What is evil and good essay. Suppose there were no evil in the world. Then life wouldn't be interesting. Evil always accompanies good, and the struggle between them is nothing more than life. Fiction is a reflection of life, which means that in every work

Good and evil are the basic concepts of morality. Every person has been taught these aspects since childhood. Everyone measures their actions against this standard. It has a name - morality. Every child is taught to distinguish between good and evil, what is good and what is bad. Children are not able to fully evaluate their actions and their consequences. But teenagers already clearly understand what is what. And sometimes they consciously choose evil and vile actions.

Good is a person’s actions aimed at benefiting another living being. Good people are needed always and everywhere. They bring light, warmth and joy. It is impossible to live without such people. They keep society from moral decay. Good is the only salvation in stormy ocean tough life.

If there were no kindness, the world would soon end. The strong would destroy the weak without a second thought. Harsh laws can be clearly seen in the wild. The scary thing is that the predator is relentless, he has no pity or compassion. But he has a goal and he will achieve it by any means. Unfortunately, today there are more and more “predators” among people, tough and ruthless. The only thing that can stop them is cruel treatment if they are pushed to the wall. They will never stop on their own. This is what makes evil so scary. It won't stop. The only way to stop him is through brute force, but not everyone has it.

Life is about struggle. The fight between good and evil. Each person decides for himself what will be more in his life. Everything depends on moral choice. If an individual chooses good, then his life will be filled with love, tenderness and light. Other people will be drawn to him. But, if the choice falls on evil. One, two and more. A person's life will get worse and worse. The person will be filled with anger, rudeness, hatred and rage. Soon it will become unbearable for those around you. Everyone will avoid him and reduce communication as much as possible. Few people want to communicate with an evil person. It does not help to grow and develop, but only pulls down, towards degradation.

But there is a way out of this too. It all starts with awareness and recognition of the problem. This is a step towards correction. Next, you need to change your thinking and bad habits. This is the most difficult thing. You need to start doing good deeds and helping others. Over time, life will change and joy will come.

Option 2

Since childhood, we have been familiar with the concepts of good and evil. Adults explain to us every day that it is good to be good, and bad to be bad. The police insist on crossing the road only when there is a green light or at a zebra crossing; doctors persuade us that getting sick is bad. Why is it bad? If this allows you not to go to school, lie in bed and eat a lot of delicious dishes prepared by a caring mother. Firefighters warn that matches are not a toy and are evil in the wrong hands.

At school they say that a B is good and a C is bad. But no one can answer the question of who decided this and why.

All their lives people are put in situations where they are confronted with different things in black and white, good and bad, good and evil. And a person is obliged to choose one of the sides; he has no right to be neutral, because in society you are either a worthy citizen or not.

Even religion has its good and its evil. Nor can fairy tales make do with only positive examples. They definitely need the evil sides of life in the form of the Serpent Gorynych and the Nightingale the Robber.

Helping those in need is good, humiliating the weak is evil. Everything is simple and clear. And it is not at all difficult to distinguish between these two concepts. But which of them is stronger by nature and by nature? After all, today evil is presented as good. Or rather, if earlier people categorically said: “to steal means a thief!”, Now they find a bunch of arguments to continue the logical chain: “to steal means a thief, means cunning, means rich, can buy himself and his loved ones a comfortable life, Well done!"

The fine line between light and dark has been erased. And it was not circumstances that erased it, but people who are engaged in substituting concepts today. If it is profitable to be kind, I will be; if it is practical to be evil, I will be. The duplicity of people is scary. It became completely unclear where it had gone: clean, quiet and selfless goodness. Although if you really think about it, the answer is there. Evil has swallowed up good.

Now, in order to be good you need to go through seven stages of evil. Steal, deceive, destroy. And then build churches, help sick children and smile at the cameras, smile endlessly and enjoy being so beautiful and kind. A good man who ruined thousands of souls before he decided to lay the foundation of a new temple or hospital.

There are no concepts of good and evil now. They do not act as a separate front, they are a single fist that hits when it is not necessary and strokes when it is no longer necessary.

