Characteristics of Starodum in the comedy "The Minor. Comedy "Minor"

Starodum is one of the main characters in Denis Fonvizin's comedy "The Minor". His surname indicates that he is a man of the "old" era, that is, the era of Peter I. His role in the work is very important, especially his speech and instructions. Starodum's father served under Peter the Great and always told his son that he needed to remain human at any time and in any situation. Convinced that true education begins with the education of the soul and heart, Starodum transfers this knowledge to others as a moral confession. The orphan niece Sophia is in his care.

He does not appear in the play right away, but eventually frees the girl from the tyranny and influence of the Prostakovs. To this uneducated family, belonging to the class of "new" nobles, he gives a peculiar assessment and speaks directly about the poor upbringing of their son Mitrofan. Starodum believes that moral education and enlightenment are entirely dependent on the state and on how rationally it is arranged. However, without a soul, even the most enlightened clever girl turns into a "miserable creature." At the time of the events taking place in the play, he is 60 years old. He previously served at court and retired. And also, he spent a long time in Siberia, where he acquired his wealth through hard work. Starodum treats his pupil well and wishes her only happiness. For this, he finds her a worthy groom and bequeaths his inheritance.

The comedy "The Minor" is a well-known play by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, it was staged on the stage for a long time, notable for being the first comedy with a socio-political content. The play describes representatives of various social strata, from servants, to nobles and statesmen, in the work you can appreciate the theme itself, humor, interesting dialogues and vivid negative characters.

Starodum can be attributed to the main characters, already by the name it is clear that his character corresponds to the old era. The hero is convinced that education comes from the heart and soul, therefore, he remains himself, regardless of problems. Starodum is not present from the beginning of the play, but it is with his help that Sophia gets rid of the tyranny of the "new" nobles.

Characteristics of the hero

Starodum is a man at the age of 60, he is a retired officer, he managed to be a participant in hostilities, and served at the imperial court. He has his own fortune, but he made it by his labor, having lived for a certain time in Siberia. He claims to have amassed income without theft and deception.

Among the positive qualities of Starodum are the following:

• has a sharp mind;
• sincerity, likes to talk about everything directly;
• understands people, tries to avoid unpleasant personalities;
• evaluates not by rank;
• discreet, does not follow the first impulse;
• sympathetic, he worries about other people.

Among the negative features are:

• lack of education, while Starodum is smart enough and quick-witted;
• rusticity, does not know how to dodge.

Starodum behaves the way his father taught him, namely in the spirit of the old era, he received an education sufficient for the old times, but he knows how to grasp the main thing in people. He is positively disposed towards the pupil, wants her happiness, therefore he will find a suitable groom for her, and even leave the acquired funds as an inheritance. Starodum is an ardent defender of enlightenment, humanity, he evaluates people by their deeds, not paying attention to other nuances. He complains about the arbitrariness in relation to the peasants and considers the defense of the homeland to be the most important task for the nobleman.

Psychological features

Starodum brought out his priorities from the Peter's era: wisdom, adherence to traditions, he is wise, and accumulates the experience gained. At the same time, the character is enlightened and advanced. The hero attaches great importance to the moral side of personalities, as well as good manners. He believes that if a person is corrupted by himself, then science and education will make him even more evil and dangerous. Starodum does not tolerate savagery, bone, inhumanity and bad temper in others.

The image of the hero in the work

Starodum is a positive character, he has traits that he has brought up in himself. Starodum is respectable, appreciates justice, loves conservatism. His main purpose is to save Sophia, who lives with the Prostakovs, he leaves her an inheritance, and this leads to the desire of Mrs. Prostakova to marry a girl for Mitrofan's son.

After Starodum's arrival, a distant relative is trying with all her might to get close to the money, she even goes to extremes, trying to betrothal Mitrofan and Sophia. For good luck, Milon is interfering with this venture, Sophia loves this officer. In the denouement, the three of them manage to safely leave the Prostakovs' estate.

What does Starodum show to readers?

