What was Mitrofan like in the comedy ignoramus? “The fruits of evil are worthy”: the image of Mitrofanushka in Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor”

The eighteenth century gave Russian (and world, of course) literature many outstanding names and talented figures. One of them is Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, writer and playwright. Most people know him as the author of the comedy “The Minor.” How was the most famous work the author, who did he base his characters on and what is special about one of the play's heroes - Mitrofanushka?

Denis Fonvizin

Before talking about the comedy itself, it is necessary to at least briefly say about its author. Denis Fonvizin did not live too long (only forty-seven years), but bright life. Most people know him only as the person who wrote “The Minor,” while he wrote the play “The Brigadier,” many translations and adaptations, treatises and essays.

Despite the fact that he wrote only two plays (and after “The Brigadier” he did not turn to drama for more than ten years), it was Fonvizin who is the “progenitor” of the so-called Russian everyday comedy.

“Minor” by Fonvizin: history of creation

Despite the fact that “The Minor” was completed by the writer and politician in the early eighties, there is reason to believe that Fonvizin conceived his satirical “comedy of manners” back in the sixties: it was to this time that the play, which first saw the light only in the last century, dates back to during the author's life it was never published. Its characters can be called early prototypes of the heroes of “The Minor”: in each of them familiar features are easily discernible.

While working on the comedy, Denis Ivanovich used a huge variety of sources - both articles and works of various authors (both modern and past centuries), and even texts written by Catherine the Great herself. Having finished work on “The Minor,” Fonvizin, of course, decided to stage the play, although he understood that it would be difficult to do so - the abundance of new ideas and bold statements blocked the work’s path to a wide audience. Nevertheless, he himself took up the preparation of the performance and, albeit slowly, although with all sorts of delays, “The Minor” was released in the theater on Tsaritsyn Meadow and received phenomenal success with the audience. This happened in 1782, and a year later the play was published for the first time.

Who is this little guy?

Many people are genuinely puzzled by the title of the work. In fact, why - an undergrowth? What kind of word is this anyway? It's simple. In the eighteenth century (and it was then that Denis Fonvizin lived and worked), a young man of noble (that is, noble) origin who did not receive an education was called a “minor.” A lazy, stupid person, incapable of anything - that's what he is. Such young men could not get a job, and they were not given a marriage license.

Denis Ivanovich called his work “Minor” because this is exactly what Mitrofanushka, one of the main characters, is like. He put a little more satire into this word than it actually had. Minor, with light hand Fonvizin is not only an uneducated, but also a selfish and rude young man. The characteristics of the image of Mitrofanushka will be presented in more detail below.

The plot of “The Minor” revolves around a modest girl, Sophia, left without parents and therefore taken into care by the Prostakov family, greedy and narrow-minded people. Sophia is a rich heiress, a bride of marriageable age, and the Prostakovs also want to get a wife with such a dowry, trying to marry her off to their sixteen-year-old son Mitrofanushka, an undergrowth, and Prostakova’s brother Skotinin, obsessed with the idea of large quantities livestock on Sophia's farm. Sophia has a loved one - Milon, to whom her only relative - Uncle Starodum - wants to marry her. He comes to the Prostakovs and is very surprised to see how the owners are currying favor with him and his niece. They are trying to exhibit Mitrofanushka in better light, however, the uneducated and lazy idiot spoils all the mother’s attempts.

Having learned that Starodum and Milon are taking Sophia away, at night, on the orders of the Prostakovs, they try to kidnap her, but Milon prevents the kidnapping. It all ends with the Prostakovs losing not only their profitable bride, but also their estates - it’s all to blame for their greed, anger and selfishness.

Main characters

The main characters of “The Minor” are the already mentioned Mitrofanushka, his parents (it should be noted that everything in this family is run by the mother, who does not consider the servants to be people, and strongly follows the fashion of the time; the father of the family is completely under the heel of his domineering wife, who even raises her hand against him), Sophia, her uncle Starodum, fiancé Milon, government official Pravdin, whose goal is to expose the atrocities of the Prostakovs (in which he ultimately succeeds). It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that Fonvizin used “speaking” names for his characters - they are endowed with both positive (Starodum, Pravdin, Sofya) and negative (Skotinin, Prostakovs) characters. In the characterization of Mitrofanushka, his name is also of great importance - from Greek “Mitrofan” means “mama’s son,” which truly fully reflects the character of the hero. Only at the very end of the play does Mitrofanushka quarrel with his mother and tells her to leave him alone.

