- “Little man” is a type of literary hero that arose in Russian literature with the advent of realism, that is, in the 20-30s of the 19th century.
First of all little man became Samson Vyrin from A. S. Pushkin’s story “The Station Agent”. Pushkin’s traditions were continued by N.V. Gogol in the story “The Overcoat”.
A little man is a person of low social status and origin, not gifted with outstanding abilities, not distinguished by strength of character, but at the same time kind, does no harm to anyone, and is harmless. Both Pushkin and Gogol, creating the image of a little man, wanted to remind readers who were accustomed to admiring romantic heroes that the most ordinary person is also a person worthy of sympathy, attention, and support.
Writers also turn to the theme of the little man late XIX and the beginning of the 20th century: A. P. Chekhov, A. I. Kuprin, M. Gorky, L. Andreev, F. Sologub, A. Averchenko, K. Trenev, I. Shmelev, S. Yushkevich, A. Meshcheryakov. The power of tragedy of little people - “heroes of fetid and dark corners” (A. Grigoriev) - was correctly defined by Pyotr Weil:
The little man from the great Russian literature is so small that it cannot be further reduced. Changes could only go upward. This is what the Western followers of our classical tradition. From our Little Man came the heroes of Kafka, Beckett, Camus, who grew to global proportions […]. Soviet culture threw off Bashmachkin’s overcoat - onto the shoulders of the living Little Man, who, of course, did not disappear anywhere, simply disappeared from the ideological surface, died in literature.
The little man, who did not fit into the canons of socialist realism, migrated to the literary underground and began to exist in the everyday satire of M. Zoshchenko, M. Bulgakov, V. Voinovich.
From the multifaceted literary gallery of little people, heroes stand out who strive to gain universal respect through changing their material status or appearance(“Luka Prokhorovich” by E. Grebenka, 1838; “The Overcoat” by N. Gogol, 1842); gripped by fear of life (“Man in a Case” by A. Chekhov, 1898; “Our Man in a Case” by V. Pietsukha, 1989); who, in conditions of overwhelming bureaucratic reality, fall ill mental disorders(“The Double” by F. Dostoevsky, 1846; “The Diaboliad” by M. Bulgakov, 1924); in whom an internal protest against social contradictions coexists with a painful desire to elevate oneself, to acquire wealth, which ultimately leads them to loss of reason (“Notes of a Madman” by N. Gogol, 1834; “The Double” by F. Dostoevsky); whose fear of superiors leads to madness or death (“Weak Heart” by F. Dostoevsky, 1848, “The Death of an Official” by A. Chekhov, 1883); who, fearing to expose themselves to criticism, change their behavior and thoughts (“Chameleon” by A. Chekhov, 1884; “Jolly Oysters” by A. Averchenko, 1910); who can find happiness only in love for a woman (“Senile Sin” by A. Pisemsky, 1861; “Mountains” by E. Popov, 1989; “ Garnet bracelet"A. I. Kuprina, 1910); who want to change their lives through the use of magical means (“The Right Medicine” by E. Grebenka, 1840; “The Little Man” by F. Sologub, 1905); who, due to failures in life, decide to commit suicide (“Senile Sin” by A. Pisemsky; “The Story of Sergei Petrovich” by L. Andreev, 1900).
Also, the problem of the little man is present in Andrei Platonov’s story “Yushka”.
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The theme of the “little man” in the literature of the 18th-19th centuries. Teacher – Komissarova E.V.
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The theme of the “little man” in the literature of the 18th-19th centuries. Forgotten, humiliated people almost never attract special attention those around you. Their lives, their little joys and big troubles seem to everyone unworthy of special interest. But since the beginning of the 19th century, it is precisely such people who have become the subject of close attention from great Russian literature. With each work, she showed more and more clearly and truthfully the life of people of the “lower” class. Little officials, stationmasters - “little people” began to emerge from the shadows.
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The theme of the “little man” in the literature of the 18th-19th centuries. The theme of the “little man” is a “cross-cutting theme” of Russian literature. The appearance of this image is due to the Russian career ladder of fourteen steps, at the bottom of which petty officials, poorly educated, often single or burdened with families, worked and suffered from poverty, lack of rights and insults. human understanding, each with his own trouble. In literary criticism, there are several interpretations of the concept “little man”. One of the definitions was proposed by literature researcher A.A. Anikin: “The Little Man” is a literary type of person - a victim of circumstances, government structure, evil forces etc.”
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The theme of the “little man” in the literature of the 18th-19th centuries. The main thematic features of this image will be: 1) low, disastrous, subordinate social status; 2) suffering that occurs not from one’s own malice or guilt, but from weakness and mistakes; 3) to varying degrees, but – defective personality, often squalor and underdevelopment; 4) the severity of life experiences; 5) finally, awareness of oneself as a “little person” and the desire to assert one’s right to life in precisely this capacity, but often with the dream only of making life easier; 6) turning to God as the only bearer of justice and equality: only before God are everyone equal. A literary hero must be characterized by the entire complex of characteristics; the presence of some of the listed traits does not yet introduce him into the mainstream of the “little man” theme. At the same time, it cannot be said that the presence of signs makes heroes different works identical: the image of each of them will lead the reader in a completely different way to thinking about this topic, revealing its different facets.
