It would be wrong to explain Oblomov's passivity in life only by a lordly upbringing. Other reasons that kill the active principle in the hero are also significant. For example, these are the circumstances of Petersburg life, to which he has a negative attitude. To clarify the essence of this situation, the second and third chapters of the first part of the novel, which describe Oblomov's visitors, are important. These are Volkov, Sudbinsky, Penkin, as well as Alekseev and Tarantiev.

They represent different types of Petersburg society, different spheres of its life.

Volkov is a secular dandy.

His every day consists of endless visits and all kinds of entertainment. Such a life seems empty and insignificant to Oblomov. He reflects on Volkov: “To ten places in one day. Unhappy! And is this life? Where is the man here? What does it disintegrate and disintegrate into? " Oblomov prefers to stay at home, but not "crush" or "scatter" his soul in the bustle of the world.

Sudbinsky is a successful official. Oblomov's bureaucratic career is also of little interest. Here is what Oblomov thinks about Sudbinsky: “Stuck, dear friend, stuck up to his ears. We also call it a career. And how little a person is needed here ... And he will live his own age, and much, much will not move in him ... Unhappy ... ”The spiritless life of an official, according to Oblomov, just as kills the human soul, like the empty social life. The main character protects his soul from this path: the point here, as we see, is not only Oblomov's laziness.

Penkin is a fashionable writer. In this image, Goncharov showed a representative of accusatory, but superficial literature. Oblomov is convinced that, while denouncing, one must not forget about a person, about his dignity: “Imagine a thief, a fallen woman, a puffed-up fool, and don’t forget the person right away.” Accusatory literature, according to Oblomov, is aimed at condemning a neighbor, which harms the soul and the accuser himself.

Thus, Goncharov outlined here three environments - secular, bureaucratic and literary. None of them attracts Oblomov.

The critical attitude of the hero of the novel to Petersburg life is also revealed in his dispute with Stolz. Oblomov acutely feels the lack of spirituality, falsehood, hypocrisy of the life of St. Petersburg. The hero prefers inaction to active lack of spirituality.

The picture of Oblomov's Petersburg entourage is supplemented by other characters, essential for clarifying the essence of the character of the protagonist and illuminating various aspects of his life in the capital.

L. I. Matyushenko, A. G. Matyushenko

Matyushenko L. I., Matyushenko A. G. Textbook on the history of Russian literature of the XIX century. - M .: MAKS Press, 2009.

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The role of minor characters in the novel by I. I. Goncharov "Oblomov"

With his novel Oblomov, I.A. The author himself defined the ideological direction of his work as follows: “I tried to show in Oblomov how and why our people turn before their time into ... jelly - climate, backwater environment, drowsy life and more private, individual for each circumstance. "

In the first part of the work, there is practically no plot movement: the reader sees the main character lying on the couch throughout the day. Ilya Ilyich's guests, who replace each other in a strict order, bring some variety to the sleepy atmosphere of Oblomov's apartment. It was not by chance that the author introduced such characters as Volkov, Sudbinsky and Penkin into the romance. Oblomov is familiar with their activities, and his reasoning about the fate of each of them characterizes the protagonist even more fully. We know that Ilya Ilyich began to serve as a collegiate secretary, went out into the world, was fond of poetry, but his state activity ended in resignation, “he said goodbye to a crowd of friends even colder,” reading books also gradually got tired. As a result, “he lazily waved his hand at all the youthful hopes that had been deceived or deceived by him ...” and plunged into the mental drawing up of a plan for arranging the estate, which he had not been able to complete for several years. The appearance of the guests expands the space-time framework of the novel and allows the author to present various spheres of St. Petersburg.

Secular Petersburg is represented by Volkov. This is “a young man of about twenty-five, shining with health, with laughing cheeks, lips and eyes ... He was combed and dressed impeccably, dazzled with the freshness of his face, linen, gloves and tailcoat. An elegant chain with many tiny key rings lay on the waistcoat. " He is in demand in a secular society, enjoys success with women - and in this he finds the joy of life. Oblomov, on the other hand, does not see anything attractive to himself in this way of life. "" In ten places in one day - unhappy! .. And this is life! .. Where is the man here? What does he break up and crumble into? Of course, it’s not bad to look into the theater and fall in love with some Lydia ... she's cute! In the village to pick flowers with her, it's good to ride; yes, in ten places in one day - unhappy! " - he concluded, turning over on his back and rejoicing that he does not have such empty desires and thoughts that he does not stick around, but lies here, preserving his human dignity and his peace. "

