In which work there is a theme of an extra person. The topic of "superfluous person" in Russian literature

Extra man- a literary type, characteristic of the works of Russian writers of the 1840s and 1850s. Usually this is a person of significant abilities who cannot realize his talents in the official field of Nicholas Russia.

Belonging to the upper classes of society, the superfluous person is alienated from the nobility, despises bureaucracy, but, having no prospect of other self-realization, mostly spends time for idle entertainment. This lifestyle is not able to ease his boredom, which leads to duels, gambling and other self-destructive behavior. To typical features extra person include "mental fatigue, deep skepticism, discord between word and deed and, as a rule, social passivity."

The name "superfluous person" was assigned to the type of a disappointed Russian nobleman after the publication in 1850 of Turgenev's story "The Diary of an Extra Person". The earliest and classic examples - Eugene Onegin A. S. Pushkin, Chatsky from "Woe from Wit", Pechorin M. Lermontov - go back to Byronic hero the era of romanticism, to Rene Chateaubriand and Adolphe Constant. Further evolution of the type is represented by Herzen Beltov ("Who is to blame?") and heroes early works Turgenev (Rudin, Lavretsky, Chulkaturin).

Superfluous people often bring trouble not only to themselves, but also female characters who have the misfortune to love them. The negative side of superfluous people, associated with their displacement outside the social and functional structure of society, comes to the fore in the works of the literary officials A. F. Pisemsky and I. A. Goncharov. The latter opposes practical businessmen to the idlers "hovering in the skies": Aduev Jr. - Aduev Sr., and Oblomov - Stolz.

Who is the "extra person"? This is a well-educated, intelligent, talented and extremely gifted hero (man) who, due to various reasons (both external and internal), could not realize himself, his capabilities. The "superfluous person" seeks the meaning of life, the goal, but does not find it. Therefore, he spends himself on little things in life, on entertainment, on passions, but he does not feel satisfaction from this. Often the life of a "superfluous person" ends tragically: he dies or dies in the prime of life.

Examples of "extra people":

The ancestor of the type of "superfluous people" in Russian literature is considered Eugene Onegin from eponymous novel A.S. Pushkin. According to its potential, Onegin is one of the best people of its time. He has a sharp and perceptive mind, broad erudition (he was interested in philosophy, astronomy, medicine, history, etc.) Onegin argues with Lensky about religion, science, morality. This hero even seeks to do something real. For example, he tried to alleviate the plight of his peasants ("He replaced the old corvee with a light one with a yarem"). But all this was wasted for a long time. Onegin only wasted his life, But very soon he got bored with it. The bad influence of secular Petersburg, where the hero was born and raised, did not allow Onegin to open up. He did nothing useful, not only for society, but also for himself. The hero was unhappy: he did not know how to love and, by and large, nothing could interest him. But over the course of the novel, Onegin changes. It seems to me that this is the only case when the author leaves the “extra person” with hope. Like everything in Pushkin, the novel's open ending is optimistic. The writer leaves his hero with hope for revival.

The next representative of the type of "extra people" is Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin from the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov's "A Hero of Our Time". This hero reflected feature life of society in the 30s of the 19th century - the development of social and personal identity. Therefore, the hero, the first in Russian literature, himself tries to understand the reasons for his misfortune, his difference from others. Of course, Pechorin has tremendous personal strength. He is gifted in many ways and even talented. But he also finds no use for his powers. Like Onegin, Pechorin in his youth indulged in all serious things: secular revels, passions, novels. But as a non-empty person, the hero soon got bored with all this. Pechorin understands that secular society destroys, drains, kills the soul and heart of a person.

What is the reason for this hero's restlessness in life? He does not see the meaning of his life, he has no goal. Pechorin does not know how to love, because he is afraid of real feelings, afraid of responsibility. What is left for the hero? Only cynicism, criticism and boredom. As a result, Pechorin dies. Lermontov shows us that in the world of disharmony there is no place for a person who with all his soul, albeit unconsciously, strives for harmony.

The next in the line of "superfluous people" are the heroes of I.S. Turgenev. First of all, it is Rudin- the main character of the novel of the same name. His worldview was formed under the influence of philosophical circles of the 30s of the 19th century. Rudin sees the meaning of his life in serving lofty ideals. This hero is a great orator, he is able to lead, kindle the hearts of people. But the author constantly tests Rudin "for strength", for viability. The hero cannot withstand these tests. It turns out that Rudin is only able to speak, he cannot realize his thoughts and ideals in practice. The hero doesn't know real life, cannot assess the circumstances and their strength. Therefore, he is “out of work”.
Evgeny Vasilievich Bazarov stands out from this slender row of heroes. He is not a nobleman, but a commoner. He had, unlike all previous heroes, to fight for his life, for his education. Bazarov knows very well the reality, the everyday side of life. He has his own "idea" and implements it as best he can. In addition, of course, Bazarov is a very powerful intellectual person, he possesses great opportunities... But the point is that the very idea that the hero serves is erroneous and destructive. Turgenev shows that it is impossible to destroy everything without building anything in return. In addition, this hero, like all other "superfluous people", does not live the life of the heart. He devotes all his potential to mental activity.

But man is an emotional being, a being with a soul. If a person knows how to love, then there is a high probability that he will be happy. Not a single hero from the gallery of "extra people" is happy in love. It says a lot. All of them are afraid to love, afraid or cannot come to terms with the surrounding reality. This is all very sad because it makes these people unhappy. Huge ones are wasted mental strength these heroes, their intellectual potential. The fact that they often die prematurely (Pechorin, Bazarov) or vegetate, wasting themselves in vain (Beltov, Rudin), speaks of the nonviability of "superfluous people". Only Pushkin gives his hero hope for revival. And this is encouraging. So there is a way out, there is a way to salvation. I think that he is always within the personality, you just need to find strength in yourself.

The image of the "little man" in Russian literature of the 19th century

"Small man"- a type of literary hero that arose in Russian literature with the advent of realism, that is, in the 20-30s of the 19th century.

The theme of the "little man" is one of the cross-cutting themes of Russian literature, which was constantly addressed by the writers of the 19th century. A.S. Pushkin was the first to touch upon it in his story “ Stationmaster". The successors of this theme were N.V. Gogol, F.M. Dostoevsky, A.P. Chekhov and many others.

This person is small in social terms, since he occupies one of the lower rungs of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is little or completely invisible. A person is considered "small" also because the world of his spiritual life and claims is also extremely narrow, impoverished, filled with all sorts of prohibitions. There are no historical and philosophical problems for him. He dwells in a narrow and vicious circle their vital interests.

The best humanistic traditions... Writers invite people to think about the fact that everyone has a right to happiness, to own view for life.

Examples of "little people":

1) So, Gogol in the story "The Overcoat" characterizes the main character as a poor, ordinary, insignificant and inconspicuous person. In life, he is assigned the insignificant role of a copyist of department documents. Brought up in the sphere of subordination and execution of orders of superiors, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin not used to pondering the meaning of his work. That is why, when he is offered a task that requires the manifestation of elementary intelligence, he begins to worry, worry, and in the end comes to the conclusion: "No, better let me rewrite something."

Bashmachkin's spiritual life is consonant with his inner aspirations. The accumulation of money to buy a new overcoat becomes for him the goal and meaning of life. The theft of the long-awaited new thing, which was acquired through hardship and suffering, becomes a disaster for him.