Starodum shows us an almost ideal image, using his example the author showed how a real nobleman should behave. The hero is distinguished by honesty, he is not only noble by birth, he believes that actions should be noble. Starodum believes that it is dishonorable not to do business and not help the fatherland. He does not like much in the consequences of the decree on the liberties of the nobility and the cruel treatment of the serfs disgusts him. Starodum allows us to think about injustice in relation to people who depend on us, and shows which strategy of behavior is correct.

The play "The Minor" by Denis Fonvizin was written in the 18th century - in a transitional era, when Russian society was represented by two opposing camps - adherents of new, educational ideas and carriers of outdated, landlord values. Starodum is a prominent representative of the first in the play. "The Minor" is a classicistic work, therefore, already in the name of the hero, Fonvizin provides the reader with a brief description of Starodum. “Starodum” is one who thinks in the old way. In the context of comedy, this is a person for whom the priorities of the previous - Peter's era - are important - at that time the monarch actively introduced reforms in education and education, thus departing from the ideas of domostoroya that were rooted in Russian society. In addition, the meaning of the surname "Starodum" can be interpreted more globally - as a bearer of wisdom, experience, traditions, Christian morality and humanity.

In the play, Starodum is a positive hero. This is an educated man of advanced age, with a lot of life experience. The main features of Starodum are wisdom, honesty, kindness, respect for other people, justice, responsibility for the future of their fatherland and love for the motherland.

Starodum and Prostakova

According to the plot of the comedy, Starodum is Sophia's uncle. Even when the girl was little, he had to leave for Siberia, where he honestly made a fortune, and now he returned home to calmly spend his old age. In the comedy, Starodum is one of the main characters and is contrasted in the play, first of all, with Mrs. Prostakova. Both characters are parents, but their approach to parenting is radically different. If Prostakova sees in Mitrofan a small child who requires constant care, indulges and indulges him in every possible way, then Starodum treats Sophia as an adult, formed personality. He cares about her future, choosing not rude Skotinin or stupid Mitrofan as husbands, but worthy, educated and honest Milon. Talking with Sophia, he instructs her, explaining how important equality, respect and friendship between spouses is, which leads to misunderstanding and aloofness in marriage, while Prostakova does not even explain to Mitrofan the full responsibility of marriage, and the young man perceives her as another fun.

In addition, the basic values ​​instilled by parents in their children are also contrasted. So, Prostakova explains to Mitrofan that the main thing is money, which gives unlimited power, including over people - servants and peasants, who can be scoffed at, as the landowner likes. Starodum explains to Sophia that the main thing in a person is good behavior. Particularly indicative are his words that if an intelligent person does not have any quality of mind, then he can be completely excused, whereas "an honest person cannot be forgiven in any way if he lacks some quality of the heart."

That is, for Starodum, an exemplary personality is not necessarily one who has achieved a lot or knows a lot, but an honest, kind, merciful, loving person with high moral values ​​- without them, in the man's opinion, a person is a failed one. Representing just such a personality, Starodum is opposed to other negative heroes - Mitrofan, Skotinin and Prostakov.

Starodum and Pravdin

The image of Starodum in "The Minor" is contrasted not only with negative characters, but also with positive Pravdin. The heroes have seemingly similar views on the need to reeducate the landowners, both are carriers of the ideas of humanism and enlightenment, and both consider the well-being and moral values ​​of a person to be important. However, the letter of the law becomes the main regulatory mechanism for Pravdina - it is it that determines who is right and who is wrong - even Prostakova is punished only after the appearance of the corresponding order. He is, first of all, an official for whom the mind of a person, his achievements and reasoning are more important than personal preferences. Starodum is more guided by his heart than by his mind - the story about his friend, an educated intelligent man who did not want to serve his motherland, thinking more about himself than about the fate of his fatherland, is indicative. While Tsyfirkin evokes sympathy and favor in Starodum, the teacher does not have a good education, but is kind and honest, which attracts a man.