Essay on good and evil

The theme of good and evil is as old as time. For a long time, these two radically opposite concepts have been fighting for the right to triumph over each other. Since time immemorial, good and evil have made people argue about how to separate black from white. Everything in life is relative.

The concepts of good and evil are collective. Sometimes a seemingly good deed leads to negative consequences. Just like in an evil deed, some find advantages for themselves.

Good and evil are always inseparable, one does not exclude the other. For example, if for one person some news brings joy and carries goodness, for another this news may cause grief and negative emotions, and therefore carry evil within itself. Sometimes people identify certain objects and phenomena with evil: “money is evil, alcohol is evil, war is evil.” But if you look at these things from the other side? How more money, the more independent and wealthy a person is - he is well-fed and happy, he is ready to bring good to the world. Alcohol in small doses, paradoxically, can also bring goodness - one hundred grams of alcohol served at the front during the war, raising the morale of soldiers and acting as a pain reliever for severe wounds.

And even the war itself, a seemingly completely negative phenomenon, also carries in itself a piece of, if not good, but a certain benefit: the conquest of new lands, the unity and brotherhood of the allies, the cultivation of the will to win.

According to tradition, in fairy tales and films, good always triumphs over evil, but in life justice does not always triumph. But when planning to do something mean to someone, you must always remember about the universal “law of the boomerang” - “the evil emitted by you will certainly return to you.” Let's start with ourselves, let's be kinder and more merciful to each other, and maybe then in our cruel modern world there will be a little more good than evil.

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  1. (53 words) Lack of goodness affects people adversely. For example, Akaki Akakievich from Gogol’s story “The Overcoat” died because those around him did not show any concern for him. Evil scoundrels robbed him, but the whole city remained indifferent to the trouble, it is in him that the author sees the source of evil, because kind person is never indifferent to the feelings of another.
  2. (37 words) In Andersen's fairy tale " Snow Queen» main character By the power of his kindness he saves Kai, melting his frozen heart. The author used a metaphor: in fact, he wanted to say that the warmth of a loving heart can destroy the coldness of even the most arrogant person.
  3. (51 words) An idea is revealed in Andersen's fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling" inner beauty, which is expressed precisely in kindness to others. Society rejected the hero, but he did not become embittered and still walked towards the world with an open heart. This quality of his was rewarded with external beauty, but worthless in comparison with the charm of the soul, called kindness.
  4. (60 words) In Pushkin’s fairy tale “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, the princess chose only one of the knights - Ruslan - only because he did not wish harm to any of his rivals, and was kind and fair. The heroine did this not only out of the inclination of her soul: she understood that the ruler of the state must have, first of all, kindness in order to teach people to become better by her example, and not just manage them.
  5. (45 words) Pushkin’s novel “Dubrovsky” also reveals the theme of kindness. Masha Troekurova, showing understanding and gentleness towards Vladimir, rejected by everyone, brings him back to life from the darkness of hatred into which circumstances have driven him. The hero responds to kindness with active and devoted love for the daughter of his enemy.
  6. (58 words) In Pushkin’s story “ Stationmaster"The hero dies from lack of kindness. His daughter ran away with the hussar and never made her presence known, and her fiancé pushed her father out of the house. The young did not have enough sensitivity for the old man, for whom the whole world lay in his daughter. This is how kindness restrained in the heart can destroy someone whom it did not warm in time.
  7. (52 words) In Solzhenitsyn’s story “ Matrenin Dvor"The heroine generously gave affection. Out of the kindness of her heart, all she did was help others: she raised someone else’s daughter, gave her everything she had, and always worked for the sake of other people’s successes. Her selflessness is a sign of holiness, without which, according to the author, not only the village, but the whole world will not survive.
  8. (50 words) In Griboyedov’s play “Woe from Wit,” the theme of kindness is touched upon by the main character. He calls Famusov society to mercy and compassion for the peasants who are mercilessly oppressed by the landowners. His monologue convinces us that one cannot be condescending to people, no matter who they are, because true nobility is not a title, but a virtue.
  9. (55 words) In Pushkin’s poem “Eugene Onegin” main character neglected kindness and killed a comrade. From that moment his true misfortune began: he did not find peace anywhere. But if he had not drowned out the voice of his heart, his kindness would have found words for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, because it implies a readiness for dialogue and a desire for harmony.
  10. (54 words) In Green's work " Scarlet Sails“The heroine was a kind and bright girl. And as if as a reward for this, the wizard predicted a happy fate for her. It cannot be otherwise: only a kind person believes in a dream more than in cruel reality. Therefore, kindness attracts those who are ready to make her dreams come true in spite of harsh reality.

