>Characteristics of heroes Eugene Onegin
Characteristics of the hero Eugene Onegin
Eugene Onegin - main character novel of the same name by A. S. Pushkin, a young nobleman, a man with a complex and contradictory character. Onegin was born and raised in St. Petersburg. He did not have a mother, and his father was a man, though rich, but frivolous and quickly squandered his fortune. After his death, all property went to creditors. Eugene was brought up by French tutors, who did not devote much time to the sciences. In return, they taught him to speak French, understand Latin, dance the mazurka, and recite epigrams. Well and quickly he mastered the "science of tender passion."
Onegin grew up rather selfish, unable to work, easily hurting the feelings of other people. Every day he attended theaters, balls and feasts. The next morning I basked in bed, and then again prepared to go out. Soon, from such monotony, the young man developed a blues. In order to somehow diversify his life, he tried to read books and engage in literary creativity. But this soon bored him too. Going to the village to the dying uncle, who bequeathed him a rich inheritance, he hoped to have a rest there from the bustle of the capital. The change of scenery pleased him, but here, too, he soon began to feel bored. Such was the nature of the young nobleman.
In the village, Onegin met Lensky, who later became his best friend, as well as the Larin family. The meeting with Lensky opened up in him the possibility of true friendship hidden behind cold selfishness. And the meeting with the young Tatyana Larina touched something in his impoverished soul, but seeing the romantic nature of the girl, he did not dare to play with her feelings. In response to her letter of confession, he said that he could love her with the love of a brother and that family ties were not for him. Despite the fact that he was benevolent towards these two people, this did not bring him happiness. He accidentally killed Lensky in a duel, and Tatyana was married off to another and became a princess. At the end of the novel, he saw her in a different light and fell in love, but this time she refused him. This refusal entailed a revolution in all his thoughts and spiritual feelings.
Eugene Onegin is portrayed by Pushkin as a "young rake". As a boy, Eugene grows up carefree and careless, because his teacher, a Frenchman by birth, teaches him everything "jokingly" so that "the child is not exhausted." Therefore, Eugene did not receive a proper education. Having become a young man, he quickly becomes a regular at social events, because he was able to easily fit into the circles of high society, thanks to his knowledge of French and the ability to dance.
In dealing with lovely ladies, Onegin quickly masters the “science of tender passion”, deftly winning the hearts of beauties:
How early could he be hypocritical,
Hold hope, be jealous
disbelieve, make believe
To seem gloomy, to languish,
Be proud and obedient
Attentive or indifferent.
Onegin, thanks to his ability to charm women, constantly received invitations to various receptions in society, receiving several notes daily in which he was invited to attend some social event.
Onegin is a well-groomed and fashionable young man who carefully monitors his appearance and his clothes, he spent a lot of time at the mirror, in his arsenal cosmetics were:
Perfume in cut crystal;
Combs, steel files,
Straight scissors, curved
And brushes of thirty kinds
For both nails and teeth.
Going to the next entertainment event, he preened himself in front of the mirror for a very long time and “like a windy Venus came out of the restroom ...”
Onegin was spoiled by female attention, he was used to a free and free way of life, when he easily got all the best. He was not used to responsibility, to obligations, all his connections with women were fleeting and frivolous. Constant carelessness, repeated daily, eventually disgusted Onegin, ceased to bring him satisfaction:
No: early feelings in him cooled down;
He was tired of the light noise;
The beauties didn't last long
The subject of his habitual thoughts;
Treason managed to tire;
Friends and friendship are tired.
It was in this state, when he was tired of entertainment, betrayal and intrigue, that Onegin went to the village, where he met Tatyana. And although Onegin was a “rake” and “dandy”, a narcissistic and spoiled by female attention man, who knew how to perfectly “play” on the strings of the female soul, he could skillfully pretend and be hypocritical, he was able to treat Tatyana with respect and understanding. After her declaration of love for him, Onegin did not laugh at her, did not spread rumors, he tried to speak frankly with her, wishing her to fall in love with a more worthy man.
Onegin also shows his kind and understanding character in relation to his friend, Vladimir. He condescendingly and patiently listens to his romantic reasoning, without inserting his "cooling word", assuming that with age Lensky's "bliss" will pass anyway:
And without me the time will come;
Let him live for now
Let the world believe in perfection;
Forgive the fever of youth
And youthful fever and youthful delirium.
Before the duel with Lensky took place, Onegin feels guilty, he is tormented by the conscience that he could not cool the poet's ardor. He realizes that his friend is too young, too hot. Onegin is aware that in vain he played such a cruel joke with his friend, laughing at his "tender and timid love." But still, he is too proud to ask for forgiveness from Lensky and prevent the duel, besides, he does not want to hear "the laughter of fools", because refusing to duel can be taken by society as cowardice.
