Chernyshevsky what to do story plan. The novel "What is to be done?" Problems, genre, composition. "Old World". in the image of Chernyshevsky. Product test

Features of the genre of the novel by N.G. Chernyshevsky "What is to be done?"

I. Introduction

The novel as a leading genre in Russian literature of the mid-19th century. (Turgenev, Goncharov, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy). Features of the Russian novel: attention to the problem of personality, focus on moral and ethical problems, wide social background, developed psychologism.

II. main part

1. All of these features are inherent in the novel "What is to be done?" In the center of the novel are the images of "new people", primarily the image of Vera Pavlovna. The author traces the formation and development of Vera Pavlovna's personality, the formation of her self-awareness, the search for and acquisition of personal happiness. The main problematic of the novel is ideological and moral, connected with the affirmation of the philosophy and ethics of the "new people". The novel quite fully presents the social and everyday way of life (especially in the chapters "The Life of Vera Pavlovna in the Parental Family" and "First Love and Legal Marriage"). The characters of the main characters, especially Vera Pavlovna, are revealed by the author through the image of their inner world, that is, psychologically.

2. Genre originality of the novel "What is to be done?":

so what to do?" - first of all, a social novel, for it the problem of the relationship between the individual and society is extremely important. Outwardly, it is built like a love novel, but, firstly, in the love story of Vera Pavlovna it is precisely the connection between personality and living conditions that is emphasized, and secondly, the problem of love itself is for Chernyshevsky part of a broader problem - the position of a woman in society: what it was what it is now and how it should and can be;

b) in the novel "What is to be done?" There are also features of a family and everyday novel: it traces in detail the everyday arrangement of the family life of the Lopukhovs, Kirsanovs, Beumont, down to the location of the rooms, the nature of everyday activities, food, etc. This side of life was important to Chernyshevsky because in the problem of the emancipation of a woman the family life plays a very significant role: only with its change can a woman feel equal and free;

c) Chernyshevsky introduces elements of a utopian novel into his work. Utopia is an image of a happy and free from internal contradictions life of people, as a rule, in a more or less distant future. Such a utopian picture is presented by most of the "Fourth Dream of Vera Pavlovna", in which Chernyshevsky in detail, down to the smallest details (palaces made of glass and aluminum, furniture, dishes, winter gardens, the nature of work and rest), paints a picture of the future happy life of mankind. Utopian pictures of this kind are important for Chernyshevsky from two points of view: firstly, they give him the opportunity to express his social and moral ideal in a visual form, and secondly, they are designed to convince the reader that new social relations are indeed possible and achievable;

d) Chernyshevsky's novel can also be characterized as a journalistic one, since, firstly, it is devoted to topical problems of our time (the “women's question”, the formation and development of the intelligentsia of different ranks, the problem of reorganizing the social system in Russia), and secondly, the author does not once directly speaks out about these topical problems, addresses the reader with appeals, etc.

III. Conclusion

So, the genre originality of Chernyshevsky's novel is determined both by the general features of the Russian novel (psychologism, ideological and moral problems, etc.), and the original combination in one work of genre features inherent in different types of novel.

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The main heroes of Russian classical literature that preceded Chernyshevsky were “superfluous people”. Onegin, Pechorin, Oblomov, with all the differences among themselves, are similar in one thing: all of them, according to Herzen, are "clever uselessness", "titans of words and pygmies of deeds", bifurcated natures, suffering from the eternal discord between consciousness and will, thought and deed, - from moral exhaustion. These are not the heroes of Chernyshevsky. His "new people" know what they need to do, and are able to implement their plans, their thought is inseparable from the deed, they do not know the discord between consciousness and will. Chernyshevsky's heroes are creators of new relationships between people, carriers of a new morality. These new people are in the center of the author's attention, they are the main characters of the novel; therefore, by the end of the second chapter of the novel, such representatives of the old world as Marya Alekseevna, Storeshnikov, Julie, Serge and others are “released from the scene”.

The novel is divided into six chapters, each of which, with the exception of the last, is in turn divided into chapters. In an effort to emphasize the exceptional importance of the final events, Chernyshevsky talks about them in a specially highlighted one-page chapter "Change of scenery".

