The life and death of Oblomov. Epilogue of the novel. For the third and last time, Stolz visits his friend. Under the caring eye of Pshenitsyna, Oblomov almost realized his ideal: “He dreams that he has reached that promised land, where rivers of honey and milk flow, where they eat unearned bread, walk in gold and silver ...”, and Agafya Matveevna turns into a fabulous Miliktrisa Kirbityevna .. The house on the Vyborgskaya side resembles a rural area.

However, the hero never reached his native village. Subject "Oblomov and the men" runs throughout the novel. Even in the first chapters, we learned that in the absence of the master, the peasants live hard. The headman reports that the peasants are "running away", "asking for quitrent". It is unlikely that they became better under the rule of the Worn One. While Oblomov was drowning in his problems, he missed the opportunity to build a road, build a bridge, as his neighbor, a village landowner, did. It cannot be said that Ilya Ilyich does not think about his peasants at all. But his plans are to ensure that everything remains as it is. And to the advice to open a school for a peasant, Oblomov replies with horror that “he, perhaps, will not plow ...” But time cannot be stopped. In the finale, we learn that "Oblomovka is not in the middle of nowhere anymore<…>the rays of the sun fell on her! The peasants, no matter how difficult it was, did without the master: “... In four years it will be a station on the road<…>, the men will go to work on the embankment, and then roll along the cast iron<…>bread to the pier ... And there ... schools, letters ... "But did Ilya Ilyich manage without Oblomovka? Goncharov proves his favorite thoughts with the logic of narration. And the fact that on the conscience of every landowner lies the concern for the fate of hundreds of people ("Happy Mistake"). And what country life is the most natural and therefore the most harmonious for a Russian person; she herself will direct, teach and tell you what to do better than any “plans” (“Pallada Frigate”).

In the house on Vyborgskaya Oblomov sank down. What was a free dream became a hallucination - "the present and the past merged and mixed." On the first visit, Stolz managed to lift Oblomov off the couch. In the second, he helped a friend in solving practical cases. And now, with horror, he realizes that he is powerless to change anything:<«Вон из этой ямы, из болота, на свет, на простор, где есть здоровая, нормальная жизнь!» - настаивал Штольц…

“Do not remember, do not disturb the past: you will not turn back! Oblomov said. - I have grown to this pit with a sore spot: try to tear it off - there will be death ... I feel everything, I understand everything: I have long been ashamed to live in the world! But I can't go your way with you, even if I wanted to. Maybe the last time was still possible. Now... now it's too late... Even Olga is unable to resurrect him: "Olga! - suddenly escaped from the frightened Oblomov ... - For God's sake, don't let her come here, leave!

As in the first visit, Stolz sums up the sad result:

What's there? Olga asked...

Nothing!..

Is he alive, well?

Why are you back so soon? Why didn't he call me there and bring him? Let me in!

What is going on there? ... Has the “abyss been opened”? Will you tell me? .. What is going on there?

Oblomovism!

And if Ilya Ilyich found people who are willing to endure this life around them, then nature itself, it seems, opposed, measuring out a short period of such an existence. That is why the attempts of the same Agafya Matveevna to restrict her husband produce a tragicomic impression. "How many times have you gone? - she asked Vanyusha ... - Don't lie, look at me ... Remember Sunday, I won't let you visit<…>". And Oblomov, willy-nilly, counted eight more times, then he already came into the room ... "; “It would be nice to have a pie!” - “I forgot, right I forgot! And I wanted it since the evening, but my memory seemed to be knocked off!” - Agafya Matveevna cheated. It doesn't make sense. For she cannot offer him any other goal in life than food and sleep.

Goncharov devotes relatively little space to the description of the illness and death of his hero. I. Annensky summarizes the reader's impressions, saying that “we read 600 pages about him, we do not know a person in Russian literature so fully, so vividly depicted. Meanwhile, his death affects us less than the death of a tree in Tolstoy's…” Why? Critics of the "Silver Age" are unanimous, because the worst thing has already happened to Oblomov. Spiritual death overtakes physical death. “He died because he ended ...” (I. Annensky). "Vulgarity" finally "triumphed over purity of heart, love, ideals." (D. Merezhkovsky).

Goncharov says goodbye to his hero with an excited lyrical requiem: “What happened to Oblomov? Where is he? Where? - In the nearest cemetery, under a modest urn, his body rests<…>. Lilac branches, planted by a friendly hand, doze over the grave, and the wormwood smells serenely. It seems that the angel of silence itself guards his sleep.

It would seem that there is an undeniable contradiction here. A lofty eulogy for a fallen hero! But life cannot be considered useless when someone remembers you. Bright sadness filled the life of Agafya Matveevna with the highest meaning: “She realized that<…>God put a soul into her life and took it out again; that the sun shone in it and faded forever ... Forever, really; but on the other hand, her life was forever comprehended: now she knew why she lived and that she did not live in vain.

In the finale, we meet Zakhar in the guise of a beggar on the church porch. The orphaned valet prefers to ask for Christ's sake than to serve the "obnoxious" mistress. The following dialogue takes place between Stolz and his familiar writer about the late Oblomov:

And he was no more stupid than others, the soul is pure and clear, like glass; noble, gentle, and - gone!

From what? What reason?

Reason... what a reason! Oblomovism! Stolz said.

Oblomovism! - the writer repeated with bewilderment. - What it is?

Now I'll tell you ... And you write it down: maybe it will be useful to someone. "And he told him what is written here."

Thus, the composition of the novel is strictly circular, it is impossible to isolate the beginning and end in it. Everything that we read from the first pages, it turns out, can be interpreted as a story about Oblomov, his friend. At the same time, Stoltz could tell the story of a recently ended life. Thus, the circle of human life has been passed twice: in reality and in the memories of friends.

Goncharov, the harmony singer, could not complete his book with one minor note. In the epilogue, a new little hero appears, who, perhaps, will be able to harmoniously combine the best features of a father and an educator. “Don't forget my Andrey! - were the last words of Oblomov, spoken in a faded voice ... "" No, I will not forget your Andrey<…>, - promises Stolz. - But I will take your Andrey where you could not go<…>and with him we will carry out our youthful dreams.”

Let's do a little experiment. Open the last page of the Oblomov edition - any one that you hold in your hands. Turning it over, you will almost certainly find an article by Nikolai Alexandrovich Dobrolyubov “What is Oblomovism?” This work must be known, if only because it is one of the examples of Russian critical thought of the nineteenth century. However, the first sign of a free person and a free country is the possibility of choice. Dobrolyubov's article is more interesting to consider next to the article with which it appeared almost simultaneously and with which it is in many respects polemical. This is a review by Alexander Vasilyevich Druzhinin “Oblomov”. Roman I.A. Goncharova.

Critics are unanimous in admiring the image of Olga. But if Dobrolyubov sees in her a new heroine, the main fighter against Oblomovism, Druzhinin sees in her the embodiment of eternal femininity: “It is impossible not to be carried away by this bright, pure creature, who has so intelligently developed in herself all the best, true principles of a woman ...”

Disagreements between them begin with Oblomov's assessment. Dobrolyubov argues with the author of the novel himself, proving that Oblomov is a lazy, spoiled, worthless creature: “He (Oblomov) will not bow to the idol of evil! Why is that? Because he is too lazy to get up on the couch. But drag him, put him on his knees before this idol: he will not be able to get up. Dirt will not stick to him! Yes, as long as there is one. So still nothing; and how Tarantiev, the Worn out, will come. Ivan Matveich - brr! what disgusting nastiness begins near Oblomov.

The critic shrewdly guesses the origins of Oblomov's character in his childhood. In Oblomovism, he sees, first of all, social roots: “... He ( Oblomov) from an early age sees in his house that all household chores are performed by lackeys and maids, and papa and mama only order and scold for bad performance. Gives as an example a symbolic episode with pulling on stockings. He considers Oblomov as social type. This is a gentleman, the owner of “three hundred Zakharov”, who “drawing the ideal of his bliss ... did not think to approve its legitimacy and truth, did not ask himself the question: where will these greenhouses and greenhouses come from ... and why on earth will he use them?”

