This outstanding novel was created in the middle of the 19th century and was immediately recognized as a classic. The name of the protagonist has become a household name. The book was written by the time. On the agenda of the political life of Russia was the
abolition of serfdom. Pushkin and Lermontov have already created Onegin and Pechorin — extra people in Russian society, people who leave no trace in History. Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov, guided by his creative skill, creates the image of an even more useless person - Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. He brings laziness in the character of this landowner to terrifying proportions. How important it was to read the nobles, brought up in the XIX century in the traditional style - in neglect of all work! In their understanding, work was a peasant occupation! Goncharov himself, in his youth, received a similar education, so he knew what and how to write about ...
About the topic of the article
The subject of our article will not be the main character - Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. We are attracted by something else: the image system masterfully created by the writer in the novel. Goncharov's “Oblomov”, thanks to the well-chosen type of his heroes, progressive thought of Russia in the person of Nikolai Dobrolyubov called “the sign of the time”. As we already mentioned, the book was written during the awakening of national identity, on the eve of the liberation of the peasant reform. Serfdom, this long-obsolete phenomenon, was about to be eliminated. And the novel of Goncharov, which was the handbook of Emperor Alexander II, nicknamed the Liberator, really contributed to its abolition.
About the characters of the novel
There are few heroes in the book of Ivan Alexandrovich. This allows the author to present in the course of the novel a detailed description of each of them. And Goncharov talentedly uses the system of antipodes built by him: Stolz - Oblomov, Ilyinskaya - Pshenitsyna.
Female images in the novel "Oblomov" are plot-forming. At first it was a mother, then the main character’s love item — Olga Ilyinskaya, and finally, the woman who became his wife and gave birth to his son Andryusha — Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov himself is a man who is extremely uninitiated and inert, cherishing his laziness and constantly being in passive thinking. He is a slave by nature. Therefore, his whole life seems to be flowing in line with other people. More precisely, women close to him.
The images of women. Oblomov's mother
What are Goncharov I. A. (Oblomov) female images that are significant for 19th-century Russian literature? We will tell you more about them.
Oblomov was most destructively affected by his own mother. The upbringing that he received from her formed a socially passive person indifferent to life, immersed in the world of his dreams. Being a landowner in the village of Oblomovka, the mother of Ilya Ilyich personally contributed to the establishment of the cult of idleness there. It was at her order that the nannies ran for the living and bright child of Ilyusha, vigilantly watching that the boy did not take up any work.
Female images in the novel "Oblomov" are characteristic, they actively participate in the formation of him as a person. As a result, for example, of the influence of the mother, a ruined local nobleman grew up from a boy, having no business acumen, deceived by scammers, the list of which should start with the estate manager.
Olga Ilyinskaya
Another female image is Olga Ilyinskaya. She won the heart of Ilya Oblomov with her beauty, the unacceptability of all coquetry, unlike other girls. This character is most fully disclosed by the writer Goncharov. Female images in the novel "Oblomov" found in him the most striking component.
Olga, organically coexisted mind, intelligence, simplicity and free disposition. Her personality is multifaceted. The girl is attracted to literature, music. She perceives the beauty of nature. It was acquaintance with her that made it seemingly impossible: it made Ilya Ilyich tear himself away from the couch, start communicating with people and even try to improve his life.
Widow Pshenitsyna
The plot of the novel could not be revealed to the author without the presence of another character - Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna, who organically supplemented the female images in the novel. She really loved Oblomov. Agafya Matveevna is the real mistress of the hearth: kind, loving, caring. Moreover, she is ready for sacrifice for the sake of this love. This woman is not from the nobility of origin, like Ilyinskaya, she is from the middle class. Like the majority of the population at that time, it is illiterate.
The idea of ​​creating the image of Olga
Ilyinskaya is of noble origin, it is outwardly very harmonious: it is somewhat tall, with regular facial features and body shapes. She was introduced to Ilya Ilyich by their mutual friend Stolz. Olga likes the wealth of the mind of Ilya Oblomov, but his lifestyle is disgusting: laziness and empty reasoning. She sets herself the task of returning Ilya Ilyich to normal life, re-educating him.
The girl is an ideal wife-friend, wife-companion. Ilyinskaya, in contrast to mother Oblomov and Pshenitsyna, presents new, modern, active female images in the novel. Oblomova confuses her pressure.
Olga is completely passionate about her plan - to re-educate Ilya Ilyich. She sees this as her mission. In her understanding, both life and love are, by and large, performance of duty. Therefore, she takes her rational desire to change Oblomov as love, not supplementing him with warmth. At the same time, Olga herself admits that she had never presented such serious criteria to her close people. Oblomov is embarrassed by new aspects in their relationship.
The literary critic Pisarev called the type of Olga - "a woman of the future." After all, it is inherent in it, on the one hand - naturalness, and on the other - an organic combination of thought and action.
Reasonability of Olga's love
Arguing so abstractly, Olga crosses the line of what is permitted in relation to the main character. She is trying to manipulate Ilya Oblomov, using persuasion, sarcasm. The ancient Greeks once called such rational love the short word "pragma." Thus, Olga’s pragmatic love, as we see, could not overcome Oblomov’s shortcomings. This feeling is not given to heal!
The role of female images in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” is great. You must admit, had it not been for the intrigue introduced by Olga Ilyinskaya, the plot of the book would have lost its red thread.
As a result, Oblomov, hitherto confessing his love for Olga, backs down. At the same time, returning to his usual way of life. He breaks up with her by writing a farewell letter. Ilya Ilyich understands that the public way of life to which Olga inclines him is not suitable for him.