And yet Akaky Akakievich does not appear in the mind of the reader as an empty, uninteresting person. We imagine that there were a great many of the same little ones, humiliated people... Gogol urged society to look at them with understanding and pity.
Indirectly, this is demonstrated by the name of the protagonist: diminutive suffix -chk-(Bashmachkin) gives it an appropriate shade. "Mother, save your poor son!" - the author will write.

Calling for justice the author raises the question of the need to punish the inhumanity of society. As compensation for the humiliation and insults suffered during his lifetime, Akaky Akakievich, who rose from the grave in the epilogue, comes through and takes away their greatcoats and fur coats. It only calms down when it takes away outerwear the "significant person" who played a tragic role in the life of the "little man".

2) In the story Chekhov's "Death of an Official" we see the slave soul of an official whose understanding of the world is completely distorted. There is no need to talk about human dignity here. The author gives his hero a wonderful surname: Chervyakov. Describing the small, insignificant events of his life, Chekhov seems to be looking at the world with Wormyakov's eyes, and these events become enormous.
So, Chervyakov was at the performance and “felt at the height of bliss. But suddenly ... he sneezed. " Looking around like " polite person”, The hero found with horror that he had sprayed the state general. Chervyakov begins to apologize, but this seemed not enough to him, and the hero asks for forgiveness again and again, day after day ...
There are a lot of such small officials who know only their own world, and it is not surprising that their experiences are made up of such small situations. The author conveys the whole essence of the official's soul, as if examining it under a microscope. Unable to withstand the cry in response to the apology, Chervyakov goes home and dies. This terrible disaster his life is the catastrophe of his limitation.

3) In addition to these writers, Dostoevsky also addressed the theme of the "little man" in his work. The main characters of the novel "Poor People" - Makar Devushkin- a half-impoverished official, crushed by grief, need and social lack of rights, and Varenka- a girl who has become a victim of social distress. Like Gogol in The Overcoat, Dostoevsky turned to the topic of a powerless, immensely humiliated “little man” who lives his inner life in conditions that violate human dignity. The author sympathizes with his poor heroes, shows the beauty of their soul.

4) Subject "Poor people" developed by the writer and in the novel "Crime and Punishment". One after another, the writer reveals before us a picture of terrible poverty, which humiliates human dignity. Petersburg, the poorest district of the city, becomes the scene of the work. Dostoevsky creates a canvas of immeasurable human torment, suffering and grief, insightfully peers into the soul of the "little man", discovers in him deposits of enormous spiritual wealth.
Family life unfolds before us Marmeladov. These are people crushed by reality. The official Marmeladov, who has nowhere else to go, gets drunk with grief and loses his human appearance. Exhausted by poverty, his wife Ekaterina Ivanovna dies from consumption. Sonya is released into the street to sell her body to save her family from starvation.

The fate of the Raskolnikov family is also hard. His sister Dunya, wanting to help her brother, is ready to sacrifice herself and marry rich Luzhin, for whom she feels disgust. Raskolnikov himself is contemplating a crime, the roots of which, in part, lie in the sphere social relations in society. The images of “little people” created by Dostoevsky are imbued with the spirit of protest against social injustice, against humiliation of man and faith in his high calling. The souls of the "poor" can be beautiful, full of spiritual generosity and beauty, but they are broken by the hardest living conditions.

6. Russian world in prose of the 19th century.

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The depiction of reality in Russian literature of the 19th century.

1. Landscape. Functions and types.

2. Interior: the problem of detailing.

3. The image of time in a literary text.

4. The motive of the road as a form of artistic development of the national picture of the world.

Landscape - not necessarily an image of nature, in the literature it can imply a description of any open space. This definition corresponds to the semantics of the term. From French - country, area. In French art theory, landscape descriptions include both wildlife and human-made objects.

The well-known typology of landscapes is based on the specifics of the functioning of this text component.

At first, landscapes are highlighted, which are the background of the narrative. These landscapes, as a rule, indicate the place and time against which the depicted events take place.

The second type of landscape- landscape creating a lyrical background. Most often, when creating such a landscape, the artist pays attention to the meteorological conditions, because this landscape should first of all influence emotional condition the reader.

Third type- a landscape that creates / becomes a psychological background of existence and becomes one of the means of revealing the psychology of a character.

Fourth type- a landscape that becomes a symbolic background, a means of symbolic reflection of reality, depicted in a literary text.

The landscape can be used as a means of depicting a particular artistic time or as a form of the author's presence.

This typology is not the only one. The landscape can be expositional, dual, etc. Contemporary critics isolate Goncharov's landscapes; it is believed that Goncharov used the landscape for a perfect representation of the world. The evolution of the landscape art of Russian writers is fundamentally important for a person who writes. There are two main periods:

· Pre-Pushkin, during this period landscapes were characterized by the completeness and concreteness of the surrounding nature;

· The post-Pushkin period, the idea of ​​the ideal landscape has changed. It assumes the parsimony of details, the economy of the image and the accuracy of the selection of parts. Accuracy, according to Pushkin, presupposes the identification of the most significant feature senses perceived in a certain way. This Pushkin's idea, then Bunin will use.

Second level. Interior - the image of the interior. The main unit of an interior image is a detail (detail), attention to which was first demonstrated by Pushkin. Literary test XIX century did not show a clear boundary between the interior and the landscape.

Time in literary text in the 19th century it becomes discrete, intermittent. Heroes easily go into memories and fantasies which rush into the future. The selectivity of the attitude to time appears, which is explained by the dynamics. Time in a literary text in the 19th century has a convention. The maximum conditional time in a lyric work, with the predominance of the grammar of the present tense, for the lyrics is especially characteristic of the interaction of different time layers. Art time not necessarily concrete, it is abstract. In the 19th century, the image of historical color became a special means of concretizing artistic time.

One of the most effective means of depicting reality in the 19th century is the motive of the road, it becomes part of the plot formula, a narrative unit. Initially, this motive dominated the travel genre. In the 11th-18th centuries, in the genre of travel, the motive of the road was used primarily to expand ideas about the surrounding space ( cognitive function). In sentimental prose, the cognitive function of this motive is complicated by evaluativeness. Gogol uses travel to explore his surroundings. Updating the functions of the road motive is associated with the name of Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov. "Silence" 1858