And yet, the psychological analysis of the character and the meaning of the whole novel is not so interesting to critics. He is constantly interrupted by "more general considerations" about Oblomovism. In Goncharov's hero, the critic is primarily an established literary type; the critic traces his genealogy from Onegin, Pechorin, Rudin. In literary science, it is customary to call it a type of superfluous person. Unlike Goncharov, Dobrolyubov focuses on his negative features: “The common thing for all these people is that they have no business in life that would be a vital necessity for them, a sacred thing in the heart…”

Dobrolyubov presciently guesses that the reason for Oblomov's deep sleep was the absence of a lofty, truly noble goal. I chose the words of Gogol as an epigraph: “Where is the one who, in the native language of the Russian soul, would be able to tell us this almighty word “forward? ..””

Let's now look at Druzhinin's article. Let's be honest: it's a lot harder to read. As soon as we unroll the pages, the names of philosophers and poets, Carlyle and Longfellow, Hamlet and the artists of the Flemish school, will dazzle before our eyes. An intellectual of the highest outlook, a connoisseur of English literature, Druzhinin does not descend to the average level in his critical works, but is looking for an equal reader. By the way, this is how you can check the degree of your own culture - ask yourself which of the mentioned names, paintings, books are familiar to me?

Following Dobrolyubov, he pays a lot of attention to "Snu ..." and sees in it "a step towards understanding Oblomov with his Oblomovism." But, unlike him, focuses on the lyrical content of the chapter. Druzhinin saw poetry even in the "sleepy clerk", and put it in Goncharov's highest merit that he "poeticized the life of his native land." Thus the critic touched lightly national content Oblomovism. Defending his beloved hero, the critic urges: “Take a close look at the novel, and you will see how many people in it are devoted to Ilya Ilyich and even adore him ...” After all, this is no accident!

“Oblomov is a child, not a rotten lecher, he is a sleepyhead, not an immoral egoist or an epicurean...” To emphasize the moral value of the hero, Druzhinin asks: who is ultimately more useful for humanity? A naive child or a zealous official, "signing paper after paper"? And he answers: "A child by nature and by the conditions of his development, Ilya Ilyich ... left behind the purity and simplicity of a child - qualities that are precious in an adult." People "not of this world" are also necessary, because "in the midst of the greatest practical confusion, they often reveal to us the realm of truth and at times put an inexperienced, dreamy eccentric and above ... a whole crowd of businessmen who surround him." The critic is sure that Oblomov - type universal, and exclaims: “It’s not good for that land where there are no good and incapable of evil eccentrics like Oblomov!”

Unlike Dobrolyubov, he does not forget about Agafya Matveevna either. Druzhinin made a subtle observation about the place of Pshenitsyna in the fate of Oblomov: she was involuntarily the "evil genius" of Ilya Ilyich, "but this woman will be forgiven everything because she loved a lot." The critic is captivated by the subtle lyricism of the scenes depicting the woeful experiences of the widow. In contrast to her, the critic shows the selfishness of the Stoltsev couple in relation to Oblomov in scenes where "neither worldly order, nor worldly truth ... were violated."

At the same time, a number of controversial judgments can be found in his review. The critic avoids talking about why Ilya Ilyich is dying. Stolz's despair at the sight of a fallen friend is caused, in his opinion, only by the fact that Oblomov married a commoner.

Like Dobrolyubov, Druzhinin goes beyond the scope of the novel. He discusses the peculiarities of Goncharov's talent, compares it with the Dutch painters. Like the Dutch landscape painters and creators of genre scenes, the details of life under his pen acquire an existential scale and “his creative spirit was reflected in every detail ... like the sun is reflected in a small drop of water ...”

We saw that two critics in their judgments about Oblomov and the novel as a whole argue and deny each other. So which one to trust? I. Annensky answered this question, noting that it was a mistake “to dwell on the question of what type of Oblomov. Negative or positive? This question generally belongs to the school-market ones ... ”And it suggests that“ the most natural way in each type analysis is to start with an analysis of your impressions, deepening them as much as possible. For this "deepening" and need criticism. To convey the reaction of contemporaries, to supplement independent conclusions, and not to replace their own impressions. In fact, Goncharov believed in his reader, and to remarks that his hero was incomprehensible, he retorted: “What is the reader for? Is he some kind of oaf that his imagination will not be able to complete the rest according to the idea given by the author? Are the Pechorins, Onegins ... told to the smallest detail? The task of the author is the dominant element of character, and the rest is up to the reader.

Often referred to as a mystery writer, Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov, extravagant and inaccessible to many contemporaries, went to his zenith for almost twelve years. "Oblomov" was printed in parts, crumpled, added and changed "slowly and heavily," as the author wrote, whose creative hand, however, approached the creation of the novel responsibly and scrupulously. The novel was published in 1859 in the St. Petersburg journal Otechestvennye Zapiski and was met with obvious interest from both literary and philistine circles.

The history of writing the novel prancing in parallel with the tarantass of the events of that time, namely with the Gloomy Seven Years of 1848-1855, when not only Russian literature, but the entire Russian society was silent. It was an era of increased censorship, which was the reaction of the authorities to the activity of the liberal-minded intelligentsia. A wave of democratic upheavals took place across Europe, so politicians in Russia decided to secure the regime with repressive measures against the press. There was no news, and writers were faced with the caustic and helpless problem of having nothing to write about. What, perhaps, they wanted, the censors ruthlessly pulled out. It is this situation that is the result of that hypnosis and that lethargy that wraps the whole work, like Oblomov's favorite dressing gown. The best people of the country in such a suffocating atmosphere felt unnecessary, and the values ​​​​encouraged from above felt petty and unworthy of a nobleman.

“I wrote my life and what grew to it,” Goncharov briefly commented on the history of the novel after finishing touches on his creation. These words are an honest recognition and confirmation of the autobiographical nature of the greatest collection of eternal questions and answers to them.

Composition

The composition of the novel is circular. Four parts, four seasons, four states of Oblomov, four stages in the life of each of us. The action in the book is a cycle: sleep turns into awakening, awakening into sleep.

• Exposure. In the first part of the novel, there is almost no action, except perhaps only in Oblomov's head. Ilya Ilyich lies, he receives visitors, he shouts at Zakhar, and Zakhar shouts at him. Characters of different colors appear here, but basically they are all the same ... Like Volkov, for example, to whom the hero sympathizes and rejoices for himself that he does not fragment and does not crumble into ten places in one day, does not loom around, but retains his human dignity in his chambers . The next “out of the cold”, Sudbinsky, Ilya Ilyich also sincerely regrets and concludes that his unfortunate friend is bogged down in the service, and that now much will not move in him for a century ... There was a journalist Penkin, and colorless Alekseev, and heavy-browed Tarantiev, and all he was equally sorry, sympathized with everyone, retorted with everyone, recited ideas and thought ... An important part is the chapter "Oblomov's Dream", in which the root of "Oblomovism" is exposed. The composition is equal to the idea: Goncharov describes and shows the reasons for the formation of laziness, apathy, infantilism, and in the end, a dead soul. It is the first part that is the exposition of the novel, since here the reader is presented with all the conditions in which the personality of the hero was formed.
• Tie. The first part is also the starting point for the subsequent degradation of the personality of Ilya Ilyich, because even the leaps of passion for Olga and devoted love for Stolz in the second part of the novel do not make the hero a better person, but only gradually squeeze Oblomov out of Oblomov. Here the hero meets Ilyinskaya, which in the third part develops into a culmination.
• Climax. The third part, first of all, is fateful and significant for the protagonist himself, since here all his dreams suddenly become real: he performs feats, he makes a marriage proposal to Olga, he decides to love without fear, he decides to take risks, to duel with himself... Only people like Oblomov don't wear holsters, don't swordsman, don't sweat during battle, they doze off and only imagine how heroically beautiful it is. Oblomov can’t do everything - he cannot fulfill Olga’s request and go to his village, since this village is a fiction. The hero breaks up with the woman of his dreams, choosing to preserve his own way of life, rather than striving for the best and eternal struggle with himself. At the same time, his financial affairs are hopelessly deteriorating, and he is forced to leave a comfortable apartment and prefer a budget option.
• Interchange. The fourth and final part, "Vyborg Oblomovism", consists of marriage to Agafya Pshenitsyna and the subsequent death of the protagonist. It is also possible that it was marriage that contributed to Oblomov’s stupefaction and imminent death, because, as he himself put it: “There are such donkeys that get married!”.

It can be summarized that the plot itself is extremely simple, despite the fact that it is stretched over six hundred pages. A lazy, kind middle-aged man (Oblomov) is deceived by his vulture friends (by the way, they are vultures each in their own area), but a kind loving friend (Stolz) comes to the rescue, who saves him, but takes away the object of his love (Olga), and therefore and the main nourishment of his rich spiritual life.

