Image " little man» in Russian literature
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 XIX century.
Literary Encyclopedia:
“Little Man” is a number of diverse characters in Russian literature of the 19th century, united by common characteristics: low position in the social hierarchy, poverty, insecurity, which determines the peculiarities of their psychology and the plot role of victims social injustice and the soulless state mechanism, often personified in the image of “ significant person" They are characterized by fear of life, humility, meekness, which, however, can be combined with a feeling of injustice of the existing order of things, with wounded pride and even a short-term rebellious impulse, which, as a rule, does not lead to a change in the current situation. The type of “little man” discovered by A. S. Pushkin (“ Bronze Horseman", "The Station Agent") and N.V. Gogol ("The Overcoat", "Notes of a Madman"), creatively, and sometimes polemically in relation to tradition, rethought F. M. Dostoevsky (Makar Devushkin, Golyadkin, Marmeladov), A. N. Ostrovsky (Balzaminov, Kuligin), A. P. Chekhov (Chervyakov from “The Death of an Official”, hero of “Thick and Thin”), M. A. Bulgakov (Korotkov from “The Diaboliad”), M. M. Zoshchenko and other Russian writers of the 19th-20th centuries.
“The little man” is a type of hero in literature, most often he is a poor, inconspicuous official occupying a small position, whose fate is tragic.
The theme of the "little man" is " cross-cutting theme” 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.
Little people are not rich, invisible, their fate is tragic, they are defenseless.
Pushkin "Station Warden". Samson Vyrin.
Hard worker. weak man. He loses his daughter and is taken away by the rich hussar Minsky. Social conflict. Humiliated. Can't stand up for himself. Got drunk. Samson was lost in life.
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.”
The fate of the “little man” is shown here realistically for the first time, without sentimental tearfulness, without romantic exaggeration, shown as the result of certain historical conditions, injustice of social relations.
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.
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. 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 babysit his grandchildren and spend his old age with his family. But fate is preparing a difficult test for him. A passing hussar, Minsky, takes Dunya away without thinking about the consequences of his action.
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. Hussar" strong hand, grabbed the old man by the collar and pushed him onto the stairs." Unhappy father! How can he compete with the rich hussar! 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 to the ground, trampled them with his heel and walked ... "
Vyrin was no longer able to fight. He “thought, waved his hand and decided to retreat.” Samson, after the loss of his beloved daughter, became lost in life, became an alcoholic and died in longing for his daughter, grieving over her possible pitiful fate.
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.
Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman". Evgeniy
Evgeniy is a “little man.” The city played a fatal role in fate. Loses his fiancée during a flood. All his dreams and hopes for happiness were lost. Lost my mind. In sick madness, the Nightmare challenges the “idol on a bronze horse”: the threat of death under the bronze hooves.
The image of Evgeniy embodies the idea of confrontation common man and states.
“The poor man was not afraid for himself.” "The blood boiled." “A flame ran through my heart,” “It’s for you!” Evgeny’s protest is an instant impulse, but stronger than Samson Vyrin’s.
The image of a shining, lively, lush city is replaced in the first part of the poem by a picture of a terrible, destructive flood, expressive images a raging element over which man has no control. Among those whose lives were destroyed by the flood is Eugene, whose peaceful concerns the author speaks of at the beginning of the first part of the poem. Evgeny is an “ordinary man” (“little” man): he has neither money nor rank, “serves somewhere” and dreams of setting up a “humble and simple shelter” for himself in order to marry the girl he loves and go through life’s journey with her.
...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.
The poem does not indicate the hero's surname or his age; nothing is said about Eugene's past, his appearance, or character traits. Having deprived Evgeny of individual characteristics, the author turns him into an ordinary, typical person from the crowd. However, in an extreme, critical situation, Eugene seems to awaken from a dream, and throws off the guise of a “nonentity” and opposes the “brass idol”. In a state of madness, he threatens 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.
Conflict
Pushkin for the first time in Russian literature showed all the tragedy and intractability of the conflict between the state and state interests and the interests of the private individual.
Plot-wise, the poem is completed, the hero died, but the central conflict remained and was conveyed to the readers, unresolved in reality itself, the antagonism of the “upper” and “lower”, the autocratic government and the dispossessed people remained. The symbolic victory of the Bronze Horseman over Eugene is a victory of strength, but not of justice.
Gogol “The Overcoat” Akaki Akikievich Bashmachkin
"The Eternal Titular Advisor." Resignedly endures the ridicule of his colleagues, timid and lonely. Poor spiritual life. The author's irony and compassion. The image of a city that is scary for the hero. Social conflict: “little man” and the soulless representative of power “significant person”. The element of fantasy (ghost) is the motive of rebellion and retribution.