Fonvizin pits completely different social strata against each other in his work - officials, nobles, and servants are represented here... He openly ridicules the nobles and their upbringing, condemns people like the Prostakovs. From the very first words of the play it is easy to understand where are positive and where negative heroes and what is the author's attitude towards each of them. It is largely thanks to the beautifully written images of negative characters (especially the characterization of Mitrofanushka) that the “comedy of manners” brought such success to its creator. The name Mitrofanushka has generally become a household name. In addition, the play was dismantled into idioms with quotes.

The characteristics of Mitrofanushka should be given special attention. However, first it is necessary to say about three more characters in the play. These are Mitrofanushka’s teachers - Tsyfirkin, Kuteikin and Vralman. They cannot be directly classified as positive, nor do they belong to a type of people in whom both good and bad are equally combined. However, their surnames are also “telling”: and they speak about the main quality of a person - for example, for Vralman it is lying, and for Tsyfirkin it is love for mathematics.

“Minor”: characteristics of Mitrofanushka

The character in whose honor the work is named is almost sixteen years old. While many at his age are completely independent adults, Mitrofanushka cannot take a step without her mother’s prompting, without holding on to her skirt. He is one of those who is called a “mama’s boy” (and as mentioned above, a direct indication of this is contained even in the meaning of his name). Despite the fact that Mitrofanushka has a father, the boy does not receive a male education in the full sense of the word - his father himself is not famous for such qualities.

For parents, Mitrofanushka is still Small child- even in his presence they talk about him in exactly this way, calling him a child, a child - and Mitrofanushka shamelessly uses this throughout the comedy. The boy doesn't think anything of his father, once again thereby proving that he is the perfect “mama’s boy.” Very indicative in this regard is the scene where Mitrofan pities his mother, who is tired of beating her father - so, poor thing, she worked hard beating him. There is no question of sympathizing with the father.

It is not entirely possible to give a brief description of Mitrofanushka in “The Minor” - so much can be said about this character. For example, he really likes to eat a hearty meal, and then - to relax to his heart's content without doing anything (however, he doesn't have much to do except study, in which, it must be said honestly, he is not at all diligent). Like his mother, Mitrofan is a rather heartless person. He loves to humiliate others, putting them below himself, once again “showing a place” to people working for him. Thus, he constantly offends his nanny, who has been assigned to him since birth, but who is always on his side. This is another revealing moment in the characterization of Mitrofanushka from the comedy “The Minor.”

Mitrofanushka is a sneak and an insolent person, but at the same time he is also a sycophant: already at that age he feels who should not be rude, in front of whom he should “show his best qualities.” The only trouble is that with such a mother’s upbringing best qualities Mitrofanushka simply cannot have it. Even to her, the one who loves him so blindly and allows him everything, he threatens and blackmails her in an attempt to achieve what he wants for himself. Such qualities do not do honor to the characterization of Mitrofanushka, speaking of him as a bad person, ready to go over his head for the sake of only himself and his demands, as a person who loves only as long as his will is fulfilled.

It is interesting that Mitrofan is characterized by self-criticism: he is aware that he is lazy and stupid. However, he is not at all upset about this, declaring that he is “not a hunter of smart girls.” It is unlikely that such a quality passed to him from his mother; rather, he adopted it from his father - at least he should have inherited something from him. This is a brief description of Mitrofanushka, a hero whose name has been used for several centuries to name people with similar character traits.

Was there a boy?

It is known that Fonvizin “peeped” the scenes for his work in real life. What about the heroes? Are they completely invented or copied from real people?

The characterization of the hero Mitrofanushka gives reason to believe that his prototype was Alexey Olenin. He subsequently became known as statesman and a historian as well as an artist. But until the age of eighteen, his behavior was absolutely similar to the characteristics of Mitrofanushka: he did not want to study, was rude, lazy, as they say, “wasted his life.” It is believed that it was Fonvizin’s comedy that helped Alexei Olenin “take the right path”: supposedly, after reading it, he recognized himself in the main character, saw his portrait from the outside for the first time and was so shocked that he gained motivation for “rebirth.”