The importance of the fourth dream of Vera Pavlovna is especially great. It depicts the past, present and future of humanity in an allegorical form, in a change of pictures. In the fourth dream of Vera Pavlovna, the revolution appears again, "the sister of her sisters, the bride of her suitors." She talks about equality, brotherhood, freedom, about the fact that "there is nothing higher than a person, there is nothing higher than a woman," talks about how people's life will be arranged and what a person will become under socialism.

A characteristic feature of the novel is the author's frequent digressions, appeals to heroes, and conversations with a discerning reader. The significance of this imaginary character is very great in the novel. In his face, the philistine part of the public is ridiculed and exposed, inert and stupid, looking for sharp scenes and piquant positions in novels, constantly talking about “artistry and not understanding anything in true art. A discerning reader is one who “smugly talks about literary or scientific things, in which he doesn’t understand anything, and does not interpret because he is really interested in them, but in order to flaunt his mind (which he did not happen to receive from nature ), his lofty aspirations (of which there are as many in him as in the chair on which he sits) and his education (which in him is as much as in a parrot). "

Mocking and mocking this character, Chernyshevsky thus turned to the reader-friend, for whom he had great respect, and demanded from him a thoughtful, intent, truly insightful attitude to the story of the "new people."

The introduction of the image of the discerning reader into the novel was explained by the need to draw the attention of the reading public to what, due to censorship conditions, Chernyshevsky could not speak openly and directly.

To answer the question "What to do?" Chernyshevsky raises and resolves the following burning problems from a revolutionary and socialist position:

1. The socio-political problem of reorganizing society in a revolutionary way, that is, through the physical collision of two worlds. This problem is given in hints in the history of Rakhmetov's life and in the last, 6th chapter "Change of scenery". Due to censorship, Chernyshevsky could not expand on this problem in detail.

2. Moral and psychological. This is a question about the internal restructuring of a person who, in the process of struggling with the old power of his mind, can cultivate new moral qualities in himself. The author traces this process from its initial forms (the struggle against family despotism) to preparation for a change of scenery, that is, for a revolution. This problem is revealed in relation to Lopukhov and Kirsanov, in the theory of rational egoism, as well as in the author's conversations with readers and with heroes. This problem also includes a detailed story about sewing workshops, that is, about the importance of labor in people's lives.

3. The problem of the emancipation of women, as well as the norms of the new family morality. This moral problem is revealed in the history of Vera Pavlovna's life, in the relationships of the participants in the love triangle (Lopukhov, Vera Pavlovna, Kirsanov), as well as in the first 3 dreams of Vera Pavlovna.

4. Socio-utopian. The problem of the future socialist society. It is deployed in the 4th dream of Vera Pavlovna as a dream of a beautiful and bright life. This also includes the topic of labor emancipation, that is, the technical machine equipment of production.

The main pathos of the book is a passionate enthusiastic propaganda of the idea of ​​a revolutionary transformation of the world.

The main desire of the author was the desire to convince the reader that everyone, provided they work on themselves, can become a "new person", the desire to expand the circle of their like-minded people. The main task was to develop a new methodology for the education of revolutionary consciousness and "honest feelings". The novel was intended to become a life textbook for every thinking person. The main mood of the book is an acute joyful expectation of a revolutionary upheaval and a thirst to take part in it.

Which reader is the novel addressed to?

Chernyshevsky was an enlightener who believed in the struggle of the masses themselves, therefore the novel is addressed to broad strata of the diverse democratic intelligentsia, which in the 60s became the leading force of the liberation movement in Russia.

Artistic techniques with the help of which the author conveys his thoughts to the reader:

Method 1: the title of each chapter is given a family and household character with a predominant interest in love intrigue, which quite accurately conveys the plot plot, but hides the true content. For example, chapter one "The Life of Vera Pavlovna in the parental family", chapter two "First love and legal marriage", chapter three "Marriage and second love", chapter four "Second marriage", etc. These names breathe traditionally and imperceptibly what is truly new, namely the new character of human relations.

Method 2: application of plot inversion - moving 2 introductory chapters from the center to the beginning of the book. The scene of the mysterious, almost detective disappearance of Lopukhov diverted the attention of the censorship from the true ideological orientation of the novel, that is, from what was later given the main attention of the author.