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The theme of the “little man” in the literature of the 18th-19th centuries. The very concept of “little man” appears in literature before the type of hero itself takes shape. At first, this was a designation for people of the third estate, which became of interest to writers due to the democratization of literature. In the 19th century, the image of the “little man” became one of the cross-cutting themes of literature. The concept of “little man” was introduced by V.G. Belinsky in his 1840 article “Woe from Wit.” Originally it meant a “simple” person. With the development of psychologism in Russian literature, this image becomes more complex psychological portrait and becomes the most popular character democratic works of the second half of the 19th century century. How did the theme of the “little man” arise in Russian literature? The first period of development of Russian literature, as we know, is ancient Russian literature, the heroes of whose works were princes, saints, and warriors. Only at the end of the period of existence ancient Russian literature a simple person is “allowed” into it, not a hero, not a saint, not a ruler. Then classicism came to literature from the West; this direction corresponded to the needs of that time: Peter I was building a strong state. The classicists were concerned with the needs of the state and the individual as a citizen useful to his country. Only with the advent of sentimentalism, again from Western literature, in Russian literature did writers become interested in the personal needs and experiences of people.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of N.M. Karamzin. The first writer who opened the world of “little people” to us was N.M. Karamzin. The greatest influence on subsequent literature was made by Karamzin's story "Poor Liza." The author laid the foundation for a huge series of works about "little people" and took the first step in researching this previously unknown topic. It was he who opened the way for such writers of the future as Gogol, Dostoevsky and others. Social inequality of heroes and natural complexity human soul become an obstacle to Liza’s happiness. The fate of the poor girl unfolds against the backdrop of the dramatic history of Russia. Karamzin's little story is philosophical. The author disputes the assumption of the philosopher Rousseau about the idyllic past of humanity. The history of mankind is all built on dramatic collisions, and before people were not happier than they are now, says the narrator. A big story was made up of small troubles ordinary people.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of A.S. Pushkin. A.S. Pushkin was the next writer whose sphere of creative attention included the whole of vast Russia: its open spaces, the life of villages, St. Petersburg and Moscow opened up not only from a luxurious entrance, but also through the narrow doors of poor houses. For the first time, Russian literature so poignantly and clearly showed the distortion of personality by an environment hostile to it. For the first time, it was possible not only to dramatically depict contradictory human behavior, but also to condemn the evil and inhuman forces of society. “Belkin's Tales” were created in the fall of 1830 in the village of Boldino. Main acting character The “story” is a little poor man, his position in society, his desires, aspirations, social contradictions in which he is drawn, moral dignity and simple human happiness.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of A.S. Pushkin. Of the stories in this cycle, the story “The Station Warden” had the greatest influence on the entire further course of development of Russian literature. Pushkin's choice of the hero - the stationmaster - was not accidental. In the 20s of the 19th century, many morally descriptive essays and stories appeared in Russian literature, the heroes of which were people of the “lower class”. “The Station Agent” is a socio-psychological story about the “little man” and his bitter fate in noble society. This is the highest manifestation of realism in Russian prose of the early 30s and a remarkable achievement of Pushkin himself. The fate of the “little man” is shown here for the first time without sentimental tearfulness, without romantic exaggeration, shown as the result of certain historical conditions, injustice public relations.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of A.S. Pushkin. In the plot itself " Stationmaster» transmitted typical social conflict, expressed broad generalization reality, revealed in the individual case of the tragic fate of an ordinary person, Samson Vyrin. Pushkin showed in his hero the traits of humanity, protest against social injustice which are revealed by him in a realistic depiction of fate common man. This is a genuine human drama, like there are many in life. A wise writer teaches us to pay attention not to the position, but to the soul and heart of a person, because then the world will become much cleaner and more honest. Humility, shows A.S. Pushkin, humiliates a person, makes life meaningless, eradicates pride, dignity, independence from the soul, turns a person into a voluntary slave, into a victim submissive to the blows of fate. For the first time, Russian literature was able to condemn the evil and inhuman forces of society. Samson Vyrin judged this society.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of A.S. Pushkin. The significance of the theme of the “little man” for Pushkin was not in exposing the downtroddenness of the hero, but in the discovery in the “little man” of a compassionate and sensitive soul, endowed with the gift of responding to someone else’s misfortune and someone else’s pain. From now on, the theme of the “little man” will be heard in Russian classical literature constantly.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of N.V. Gogol. The theme of the “little man” reached its apogee in the works of Gogol. Gogol reveals to the reader the world of “little people”, officials in his “Petersburg Tales”. The story “The Overcoat”, which was of great importance for all subsequent literature, is especially significant for the disclosure of this topic. Gogol had a great influence on the further movement of Russian literature, “responding” in the work of its most diverse figures, from Dostoevsky and Shchedrin to Bulgakov and Sholokhov.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of N.V. Gogol. The story brings the “little man” face to face with the cruel bureaucratic machine old Russia. And this machine mercilessly crushes and humiliates him. Gogol changed and processed real material in such a way that a humane idea came to the fore. He took a hero who occupied one of the last places in the hierarchical system of tsarist Russia, a most harmless creature who never caused any harm to anyone, who meekly endured all kinds of hardships and ridicule, who never showed any claims, except perhaps the claim to the most necessary thing - an overcoat, and then only when it was no longer possible to do without it. And life mercilessly punishes this person like a criminal!