Features of the composition lie in parallel storylines at different levels of perception.

• There is only one main storyline here and it is love, romantic ... The relationship between Olga Ilyinskaya and her main beau is shown in a new, bold, passionate, psychologically detailed way. That is why the novel claims to be a love story, being a kind of model and manual for building relationships between a man and a woman.
• The secondary storyline is based on the principle of opposing two destinies: Oblomov and Stolz, and the intersection of these very destinies at the point of love for one passion. But in this case, Olga is not a turning point, no, the look falls only on strong male friendship, on a pat on the back, on wide smiles and on mutual envy (I want to live the way the other lives).

What is the novel about?

This novel is, first of all, about a vice of social significance. Often the reader can notice the similarity of Oblomov not only with his creator, but also with the majority of people who live and have ever lived. Which of the readers, as they got closer to Oblomov, did not recognize themselves lying on the sofa and reflecting on the meaning of life, on the futility of being, on the power of love, on happiness? Which reader has not crushed his heart with the question: “To be or not to be?”?

Ultimately, the writer's property is such that, trying to expose another human flaw, he falls in love with it in the process and gives the reader a flaw with such an appetizing aroma that the reader eagerly wants to feast on it. After all, Oblomov is lazy, untidy, infantile, but the public loves him only because the hero has a soul and is not ashamed to reveal this soul to us. “Do you think that a thought does not need a heart? No, it is fertilized by love" - ​​this is one of the most important postulates of the work, laying the essence of the novel "Oblomov".

The sofa itself and Oblomov, lying on it, keep the world in balance. His philosophy, promiscuity, confusion, throwing run the lever of movement and the axis of the globe. In the novel, in this case, not only the justification of inaction takes place, but also the desecration of action. The vanity of the vanities of Tarantiev or Sudbinsky does not bring any sense, Stolz is successfully making a career, but what one is unknown ... Goncharov dares to slightly ridicule work, that is, work in the service, to which he hated, which, therefore, was not surprising to notice in the character of the protagonist . “But how upset he was when he saw that there must be at least an earthquake in order not to come to the service of a healthy official, and earthquakes, as a sin, do not happen in St. Petersburg; a flood, of course, could also serve as a barrier, but even that rarely happens. - the writer conveys all the senselessness of state activity, which Oblomov thought about and waved his hand in the end, referring to Hypertrophia cordis cum dilatatione ejus ventriculi sinistri. So what is Oblomov talking about? This is a novel about the fact that if you are lying on the couch, you are probably more right than those who walk somewhere or sit somewhere every day. Oblomovism is a diagnosis of humanity, where any activity can lead either to the loss of one's own soul, or to the stupid crumbling of time.

Main characters and their characteristics

It should be noted that the surnames of the speakers are typical for the novel. For example, they are worn by all minor characters. Tarantiev comes from the word "tarantula", journalist Penkin - from the word "foam", which hints at the surface and cheapness of his occupation. With their help, the author completes the description of the characters: the name of Stolz is translated from German as “proud”, Olga is Ilyinskaya because it belongs to Ilya, and Pshenitsyna is a hint at the vileness of her petty-bourgeois lifestyle. However, all this, in fact, does not fully characterize the heroes, this is done by Goncharov himself, describing the actions and thoughts of each of them, revealing their potential or lack thereof.

1. Oblomov- the main character, which is not surprising, but the hero is not the only one. It is through the prism of the life of Ilya Ilyich that a different life is visible, only here, what is interesting, Oblomovskaya seems to readers more entertaining and original, despite the fact that he does not have the characteristics of a leader and is even unsympathetic. Oblomov, a lazy and overweight middle-aged man, can confidently become the face of melancholy, depression and melancholy propaganda, but this man is so unhypocritical and pure in soul that his gloomy and stale flair is almost invisible. He is kind, subtle in love matters, sincere with people. He asks himself: “When will we live?” - and does not live, but only dreams and waits for the right moment for the utopian life that comes into his dreams and slumbers. He also asks the great Hamlet question: “To be or not to be,” when he decides to get up from the sofa or confess his feelings to Olga. He, just like Cervantes' Don Quixote, wants to accomplish a feat, but does not, and therefore blames his Sancho Panza - Zakhar for this. Oblomov is naive, like a child, and so sweet to the reader that an overwhelming feeling arises to protect Ilya Ilyich and quickly send him to an ideal village, where he can, holding his wife by the waist, walk with her and look at the cook in the process of cooking. We have discussed this in detail in our essay.
2. The opposite of Oblomov is Stolz. The person from whom the narration and the story of "Oblomovism" is conducted. He is German by father and Russian by mother, therefore a man who has inherited the virtues of both cultures. Andrei Ivanovich from childhood read both Herder and Krylov, he was well versed in "hard-working money-making, vulgar order and boring correctness of life." For Stolz, the philosophic nature of Oblomov is equal to antiquity and the past fashion for thought. He travels, works, builds, reads avidly and envies the free soul of a friend, because he himself does not dare to claim a free soul, or maybe he is simply afraid. We have discussed this in detail in our essay.
3. The turning point in Oblomov's life can be called in one name - Olga Ilyinskaya. She is interesting, she is special, she is smart, she is educated, she sings amazingly and she falls in love with Oblomov. Unfortunately, her love is like a list of certain tasks, and the beloved for her is nothing more than a project. Having learned from Stolz the peculiarities of the thinking of her future betrothed, the girl is eager to make a “man” out of Oblomov and considers his boundless and quivering love for her to be her leash. In part, Olga is cruel, proud and dependent on public opinion, but to say that her love is not real means to spit on all the ups and downs in gender relations, no, rather, her love is special, but genuine. also became a topic for our essay.
4. Agafya Pshenitsyna is a 30-year-old woman, the mistress of the house where Oblomov moved. The heroine is an economic, simple and kind person who found in Ilya Ilyich the love of her life, but did not seek to change him. It is characterized by silence, calmness, a certain limited outlook. Agafya does not think about something high, beyond the scope of everyday life, but she is caring, hardworking and capable of self-sacrifice for the sake of her beloved. More detailed in the essay.

Subject

Dmitry Bykov says:

Heroes of Goncharov do not shoot duels, like Onegin, Pechorin or Bazarov, do not participate, like Prince Bolkonsky, in historical battles and writing Russian laws, do not commit crimes and transgression over the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" as in Dostoevsky's novels. Everything they do fits into the framework of everyday life, but this is only one facet

Indeed, one facet of Russian life cannot encompass the whole novel: the novel is divided into social relations, friendships, and love relationships ... It is the latter theme that is the main one and is highly appreciated by critics.

1. Love Theme embodied in Oblomov's relationship with two women: Olga and Agafya. So Goncharov depicts several varieties of the same feeling. Ilyinskaya's emotions are saturated with narcissism: in them she sees herself, and only then her chosen one, although she loves him with all her heart. However, she values ​​her brainchild, her project, that is, the non-existent Oblomov. Ilya's relationship with Agafya is different: the woman fully supported his desire for peace and laziness, idolized him and lived by taking care of him and their son Andryusha. The tenant gave her a new life, a family, a long-awaited happiness. Her love is adoration to the point of blindness, because indulging her husband's whims led him to an early death. The main theme of the work is described in more detail in the essay "".
2. Friendship Theme. Stolz and Oblomov, although they survived falling in love with the same woman, did not unleash a conflict and did not betray friendship. They always complemented each other, talked about the most important and intimate in the lives of both. This relationship has been ingrained in their hearts since childhood. The boys were different, but got along well with each other. Andrei found peace and good-heartedness visiting a friend, and Ilya gladly accepted his help in everyday affairs. You can read more about this in the essay "Friendship of Oblomov and Stolz".
3. Finding the meaning of life. All heroes are looking for their own way, looking for the answer to the eternal question about the destiny of man. Ilya found it in reflection and finding spiritual harmony, in dreams and the very process of existence. Stolz found himself in the eternal movement forward. Detailed in the essay.

Problems

The main problem of Oblomov is the lack of motivation to move. The whole society of that time really wants, but cannot wake up and get out of that terrible depressing state. Many people have become and are still becoming Oblomov victims. A living hell is to live life as a dead man and not see any purpose. It was this human pain that Goncharov wanted to show, resorting to the concept of conflict for help: here there is a conflict between a person and society, and between a man and a woman, and between friendship and love, and between loneliness and an idle life in society, and between labor and hedonism and between walking and lying down and so on and so forth.