The next hero, Sudbinsky, is Ilya Ilyich's former living exile. It symbolizes the bureaucratic Petersburg - clerical and departmental. "It was a gentleman in a dark green tailcoat with heraldic buttons, clean-shaven, with dark sideburns that evenly framed his face, with a troubled but calmly conscious expression in his eyes, with a badly worn face, with a pensive smile." Sudbinsky has already achieved the post of head of the department, he is going to marry profitably. And all this against the background of Oblomov, who faint-heartedly fled for fear that the boss would announce him a remark for incorrectly sent documents. Oblomov even sent a medical certificate, which stated that “the collegiate secretary Ilya Oblomov is obsessed with a thickening of the heart with enlargement of the left ventricle thereof, ... as well as chronic pain in the liver ... , presumably, from the daily walk to office ... "Regarding Sudbinsky, Oblomov also has his own opinion. “Stuck, dear friend, stuck up to his ears ... And blind, and deaf, and mute for everything else in the world. And he will come out in the people, will eventually turn about affairs and grabs ranks ... We call it a career! And how little a person is needed here: his mind, will, feelings - why is this? Luxury! And he will live his life, and much, much will not move in it ... And meanwhile he works from twelve to five in the office, from eight to twelve at home - he is unhappy! " nine to three, from eight to nine he can stay on his sofa, and he was proud that he didn’t have to go with a report, write papers, that there was room for his feelings and imagination. ”

Literary Petersburg is represented by the image of Penkin. This is "a very thin, dark little gentleman, overgrown all with sideburns, mustache and hispaniola", writing "about trade, about the emancipation of women, about the beautiful April days, ... about the newly invented composition against fires", during his visit, he managed to touch some strings in Oblomov's soul. Ilya Ilyich is so inflamed in a dispute with the state about the subject of depiction in literature that he even gets up from the sofa. And the reader sees that the soul is still alive in him. “Imagine a thief, a fallen woman, an inflated fool, and forget the man right away. Where is humanity then? You want to write with one head! .. Do you think that a heart is not needed for thought? No, it is fertilized by love. Stretch out your hand to the fallen man to lift him, or weep bitterly over him if he dies, and do not mock. Love him, remember yourself in him and treat him as with yourself - then I will read you and bow my head before you ... They portray a thief, a fallen woman, ... but they forget a man or not know how to portray. What art is there, what poetic colors have you found? Expose debauchery, filth, but, please, without pretense of poetry ... Give me a man! .. love him ... "But this impulse quickly passes, Oblomov" suddenly fell silent, stood for a minute, yawned and slowly lay down on sofa". Ilya Ilyich sincerely sympathizes with the litterator. “At night to write,” Oblomov thought, “when will you sleep? Come on, he earns five thousand a year! This is bread! Yes, write everything, waste your thought, your soul on trifles, change your beliefs, trade your mind and imagination, rape your nature, worry, sing-sing, burn, do not know peace and all move somewhere ... And that's all. to write, to write everything, like a wheel, like a machine: write tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the holiday will come, summer will come - and he will write everything? When to stop and breathe? Unhappy!"

Of course, one can agree with Oblomov that working at night, the daily hustle and bustle of the career ladder are exhausting activities. But still, each of the heroes - Sudbinsky, Volkov, and Penkin - found a job to their liking, have a purpose in life. Let these goals are sometimes purely personal and the heroes do not seek to “suffer” for the good of the Fatherland, but they act, are upset, rejoice - in a word, they live. And Oblomov, “as soon as he gets out of bed in the morning, after tea he will lie down immediately on the sofa, rest his head with his hand and wash it off, not sparing his strength, until, finally, his head gets tired of hard work and when his conscience says: enough is done today for the common good. " And the worst thing is that Oblomov considers such a life to be normal and unhappy those who cannot allow themselves to live like him. But sometimes, nevertheless, "clear conscious moments" come when he becomes "sad and painful ... for his underdevelopment, for stopping the growth of moral forces, for the heaviness that interferes with everything." He became scared when a "vivid and clear idea of ​​human destiny and purpose arose in his soul, ... when in his head ... various life questions spilled over into his head." But despite the sometimes tormenting questions, Oblomov cannot and does not want to change anything.