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of N.V. Gogol. The “little man” is not destined to be happy in this unjust world. And only after death is justice done. Bashmachkin’s “soul” finds peace when he regains his lost item. Akaki Akakievich dies, but N.V. Gogol revives him. Why is he doing this? It seems to us that N.V. Gogol revived the hero in order to further show the timidity of the hero’s soul, and even after reviving, he changed only on the outside, but in his soul he still remained only a “little man.” N.V. Gogol showed not only the life of the “little man”, but also his protest against injustice. Even if this “rebellion” is timid, almost fantastic, the hero stands for his rights, against the foundations of the existing order.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of A.P. Chekhov Later, Chekhov would sum up the development of the theme in a unique way; he doubted the virtues traditionally glorified by Russian literature - the high moral virtues of the “little man” - a petty official. Voluntary groveling, self-abasement of the “little man” - this is the turn of the topic proposed by A.P. Chekhov. If Chekhov “exposed” something in people, then, first of all, their ability and willingness to be “small”. A person should not, does not dare, make himself “small” - this is Chekhov’s main idea in his interpretation of the theme of the “little man”. Summarizing all that has been said, we can conclude that the theme of the “little man” reveals the most important qualities Russian literature of the 19th century – democracy and humanism.
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The theme of the “little man” in the literature of the 18th-19th centuries. The idea of the “little man” changed throughout the 18th-19th centuries. Each writer had his own personal views on of this hero. Writers of the 18th century - N.M. Karamzin - and the first half of the 19th century - A.S. Pushkin, N.V. Gogol - treat the “little man” with sympathy. At first, the “little man” could love and respect himself, but was powerless before the state machine. Then he could not love, could not respect, and could not even think about fighting the state. Later, the “little man” acquires self-esteem, the ability to love, and at the same time acutely feels his insignificant position. But the most important thing is that he is no longer insignificant in his soul!
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of N.V. Gogol. The theme of the “little man” was developed in detail in the works of A.S. Pushkin, who repeatedly addressed the problems of such people in his works. You can even trace the change in this image in different works of the writer (“The Station Agent”, “ Captain's daughter», « Bronze Horseman"). Continuing the theme of the “little man” is N.V. Gogol, who in his story “The Overcoat” for the first time shows the spiritual stinginess and squalor of poor people, but also draws attention to the ability of the “little man” to rebel and for this purpose introduces elements of fantasy into his work.
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The theme of the “little man” in the literature of the 18th-19th centuries. This topic occupied a significant place in Russian literature. The problem of the “little man” keenly worried the writers, although each of them reveals the image of the “little man” in his own way and makes us think about the problems of such people, exposing the spiritual poverty and misery of the “poor little people” in order to help them change. Thus, the theme of the “little man” underwent significant changes in the work of writers. It is very important for understanding all Russian literature, since in the 20th century it was developed in the images of the heroes I. Bunin, A. Kuprin, M. Gorky, and even at the end of the 20th century one can find its reflection in the works of V. Shukshin, V. Rasputin and other writers.
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Bibliography. 1. Anikin A.A., Galkin A.B. Themes of Russian classics. Tutorial. – M.: Prometheus, 2000. 2. Arkhangelsky A.N. “Russian literature of the 19th century. 10th grade." - M., 2000. 3. Vinogradov I. From “Nevsky Prospekt” to “Rome”. / Gogol N.V. Petersburg stories. – M.: Synergy, 2001. 4. Gogol N.V. Overcoat. Petersburg stories. – M.: Synergy, 2001. 5. Gorelov P. O. Essays on Russian writers M.: “ Soviet writer”, 1984. 6. Gukovsky G. Realism of Gogol. – M.: graduate School, 1959. 7. Karamzin N.M. Poor Liza [electronic resource] http: az.lib.ru\k\karamzin 8. Kozhinov V.V. About the idea of "The Overcoat". /Gogol N.V. Petersburg stories. – M.: Synergy, 2001. 9. Lebedev Yu.V. “Russian literature of the 19th century. 10th grade." M., 2002. 10. Korovina V., Zhuravlev V., Korovin V. Literature. 9th grade. Textbook-reader for educational institutions. At 2 hours - M.: Education, 2007. 11. Mann Yu. Poetics of Gogol. M.: Fiction, 1988. 12. Markovich V. Gogol’s Petersburg Stories. L.: Fiction, 1989. 13. Mendeleeva D. A few words about the “little man” and “ dead souls"[electronic resource] http:lit.1september.ru\2004 14. Nezdvitsky V.A. "From Pushkin to Chekhov." M., 1997 15. Pushkin A.S. Stationmaster. Works in 5 volumes - M.: Synergy, 1999. 16. Ulyanov N.I. On Gogol's themes. Who is the true creator of “demonic” St. Petersburg? / Gogol N.V. Petersburg stories. – M.: Synergy, 2001. 17. Shenrok V.I. Petersburg stories by Gogol. /Gogol N.V. Petersburg stories. – M.: Synergy, 2001
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Main part…………………………………………………………………………………………4
Chapter 1. “Little Man” Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin……………………………………..4
Chapter 2. “Little Man” in the works “The Station Warden”, “The Bronze Horseman”, “The Captain’s Daughter”……………………………………………………………..4
Chapter 3. . "Death of an Official" "Man in a Case." "The triumph of the winner."
"Chameleon". "Thick and thin"…………………………………………………………………………………6
Chapter 4. . "Poor people." "Crime and Punishment". ……………………..7
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Used literature…………………………………………………………………………………...8
Applications……………………………………………………………………………………………………………9
Hypothesis: Man - does that sound proud?
Target: Identify the features of the portrayal of this type of heroes in literature and understand the reasons for the appearance of such people in society
Objectives: read works of Russian literature of the 19th century: the story "The Overcoat", the story "The Station Warden", "The Bronze Horseman", "The Captain's Daughter"; study critical literature on the story; familiarize yourself with Internet resources on this issue.
Methodology:
1. At the stage of determining the needs of students, the following methods will be effective:
A) studying a student questionnaire that determines the level of their knowledge on the topic;
B) the use of an analytical table that reveals the degree of understanding of the essence of the proposed study.