• The problem of love. This feeling can change a person for the better, this transformation is not an end in itself. For Goncharov's heroine, this was not obvious, and she put all the strength of her love into the re-education of Ilya Ilyich, not seeing how painful it was for him. Remaking her lover, Olga did not notice that she was squeezing out of him not only bad character traits, but also good ones. In fear of losing himself, Oblomov could not save his beloved girl. He faced the problem of a moral choice: either remain himself, but alone, or play another person all his life, but for the good of his wife. He chose his individuality, and in this decision you can see selfishness or honesty - to each his own.
• Friendship issue. Stolz and Oblomov passed the test of one love for two, but could not snatch a single minute from family life to maintain camaraderie. Time (and not a quarrel) separated them, the routine of days tore the former strong friendly ties. From separation, they both lost: Ilya Ilyich finally launched himself, and his friend was mired in petty worries and troubles.
• The problem of education. Ilya Ilyich became a victim of a sleepy atmosphere in Oblomovka, where servants did everything for him. The boy's vivacity was dulled by endless feasts and slumbers, the dull stupor of the wilderness left its mark on his addictions. becomes clearer in the episode "Oblomov's Dream", which we analyzed in a separate article.

Idea

Goncharov's task is to show and tell what "Oblomovism" is, opening its wings and pointing out both its positive and negative sides and enabling the reader to choose and decide what is paramount for him - Oblomovism or real life with with all its injustice, materiality and activity. The main idea in the novel "Oblomov" is a description of the global phenomenon of modern life, which has become part of the Russian mentality. Now the name of Ilya Ilyich has become a household name and denotes not so much a quality as a whole portrait of the person in question.

Since no one forced the nobles to work, and the serfs did everything for them, phenomenal laziness flourished in Rus', engulfing the upper class. The backbone of the country was rotten from idleness, in no way contributing to its development. This phenomenon could not but arouse concern among the creative intelligentsia, therefore, in the image of Ilya Ilyich, we see not only a rich inner world, but also inaction that is disastrous for Russia. However, the meaning of the kingdom of laziness in the novel "Oblomov" has a political connotation. No wonder we mentioned that the book was written during a period of stricter censorship. It has a hidden, but, nevertheless, the main idea that the authoritarian regime of government is to blame for this general idleness. In it, a person does not find any use for himself, stumbling only on restrictions and fear of punishment. The absurdity of subservience reigns around, people do not serve, but are served, therefore a self-respecting hero ignores the vicious system and, as a sign of silent protest, does not play an official who still does not decide anything and cannot change. The country under the gendarmerie's boot is doomed to regress, both at the level of the state machine, and at the level of spirituality and morality.

How did the novel end?

The life of the hero was cut short by obesity of the heart. He lost Olga, he lost himself, he even lost his talent - the ability to think. Living with Pshenitsyna did not do him any good: he was mired in a kulebyak, in a tripe pie, which swallowed and sucked poor Ilya Ilyich. Fat ate his soul. His soul was eaten by Pshenitsyna's repaired dressing gown, the sofa, from which he swiftly slid down into the abyss of innards, into the abyss of offal. This is the finale of the novel Oblomov - a gloomy, uncompromising verdict on Oblomovism.

What does it teach?

The novel is cheeky. Oblomov holds the reader's attention and places this very attention on the whole part of the novel in a dusty room where the main character does not get out of bed and shouts: "Zakhar, Zakhar!". Well, isn't that nonsense?! And the reader doesn’t leave… and can even lie down next to him, and even wrap himself in an “oriental robe, without the slightest hint of Europe”, and not even decide anything about the “two misfortunes”, but think about them all… Goncharov’s psychedelic novel loves to lull reader and pushes him to fend off the fine line between reality and dream.

Oblomov is not just a character, it is a lifestyle, it is a culture, it is any contemporary, it is every third inhabitant of Russia, every third inhabitant of the whole world.

Goncharov wrote a novel about the universal worldly laziness to live in order to overcome it himself and help people cope with this disease, but it turned out that he justified this laziness only because he lovingly described every step, every weighty idea of ​​the bearer of this laziness. It is not surprising, because Oblomov's "crystal soul" still lives in the memories of his friend Stolz, his beloved Olga, his wife Pshenitsyna, and, finally, in the tearful eyes of Zakhar, who continues to go to the grave of his master. Thus, Goncharov's conclusion- to find the golden mean between the "crystal world" and the real world, finding a calling in creativity, love, development.

Criticism

Readers of the 21st century rarely read a novel, and if they do, they do not read it to the end. It is easy for some fans of Russian classics to agree that the novel is somewhat boring, but boring on purpose, forcing. However, this does not frighten reviewers, and many critics were happy to disassemble and still analyze the novel by psychological bones.

One popular example is the work of Nikolai Alexandrovich Dobrolyubov. In his article “What is Oblomovism?” the critic gave an excellent description of each of the characters. The reviewer sees the reasons for laziness and inability to arrange Oblomov's life in education and in the initial conditions where the personality was formed, or rather was not.

He writes that Oblomov is “not a stupid, apathetic nature, without aspirations and feelings, but a person who is also looking for something in his life, thinking about something. But the vile habit of getting the satisfaction of his desires not from his own efforts, but from others, developed in him an apathetic immobility and plunged him into a miserable state of moral slavery.

Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky saw the origins of apathy in the influence of the whole society, since he believed that a person was originally a blank canvas created by nature, therefore, some development or degradation of a particular person is on the scales that belong directly to society.

Dmitry Ivanovich Pisarev, for example, looked at the word "Oblomovism" as an eternal and necessary organ for the body of literature. "Oblomovism" according to him is a vice of Russian life.

The sleepy, routine atmosphere of a rural, provincial life added to what the labors of parents and nannies did not have time to do. The greenhouse plant, which in childhood had not become acquainted not only with the excitement of real life, but even with childish sorrows and joys, smelled of a stream of fresh, lively air. Ilya Ilyich began to study and developed so much that he understood what life is, what the duties of a person are. He understood this intellectually, but could not sympathize with the accepted ideas about duty, about work and activity. The fatal question: why live and work? - the question that usually arises after numerous disappointments and deceived hopes, directly, by itself, without any preparation, presented itself in all its clarity to the mind of Ilya Ilyich, - the critic wrote in his well-known article.

Alexander Vasilievich Druzhinin looked at Oblomovism and its main representative in more detail. The critic singled out 2 main aspects of the novel - external and internal. One lies in the life and practice of the daily routine, while the other occupies the area of ​​​​the heart and head of any person, which does not cease to collect crowds of destructive thoughts and feelings about the rationality of the existing reality. If you believe the critics, then Oblomov became dead because he preferred to die, and not live in eternal incomprehensible fuss, betrayal, self-interest, monetary imprisonment and absolute indifference to beauty. However, Druzhinin did not consider "Oblomovism" an indicator of attenuation or decay, he saw sincerity and conscience in it, and believed that Goncharov himself was responsible for this positive assessment of "Oblomovism".

