It is no coincidence that Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov wrote his famous novel Oblomov, recognized by contemporaries as a classic after publication, after ten whole years. As he himself wrote about him, this novel is about “his” generation, about those velvets who came to Petersburg “from good mothers” and tried to make a career there. To really make a career, they should have changed their attitude towards work. Ivan Alexandrovich himself went through this. However, many local nobles and in adulthood remained loafers. At the beginning of the XIX century it was not uncommon. The artistic and holistic representation of a representative of a nobleman degenerating under serfdom for Goncharov became the main idea of the novel.
Ilya Ilyich Oblomov - a typical character at the beginning of the XIX century
Oblomov's appearance, the very image of this local nobleman-loafer, absorbed so many characteristic features that he became a household word. As the memoirs of contemporaries testify, in the days of Goncharov it was not even an unwritten rule to call a son “Ilya” if his father’s name was the same ... The reason is that such people do not have to work to provide themselves with daily bread. They may not be served, because capital and serfs already provide him with a certain weight in society. This is a landowner who owns 350 souls of serfs, but is absolutely not interested in agriculture, which feeds him, does not control the thief-clerk, who robs him godlessly.
Expensive mahogany furniture is covered in dust. All his existence takes place on the couch. He replaces the whole apartment for him: living room, kitchen, hallway, office. Mice run around the apartment, bugs are found.
The appearance of the protagonist
Description of Oblomov’s appearance testifies to the special - satirical role of this image in Russian literature. The essence of it is that he continued the classic tradition of extra people in his homeland following Pushkin's Eugene Onegin and Lermontov's Pechorin. Ilya Ilyich has a look corresponding to such a way of life. His old full, but already loose body, he puts on a rather worn dressing gown. His gaze is dreamy, his hands are motionless.
The main detail of the appearance of Ilya Ilyich
It is no accident that repeatedly describing Oblomov’s appearance during the course of the novel, Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov focuses his attention on his puffy hands, with small hands, completely pampered. This artistic technique - men's hands not busy with work - additionally emphasizes the passivity of the protagonist.
Oblomov’s dreams never find their real continuation in business. They are his personal way of cherishing his laziness. And he was busy with them from the very awakening: Goncharov showed, for example, the day in the life of Ilya Ilyich, begins with an hour and a half motionless daydreaming, naturally, without getting down from the couch ...
Positive features of Oblomov
However, it should be recognized that Ilya Ilyich is more kind, open. He is friendlier than the high-society dandy Onegin, or the fatalist Pechorin, who brings only misfortunes to those around him. He is not able to quarrel with a person because of a trifle, and even more so to challenge him to a duel.
Goncharov describes the appearance of Oblomov Ilya Ilyich in full accordance with his lifestyle. And this landowner lives with his faithful servant Zakhar on the Vyborg side in spacious four-room apartments. A full, loose 32-33-year-old balding brown with brown hair, a pretty enough face and with dreamy dark gray eyes. Such is Oblomov’s appearance in a brief description, which Goncharov introduces to us at the beginning of his novel. This hereditary nobleman from a family once known in the province, came to Petersburg twelve years ago to pursue an official career. He started with the rank of college secretary. Then, out of negligence, he sent a letter instead of Astrakhan to Arkhangelsk and, frightened, resigned.
His appearance, of course, has an interlocutor for communication. And it is not surprising that guests visit him daily. Oblomov's appearance in the novel "Oblomov" cannot be called unattractive, it even expresses to some extent the remarkable mind of Ilya Ilyich. However, there is no practical tenacity, focus. However, his face is expressive, it reflects a stream of continuous thoughts. He utters practical words, builds noble plans. The very description of Oblomov’s appearance leads the attentive reader to the conclusion that his spirituality is toothless, and his plans never came true. They will be forgotten before reaching practical implementation. However, in their place will come new ideas, equally divorced from reality ...
Oblomov's appearance is a mirror of degradation ...