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The 19th century is called the "Golden Age" of Russian poetry and the age of Russian literature on a global scale. Do not forget that the literary leap that took place in the 19th century was prepared by the entire course of the literary process of the 17th and 18th centuries. The 19th century is the time of the formation of the Russian literary language, which took shape largely thanks to A.S. Pushkin.
But the 19th century began with the flowering of sentimentalism and the emergence of romanticism. These literary trends found expression, first of all, in poetry. The poetic works of poets E.A. Baratynsky, K.N. Batyushkova, V.A. Zhukovsky, A.A. Feta, D.V. Davydova, N.M. Yazykov. The work of F.I. Tyutchev's "Golden Age" of Russian poetry was completed. Nevertheless, central figure this time was Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
A.S. Pushkin began his ascent to the literary Olympus with the poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila" in 1920. And his novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" was called an encyclopedia of Russian life. Romantic poems by A.S. Pushkin " Bronze Horseman"(1833)," Bakhchisarai Fountain "," Gypsies "opened the era of Russian romanticism. Many poets and writers considered A.S. Pushkin their teacher and continued the traditions of creating literary works. One of these poets was M.Yu. Lermontov. Known for his romantic poem"Mtsyri", poetic story "Demon", many romantic poems. Interestingly, Russian poetry of the 19th century was closely related with the social and political life of the country. Poets tried to comprehend the idea of ​​their special destiny. The poet in Russia was considered a conductor of divine truth, a prophet. Poets called on the authorities to listen to their words. Striking examples comprehending the role of the poet and influence on political life countries are poems by A.S. Pushkin's The Prophet, the ode to Liberty, The Poet and the Crowd, poem by M.Yu. Lermontov "On the death of a poet" and many others.
The prose writers of the beginning of the century were influenced by the English historical novels W. Scott, whose translations were very popular. The development of Russian prose of the 19th century began with the prose works of A.S. Pushkin and N.V. Gogol. Pushkin, influenced by English historical novels, creates story " Captain's daughter», where the action takes place against the backdrop of grandiose historical events: at the time Pugachev revolt... A.S. Pushkin produced colossal work, exploring this historical period... This work was largely political in nature and was directed to those in power.
A.S. Pushkin and N.V. Gogol outlined the main art types which will be developed by writers throughout the 19th century. it art type"Superfluous person", a model of which is Eugene Onegin in the novel by A.S. Pushkin, and the so-called type of "little man", which is shown by N.V. Gogol in his story "The Overcoat", as well as A.S. Pushkin in the story "The Station Keeper".
Literature inherited its journalistic and satirical character from the 18th century. In a prose poem N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls" the writer in a poignant satirical manner shows a fraudster who buys dead Souls, different types of landowners who are the embodiment of various human vices(the influence of classicism affects). The comedy is sustained in the same plan. "Inspector". Are full satirical images and works by A.S. Pushkin. Literature continues to satirically depict Russian reality. The tendency to depict vices and shortcomings Russian society- a characteristic feature of the entire Russian classical literature ... It can be traced in the works of almost all writers of the 19th century. At the same time, many writers implement the satirical tendency in a grotesque form. Examples of grotesque satire are the works of N. V. Gogol "The Nose", M. Ye. Saltykov-Shchedrin "Lord Golovlevs", "History of one city".
Since the middle of the 19th century, the formation of Russian realistic literature has been taking place, which is created against the background of the tense socio-political situation that developed in Russia during the reign of Nicholas I. A crisis of the serf system is brewing, the contradictions between the authorities and the common people are strong. There is a need to create a realistic literature that sharply reacts to the socio-political situation in the country. Literary critic V.G. Belinsky denotes a new realistic trend in literature. His position is being developed by N.A. Dobrolyubov, N.G. Chernyshevsky. A dispute arises between Westernizers and Slavophiles about the ways historical development Russia.
Writers address to the socio-political problems of Russian reality. The genre is developing realistic novel... I.S. Turgenev, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, I.A. Goncharov. Socio-political and philosophical issues prevail. Literature is distinguished by a special psychologism.
people.
Literary process at the end of the 19th century, he discovered the names of N. S. Leskov, A.N. Ostrovsky A.P. Chekhov. The latter proved to be a master of the small literary genre - the story, as well as an excellent playwright. Competitor A.P. Chekhov was Maxim Gorky.
The end of the 19th century was marked by the formation of pre-revolutionary sentiments. The realistic tradition was beginning to fade. It was replaced by the so-called decadent literature, the distinctive features of which were mysticism, religiosity, as well as a presentiment of changes in the socio-political life of the country. Subsequently, decadence developed into symbolism. From this opens new page in the history of Russian literature.

7. Literary situation at the end of the 19th century.

Realism

The second half of the 19th century is characterized by the undivided domination of the realistic trend in Russian literature. The basis realism how artistic method is socio-historical and psychological determinism. The personality and fate of the person depicted appears as a result of the interaction of his character (or, deeper, universal human nature) with the circumstances and laws of social life (or, more broadly, history, culture - as can be observed in the work of A.S. Pushkin).

Realism 2nd half of the XIX v. often call critical, or socially accusatory. V recent times In modern literary criticism, attempts are increasingly being made to abandon such a definition. It is both too wide and too narrow; it levels out the individual characteristics of the writers' creativity. The founder critical realism often called N.V. Gogol, however, in the work of Gogol public life, history human soul often correlates with such categories as eternity, the highest justice, the providential mission of Russia, the kingdom of God on earth. Gogol tradition to one degree or another in the 2nd half of the 19th century. were picked up by L. Tolstoy, F. Dostoevsky, in part by N.S. Leskov - it is no coincidence that in their work (especially later) there is a craving for such pre-realistic forms of comprehending reality as preaching, religious and philosophical utopia, myth, life. It was not without reason that M. Gorky expressed the idea of ​​the synthetic nature of Russian classic realism, about its inseparability from romantic direction... V late XIX- the beginning of the XX century. realism of Russian literature not only opposes, but also interacts in its own way with the emerging symbolism. The realism of Russian classics is universal, it is not limited to the reproduction of empirical reality, it includes universal human content, the "mystery plan", which brings realists closer to the quests of romantics and symbolists.

Social and accusatory pathos in pure form appears most in the works of second-tier writers - F.M. Reshetnikova, V.A. Sleptsova, G.I. Uspensky; even N.A. Nekrasov and M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, for all his closeness to the aesthetics of revolutionary democracy, are not limited in their work the posing of purely social, topical issues. Nevertheless, a critical orientation towards any form of social and spiritual enslavement of man unites all realist writers of the second half of the 19th century.

The 19th century revealed the main aesthetic principles and typological properties of realism... In Russian literature of the 2nd half of the 19th century. conventionally, several directions can be distinguished within the framework of realism.

1. The work of realist writers who strive for the artistic recreation of life in the "forms of life itself." The image often acquires such a degree of reliability that literary characters are spoken of as living people. To this direction belong I.S. Turgenev, I.A. Goncharov, partly N.A. Nekrasov, A.N. Ostrovsky, partly L.N. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhov.

2. In the 60s and 70s, brightly outlines the philosophical-religious, ethical-psychological direction in Russian literature(L.N. Tolstoy, F.M.Dostoevsky). Dostoevsky and Tolstoy have stunning pictures of social reality, depicted in the "forms of life itself." But at the same time, writers always start from certain religious and philosophical doctrines.

3. Satirical, grotesque realism(in the first half of the 19th century, it is partly represented in the work of N.V. Gogol, in the 60-70s, it developed in full force in the prose of M.E.Saltykov-Shchedrin). The grotesque does not appear as hyperbole or fiction, it characterizes the writer's method; he unites in images, types, plots that which is unnatural and is absent in life, but it is possible in the world created creative imagination artist; similar grotesque, hyperbolic images emphasize certain patterns that prevail in life.

4. Completely unique realism, "Angry" (Belinsky's word) by humanistic thought, presented in creativity A.I. Herzen. Belinsky noted the "Voltaire" style of his talent: "the talent went into the mind," which turns out to be a generator of images, details, plots, and biographies of a person.

