What is the main theme of the romance novel. The history of the creation of the novel "Oblomov"

/ Dmitry Ivanovich Pisarev (1840-1868). Oblomov. Roman I. A. Goncharova /

In every literature that has reached a certain degree of maturity, there appear such works that agree with universal human interest with the popular and modern and elevate to the level of artistic creations types taken from the environment of the society to which the writer belongs. The author of such a work is not fond of contemporary, often minor, issues of life that have nothing to do with art; he does not set himself the task of compiling an instructive book and ridiculing one or another shortcoming of society or extolling this or that virtue that this society needs. No! Creativity with a pre-conceived practical goal is an illegal phenomenon; it must be left to the lot of those writers who have been denied a mighty talent, who have been given in return a moral sense that would make them good citizens, but not artists. A true poet stands above everyday questions, but does not shy away from resolving them, meeting them on the path of his creativity. Such a poet looks deeply at life and in each of its manifestations sees a universal human side, which will touch every living heart and will be understandable at every time.

Whether the poet happens to pay attention to some public evil - let’s say, to bribery - he will not, like representatives of the accusatory trend, delve into the intricacies of casuistry and set out various intricate tricks: his goal will not be ridicule of evil, but to resolve it before the eyes of the reader psychological task; he will pay attention not to where the bribery is manifested, but to where it comes from; In his eyes, a bribe-taker is not an official performing his duty in bad faith, but a person in a state of complete moral humiliation. To trace the state of his soul, to reveal it to the reader, to explain the participation of society in the formation of such characters - this is the work of a true poet, whose creation about bribery can arouse not only disgust, but deep sadness for the moral fall of a person. This is how the poet looks at the phenomena of his modernity, this is how he relates to various aspects of his nationality, he looks at everything from a universal human point of view; without spending energy on reproducing small external features of the national character, without splitting his thoughts into petty phenomena of everyday life, the poet at once comprehends the spirit, the meaning of these phenomena, assimilates himself a complete understanding of the national character and then, having completely disposed of his material, creates without writing off from the environment his reality, and deriving this reality from the depths of his own spirit and moisture into the living, images he created, the thought that inspires him.

"Nationality," says Belinsky, "is not a dignity, but a necessary condition for a truly artistic work." The poet's thought seeks for itself a definite, rounded expression and, according to natural law, pours out into the form that is most familiar to the poet; each trait of a universal human character has its own characteristics in a certain nationality, each universal human movement of the soul is expressed in accordance with the conditions of time and place. A true artist can embody his idea only in the most definite images, and that is why nationality and historical fidelity are a necessary condition for an elegant work.

Belinsky's words about Gogol's stories can be applied in full force to the assessment of Mr. Goncharov's new novel. This novel solves an extensive, universal psychological problem; this task is solved in purely Russian, national phenomena, possible only with our way of life, under those historical circumstances that shaped the national character, under those conditions under the influence of which our young generation has developed and is still developing to this day. In this novel, vital, contemporary issues are also touched upon to the extent that these issues are of general human interest; it also exposes the shortcomings of society, but not for a polemical purpose, but for the fidelity and completeness of the picture, for an artistic depiction of life as it is, and a person with his feelings, thoughts and passions.

Complete objectivity, calm, dispassionate creativity, the absence of narrow time goals that profane art, the absence of lyrical impulses that violate the clarity and distinctness of the epic narrative - these are the hallmarks of the author's talent, as he expressed in his last work. The idea of ​​Mr. Goncharov, carried out in his novel, belongs to all centuries and peoples, but has a special meaning in our time, for our Russian society. The author decided to trace the deadening, destructive influence exerted on a person by mental apathy, lulling, seizing little by little all the forces of the soul, embracing and holding down all the best, human, rational movements and feelings. This apathy is a universal human phenomenon, it is expressed in the most diverse forms and is generated by the most diverse reasons; but everywhere in it the terrible question plays the main role: "why live? why work?" - a question to which a person often cannot find a satisfactory answer. This unresolved question, this unsatisfied doubt depletes one's strength, ruins one's activity; a person gives up, and he gives up work, not seeing his goal. One with indignation and bile will throw away the work from himself, the other will put it aside quietly and lazily; one will be torn from his inaction, be indignant at himself and at people, looking for something with which to fill the inner emptiness; his apathy will take on a tinge of gloomy despair, it will be interspersed with feverish impulses to chaotic activity and still remain apathy, because it will take away from him the strength to act, feel and live.