It is difficult to overestimate the role of minor characters in the novel, because they are one of the means of characterizing the protagonist. Volkov, Sudbinsky, Penkin are kind of "doubles" of Oblomov: each of them represents one or another version of the possible fate of Ilya Ilyich.

At the end of the first part of the novel, the author asks the question: what will win in the main character - life principles or sleepy "Oblomovism"? After reading the novel, we see that Oblomovism wins in the end and Oblomov dies quietly on the couch, without having accomplished anything useful and necessary.

Tarantiev- Oblomov's fellow countryman. About 40 years old, belonging to a large breed, tall, voluminous in the shoulders and throughout the body, with large facial features, with a large head, with a strong, short neck, with large protruding eyes, thick-lipped. A quick glance at this man gave birth to the idea of ​​something rude and untidy. Rude, bribe official. Hated Stolz.

Volkov- secular dandy. His every day consists of endless visits and all kinds of entertainment. Such a life seems empty and insignificant to Oblomov. Oblomov prefers not to scatter his soul at social events, but to stay at home.

Sudbinsky- a successful official. Oblomov's bureaucratic career is also of little interest. Here is what Oblomov thinks about Sudbinsky: “Stuck, dear friend, stuck up to his ears. We also call it a career. And how little a person is needed here ... And he will live his life, and much, much will not move in him ... Unhappy ... " life. The main character protects his soul from this path: the point here, as we see, is not only Oblomov's laziness.

Penkin- a fashionable writer. In this image, Goncharov showed a representative of accusatory, but superficial literature. Oblomov is convinced that, while denouncing, one must not forget about the man, about his dignity: "Imagine a thief, a fallen woman, a puffed-up fool, and don't forget the man right away." Accusatory literature, according to Oblomov, is aimed at condemning a neighbor, which harms the soul and the accuser himself.

Alekseev- a petty official, unremarkable, but very benevolent person. Goncharov describes him as follows: "Nature did not give him any sharp, noticeable features, neither bad nor good." This person is so invisible that no one ever remembers his name or surname. “His presence does not give anything to society, just as his absence does not take anything away from him,” notes Goncharov. There are no peculiarities in him, he is not distinguished by either wit or originality. He doesn't even have his own opinion. But he can love all people without judging them, and this makes his character attractive to Oblomov. During the stay of the protagonist on the Vyborg side, Alekseev becomes his desired and necessary interlocutor.

Stolz- Oblomov's friend. Its opposite. He is constantly on the move. Very active. His mother was Russian, his father was German. He is afraid to dream, his happiness was constant. In the novel, he became the ideal. He made a house for himself, traveled a lot, and in the final raised Oblomov's son.

Critics have repeatedly noted the non-dynamism, the slowness of the plot action in Goncharov's novel Oblomov, and the external absence of an event in the work. Dobrolyubov considered the novel "stretched out". “In the first part, Oblomov is lying on the couch; in the second he goes to the Ilyinsky's and falls in love with Olga, and she with him; in the third, she sees that she was mistaken in Oblomov, and they diverge; in the fourth, she marries his friend Stolz, and he marries the mistress of the house where he is renting an apartment. That's all. No external events, no obstacles (except perhaps the opening of a bridge across the Neva, which ended Olga's meeting with Oblomov), no extraneous circumstances interfere with the novel. Oblomov's laziness and apathy is the only spring of action in his entire history, "the critic wrote in the article" What is Oblomovism? "

It can also be noted that the first part of the novel differs from the other three parts. The first part is the exposition. Here Goncharov introduces Oblomov to us, his character, way of life, shows the origins of the formation of his personality. In the exposition, Goncharov gives the entire prehistory of the hero - a description of his childhood in Oblomovka, adolescence in the Stolz boarding house, and youth in St. Petersburg. The exposition here merges with the prologue.

In this regard, the ninth chapter, "Oblomov's Dream," also has an expositional significance, although in the context of the history of the creation of the novel, the ninth chapter acquires a certain independence. A. V. Druzhinin notes that Goncharov's novel "falls into two uneven sections." Under the first part of "Oblomov" stands the year 1849, under the rest - 1857 and 1858. "Between Oblomov, who mercilessly torments his Zakhar, and Oblomov, who is in love with Olga, there may be a whole abyss ... As far as Ilya Ilyich, lying on the sofa between Alekseev and Tarantiev, it seems to us moldy and almost disgusting, so the same Ilya Ilyich, himself destroying the love of the woman he has chosen and crying over the wreckage of his happiness, is deep, touching and sympathetic in his sad comic, ”notes A. Druzhinin.