Along with the dominant realistic direction in Russian literature of the 2nd half of the 19th century. the direction of the so-called "pure art" also developed - it was both romantic and realistic. Its representatives shunned "damned questions" (What to do? Who is to blame?), But not reality, by which they meant the world of nature and the subjective feelings of man, the life of his heart. They were worried about the beauty of being itself, the fate of the world. A.A. Fet and F.I. Tyutchev can be directly comparable with I.S. Turgenev, L.N. Tolstoy and F.M. Dostoevsky. The poetry of Fet and Tyutchev had a direct impact on the work of Tolstoy of the era of "Anna Karenina". It is no coincidence that Nekrasov discovered F.I. Tyutchev to the Russian public as a great poet in 1850.

"Superfluous people" in literature are images characteristic of Russian prose of the mid-nineteenth century. Examples of such characters in works of art- the topic of the article.

Who introduced this term?

"Superfluous people" in literature are characters that appeared at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Who exactly introduced this term is unknown. Perhaps Herzen. According to some reports - Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. After all, the great Russian poet once said that his Onegin is "an extra person." One way or another, this image is firmly established in the works of other writers.

Every student who has not even read Goncharov's novel knows about someone like Oblomov. This character is a representative of the outdated landlord world, and therefore cannot adapt in any way to the new one.

Common signs

"Extra people" are found in the works of such classics as I. S. Turgenev, M. Yu. Lermontov. Before considering each of the characters that can be attributed to this category, it is necessary to highlight common features. "Superfluous people" in literature are contradictory heroes who are in conflict with the society to which they belong. As a rule, they are deprived of both fame and wealth.

Examples of

"Superfluous people" in literature are characters introduced by the author into an environment alien to them. They are moderately educated, but their knowledge is haphazard. The "superfluous person" cannot be a deep thinker or scientist, but he has the "ability to judge", the gift of eloquence. And the main sign of this literary character- a dismissive attitude towards others. As an example, we can recall Pushkin's Onegin, who avoids communication with neighbors.

"Superfluous people" in Russian literature of the 19th century were heroes capable of seeing vices modern society but who do not know how to resist them. They are aware of the problems of the world around them. But, alas, they are too passive to change anything.

Causes of occurrence

Characters about whom in question in this article, began to appear on the pages of the works of Russian writers in the Nikolaev era. In 1825, there was an uprising of the Decembrists. For the next decades, the government was in fear, but it was at this time that the spirit of freedom, the desire for change, appeared in society. The policy of Nicholas I was rather contradictory.

The tsar introduced reforms designed to make the life of the peasants easier, but at the same time he did everything to strengthen the autocracy. Various circles began to appear, the members of which discussed and criticized the current government. The landowner way of life for many educated people aroused contempt. But the trouble is that the members of various political associations belonged to the society to which they suddenly flared up with hatred.

The reasons for the appearance of "superfluous people" in Russian literature lie in the emergence of a new type of person in society, which was not accepted by society and did not accept it. Such a personality stands out from the general mass, and therefore causes bewilderment and irritation.

As already mentioned, the concept of "extra person" was the first to introduce into literature Pushkin. However, this term is somewhat vague. Characters in conflict with the social environment have been encountered in literature before. The main character Griboyedov's comedy has features inherent in this type of characters. Can we say that Chatsky is an example of a "superfluous person"? In order to answer this question, a short analysis of comedy should be done.

Chatsky

Griboyedov's hero rejects inert foundations Famus society... He denounces the reverence of rank and blind imitation. This is not ignored by the representatives of the Famus society - the whip, the grumpy, the Zagoretskiy. As a result, Chatsky is considered strange, if not crazy.

Griboyedov's hero is a representative of an advanced society, which includes people who do not want to put up with reactionary orders and remnants of the past. Thus, it can be said that the topic of “an extra person” was first raised by the author of “Woe from Wit”.

Eugene Onegin

But most literary scholars believe that this particular hero is the first "superfluous person" in the prose and poetry of Russian authors. Onegin is a nobleman, "the heir to all his relatives." He received a very passable education, but does not possess any in-depth knowledge. To write and speak French, to behave at ease in society, to recite a few quotes from the works of ancient authors - this is enough to create a favorable impression in the world.

Onegin is a typical representative of an aristocratic society. He is incapable of "working hard," but he knows how to shine in society. He leads an aimless, idle existence, but this is not his fault. Eugene became what his father was, who gave three balls annually. He lives the way most representatives of the Russian nobility do. However, unlike them, in a certain moment begins to experience fatigue, disappointment.

Loneliness

Onegin is “an extra person”. He languishes from idleness, tries to occupy himself with useful work. In the society to which he belongs, idleness is the main component of life. Hardly anyone from Onegin's entourage is familiar with his experiences.

Eugene tries to compose at first. But the writer does not come out of it. Then he begins to read with enthusiasm. However, Onegin does not find moral satisfaction in the books either. Then he retires in the house of his deceased uncle, who bequeathed his village to him. Here the young nobleman, it would seem, finds something to do. It makes the life of the peasants easier: it replaces the yarn with an easy quitrent. However, even these good undertakings do not lead to anything.

The type of "superfluous person" in Russian literature appeared in the first third of the nineteenth century. But by the middle of the century, this character acquired new features. Pushkin Onegin is rather passive. He treats others with contempt, is in a blues and cannot get rid of conventions and prejudices, which he himself criticizes. Consider other examples of "extra person" in the literature.

Pechorin

Lermontov's work "A Hero of Our Time" is dedicated to the problems of a person rejected, spiritually not accepted by society. Pechorin, like the Pushkin character, belongs to high society... But he is weary of the mores of an aristocratic society. Pechorin does not enjoy attending balls, dinners, and festive evenings. He is oppressed by the boring and meaningless conversations that are customary to have at such events.

The examples of Onegin and Pechorin can be used to supplement the concept of "extra person" in Russian literature. This is a character who, due to some alienation from society, acquires such traits as isolation, selfishness, cynicism and even cruelty.

"Notes of a superfluous person"

And yet, most likely, the author of the concept of "superfluous people" - I. S. Turgenev. Many literary scholars believe that it was he who introduced the term. According to them, Onegin and Pechorin were subsequently ranked among the "superfluous people", although they have little in common with the image created by Turgenev. The writer has a story called "Notes of a Superfluous Person." The hero of this work feels like a stranger in society. This character calls himself such.

Whether the hero of the novel "Fathers and Sons" is a "superfluous person" is a moot point.

Bazarov

Fathers and Sons depicts a mid-nineteenth century society. By this time, violent political disputes reached their climax. In these disputes, on one side stood the liberal democrats, and on the other, the revolutionary democrats, the commoners. Both of them understood that changes were needed. The revolutionary-minded democrats, unlike their opponents, were inclined to rather radical measures.

Political controversy has permeated all areas of life. And, of course, they became the theme of fiction and journalistic works. But there was at that time another phenomenon that interested the writer Turgenev. Namely, nihilism. The adherents of this trend rejected everything that was related to the spiritual.

Bazarov, like Onegin, is a deeply lonely person. This trait is also characteristic of all characters that literary scholars refer to as "superfluous people." But, unlike Pushkin's hero, Bazarov does not spend time in idleness: he is engaged in natural sciences.

The hero of the novel "Fathers and Sons" has successors. He is not considered insane. On the contrary, some heroes try to adopt Bazarov's oddities and skepticism. Nevertheless, Bazarov is lonely, despite the fact that his parents love him, idolize him. He dies, and only at the end of his life he realizes that his ideas were false. There are simple joys in life. There is love and romantic feelings. And all this has a right to exist.