In another, indifference to life will be expressed in a softer, colorless form; animal instincts quietly, without struggle, will float to the surface of the soul; the highest aspirations will freeze without pain; the person sits down in an easy chair and falls asleep, enjoying his senseless peace; instead of life, vegetation will begin, and stagnant water is formed in the soul of a person, to which no excitement of the external world will touch, which will not be disturbed by any inner upheaval. In the first case, we see some kind of forced apathy - apathy and, at the same time, a struggle against it, an excess of strength that asked for action and was slowly extinguished in fruitless attempts; it is Byronism, a disease of strong people. In the second case, apathy is submissive, peaceful, smiling, without the desire to get out of inaction; this is Oblomovism, as Mr. Goncharov called it, it is a disease, the development of which is facilitated by both the Slavic nature and the life of our society. This development of the disease was traced in his novel by Mr. Goncharov.

The author's huge idea, in all the greatness of its simplicity, settled into a frame corresponding to it. The entire plan of the novel is built on this idea, built so deliberately that there is not a single accident, not a single introductory person, not a single superfluous detail in it; the main idea passes through all the individual scenes, and meanwhile, in the name of this idea, the author does not make a single deviation from reality, does not sacrifice a single detail in the external decoration of faces, characters and positions. Everything is strictly natural and yet quite meaningful, imbued with an idea. There are almost no events, actions; the content of the novel can be told in two or three lines, as the life of any person who has not experienced strong shocks can be told in a few words; the interest of such a novel, the interest of such a life lies not in the intricate combination of events, even if they are plausible, even if they really happened, but in the observation of the inner world of a person. This world is always interesting, always attracts our attention; but it is especially available for study in quiet moments, when the person who is the subject of our observation is left to himself, does not depend on external events, is not placed in an artificial position arising from a coincidence of circumstances. In such calm moments of life, when a person, not disturbed by external impressions, concentrates, collects his thoughts and looks into his inner world, at such moments there is sometimes an unnoticeable, deaf inner struggle, at such moments a soulful thought matures and develops or a turn occurs for the past, discussion and assessment of their own actions, self. These mysterious minutes are especially dear to the artist, especially interesting to the enlightened observer.

In the novel by Mr. Goncharov, the inner life of the characters is open before the eyes of the reader; there is no confusion of external events, no invented and calculated effects, and therefore the author's analysis does not for a moment lose its clarity and calm insight. The idea is not fragmented in the interweaving of various incidents: it develops harmoniously and simply from itself, is carried out to the end and up to the end supports all the interest, without the help of extraneous, incidental, introductory circumstances. This idea is so broad, it embraces so many aspects of our life that, embodying this one idea, without deviating from it a single step, the author could, without the slightest stretch, touch on almost all issues that currently occupy society. He touched them involuntarily, not wanting to sacrifice for temporary purposes the eternal interests of art; But this word of the artist, involuntarily expressed in public affairs, cannot but have a strong and beneficial influence on the minds: it will act in the same way as everything true and beautiful acts.<...>

The main idea of ​​the author, as far as can be judged by both the title and the course of the action, was to depict the state of calm and submissive apathy, which we have already spoken about above; meanwhile, after reading the novel, the reader may have a question: what did the author want to do? What was the main goal that guided him? Did he not want to trace the development of the feeling of love, to analyze to the smallest detail those modifications that the soul of a woman, agitated by a strong and deep feeling, experiences? This question is not born because the main goal has not been achieved, not because the author's attention has deviated from it: on the contrary! the fact is that both goals, the main and the secondary, that arose during creativity, have been achieved to such an extent completely that the reader does not know which of them to give preference to. In "Oblomov" we see two paintings, equally complete, placed side by side, penetrating and complementing one another. The main idea of ​​the author is sustained to the end; but during the process of creativity a new psychological task presented itself, which, without interfering with the development of the first thought, is itself resolved to such an extent as it has never been, perhaps. A rare novel has revealed in its author such a power of analysis, such a complete and subtle knowledge of human nature in general and of feminine nature in particular; a rare novel has ever combined in itself two such enormous psychological tasks; a rare novel has elevated the combination of two such tasks to such a coherent and, apparently, uncomplicated whole. We would never end if we began to talk about all the merits of the general plan drawn up by such a bold hand; we pass to the consideration of individual characters.