This stage is extremely important, as it allows the teacher to adjust the work on the project, and the students to assess their own abilities and correlate them with the objectives of the project.
2. During the students’ work on the project, it is possible to use a wide variety of methods:
a) drawing up a map plan for the upcoming work, which will allow students to feel
responsibility for one’s own learning, as well as to introduce assessment criteria for each stage of work;
b) “brainstorming” - in order to concentrate ideas about the upcoming work;
c) informal observations of the teacher, which will support the adjustment of the study and provide grounds for objective assessment;
d) feedback from peers, helping the student evaluate the quality of his work and relate it to the needs of the general study in the group;
e) self-assessment and reflection, giving the student the opportunity to evaluate his own work and think about methods for improving it;
f) reports on the implementation of key stages of the project, presented in the form of rough sketches, plans, diagrams, informal questionnaires in which students express their thoughts on the progress of the research. These methods will allow the teacher and students to constantly evaluate the progress of work on the project and will contribute to the development of high-level thinking skills.
3. After completing the project, it is expected to evaluate the following final works of students:
a) reports - presentations on the research conducted;
b) speeches at the final student conference;
V) creative works in the form of essays and wiki articles;
d) dramatization of fragments of Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”
e) student portfolio with research materials.
When assessing at each stage of work on the project, the depth and completeness of the research, the use of various educational resources, a creative approach, the ability to connect the problem with other areas of science and see the prospects for its development will be taken into account.
What do I know: The spiritual world of the “little man” is meager and uninteresting.
What else needs to be found: to reveal the true face, the spiritual potential of the “little man” using the example of the image of Bashmachkin from Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”, Samson Vyrin from the story “The Station Warden” and heroes of other works.
Introduction
The definition of “little man” is applied to the category of literary heroes of the era of realism, usually occupying a rather low place in the social hierarchy: a minor official, a tradesman, or even a poor nobleman. The image of the “little man” turned out to be all the more relevant the more democratic literature became. The very concept of “little man” was most likely introduced into use by Belinsky (1840 article “Woe from Wit”). The theme of the “little man” is raised by many writers. It has always been relevant because its task is to reflect the life of an ordinary person with all its experiences, problems, troubles and little joys. The writer takes on the hard work of showing and explaining the lives of ordinary people. “The little man is a representative of the entire people. And each writer represents him in his own way.
The project is dedicated to a cross-cutting theme in Russian literature - the evolution of the image of the "little man". This topic is quite capacious; it reflects many literary and social processes, which took place in Russia throughout the 19th century. The works contain rich material for the development of this topic, for the development of analytical abilities, thinking, and general intelligence of students. The project method will allow us to consider this topic comprehensively, in integration with psychology, sociology, and the realities of the modern world.
Main part
Chapter 1. “Little Man” Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin
It often happens in life that cruel and heartless people who humiliate and insult the dignity of other people often look more pathetic and insignificant than their victims. The same impression of spiritual meagerness and fragility from the offenders of the petty official Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin remains with us after reading Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”. Akaki Akakievich is a real “little man”. Why? Firstly, he stands on one of the lowest steps of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is not noticeable at all. Secondly, the world of his spiritual life and human interests is extremely narrowed, impoverished, and limited. Gogol himself characterized his hero as poor, mediocre, insignificant and unnoticed. In life, he was assigned an insignificant role as a copyist of documents for one of the departments. Brought up in an atmosphere of unquestioning submission and execution of orders from his superiors, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin was not used to reflecting on the content and meaning of his work. Therefore, when he is offered tasks that require the manifestation of elementary intelligence, he begins to worry, worry, and ultimately comes to the conclusion: “No, it’s better to let me rewrite something.” Bashmachkin's spiritual life is also limited. Raising money for new overcoat becomes for him the meaning of his whole life, filling it with happiness in anticipation of the fulfillment of his cherished desire. The theft of a new overcoat, acquired through such hardships and suffering, becomes truly catastrophic for him. Those around him laughed at his misfortune, and no one helped him. The “significant person” shouted at him so much that poor Akaki Akakievich lost consciousness. Almost no one noticed his death. Despite the uniqueness of the image created by the writer, he, Bashmachkin, does not look lonely in the minds of readers, and we imagine that there were a great many similarly humiliated people sharing the lot of Akaki Akakievich. Gogol was the first to talk about the tragedy of the “little man,” respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer compassionately showed the injustice and oppressiveness of society in relation to the “little man” and for the first time called on this society to pay attention to the inconspicuous, pitiful and funny people, as it seemed at first glance. It’s not their fault that they are not very smart, and sometimes not smart at all. But they don’t harm anyone, and this is very important. So why then laugh at them? Maybe you can't treat them with more respect, but you can't offend them. They, like everyone else, have the right to decent life, the opportunity to feel like full-fledged people.