Rudin

In quite often there are "superfluous people". The action of the novel "Rudin" takes place in the forties. Daria Lasunskaya, one of the heroines of the novel, lives in Moscow, but in the summer she leaves the city, where she organizes musical evenings. Her guests are exclusively educated people.

One day a certain Rudin appears in the house of Lasunskaya. This person is prone to polemics, extremely ardent, and wins the audience with his wit. The guests and the hostess of the house are fascinated by Rudin's amazing eloquence. Lasunskaya invites him to live in her house.

In order to give a clear description of Rudin, Turgenev talks about facts from his life. This man was born into a poor family, but he never had the desire to earn money, get out of want. At first he lived on the pennies that his mother sent him. Then he lived at the expense of wealthy friends. Even in his youth, Rudin was distinguished by his extraordinary oratory skills. He was a rather educated man, because he spent all his leisure time reading books. But the trouble is that nothing followed his speeches. By the time he met Lasunskaya, he had already become a man, pretty battered by the hardships of life. In addition, he became painfully proud and even vain.

Rudin is “an extra person”. Many years of immersion in the philosophical sphere led to the fact that ordinary emotional experiences seemed to have died out. This Turgenev hero is a born orator, and the only thing he aspired to was to conquer people for himself. But he was too weak, spineless to become a political leader.

Oblomov

So, the "superfluous person" in Russian prose is a disillusioned nobleman. The hero of Goncharov's novel is sometimes referred to as this type of literary hero. But can Oblomov be called "an extra person"? After all, he misses, yearns for to my father's house and all that constituted the landlord's life. And he is by no means disappointed in the way of life and traditions characteristic of the representatives of his society.

Who is Oblomov? This is a descendant of a landowner family who is bored with working in an office, and therefore does not get up from his sofa for days. This is generally accepted opinion, but it is not entirely correct. Oblomov could not get used to Petersburg life, because the people around him were completely calculating, heartless personalities. The protagonist of the novel, unlike them, is smart, educated and, most importantly, has high mental qualities... But why then does he not want to work?

The fact is that Oblomov, like Onegin and Rudin, does not see the point in such work, such a life. These people cannot work only for the sake of material well-being. Each of them requires a high spiritual goal. But it does not exist or it turned out to be untenable. And Onegin, and Rudin, and Oblomov become "superfluous".

Goncharov contrasted the protagonist of his novel with Stolz, a childhood friend. This character initially creates a positive impression on the reader. Stolz is a hardworking, purposeful person. The writer endowed this hero German descent not by chance. Goncharov seems to be hinting that only a Russian person can suffer from Oblomovism. And in the last chapters it becomes clear that there is nothing behind Stolz's hard work. This person has neither dreams nor lofty ideas. He acquires sufficient means of subsistence and stops, not continuing his development.

The influence of the "superfluous person" on others

It is also worth saying a few words about the heroes who surround the "superfluous person". who are discussed in this article are lonely, unhappy. Some of them end their lives too early. In addition, "extra people" bring grief to others. Especially women who had the imprudence to love them.

Pierre Bezukhov is sometimes considered to be "superfluous people". In the first part of the novel, he is in continuous melancholy, searching for something. He spends a lot of time at parties, buys paintings, reads a lot. Unlike the aforementioned heroes, Bezukhov finds himself, he does not die either physically or morally.

To some extent, this theme is the opposite of the depiction of the "little man": if there is a justification for the fate of each, then here - on the contrary, the categorical urge "one of us is superfluous", which can refer to the evaluation of the hero, and come from the hero himself , moreover, usually these two "directions" not only do not exclude each other, but also characterize one person: the denouncer of his neighbors turns out to be "superfluous".

The "superfluous person" is also a certain literary type. Literary types (types of heroes) are a collection of characters that are similar in their occupation, worldview and spiritual appearance. The spread of this or that literary type can be dictated by the very need of society to depict people with some kind of stable complex of qualities. The interest and sympathy towards them on the part of critics, the success of books that portray such people, stimulate writers to "repeat" or "variations" of any literary type. Often, a new literary type arouses the interest of critics, who give it its name ("noble robber", "Turgenev woman", "extra man", " small man"," nihilist "," tramp "," humiliated and insulted ").

The main thematic signs of "extra people". First of all, it is a person who is potentially capable of any social action. She does not accept the "rules of the game" proposed by society; she does not believe in the possibility of changing anything. A "superfluous person" is a contradictory personality, often in conflict with society and its way of life. This is also a hero, of course, dysfunctional in relations with his parents, and unhappy in love. His position in society is unstable, contains contradictions: he is always at least in some way connected with the nobility, but - already in the period of decline, about fame and wealth - rather a memory. He is placed in an environment that is somehow alien to him: a higher or lower environment, there is always a certain motive of alienation, which does not always immediately lie on the surface. The hero is moderately educated, but this education is rather incomplete, unsystematic; in a word, he is not a deep thinker, not a scientist, but a person with the "capacity of judgment" to make quick but immature conclusions. The crisis of religiosity is very important, often the struggle with churchliness, but often internal emptiness, latent insecurity, the habit of the name of God. Often - the gift of eloquence, writing skills, taking notes, or even writing poetry. There is always some pretense to be a judge of one's neighbors; a tinge of hatred is required. In a word, the hero is a victim of the canons of life.

However, for all the seemingly apparent certainty and clarity of the above criteria for assessing the "extra person", the framework that allows one to speak with absolute certainty about the belonging of a character to a given thematic line is very blurred. It follows from this that the "extra person" cannot be "superfluous" as a whole, but he can be considered both in the mainstream of other topics and merge with other characters belonging to other literary types. The material of the works does not allow one to evaluate Onegin, Pechorin and others only from the point of view of their social “usefulness”, and the type of “superfluous person” itself is rather the result of understanding the named heroes from certain social and ideological positions.

This literary type, as it developed, acquired more and more new features and forms of display. This phenomenon is quite natural, since every writer saw a "superfluous person" as he was in his view. All the masters of the artistic word who have ever touched upon the topic of the "superfluous person" not only added a certain "breath" of their era to this type, but also tried to combine all contemporary social phenomena, and most importantly the structure of life, in one image - the image of the hero of the time ... All this makes the type of "superfluous person" universal in its own way. This is precisely what allows us to consider the images of Chatsky and Bazarov as heroes who had a direct impact on this type. These images, undoubtedly, do not belong to the type of "superfluous person", but at the same time they perform one important function: the Griboyedov hero in his confrontation with Famus society makes it impossible to peacefully resolve the conflict between an outstanding personality and an inert way of life, thereby pushing other writers to illuminate this problem, and the image of Bazarov, completing (from my point of view) the type of "superfluous person", was no longer so much a "carrier" of time as its "side" phenomenon.

But before the hero himself could qualify himself as a "superfluous person", a more hidden appearance of this type had to take place. The first signs of this type were embodied in the image of Chatsky, the main character immortal comedy AS Griboyedov "Woe from Wit". "Griboyedov is" a man of one book, "VF Khodasevich once remarked. And, indeed, although in the history of drama, Griboyedov is spoken of as the author of several wonderful and funny comedies and vaudeville, written in collaboration with the leading playwrights of those years (N.I. Khmelnitsky, A.A. Shakhovsky, P.A. Vyazemsky), but it was Woe from Wit that turned out to be the only work of its kind. This comedy for the first time broadly and freely depicted modern life and thus opened a new, realistic era in Russian literature. The creative history of this play is extremely complex. Her design apparently dates back to 1818. It was completed in the fall of 1824, the censorship did not allow this comedy to be published or staged on stage. The conservatives accused Griboyedov of exaggerating satirical colors, which, in their opinion, was a consequence of the author's "scolding patriotism", and in Chatsky they saw a clever "madman", the embodiment of the "figaro-Griboyedov" philosophy of life.

