, not typical for a man.

Stolz, both internally and externally, is completely different from Oblomov. The main thing in the life of Andrei Ivanovich is the rational grain, in all matters he relies only on reason, while the dictates of the heart, intuition and the sphere of feelings for the hero are not only something secondary, but are also inaccessible, incomprehensible to his rational reflections. Unlike Oblomov, "flabby beyond his years", Stolz seems to consist of "bones, muscles and nerves." His life is a rapid race forward, an important attribute of which is the constant self-development of the individual and continuous work. The images of Oblomov and Stolz seem to be a mirror image of each other: active, extroverted, successful in society and in the career field, Stolz is contrasted with the lazy, apathetic, unwilling to communicate with anyone, let alone re-enter the service, Oblomov.

Differences in raising heroes

When comparing Ilya Oblomov and Andrei Stolz, as well as for a better understanding of the characters' images, it is important to briefly describe the atmosphere in which each of the characters grew up. Despite the "addictive", as if covering with a shroud of half-sleep and laziness, Oblomovka's environment little Ilya was a cheerful, active and curious child, which at first is very similar to Stolz. He wanted to learn as much as possible about the world around him, but the excessive care of his parents, the "hothouse" upbringing, the inculcation of obsolete, obsolete and aimed at the ideals of the past, made the child a worthy successor of the traditions of "Oblomovism", the bearer of the "Oblomov" worldview - introverted, living in his own illusory world.

However, Stolz also did not grow the way he could have grown. At first glance, the combination in his upbringing of the strict approach of a German father and the tenderness of a noble mother of Russian origin would allow Andrei to become a harmonious, comprehensively developed personality. Nevertheless, as the author points out, Stolz grew "a cactus accustomed to drought." The young man lacked love, warmth and gentleness, since he was mainly raised by his father, who did not believe that a man needed to be instilled in sensitivity. However, Stolz's Russian roots until the end of his life were looking for this warmth, finding it in Oblomov, and then in the idea of \u200b\u200bOblomovka, which he denied.

Hero education and career

The inconsistency of the characters of Stolz and Oblomov manifests itself already in his youth, when Andrei Ivanovich, trying to learn as much as possible about the world around him, tried to instill in Ilya Ilyich a love of books, ignite a flame in him that would make him strive forward. And Stolz succeeded, but for a very short time - as soon as Oblomov remained on his own, the book became less important for him than, for example, a dream. Somehow, more likely for his parents, Ilya Ilyich graduates from school, and then the university, where he was absolutely not interested, since the hero did not understand how mathematics and other sciences could be useful to him in life. Even a single failure in the service was the end of his career for him - it was too hard for the sensitive, soft Oblomov to rebuild under the strict rules of the capital world, far from the norms of life in Oblomovka.

Stolz, on the other hand, with his rational, active outlook on the world, is much easier to move up the career ladder, because any failure was more likely another incentive for him than a defeat. Andrei Ivanovich's continuous activity, high efficiency, ability to please others made him a useful person at any workplace and a pleasant guest in any society, and all thanks to the purposefulness laid down by his father and the continuous thirst for knowledge, which his parents developed in Stolz as early as childhood.

Characteristics of Oblomov and Stolz as carriers of two opposite principles

In the critical literature, when comparing Oblomov and Stolz, it is widely believed that the characters are two opposites, two types of “superfluous” heroes who, in their “pure” form, cannot be found in real life, even though Oblomov is a realistic novel , and, therefore, the described images must be typical images. However, when analyzing the upbringing and formation of each of the characters, the reasons for Oblomov's apathy, laziness and dreaminess become clear, as well as excessive dryness, rationality, even a similarity with a certain Stolz mechanism.

Comparison of Stolz and Oblomov makes it possible to understand that both heroes are personalities not only typical of their time, but also tendentious images for any time. Oblomov is a typical son of wealthy parents, brought up in an atmosphere of love and heightened care, shielded by his family from the need to work, decide something and actively act, because there will always be "Zakhar" who will do everything for him. Stolz, on the other hand, is a person who is taught from an early age to the need to work and work, while being deprived of love and care, which leads to a certain inner callousness of such a person, to a misunderstanding of the nature of feelings and emotional deprivation.