Thus, when comparing the images of Pravdin and Starodum, it becomes clear that an official is a modern rational personality of the Enlightenment, for him the justice of the law, based on humanity and honesty, is important. Starodum, on the other hand, acts as an image representing the wisdom of generations - he condemns the outdated values ​​of the landowners, but does not elevate the rationalism of the new nobles to a pedestal, adhering to the timeless, "eternal" human values ​​- honor, cordiality, kindness, and good manners.

Starodum as a resonator of the comedy "The Minor"

The image of Starodum in the comedy is the reason for the opinion of the author himself. One of the confirmation of this is Fonvizin's decision to publish the Starodum magazine a few years after writing the play (even before the first issue was banned by Catherine II). Contrasting in the play two opposite value and ideological directions - the landlords and the new nobility, the author cites a third, located between them and depending not only on the education received in childhood, as can be seen in other characters, but on the hero's personal experience. Starodum did not receive a good education in childhood, but “education was given to me by my father in that age, the best. At that time, there were few ways to learn, and they still did not know how to stuff an empty head with someone else's mind. " Fonvizin emphasizes that a person with the right upbringing is able to acquire the necessary knowledge and grow up as a worthy person.

In addition, with the words of Starodum, the author sharply criticizes the power of his day - Catherine II and the court, exposing all their shortcomings, emphasizing the cunning and deceitfulness of the nobility, their dishonest struggle for ranks when people are ready to "walk over their heads." According to the hero, and, consequently, Fonvizin, the monarch should be an example of nobility, honor, justice, the best human qualities for his subjects, and society itself needs to change its guidelines, educate humanism, kindness, respect and love for one's neighbor and one's Motherland.

The views expressed in the work on what society should be like in general and each person in particular, remain relevant today, attracting more and more connoisseurs of classical literature.

A detailed description of Starodum in "Nedorosl" makes it possible to understand the author's ideological intent, to clarify his views on Russian society of that era. It will be useful to pupils of different grades when preparing an essay on the topic "Characteristics of the image of Starodum in the comedy" The Minor "".

Product test

Speaks mainly through the mouth of Starodum. Of all the characters in the play, that one is apparently especially sympathetic to the author. Starodum stands out among other resonators in a simpler and more natural language. Calling Uncle Sophia Starodum, Fonvizin wanted to show that his way of thinking does not belong to the contemporary Catherine's era, but to the old Peter's age. In fact, although Starodum does not approve of many things in contemporary society, he partly agrees in views and opinions with Catherine herself and with some modern philosophers.

Heroes of the "Minor" Fonvizin

“An honest person,” says Starodum, “must be a completely honest person,” that is, must have all the virtues at once. His understanding of the meaning and meaning of the nobility is remarkable. Usually the word "nobleman" is understood in the sense - a person of noble birth. Starodum believes that a real nobleman - one whose thoughts and actions are noble - "a nobleman unworthy to be a nobleman - I know nothing more vile than him!" he exclaims. The duty of a nobleman, first of all, is to serve, not in order to receive ranks and awards, but because "it is dishonorable not to do anything when there are so many things to do: there are people to help, there is a fatherland to serve!" This is a concept instilled in the nobles by Peter the Great.

Fonvizin. Undergrowth. Maly Theater performance

Starodum, of course, did not approve of the "Decree on the Liberty of the Nobility" of Peter III, especially since he saw the example of such nobles as Skotinin and Prostakov, who understood noble freedom, as the right to indulge in tyranny with impunity and cruelly treat their peasants. Fonvizin, through the mouth of Starodum, expresses his views on the duties of the tsar, on the harm of court flattery and in general on court life; talks about family life, marriage and parenting; on this last issue, the influence of Rousseau and the views of Empress Catherine II are noticeable. Starodum puts upbringing of the heart, "good nature", above the mind, mental development.

Several years after the comedy "Minor" was written, Fonvizin wanted to publish a magazine called "Starodum, or a friend of honest people." In articles written for this magazine, Fonvizin denounces the same social shortcomings that are portrayed in his comedies. The tone of his satire becomes more harsh and merciless. This was not to the liking of Empress Catherine, who believed that satire should be "in a smiling kind." In addition, in some articles, the author directly ridicules the court of Catherine and criticizes some of the views and opinions of the empress herself. All this led to the fact that Catherine banned the publication of the magazine.