Examples from life

  1. (53 words) The first time I thought about kindness was when I noticed that my sister was sneakily feeding the cat on the street. She saved her pocket money to buy him food, deprived herself at dinner to treat her pet, and even in the rain managed to run out to him with a gift. Then I realized that kindness makes people sublime and good.
  2. (53 words) One dog shocked me with its kindness. She treated cats poorly, always barked at them, but one day a kitten wandered into her den. He barely opened his eyes, apparently he had been orphaned early. To my surprise, the dog not only did not touch him, but also warmed him up in his booth. So he grew up under her care.
  3. (58 words) I can give another example from life. One day I saw my brother and sister walking from school, when suddenly my brother was attacked by older guys. They didn’t touch the girl, but she, without hesitation, stood up and began to attack. The guys were embarrassed, walked away, and the brave girl didn’t even tell anyone what happened. I realized that this is real kindness.
  4. (58 words) Let me give you an example of the kindness of our class teacher. She was strict, no one really expected anything good from her. But one day, having learned that one of the “troubled” girls had not returned home, she went alone at night to look for her. Having found her in dubious company, the woman was not afraid of hooligans and took the girl home. Since then I have respected her immensely.
  5. (49 words) Personally, I felt the desire to do a good deed when I saw a program where they showed sick children. They needed expensive operations, and I, looking back at my wealthy and happy life, I realized that I could do without ice cream. I transferred a small amount and was happy that I was able to do something really important.
  6. (59 words) My father told me about kindness when he once again returned with a bandaged hand. He donated blood. I was very afraid of injections and did not understand his motivation. Then he said that he himself was once in the hospital after an accident, and his entire native village donated blood to him. I imagined this willingness to help, uniting absolutely different people, and realized that kindness is driving force humanity.
  7. (57 words) I learned about kindness when I first went to the hospital. I was scared and lonely. My sister came to me, I was already huddled under the blanket, waiting for the injections, but then she smiled and just started chatting with me. She played out all the procedures as if they were an empty formality. Then I realized how important it is, no matter who you are, to remain a kind person.
  8. (53 words) I consider my friend truly kind. One day the boys caught a frog and wanted to cheat it. And then he screams at us with good obscenities, and snatches it from the main instigator of the prank that no one had time to figure out. He released her, but he and I received a fair beating. But goodness is still worth standing up for.
  9. (66 words) From my experience, I remember a situation when a stray cat appeared in our barn. I felt very sorry for her, but I was afraid to tell my grandmother about her, because she did not like living creatures in the house. So I fed her secretly until I noticed that grandma was doing the same. She explained that she was afraid to adopt a cat because of my asthma. Since then, I know for sure that I went into it with a soft character.
  10. (68 words) I learned about kindness when I was put with one girl. She didn’t know mathematics, unlike me, and I was terribly proud of this, I didn’t let her cheat. But chemistry didn’t work out for me, but she was the smartest girl in the class. And then, on the final test, she sees that I’m failing, and... lets me write it off! Since then we have been friends, and I realized that kindness is more important than mathematics.
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1. Features of the interaction of good and evil in folk tales.
2. Changing the approach to the relationship between heroes and antagonists.
3. Differences in the relationship between positive and negative heroes.
4. Blurring the boundaries between concepts.