Oblomov's Dream was the connecting thread that held the novel together, giving it completeness and unity. "Oblomov's Dream" not only illuminated, understood and intelligently poeticized the entire face of the hero, but with a thousand invisible fasteners connected him with the heart of every Russian reader. " Thus, the ninth chapter not only contributed to the creation of a special artistic reliability, realism of the image of Oblomov, but also gave the novel poetry, light lyricism.

The first part of the novel is thus an exposition that includes a prologue. However, here not only the character of the hero and his background are outlined. In the first part, there is a kind of alignment of forces in the novel. Here Goncharov presents us with a whole series of characters who embody a different, "nebomov" attitude to life. Each of them represents a certain type of Russian reality.

So, Oblomov's first guest is Volkov, a young man of twenty-five years old. The "credo" of this person is social life. All Volkov's time is scheduled by the minute - social visits, balls, dinners ... Oblomov finds such a way of life vain and tedious.

The second guest of Ilya Ilyich is Sudbinsky. This is a person who is preoccupied with promotion, career. However, this way of life is unacceptable for Oblomov. All the troubles of Sudbinsky seem to him vain, senseless, repulsive to living, genuine life. "I'm stuck, dear friend, I'm stuck up to my ears," thought Oblomov, following him with his eyes. - And blind, and deaf, and dumb to everything else in the world. And he will come out in the people, will eventually turn about affairs and grabs ranks ... We also call this a career! And how little a person is needed here: his mind, will, feelings - why is this? Luxury! And he will live his life, and not much will move in it ... And meanwhile he works from twelve to five in the office, from eight to twelve at home - unhappy! "

The third visitor to Oblomov is the writer Penkin, who advocates "a real trend in literature." This image is almost caricatured by Goncharov, in it he denounces the superficiality, lack of ideology, "emptiness" of some "writers", their love for novelties, fresh facts. Here the very name of the hero is symbolic - Penkin. He writes literally about everything - "about trade, about the emancipation of women, about the beautiful April days." Ilya Ilyich attacks such "literature" with noble indignation, noting that in such works there is no life, "there is no understanding of it and no sympathy." “Do you think that a heart is not needed for thought? No, she is fertilized by love. Stretch out your hand to a fallen person to lift him, or weep bitterly over him if he dies, and do not mock. Love him, remember yourself in him and treat him as with yourself - then I will read you and bow my head before you ... They portray a thief, a fallen woman, - he said, - but they forget a person or not know how to portray. What art is there, what poetic colors have you found? Expose debauchery, filth, but, please, without a claim to poetry. " Here, of course, Goncharov expresses his own thoughts in Oblomov's words.

Oblomov's last two guests are Alekseev and Tarantiev. "These two Russian proletarians" visit Ilya Ilyich with a very specific purpose - "to drink, eat, smoke good cigars." Alekseev personifies dullness, imperceptibility, uncertainty. This is a person devoid of individuality, in whom there is “no sharp, noticeable feature, neither bad nor good,” who has neither friends nor enemies.

Tarantiev is a type of cunning, arrogant, resourceful, deceitful person, prone to fraud. "Bribe-taker in the soul" - this is the definition given to him by the writer. It is characteristic that Goncharov tells us the background of Tarantiev, describes his childhood and youth. Here again the motive of unfulfilled hopes arises, accompanying the image of Oblomov. By the will of fate, Tarantiev, who had received some education, had to remain a scribe for the rest of his life, “and meanwhile he carried and was aware of a dormant power locked in him by hostile circumstances forever, without hope of manifestation, as they were locked, according to fairy tales, in close, enchanted walls, the spirits of evil, deprived of the power to harm. " The same "dormant force" is present in Oblomov.

Thus, all of these characters have an important compositional meaning in the novel. Each of them reveals to O6-lomov some side of life, tempting the hero, as if inviting him to actively engage, to intervene in this life. And these kinds of sentences are directly present in the speech of the characters. So, Volkov, Sudbinsky and Penkin are calling Ilya Ilyich to Yekateringof for a walk.