The character of the comedy "Minor". The rich uncle of Sophia, an honest, kind and educated girl, on whom Mrs. Prostakova dreams of marrying her own son, an ignoramus. The reason for this is the wealth of Starodum, which Prostakova wishes to appropriate.

History of creation

The first manuscripts of the play date back to the 70s of the 18th century. Fonvizin worked for a long time on "The Minor" and made the first sketch long before the play was first staged on stage. During his work, the author involved in the case a lot of heterogeneous materials - articles from satirical magazines, works of authors contemporary to Fonvizin, Russian and foreign, and even materials of comedies written by the empress. The final version of the play appeared in 1781.

The next year the play was staged for the first time. The author had to try to make the production possible, because the censors did not want to miss the play. In the end, Empress Catherine II personally gave permission for the production. Fonvizin himself selected the actors and acted as a director. The play took place on Tsaritsyno Meadow at the Free Russian Theater. The role of Starodum at the premiere was played by actor Ivan Dmitrievsky. The first publication of the play on paper took place in 1783.

"Minor"

Starodum is a nobleman of sixty years old, in the past he was in military service. The hero believes that only the army makes young people worthy of the title of nobility, which went to those by origin, and not because of personal qualities. In his youth, the hero fought and was wounded, because of which he lay in a serious illness. Then the hero was taken to the imperial court.

Starodum's vast fortune was earned by him on his own. Starodum voluntarily left for Siberia, lived there for several years and made a fortune exclusively by his own labors, while remaining an honest person. The hero chose Siberia, because there it was possible to acquire money in an honest way - without humiliating one's own dignity, without currying favor with the authorities and without stealing. Having become rich, the hero left for Moscow.

Starodum is an intelligent person who is able to find a way out of a difficult situation. The hero wears glasses and reads books, despite the fact that Starodum's education is far from ideal. The father tried to give the hero the best upbringing, however, as Starodum himself says, during his youth “there were few ways to learn,” that is, the education system left much to be desired.

The hero bequeathed his own fortune to his niece Sophia - the only relative to whom Starodum is attached. It is important for the hero that Sophia's chosen one is a worthy person. At the same time, Starodum is not embarrassed by the poverty of officer Milon - Sophia's beloved and future husband, because the hero's wealth is large enough to provide for his niece's family. Starodum teaches Sophia her own worldview.

Starodum is an example of how fortunate the fate of an honest and wise person can be.

Quotes

“I agree to call the noble and the rich happy. Let us first agree who is famous and who is rich. I have my calculation. I will calculate the degree of nobility according to the number of deeds that the great gentleman has done for the fatherland. "

"Not the rich man who counts out money in order to hide it in the chest, but the one who counts out the excess in order to help the one who does not have what is needed."

About virtue:

"Virtue replaces everything, but nothing can replace virtue."

About serfdom:

"It is illegal to oppress your own kind with slavery."

On the upbringing of a young nobleman:

“Mind, since it is just mind, is a trifle. With fleeting minds we see bad men, bad fathers, bad citizens. Good manners give a direct price to the mind. Without him, a smart person is a monster. "

"Pravdin. But those worthy people who serve the state at the court ...

Starodum. O! they do not leave the courtyard so that they are useful to the courtyard, and the rest for the fact that the courtyard is useful to them. I was not among the first and did not want to be among the last. "

"The sovereign worthy of the throne seeks to uplift the souls of his subjects."

"Pravdin. So that there is no shortage of worthy people, special efforts are now being made about education ...

Starodum. It should be the guarantee of the welfare of the state. We see all the unfortunate consequences of a bad upbringing. "

Or he speaks of the era of Peter the Great, which he considers a model, in contrast to the modern hero of Catherine's society with its corrupt and flattering nobles:

“My father brought me up in the way of that time, but I did not find the need to re-educate myself. He served Peter the Great. Then one person was called you, not you. Then they did not yet know to infect people so much that everyone considered himself to be many. But nowadays many are not worth one ”.