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Comparative characteristics of Oblomov and Stolz

1. Childhood impressions and personality traits.
2. Central ideas in worldviews.
3. Debunking myths.

In the novel Oblomov, A. A. Goncharov created images of two people, each of whom is in many ways a typical representative of a certain circle of people, an exponent of ideas that were close to the corresponding strata of contemporary society. Andrei Stolts and Ilya Oblomov, at first glance, seem to have nothing in common, except for the memories of children's games. And yet, no matter how appreciated these characters in Goncharov's novel, it is impossible to deny that they are connected by a sincere, disinterested friendship. What's the matter here? Do the dreamy bummer Oblomov and the calculating businessman Stolz attach so much importance to the past that it continues to unite them in the present, when their paths, in fact, diverged? After all, they both met many other people in life. But the old friendship, as it is easy to see, after reading the novel to the end, will survive even Oblomov's early death: Stolz willingly takes care of raising the son of a deceased friend.

Indeed Oblomov and Stolz are strikingly different from each other in their way of life. In Stolz's view, the essence of being lies in movement: "Labor is the image, content, element and purpose of life, at least mine." Oblomov, having not yet begun any business, already dreams of peace, which he already has enough: "... Then, in honorable inaction, enjoy a well-deserved rest ...".

For a while Oblomov and Stolz were brought up together - in the school, which was kept by Andrey's father. But they came to this school, one might say, from different worlds: the undisturbed, once and for all established order of life in Oblomovka, similar to a long afternoon nap, and the active labor education of a German burgher, interspersed with the lessons of a mother who was struggling to instill to my son love and interest in art. Little Oblomov's gentle parents were afraid to let go beyond their own porch, and suddenly what would happen to their beloved child: the child is used to living, waving his hand at alluring, but painfully troublesome adventures. Stolz's mother, it should be noted, would gladly follow the example of Ilya's parents, fortunately, Andrei's father turned out to be a much more practical person and gave his son the opportunity to show independence: "What kind of child is he if he has never broken his own or another's nose?"

Both Oblomov's parents and Stolz's parents, of course, had certain ideas about how the life of their children should develop in the future. However, the main difference is that Oblomov was not taught to set goals and go towards them, and Stolz perceives this need naturally and sensibly - he knows how not only to make a choice, but also to diligently achieve results: “Above all, he put perseverance in achieving goals : it was a sign of character in his eyes, and people with this persistence he never denied respect, no matter how important their goals were.

It is also important to note how Oblomov and Stolz relate to life in general. According to Oblomov's own feeling, his existence is more and more like a fruitless wandering in a forest thicket: no path, no ray of the sun ... "Someone seemed to have stolen and buried in his own soul the treasures brought to him by the world and life." Here is one of Oblomov's main miscalculations - he subconsciously seeks to blame responsibility, his failures, his inaction on someone else: on Zakhar, for example, or on fate. And Stolz “attributed the cause of all suffering to himself, and did not hang it like a caftan on someone else’s nail”, therefore “he also enjoyed joy like a flower plucked along the way, until he wilted in his hands, never drinking his cup to that drop of bitterness which lies at the end of all enjoyment. " However, all of the above does not yet shed light on the foundations of strong friendship among people so different in their habits and aspirations. Apparently, their sincere, warm relationship to each other is rooted in the fact that both Stolz and Oblomov are in essence worthy people, endowed with many high spiritual qualities. It would seem that Stolz is a business man, he should strive to profit from everything, but his attitude towards Oblomov is devoid of any calculations. He sincerely tries to get his friend out of the swamp of apathy and inactivity, since Stolz is sincerely convinced that the existence that Oblomov leads is slowly but surely ruining him. As a man of action, Stolz always takes an active part in Oblomov's fate: he introduces his friend to Olga, he suppresses the intrigues of Tarantiev and Ivan Matveyevich, he puts in order Oblomov's estate, and finally, he takes on the education of the son of his early deceased friend. Stolz strives to do everything he can to change Oblomov's life for the better. Of course, for this, first it would be necessary to change the nature of Ilya Ilyich, but this is within the power of God alone. And it is not Stolz's fault that most of his efforts were in vain.