Method 3: the use of numerous hints and allegories, called Aesop speech.

Examples: "golden age", "new order" is socialism; "Business" is revolutionary work; A “special person” is a person of revolutionary convictions; The "scene" is life; "Change of scenery" - a new life after the victory of the revolution; The "bride" is a revolution; "Light beauty" is freedom. All of these techniques are designed for the reader's intuition and intelligence.

ROMAN "WHAT TO DO?" PROBLEM,

GENRE, COMPOSITION. "OLD WORLD"

IN THE IMAGE OF CHERNYSHEVSKY

Objectives: to acquaint students with the creative history of the novel "What is to be done?", To tell about the prototypes of the heroes of the novel; to give an idea of ​​the problems, genre and composition of the work; find out what is the attractive force of Chernyshevsky's book for contemporaries, how did the novel "What is to be done?" on Russian literature; name the heroes of the novel, convey the content of the most important episodes, dwell on the writer's portrayal of the "old world".

If the truth is saint

The world cannot find a road -

Honor to the madman who will conjure

A golden dream for mankind!

V. Kurochkin (translated from Beranger) 1862

There is nothing higher than a man, there is nothing higher than a woman (N.G. Chernyshevsky)

During the classes

Situation for girls: you have been married for more than 3 years, "how quietly and actively those years passed, how full they were of calmness, joy, and all the best." (Ch. 3, V) You are happy, it seems that nothing can darken your relationship with your husband. One day your husband brings an old friend of his, a fellow student at the university, into the house. And from that moment on, he often comes to you. After about six months, you realize that the feelings you had for your husband were anything but love. And love woke up only now, and besides, it is mutual. How will you try to get out of this situation?

The girls offer different things: to leave with a loved one (isn't it cruel to her husband?), To end all relations with her husband's friend (to betray love?). There was also such an option: hiding from her husband, start an affair with his friend, like Varvara Kabanova from "The Thunderstorm" by AN Ostrovsky (well, very modern!).

Having heard the "confessions of their wives," the young men answer the question: what will you do if you find yourself in such a situation? The answers of the guys are curious, but in my lessons I never sounded close to what the hero of the novel did. We are talking about this further.

This is the problem faced by the heroes of the novel by N. G. Chernyshevsky "What is to be done?" What did a loving husband do? He guesses everything, does not wait for an explanation and tells his wife that he is going to Moscow for a while. He himself, without leaving the city, rents a hotel room, and at night “at half past three ... in the middle of the Liteiny Bridge, a fire flashed and a shot was heard. Guard attendants rushed to the shot, few passers-by came running - no one and nothing was in the place where the shot rang out. This means that he did not shoot, but shot himself. There were hunters to dive, after a few time they brought the boat hooks, even brought some kind of fishing net, dived, groped, caught, caught fifty large chips, but they did not find the body and did not catch it. And how to find it? - the night is dark. " (I, "Fool") In the morning of the same day, his wife receives a letter with the following content: “I was embarrassing your calmness. I leave the stage. Do not regret, I love both of you so much that I am very happy with my determination. Farewell." (II, "The first consequence of a stupid case")

How do you assess this act?

There is usually someone in the class who shouts out "Fool!"

Apparently, that night and you were on the bridge in the crowd. We open the first chapter of the novel, read its title. Yes, "Fool". Guys, what do you think the novel will be about?

Students offer options: about love, about a love triangle, or maybe it's a detective story?

The most famous novel by Chernyshevsky "What is to be done?" was written in the solitary cell of the Alekseevsky Ravelin of the Peter and Paul Fortress in the shortest possible time: it began on December 14, 1862 and completed on April 4, 1863. The manuscript of the novel was double-censored. First of all, the members of the Investigative Commission got acquainted with the work of Chernyshevsky, and then the censor of "Sovremennik". It is not entirely true to say that the censorship has completely "overlooked" the novel. The censor O. A. Przhetslavsky directly pointed out that "this work ... turned out to be an apology for the way of thinking and acting of that category of the modern young generation, which is understood as" nihilists and materialists "and who call themselves" new people ". Another censor, VN Beketov, seeing the seal of the commission on the manuscript, "was imbued with trepidation" and let it go without reading, for which he was dismissed.