In the novel Oblomov, Goncharov was the first to designate such a destructive phenomenon of Russian society in the 19th century as Oblomovism. The portrayal of this trend as the cause of the degradation of not only individuals, but also a whole social stratum, is closely related to the main idea of ​​the novel "Oblomov" by Goncharov.

The work was created in a transitional period for Russian society - an era of rapid changes and the rapid destruction of the ideals and values ​​of the past for the sake of creating a new one, focused on European goals and authorities. And if the progressive part of the nobility, sharing the ideas of rapid development and enlightenment, easily merged into the new trend, then the provincial bourgeoisie to the last resisted the changes entering their life, firmly holding on to the outdated, archaic ideals of life. These are the inhabitants of Oblomovka who continue to live according to the same foundations by which their grandfathers and great-grandfathers lived, denying the importance of education and work, replacing them with sleepy calmness and idleness.

The oppressive, destructive atmosphere of Oblomovka changes the personality of the curious and active little Ilya, instilling in him outdated, outdated values. Having tasted an independent life, finding himself in an active world striving for the future, Oblomov does not find his place in it, replacing real life with illusions and unrealizable dreams, gradually degrading and dying as a person. Even Olga, who was compared in the novel with a bright angel, could not cure Oblomov's all-encompassing indifference to the world. Condemnation of passivity, escapism and laziness of a person who does not want to fight for his future is one of the aspects of the central idea of ​​the work.

Using the method of antithesis, Goncharov introduces Oblomov's friend Stolz into the narrative - a purposeful, active, constantly evolving personality. However, Andrei Ivanovich is not perfect - just as Ilya Ilyich lacks the will to act, so Stolz lacks the warmth that Oblomov attracts. It is in the need to harmonize, accept and develop both principles - dreamy, reflective and active, strong-willed that the main idea of ​​"Oblomov", which the author tried to convey, consists.

/ Dmitry Ivanovich Pisarev (1840-1868). Oblomov. Roman I. A. Goncharova /

In every literature that has reached a certain degree of maturity, there appear such works that agree with universal human interest with the popular and modern and elevate to the level of artistic creations types taken from the environment of the society to which the writer belongs. The author of such a work is not fond of contemporary, often minor, issues of life that have nothing to do with art; he does not set himself the task of compiling an instructive book and ridiculing one or another shortcoming of society or extolling this or that virtue that this society needs. No! Creativity with a pre-conceived practical goal is an illegal phenomenon; it must be left to the lot of those writers who have been denied a mighty talent, who have been given in return a moral sense that would make them good citizens, but not artists. A true poet stands above everyday questions, but does not shy away from resolving them, meeting them on the path of his creativity. Such a poet looks deeply at life and in each of its manifestations sees a universal human side, which will touch every living heart and will be understandable at every time.

Whether the poet happens to pay attention to some public evil - let’s say, to bribery - he will not, like representatives of the accusatory trend, delve into the intricacies of casuistry and set out various intricate tricks: his goal will not be ridicule of evil, but to resolve it before the eyes of the reader psychological task; he will pay attention not to where the bribery is manifested, but to where it comes from; In his eyes, a bribe-taker is not an official performing his duty in bad faith, but a person in a state of complete moral humiliation. To trace the state of his soul, to reveal it to the reader, to explain the participation of society in the formation of such characters - this is the work of a true poet, whose creation about bribery can arouse not only disgust, but deep sadness for the moral fall of a person. This is how the poet looks at the phenomena of his modernity, this is how he relates to various aspects of his nationality, he looks at everything from a universal human point of view; without spending energy on reproducing small external features of the national character, without splitting his thoughts into petty phenomena of everyday life, the poet at once comprehends the spirit, the meaning of these phenomena, assimilates himself a complete understanding of the national character and then, having completely disposed of his material, creates without writing off from the environment his reality, and deriving this reality from the depths of his own spirit and moisture into the living, images he created, the thought that inspires him.