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

A novel in four parts

Part one

I

In Gorokhovaya Street, in one of the large houses, the population of which would have been the size of an entire county town, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov was lying in bed in his apartment in the morning. He was a man of about thirty-two or three years of age, of medium height, of pleasant appearance, with dark gray eyes, but with no definite idea, no concentration in his features. The thought walked like a free bird across the face, fluttered in the eyes, settled on half-open lips, hid in the folds of the forehead, then completely disappeared, and then an even light of carelessness glowed all over the face. From the face, carelessness passed into the poses of the whole body, even into the folds of the dressing gown. Sometimes his eyes were darkened by an expression as if of weariness or boredom; but neither fatigue nor boredom could for a moment drive away from the face the gentleness that was the dominant and basic expression, not only of the face, but of the whole soul; and the soul shone so openly and clearly in the eyes, in the smile, in every movement of the head and hand. And a superficially observant, cold person, glancing casually at Oblomov, would say: “There must be a kind man, simplicity!” A deeper and more sympathetic person, peering into his face for a long time, would walk away in pleasant thought, with a smile. Ilya Ilyich's complexion was neither ruddy, nor swarthy, nor positively pale, but indifferent or seemed so, perhaps because Oblomov was somehow flabby beyond his years: from a lack of movement or air, or maybe that and another. In general, his body, judging by the dull, too white light of the neck, small plump hands, soft shoulders, seemed too pampered for a man. His movements, when he was even alarmed, were also restrained by softness and laziness, not devoid of a kind of grace. If a cloud of care came over the face from the soul, the look became foggy, wrinkles appeared on the forehead, a game of doubt, sadness, fright began; but seldom did this anxiety solidify in the form of a definite idea, still more rarely did it turn into an intention. All anxiety was resolved with a sigh and faded into apathy or drowsiness. How Oblomov's home costume went to his dead features and to his pampered body! He was wearing a dressing gown made of Persian fabric, a real oriental dressing gown, without the slightest hint of Europe, without tassels, without velvet, without a waist, very roomy, so that Oblomov could wrap himself in it twice. The sleeves, in the same Asian fashion, went from fingers to shoulder wider and wider. Although this dressing gown had lost its original freshness and in some places replaced its primitive, natural gloss with another, acquired, it still retained the brightness of oriental color and the strength of the fabric. The dressing gown had in the eyes of Oblomov a darkness of invaluable virtues: it is soft, flexible; the body does not feel it on itself; he, like an obedient slave, submits to the slightest movement of the body. Oblomov always went home without a tie and without a vest, because he loved space and freedom. His shoes were long, soft and wide; when, without looking, he lowered his legs from the bed to the floor, he would certainly hit them at once. Lying down with Ilya Ilyich was neither a necessity, like a sick person or a person who wants to sleep, nor an accident, like someone who is tired, nor a pleasure, like a lazy person: this was his normal state. When he was at home and he was almost always at home he was always lying, and everyone was constantly in the same room where we found him, which served as his bedroom, study and reception room. He had three more rooms, but he rarely looked in there, unless in the morning, and then not every day when a person swept his office, which was not done every day. In those rooms, the furniture was covered with covers, the curtains were lowered. The room where Ilya Ilyich lay seemed at first glance to be beautifully furnished. There was a bureau of mahogany, two sofas upholstered in silk, beautiful screens embroidered with birds and fruits unknown in nature. There were silk curtains, carpets, a few paintings, bronzes, porcelain, and many beautiful little things. But the experienced eye of a man of pure taste, with one cursory glance at everything that was there, would read only a desire to somehow maintain the decorum of inevitable decorum, if only to get rid of them. Oblomov, of course, only bothered about this when he cleaned his office. Refined taste would not be satisfied with these heavy, ungraceful mahogany chairs, wobbly bookcases. The back of one sofa sank down, the pasted wood lagged behind in places. Exactly the same character was worn by paintings, and vases, and trifles. The owner himself, however, looked at the decoration of his office so coldly and absent-mindedly, as if asking with his eyes: “Who dragged and instructed all this here?” From such a cold view of Oblomov on his property, and perhaps even from a colder view of the same object of his servant, Zakhar, the appearance of the office, if you look there more and more closely, struck by the neglect and negligence that prevailed in it. On the walls, near the paintings, cobwebs saturated with dust were molded in the form of festoons; mirrors, instead of reflecting objects, could rather serve as tablets for writing down some memoirs on them over the dust. Carpets were stained. There was a forgotten towel on the sofa; on the table, a rare morning, there was not a plate with a salt shaker and a gnawed bone that had not been removed from yesterday's dinner, and there were no bread crumbs lying around. If not for this plate, and not for a pipe just smoked leaning against the bed, or not for the owner himself lying on it, then one would think that no one lives here everything was so dusty, faded and generally devoid of living traces of human presence . On the bookcases, it is true, there were two or three open books, a newspaper was lying about, and an inkstand with feathers stood on the bureau; but the pages on which the books were unfolded were covered with dust and turned yellow; it is clear that they were abandoned long ago; the number of the newspaper was last year's, and if you dipped a pen in it, only a frightened fly would have escaped with a buzz. Ilya Ilyich woke up, contrary to his usual habit, very early, at eight o'clock. He is very concerned about something. On his face alternately appeared not the fear, not the melancholy and annoyance. It was evident that he was overcome by an internal struggle, and the mind had not yet come to the rescue. The fact is that on the eve of Oblomov received from the village, from his headman, a letter of unpleasant content. It is known what troubles the headman can write about: crop failure, arrears, a decrease in income, etc. Although the headman wrote exactly the same letters to his master both in the past and in the third year, this last letter also had an effect as strong as any an unpleasant surprise. Is it easy? We had to think about the means to take some action. However, we must do justice to the care of Ilya Ilyich about his affairs. According to the first unpleasant letter from the headman, received several years ago, he already began to create in his mind a plan for various changes and improvements in the management of his estate. According to this plan, it was supposed to introduce various new economic, police and other measures. But the plan was far from being fully thought out, and the headman's unpleasant letters were repeated every year, prompting him to activity and, consequently, disturbing the peace. Oblomov was aware of the need to do something decisive before the end of the plan. As soon as he woke up, he immediately set out to get up, wash himself and, after drinking tea, think carefully, figure something out, write it down and generally do this business properly. For half an hour he lay still, tormented by this intention, but then he reasoned that he would still have time to do this even after tea, and tea can be drunk, as usual, in bed, especially since nothing prevents you from thinking while lying down. And so he did. After tea, he had already risen from his bed and almost got up; glancing at the shoes, he even began to lower one foot from the bed towards them, but immediately picked it up again. It struck half past ten, Ilya Ilyich started up. What am I really? he said aloud with annoyance. You need to know your conscience: it's time to get down to business! Just let yourself go and... Zakhar! he shouted. In the room, which was separated only by a short corridor from Ilya Ilyich's office, there was heard at first like the grumbling of a chained dog, then the sound of feet jumping off from somewhere. It was Zakhar who jumped off the couch, on which he usually spent his time, sitting immersed in a slumber. An elderly man entered the room, in a gray frock coat, with a hole under the arm, from which a piece of shirt stuck out, in a gray waistcoat, with copper buttons, with a skull bare as a knee, and with immensely wide and thick blond with graying whiskers, of which it would be three beards. Zakhar did not try to change not only the image given to him by God, but also his costume, in which he walked in the village. The dress was sewn for him according to the pattern he had taken out of the village. He also liked the gray frock coat and waistcoat because in this semi-uniform he saw a faint recollection of the livery that he had once worn when seeing the late gentlemen to church or on a visit; and the livery in his memoirs was the only representative of the dignity of the Oblomov family. Nothing more reminded the old man of the lordly, wide and quiet life in the wilderness of the village. The old gentlemen have died, the family portraits have remained at home and, tea, are lying around somewhere in the attic; the legends about the ancient way of life and the importance of the surname are all dying out or live only in the memory of the few old people who remained in the village. Therefore, a gray coat was dear to Zakhar: in it, and even in some signs preserved in the face and manners of the master, reminiscent of his parents, and in his whims, to which, although he grumbled, both to himself and aloud, but which between he respected it inwardly, as a manifestation of the lord's will, the master's right, he saw faint hints of obsolete greatness. Without these whims, he somehow did not feel the master over him; without them, nothing revived his youth, the village that they left long ago, and the legends about this old house, the only chronicle kept by old servants, nannies, mothers and passed down from generation to generation. The Oblomovs' house was once rich and famous in its area, but then, God knows why, everything became poorer, smaller, and finally imperceptibly lost among the not old noble houses. Only the gray-haired servants of the house kept and passed on to each other the faithful memory of the past, cherishing it as a shrine. That is why Zakhar loved his gray coat so much. Perhaps he valued his sideburns because in his childhood he saw many old servants with this old, aristocratic decoration. Ilya Ilyich, immersed in thought, did not notice Zakhar for a long time. Zakhar stood in front of him silently. Finally he coughed. What are you? Ilya Ilyich asked. Did you call? Called? Why did I call I don’t remember! he answered stretching. Go to your place for now, and I will remember. Zakhar left, and Ilya Ilyich continued to lie and think about the accursed letter. A quarter of an hour has passed. Well, full lie! he said, you have to get up... But anyway, let me read the elder's letter again with attention, and then I'll get up. Zakhar! Again the same jump and grumbling stronger. Zakhar entered, and Oblomov again plunged into thought. Zakhar stood for about two minutes, unfavorably, looking a little sideways at the master, and finally went to the door. Where are you? Oblomov suddenly asked. You don't say anything, so why stand there for nothing? Zakhar croaked, for lack of another voice, which, according