The above examples of critical interpretations of the play only confirm all the complexity and depth of its social and philosophical issues, indicated in the very title of the comedy: "Woe from Wit". The problems of mind and stupidity, insanity and insanity, tomfoolery and buffoonery, pretense and hypocrisy were posed and solved by Griboyedov on the basis of diverse everyday, social and psychological material. Essentially, all characters, including minor, episodic and non-stage ones, are embroiled in discussions about attitudes towards the mind and various forms of stupidity and insanity. The clever "madman" Chatsky became the main figure around whom all the variety of opinions about comedy was immediately concentrated. Depends on the interpretation of his character and behavior, relationships with other characters overall assessment author's conception, problematics and artistic features comedy. The main feature of the comedy is the interaction of two plot-forming conflicts: a love conflict, the main participants in which are Chatsky and Sophia, and a socio-ideological conflict, in which Chatsky collides with the conservatives gathered in Famusov's house. I want to note that for the hero himself, it is not the social and ideological conflict, but the love conflict that is of paramount importance. After all, Chatsky arrived in Moscow with sole purpose- to see Sophia, to find confirmation of the old love and, possibly, to get married. It is interesting to trace how the hero's love experiences exacerbate Chatsky's ideological opposition to Famus society. At first, the protagonist does not even notice the usual vices of the environment where he found himself, but sees only comic sides in it: "I am in eccentrics to another miracle / Once I laugh, then I will forget ...".

But Chatsky is not a "superfluous person". He is only the forerunner of "superfluous people". This is confirmed, first of all, by the optimistic sound of the comedy finale, where Chatsky remains with the right of historical choice given to him by the author. Consequently, Griboyedov's hero can find (in the future) his place in life. Chatsky could have been among those who went out on December 14, 1825 to Senate Square, and then his life would have been a foregone conclusion 30 years ahead: those who took part in the uprising returned from exile only after the death of Nicholas I in 1856. But something else could have happened. An irresistible aversion to the "abominations" of Russian life would have made Chatsky an eternal wanderer in a foreign land, a man without a homeland. And then - melancholy, despair, alienation, acrimony and, what is most terrible for such a hero-fighter, forced idleness and inactivity. But this is just the guesses of the readers.

Chatsky, rejected by society, has the potential to find a use for himself. Onegin will no longer have such an opportunity. He is a "superfluous person" who has not been able to realize himself, who "dullly suffers from a striking resemblance to children. this century". But before answering why, let us turn to the work itself. The novel" Eugene Onegin "is a work of amazing creative destiny... It was created for more than seven years - from May 1823 to September 1830. The novel was not written "in one breath", but was formed from stanzas and chapters created in different time, in different circumstances, in different periods of creativity. The work was interrupted not only by the twists and turns of Pushkin's fate (exile to Mikhailovskoye, the Decembrist uprising), but also new ideas, for the sake of which he more than once dropped the text of Eugene Onegin. It seemed that history itself was not very supportive of Pushkin's work: from a novel about a contemporary and modern life, as Pushkin conceived "Eugene Onegin", after 1825 it became a novel about a completely different historical era... And, if we take into account the fragmentation and discontinuity of Pushkin's work, then we can say the following: the novel was something like a huge for the writer " notebook"or a poetic" album. "For more than seven years, these recordings were replenished with sad" notes "of the heart," observations "of a cold mind. extra person image literature

But "Eugene Onegin" is not only "a poetic album of living impressions of a talent playing with his wealth", but also a "novel of life", which has absorbed a huge amount of historical, literary, social and everyday material. This is the first innovation of this work. Secondly, it was fundamentally innovative that Pushkin, relying largely on the work of A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit", found a new type of problematic hero - the "hero of the time." Eugene Onegin became such a hero. His fate, character, relationships with people are determined by the totality of the circumstances of modern reality, outstanding personal qualities and the range of "eternal", universal problems that he faces. It is necessary to immediately make a reservation: Pushkin, in the process of working on the novel, set himself the task of demonstrating in the image of Onegin "that premature old age of the soul, which became the main feature young generation". And already in the first chapter, the writer notes social factors that determined the character of the protagonist. The only thing in which Onegin "was a true genius", that "he knew more firmly than all sciences", as the Author notes, not without irony, was "the science of tender passion", that is, the ability to love without loving, to imitate feelings, while remaining cold and calculating. However, Pushkin is interested in Onegin not as a representative of a widespread social and everyday type, the whole essence of which is exhausted positive characteristics by the secular rumor: "N.N. wonderful person"It was important for the writer to show this image in movement, development, so that later each reader would draw the proper conclusions, would give a fair assessment of this hero.

First chapter - crucial moment in the fate of the protagonist, who managed to abandon stereotypes secular behavior, from the noisy, but internally empty "rite of life". Thus, Pushkin showed how from a faceless crowd, but demanding unconditional submission, a bright, outstanding personality suddenly appeared, capable of overthrowing the "burden" of secular conventions, "lagging behind the vanity."

It is typical for writers who have paid attention to the theme of the "superfluous person" in their work to "test" their hero with friendship, love, duel, and death. Pushkin was no exception. Two tests that awaited Onegin in the village - a test of love and a test of friendship - showed that external freedom does not automatically entail liberation from false prejudices and opinions. In relations with Tatiana Onegin, he showed himself as a noble and mentally delicate person. And you can't blame the hero for not responding to Tatyana's love: as you know, you can't command your heart. Another thing is that Onegin listened not to the voice of his heart, but to the voice of reason. In support of this, I will say that even in the first chapter, Pushkin noted in the protagonist "a sharp, chilled mind" and an inability to feel strong. And it was this mental imbalance that became the reason for the failed love of Onegin and Tatiana. Onegin also did not stand the test of friendship. And in this case, the cause of the tragedy was his inability to live a life of feeling. No wonder the author, commenting on the state of the hero before the duel, remarks: "He could discover feelings, / And not bristle like a beast." Both at Tatyana's birthday and before the duel with Lensky, Onegin showed himself to be a "ball of prejudice," "a hostage of secular canons," deaf to the voice of his own heart and to Lensky's feelings. His behavior on name days is the usual "secular anger", and the duel is a consequence of indifference and fear of the evil-speaking of the inveterate breeder Zaretsky and the landlord neighbors. Onegin himself did not notice how he became a prisoner of his old idol - " public opinion"After the murder of Lensky, Yevgeny has changed dramatically. It is a pity that only tragedy was able to open up to him a previously inaccessible world of feelings.