The novel “What is to be done? From stories about new people "(this is the full title of Chernyshevsky's work) caused an ambiguous reaction from readers. The leading youth spoke with admiration of "What is to be done?" Furious opponents of Chernyshevsky were forced to admit"The extraordinary power" of the novel's impact on young people: "Young people followed Lopukhov and Kirsanov in droves, young girls became infected with the example of Vera Pavlovna ... The minority found their ideal ... in Rakhmetov." Enemies of Chernyshevsky, seeing the unprecedented success of the novel, demanded a cruel reprisal against the author.

DI Pisarev, VS Kurochkin and their magazines ("Russian Word", "Iskra") and others came out in defense of the novel.

About prototypes. Literary critics believe that the storyline is based on the life story of the Chernyshevsky family doctor Pyotr Ivanovich Bokov. Bokov was the teacher of Maria Obrucheva, then, in order to free her from the oppression of her parents, he married her, but a few years later M. Obrucheva fell in love with another person - the scientist-physiologist I. M. Sechenov. Thus, the prototypes of Lopukhov were Bokov, Vera Pavlovna - Obrucheva, Kirsanova - Sechenov.

In the image of Rakhmetov, the features of Bakhmetyev, a Saratov landowner, who donated part of his fortune to Herzen for the publication of a magazine and revolutionary work, are noticed. (There is an episode in the novel when Rakhmetov, being abroad, transfers money to Feuerbach to publish his works). In the image of Rakhmetov, one can also see those character traits that were inherent in Chernyshevsky himself, as well as Dobrolyubov, Nekrasov.

The novel "What is to be done?" Chernyshevsky dedicated to his wife Olga Sokratovna... In her memoirs, she wrote: "Vera (Vera Pavlovna) - I, Lopukhov was taken from Side."

The character of Vera Pavlovna captures the character traits of Olga Sokratovna Chernyshevskaya and Maria Obrucheva.

III. Teacher's lecture(summary).

THE PROBLEM OF THE NOVEL

In "What is to be done?" the author proposed the theme, discovered by Turgenev in Fathers and Children, of a new public figure (mainly from commoners), who changed the type of “superfluous person”. The "nihilism" of E. Bazarov is opposed by the views of the "new people", his loneliness and tragic death - their solidarity and resilience. "New People" are the main characters of the novel.

Problems of the novel: the emergence of "new people"; people of the "old world" and their social and moral vices; love and emancipation, love and family, love and revolution (D.N. Murin).

On the composition of the novel. Chernyshevsky's novel is constructed in such a way that life, reality, appears in it in three time dimensions: in the past, present and future. The past is the old world, existing, but already becoming obsolete; the present is the emerging positive beginnings of life, the activities of "new people", the existence of new human relations. The future is already an approaching dream ("The Fourth Dream of Vera Pavlovna"). The composition of the novel conveys movement from the past to the present and future. The author not only dreams of a revolution in Russia, he sincerely believes in its implementation.

About the genre. There is no unanimous opinion on this issue. Yu. M. Prozorov considers "What is to be done?" Chernyshevsky - socio-ideological novel, Yu.V. Lebedev - philosophical-utopian a novel created according to the laws typical of this genre. The compilers of the biobibliographic dictionary "Russian Writers" consider "What is to be done?" artistic and journalistic novel.

(There is an opinion that the novel by Chernyshevsky "What is to be done?" Is family and household, detective, journalistic, intellectual, etc.)

This is a new type of programmatic socio-political novel. Programmatic because it answers the question of what needs to be done to be useful to the people and the country. Publicistic because the very position of the author is extremely clear, which asserts the artist's right to have a direct conversation with readers. The author in the novel is himself a character, openly promoting his ideas and fighting for the worldview of the masses. This "transparent" position of the author asserts the transformative role of art and is intended to make the book a textbook of life. The novel's publicity is also manifested in a sharp controversy with the principles of "pure", i.

e. calm, contemplative art. Finally, the journalism of the novel is that the author's main aspiration is the desire to awaken thought. And the novel is socio-political because the main subject of artistic depiction is politics, the area of ​​the beautiful and the sublime is revolution and socialism, and the pathos is revolutionary passion. Features of the composition According to Lunacharsky's observation, “the internal structure of the novel goes along four belts: the first belt is vulgar people, the second belt is new people, the third belt is higher people, the fourth belt is“ dreams ”, i.e.