to him, he lost while hunting with dogs, when he rode with an old master and when a strong wind blew into his throat. He stood half-turned in the middle of the room and kept looking sideways at Oblomov. Are your legs withered that you can't stand up? You see, I'm preoccupied just wait! Haven't stayed there yet? Look for the letter I received yesterday from the headman. Where are you doing it? What letter? I didn't see any letter,” Zakhar said. You accepted it from the postman: such a dirty one! Where did they put him why should I know? said Zakhar, patting the papers and various things lying on the table with his hand. You never know anything. There, in the basket, look! Or fell behind the sofa? Here, the back of the sofa has not yet been repaired; what would you call a carpenter to fix? After all, you broke it. You won't think of anything! I did not break, answered Zakhar, she broke herself; it will not be a century for her to be: someday she must break. Ilya Ilyich did not consider it necessary to prove the contrary. Did you find it? he only asked. Here are some letters. Not those. Well, no more, said Zakhar. Well, go ahead! Ilya Ilyich said impatiently. I'll get up, I'll find it myself. Zakhar went to his room, but as soon as he put his hands on the couch in order to jump on it, a hasty cry was heard again: “Zakhar, Zakhar!” Oh, my God! Zakhar grumbled, going back to the office. What is this torment? If only death would come sooner! What do you want? he said, holding on to the door of the office with one hand and looking at Oblomov, as a sign of displeasure, so sideways that he had to see the master half-heartedly, and the master could see only one immense whisker, from which, you just expect that two will fly out - three birds. Handkerchief, quick! You yourself could guess: you do not see! Ilya Ilyich noted sternly. Zakhar did not show any particular displeasure or surprise at this order and reproach from the master, probably finding both of them very natural on his part. And who knows where the handkerchief is? he grumbled, going around the room and feeling each chair, although even so it was possible to see that nothing lay on the chairs. You lose everything! he remarked, opening the door to the living room to see if anyone was there. Where to? Search here! I haven't been there since the third day. Yes, rather! said Ilya Ilyich. Where is the handkerchief? I don't have a scarf! said Zakhar, spreading his arms and looking around in all corners. There he is, he suddenly wheezed angrily, under you! There the end sticks out. Lie on it yourself, and ask for a handkerchief! And without waiting for an answer, Zakhar went out. Oblomov felt a little embarrassed at his own mistake. He quickly found another reason to make Zakhar guilty. What a cleanliness you have everywhere: dust, dirt, my God! There, there, look in the corners - you're not doing anything! If I don't do anything... Zakhar spoke in an offended voice, I try, I don't regret my life! And I wash and sweep the dust almost every day ... He pointed to the middle of the floor and to the table on which Oblomov dined. Get out, get out, he said, everything is swept up, tidied up, as if for a wedding... What else? And what is this? Ilya Ilyich interrupted, pointing to the walls and the ceiling. And this? And this? He pointed both to the towel thrown from yesterday and to the forgotten plate with a slice of bread on the table. Well, I’ll probably take that away, Zakhar said condescendingly, taking the plate. Only this! And the dust on the walls, and the cobwebs?.. Oblomov said, pointing to the walls. I clean this up for the holy week: then I clean the images and remove the cobwebs ... And sweep the books, pictures? .. Books and pictures before Christmas: then Anisya and I will go through all the cupboards. Now when are you going to clean up? You are all at home. I sometimes go to the theater and visit: if only ... What a cleaning at night! Oblomov looked reproachfully at him, shook his head and sighed, while Zakhar looked indifferently out the window and sighed too. The master, it seems, thought: “Well, brother, you are even more Oblomov than I myself,” and Zakhar almost thought: “You're lying! you are only a master of speaking tricky and miserable words, but you don’t care about dust and cobwebs. Do you understand, said Ilya Ilyich, that moths start from dust? I sometimes even see a bed bug on the wall! I have fleas too! Zakhar responded indifferently. Is it good? After all, this is bullshit! Oblomov noticed. Zakhar grinned all over his face, so that the grin even covered his eyebrows and sideburns, which parted to the sides from this, and a red spot spread all over his face up to his forehead. What is my fault that there are bugs in the world? he said with naive surprise. Did I make them up? This is from impurity, interrupted Oblomov. That you're all lying! And I did not invent impurity. You have mice running around there at night I hear. And I did not invent mice. There are a lot of this creature, like mice, cats, bedbugs, everywhere. How can others not have moths or bedbugs? Distrust was expressed on Zakhar's face, or, to put it better, calm confidence that this does not happen. I have a lot of everything, he said stubbornly, you can’t see behind every bug, you won’t fit into a crack in it. And he himself, it seems, thought: “Yes, and what kind of sleep is it without a bug?” You mark, choose rubbish from the corners and there will be nothing, Oblomov taught. You take it away, and tomorrow it will be typed again, said Zakhar. It will not be typed, the master interrupted, it should not. There will be I know, the servant repeated. And it will be typed, so sweep it again. How is it? Every day touch all the corners? asked Zakhar. What kind of life is this? Better go to your soul! Why are others clean? objected Oblomov. Look opposite, at the tuner: it’s nice to look, but only one girl ... And where will the Germans take rubbish, Zakhar suddenly objected. You look at how they live! The whole family has been eating bones for a whole week. The coat passes from the shoulders of the father to the son, and from the son again to the father. The dresses on the wife and daughters are short: they all tuck their legs under themselves like geese ... Where can they get rubbish? They don’t have this, like we do, so that a bunch of old, worn-out dresses lie in the closets over the years, or a whole corner of bread crusts accumulated over the winter ... They don’t even have a crust lying around in vain: they make crackers, and drink with beer! Zakhar even spat through his teeth, talking about such a stingy life. Nothing to talk about! objected Ilya Ilyich, you better clean it up. Sometimes I would take it away, but you don’t give it yourself, said Zakhar. Fuck your own! You see, I'm in the way. Of course you; you are all sitting at home: how will you clean up in front of you? Go away for the day, and I'll clean it up. Here's another thought up that go away! Come on, you're better off. Yes right! Zakhar insisted. Here, if only today they would leave, Anisya and I would clean everything up. And then we can’t manage it together: we still need to hire women, wash everything. E! what an idea bab! Go to yourself, said Ilya Ilyich. He was no longer glad that he called Zakhar to this conversation. He kept forgetting that if you touch this delicate object just a little, you will not end up with trouble. Oblomov would like it to be clean, but he would like it to be done somehow, imperceptibly, naturally; and Zakhar always started a lawsuit, as soon as they began to demand from him sweeping dust, washing floors, etc. In this case, he will begin to prove the need for a huge fuss in the house, knowing very well that the mere thought of this horrified his master. Zakhar left, and Oblomov plunged into thought. A few minutes later another half hour struck. What is it? Ilya Ilyich said almost with horror. Eleven o'clock soon, but I haven't got up yet, haven't washed my face yet? Zahar, Zahar! Oh, my God! Well! was heard from the front, and then a well-known jump. Wash ready? asked Oblomov. Done long ago! answered Zakhar. Why don't you get up? Why don't you tell me it's ready? I would have gotten up a long time ago. Come on, I'm following you now. I have to study, I'll sit down to write. Zakhar left, but returned a minute later with a scribbled and oily notebook and scraps of paper. Here, if you write, by the way, if you please, and check the scores: you have to pay money. What accounts? What money? Ilya Ilyich asked with displeasure. From the butcher, from the greengrocer, from the laundress, from the baker: everyone asks for money. Only about money and care! grumbled Ilya Ilyich. Why don’t you file accounts little by little, but all of a sudden? After all, you all drove me away: tomorrow, yes tomorrow ... Well, now, isn't it possible until tomorrow? No! They are already very annoying: they don’t lend anymore. Today is the first number. Ah! Oblomov said with anguish. New concern! Well, what are you standing? Put it on the table. I'll get up now, wash myself and look, said Ilya Ilyich. So, are you ready to wash yourself? Done! said Zakhar. Well, now... He began, groaning, to push himself up in bed to get up. I forgot to tell you, began Zakhar, just now, while you were still resting, the janitor's manager sent: he says that you must definitely move out ... you need an apartment. Well, what is it? If you need it, then, of course, we will go. What are you doing to me? This is the third time you've told me about this. They pester me too. Say we'll move out. They say: you have been promising for a month, they say, but you still don’t move out; we say we'll let the police know. Let them know! Oblomov said decisively. We ourselves will move, as soon as it gets warmer, in three weeks. Where in three weeks! The manager says that in two weeks the workers will come: they will break everything ... “Move out, he says, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow ...” Uh-uh! too nimble! See what else! Would you like to order now? Don't you dare remind me of the apartment. I already forbade you once; and you again. Look! What am I to do then? Zakhar responded. What to do? Here is how he gets rid of me! answered Ilya Ilyich. He asks me! What do I care? You do not bother me, but there as you want, and dispose of it, only so as not to move. Can't try for the master! But how, father, Ilya Ilyich, I will arrange? Zakhar began with a soft hiss. The house is not mine: how can one not move from someone else's house if they are driven? If my house were, so I would with my great pleasure ... Is it possible to persuade them somehow. “We, they say, have been living for a long time, we pay regularly.” He did, said Zakhar. Well, what are they? What! They set up their own: “Move, they say, we need to redo the apartment.” They want to make one big apartment out of the doctor's office and this one, for the wedding of the master's son. Oh, my God! Oblomov said with annoyance. After all, there are such asses that get married! He rolled onto his back. You would have written, sir, to the owner, said Zakhar, so, perhaps, he would not have touched you, but would have told you to break down that apartment first. Zakhar pointed with his hand somewhere to the right. Well, as soon as I get up, I'll write ... You go to your room, and I'll think about it. You can’t do anything, he added, I have to worry about this rubbish myself. Zakhar left, and Oblomov began to think. But he was at a loss as to what to think about: whether about the letter from the headman, whether about moving to a new apartment, whether to begin to settle scores? He was lost in the tide of worldly worries and kept lying, tossing and turning from side to side. From time to time only jerky exclamations were heard: “Oh, my God! It touches life, it reaches everywhere. It is not known how long he would have remained in this indecision, but the bell rang in the hall. Someone has already come! said Oblomov, wrapping himself in a dressing gown. And I have not yet got up shame and nothing more! Who would it be so early? And he, lying down, looked with curiosity at the door.