Gogol opens to the reader the world of “little people”, officials in his “Petersburg Tales”. The story “The Overcoat” is especially significant for revealing this topic; Gogol had a great influence on the further movement of Russian literature, “echoing” Dostoevsky in the works of its most diverse figures and Shchedrin to Bulgakov and Sholokhov. “We all came out of Gogol’s overcoat,” wrote Dostoevsky.
Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin - “eternal titular adviser.” He meekly endures the ridicule of his colleagues, he is timid and lonely. The senseless clerical work killed every living thought in him. His spiritual life is meager. 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. The development of the image is observed in the story. “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. Here he orders himself new overcoat, “...his existence somehow became 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 takes part in his fate. In vain did Bashmachkin seek help from a “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.
The theme of rebellion finds expression in the fantastic image of a ghost that appears on the streets of St. Petersburg after the death of Akaki Akakievich and takes off the overcoats of the offenders.
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.
N.V. Gogol deepens the social conflict: the writer 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.
Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment” Marmeladov
The writer himself noted: “We all came out of Gogol’s “Overcoat.”
Dostoevsky’s novel is imbued with the spirit of Gogol’s “The Overcoat” "Poor people And". 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.
About the fate of the “little man” Semyon Semyonovich Marmeladov was told by F.M. Dostoevsky on the pages of the novel "Crime and Punishment". One after another, the writer reveals to us pictures of hopeless poverty. Dostoevsky chose the dirtiest part of strictly St. Petersburg as the location for the action. Against the backdrop of this landscape, the life of the Marmeladov family unfolds before us.
If in Chekhov the characters are humiliated and do not realize their insignificance, then in Dostoevsky the drunken retired official fully understands his uselessness and uselessness. He is a drunkard, an insignificant person from his point of view, who wants to improve, but cannot. He understands that he has doomed his family, and especially his daughter, to suffering, he worries about this, despises himself, but cannot help himself. “To pity! Why pity me!” Marmeladov suddenly screamed, standing up with his hand outstretched... “Yes! There’s nothing to pity me for! Crucify me on the cross, not pity him! But crucify him, judge, crucify him, and, having crucified him, have pity on him!”
Dostoevsky creates the image of a real fallen man: Marmelad’s annoying sweetness, clumsy florid speech - the property of a beer tribune and a jester at the same time. Awareness of his baseness (“I am a born beast”) only strengthens his bravado. He is disgusting and pathetic at the same time, this drunkard Marmeladov with his florid speech and important bureaucratic bearing.
The mental state of this petty official is much more complex and subtle than his literary predecessors- Pushkin’s Samson Vyrin and Gogol’s Bashmachkin. They do not have the power of self-analysis that Dostoevsky's hero achieved. Marmeladov not only suffers, but also analyzes his state of mind, he, as a doctor, makes a merciless diagnosis of the disease - the degradation of his own personality. This is how he confesses in his first meeting with Raskolnikov: “Dear sir, poverty is not a vice, it is the truth. But...poverty is a vice - p. In poverty you still retain all the nobility of your innate feelings, but in poverty no one ever does... for in poverty I am the first to be ready to insult myself.”
A person not only dies from poverty, but understands how spiritually he is becoming empty: he begins to despise himself, but does not see anything around him to cling to that would keep him from the disintegration of his personality. The ending of Marmeladov's life is tragic: on the street he was run over by a dandy gentleman's carriage drawn by a pair of horses. Throwing himself at their feet, this man himself found the outcome of his life.
Under the writer's pen, Marmeladov becomes tragically. Marmeladov’s cry - “after all, it is necessary that every person can go somewhere at least” - expresses the final degree of despair of a dehumanized person and reflects the essence of his life drama: there is nowhere to go and no one to go to.
In the novel, Raskolnikov has compassion for Marmeladov. The meeting with Marmeladov in the tavern, his feverish, delirious confession gave the main character of the novel, Raskolnikov, one of the last proofs of the correctness of the “Napoleonic idea.” But not only Raskolnikov has compassion for Marmeladov. “They’ve already felt sorry for me more than once,” Marmeladov says to Raskolnikov. The good general Ivan Afanasyevich took pity on him and accepted him into service again. But Marmeladov could not stand the test, started drinking again, drank away his entire salary, drank it all away and in return received a tattered tailcoat with a single button. Marmeladov in his behavior reached the point of losing the last human qualities. He is already so humiliated that he does not feel like a human being, but only dreams of being a human among people. Sonya Marmeladova understands this and forgives her father, who is able to help her neighbor and sympathize with someone who so needs compassion
Dostoevsky makes us feel sorry for those unworthy of pity, to feel compassion for those unworthy of compassion. “Compassion is the most important and, perhaps, the only law of human existence,” Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky believed.