Thus, Eugene Onegin becomes a "superfluous person". Belonging to the light, he despises it. As Pisarev noted, all that remains for him is to "give up on the boredom of secular life as an inevitable evil." Onegin does not find his true purpose and place in life, he is burdened by his loneliness, lack of demand. In Herzen's words, "Onegin ... is an extra person in the environment where he is, but, not possessing the necessary strength of character, he cannot escape from it." But, according to the writer himself, the image of Onegin is not complete. After all, the novel in verse essentially ends with the following question: "What will Onegin be in the future?" Pushkin himself leaves the character of his hero open, thus emphasizing Onegin's very ability to abruptly change values ​​and, I note, a certain readiness to act, to act. True, Onegin has practically no opportunities for self-realization. But the novel does not answer the above question, it asks the reader.

So, the theme of the "superfluous person" comes to its end in a completely different capacity, having passed a difficult evolutionary path: from the romantic pathos of rejection of life and society to the acute rejection of the "extra person" himself. And the fact that this term can be applied to the heroes of the works of the 20th century does not change anything: the meaning of the term will be different and it will be possible to call it "superfluous" on completely different grounds. There will also be returns to this topic (for example, the image of the "superfluous person" Levushka Odoevtsev from the novel by A. Bitov " Pushkin house"), and the suggestion that there are no" superfluous ", but there are only various variations of this theme. But the return is no longer a discovery: the 19th century discovered and exhausted the theme of the" superfluous person ".

Bibliography:

• 1. Babaev E.G. The works of A.S. Pushkin. - M., 1988
• 2. Batuto A.I. Turgenev is a novelist. - L., 1972
• 3. Ilyin E.N. Russian Literature: Recommendations for Schoolchildren and Applicants, "SCHOOL-PRESS". M., 1994
• 4. Krasovsky V.E. History of Russian Literature of the 19th Century, "OLMA-PRESS". M., 2001
• 5. Literature. Reference materials... Book for students. M., 1990
• 6. Makogonenko G.P. Lermontov and Pushkin. M., 1987
• 7. Monakhova O.P. Russian literature XIX century, "OLMA-PRESS". M., 1999
• 8. Fomichev S.A. Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit": Commentary. - M., 1983
• 9. Shamrey L.V., Rusova N.Yu. From allegory to iambic. Terminological dictionary-thesaurus on literary studies. - N. Novgorod, 1993

A superfluous person ... Who is this - the one who is not needed by anyone? The one who does not find a place for himself in his country, in his time? The one who cannot be realized in anything?

These images, by something similar friend on a friend and at the same time different, appeared in the texts of writers at the beginning of the XIX century. Onegin from the novel in verse by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Pechorin from the novel by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, Chatsky from the comedy of Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov ... Isn't it true that there is something in common in these three images?

The first one is in chronological order- Chatsky. Let's remember: he is returning to Famusov's house after a long, many years absence. Even before his appearance on the stage, we already know about the sharp mind and evil language of this hero (Sophia speaks about this). And, appearing on the stage, he justifies her words. During his absence, Chatsky has changed and wiser, but society has not changed and has not grown wiser! And a conflict is brewing: society and Chatsky do not accept each other. And seeing that he does not have the slightest opportunity to express (and find those who understand!) Here his thoughts, his feelings and ideals, Chatsky breaks with society. He's declared crazy and really blinkered secular people they should have perceived the trends of the new worldview just like that. The true conflict of the play is not in betrayed love, but in the clash of two different worldviews, where power is obviously on the side of the more inert and old.

The next character is Eugene Onegin. From childhood, he was poisoned by the hypocrisy of the upper world, he denies everything that he can only see. Unlike Chatsky, Onegin has neither aspiration nor lofty ideals. The ideal - love - comes to him only later, when everything has already been lost. But Onegin is an active person in essence. And if we sympathize with Chatsky, then Onegin at the end of the novel is capable of moral regeneration, the “late” Onegin is somewhat close to the Griboyedov hero, it is no coincidence that Pushkin mentions this, comparing them as if in passing: “... Chatsky from the ship to the ball ... ", - he writes about Onegin. The last character from the gallery of "superfluous" people is Pechorin.

This image, in my opinion, is the most tragic. After all, if Chatsky initially strives for some ideals and believes in something, if Onegin comes through suffering to spiritual rebirth, then in Pechorin's soul there is only emptiness and pain from unused potential. Pechorin sows evil, often deliberately (as in the case of the seduction of Princess Mary). In love, he is incapable (remember Vera), in creativity - he is not capable of anything, although in his diaries he gives an unusually poetic description of nature ...

So, the image of an extra person undergoes certain changes over time. If Chatsky is somewhere cheerful and cheerful, if Onegin can expect some kind of future, then Pechorin has no future ...

The inability to use their powers is not the fault of the heroes. This is the fault of the time, the fault of the historical course of events ... These images inevitably had to appear in Russian literature early XIX century.

Superfluous people ”in literature are images characteristic of Russian prose of the mid-nineteenth century. Examples of such characters in works of fiction are the topic of the article. Who introduced this term? "Superfluous people" in literature are characters that appeared at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Who exactly introduced this term is unknown. Perhaps Herzen. According to some reports - Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. After all, the great Russian poet once said that his Onegin is "an extra person." One way or another, this image is firmly established in the works of other writers. Every student who has not even read Goncharov's novel knows about such a literary hero as Oblomov. This character is a representative of the outdated landlord world, and therefore cannot adapt in any way to the new one. Common signs of "Superfluous people" are found in the works of such classics as I. S. Turgenev, M. Yu. Lermontov.

Before considering each of the characters that can be attributed to this category, it is necessary to highlight common features.

"Superfluous people" in literature are contradictory heroes who are in conflict with the society to which they belong. As a rule, they are deprived of both fame and wealth.

"Superfluous people" in literature are characters introduced by the author into an environment alien to them. They are moderately educated, but their knowledge is haphazard.

The "superfluous person" cannot be a deep thinker or scientist, but he has the "ability to judge", the gift of eloquence.

And the main feature of this literary character is a disdainful attitude towards others.

As an example, we can recall Pushkin's Onegin, who avoids communication with neighbors. "Superfluous people" in Russian literature of the 19th century were heroes who were able to see the vices of modern society, but did not know how to resist them. They are aware of the problems of the world around them. But, alas, they are too passive to change anything.

Causes of occurrence

The characters referred to in this article began to appear on the pages of the works of Russian writers in the Nikolaev era. In 1825, there was an uprising of the Decembrists. For the next decades, the government was in fear, but it was at this time that the spirit of freedom, the desire for change, appeared in society. The policy of Nicholas I was rather contradictory. The tsar introduced reforms designed to make the life of the peasants easier, but at the same time he did everything to strengthen the autocracy. Various circles began to appear, the members of which discussed and criticized the current government. The landowner way of life for many educated people aroused contempt. But the trouble is that the members of various political associations belonged to the society to which they suddenly flared up with hatred. The reasons for the appearance of "superfluous people" in Russian literature lie in the emergence of a new type of person in society, which was not accepted by society and did not accept it. Such a personality stands out from the general mass, and therefore causes bewilderment and irritation. As already mentioned, the concept of "extra person" was the first to introduce into literature Pushkin. However, this term is somewhat vague. Characters in conflict with the social environment have been encountered in literature before.

The main character of the comedy Griboyedov has features inherent in this type of characters. Can we say that Chatsky is an example of a "superfluous person"? In order to answer this question, a short analysis of comedy should be done. Chatsky's Hero of Griboyedov rejects the inert foundations of Famus society. He denounces the worship and blind imitation of French fashion. This does not go unnoticed by the representatives of the Famus society - whip, hryum, Zagoretsk. As a result, Chatsky is considered strange, if not crazy. Griboyedov's hero is a representative of an advanced society, which includes people who do not want to put up with reactionary orders and remnants of the past. Thus, it can be said that the topic of “an extra person” was first raised by the author of “Woe from Wit”.