1. The main character of Goncharov's novel "Oblomov".
2. The question of the meaning of life.
3. Dreaminess and activity of Oblomov.
4. Degradation of Ilya Ilyich.

The novel by A. A. Goncharov "Oblomov" remains relevant for us. modern readers, despite the fact that a lot of time has passed since its inception. The protagonist of the novel, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, cannot but arouse interest. You involuntarily begin to think about the meaning of life and try to answer the question, who is Oblomov? Was he lazy in the first place? Or is the problem of the protagonist of the novel much deeper? Did Oblomov see any meaning in life? Or did he not tend to think about it? As soon as we meet Oblomov at the beginning of the work, we understand the absurdity of the situation. Because of the day to day, Ilya Ilyich is deprived of new impressions, the next one is similar to the previous one. Days go by with absolutely nothing. Oblomov leads an almost vegetative existence, he is not interested in anything, he is not fond of anything. The main thing in life is a cozy sofa, on which Oblomov lies all day. The world around seems to Ilya Ilyich hostile and dangerous. There were no shocks in Oblomov's life that could affect his worldview. No, everything went very well. From childhood, Ilya Ilyich was surrounded by the care and attention of his relatives. And he never had to worry about his daily bread. It is convenient for Oblomov to live without thinking about anything, without caring about anything. He has absolutely no aspirations and desires. Day and night, Oblomov lies on the sofa in the same dressing gown made of Persian fabric. “... Lying down with Ilya Ilyich was neither a necessity, like a sick person or like a person who wants to sleep, nor an accident. like someone who is tired, nor pleasure, like a lazy person: this was his normal state ... ".

It is always human nature to think about the meaning of life. But even if we consider the question of the meaning of life as an abstract philosophical category, one cannot but admit that inaction has never made anyone happy. Feeling the fullness of life is possible only in the case of constant movement, an active search for new experiences. Let a person not be able to change the world or do anything significant. But he can make his own life brighter and more interesting. And not the last role in this is played by everyday life with its affairs and concerns. Everyday life is not always dull and uninteresting. If desired, everyday affairs can be bright, impressive. But all this does not apply to Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. He lies in an untidy, dusty room. It's dirty and uncomfortable here. But the hero of the novel has no desire to change at least this room, to make his life a little more comfortable. Here is how the writer says about Oblomov’s room: “The room where Ilya Ilyich lay, at first glance, seemed perfectly cleaned ... But the experienced eye of a person with a pure taste with one quick glance at everything that was there, would have read the desire only to somehow observe dekorum of inevitable propriety, if only to get rid of them... On the walls, near the paintings, cobwebs saturated with dust were molded in the form of festoons; mirrors, instead of reflecting objects, could rather serve as tablets for writing on them, through the dust, some notes for memory ... The carpets were stained. There was a forgotten towel on the sofa; on the table, a rare morning, there was not a plate with a salt shaker and a gnawed bone that had not been removed from yesterday's dinner, and there were no bread crumbs lying around.

The environment that surrounds the main character is quite unpleasant. Oblomov tries to reproach his servant Zakhar for his slovenliness. But the servant turns out to be a match for his master. He talks about dust and dirt: "... why clean it up if it picks up again." Zakhar also believes that "he did not invent bedbugs and cockroaches, everyone has them."

Oblomov does not have the strength and desire to force his servant to clean up the room. He can't even do anything in his native village. But Ilya Ilyich makes plans with pleasure, continuing to lie on the sofa. Oblomov dreams of rebuilding the countryside. Of course, his dreams have nothing to do with reality. It is basically impossible to implement them. And, of course, Oblomov himself will never be able to implement them. Oblomov's reverie takes on some monstrous scope. He lives these dreams, thereby refusing real life. The writer gives us the opportunity to observe Ilya Ilyich when he dreams: “The thought walked like a free bird across his face, fluttered in his eyes, settled on half-open lips, hid in the folds of his forehead, then completely disappeared, and then an even light of carelessness glimmered all over his face .. .".

Oblomov does not think about his own life. On the one hand, he may seem happy. He is not worried about tomorrow, he does not think about any problems and troubles. But on the other hand, his life is devoid of very important components - movement, new experiences, active actions. Oblomov practically does not communicate with people; complete solitude from people and worries is enough for him.

I must say that the inner world of Oblomov is very rich. After all, Ilya Ilyich is able to feel and understand art. In addition, he finds pleasure in communicating with some people, for example, with Stolz's friend, Olga Ilyinskaya. However, this is clearly not enough to feel the fullness of life. And deep down, Oblomov understands this. He is trying to create an imaginary harmony between his inner world and the outer world. But this is not so easy to do. After all, real life comes into conflict with the world of dreams and dreams. Let Oblomov be completely satisfied with his existence. But at the same time, he is unhappy, because he has replaced real life with half-asleep. It is no coincidence that nothing pleases Ilya Ilyich, vivid experiences, feelings and emotions are not familiar to him. Oblomov's inertia and indifference to life become his tragedy.

Oblomov believes that everything suits him. In fact, he does not know another life, activity, aspirations and activity are alien to him. Everything passes by the main character. And he still lives his illusions. And the only thing he sees in front of him is an untidy room. The world has narrowed for Oblomov to the size of his own sofa. Ilya Ilyich gives up love, career, family happiness in order to lie quietly on the couch. In fact, the narrowness of Oblomov's thinking becomes the cause of his tragedy. Ilya Ilyich could not see all the advantages of real life. The degradation of Oblomov became quite justified. He does not even pay attention to his own appearance. For what? He is so good. It doesn't matter what was or what will be. The main and only reality is the very sofa on which he slept for so long and on which the main character prefers to stay.

There is no point in Oblomov's life. After all, inaction, emptiness, laziness, apathy cannot be called meaning. Life becomes painful, because it is not natural for a person to lead a vegetative existence. The novel "Oblomov" makes readers think that a person is able to become his own enemy if he decides to replace real life with

A frame from the film “A Few Days in the Life of I.I. Oblomov" (1979)

Part one

In St. Petersburg, on Gorokhovaya Street, on the same morning as always, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov lies in bed - a young man of about thirty-two, who does not burden himself with special occupations. His lying down is a certain way of life, a kind of protest against established conventions, which is why Ilya Ilyich so ardently, philosophically meaningfully objects to all attempts to lift him off the couch. His servant, Zakhar, is the same, showing neither surprise nor displeasure - he is used to living the same way as his master: how he lives ...