Whether this is true or not, it is now impossible to know for sure. But some facts from Olenin’s biography have been preserved. Thus, until he was ten years old, he was raised by his father and a specially hired tutor, and he was also educated at home. When he went to school (and not just any school, but the Page Court), he was soon sent to continue his studies abroad - he was chosen for this purpose, since little Alyosha demonstrated excellent progress in his studies. Abroad, he graduated from two higher institutions - thus, there is no need to say that Olenin was lazy and ignorant, like Mitrofanushka. It is quite possible that some of the qualities inherent in Olenin were reminiscent of the characteristics of Mitrofanushka, however, most likely, it is impossible to say that Olenin is a 100% prototype of the Fonvizin hero. It is more likely that Mitrofan is some kind of collective image.

The meaning of the comedy “Minor” in literature

“The Minor” has been studied for more than two centuries - from the very release of the play to this day. Its importance is difficult to overestimate: it satirically ridicules the social and even state structure of society. And he does this openly, without even fearing the authorities - and yet it was precisely because of this that Catherine the Great, after the publication of “The Minor,” forbade the publication of anything from the pen of Fonvizin.

His comedy highlights thorny issues of that time, but they remain no less relevant today. The shortcomings of society that existed in the eighteenth century have not disappeared in the twenty-first. The play, with the light hand of Pushkin, was called a “folk comedy” - it has every right be called that way even today.

1. In the first version of the play, Mitrofanushka is called Ivanushka.
2. The initial version of the comedy is closer to the play “The Brigadier”.
3. Fonvizin worked on Minor for about three years.
4. He drew ideas for writing from life, but he talked about the creation of only one scene - the one where Eremeevna protects her pupil from Skotinin.
5. When Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was studying at the gymnasium, he played the role of Mrs. Prostakova in school productions.
6. Fonvizin sketched out the continuation of “The Minor” in letters from Sophia and Starodum to each other: according to the author’s idea, after the wedding, Milon cheated on Sophia, about which she complained to her uncle.
7. The idea of ​​creating such a work first came to Denis Ivanovich when he was in France.

More than two centuries have passed since the creation of the play, and it does not lose its relevance to this day. More and more research is being devoted to the study of comedy itself and its individual characters. This means that Denis Fonvizin managed to notice and highlight something in his work that will always attract the attention of readers and viewers.

One of the main characters of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” is Prostakov Mitrofan Terentyevich, the noble son of the Prostakovs. The name Mitrofan means “similar”, similar to his mother. And it's noticeable. Mitrofanushka has no goal in life, he only loves to eat, laze around and chase pigeons: “I’ll run to the dovecote now, maybe, or...” To which his mother answered: “Go and frolic, Mitrofanushka.”

The ignorant mother taught her son the sciences, but she did this not out of love for enlightenment, but only because of Peter’s decree that all noble children should know the word of God, grammar and arithmetic. And what is her advice to her son worth: “...my friend, at least for the sake of appearance, learn, so that it reaches his ears how hard you work!”, “When you find money, don’t share it with anyone. Take it all for yourself, Mitrofanushka. Don’t learn this stupid science!” And Mitrofan listened to this advice. He did not learn arithmetic, nor the word of God, nor grammar (what kind of grammar if our little one did not know the adjective or noun word “door”?). Of all the teachers, only the German Adam Adamych Vralman praised Mitrofanushka (from his “speaking” surname alone it is clear why), and even then so that Prostakova would not be angry with him. The other teachers openly scolded him. For example, Tsyfirkin: “Your honor will always be idle.” And Mitrofan snapped: “Well! Give me the board, garrison rat! Get your butts on." “All butts, your honor. We remain with our behinds forever behind us.”

Among the relatives of this “blockhead” he was surrounded by his father and mother, who doted on him. Despite this, Mitrofan treated his mother with disdain, he does not love at all and he did not feel sorry for his own mother at all, he does not respect her and plays on her feelings. And when Prostakova, who has lost power, rushes to her son with the words: You are the only one left with me, my dear friend, Mitrofanushka! ”, to which he hears a heartless response: “Get rid of yourself, mother, how you imposed yourself.” And the “blockhead” doesn’t even recognize his dad. Perhaps because Prostakov was afraid of his wife and in her presence spoke about his son like this: “At least, I love him as a parent should, a smart child, a smart child, a funny man, an entertainer; Sometimes I’m overjoyed because of him, and I really don’t believe that he’s my son.” After the words “beside myself,” Prostakov probably stopped short. What a joy it is when a son grows up to be a “mama’s boy”!... That’s all our hero’s relatives, from whom, as practice has shown, he did not love anyone. Also, of course, his uncle, but Mitrofan didn’t like him and was always rude to him. That’s all his relatives, where he didn’t love anyone and recognized only his mother as a person.