"Nationality," says Belinsky, "is not a dignity, but a necessary condition for a truly artistic work." The poet's thought seeks for itself a definite, rounded expression and, according to natural law, pours out into the form that is most familiar to the poet; each trait of a universal human character has its own characteristics in a certain nationality, each universal human movement of the soul is expressed in accordance with the conditions of time and place. A true artist can embody his idea only in the most definite images, and that is why nationality and historical fidelity are a necessary condition for an elegant work.

Belinsky's words about Gogol's stories can be applied in full force to the assessment of Mr. Goncharov's new novel. This novel solves an extensive, universal psychological problem; this task is solved in purely Russian, national phenomena, possible only with our way of life, under those historical circumstances that shaped the national character, under those conditions under the influence of which our young generation has developed and is still developing to this day. In this novel, vital, contemporary issues are also touched upon to the extent that these issues are of general human interest; it also exposes the shortcomings of society, but not for a polemical purpose, but for the fidelity and completeness of the picture, for an artistic depiction of life as it is, and a person with his feelings, thoughts and passions.

Complete objectivity, calm, dispassionate creativity, the absence of narrow time goals that profane art, the absence of lyrical impulses that violate the clarity and distinctness of the epic narrative - these are the hallmarks of the author's talent, as he expressed in his last work. The idea of ​​Mr. Goncharov, carried out in his novel, belongs to all centuries and peoples, but has a special meaning in our time, for our Russian society. The author decided to trace the deadening, destructive influence exerted on a person by mental apathy, lulling, seizing little by little all the forces of the soul, embracing and holding down all the best, human, rational movements and feelings. This apathy is a universal human phenomenon, it is expressed in the most diverse forms and is generated by the most diverse reasons; but everywhere in it the terrible question plays the main role: "why live? why work?" - a question to which a person often cannot find a satisfactory answer. This unresolved question, this unsatisfied doubt depletes one's strength, ruins one's activity; a person gives up, and he gives up work, not seeing his goal. One with indignation and bile will throw away the work from himself, the other will put it aside quietly and lazily; one will be torn from his inaction, be indignant at himself and at people, looking for something with which to fill the inner emptiness; his apathy will take on a tinge of gloomy despair, it will be interspersed with feverish impulses to chaotic activity and still remain apathy, because it will take away from him the strength to act, feel and live.

In another, indifference to life will be expressed in a softer, colorless form; animal instincts quietly, without struggle, will float to the surface of the soul; the highest aspirations will freeze without pain; the person sits down in an easy chair and falls asleep, enjoying his senseless peace; instead of life, vegetation will begin, and stagnant water is formed in the soul of a person, to which no excitement of the external world will touch, which will not be disturbed by any inner upheaval. In the first case, we see some kind of forced apathy - apathy and, at the same time, a struggle against it, an excess of strength that asked for action and was slowly extinguished in fruitless attempts; it is Byronism, a disease of strong people. In the second case, apathy is submissive, peaceful, smiling, without the desire to get out of inaction; this is Oblomovism, as Mr. Goncharov called it, it is a disease, the development of which is facilitated by both the Slavic nature and the life of our society. This development of the disease was traced in his novel by Mr. Goncharov.

The author's huge idea, in all the greatness of its simplicity, settled into a frame corresponding to it. The entire plan of the novel is built on this idea, built so deliberately that there is not a single accident, not a single introductory person, not a single superfluous detail in it; the main idea passes through all the individual scenes, and meanwhile, in the name of this idea, the author does not make a single deviation from reality, does not sacrifice a single detail in the external decoration of faces, characters and positions. Everything is strictly natural and yet quite meaningful, imbued with an idea. There are almost no events, actions; the content of the novel can be told in two or three lines, as the life of any person who has not experienced strong shocks can be told in a few words; the interest of such a novel, the interest of such a life lies not in the intricate combination of events, even if they are plausible, even if they really happened, but in the observation of the inner world of a person. This world is always interesting, always attracts our attention; but it is especially available for study in quiet moments, when the person who is the subject of our observation is left to himself, does not depend on external events, is not placed in an artificial position arising from a coincidence of circumstances. In such calm moments of life, when a person, not disturbed by external impressions, concentrates, collects his thoughts and looks into his inner world, at such moments there is sometimes an unnoticeable, deaf inner struggle, at such moments a soulful thought matures and develops or a turn occurs for the past, discussion and assessment of their own actions, self. These mysterious minutes are especially dear to the artist, especially interesting to the enlightened observer.