Onegin, after all, is a very ambiguous personality. Tatyana herself, thinking about him, says:
A sad and dangerous eccentric,
Creation of hell or heaven
This angel, this arrogant demon,
What is he? Is it an imitation
An insignificant ghost, or else
Muscovite in Harold's cloak,
Alien whims interpretation,
Words fashion full lexicon?
Isn't he a parody?
Such reasoning arose in Tatyana after studying the books she found in Onegin's house, these were works “in which the century was reflected and modern man portrayed quite right…”
Tatyana leafed through the pages and saw on many of them Onegin's marks, where his soul "involuntarily expresses itself."
All this suggests that Eugene Onegin was still a thinking person, with a living and feeling soul, not completely corrupted by secular society.
Pushkin's works belong to the history of literature. In each of them there is an imprint of an original thought, an imprint worthy of attention for its novelty, clarity and beauty. The mind of the author, by nature unusually penetrating and sharp, was indicated in his writings in all its strength.
The novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" is an encyclopedia of the manners of Russian society, a work of a new type. Prior to Eugene Onegin, Russian society had never encountered novels in verse.
According to the apt remark of V. G. Belinsky, Pushkin took up a novel in verse, “when there was not a single decent novel in Russian in prose either.”
Let's get acquainted with the main character, Eugene Onegin. We first meet him in the first chapter of the novel:
"With the hero of my novel
Without preamble, at this very hour
Let me introduce you."
What is he, the hero of the novel by Alexander Pushkin?
With his character, disposition, thoughts and feelings, the author introduces us gradually, throughout the story.
Onegin is a young nobleman, an aristocrat. Brought up in the classical traditions of those times: French teachers, tutors. Learning "a little something and somehow", Onegin mastered a rather small baggage of true knowledge. In conversation, he could "touch everything lightly, with the learned air of an expert."
“The time of hope and gentle sadness” came pretty quickly. Eugene began to appear in the light. He was dressed appropriately, cut in the latest fashion. He easily spoke French, danced excellently, knew how to make ladies smile with “the fire of unexpected epigrams”, kept anecdotes in his memory, read Adam Smith ...
“What do you want more? The world decided
That he is smart and very nice."
But Onegin is a controversial type. Having studied early the "science of tender passion", he also cooled his feelings early, became indifferent to the big world, and he gradually began to take possession of the blues.
Under the influence of this spleen, Onegin locks himself in his office and takes up his pen. But nothing comes out of this scripture, because hard work is sickening to him. Then he starts reading, but reading also does not make any sense, and he is forced to give up books.
Onegin manages to become embittered against the world and begins to despise people. In such a spiritual mood, he finds himself in a village where his uncle fell ill. Here Onegin meets the romantic Lensky and, despite the contrast of characters, becomes close to him. Here, in the village, in the Larin family, Onegin meets the pensive and dreamy Tatyana, who soon falls in love with him, and, following the inclination of her heart, frankly confesses her love to him in a letter. Onegin responds to the girl's frank confession with the assurance that he has experienced the game of passions and ends his long sermon with a dry moralizing:
“Learn to rule yourself;
Not every one of you, as I understand ... "
After a quarrel, Onegin kills his friend Lensky in a duel.
Continuing to languish in the "inactivity of leisure", he leaves the village and begins "wandering without a goal." After two years of wandering, Onegin ends up in Moscow, where he meets the same Tatyana, but finds her already an indifferent princess, an impregnable lady. This change that happened to her so impressed Onegin that he "falls in love with Tatiana like a child" and begins to pursue her with his love. For his love confession, he receives the same sensitive lesson that he once taught Tatyana. She answers him that although she loves him, she is given to another and will remain faithful to him forever.
In Russian literature, such characters as Onegin are classified as " extra people". Onegin's path is long and thorny. On this path he finds no use for his powers anywhere. Onegin's inability to productive work, to the real thing - this is the main reason for his spiritual discomfort, endless blues and incessant boredom.
Onegin is not able to look at life from the other side, to realize the principles of life on other spiritual principles.
Conclusion
Pushkin was ahead of his time. He created completely unique novel. A novel in verse. In it, we follow the story and, at the same time, enjoy the crystal purity of Pushkin's verses.
The author introduced us to Onegin, a man with a complex and contradictory character. The image of this hero, according to A.I. Herzen, "is so national that it is found in all novels and poems that receive any recognition in Russia."