Chapter 2. “Little Man" in works"The Station Agent", "The Bronze Horseman", "The Captain's Daughter"
The greatest poet of the 19th century also did not leave the theme of the “little man” unnoticed, only he turned his gaze not to the image of the kneeling man, but to the fate of the unfortunate man, showing us his pure soul, unspoiled by wealth and prosperity, who knows how to rejoice, love, and suffer. This is the story "The Station Agent", part of the cycle of "Belkin's Tales". Pushkin sympathizes with his hero. Initially, his life is not easy. “Who hasn’t cursed the stationmasters, who hasn’t scolded them? Who, in a moment of anger, hasn’t demanded from them a fatal book in order to write into it their useless complaint about oppression, rudeness and malfunction? Who doesn’t consider them monsters of the human race, equal to the deceased clerks, or at least the Murom robbers? Let us, however, be fair, try to enter into their position and, perhaps, begin to judge them much more leniently. What is a stationmaster? A real martyr of the fourteenth class, protected by his rank only from beatings. not always... There is peace, neither day nor night. him as an enemy; it would be good if he soon managed to get rid of the uninvited guest; but if the horses didn’t happen, what curses and threats would fall on his head! In the rain and slush, he is forced to run around the yards; in a storm, in the Epiphany frost, he goes into the hallway, just to rest for a minute from the screams and pushes of an irritated guest... Let's look into all this carefully, and instead of indignation, our hearts will be filled with sincere compassion." This is Pushkin's text, but behind it we hear Radishchev's voices and Karamzin. But the hero of the story - Samson Vyrin - is quite happy and calm, he has long adapted to the conditions of service, his beautiful daughter Dunya helps him run a simple household, he dreams of simple human happiness, hoping to take care of his grandchildren, to spend his old age with his family. is preparing a difficult test for him. The passing hussar Minsky takes Dunya away, without thinking about the consequences of his action. The unfortunate father hopes to return his daughter, but how can he compete with the rich hussar after an unsuccessful attempt to return his daughter, when the hussar " strong hand, grabbed the old man by the collar and pushed him onto the stairs,” Vyrin was no longer able to fight. He “thought, waved his hand and decided to retreat.” Samson died in longing for his daughter, grieving about her possible deplorable fate. Evgeny, the hero of “Copper horseman" looks like Samson Vyrin.
...Our hero
Lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere,
Avoids nobles...
He does not make great plans for the future; he is satisfied with a quiet, inconspicuous life.
What was he thinking about? About
That he was poor, that he worked hard
He had to deliver to himself
Both independence and honor;
What could God add to him?
Mind and money.
He also hopes for his personal, albeit small, but much-needed family happiness.
Marry? To me? Why not?
It's hard, of course.
But well, I'm young and healthy
Ready to work day and night;
I’ll arrange something for myself
Shelter humble and simple
And in it I will calm Parasha.
Perhaps a couple of weeks will pass -
I’ll get a place, Parashe
I will entrust our family
And raising children.
And we will live, and so on until the grave
We'll both get there hand in hand
And our grandchildren will bury us.
But all his dreams are in vain, because evil fate bursts into his life: the elements destroy his beloved. Evgeniy cannot resist fate; he quietly experiences his loss. And only in a state of madness does he threaten the Bronze Horseman, considering the man who built the city on this ruinous place to be the culprit of his misfortune. Pushkin looks at his heroes from the outside. They do not stand out for their intelligence or their position in society, but they are kind and decent people, and therefore worthy of respect and sympathy. In the novel "The Captain's Daughter" the category of "little people" includes Pyotr Andreevich Grinev and Captain Mironov. They are distinguished by the same qualities: kindness, justice, decency, the ability to love and respect people. But they have one more thing good quality- stay true to your word. Pushkin included the saying in the epigraph: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” They saved their honor. And just as dear as the heroes of his previously mentioned works.
Chapter 3.. "Death of an Official" "Man in a Case." "The triumph of the winner." "Chameleon". "Thick and thin."
“Little Man” is constantly found on the pages of works. This is the main character of his work. Chekhov's attitude towards such people is especially evident in his satirical stories. And this attitude is unambiguous. In the story “The Death of an Official,” the “little man” Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov constantly and obsessively apologizes to General Brizzhalov for accidentally spraying him when he sneezed. “I sprayed him!” thought Chervyakov. “Not my boss, a stranger, but still awkward. I need to apologize.” Keyword in this thought - “boss”. Chervyakov probably wouldn’t endlessly apologize to an ordinary person. Ivan Dmitrievich has a fear of his superiors, and this fear turns into flattery and deprives him of self-respect. A person has already reached the point where he allows himself to be trampled into the dirt; moreover, he himself helps to do this. We must give the general his due; he treats our hero very politely. But the common man was not accustomed to such treatment. thinks that he was ignored and comes to ask for forgiveness several days in a row. Brizzhalov gets fed up with this and finally yells at Chervyakov. “Get out!” the general, suddenly blue and shaking, barked.
“What, sir?” Chervyakov asked in a whisper, dying of horror.
-Get out!! - the general repeated, stamping his feet.
Something came off in Chervyakov’s stomach. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed away to the door, went out into the street and trudged... Arriving automatically home, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died." This is what fear of higher ranks, eternal admiration and humiliation before them leads to. To more fully reveal the image of his hero, Chekhov used a “speaking” surname. Yes, Ivan Dmitrievich is small, pitiful, like a worm, he can be crushed without effort, and most importantly, he is just as unpleasant.
In the story “The Triumph of the Winner,” Chekhov presents us with a story in which a father and son humiliate themselves before their boss so that the son can get a position.
“The boss was talking and, apparently, wanted to seem witty. I don’t know if he said anything funny, but I just remember that dad pushed me in the side every minute and said:
-Laugh!...
... - Yes, yes! - Dad whispered. - Well done! He looks at you and laughs... This is good; Maybe he’ll actually give you a job as an assistant clerk!”