Despite the apparent diversity artistic images and characters, fundamental categories have always existed and will exist in world literature, the opposition of which, on the one hand, is the main reason for the development storyline, and on the other hand, encourages the development of moral criteria in the individual. The vast majority of heroes of world literature can easily be classified into one of two camps: defenders of Good and adherents of Evil. These abstract concepts can be embodied in visible, living images.

The significance of the categories of Good and Evil in culture and human life no doubt. A clear definition of these concepts allows an individual to establish himself in life, evaluating his own and others’ actions from the point of view of what should and should not be done. Many philosophical and religious systems are based on the idea of ​​opposition between two principles. So is it any wonder that characters in fairy tales and legends embody opposite traits? However, it should be noted that if the idea of ​​​​the behavior of heroes embodying the evil principle changed little over time, then the idea of ​​​​what the response to their actions by representatives of Good should be did not remain unchanged. Let us first consider how victorious heroes dealt with their evil opponents in fairy tales.

For example, the fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The evil stepmother, using witchcraft, tries to destroy her stepdaughter, jealous of her beauty, but all the machinations of the witch turn out to be in vain. Good triumphs. Snow White not only remains alive, but also marries a handsome prince. However, what does the victorious Good do with the losing Evil? The ending of the tale seems to have been taken from a narrative about the activities of the Inquisition: “But iron shoes had already been placed on the burning coals for her, they were brought, held with tongs, and placed in front of her. And she had to step her feet into red-hot shoes and dance in them until she finally fell, dead, to the ground.”

A similar attitude towards a defeated enemy is typical of many fairy tales. But it should be noted right away that the point here is not the increased aggressiveness and cruelty of Good, but the peculiarities of the understanding of justice in ancient times, because the plots of most fairy tales were formed a very long time ago. “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” - this is the ancient formula of retribution. Moreover, heroes who embody the traits of Good not only have the right to brutally deal with a defeated enemy, but must do so, because revenge is a duty assigned to man by the gods.

However, the concept gradually changed under the influence of Christianity. A. S. Pushkin in “The Tale of dead princess and about the seven heroes" used a plot almost identical to "Snow White". And in Pushkin’s text, the evil stepmother did not escape punishment - but how is it carried out?

Then sadness took over her,
And the queen died.

Inevitable retribution does not occur as the arbitrariness of mortal victors: it is the judgment of God. In Pushkin’s fairy tale there is no medieval fanaticism, the description of which involuntarily makes the reader shiver; the humanism of the author and positive characters only emphasizes the greatness of God (even if He is not mentioned directly), the highest justice.

The “longing” that “took” the queen—isn’t it conscience, which the ancient sages called “the Eye of God in man”?

So, in the ancient, pagan understanding, representatives of Good differ from representatives of Evil in the ways of achieving their goals and the undoubted right to something that their enemies are trying to take away - but not at all by a kinder, more humane attitude towards the defeated enemy.

In the works of writers who have absorbed Christian traditions, the unconditional right of positive heroes to carry out merciless reprisals against those who could not withstand the temptation and took the side of Evil is questioned: “And count those who should live, but they are dead. Can you resurrect them? But no, don’t rush to condemn anyone to death. For even the wisest are not given to foresee everything” (D. Tolkien “The Lord of the Rings”). “Now he is fallen, but it’s not for us to judge him: who knows, maybe he will rise again,” says Frodo, the main character of Tolkien’s epic. This work raises the problem of the ambiguity of Good. Yes, representatives bright side may share mistrust and even fear, moreover, no matter how wise, courageous and kind you are, there is always the possibility that you can lose these virtues and join the camp of villains (perhaps without consciously wanting this). A similar transformation occurs with the magician Saruman, whose original mission was to fight Evil, embodied in the person of Sauron. It threatens anyone who wishes to possess the One Ring. However, Tolkien does not even hint at Sauron's possible reformation. Although Evil is also not monolithic and ambiguous, it is to a greater extent is an irreversible condition.