That is, the main feature of the composition is the novel's aspiration from the past to the future - to socialism, from personal life - to social struggle, to "change the scenery", that is, to prepare for revolution. The second feature is the introduction of a detailed background for the 4 main characters (Lopukhov, Kirsanov, Vera Pavlovna,), which is a creative dispute between Chernyshevsky and Turgenev, who refused to give Bazarov a background, i.e.

K. Turgenev believed that revolutionary convictions have no roots in Russian history and in nationality. The third feature is the continuous growth of the movement, in which more and more "new people" are involved, so in the 5th chapter new names appear: Polozov, Nikitin, Mertsalov, Lady in mourning, etc.

This escalation of action does not lead to a final denouement, therefore the novel has an open ending, since

the story is not over, but only temporarily stopped. Its solution is in the future. Conclusion: the basic law of composition is the law of gradual, unhurried preparation of the reader to perceive the idea of ​​the inevitability of a revolutionary transformation in society.

In literature lessons, as a rule, little attention is paid to the work of Chernyshevsky "What to do". This is partly correct: delving into the endless dreams of Vera Pavlovna, analyzing the plot, which serves only as a frame for the main idea of ​​the work, trying through gnashing of teeth to make out the not very artistic and easy language of the author, stumbling almost over every word - the classes are long, tedious and not completely justified. From the point of view of literary criticism, this is not the best choice to consider. But what an influence this novel had on the development of Russian social thought in the 19th century! After reading it, one can understand how the most progressive thinkers of that time lived.

Nikolai Chernyshevsky was arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress for his radical statements about the authorities at that time. His work was also born there. The history of the novel "What to do" began in December 1862 (the author added it in April 1863). Initially, the writer conceived it as a response to Turgenev's book "Fathers and Sons", where he portrayed a man of a new formation - the nihilist Bazarov. Eugene comprehended a tragic ending, but in contrast to him, Rakhmetov was created - a more perfect hero of the same mindset, who no longer suffered for Anna Odintsova, but was engaged in business, and very productively.

To deceive the vigilant censors and the judicial commission, the author introduces a love triangle into political utopia, which takes up most of the text. With this trick, he confused the officials, and they gave permission to publish. When the deception was revealed, it was already too late: the novel "What to do" was sold throughout the country in issues of Sovremennik and handwritten copies. The ban did not stop the distribution of the book or the imitation of it. It was removed only in 1905, and a year later, individual copies were officially released. But for the first time in Russian it was published long before that, in 1867 in Geneva.

It is worth citing some quotes from contemporaries in order to understand how significant and necessary this book was for people of that time.

The writer Leskov recalled: “They talked about Chernyshevsky's novel not in a whisper, not in silence, but at full throat in the halls, at the entrances, at Mrs. Milbret's table and in the basement brewery of Steenbock's passage. They shouted: "disgusting", "lovely", "abomination", etc. - all in different tones. "

The anarchist Kropotkin spoke enthusiastically about the work:

For the Russian youth of that time, it was a kind of revelation and turned into a program, became a kind of banner

Even Lenin honored her with his praise:

The novel “What to do?” Plowed me deeply. This is a thing that gives you a charge for life.

genre

There is an antithesis in the work: the direction of the novel "What to do" is sociological realism, and the genre is utopia. That is, truth and fiction are closely adjacent in the book and give rise to a mixture of the present (objectively reflected realities of that time) and the future (the image of Rakhmetov, the dreams of Vera Pavlovna). That is why he caused such a resonance in society: people painfully perceived the prospects put forward by Chernyshevsky.

In addition, "What to Do" is a philosophical and publicistic novel. He earned this title thanks to the hidden meanings that the author gradually introduced. He was not a writer either, he simply used a literary form that everyone understood to spread his political views and express his deep thoughts about a just social structure of tomorrow. It is precisely the journalistic intensity that is obvious in his work, it is philosophical issues that are highlighted, and the fictional plot serves only as a cover from the close attention of the censors.

What is the novel about?