"Eugene Onegin" rightfully stands apart among the works of Russian literature of the 19th century. This is one of the most harmonious in composition and rich in content of Pushkin's works. Alexander Sergeevich devote more than 8 years to his brainchild: having started work on a novel in verse in the spring of 1823, he completed the work only by the autumn of 1831. This was the most painstaking and lengthy work on a work in his life.
He then quit work on "Eugene Onegin", then again proceeded to it. Conventionally, the work on the novel can be divided into four stages, during which many events happened in Pushkin's life: the southern exile, the Boldin autumn, and a series of stormy novels. All chapters were published gradually, as they were written, one after another. The last author's version saw the light in 1837. According to the description, the actions in the novel cover a period of time for 6 years. In the process of narration, the characters grow up, go through some life path and turn from dreamy boys and girls into mature, accomplished personalities.
Thanks to the expression of the emotions of the characters through the poetic form, the novel gets more lyricism and expressiveness, thus, the reader becomes understandable and accessible to the entire palette of feelings that the author laid in the foundation. In addition, Pushkin introduces himself into the novel as one of the heroes of the story, he keeps Tatyana's letter and meets with Onegin in St. Petersburg. The novel has many digressions, where Pushkin shares his thoughts and experiences with the reader, as if alienating himself from the course and the main line of the story.
Analysis of the work
The main plot of the work
The plot is based love line: young Tatyana Larina falls in love with the bright extraordinary personality of Eugene Onegin. Still quite young, he is already tired of the noisy fuss and tinsel surrounding him, and calls his soul cooled. A young girl in love decides to take a desperate step and writes a letter of confession, where, with the ardor characteristic of her youthful nature, she pours out her soul to Eugene and expresses hope for the possibility of a romantic relationship between them. The hero does not reciprocate Tatyana, which hurts her very much. A decisive explanation takes place between the young people, and Onegin gently tells Tatyana that his callous soul is no longer able to love, even such a young and beautiful girl as Tatyana. Later, when Larina becomes married woman and, it would seem, finds a quiet family happiness, the paths of the heroes intersect again. Onegin understands what a terrible mistake he made, but, unfortunately, it is no longer possible to fix anything. Tatyana pronounces her famous "... but I am given to another, and I will be faithful to him for a century ...", which puts an end to the failed love story.
A lot of mistakes that people tend to make, especially in their youth, prevented young heroes from being together, despite their mutual love. Only after going through a series of emotional upheavals, Onegin realizes that Tatyana is the same girl with whom he could be very happy, but, as usual, he understands this too late. All this, of course, makes the reader think about whether he is making a similar mistake. And, perhaps, it immerses you in memories of past sad experiences or makes you relive passionate and tender first feelings.
main characters
One of the main characters is Eugene Onegin. A reserved young man with a complex character. The author deliberately does not idealize his image, endowing him with all the shortcomings that are usually inherent in real person. Since childhood, he did not know the need for anything, being the son of a St. Petersburg nobleman. His soul did not gravitate towards work, was pampered by novels, balls and scientific works favorite authors. His life was as empty as that of a million of the same lordly offspring of that time, filled with revelry and debauchery, senseless burning of life. As usual, as a result similar image life, Eugene became a real callous egoist, thinking only about his own pleasures. He does not put a penny on other people's feelings and easily offends a person if he does not like him or utters a phrase that is inappropriate in his opinion.
Meanwhile, our hero is not without positive traits: for example, throughout the novel, the author shows us how much Onegin gravitates towards science and knowledge. He is constantly in search of what can replenish and expand his consciousness, studies the works of philosophers, conducts intellectual conversations and disputes. In addition, unlike his peers, he very quickly gets bored with the fuss of balls and senseless pastime. Very soon, the reader can observe his personal growth, while his friends inevitably degrade one by one, turning into flabby landowners.
Despite his disappointment and dissatisfaction with the way of life that he is forced to lead, he lacks the mental strength and motivation to break this vicious circle. He did not grab onto that saving straw that the pure and bright girl Tatyana holds out to him, declaring her love.
The turning point in his life is the murder of Lensky. At this moment, Onegin's eyes open, he understands how insignificant all his former existence is. From a sense of shame and remorse, he is forced to flee, and sends him to conquer the expanses of the country in the hope of hiding from the “bloody shadow” of his murdered friend.
From a three-year voyage, he returns a completely different person, mature and conscious. Having met Tatyana again, who was already married at that time, he realizes that he has feelings for her. He sees in her an adult intelligent woman, an excellent companion and a holistic mature nature. He is amazed at her grandeur and secular coldness, not recognizing in her that timid and gentle country girl, as he knew her before. Now she is a loving wife, tactful and benevolent, restrained and calm. He falls in love with this woman without memory, and he is mercilessly rejected by her.