Chekhov "Death of an Official", "Thick and Thin"
Later, Chekhov would draw a unique conclusion to the development of the theme; he doubted the virtues traditionally sung 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 theme 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 XIX century - democracy and humanism.
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.
Kuprin “Garnet Bracelet”. Zheltkov
In A.I. Kuprin's " Garnet bracelet“Zheltkov is a “little man.” And again the hero belongs to the lower class. But he loves, and he loves in a way that many from high society are not capable of. Zheltkov fell in love with the girl and all his later life he loved only her alone. He understood that love is a sublime feeling, it is a chance given to him by fate, and it should not be missed. His love is his life, his hope. Zheltkov commits suicide. But after the death of the hero, the woman realizes that no one loved her as much as he did. Kuprin's hero is a man of an extraordinary soul, capable of self-sacrifice, able to truly love, and such a gift is rare. Therefore, the “little man” Zheltkov appears as a figure towering above those around him.
Thus, the theme of the “little man” underwent significant changes in the work of writers. Drawing images of “little people”, writers usually emphasized their weak protest, 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.
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!»
In XX century, the theme was developed in the images of the heroes I. Bunin, A. Kuprin, M. Gorky and even at the end XX century, you can find its reflection in the works of V. Shukshin, V. Rasputin and other writers.
Composition
“Pain about a person” - that’s probably main topic Russian literature of the 19th century. Compassion for the tragic fate of the “little man” formed the basis of the work of all Russian writers. And the first in this row was, of course, A.S. Pushkin.
In 1830, Pushkin wrote five stories, united by a common title and a common narrator - “Belkin's Tales”. Of these, the most touching and at the same time the saddest is, it seems to me, the story “The Station Agent.” In it, the poet first brought to the pages of Russian literature the “little man” - Samson Vyrin. Pushkin described him very accurately social status- “a real martyr of the fourteenth grade.”
The caretaker of the small postal station endured a lot in his miserable life, endured a lot. Almost every one of those passing by, wittingly or unwittingly, offended him, taking out their frustration on him, the irresponsible official, for the bad roads and the delay of the horses. He had one joy - his daughter Dunya, whom he loved more than life itself. But he lost her too: Dunya was taken with him to St. Petersburg by a passing officer, Minsky. Vyrin tried to achieve the truth, but everywhere he was driven away. And the poor official could not bear the insult - he became an alcoholic and soon died. Pushkin clearly showed Samson Vyrin with sympathy, a deeply unhappy man, with his small, but no less sad drama.
“The Little Man” is dedicated to N.V. Gogol’s story “The Overcoat,” which V.G. Belinsky called the writer’s “deepest creation.” Main character story - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, “eternal titular adviser.” All his life he “zealously and lovingly” copied papers in the department. This rewriting was not only his work, but also his calling, even, one might say, his life's purpose. Bashmachkin worked without straightening his back all day at work and took papers home, and copied some of the most interesting ones for himself - as a keepsake. His life was eventful and interesting in its own way. But one thing upset Akaki Akakievich: the old overcoat, which had served him faithfully for decades, finally fell into such “decay” that the most skilled tailor could no longer repair it. Bashmachkin’s existence acquired a new content: he began to save money to sew a new overcoat, and dreams about it warmed his soul for many years. winter evenings. This overcoat, which became the subject of Bashmachkin’s constant thoughts and conversations, acquired almost mystical significance for him. And when it was finally ready, Bashmachkin, rejuvenated and spiritualized, appeared in it for service. It was the day of his celebration, his triumph, but it ended unexpectedly and tragically: at night, robbers took away his new overcoat. For the poor official it was a disaster, the ruin of his whole life. He turned to a certain “significant person” for help, begging him to find and punish the robbers, but his request seemed too insignificant to the important general to pay attention to. And the loss became fatal for Bashmachkin: he soon fell ill and died. Gogol urged the reader to love the “little man” because he is “our brother”, because he is also a person.
The theme of the “little man” was continued by F. M. Dostoevsky, who very accurately said about himself and his contemporaries: “We all came out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat.” Indeed, the main characters of almost all of his works were “little people”, “humiliated and insulted.” But, unlike Gogol’s hero, Dostoevsky’s heroes are capable of openly protesting. They do not accept the terrible reality; they are able to tell the bitter truth about themselves and about the society around them.
Their spiritual world is not as limited and wretched as Bashmachkin’s. They feel the injustice and cruelty of the world of profit and money more acutely than he does. Thus, the poor official Marmeladov, thrown to the very bottom of life, retained his soul and did not become a scoundrel and a scoundrel. He is much more humane than the “masters of life” - Luzhin and Svidrigailov. Marmeladov’s monologue in the tavern is not only a regret about his ruined life, but also a bitter reproach to the whole society.