In the novel by Mr. Goncharov, the inner life of the characters is open before the eyes of the reader; there is no confusion of external events, no invented and calculated effects, and therefore the author's analysis does not for a moment lose its clarity and calm insight. The idea is not fragmented in the interweaving of various incidents: it develops harmoniously and simply from itself, is carried out to the end and up to the end supports all the interest, without the help of extraneous, incidental, introductory circumstances. This idea is so broad, it embraces so many aspects of our life that, embodying this one idea, without deviating from it a single step, the author could, without the slightest stretch, touch on almost all issues that currently occupy society. He touched them involuntarily, not wanting to sacrifice for temporary purposes the eternal interests of art; But this word of the artist, involuntarily expressed in public affairs, cannot but have a strong and beneficial influence on the minds: it will act in the same way as everything true and beautiful acts.<...>

The main idea of ​​the author, as far as can be judged by both the title and the course of the action, was to depict the state of calm and submissive apathy, which we have already spoken about above; meanwhile, after reading the novel, the reader may have a question: what did the author want to do? What was the main goal that guided him? Did he not want to trace the development of the feeling of love, to analyze to the smallest detail those modifications that the soul of a woman, agitated by a strong and deep feeling, experiences? This question is not born because the main goal has not been achieved, not because the author's attention has deviated from it: on the contrary! the fact is that both goals, the main and the secondary, that arose during creativity, have been achieved to such an extent completely that the reader does not know which of them to give preference to. In "Oblomov" we see two paintings, equally complete, placed side by side, penetrating and complementing one another. The main idea of ​​the author is sustained to the end; but during the process of creativity a new psychological task presented itself, which, without interfering with the development of the first thought, is itself resolved to such an extent as it has never been, perhaps. A rare novel has revealed in its author such a power of analysis, such a complete and subtle knowledge of human nature in general and of feminine nature in particular; a rare novel has ever combined in itself two such enormous psychological tasks; a rare novel has elevated the combination of two such tasks to such a coherent and, apparently, uncomplicated whole. We would never end if we began to talk about all the merits of the general plan drawn up by such a bold hand; we pass to the consideration of individual characters.

In the novel Oblomov, Goncharov was the first to designate such a destructive phenomenon of Russian society in the 19th century as Oblomovism. The portrayal of this trend as the cause of the degradation of not only individuals, but also a whole social stratum, is closely related to the main idea of ​​the novel "Oblomov" by Goncharov.

The work was created in a transitional period for Russian society - an era of rapid changes and the rapid destruction of the ideals and values ​​of the past for the sake of creating a new one, focused on European goals and authorities. And if the progressive part of the nobility, sharing the ideas of rapid development and enlightenment, easily merged into the new trend, then the provincial bourgeoisie to the last resisted the changes entering their life, firmly holding on to the outdated, archaic ideals of life. These are the inhabitants of Oblomovka who continue to live according to the same foundations by which their grandfathers and great-grandfathers lived, denying the importance of education and work, replacing them with sleepy calmness and idleness.

The oppressive, destructive atmosphere of Oblomovka changes the personality of the curious and active little Ilya, instilling in him outdated, outdated values. Having tasted an independent life, finding himself in an active world striving for the future, Oblomov does not find his place in it, replacing real life with illusions and unrealizable dreams, gradually degrading and dying as a person. Even Olga, who was compared in the novel with a bright angel, could not cure Oblomov's all-encompassing indifference to the world. Condemnation of passivity, escapism and laziness of a person who does not want to fight for his future is one of the aspects of the central idea of ​​the work.