But, in the end, the “evil” people (Mitrofan and his mother) get what they deserve. Mom is betrayed by her own son, and the “ignoramus” is sent to serve. Who knows, maybe the service will fix it. We know one thing for sure - he won’t see his mother “due to duty” for a long time, and will his mother want to see him again... Will she understand her mistake?...

So, we have analyzed the whole essence of Mitrofan. But for what purpose does this character appear? I think to show people that there are still millions of “minors” that look like mines, and if you step on them, something irreparable will happen…. These are the worthy fruits of evil.

Children of nobles from the age of six were assigned to some regiment as lower ranks: corporals, sergeants and even privates. By the time they reached adulthood, they received an officer rank for their service and had to "go to service". Teenagers under the age of sixteen were called “minors,” which meant: they had not matured to responsibility and adulthood.

The family of the future officer was obliged to provide the minor with a certain level of education, which was tested in an exam. Often such verification was formal, and young man allowed to continue home schooling until age 25. All this time he received promotions without leaving home. A spoiled and undereducated officer, often already married and with children, immediately occupied a high position. It is not difficult to guess how this affected the combat effectiveness of the army. The situation with the civil service was no better.

Denis Fonvizin ridiculed such a vicious practice of home schooling for nobles in the comedy “The Minor.” Main character It is no coincidence that the work was named Mitrofan, which means - "like a mother". Mrs. Prostakova embodies the most unsightly traits of a landowner from the times of serfdom: tyranny, cruelty, greed, arrogance, ignorance. Her weak-willed and narrow-minded husband is afraid to say a word without his wife’s approval.

Prostakova is trying to make her copy of her son. Mitrofanushka grows up as a selfish, rude and arrogant slacker, all of whose interests are centered around delicious food and entertainment. The excessive appetite of an over-aged “child” is encouraged in every possible way by the mother, even to the detriment of her son’s health. Despite a difficult night after a hearty dinner, Mitrofanushka eats five buns for breakfast, and Prostakova demands to be served the sixth. It is not surprising that the undergrowth, according to the mother, "delicate build".

Mitrofan's entertainment is the most primitive. He loves to chase pigeons, play pranks and listen to the stories of the cowgirl Khavronya. Her mother encourages such idleness, because Prostakova herself is illiterate, like her parents, husband and brother. She is even proud of her ignorance: “Don’t be the Skotinin who wants to learn something”. But the landowner is forced to invite teachers to her son. Because of her pathological greed, she hires the cheapest "specialists". Retired sergeant Tsyfirkin teaches arithmetic, half-educated seminarian Kuteikin teaches grammar, and former coachman Vralman teaches "everything else".

However, stupidity and laziness do not allow Mitrofan to receive even the primitive knowledge that would-be teachers are trying to convey to him. Tsyfirkin admits that in three years he did not teach his ward "Count three", and Kuteikin complains that he is undersized for four years "butts mumble". Vralman's science is to constantly advise "to kid" stress less and not communicate with smart people. Mrs. Prostakova’s fears that her beloved child will not find company are easily refuted by Vralman: “Kakof is your most tragic son, there are millions of them in the world”.

Support from the German only strengthens the landowner's contempt for education in her mind. And this makes Mitrofanushka very happy. He had not even heard of geography, but the word "door" considers it an adjective because “she is attached to her place”.

It should be noted that Mitrofan, although stupid, is cunning and perfectly understands his own benefit. He cleverly manipulates his mother's feelings. Not wanting to start the lesson, the teenager complains that his uncle beat him and promises to drown himself from such insult.

Mitrofan does not value those who are lower than him in rank or position in society, but curries favor with wealth and power. Typical appeals from minors to servants and teachers: "old bastard", "garrison rat". He names the dreamed parents "such rubbish", but fawns over the rich man Starodum and is ready to kiss his hands.