But something else is especially important here - almost each of these people is a kind of Oblomov's double. Ilya Ilyich has the qualities of each of these characters. So, no worse than Volkov, he owns secular etiquette, once he went to the theater and on a visit. Once Ilya Ilyich served, like Sudbinsky, and could have made a career, since he had obvious abilities. Oblomov's subtle mind could serve to develop both literary talent and the talent of a critic - he could write like Penkin. There is in Oblomov and something of the "grayness", imperceptibility of Alekseev - Ilya Ilyich is also not recognized in society. In the fate of Ilya Ilyich there is some similarity with the fate of Tarantiev, as discussed above. Thus, all these areas of life are present in Oblomov's soul, but the hero is not satisfied with the "content", the ideological content of them.

And here Goncharov seems to be inviting him to actively intervene in life. Oblomov is not satisfied with the state of affairs in the Russian civil service - why not express his views in the department? Ilya Ilyich is outraged by the lack of ideology and the moral emptiness of other literary works - why not try to write it yourself? Alekseev is designed to awaken the hero's pride, his desire to become noticeable. Tarantiev, cleverly deceiving Oblomov, "calls to life" the common sense of Ilya Ilyich, the firmness of his spirit and character, the desire to oppose any injustice.

However, Oblomov responds to each of these calls with a kind of protest against the emptiness and vanity of social life, the formalism of a Russian career, the lack of ideology and superficiality of writers, human dullness and lack of initiative, fraud and deceit. And this protest consists in inaction. Ilya Ilyich rejects all these areas of life, since he does not see in them the inner meaning, depth, spirituality, humanity.

“Why doesn't his passivity leave an impression of bitterness? Because nothing worthy is opposed to it. Oblomov's laziness is opposed by a career, secular vanity, petty litigation ... ", wrote the critic Annensky.

The last of Oblomov's visitors is Stolz. This hero is already dramatically different from all previous characters. Stolz surpasses all Oblomov's guests in intelligence, his business qualities, and decency. Andrei Ivanovich is energetic, businesslike, practical, decisive, purposeful. And in this regard, Stolz is the antipode of Oblomov in the novel. However, is he morally superior to Oblomov? By comparing Oblomov and Stolz, Goncharov seems to be asking us this question, and the rest of the novel is the answer to it.

So, the depth and subtlety of Oblomov are revealed in the love stories of the novel. As A. V. Druzhinin notes, "The Oblomovs betray all the charm, all the weakness and all the sad comic of their nature precisely through their love for a woman." Oblomov's acquaintance with Olga Ilyinskaya is the beginning of the first love story. The development of the action is the further relationship of the heroes, the incipient feeling of love.

It is worth noting that outwardly the development of the action goes in a zigzag - now rising, then falling: Oblomov doubts the authenticity of Olga's feelings, the possibility of his own happiness. However, the inner movement of the hero's feelings is increasing. As A.G. Zeitlin notes, the hero seeks to end his relationship with Olga, writes a letter in which he proposes to leave (external decline in action), but his love intensifies. The culmination is the kiss of Olga and Oblomov, Ilya's fall at her feet. Further, the action moves to the denouement. The denouement is the last explanation of the characters, where Olga for the first time clearly realizes how wrong she was in her chosen one, and their parting.

The fourth part of the novel is an epilogue to the Oblomov plot associated with Olga Ilyinskaya. But at the same time, the fourth part is also Oblomov's new love story. However, it begins in the first part of the novel. The exposition of the plot connected with Agafya Pshenitsyna is Tarantiev's story about a quiet, cozy house on the Vyborg side. Learning about Oblomov's problems, Tarantyev persuades him to move to an apartment with his godfather. Thus, Oblomov's second love story partially overlaps with the first.

So, the plot of this plot - the acquaintance of Ilya Ilyich with Agafya Matveyevna - occurs at a time when his relationship with Olga Ilyinsky reaches its heyday, culmination. Oblomov's life in a house on the Vyborg side is a development of the action.

It is characteristic that the very development of the action is presented through the perception of Stolz. He visits Oblomov three times in Agafya Matveyevna's house. Stolz understands what Ilya does not see, he seems to fix the relationship between Oblomov and Agafya Pshenitsyna, gives them certainty, designates them with a word.