We can say that in Stolz everything that sleeps in Oblomov has reached a high degree of development: its implementation in business, his sensitivity to art and beauty, his personality. This, like Andrey's sincere, benevolent attitude, of course, resonates in the soul of Ilya, who, despite his laziness, has not lost his spiritual nobility. Of course, we see that Ilya Ilyich is ready to trust everyone around him: the scoundrel Tarantiev, the crook Ivan Matveyevich Pshenitsyn. At the same time, he trusts Andrei, a childhood friend, incomparably more - Stolz really deserves this trust.

However, in literary criticism and the minds of many readers, there are still myths about the positive and negative in the images of Oblomov and Stolz. The unambiguity of such myths leads to the fact that Stolz is often interpreted as a negative hero, whose main interest lies in the acquisition of money, while Oblomov is almost proclaimed a national hero. If you read the novel carefully, it is easy to notice the flaw and injustice of this approach. The very fact of Stolz's friendship with Oblomov, the constant help that the supposedly heartless businessman is trying to provide to his friend, should completely dispel the myth that Stolz is an antihero. At the same time, Oblomov's kindness, "pigeon tenderness" and dreaminess, which, of course, evoke sympathy for this character, should not obscure from readers the unsightly aspects of his existence: inability to organize himself, useless projection and aimless apathy.

No matter how we relate to the heroes of Goncharov's novel Oblomov, we must remember that the author created images of living people, in whose characters, of course, there are various qualities, both worthy and those that may not seem to us as such. And yet one should not close our eyes to the fact that it is Stolz, who is sometimes regarded as a not too noble person, who works, benefits himself and others, while Oblomov not only does not suit the life of the peasants who depend on him, but also himself sometimes it is a burden.

Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov is a remarkable Russian realist writer. His work has firmly entered the classical literature of our country. The originality of his artistic world is, according to N.A. Dobrolyubov, in the fact that he was able to embrace in his work the full image of the subject, sculpt, mince it.

The main idea of \u200b\u200bGoncharov in the novel "Oblomov"

In his novel, Ivan Alexandrovich condemns the noble inactivity. Oblomov's characterization in the novel "Oblomov" proves this, and soon you will see this. The author salutes the businesslike entrepreneurial class that was emerging at that time. For Goncharov, Oblomov's character is essential to his lordly pampering, as well as the inactivity resulting from it, the impotence of will and mind. The image of this hero under the hand of such an eminent master has resulted in a broad picture, in which the reader is presented the pre-reform life of the country's local nobility. The work was written more than 100 years ago, but it still attracts attention. This novel is undoubtedly a classic work created by the wonderful Russian language.

Ilya Ilyich Oblomov

What is the characteristic of Oblomov in the novel Oblomov? After reading it, everyone probably wants to understand who is closer in spirit to him: Stolz or Ilya Ilyich. Oblomov's characterization, at first glance, is devoid of attractiveness. In the novel, this hero appears as a man of not his first youth. He tried to serve in the past, but withdrew from any activity and became unable to return to it. He does not want not only to do something, but even to be in society, go for a walk, get dressed, just get off the couch. The serene state of this hero is violated only by visitors who come only with selfish ends to Oblomov. For example, Tarantiev simply steals from him, borrowing money and not returning it. Oblomov turns out to be a victim of his visitors in the work, because he cannot understand the true purpose of their visits. The only exception is Stolz, a friend of his youth, who comes to visit him in Oblomovka.

However, Oblomov's characterization is not so unequivocally negative. We will return to it later.

Andrey Ivanovich Stolts

Stolz is the opposite of this hero in the novel. Goncharov portrayed him as a "new man". Stolz from childhood was brought up in harsh conditions, gradually getting used to the difficulties and hardships of life. He is a businessman, alien to both official careerism and laziness of the nobility, who is distinguished by such a level of culture and such activity that at that time were not characteristic of the Russian merchants. Apparently, not knowing where to find such a person among the Russian business people, Goncharov decided to make his hero the offspring of a semi-German family. Stolz, however, was raised by a Russian mother, who was a noblewoman, and also studied at the capital's university. This hero believes that through the construction of highways, fairs, marinas, schools, patriarchal "scraps" will turn into income-generating comfortable estates.

