The work, which causes not only interest in a particular historical era, but also love for all the work of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, is his famous novel "The Captain's Daughter", the background of which is the most important historical event - the Pugachev uprising.
Historical story
The author came up with the idea to turn to a historical story under the influence of the contemporary social situation that developed in the 1830s. But why then was the work named just like that - "The Captain's Daughter"? Indeed, the central place, according to many researchers, is occupied by the relations of Pugachev and Grinev, the peasant tsar and the nobleman. However, it is this girl who influences the inner world of the latter. Let us dwell on the character of this heroine - consider the image of Masha Mironova in the story "Captain's Daughter".
The first impression of Peter Grinev
Alexander Sergeevich rather succinctly depicts the main character. The daughter of captain Mironov was a girl of about eighteen, ruddy, chubby, with light blond hair. She was not beautiful, but she was not ugly. It is worth noting that the heroine is modest, shy - she is always silent and often blushes. At first, this girl does not make any impression on Grinev. However, soon his attitude towards her changes. The heroes get to know each other, and Grinev finds in Masha Mironova a sensitive and prudent girl. A certain feeling arises in his soul. And only in the 5th chapter, Alexander Sergeyevich calls us openly - is love.
Noble act
It is worth paying attention to Mashaās care during Grinevās illness after he was wounded in a duel with Shvabrin. At first glance, the integrity and simplicity of her feelings are incomprehensible, since heroes are bound only by spiritual closeness. But only at the beginning of the reading does the image of Masha Mironova in the story "The Captain's Daughter" seem somewhat vague.
Grade 8 of a secondary school includes the study of this work, so you can turn to a textbook on literature and find a more detailed analysis there. We will only dwell on a brief summary.
Grinev during his illness realizes that he really loves Masha, and makes her an offer. But she does not promise anything, she only makes it clear that she shares this feeling. Grinev's parents do not give permission to marry the captain's daughter, so Marya Ivanovna, sacrificing her feelings for her beloved, refuses to marry him. This is the image of Masha Mironova in the story "Captain's Daughter", a brief description of the main qualities of this girl. However, it should be supplemented by indicating that our heroine belonged to her own environment, the patriarchal tradition.
Patriarchal tradition
The image of Masha Mironova in the story "The Captain's Daughter" is closely connected with the Christian religion. After all, the heroine was brought up in the old patriarchal traditions, according to which marriage without parental consent was considered a great sin. The girl knows that Grinevās father is a man with a strong temper, and he will never forgive Peter for marrying against his will. The heroine does not want to hurt her beloved, interfere with his consent with his parents and family happiness. This shows her sacrifice and firmness of character. Masha is hard, but she leaves her beloved.
The image of Masha Mironova in the story "Captain's Daughter": briefly about the transformation
The decisiveness and firmness of the character of the heroine is fully revealed after the hostilities, which entailed the death of Masha's parents, after which she remains in the Belogorsk fortress alone. Further events greatly transform the image of Masha Mironova in the story "The Captain's Daughter". A summary of them is as follows. Shvabrin, the villain who seeks the girlās disposition, puts her in a punishment cell, preventing anyone from reaching the captive, giving her only water and bread. Thus, he hoped to get consent to the proposal, since Marya Ivanovna did not want to voluntarily go with him down the aisle. Only one person lived in her heart - Pyotr Grinev. In the face of danger, in the days of loss and testing, it remains steadfast, does not lose faith. Before us is no longer a shy coward, but a firm in convictions and courageous girl. This is a completely different image of Masha Mironova in the story "Captain's Daughter." She is threatened with death, but she does not succumb to Schwabrin, because she hates him. This quiet girl suddenly throws him words that she would rather decide to die than marry him.
Masha has a strong will. On her difficult share fall the tests that the girl withstands with honor. Beloved is taken to prison. A shy, modest girl, left without both parents, considers it her duty to save Pyotr Grinev, for which he goes to Petersburg. She confesses to the empress that she asks for "mercy, not justice." During the scene with Catherine II, the character of this simple Russian girl, who has found enough āmind and heartā, determination and firmness of spirit, to fully ensure that her innocent groom is acquitted, is fully revealed. So the image of Masha Mironova is transformed in the story "Captain's daughter". A summary of the chapters of this work makes it possible to trace all these changes.
National female character
Masha Mironova embodies the greatness of ordinary Russian people. She is the bearer of the character traits inherent in a Russian woman. She and similar heroes who are free from ambitious impulses and enthusiastic heat serve the triumph of humanity and truth. Masha Mironova, like Tatyana Larina, embodies the simple, but natural features of a national Russian female character.
Pushkin shows the complex contradictions between the ethical and political conflicts that heroes face. Politically justified is cruel and inhuman. The composition of the novel is built symmetrically. First, the heroine is in trouble: the laws of the peasant revolution threaten her happiness and destroy the girlās family. Grinev goes to the king and saves his beloved. Then this hero is in trouble, and Masha is already going to the queen in order to save the groom.
Decisive act
First, a timid girl appears in front of the reader, whose mother says she is a "coward." Masha is a dowager who has nothing but a crest, a broom, "yes, an altyna of money." Her character is gradually revealed - Marya Ivanovna turns out to be a sensitive and prudent girl, capable of sincere and deep love. However, innate nobility prevents her happiness, does not allow the heroine to sacrifice principles. The girl refuses him only because she did not receive a parental blessing on him. But now the "Pugachev rebels" come to the fortress, and the surrounding life changes dramatically, and with it the position of Masha. She is the captive of Schwabrin. It seems that the timid and weak girl will submit to the will of this villain. But Masha suddenly shows character traits that until then dozed in her. She resolutely rejects the offer of Alexei Ivanovich, preferring to die.
New challenge
Gradually rescued by Grinev and Pugachev, Marya Ivanovna finally finds peace of mind. But then fate sends her a new test: Peter Grinev is tried as a traitor. Only Masha can prove his innocence. And she finds determination and strength to go to the court of Catherine II and seek her protection. The fate of the beloved is entirely in these fragile hands. The girl manages to restore justice and save Peter Grinev.
Conclusion
It is no coincidence that the novel was named "Captain's Daughter" in honor of this girl. She is the true heroine of this work. The best features of Masha will then be manifested in the female characters created by Turgenev, Tolstoy, Ostrovsky and Nekrasov. The image of Masha Mironova in the story "The Captain's Daughter", thus, greatly influenced the development of the female image in Russian literature.