On his first visit, Andrei Ivanovich helps Oblomov in solving problems with the estate. During the second visit, Stolz again rescues Oblomov, who became a victim of Tarantiev's fraud. At the same time, Stolz, as it were, reveals the "secret" of Agafya Matveyevna, having heard the story of the mortgage of silver and pearls. During Stolz's third visit, Oblomov himself already denotes his relationship with the hostess. However, Stolz forces him to this. Stolz's third visit culminates in this plot. Here Oblomov for the first time calls Agafya Matveyevna his wife, and Andryusha his son.

The death of the hero becomes the denouement of this story and of the whole novel. The description of the further fate of Agafya Matveyevna, And-ryusha, the Stolz family is the epilogue of the second Oblomov plot and, at the same time, the epilogue of the entire novel.

And here the opposition between Oblomov and Stolz is already removed. We see all the limitations of the second, his tactlessness, moral underdevelopment. Having learned about Ilya's relationship with Agafya Pshenitsyna, Andrei Ivanovich considered his friend dead, his life was forever ruined. “And this is the reason why the blood relationship was broken, Oblomovism was recognized as having crossed all limits! But let's turn the medal and on the basis of what is given to us by the poet, we will ask ourselves: would Oblomov have done this if he had been told that Olga made an unhappy mesalliance, that his Andrei married a cook and that both of them, as a result, are hiding from people , close to them? A thousand times and with full confidence that it is not so ... He would not have said a word of eternal parting, and, hobbling, would have gone to the good people, and would have clenched to them, and would have brought his Agafya Matveyevna to them. And Andreeva's cook would not have become a stranger to him, and he would have given a new slap in the face to Tarantyev if he had begun to mock Olga's husband. The backward and clumsy Ilya Ilyich in this simple matter ... would have acted more in accordance with the eternal law of love and truth than two people from among the most developed in our society, ”writes A. Druzhinin. Oblomov's inertia and laziness is opposed here only by "cultural and commercial activities."

Thus, the plot and composition of the novel clarify the character of the protagonist, exposing the tragic contradiction of Oblomov's image. The hero of Goncharov with all his soul strives for a real, genuine life, he is endowed with the best human qualities, but he is unable to realize them, his very soul "in its extreme weakness acts as a hostile element of life."

In the novel "Oblomov", the mastery of Goncharov as a prose writer manifested itself in full force. Gorky, who called Goncharov "one of the giants of Russian literature," noted his special, plastic language. Goncharov's poetic language, his talent for figurative reproduction of life, the art of creating typical characters, compositional completeness and the enormous artistic power of the picture of Oblomovism and the image of Ilya Ilyich presented in the novel - all this contributed to the fact that the novel "Oblomov" took its rightful place among the masterpieces of world classics.

Of great importance in the work is the portrait characterization of the heroes, with the help of which the reader gets to know the characters and makes an idea of ​​them and the traits of their characters. The main character of the novel, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, is a man of thirty two to thirty three years old, of average height, pleasant appearance, with dark gray eyes, in which there is no idea, with a pale complexion, puffy hands and a pampered body. Already from this portrait characteristic, we can get an idea of ​​the hero's lifestyle and mental qualities: the details of his portrait speak of a lazy, immobile lifestyle, of his habit of spending aimlessly. However, Goncharov emphasizes that Ilya Ilyich is a pleasant person, gentle, kind and sincere. The portrait characterization, as it were, prepares the reader for the collapse of life that Oblomov inevitably awaited.

In the portrait of Oblomov's antipode, Andrei Stolz, the author used different colors. Stolz is the same age as Oblomov, he is already over thirty. He is in motion, all made up of bones and muscles. Getting acquainted with the portrait characteristics of this hero, we understand that Stolz is a strong, energetic, purposeful person who is alien to dreaminess. But this almost ideal personality resembles a mechanism, not a living person, and this repels the reader.

In the portrait of Olga Ilyinskaya, other features prevail. She “was not a beauty in the strict sense of the word: there was neither whiteness in her, nor the bright color of her cheeks and lips, and her eyes did not burn with rays of inner fire, there were no pearls in her mouth and corals on her lips, there were no miniature hands with fingers in the form of grapes ". The size of the head and the oval and the size of the face strictly corresponded to a somewhat high growth, all this, in turn, was in harmony with the shoulders, the shoulders - with the camp ... The nose formed a slightly noticeable graceful line. Lips thin and compressed - a sign of a seeker, focused on something thought. This portrait testifies to the fact that before us is a proud, intelligent, a little conceited woman.