And again we are faced with admiration for superiors. And again this is self-deprecation and flattery. People are ready to please the boss to achieve their insignificant goal. It doesn’t even occur to them to remember that there is simple human dignity that cannot be lost under any circumstances. I wanted all people to be beautiful and free. “Everything in a person should be beautiful: face, clothes, soul, and thoughts.” Anton Pavlovich thought so, therefore, ridiculing primitive man in his stories, he called for self-improvement. Chekhov hated self-humiliation, eternal servility and admiration for officials. Gorky said about Chekhov: “His enemy was vulgarity, and he fought against it all his life.” Yes, he fought against it with his works, he bequeathed to us to “squeeze the slave out of ourselves drop by drop.” Perhaps such a vile lifestyle of his “little people”, their low thoughts and unworthy behavior are the result of not only personal character traits, but also their social position and the order of the existing political system. After all, Chervyakov would not have apologized so zealously and lived in eternal fear of officials if he had not been afraid of the consequences. The characters in the stories “Chameleon”, “Thick and Thin”, “Man in a Case” and many others have the same unpleasant character traits. Anton Pavlovich believed that a person should have a goal, the fulfillment of which he will strive, and if there is none or it is completely small and insignificant, then the person becomes just as small and insignificant. A person must work and love - these are the two things that play main role in the life of any person: small and not small.
Chapter 4. . "Poor people." "Crime and Punishment".
If Chekhov’s characters are humiliated and do not realize their insignificance, then Dostoevsky’s “little man” fully understands his uselessness, uselessness.
In the novel "Poor People" we're talking about about "little people". Makar Devushkin and Varvara Alekseevna also belong to the lower class of society. They want to live well, work, hope for their happiness. Makar Devushkin loves Varenka very much, he is like a father to her: he buys her what she dreams of, although she does not ask him for it, and he himself remains virtually without food, becomes a debtor to the owner of the house in which he lives. Varenka, having learned about Makar Devushkin’s misfortune, tries to help him: she sends him money so that he can pay the hostess and buy something for himself. It should be noted that she gives away far from extra money earned by her painstaking work. Pity and kindness are characteristic of this gentle girl and her friend, Makar Devushkin, who once saved her from an evil relative. Mutual assistance is very important here, because this is the only thing these people can hope for. The author with his works wanted to point out the problems of the disadvantaged. They are forced to live in dark, dirty, nasty and smelly areas of the city. And what did many of them do to deserve this? What did Sonya Marmeladova do to deserve this? What did Makar Devushkin and Varvara Alekseevna deserve this? This is what Dostoevsky draws attention to. His “little man” knows how to reason. He is not only “humiliated and insulted”, realizing his insignificance, he is also a philosopher who poses questions of the greatest importance to society.
Conclusion
The idea of the “little man” changed throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each writer also had his own personal views on this hero. But already from the second third of the 20th century this image disappears from the pages of literary works, because the method socialist realism does not imply such a hero. In the process of studying the subject, we came to the conclusion that it was impossible to identify any system for changing the views of writers on these heroes. But you can find commonality in the views of different writers. For example, writers of the first half of the 19th century (Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol) treat the “little man” with sympathy. Griboyedov stands apart, he looks at this hero differently, which brings his views closer to the views of Chekhov and partly Ostrovsky. Here the concept of vulgarity and self-humiliation comes to the fore. In the minds of L. Tolstoy, N. Leskov, A. Kuprin, a “little man” is a talented, selfless person. Such a diversity of views of writers depends on the characteristics of their worldview and on the diversity human types that surrounds us in real life
Conclusions
As a result of the work, we came to the conclusion that a person is not just a physiological and social being living among other people, but also an individual endowed with his own rich inner world, feelings, thoughts, rights. Gogol was the first to talk about the tragedy of the “little man,” respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer compassionately showed the injustice and despotism of society in relation to the “little man” and for the first time called on this society to pay attention to people who were invisible, pitiful and funny, as it seemed at first glance. It’s not their fault that they are not very smart, and sometimes not smart at all. But they don’t harm anyone, and this is very important. So why then laugh at them? Maybe you can't treat them with more respect, but you can't offend them. They, like everyone else, have the right to a decent life, to the opportunity to feel like full-fledged people.
Literature used.
Textbooks, teaching aids, reading books, laboratory manuals, reference material, etc.
Printed materials Dictionaries, manuals, reference materials, etc.
1. Voropaev Vasilievich Gogol. Russian writers. 19th century – M., 2000.
2. "Overcoat"
3. "Crime and Punishment"
4. "Inspector"
5. Esin and techniques for analyzing a literary work. – M., 2000.
6. Lotman space in Gogol’s prose. – M., 1978.
7. Mann by Gogol. – M., 1978.
8. Gogol’s Mashinsky world. – M., 1983.
Love for to an ordinary person, the work of many Russian writers is permeated with pain for him.
One of the first to put forward the democratic theme of the “little man” in literature was Pushkin. In “Belkin’s Tales,” completed in 1830, the writer paints not only pictures of the life of the nobility and district (“The Young Lady-Peasant”), but also draws the readers’ attention to the fate of the “little man.”
Already in the stories of sentimentalists, especially Karamzin (the story “Poor Liza”), a “little man” was shown. It was an idealized image, not very realistic.
Pushkin makes his first attempt to objectively and truthfully portray the “little man.” The hero of the story “The Station Agent” is alien to sentimental suffering; he has his own sorrows associated with the unsettled life.
There is a small postal station somewhere at the crossroads of roads. Here live 14th grade official Samson Vyrin and his daughter Dunya - the only joy that brightens up the difficult life of a caretaker, full of shouts and curses from passers-by. And suddenly she is taken to St. Petersburg, taken away secretly from her father. The worst thing is that Dunya left with the hussar of her own free will. Having crossed the threshold of a new one, rich life, she abandoned her father. Samson Vyrin goes to St. Petersburg to “return the lost sheep,” but he is kicked out of Dunya’s house, and in the end he receives several banknotes for his daughter. “Tears welled up in his eyes again, tears of indignation! He squeezed the pieces of paper into a ball, threw them on the ground, stamped with his heel and walked away...” Vyrin dies alone, and no one notices his death. About people like him, Pushkin writes at the beginning of the story: “We will, however, be fair, we will try to enter into their position and, perhaps, we will begin to judge them much more leniently.”