It's time to tell what the book "What is to be done?" The action begins with the fact that an unknown person committed suicide by shooting himself and falling into the river. It turned out to be a certain Dmitry Lopukhov, a progressive-minded young man who was pushed to this desperate act by love and friendship.

The essence of the prehistory "What to do" is as follows: the main character Vera lives with an ignorant and rude family, a calculating and cruel mother has established her own rules there. She wants to marry her daughter to the rich son of the mistress of the house where her husband works as a manager. An avaricious woman does not shun any means, she can even sacrifice the honor of her daughter. The moral and proud girl is looking for salvation from her brother's tutor, student Lopukhov. He is secretly engaged in her education, sparing a bright head. He arranges for her to escape from home under the auspices of a fictitious marriage. In fact, young people live like brother and sister, there are no love feelings between them.

"Spouses" often visit a society of like-minded people, where the heroine meets Lopukhov's best friend, Kirsanov. Alexander and Vera are imbued with mutual sympathy, but cannot be together, as they are afraid of hurting the feelings of a friend. Dmitry became attached to his "wife", discovered a multifaceted and strong personality in her, engaged in her education. A girl, for example, does not want to sit on his neck and wants to arrange her life on her own by opening a sewing workshop where women in trouble could earn honestly. With the help of loyal friends, she realizes her dream, and a gallery of female images with life stories that characterize a vicious environment, where the weaker sex has to fight for survival and defend honor, opens before us.

Dmitry feels that he is interfering with his friends, and fakes his own suicide, so as not to stand in their way. He loves and respects his wife, but he understands that she will be happy only with Kirsanov. Naturally, no one knows about his plans, everyone sincerely mourns his death. But from a number of hints from the author, we understand that Lopukhov calmly left abroad and returned from there in the final, reuniting with his comrades.

A separate line of meaning is the company's acquaintance with Rakhmetov, a man of a new formation who embodies the ideal of a revolutionary, according to Chernyshevsky (he came to Vera on the day she received a note about her husband's suicide). It is not the hero's actions that are revolutionary, but his very essence. The author tells about him in detail, reporting that he sold the estate and led a Spartan lifestyle, just to help his people. The true meaning of the book is hidden in his image.

The main characters and their characteristics

First of all, the novel is notable for its characters, and not for the plot, which was needed to distract the attention of the censors. Chernyshevsky in his work "What to do" draws images of strong people, "salt of the earth", smart, decisive, courageous and honest, people on whose shoulders later the frantic machine of revolution will rush at full speed. These are the images of Kirsanov, Lopukhov, Vera Pavlovna, who are the central characters of the book. All of them are constant participants in the action in the work. But above them the image of Rakhmetov stands alone. In contrast to him and the trinity "Lopukhov, Kirsanov, Vera Pavlovna" the writer wanted to show the "usualness" of the latter. In the last chapters, he brings clarity and literally chews up his idea for the reader:

“At the height at which they stand, all people must stand, can stand. Higher natures, which you and I cannot keep up with, my pathetic friends, higher natures are not like that. I showed you a light outline of the profile of one of them: you see the wrong features "