The well-fed, comfortable life of a local nobleman, who, in fact, parasitizes on the labor of serfs, killed any labor activity in him. He is not at all embarrassed by such a way of life. Parents taught Ilya Ilyich to him from childhood. He is not interested in the sphere of labor, the sphere of agricultural production, in principle. The economy, led in his family estate of Oblomovka, is stolen by the clerk and pseudo-friends - crooks Ivan Mikheevich Mukhoyarov and Mikhey Tarantyev.
Note that even Oblomov’s appearance in the novel “Oblomov” could have been completely different - had he received a different home upbringing ... After all, he was an energetic, inquisitive child, not inclined to fullness. As expected for his age, he was interested in what was happening around him. However, Mom put a baby at the child's dormant nannies, not letting him take anything in hand. Over time, Ilya Ilyich also perceived any work as the lot of the lower class, men.
Appearances of opposite characters: Stoltz and Oblomov
Why does an observer physiognomist come to this conclusion? Yes, because, for example, the appearance of Stolz in the novel "Oblomov" is completely different: sinewy, mobile, dynamic. Andrei Ivanovich does not tend to dream, instead, he rather plans, analyzes, formulates a goal, and then works to achieve it ... After all, Stolz, his friend from a young age, thinks reasonably, having a law degree, as well as rich experience in service and communication with people .. Its origin is not as notable as that of Ilya Ilyich. His father is a German, working as a clerk for landowners (in our current understanding, a classic hired manager), and his mother is a Russian woman who received a good humanitarian education. From childhood he knew that a career and position in society should be earned by labor.
These two characters are diametrically opposed in the novel. Even the appearance of Oblomov and Stolz are completely different. Nothing similar, not a single similarity - two completely different human types. The first is a wonderful interlocutor, a man of an open soul, but the lazy person is in the last hypostasis of this shortcoming. The second is active, ready to help friends in need. In particular, he introduces his friend Ilya to a girl who can “cure” him of laziness - Olga Ilyinskaya. In addition, he brings order to the landlord agriculture of Oblomovka. And after the death of Oblomov, he adopts his son Andrei.
Differences in the way Goncharov expounds the appearance of Stolz and Oblomov
In various ways, we recognize the appearance that Oblomov and Stolz possess. The appearance of Ilya Ilyich by the author is shown in a classic way: from the words of the author talking about him. The features of the appearance of Andrei Stolz, we learn gradually, from the words of other characters in the novel. This is how we begin to understand that Andrei has a lean, sinewy, muscular physique. His skin is swarthy, and his greenish eyes are expressive.
Oblomov and Stoltz have a different attitude to love. The appearance of their chosen ones, as well as the relationship with them, are different for the two heroes of the novel. Oblomov gets his mother-wife Agafya Pshenitsyna - loving, patronizing, not bothering. Stolz marries an educated Olga Ilyinskaya - an associate wife, an assistant wife.
It is not surprising that this man, unlike Oblomov, wasting his fortune.
Appearance and respect of people, are they connected?
The appearance of Oblomov and Stolz is perceived differently by people. Razmaznya-Oblomov, like honey attracts flies, - attracts fraudsters Mikhey Tarantyev and Ivan Mukhoyarov. He periodically feels bouts of apathy, feeling obvious discomfort from his passive life position. The assembled, far-sighted Stolz does not experience such a decline in spirit. He loves life. his insight and serious approach to life frightens the villains. Not in vain, after meeting with him, Mikhey Tarantyev "starts to run." For
With the help of copyright quotes, we visualize the appearance of Oblomov and Stolz (table 1):
Conclusion
The appearance of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov fits perfectly into the concept of “an extra person, that is, a person who cannot realize himself in society. Those abilities that he possessed in his youth were subsequently destroyed. At first, by improper upbringing, and then by idleness. Formerly a smart little boy, a flabby 32-year-old, he lost interest in the life around him, and by the age of 40 he fell ill and died.
Ivan Goncharov described the type of a serf servant who has a vital rentier position (he regularly gets the money by the labor of other people, and Oblomov does not have such a desire to work himself.) It is obvious that people who have a similar life position of the future do not have it.
At the same time, the energetic and purposeful fellow soldier Andrei Shtolts achieves obvious successes and status in society. His appearance is a reflection of his active nature.