The truth of life, sympathy for the “little man”, insulted at every step by bosses higher in rank and position - this is what we feel when reading the story. Pushkin cares about this “little man” who lives in grief and need. The story, which so realistically depicts the “little man,” is imbued with democracy and humanity.
In 1833, Pushkin’s “The Bronze Horseman” appeared, in which the “little man” with tragic fate expresses a timid protest against the inhuman autocracy. “Welcome, miraculous builder! -//He whispered, trembling angrily, -//Too bad for you!..”
Pushkin's traditions were continued and developed by Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov.
In the story “The Overcoat” the idea of a humane attitude towards the “little man”, which is hidden in all Gogol's works, expressed directly and decisively.
Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin - “eternal titular adviser.” The senseless clerical work killed every living thought in him. He finds his only pleasure in copying papers. He lovingly wrote out the letters in a clean, even handwriting and completely immersed himself in his work, forgetting the insults caused to him by his colleagues, and the need, and worries about food and comfort. Even at home, he only thought that “God will send something to rewrite tomorrow.”
But the man in this downtrodden official also woke up when the goal of life appeared - a new overcoat. “He somehow became more lively, even stronger in character. Doubt and indecision naturally disappeared from his face and from his actions...” Bashmachkin does not part with his dream for a single day. He thinks about it like another person thinks about love, about family. So he orders himself a new overcoat, “...his existence has somehow become fuller...” The description of the life of Akaki Akakievich is permeated with irony, but there is also pity and sadness in it. Taking us into spiritual world of the hero, describing his feelings, thoughts, dreams, joys and sorrows, the author makes it clear what happiness the acquisition of the overcoat was for Bashmachkin and what a disaster its loss turns into.
There was no happier person than Akaki Akakievich, when the tailor brought him an overcoat. But his joy was short-lived. When he was returning home at night, he was robbed. And none of those around him take part in the unhappy official. In vain Bashmachkin sought help from “ significant person" He was even accused of rebelling against his superiors and “higher ones.” The upset Akaki Akakievich catches a cold and dies. In the finale, a small, timid person, driven to despair by the world of the powerful, protests against this world. Dying, he “blasphemes” and utters the most terrible words that follow the words “your excellency.” It was a riot, albeit in a dying delirium.
It is not because of the overcoat that the “little man” dies. He becomes a victim of bureaucratic “inhumanity” and “ferocious rudeness,” which, as Gogol argued, lurks under the guise of “refined, educated secularism.” In this deepest meaning stories.
High St. Petersburg society shows criminal indifference towards Captain Kopeikin (in Gogol’s poem “ Dead Souls"). It turned out to be callous, soulless not just to a little person, but to a defender of the Motherland, a hero of the War of 1812, a disabled person who had lost all means of livelihood... No wonder further fate Captain Kopeikin is associated with the riot: a warning that the patience of the downtrodden and humiliated will someday end, that there is a limit to everything. And if the broad Russian soul rebelled, then woe to those who oppressed and offended the poor man.
Dostoevsky’s novel “Poor People” is imbued with the spirit of Gogol’s “The Overcoat.” This is a story about the fate of the same “little man”, crushed by grief, despair and social lack of rights. The correspondence of the poor official Makar Devushkin with Varenka, who has lost her parents and is being pursued by a pimp, reveals the deep drama of the lives of these people. Makar and Varenka are ready to endure any hardship for each other. Makar, living in extreme need, helps Varya. And Varya, having learned about Makar’s situation, comes to his aid. But the heroes of the novel are defenseless. Their rebellion is a “revolt on their knees.” Nobody can help them. Varya is taken away to certain death, and Makar is left alone with his grief. The lives of two are broken and crippled wonderful people, broken by cruel reality.
Dostoevsky reveals the deep and strong experiences of “little people.”
It is interesting to note that Makar Devushkin reads “The Station Agent” by Pushkin and “The Overcoat” by Gogol. He is sympathetic to Samson Vyrin and hostile to Bashmachkin. Probably because he sees his future in him. So, Dostoevsky, the most complex and contradictory realist artist, on the one hand, shows a “humiliated and insulted” person, and the writer’s heart is filled with love, compassion and pity for this person and hatred for the well-fed, vulgar and debauched, and on the other hand, he speaks out for humility, submission, calling: “Humble yourself, proud man!”
Marmeladov from Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” turns out to be a victim in a society of arbitrariness and lawlessness. This drunken retired official says to Raskolnikov: “In poverty you still retain your nobility of innate feelings, but in poverty no one ever does.” Marmeladov explains his thought: “Poverty is not a vice, poverty is a vice,” because in poverty the sense of human dignity in the poor man himself is not yet distorted; the beggar ceases to be a person, ceases to respect himself, humiliates himself, reaching the last degree of moral decline.
Further, in the development of the image of the “little man,” a tendency toward “bifurcation” is emerging. On the one hand, common democrats emerge from among the “little people,” and their children become revolutionaries. Nekrasov will say about Dobrolyubov: “What a lamp of reason has gone out!” On the other hand, the “little man” sinks, turning into a limited bourgeois. We observe this process most clearly in Chekhov’s stories “Ionych”, “Gooseberry”, “Man in a Case”.