This morning, visitors come to Oblomov one after another: on the first of May, all the St. Petersburg world gathers in Yekateringof, so friends are trying to push Ilya Ilyich aside, to stir him up, forcing him to take part in a secular festive festivities. But neither Volkov, nor Sudbinsky, nor Penkin succeed in this. With each of them, Oblomov tries to discuss his worries - a letter from the headman from Oblomovka and a threatening move to another apartment; but no one cares about Ilya Ilyich's anxieties.

But he is ready to deal with the problems of the lazy master Mikhey Andreevich Tarantiev, Oblomov's fellow countryman, "a man of a lively and cunning mind." Knowing that after the death of his parents, Oblomov remained the only heir to three hundred and fifty souls, Tarantiev is not at all opposed to joining a very tasty morsel, especially since he quite rightly suspects that Oblomov's headman steals and lies much more than is required within reasonable limits. And Oblomov is waiting for his childhood friend, Andrei Stolz, who, in his opinion, is the only one who can help him figure out economic difficulties.

At first, having arrived in St. Petersburg, Oblomov somehow tried to integrate into the life of the capital, but gradually realized the futility of his efforts: neither he needed anyone, nor was anyone close to him. And so Ilya Ilyich lay down on his sofa ... And so the unusually devoted servant Zakhar, who did not lag behind his master, lay down on his couch. He intuitively feels who can really help his master, and who, like Mikhei Andreevich, only pretends to be a friend to Oblomov. But only a dream can save from a detailed showdown with mutual insults, in which the master plunges, while Zakhar goes to gossip and take his soul away from the neighboring servants.

Oblomov sees in a sweet dream his past, long gone life in his native Oblomovka, where there is nothing wild, grandiose, where everything breathes calm and serene sleep. Here they only eat, sleep, discuss news that come to this region with a great delay; life flows smoothly, flowing from autumn to winter, from spring to summer, to complete its eternal circles again. Here, fairy tales are almost indistinguishable from real life, and dreams are a continuation of reality. Everything is peaceful, quiet, calm in this blessed land - no passions, no worries disturb the inhabitants of sleepy Oblomovka, among whom Ilya Ilyich spent his childhood. This dream could last, it seems, for an eternity, had it not been interrupted by the appearance of Oblomov's long-awaited friend, Andrei Ivanovich Stolz, whose arrival Zakhar happily announces to his master ...

Part two

Andrei Stoltz grew up in the village of Verkhlev, which was once part of Oblomovka; here now his father serves as a steward. Stolz developed into a personality, in many respects unusual, thanks to a double upbringing received from a strong-willed, strong, cold-blooded German father and a Russian mother, a sensitive woman who forgot herself from life's storms at the piano. The same age as Oblomov, he is the exact opposite of his friend: “he is constantly on the move: if society needs to send an agent to Belgium or England, they send him; you need to write some project or adapt a new idea to the case - choose it. In the meantime, he travels to the world and reads; when he has time - God knows.

The first thing Stolz starts with is pulling Oblomov out of bed and taking him to visit different houses. Thus begins the new life of Ilya Ilyich.

Stolz seems to pour some of his seething energy into Oblomov, now Oblomov gets up in the morning and begins to write, read, take an interest in what is happening around, and his friends cannot be surprised: “Imagine Oblomov has moved!” But Oblomov did not just move - his whole soul was shaken to the ground: Ilya Ilyich fell in love. Stolz brought him into the house of the Ilyinskys, and a man wakes up in Oblomov, endowed by nature with unusually strong feelings - listening to Olga sing, Ilya Ilyich is truly shocked, he finally woke up completely. But for Olga and Stolz, who planned a kind of experiment on the eternally dormant Ilya Ilyich, this is not enough - it is necessary to awaken him to rational activity.

In the meantime, Zakhar also found his happiness - having married Anisya, a simple and kind woman, he suddenly realized that he should fight with dust, dirt, and cockroaches, and not put up with it. In a short time, Anisya puts Ilya Ilyich's house in order, extending her power not only to the kitchen, as was supposed at first, but throughout the house.

But this general awakening did not last long: the very first obstacle, moving from the dacha to the city, gradually turned into that swamp that slowly but steadily sucks in Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, who is not adapted to decision-making, to initiative. A long life in a dream cannot end immediately ...

Olga, feeling her power over Oblomov, cannot understand too much in him.

Part three

Yielding to the intrigues of Tarantiev at the moment when Stolz again left St. Petersburg, Oblomov moved to the apartment rented to him by Mikhei Andreevich, on the Vyborg side.

Unable to deal with life, unable to deal with debts, unable to manage the estate and expose the crooks surrounding him, Oblomov ends up in the house of Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna, whose brother, Ivan Matveevich Mukhoyarov, is friends with Mikhei Andreevich, not inferior to him, but rather surpassing the latter by cunning and cunning. In the house of Agafya Matveevna in front of Oblomov, imperceptibly at first, and then more and more clearly, the atmosphere of his native Oblomovka unfolds, something that Ilya Ilyich cherishes most of all in his soul.

Gradually, the entire economy of Oblomov passes into the hands of Pshenitsyna. A simple, unsophisticated woman, she begins to manage Oblomov's house, preparing delicious meals for him, establishing a life, and again the soul of Ilya Ilyich plunges into a sweet dream. Although occasionally the peace and serenity of this dream is exploded by meetings with Olga Ilyinskaya, who is gradually disappointed in her chosen one. Rumors about the wedding of Oblomov and Olga Ilyinskaya are already scurrying between the servants of two houses - having learned about this, Ilya Ilyich is horrified: nothing else, in his opinion, has been decided, and people are already moving from house to house talking about what, most likely , it won't happen. “This is all Andrei: he instilled love, like smallpox, in both of us. And what kind of life is this, all the worries and anxieties! When will there be peaceful happiness, peace? - Oblomov thinks, realizing that everything that happens to him is nothing more than the last convulsions of a living soul, ready for the final, already uninterrupted sleep.

Days flow after days, and now Olga, unable to stand it, herself comes to Ilya Ilyich on the Vyborg side. He comes to make sure: nothing will awaken Oblomov from a slow immersion in the final sleep. Meanwhile, Ivan Matveyevich Mukhoyarov takes over the affairs of Oblomov on the estate, so thoroughly and deeply entangling Ilya Ilyich in his clever machinations that the owner of the blessed Oblomovka is unlikely to be able to get out of them. And at that moment, Agafya Matveevna was also repairing Oblomov's dressing gown, which, it seemed, could no longer be repaired by anyone. This becomes the last straw in the throes of Ilya Ilyich's resistance - he falls ill with a fever.

Part Four

A year after Oblomov’s illness, life flowed along its measured course: the seasons changed, Agafya Matveevna prepared delicious meals for the holidays, baked pies for Oblomov, brewed coffee for him with her own hands, celebrated Ilyin’s Day with enthusiasm ... And suddenly Agafya Matveevna realized that she fell in love master. She became so devoted to him that at the moment when Andrey Stoltz, who came to St. Petersburg on the Vyborg side, exposes the dark deeds of Mukhoyarov, Pshenitsyna renounces her brother, whom she so revered and even feared until recently.

Having experienced disappointment in her first love, Olga Ilyinskaya gradually gets used to Stolz, realizing that her attitude towards him is much more than just friendship. And Olga agrees to Stolz's proposal ...

A few years later, Stolz reappears on the Vyborg side. He finds Ilya Ilyich, who has become “a complete and natural reflection and expression‹…› of peace, contentment and serene silence. Peering, pondering his life and more and more settling in it, he finally decided that he had nowhere else to go, nothing to look for ... ". Oblomov found his quiet happiness with Agafya Matveevna, who gave birth to his son Andryusha. The arrival of Stolz does not disturb Oblomov: he only asks his old friend not to leave Andryusha...

And five years later, when Oblomov was no more, the house of Agafya Matveevna fell into disrepair, and the wife of the ruined Mukhoyarov, Irina Panteleevna, began to play the first role in it. Andryusha was begged for upbringing by Stoltsy. Living in the memory of the late Oblomov, Agafya Matveevna focused all her feelings on her son: “she realized that she had lost and shone her life, that God put her soul into her life and took it out again; that the sun shone in it and faded forever ... "And the high memory forever connected her with Andrei and Olga Stolts -" the memory of the soul of the deceased, pure as crystal, ".

And the faithful Zakhar, in the same place, on the Vyborg side, where he lived with his master, now asks for alms ...

retold