This served as the finale of the novel, the further life of Onegin and Tatiana remain unknown to the reader. Pushkin does not give any answer to questions about whether Eugene was able to reconcile and forget his love and how did he spend his subsequent days? Was Tatyana happy in the future married to an unloved man? All this remained a mystery.
No less important image described in the novel is the image of Tatyana Larina. Pushkin describes her as a simple noblewoman from the provinces. A modest young lady, not endowed with special beauty and external attractiveness, however, possessing a surprisingly deep multifaceted inner world. Her romantic poetic nature captivates the reader and makes her sympathize and empathize with her suffering from the first to the last line. Pushkin himself more than once confesses his love for his fictional heroine:
« Forgive me: I love so much
My dear Tatiana!
Tanya grows up as a rather closed, immersed in her own feelings, closed girl. Her best friends books became very early, in them she looked for answers to all questions, through the pages of novels she learned life. All the more strange for the reader is Tatyana's unexpected impulse and her frank letter to Onegin. Such behavior is not at all characteristic of her character and indicates that the feelings that flared up for Eugene were so strong that they overshadowed the mind of a young girl.
The author makes us understand that even after the refusal, and after the long departure of Onegin, and even after marriage, Tanya does not stop loving him. However, the great nobility and self-esteem does not give her the opportunity to throw herself into his arms. She respects her husband and protects her family. Renouncing Onegin's feelings, she manifests herself as an exceptionally reasonable, strong and wise woman. Duty is above all for her, and this decision of hers makes the reader feel deep respect for the heroine. The suffering and later repentance of Onegin is the natural ending of his lifestyle and actions.
(Illustration by K. I. Rudakov "Eugene Onegin. Meeting in the garden", 1949)
In addition to the main characters, the novel describes many minor characters, however, no one else receives such a vivid characteristic as Tatyana and Onegin. Unless the author pays some attention to Lensky. With bitterness, he describes his tragic fate with an unfair ending. Pushkin characterizes him as an exceptionally pure young man, with an unsullied reputation and high moral character. He is talented and impetuous, but at the same time very noble.
Conclusion
The description of nature in the novel stands apart: the author devotes a lot of time to it. We can find beautiful pictures on the pages of the novel that recreate before our eyes Moscow, St. Petersburg, Crimea, Odessa, the Caucasus and, of course, the wonderful nature of the Russian hinterland. Everything that Pushkin describes is ordinary pictures of the Russian village. At the same time, he does it so masterfully that the pictures created by him literally come to life in the reader's imagination, fascinate him.
Despite the disappointing ending of the novel, it cannot be called pessimistic at all. On the contrary, the abundance of bright living moments makes the reader believe in a wonderful future and look into the distance with hope. There are so many bright, real feelings, noble impulses and pure love that the novel is more capable of bringing the reader to positive emotions.
The whole composition of the novel is built surprisingly harmoniously, which is surprising, given the long breaks with which the author again began to work on it. The structure has a clear, slender and organic structure. Actions flow smoothly from one another, throughout the whole novel, Pushkin's favorite technique is used - a ring composition. That is, the place of initial and final events coincides. The reader can also track the specularity and symmetry of the events taking place: Tatyana and Evgeny find themselves in similar situations several times, on one of which (Tatyana's refusal) the action of the novel is interrupted.
It is worth noting that none love story in the novel does not have a successful ending: like her sister Tatyana, Olga Larina was not destined to find happiness with Lensky. The difference between the characters is shown through the opposition: Tatyana and Olga, Lensky and Onegin.
Summing up, it is worth noting that "Eugene Onegin" is truly a confirmation of Pushkin's remarkable poetic talent and lyrical genius. The novel is read literally in one breath and captures from its first line.
Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" (see its full text and summary by chapter) has great importance not only in the history of the Russian novel, but also as a work of autobiographical significance. The image of the hero took shape in the author's imagination at a time when he was already quite negative about Byronism. But in Pushkin's memory were still fresh memories of his recent passion for the English poet. And so, according to his confession, he writes a “satirical work”, in which he aims to ridicule “Muscovites in Harold’s cloaks,” i.e., young men of his day who pretended to be disappointed Byronic heroes. Pushkin himself sinned with this until recently, and did not hide this weakness in his novel.
Branil Homer, Theocritus;
But read Adam Smith
And there was a deep economy,
That is, he was able to judge
How does the state grow rich?
And what lives, and why
He doesn't need gold
When a simple product has.
It was "fashionable", it was a sign of "good manners"...