In the portrait of Agafya Matveyevna Pshenitsyna, such features as gentleness, kindness and lack of will emerge. She is about thirty years old. She had almost no eyebrows, her eyes were "grayish obedient," like the rest of her expression. The hands are white, but stiff, with protruding knots of blue veins. Oblomov accepts her for who she is and gives her an apt assessment: "What she is ... simple." It was this woman who was next to Ilya Ilyich until his last minute, his last breath, gave birth to his son.

Equally important for characterizing the character is the description of the interior. In this, Goncharov is a talented continuer of Gogol's traditions. Thanks to the abundance of everyday details in the first part of the novel, the reader can get an idea of ​​the character's peculiarities: “How Oblomov's home suit went to his deceased features ... He was wearing a dressing gown made of Persian cloth, a real oriental dressing gown ... long, soft and wide, when, without looking, he lowered his legs from the bed to the floor, he certainly fell into them immediately ... "Describing in detail the objects surrounding Oblomov in everyday life, Goncharov draws attention to the hero's indifference to these things. But oblomov, indifferent to everyday life, remains his captive throughout the novel.

The image of the robe, which appears repeatedly in the novel and indicates a certain state of Oblomov, is deeply symbolic. At the beginning of the story, a comfortable robe is an integral part of the hero's personality. During the period of Ilya Ilyich's love, he disappears, and returns to the shoulders of the owner on the evening when the hero broke up with Olga.

The branch of lilacs plucked by Olga during her walk with Oblomov is also symbolic. For Olga and Oblomov, this thread was a symbol of the beginning of their relationship and at the same time heralded the end. Another important detail is the opening of bridges on the Neva. The bridges were opened at a time when Oblomov, who lived on the Vyborg side, had a turning point in the direction of the widow Pshenitsyna, when he fully realized the consequences of life with Olga, got scared of this life and again began to plunge into apathy. The thread connecting Olga and Oblomov broke, and it cannot be forced to grow together, therefore, when the bridges were built, the connection between Olga and Oblomov was not restored. The snow falling in flakes is also symbolic, which marks the end of the hero's love and, at the same time, the sunset of his life.

It is no coincidence that the author describes in such detail the house in the Crimea, in which Olga and Stolz settled. The decoration of the house "bore the stamp of the thought and personal taste of the owners", it contained a lot of engravings, statues, books, which speaks of the education, high culture of Olga and Andrei.

An integral part of the artistic images created by Goncharov and the ideological content of the work as a whole are the names of the heroes. The names of the heroes in the novel "Oblomov" carry a great semantic load. The protagonist of the novel, according to the primordial Russian tradition, received his surname from the family estate Oblomovka, the name of which goes back to the word "fragment": a fragment of the old way of life, patriarchal Russia. Reflecting on Russian life and its typical representatives of his time, Goncharov was one of the first to notice the failure of internal national features, fraught with a precipice, or a breakdown. Ivan Alexandrovich foresaw the terrible state into which Russian society began to fall in the 19th century and which by the 20th century had become a mass phenomenon. Laziness, lack of a definite goal in life, burning and desire to work has become a distinctive national feature. There is another explanation for the origin of the name of the protagonist: in folk tales, the concept of "sleep-oblomon" is often found, which enchants a person, as if crushes him with a gravestone, dooming him to a slow, gradual extinction.

Analyzing contemporary life, Goncharov looked for the antipode of Oblomov among the Alekseevs, Petrovs, Mikhailovs and other persons. As a result of these searches, a hero with a German surname arose Stolz(translated from German - "proud, full of self-esteem, aware of his superiority").

Ilya Ilyich all his conscious life strove for an existence "which would be full of content, and would flow quietly, day after day, drop by drop, in silent contemplation of nature and quiet, barely creeping phenomena of family, peacefully busy life." He found such an existence in Pshenitsyna's house. “She was very white and full in her face, so the blush couldn't seem to break through her cheeks (like a wheat bun). The name of this heroine - Agafia- translated from Greek means "kind, good". Agafya Matveyevna is a type of modest and meek woman-mistress, an example of female kindness and tenderness, whose vital interests were limited only to family concerns. Oblomov's maid Anisya(translated from Greek - "fulfillment, benefit, completion") is close in spirit to Agafya Matveyevna, and therefore they so quickly became friends and became inseparable.