Using the method of antithesis, Goncharov introduces Oblomov's friend Stolz into the narrative - a purposeful, active, constantly evolving personality. However, Andrei Ivanovich is not perfect - just as Ilya Ilyich lacks the will to act, so Stolz lacks the warmth that Oblomov attracts. It is in the need to harmonize, accept and develop both principles - dreamy, reflective and active, strong-willed that the main idea of ​​"Oblomov", which the author tried to convey, consists.

The idea of ​​Mr. Goncharov, carried out in his novel, belongs to all centuries and peoples, but has a special meaning in our time, for our Russian society. The author decided to trace the deadening, destructive influence exerted on a person by mental apathy, lulling, seizing little by little all the forces of the soul, embracing and holding down all the best, human, rational movements and feelings. This apathy is a universal human phenomenon, it is expressed in the most diverse forms and is generated by the most diverse reasons; but everywhere the terrible question plays a major role in it: “Why live? Why work? " - a question to which a person often cannot find a satisfactory answer. This unresolved question, this unsatisfied doubt depletes one's strength, ruins one's activity; a person gives up, and he quits work, not seeing his goal ...

Ilya Ilyich, the hero of the novel, personifies the mental apathy to which Mr. Goncharov gave the name Oblomovism. The word will not die in our literature: it is so well composed, it so tangibly characterizes one of the essential vices of our Russian life, that, in all probability, from literature it will penetrate the language and enter into general use ...

Alongside Oblomov, a different character is deduced in Mr. Goncharov's novel, combining in itself the results to which harmonious development should lead. Andrei Ivanovich Stolts, Oblomov's friend, is quite a man, such a person, which is still very few in modern society. He is not spoiled by home education, from a young age he began to use reasonable freedom, learned life early and was able to bring solid theoretical knowledge into practical activity. The elaboration of convictions, firmness of will, a critical view of people and life, and next to this critical view, belief in truth and goodness, respect for everything beautiful and sublime — these are the main character traits of Stolz. He does not give free rein to passions, distinguishing them from feelings; he observes himself and realizes that man is a thinking being and that reason must govern his actions. The domination of reason does not exclude feeling, but comprehends it and protects from passion. Stolz is not one of those cold, phlegmatic people who subordinate their actions to calculation, because there is no vital warmth in them, because they are not able to either passionately love or sacrifice themselves in the name of an idea. Stolz is not a dreamer, because dreaminess is a property of people who are sick in body or soul, who did not know how to arrange life for themselves according to their taste; Stolz has a healthy and robust nature; he is aware of his strength, does not weaken in front of unfavorable circumstances and, without asking forcibly to fight, never retreats from it when convictions require it; vital forces beat in him with a living key, and he uses them for useful activities, lives with his mind, restraining the impulses of the imagination, but bringing up in himself the correct aesthetic feeling. His character may at first glance seem tough and cold. The calm, often playful tone with which he speaks both about his own and other people's interests can be mistaken for an inability to feel deeply, for an unwillingness to ponder, to delve into the matter; but this calmness does not come from coldness: what should be seen as proof of independence, the habit of thinking to oneself and sharing with others their impressions only when it can bring them benefit or pleasure ...

The third remarkable personality, deduced in the novel by Mr. Goncharov, Olga Sergeevna Ilyinskaya, represents the type of the future woman, how she will later be shaped by the ideas that are now trying to introduce into women's education. In this personality, which attracts unspeakable charm, but does not strike with any sharply outstanding merits, two properties are especially remarkable, throwing an original flavor on all her actions, words and movements. These two properties are rare in modern women and therefore especially dear in Olga; they are presented in the novel by Mr. Goncharov with such artistic fidelity that it is difficult not to believe them, it is difficult to accept Olga for an impossible ideal created by the author's creative imagination. The naturalness and presence of consciousness is what distinguishes Olga from ordinary women. From these two qualities follow truthfulness in words and in deeds, lack of coquetry, striving for development, the ability to love simply and seriously, without tricks and tricks, the ability to sacrifice oneself to one's feelings as much as not the laws of etiquette allow, but the voice of conscience and reason.

A. V. Druzhinin