But that wasn't what filled him. secular life. Catching women's hearts, that's what Eugene did especially diligently. And here he was waiting for his success. Pushkin helps us understand where Onegin got his knowledge from:
Love does not teach us nature ...
We are hungry for life to know in advance
And we recognize her in the novel ...
Onegin experienced it.
And Pushkin points out which romantic hero was the model of Onegin: this Richardsonian Lovelace, "winner of women's hearts." The purpose of his life is to "conquer women's hearts." To do this, Onegin developed a special tactic, studied the psychology of the female heart: he is not interested in easy victories; he loved the "hard fight"; It's like a "sport" for him.
How early could he be hypocritical,
Hold hope, be jealous
disbelieve, make believe
To seem gloomy, to languish,
Be proud and obedient
Attentive or indifferent!
How languidly he was silent,
How eloquently eloquent
How careless in heartfelt letters!
Onegin's spleen
Onegin's life rolled on, cloudless and calm, an environment of all kinds of pleasures - theaters, balls, dinners in a fashionable restaurant, worries about appearance and costume filled his empty and vulgar existence. Fate endowed Onegin with "mind" and "heart", without giving him either education or upbringing, without indicating the outcome of his spiritual strength. From such a discrepancy between the wealth of forces and the poverty of the content of the soul, discord occurred in him, and it is not surprising that he soon got tired and bored:
Early feelings in him cooled down,
He was tired of light noise,
The beauties didn't last long
The subject of his habitual thoughts.
Changes managed to tire
Friends and friendship are tired
And, although he was an ardent rake,
But he finally fell out of love
And abuse, and a saber, and lead.
And so, the “English spleen”, or Russian melancholy, took possession of him, and besides, the fashion in high society changed, and "Lovelace's fame faded." Then he changed the imitation of Lovelace to the imitation of Childe Harold, began to "make an eccentric."
He shoot himself, thank God,
Didn't want to try
But life has completely cooled off.
Like Child-Harold, sullen, languid
He appeared in drawing rooms;
Neither the gossip of the world, nor Boston,
Neither a sweet look, nor an immodest sigh,
Nothing touched him
He did not notice anything.
The heart was empty, the mind was idle. Onegin tried, it was, to take up literature, but hard work was sickening to him, and he threw down his pen. Onegin took up the book, but he was not accustomed to "read" either, and besides, when he lost faith in life, he could not believe the book.
He set up a shelf with a detachment of books,
I read and read, but to no avail:
There is boredom, there is deceit or delirium;
In that conscience, in that there is no sense;
On all different chains;
And outdated old
And the old is delirious with novelty.
Like women, he left books
And the shelf, with their dusty family,
Draped with mourning taffeta.
Onegin considered his "spleen" and "apathy", the result of fatigue and emptiness of soul, "disappointment" and willingly covered himself with Childe Harold's then fashionable cloak. Not without reason, of all the books, he read only the works of Byron:
Yes, with him two or three more novels,
In which the age is reflected,
And modern man
Depicted quite right
With his immoral soul
Selfish and dry
A dream betrayed immeasurably;
With his embittered mind,
Boiling in action empty.
Onegin was a prominent representative of that “semi-education” that was so characteristic of the then Russian society. The mind did not allow Onegin to merge with this society for the rest of his life, but he did not know how to look for the goals of being outside this society. And, as a result, in his face the first example of the “superfluous person” turned out in Russian literature.
The book was discarded, and Eugene remained helpless in life, “without a rudder” and “without sails”, with a “sharp, chilled mind”, a strange dreamer without a goal in life, gloomy with complaints about the malice of blind fortune, with contempt for people, with caustic speeches.
Who lived and thought, he cannot
In the soul do not despise people;
Who felt, that worries
The ghost of the irretrievable days:
There are no more charms
That serpent of memories
That repentance gnaws.
He almost went to travel, but the news of deadly disease village uncle called him to the village.
Suddenly got it really
From the manager's report,
That uncle is dying in bed
And I would be glad to say goodbye to him.
Reading the sad message
Eugene immediately on a date
Rushed through the mail
And already yawned in advance ...
In the village, Onegin was first interested in the novelty of life, the unusual beauty of quiet nature for him. He became interested, it was, in the fate of his serfs, and facilitated their existence, replacing the “yoke of the old corvée” with “light dues”, but soon he got bored here and led a solitary life, alienating his neighbors from himself with misanthropy. The naive villagers in their assessment of the hero were not as condescending as the St. Petersburg "light" they recognized Onegin as a freethinker ("freemason", that is, a freemason), and "an ignoramus".
Read about the further fate of Onegin in the articles