Mitrofan is very cowardly. He threatens the wrath of his mother, whom those around him are afraid of, but in a clash with Skotinin he hides behind the old nanny. Prostakova dotes on her only child, protects him and tries to arrange a happy future. For the sake of her son, she gets into a fight with her own brother, by hook or by crook she tries to marry him to the rich heiress Sophia.

The ungrateful Mitrofanushka pays Prostakova for her love and care with her indifference. When in final scene, a woman who has lost power, rushes to her son for consolation, the ignoramus pushes Prostakova away with contempt: “Go away, mother, how you forced yourself on me”.

The image of Mitrofanushka has not lost its relevance even after two and a half centuries. Educational problems, blind mother's love, ignorance and rudeness, unfortunately, remain also important for modern society. And lazy, untalented students can easily be found today.

He is one of the main characters in D. I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor.” It was thanks to this character that the play received its name. Mitrofan is the son of the landowners Prostakovs, who is 16 years old. He cannot read, write, work, or communicate properly with others. He has no goals in life, but only laziness and idleness. The young man not only lives at the mercy of his parents, but has no desire to go into the service or get married. His main activities are doing nothing, eating and frolicking, or simply chasing pigeons.

By portraying this character, the author wanted to show the moral degradation of noble society in the 18th century. Reading the play, we understand that Mitrofan is not the only child in the country who is not brought up and not educated. In order to give her son an education, Mrs. Prostakova hires several teachers. However, this is not done to gain knowledge, but to comply noble society. For this reason, Mitrofan is allowed to leave lessons whenever he wishes, treat teachers rudely and ignorantly, and not overwork himself too much. Mitrofan is in many ways like his mother. This is evidenced by his name, which was not chosen by chance by the author. After all, Mitrofan means “revealing his mother.” Mrs. Prostakova herself is poorly brought up, uneducated, ignorant and stupid. Despite this, she likes to brag about her inability to read, saying that it is not proper for nobles to do this. She does not like to work herself, and at the same time she treats her servants rudely and cruelly. The only thing she is interested in is money, welfare and her beloved son. Obviously, in such conditions Mitrofan could not grow up differently. He adopted everything bad from his mother, including greed for “other people’s” money. When he found out that they distant relative endowed with a rich dowry, he immediately agreed to marry her. However, this pursuit of benefit, which the young man adopted from his mother, played cruel joke and with Prostakova herself. When her plan to kidnap Sophia failed and the state took away all her property, Mitrofan renounced her without a shadow of a doubt. With such a denouement, the author clearly showed how she is reaping the fruits of her bad upbringing.

In my opinion, the play is instructive. It was written to show other families how to raise children. And also, the importance of education and enlightenment is shown, both for the families themselves and for the state. The image of Mitrofan in the comedy “The Minor” showed people that there are millions of such dropouts who are like time bombs. IN certain moment the fruits of bad upbringing will certainly appear and lead to irreparable results.

The main advantage of D.I. Fonvizin’s work is the comedy Nedorsl, because it is in this comedy that Fonvizin points out the problem of the education of the nobles in Russia.

The main character Mitrofan turned 16 years old, but he still continued to live with his parents. His mother Prostakova doted on him, since he was the only child in the family. Instead of serving in the army, he continued to idle at home. Mitrofanushka was too lazy and therefore did not want to study. He did not know elementary concepts, ruled, although there were teachers in Prostakova’s domain, but Mitrofanushka believed that he did not need to study.

And he himself said: “I don’t want to study, I want to get married!” His particular lack of education manifests itself when he talked with Sophia’s uncle, Starodum. But the fact that he is stupid is not only his fault, but also his mother’s. She didn't let him think about it himself. the simplest task, she didn't want her son to be overworked. Mitrofanushka grew up very rude, cruel, and selfish. He was cruel and selfish with everyone who surrounded him: nanny Ermeeva, Tsyfirkin, Kuteikin, Vralmon and even his parents. He constantly complained about the nanny, and the mother always stood on her son’s side and did not pay her salary. Nedorsl treats teachers with disdain.

He did not notice his father as well as his uncle.

But in Rus' there were many people like Mitrofanushka. And from generation to generation, the ignorance and rudeness of the Russian nobleman progresses, becoming a common surprise.

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Updated: 2015-10-18

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