In 1836, the journal Sovremennik published a historical novel by A.S. Pushkin's "Captain's Daughter", which takes place in the terrible years of the Pugachev uprising in 1773-1775. The writer in his works has repeatedly turned to historical subjects, trying to find answers to questions of the present in past events. An example is such works by the author as Boris Godunov, Arap of Peter the Great, Poltava, Snowstorm and others.
Arrival of Peter Grinev in Belogorsk fortress
The main character of the story is an officer. He was sent to military service in one of the most remote corners of the country. The Belogorsk fortress was located in the steppe and at first it seemed to the young man a real wilderness, where he was destined to vegetate in boredom and inaction. The area seemed dull and unprepossessing to him, because it did not resemble a military garrison, but a poor village.
However, the first acquaintance with its inhabitants changed Petr Andreevich’s view of his place of service. And in fact, in the story “Captain’s daughter” the Belogorsk fortress played a big role in Grinev’s life : it was here that he met his love, went through terrible trials, but did not drop his honor and remained faithful to the Empress. The inhabitants of this fortification turned out to be extremely simple people, which immediately earned the sympathy of the young man.
Inhabitants of the Belogorsk fortress: spouses Mironov
The captain of the garrison was Ivan Mironov, a good-natured and unsophisticated man who treated his subordinates well, respected his wife, Vasilisa Egorovna, and was very fond of her only daughter, Marya Ivanovna. His wife not only managed household chores, but also took an active part in the leadership of the military.
She was perceived by Belogorsk fortress as an economy, and therefore she quite skillfully coped not only with her functions, but also with her husband's military problems. Vasilisa Egorovna enjoyed general respect among the inhabitants and had a reputation as a strict but fair woman. The image of this heroine is one of the most successful in the story.
Masha Mironova
The main character is the captain's daughter, Marya Ivanovna, a simple girl without education and manners. However, her sensitivity and kindness immediately attracted Peter Grinev, who found her smart and reasonable. Thanks to this sympathy, the Belogorsk fortress no longer seemed boring to him, on the contrary, he quickly got used to a new life and began to find many positive things in it.
The hero’s love for Masha Mironova, of course, largely determined his attitude to his existence in the garrison. At the time when both hoped to get married, Pyotr Grinev was full of hope for the future and believed in a happy fate. However, after his father’s refusal to marry, the hero completely lost his taste for life, and the Belogorsk fortress began to seem empty and dull to him.
The remaining inhabitants of the fortress: Shvabrin, Ivan Ignatievich, Palashka
In characterizing the story “The Captain's Daughter”, the way Peter Grinev is shown in the Belogorsk Fortress is of great importance . An essay on this subject should be accompanied by a description of his relations with other inhabitants of the garrison, primarily with Shvabrin. Alexey Ivanovich was also an officer, but he was the exact opposite of the main character.
From the very beginning, he makes an unpleasant impression, which is subsequently confirmed by his attempts to interfere with the relationship of Peter and Masha. He viciously and caustically ridicules Captain Mironov and Vasilisa Egorovna, insults Masha, dishonestly wounds Grinev in a duel, taking advantage of the fact that he was distracted by Savelyich. He cheats on his oath and goes over to the side of Pugachev and, finally, at the trial he gives false testimonies against his former rival.
The secondary characters make a different impression - the Mironovs' servants: Ivan Ignatievich, an old disabled person who, however, refused to recognize Pugachev as sovereign, for which he was hanged, and the maid Palashka, who in difficult times helps her young lady, Marya Ivanovna. These heroes seem to set off the image of the Belogorsk Fortress, showing that simple, but honest and noble people live in the very outback of the country.
General characteristics of the garrison
The place of service of Peter Grinev plays an important role in the narrative: after all, it is here that all the most important events in his life take place. Then he witnessed the terrible reprisal of Pugachev over captain Mironov, Ivan Ignatievich, Vasilisa Egorovna. He himself miraculously escaped death and, by a strange coincidence, made friends with Pugachev.
In this place, he rushed to save Masha Mironova from Shvabrin, again at risk of being executed by rebels. Then fate brought him back to Pugachev, who again this time helped him free his bride. In the fortress, Grinev finally explained to Marya Ivanovna regarding their upcoming marriage. Here he forever said goodbye to Pugachev in order to see him after a while on the block. The Belogorsk fortress, the description of which was presented in this essay, played a decisive role in the fate of Peter Grinev.