Teacher Belikov is not an evil person by nature, but timid and reserved. In conditions when the formula was in effect: “If the circular does not allow, then it is not allowed,” he becomes a terrible figure in the city.
Everything living, moving forward, frightened Belikov; in everything he saw “an element of doubt.” Belikov could not arrange his personal life either. Once he saw his bride on a bicycle, he was very surprised and went to her brother for an explanation, believing that it was not appropriate for a woman to ride a bicycle. The result of the conversation was a quarrel between Belikov and Kovalenko, after which the teacher died. The townspeople buried Belikov with joy, but even after his death the stamp of “Belikovism” remained on the residents of the city. Belikov continued to live in their minds, he permeated their souls through and through
Fear.
Over time, the “little man,” deprived of his own dignity, “humiliated and insulted,” arouses not only compassion but also condemnation among progressive writers. “You live a boring life, gentlemen,” Chekhov said through his work to the “little man” who had come to terms with his situation. With subtle humor, the writer ridicules the death of Ivan Chervyakov, from whose lips the lackey “Yourness” has never left his lips. In the same year as “The Death of an Official,” the story “Thick and Thin” appears. Chekhov again speaks out against philistinism, against servility. The collegiate servant Porfiry giggles, “like a Chinese,” bowing obsequiously, upon meeting his ex-friend who has a high rank. The feeling of friendship that connected these two people has been forgotten.
Drawing images of “little people,” writers usually emphasized their weak protest and downtroddenness, which subsequently leads the “little man” to degradation. But each of these heroes has something in life that helps him endure existence: Samson Vyrin has a daughter, the joy of life, Akaky Akakievich has an overcoat, Makar Devushkin and Varenka have their love and care for each other. Having lost this goal, they die, unable to survive the loss.
“Little people” are people of the lower classes, and their language is folk, it contains vernacular (“clean up, old fool”), clerical words (“compasses”), and the expression “I have something to say.” To enhance the emotional sound of the image, writers use inappropriately direct speech (for example, the story about the grief of the old caretaker is told in the third person, although he himself talks about what happened).
To more fully describe the hero, Chekhov uses the technique of a story within a story. The hero is spoken about by another person who knows him and evaluates his actions (teacher Burkin in the story “The Man in a Case”, veterinarian Ivan Ivanovich in the story “Gooseberry”). All techniques for depicting heroes are aimed at a deeper disclosure of the images of “little people”.
In conclusion, I would like to say that a person should not be small. In one of his letters to his sister, Chekhov exclaimed: “My God, how rich Russia is.” good people! The keen eye of the artist, noticing vulgarity, hypocrisy, stupidity, saw something else - beauty good man. Such, for example, is Doctor Dymov, the hero of the story “The Jumper,” a man who lives for the happiness of others, a modest doctor, with kind hearted, beautiful soul. Dymov dies saving a child from illness.
So it turns out that this “little man” is not so small.
Anikin A. A. The definition of “little man” is a true long-liver in school and university literary criticism. Devoid of scientific dryness, it is also convenient for exam topics. Therefore, it is natural that a certain semantic and emotional stereotype has developed that accompanies this expression. Even themselves literary heroes This is how they openly recommend themselves: “I, sir, am a little man” (Kuligin from A.N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”), with the natural addition: “You can offend me!” This, it would seem, is the whole simple meaning of this name. But this is clearly a crafty simplicity, which, due to its many years, or even centuries of existence, turns out to be completely unproductive both for literary analysis and for living, explanatory writing. This apparent simplicity is aggravated by the fact that the image of the “little man”, out of compassion or something, is usually made younger: good, when his pedigree is traced back to “ Poor Lisa» N.M. Karamzin, otherwise they’ll throw back another half century and give N.V. as a “father.” Gogol with the story “The Overcoat”. If we look impartially, not through established dogmas, we will see a different picture. First, not every poor person depicted will respond to this theme. The same Kuligin is filled with such pretentious pathos that the definition of “little man” is more a mask than authenticity. He wants to “command thunder with his mind,” he will reject all natural laws and invent the “perpeta mobile,” the notorious perpetual motion machine, a symbol of human pride; he sees himself as a rich man, the owner of a million, a judge and benefactor of the people, almost a mouthpiece of God (in the final remark “she is now before a judge who is more merciful than you”), and it is hardly possible to “offend” him: they are too annoying and defiant to him demands to “finance” it, Kuligin’s inventive whims... Secondly, already from Kuligin’s short assessment it is clear that the content of the image with the “little man” emblem is far from monotonous, rather paradoxical, and this is what makes this topic interesting and lively, despite known costs of any stable expression. In short, the prevailing pattern is that the “little man” is viewed as a victim of one or another social relationship: if he is good (let’s say, like Samson Vyrin), then society unfairly keeps him in the fourteenth, last class; if he is bad, like ninth-grade official Akakiy Bashmachkin, then society is to blame for his shortcomings (remember that N.G. Chernyshevsky called Akakiy Akakievich nothing less than an “idiot”: “a complete ignoramus and a complete idiot, incapable of anything” , 5, 323). To discuss a topic in such a spirit is not only vulgar or uninteresting, but the main thing is that it does not mean understanding the text, but fitting it into an ideological scheme that remains tenacious, despite the seeming change of social ideologies. So, in the future we will turn to the same images of Pushkin and Gogol, but we will emphasize that building social protection their heroes are not included author's position, and this, however, does not at all negate the motive of compassion: the authors see their heroes not in socio-political coordinates, but rather put them before God, before eternity, before the essence of human existence (vivid symbolic episodes: the parable of prodigal son, choosing a name, death and transformation, etc.).