1. Rakhmetov- the main character of the novel "What is to be done?" Already in the middle of 1917 he began his transformation into a "special person", before that he was "an ordinary, good, high school student who finished the course." Having managed to appreciate all the "delights" of a free student life, he quickly lost interest in them: he wanted something more, meaningful, and fate brought him to Kirsanov, who helped him to embark on the path of rebirth. He began to greedily absorb knowledge from all sorts of areas, read books "drunkenly", train physical strength by hard hard work, gymnastics and lead a Spartan lifestyle to strengthen his will: give up luxury in clothes, sleep on felt, there is only that can afford the common people. For closeness with the people, determination, developed strength among people, he acquired the nickname "Nikita Lomov", in honor of the famous barge haule, distinguished by his physical capabilities. In the circle of friends, they began to call him a "rigorist" because "he accepted the original principles in material, moral and mental life", and later "they developed into a complete system, which he adhered to unswervingly." This is an extremely purposeful and fruitful person who works for the good of others' happiness and limits his own, I am content with little.
2. Vera Pavlovna- the main heroine of the novel "What to do", a beautiful swarthy woman with long dark hair. In her family, she felt like a stranger, because her mother tried to marry her profitably at any cost. Although she was characterized by calmness, poise and thoughtfulness, in this situation she showed cunning, inflexibility and willpower. She pretended to favor courtship, but in fact was looking for a way out of the trap set by her mother. Under the influence of education and a good environment, she is transformed and becomes much smarter, more interesting and stronger. Even her beauty blossoms, as does her soul. Now we have before us a self-confident and intellectually developed woman of a new type, who runs a business and provides for herself. This is the ideal of a lady, according to Chernyshevsky.
3. Lopukhov Dmitry Sergeevich- medical student, husband and liberator of Vera. He is distinguished by composure, sophisticated mind, cunning, and at the same time responsiveness, kindness, sensitivity. He sacrifices his career to save a stranger, and even limits his freedom for her. He is calculating, pragmatic and restrained, his entourage appreciates efficiency and education in him. As you can see, under the influence of love, the hero also becomes a romantic, because he again radically changes his life for the sake of a woman, staging suicide. This act betrays him a strong strategist who calculates everything in advance.
4. Alexander Matveevich Kirsanov- Vera's beloved. He is a kind, intelligent, sympathetic young man, always ready to meet friends halfway. He resists his feelings for the wife of a friend, does not allow him to destroy their relationship. For example, he stops visiting their house for a long time. The hero cannot betray Lopukhov's trust, both of them "with their breasts, without connections, without acquaintances, paved their way for themselves." The character is determined and firm, and this masculinity does not prevent him from having a delicate taste (for example, he loves opera). By the way, it was he who inspired Rakhmetov to the feat of revolutionary self-denial.

The main characters of "What to do" are noble, decent, honest. There are not so many such characters in literature, and there is nothing to say about life, but Chernyshevsky goes further and introduces an almost utopian character, thereby showing that decency is far from the limit of personality development, that people have crumbled in their aspirations and goals, that you can be even better, harder, stronger. Everything is cognized in comparison, and by adding the image of Rakhmetov, the writer raises the bar of perception for the readers. This is exactly how, in his opinion, a real revolutionary looks like, capable of leading the Kirsanovs and Lopukhovs. They are strong and smart, but not mature enough for decisive independent action.

Theme

• Love theme... Chernyshevsky in the novel "What to do" reveals the favorite motive of the writers in a new role. Now the extra link in the love triangle self-destructs and sacrifices its interests as a sacrifice for the reciprocity of the remaining parties. In this utopia, a person controls his feelings as much as possible, sometimes even, it seems, completely abandons them. Lopukhov ignores self-esteem, male pride, feelings for Vera, just to please friends and at the same time provide them with happiness without a sense of guilt. This perception of love is too far from reality, but we take it at the expense of the author's innovation, who presented a hackneyed theme in such a fresh and original way.
• Strength of will... The hero of the novel "What to do" has curbed in himself almost all passions: he gave up alcohol, society of women, stopped wasting time on entertainment, being engaged only in "other people's affairs or nobody's business in particular."
• Indifference and responsiveness... If Vera's mother, Marya Aleksevna, was indifferent to the fate of her daughter and thought only about the material side of the family's life, then a stranger, Lopukhov, without any ulterior motive sacrifices his bachelor peace and career for the girl. So Chernyshevsky draws a line between the old-regime bourgeoisie with a petty greedy soul and representatives of a new generation, pure and disinterested in their thoughts.
• Revolution theme... The need for change is expressed not only in the image of Rakhmetov, but also in the dreams of Vera Pavlovna, where the meaning of life is revealed to her in symbolic visions: it is necessary to lead people out of the dungeon, where they are imprisoned by conventions and a tyrannical regime. The writer considers enlightenment to be the basis of the new free world; it is from it that the heroine's happy life begins.
• Education theme... New people in the novel "What to do" are educated and smart, they devote most of their time to learning. But this does not exhaust their impulse: they try to help others and put their efforts into helping the people in the fight against age-old ignorance.

Problematic

Many writers and public figures even after a while mentioned this book. Chernyshevsky understood the spirit of that time and successfully developed these thoughts further, creating a real memo to the Russian revolutionary. The problematic in the novel "What to do" turned out to be painfully urgent and topical: the author touched upon the problem of social and gender inequality, topical political problems and even imperfections of the mentality.