Eugene Onegin

But most literary scholars believe that this particular hero is the first "superfluous person" in the prose and poetry of Russian authors. Onegin is a nobleman, "the heir to all his relatives." He received a very passable education, but does not possess any in-depth knowledge. To write and speak French, to behave at ease in society, to recite a few quotes from the works of ancient authors - this is enough to create a favorable impression in the world. Onegin is a typical representative of an aristocratic society. He is incapable of "working hard," but he knows how to shine in society. He leads an aimless, idle existence, but this is not his fault. Eugene became what his father was, who gave three balls annually. He lives the way most representatives of the Russian nobility do. However, in contrast to them, at a certain moment begins to experience fatigue and disappointment. Loneliness Onegin is “an extra person”. He languishes from idleness, tries to occupy himself with useful work. In the society to which he belongs, idleness is the main component of life. Hardly anyone from Onegin's entourage is familiar with his experiences. Eugene tries to compose at first. But the writer does not come out of it. Then he begins to read with enthusiasm. However, Onegin does not find moral satisfaction in the books either. Then he retires in the house of his deceased uncle, who bequeathed his village to him. Here the young nobleman, it would seem, finds something to do. It makes the life of the peasants easier: it replaces the yarn with an easy quitrent. However, even these good undertakings do not lead to anything. The type of "superfluous person" in Russian literature appeared in the first third of the nineteenth century. But by the middle of the century, this character acquired new features. Pushkin Onegin is rather passive. He treats others with contempt, is in a blues and cannot get rid of conventions and prejudices, which he himself criticizes. Consider other examples of "extra person" in the literature.

Lermontov's work "A Hero of Our Time" is dedicated to the problems of a person rejected, spiritually not accepted by society. Pechorin, like the Pushkin character, belongs to the high society. But he is weary of the mores of an aristocratic society. Pechorin does not enjoy attending balls, dinners, and festive evenings. He is oppressed by the boring and meaningless conversations that are customary to have at such events. The examples of Onegin and Pechorin can be used to supplement the concept of "extra person" in Russian literature. This is a character who, due to some alienation from society, acquires such traits as isolation, selfishness, cynicism and even cruelty. "Notes of a superfluous person" And yet, most likely, the author of the concept "extra people" is I. S. Turgenev. Many literary scholars believe that it was he who introduced the term. According to them, Onegin and Pechorin were subsequently ranked among the "superfluous people", although they have little in common with the image created by Turgenev. The writer has a story called "Notes of a Superfluous Person." The hero of this work feels like a stranger in society. This character calls himself such. Whether the hero of the novel "Fathers and Sons" is a "superfluous person" is a moot point.

Fathers and Sons depicts a mid-nineteenth century society. By this time, violent political disputes reached their climax. In these disputes, on one side stood the liberal democrats, and on the other, the revolutionary democrats, the commoners. Both of them understood that changes were needed. The revolutionary-minded democrats, unlike their opponents, were inclined to rather radical measures. Political controversy has permeated all areas of life. And, of course, they became the theme of fiction and journalistic works. But there was at that time another phenomenon that interested the writer Turgenev. Namely, nihilism. The adherents of this trend rejected everything that was related to the spiritual. Bazarov, like Onegin, is a deeply lonely person. This trait is also characteristic of all characters that literary scholars refer to as "superfluous people." But, unlike Pushkin's hero, Bazarov does not spend time in idleness: he is engaged in natural sciences. The hero of the novel "Fathers and Sons" has successors. He is not considered insane. On the contrary, some heroes try to adopt Bazarov's oddities and skepticism. Nevertheless, Bazarov is lonely, despite the fact that his parents love him, idolize him. He dies, and only at the end of his life he realizes that his ideas were false. There are simple joys in life. There is love and romantic feelings. And all this has a right to exist.

In the works of Turgenev, "superfluous people" are often found. The action of the novel "Rudin" takes place in the forties. Daria Lasunskaya, one of the heroines of the novel, lives in Moscow, but in the summer she leaves the city, where she organizes musical evenings. Her guests are exclusively educated people. One day a certain Rudin appears in the house of Lasunskaya. This person is prone to polemics, extremely ardent, and wins the audience with his wit. The guests and the hostess of the house are fascinated by Rudin's amazing eloquence. Lasunskaya invites him to live in her house. In order to give a clear description of Rudin, Turgenev talks about facts from his life. This man was born into a poor family, but he never had the desire to earn money, get out of want. At first he lived on the pennies that his mother sent him. Then he lived at the expense of wealthy friends. Even in his youth, Rudin was distinguished by his extraordinary oratory skills. He was a rather educated man, because he spent all his leisure time reading books. But the trouble is that nothing followed his speeches. By the time he met Lasunskaya, he had already become a man, pretty battered by the hardships of life. In addition, he became painfully proud and even vain. Rudin is “an extra person”. Many years of immersion in the philosophical sphere led to the fact that ordinary emotional experiences seemed to have died out. This Turgenev hero is a born orator, and the only thing he aspired to was to conquer people for himself. But he was too weak, spineless to become a political leader.

So, the "superfluous person" in Russian prose is a disillusioned nobleman. The hero of Goncharov's novel is sometimes referred to as this type of literary hero. But can Oblomov be called "an extra person"? After all, he misses, yearns for his father's house and all that constituted the landlord's life. And he is by no means disappointed in the way of life and traditions characteristic of the representatives of his society. Who is Oblomov? This is a descendant of a landowner family who is bored with working in an office, and therefore does not get up from his sofa for days. This is generally accepted opinion, but it is not entirely correct. Oblomov could not get used to Petersburg life, because the people around him were completely calculating, heartless personalities. The protagonist of the novel, in contrast to them, is smart, educated and, most importantly, has high spiritual qualities. But why then does he not want to work? The fact is that Oblomov, like Onegin and Rudin, does not see the point in such work, such a life. These people cannot work only for the sake of material well-being. Each of them requires a high spiritual goal. But it does not exist or it turned out to be untenable. And Onegin, and Rudin, and Oblomov become "superfluous". Goncharov contrasted the protagonist of his novel with Stolz, a childhood friend. This character initially creates a positive impression on the reader. Stolz is a hardworking, purposeful person. The writer endowed this hero with a German origin for a reason. Goncharov seems to be hinting that only a Russian person can suffer from Oblomovism. And in the last chapters it becomes clear that there is nothing behind Stolz's hard work. This person has neither dreams nor lofty ideas. He acquires sufficient means of subsistence and stops, not continuing his development. The influence of the “extra person” on those around him It is also worth saying a few words about the heroes who surround the “extra person”.

The literary characters mentioned in this article are lonely, unhappy. Some of them end their lives too early. In addition, "extra people" bring grief to others. Especially women who had the imprudence to love them. Pierre Bezukhov is sometimes considered to be "superfluous people". In the first part of the novel, he is in continuous melancholy, searching for something. He spends a lot of time at parties, buys paintings, reads a lot. Unlike the aforementioned heroes, Bezukhov finds himself, he does not die either physically or morally.