The works of writers who continued the tradition of Tolkien present different views on what and which of Tolkien's characters should be considered Good and Evil. Currently, you can find works in which Sauron and his teacher Melkor, a kind of Lucifer of Middle-earth, do not act as negative heroes. Their struggle with other creators of the World is not so much a conflict of two opposite principles, but rather the result of misunderstanding and rejection of Melkor’s non-standard decisions.

In fantasy, which was formed on the basis of fairy tales and legends, clear boundaries between Good and Evil are gradually blurring. Everything is relative: Good is again not so humane (as it was in ancient tradition), but Evil is far from black - rather, it is denigrated by enemies. The literature reflects the processes of rethinking previous values, the real embodiment of which is often far from ideal, and the tendency towards an ambiguous understanding of the multifaceted phenomena of existence. However, it should be remembered that in the worldview of every person, the categories of Good and Evil should still have a fairly clear structure. Moses, Christ and other great teachers said long ago about what is considered real Evil. Evil is the violation of the great commandments that should determine human behavior.



The confrontation between good and evil in works of Russian literature

Author of the project:

10th grade student

Daria Sayapina

Lugobolotnaya Secondary School

Problematic question

How does it happen in life: does good or evil win?

Target

find out whether in all works of Russian literature there is a confrontation between good and evil, and who wins in this battle?

Tasks

  • collect historical and literary information on the problem of the confrontation between good and evil in Russian literature

  • explore a number of works of classical literature containing the problem of the struggle between good and evil

  • make a comparison table

  • prepare abstract material on the stated topic

  • develop skills in working with different sources

  • make a presentation of the project at the literary lounge

  • take part in a school conference


My guesses

Suppose there were no evil in the world. Then life wouldn't be interesting. Evil always accompanies good, and the struggle between them is nothing more than life. Fiction is a reflection of life, which means that in every work there is a place for the struggle between good and evil, and good probably wins.

Social results survey


"Vasilisa the Beautiful"

Good has prevailed over evil.

Stepmother and her daughters

turned into coal

and Vasilisa began to live

happily ever after

with the prince in contentment

and happiness

"Ivan the Peasant Son and the Miracle Yudo"

“Then Ivan jumped out of the forge, grabbed the snake and hit it against a stone with all his might. The snake crumbled into fine dust, and the wind scattered that dust in all directions. Since then, all the miracles and snakes in that region have disappeared - people began to live without fear.”

“The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights” by A.S. Pushkin

Evil, the poet claims, is not omnipotent, it is defeated. The evil queen-stepmother, although she “took everything with her mind,” is not confident in herself. And if the queen-mother died from the power of her love, then the queen-stepmother dies from envy and melancholy. With this, Pushkin showed the internal failure and doom of evil.

"Eugene Onegin" A.S. Pushkin

Kind, pure and sincere Tatyana deserves happiness and mutual love, but Onegin’s coldness and arrogance destroy all her dreams.

  • Dunya's kindness and sensitivity, embedded in her character by her loving parents, disappears under the influence of another feeling.

  • Selfishness and lies destroyed the family, made Dunya unhappy, and led to the death of Samson Vyrin.


"Mtsyri" M.Yu. Lermontov

  • Obsessive goodness turns around

for Mtsyri with suffering,

grief and ultimately death

"The Inspector General" N.V. Gogol


“Thunderstorm” A. N. Ostrovsky

Everything is against Katerina, even her own concepts of good and evil. No, she will never return to her old life.

But how can death be a victory over evil?

"Dowry" A.N. Ostrovsky

  • An amazing girl carries within herself

good beginnings. Unfortunately,

Larisa dies... and her death -

this is the only worthy way out,

because only then will she

will cease to be a thing

“Crime and Punishment” F.M. Dostoevsky

The main philosophical question of the novel

- boundaries of good and evil

conclusion


Project prospects

Working on the project gave me the idea:

is there in the literature of the 20th century and in modern literature the concepts of good and evil, or in modern literature there is only the concept of evil, and good has completely eradicated itself?

Social significance of the project:

work materials can be used in literature lessons, extracurricular activities. The work requires continuation: studies of the problem of good and evil in the literature of the 20th century and in modern literature