• Women's question. The problems in the novel "What to do", first of all, concern women and their social disorder in the realities of tsarist Russia. They have nowhere to go to work, nothing to feed themselves without a humiliating marriage of convenience or even more humiliating earnings on a yellow ticket. The position of the governess is not much better: no one will do anything to the owner of the house for harassment, if he is a noble person. So Vera would have fallen victim to the officer's lust if it had not been saved by progress in the person of Lopukhov. He treated the girl differently, as an equal. This attitude is the key to the prosperity and independence of the weaker sex. And the point here is not in rabid feminism, but in the banal opportunity to provide for oneself and the family in case the marriage did not work out or the husband died. The writer complains about the powerlessness and helplessness of women, and not about the underestimated superiority of one sex over the other.
• Monarchy crisis. Ever since the uprising on Senate Square in 1825, ideas about the failure of the autocracy have ripened in the minds of the Decembrists, but then the people were not ready for upheavals of this magnitude. Subsequently, the thirst for revolution only strengthened and with each new generation it became stronger, which could not be said about the monarchy, which fought this dissent as best it could, but, as you know, by 1905 it swayed itself, and in the 17th it already voluntarily surrendered its positions Provisional Government.
• The problem of moral choice. Kirsanov runs into her when he realizes his feelings for his friend's wife. Vera constantly feels her, starting with a failed "profitable marriage" and ending with a relationship with Alexander. Lopukhov also faces a choice: to leave everything as it is, or to act fairly? All the heroes of the novel "What to do" withstand the test and make an impeccable decision.
• Poverty problem. It is the depressing financial situation that leads Vera's mother to moral degradation. Marya Alekseevna cares about "real dirt", that is, she thinks how to survive in a country where she is not considered anything without a title and wealth? Her thoughts do not burden her with excesses, but worries about her daily bread. Constant need reduced her spiritual needs to a minimum, leaving no space or time for them.
• The problem of social inequality. Vera's mother, not sparing her daughter's honor, lures officer Streshnikov to make him her son-in-law. There was not a drop of dignity left in her, because she was born and lived in a rigid hierarchy, where those who are lower are wordless slaves to those who are higher. She will consider it happiness if the master's son dishonors her daughter, if only he would marry after that. Such an upbringing disgusts Chernyshevsky, and he caustically ridicules him.

The meaning of the novel

The author created a role model for young people to show how to behave. Chernyshevsky gave Russia the image of Rakhmetov, in which most of the answers to the burning questions "what to do", "who to be", "what to strive for" are collected - Lenin saw this and took a number of actions that led to a successful coup, otherwise he would not spoke of the book so enthusiastically. That is, the main idea of ​​the novel "What to do" is an enthusiastic hymn to a new type of active person who can solve the problems of his people. The writer not only criticized the society of his day, but also suggested ways of solving those conflict situations that were torn apart by him. In his opinion, it was necessary to do as Rakhmetov did: give up selfishness and class arrogance, help ordinary people not only with words, but with rubles, participate in large and global projects that can really change the situation.

A real revolutionary, according to Chernyshevsky, is obliged to live the life that an ordinary person lives. People in power should not be elevated to a separate elite caste, as is often the case. They are the servants of the people who appointed them. Something like this can be expressed the position of the author, which he conveyed to his "special" hero and which he wants to convey through him to the reader. Rakhmetov is an accumulation of all positive qualities, one might say, “superman”, like in Nietzsche. With the help of it, the idea of ​​the novel "What to do" is expressed - bright ideals and a firm determination to defend them.

Nevertheless, Chernyshevsky warns the reader that the path of these people is thorny and "meager in personal joys", "to which they are calling you." These are people trying to be reborn from a person into an abstract idea, devoid of personal feelings and passions, without which life is hard and joyless. The writer warns against admiration for such Rakhmetovs, calling them ridiculous and pitiful, because they are trying to embrace the immensity, exchange fate full of earthly blessings for duty and unrequited service to society. But in the meantime, the author understands that without them life would completely lose its taste and "sour". Rakhmetov is not a romantic hero, but a very real person whom the creator views from different angles.