But if Agafya Matveyevna loved Oblomov thoughtlessly and selflessly, Olga Ilyinskaya literally “fought” for him. For the sake of his awakening, she was ready to sacrifice her life. Olga loved Ilya for his own sake (hence the surname Ilyinskaya).

The surname of Oblomov's "friend" Tarantieva, carries a hint of the word ram... In the relations of Mikhei Andreevich with people, such qualities as rudeness, arrogance, persistence and unprincipledness are revealed. Isai Fomich Overwritten, to whom Oblomov gave the power of attorney to manage the estate, turned out to be a fraud, grated roll... In conspiracy with Tarantiev and brother Pshenitsyna, he skillfully robbed Oblomov and well wiped out their footprints.

Speaking about the artistic features of the novel, one cannot ignore the landscape sketches: for Olga, walks in the garden, a lilac branch, flowering fields - all this is associated with love, feelings. Oblomov also realizes that he is connected with nature, although he does not understand why Olga constantly pulls him for a walk, enjoys the surrounding nature, spring, happiness. The landscape creates a psychological background for the entire story.

To reveal the feelings and thoughts of the heroes, the author uses such a technique as an internal monologue. This technique is most clearly revealed in the description of Oblomov's feelings for Olga Ilyinskaya. The author constantly shows thoughts, remarks, internal reasoning of the heroes.

Throughout the entire novel, Goncharov subtly jokes, sneers at his heroes. This irony is especially noticeable in the dialogues between Oblomov and Zakhar. This is how the scene of putting the robe on the shoulders of the owner is described. “Ilya Ilyich hardly noticed how Zakhar undressed him, took off his boots and threw a robe over him.

What is it? he only asked, glancing at the robe.

The hostess brought it today: they washed and repaired the dressing gown, - said Zakhar.

Oblomov sat down and remained in his chair. "

The main compositional device of the novel is the antithesis. The author contrasts images (Oblomov - Stolz, Olga Ilyinskaya - Agafya Pshenitsyna), feelings (Olga's love, selfish, proud, and Agafya Matveyevna's love, selfless, all-forgiving), lifestyle, portrait characteristics, character traits, events and concepts, details (branch lilac, symbolizing hope for a brighter future, and a robe like a quagmire of laziness and apathy). Antithesis makes it possible to more clearly identify the individual traits of the characters of the heroes, to see and understand two incomparable poles (for example, two colliding states of Oblomov - violent temporary activity and laziness, apathy), and also helps to penetrate into the inner world of the hero, to show the contrast that is present not only in the external but also in the spirit world.

The beginning of the work is built on the collision of the vain world of St. Petersburg and the isolated inner world of Oblomov. All visitors (Volkov, Sudbinsky, Alekseev, Penkin, Tarantyev) who visit Oblomov are prominent representatives of a society living by the laws of falsehood. The main character seeks to isolate himself from them, from the dirt that his acquaintances bring in the form of invitations and news: “Don't come, don't come! You're out of the cold! "

At the reception of the antithesis, the entire system of images in the novel is built: Oblomov - Stolz, Olga - Agafya Matveevna. The portrait characterization of the heroes is also given in opposition. So, Oblomov is plump, full, "with the absence of any definite idea, any concentration in the facial features"; Stolz, on the other hand, consists entirely of bones and muscles, "he is incessantly in motion." Two completely different types of character, and it is difficult to believe that there can be anything in common between them. And yet it is so. Andrei, despite his categorical rejection of Ilya's lifestyle, was able to discern in him features that are difficult to maintain in the stormy stream of life: naivety, gullibility and openness. Olga Ilyinskaya fell in love with him for his kind heart, "pigeon tenderness and inner purity." Oblomov is not only inactive, lazy and apathetic, he is open to the world, but some kind of invisible film prevents him from merging with him, walking the same path with Stolz, living an active full-fledged life.

Two key female characters of the novel - Olga Ilyinskaya and Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna - are also given in opposition. These two women symbolize two life paths that are provided to Oblomov as a choice. Olga is a strong, proud and purposeful nature, while Agafya Matveyevna is kind, simple and economic. It would be worth Ilya to take one step towards Olga, and he was able to plunge into the dream that was depicted in "Dream ...". But communication with Ilyinskaya was the last test for Oblomov's personality. His nature is incapable of merging with the cruel outside world. He refuses the eternal search for happiness and chooses the second path - he plunges into apathy and finds peace in the cozy house of Agafya Matveyevna.