Sonya Marmeladova was forced to sell herself in order to prevent the little children of her stepmother, Katerina Ivanovna, from starving to death. She suffers for the pain of all people, all the orphaned and wretched. Sonya helps not only her family, she strives to help complete strangers. It was Sonya who became the moral and spiritual support for Raskolnikov: Sonya bore his “cross” with him - she followed him to hard labor. This is her strength and her greatness - the greatness of self-sacrifice in the name of people, of which only an extraordinary person was capable.
The works of Russian writers make us painfully think about the meaning human life, about the purpose of man. Together with their heroes we learn to respect human personality, to sympathize with her pain and empathize with her spiritual quest.
The greatness of a great man is revealed in the way he treats little people." Thomas Carlyle
“The Station Agent” is a work where, for the first time in history, Pushkin raises the problem of the “little man.” The main idea is the plight ordinary people in society, the indifference with which all superiors treat such people, sometimes not considering them as people. Pushkin focuses on the problem of social inequality, the oppressed position of some and the complete indifference to their suffering of others. Pushkin sympathizes with Varin, raises the issue of the “little man ", helpless and humiliated, and such people deserve respect, according to the author, for little people, honor is above all, and instead of understanding, they receive the "spiritual deafness" of people. Pushkin treats very warmly, with compassion and love, a little with pity to his “little hero”, worries about his bitter fate.
The fate of another "little man" is described by N. Gogol in the story "The Overcoat". The "little" man Bashmachkin has the dream of his whole life - a new overcoat. The insignificant little man, after acquiring a new overcoat, believes that he has suddenly become a man. The dream has come true, he is happy , does not notice that those around him are mocking him. The empty space takes on human characteristics. He has become equal to those around him, the overcoat for him is a sign of equality. He develops weak self-confidence, he rises from the knees on which he placed himself voluntarily. He begins “dare”, but everything collapses with the theft of his overcoat, despair pushes Bashmachkin to an important person, and he is shown his place, he is surrounded by indifference, he is pitiful and helpless, as he was before.
Chekhov's story "Tosca" gives us the image of another "little" man. The indifference of those around him, their indifference and unwillingness to even listen to a person make the grief of the cab driver Jonah unbearable. Not finding sympathy and understanding from people, Jonah pours out his soul to the horse. Shedding tears, he tells about the death of his son to the only close creature, his horse. Chekhov touches on the problem of the indifference of people in society. Everyone is for himself, people are alien to other people's problems and suffering. A “little” person is helpless not only in life, but even in grief.
Many authors in Russian literature of the 19th century show sympathy for the “little people” scattered throughout all corners of Russia, who, day and night, in rain and snow, are subjected to humiliation, insults and who are helpless, without rights before their superiors, officials and any people. . The worst thing is that the “little” heroes are helpless and alone even in the face of their own grief, not finding sympathy and understanding from those around them - that’s why they are “little people.” Writers called on those in power to bear responsibility for the fate of “little” people, ordinary people, to be more merciful and show respect to those on whose work the well-being of both the masters and the entire country depends.
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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 life, 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, worthy of human understanding, worked and suffered from poverty, lack of rights and insults, each with their own misfortune. In literary criticism, there are several interpretations of the concept “little man”. One of the definitions was proposed by literature researcher A.A. Anikin: “Little Man” is literary type people - victims of circumstances, government, 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 position; 2) suffering that occurs not from one’s own malice or guilt, but from weakness and mistakes; 3) to varying degrees, but – inferiority of 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. For literary hero the entire complex of characteristics must be characteristic; the presence of some of the listed traits does not yet introduce it 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 acquires a more complex psychological portrait and becomes the most popular character in the democratic works of the second century. 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 exerted by Karamzin's story " Poor Lisa. "The author laid the foundation for a huge series of works about “little people”, 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 challenges the philosopher Rousseau's assumption about the idyllic past of humanity. The history of mankind is entirely built on dramatic collisions, and before people were not happier than they are now, says the narrator. A big story was made up of the small troubles of 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 the little poor man, his position in society, his desires, aspirations, the 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 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 a result of certain historical conditions and the injustice of social relations.
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The theme of the “little man” in the works of A.S. Pushkin. The plot of “The Station Agent” itself conveys a typical social conflict and expresses a broad generalization of 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 he revealed in a realistic depiction of the fate of the 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 of 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", "The 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” vividly 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 XIX 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
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, 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. Introducing us into the spiritual world of the hero, describing his feelings, thoughts, dreams, joys and sorrows, the author makes it clear what a happiness it was for Bashmachkin to acquire an overcoat 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 did Bashmachkin seek help from a “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.” This is the deepest meaning of the story.
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 beautiful people are broken, crippled, shattered 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 person 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, when he meets his former 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 in 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.