Views on Oblomov's life

The characteristic of Oblomov is not only apathy marked. This hero is trying to "philosophize". Ilya Ilyich opposes the sincerity and kindness of the patriarchal life to the moral depravity of the representatives of the bureaucratic and noble society of the capital. He condemns him for striving for careerism, lack of serious interests, covered by ostentatious courtesy of mutual hostility. In this respect, the author of the novel agrees with Ilya Ilyich. Oblomov's characterization is complemented by the fact that he is a romantic. This hero dreams mainly of quiet family happiness.

Stolz's attitude towards life

On the contrary, Stolz is the enemy of the "dream", everything mysterious and enigmatic. However, he means by "dream" not only rosy romance, but all kinds of idealism. The author, explaining the beliefs of this hero, writes that in his eyes that which is not subjected to the analysis of practical truth, experience, is an optical illusion or fact, to which the turn of experience has not yet reached.

The meaning of a love conflict in revealing the characters of the main characters

A comparative description of Oblomov and Stolz would be incomplete if we did not reveal the topic of the relationship of these heroes with Olga Ilyinskaya. Goncharov introduces his characters into a love conflict in order to experience them with life itself, which will show what each of them is worth. Therefore, the heroine of "Oblomova" was supposed to be an outstanding personality. In Olga Ilyinskaya, we will not find any secular coquetry, no lordly quirks, nothing mannered, with a purpose made for success in life. This girl is distinguished by her beauty, as well as natural freedom of action, speech and look.

Both main characters created by Goncharov are defeated in a love relationship with this woman, each in its own way. And this reveals the inconsistency of the author's illusions in the assessment of both. Oblomov's "honest and faithful", "golden" heart suddenly turns into doubt, along with his decency. Let us note that this hero, possessing "a heart as deep as a well," is disgraceful in front of the girl, referring to the fact that he "warned her" about his character. Olga understands that Ilya Ilyich "died a long time ago."

The consistent characterization of Oblomov and Stolz reveals more and more interesting details. Andrei Ivanovich appears again in the novel. He reappears in the work in order to take the place that Oblomov previously occupied. The characterization of Stolz's hero in his relationship with Olga reveals some important features in his image. Goncharov, showing his Parisian life with Ilyinskaya, wants to show the reader the breadth of views of his hero. In fact, he lowers it, since being interested in everything means nothing systematically, in depth, seriously not to get carried away. It means to learn everything from someone else's words, to take from someone else's hands. Stolz could hardly keep up with Olga in her languid haste of will and thought. Contrary to the will of the author, the story about the joint life of these two heroes, which should have been praise for Stolz, in the end turned out to be a means of exposing him. Stolz at the end of the novel seems to be only a self-confident reasoner. The reader no longer believes this hero, who could not save his friend, give his beloved happiness. Only the author's tendentiousness saves Stolz from complete collapse. After all, Goncharov ("Oblomov") was on his side. The characteristic of Oblomov, created by the writer, as well as the author's voice in the novel, allow us to judge this.

The weakness of both heroes and the classes they represent

In addition to his own desire, Goncharov was able to show that not only the Russian nobility is degenerating. Not only Oblomov is weak. The characterization of Stolz's hero is also not devoid of this trait. Respectable entrepreneurs cannot historically become the successors of the nobility, since they are weak, limited and unable to take responsibility for solving the fundamental issues of the country's life.

The value of the image of Olga Ilyinskaya in Russian literature

So, the comparative description of Oblomov and Stolz shows that neither one nor the other can, each in its own way, evoke sympathy. But the heroine of the work, Olga Ilyinskaya, will become the prototype of the enlightened Russian woman. This prototype will later be found in the works of many classics of the 19th century.

Often a comparison between Ilya Ilyich and Andrei Ivanovich is presented as a table. The characteristic of Oblomov and Stolz, presented visually, helps to better remember information. Therefore, a comparative table in literature lessons as a type of work is often used at school. When deep analysis is required, it is better to refuse it. Namely, this was the task that stood at the creation of this article.