The image of Olga ... Did education only arouse her desire for further development? Unlikely. This type of woman is revolutionary for Russian literature.
Consider this with a comparative example. The image of Olga Ilyinskaya in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” somewhat resembles Pushkin’s Tatyana Larina. The same noble origin, education, similar appearance, grace. However, the similarity ends here. If Tatyana can be called a “gentle dreamer,” Olga is a self-sufficient person, active and energetic. This is character, this is the essence of a woman warrior. Thus, the female images in the novel of I. A. Goncharov, created a quarter of a century after the Pushkin ones, evolved, became different, corresponding to the dynamics of the development of Russian society.
The fact that she will part with Oblomov is inevitable. Olga Ilyinskaya finally acknowledges her incompatibility with the chosen one and leaves Oblomov with the words that she loved his future. The girl realizes: living together with Ilya Ilyich will for her in the long term mean mutual rejection by each spouse of the life values ​​of the other. Therefore, she builds her life in a different way: she marries the same active, as she, Stolz. However, Ilyinskaya has even greater vitality than her husband.
An interesting point of view on this feeling of Olga was expressed by the literary critic Nikolai Dobrolyubov. He believes that Ilyinskaya tends to choose partners based on their own interest, that is, personal benefits. Therefore, in his opinion, if Stolz ceases to satisfy her mercantile interest, Olga will leave him as well.
Simple and sincere Pshenitsyna Agafya
Comparison of two female images in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” begins with the moment of his disagreement with Olga and moving to the Vyborg side to stand at the widow of Pshenitsyna.
Earlier, this widow lost her official husband and remained with two children. This is an adult woman who sincerely wants quiet family happiness. She was about thirty years old when she met Ilya Oblomov. Agafier is not inherent in the aristocratic refinement of appearance, which distinguishes the image of Olga Ilyinskaya. Outwardly, it is full and white-faced. She has large arms and rounded elbows. Her gray eyes - the mirror of her soul - are innocent and naive.
Indeed, Agafya Matveevna is not interested in everything that does not concern the household. She herself is silent, she doesn’t even try to listen to conversations that are not of interest to her. However, as a mistress, this woman is omniscient and omnipotent. If a topic of interest to her is being discussed, the widow of Pshenitsyn, as if by magic, becomes businesslike and quick-witted.
Ilya Ilyich liked this woman immediately when he came to her on the advice of Tarantyev - to live on the Vyborg side. Her image is undoubtedly closer to Oblomov’s soul than the image of Olga Ilyinskaya. It was such a woman that he imagined as a child when he read about the fabulous beauty Militris Kirbitievna. The fact is that the protagonist of the novel, infantile in nature, subconsciously desired for himself a mother-wife caring for him.
By nature, Agafya Matveevna is good. She is helpful towards her loved ones. She is not attracted to entertainment: visiting theaters or walking. Concerns: to feed, clothe, help - became the meaning of her life. Therefore, when Ilya Ilyich appeared in her house, he became an object of care for her.
The two main female images in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” are two people who seem to experience the same feeling. But, unlike the rational love of Olga Ilyinsky, the love of Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna for Ilya Ilyich is of a completely different nature. This love is sincere, cordial, not implying a reservation of reason. The author speaks with warm irony of Pshenitsyna’s love for Oblomov. She fell in love, without thinking, as if "falling under a cloud", she caught a cold and fell ill with a fever.
Fidelity of Agafia Pshenitsyna
It is no coincidence that the character in female images of the novel Oblomov by IA Goncharov reaches the highest degree of spirituality, moreover in the image of the illiterate, non-modern Agafya Matveevna.
The widow of Pshenitsyna, the illegal wife of Oblomov, attracts the reader with her wholeness, sincerity. For her in family life, the main thing is not the material aspect, but the soulfulness of the relationship. Such a woman will really be next to her beloved in grief and joy, in wealth and poverty. To ensure proper care for sick Oblomov, she sells her valuables. And when he finds out that her brother and godfather are deceiving and ruining Ilya Ilyich low, he breaks off all relations with them.
After Oblomov’s death, she loses all interest in life. “As if the soul was taken out,” she says of herself. Isn't that a high feeling?
What kind of love is Agafya?
Agafya Pshenitsyna intuitively perceives love as something natural, not connected with reason. She fell in love with Ilya Ilyich disinterestedly, not for his inherent virtues. Her feeling flashed also not because of sacrifice, that is, not contrary to the fact that Oblomov is imperfect.
Agafya fell in love with him precisely as a man who was originally beautiful in himself. Such love in Russia was called Christian (previously this feeling was not evaluated from the standpoint of rationality or cordiality). The essence of Christian love is simply to love, because such a feeling is characteristic of a person, and not because another person - the object of love - deserves something of this. Agafia Pshenitsyna disinterestedly loves Oblomov. Obviously, therefore, in order to emphasize the truth of their love, Ivan Alexandrovich introduced into the plot of the novel an episode when the dead mother who came to Oblomov in a dream blessed him in a relationship with Agafia.
Views on the love of Agafia and Olga
The role of female images in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” thus also comes down to the original author’s philosophical interpretation of love. If Olga wants to see a real man in Ilya Ilyich and tries to re-educate him accordingly, Agafya Matveevna does not need all this. Ilyinskaya’s love is an ascent to the ideal. Love Pshenitsyna - adoration. However, both of them, being in love with Oblomov, themselves experience a spiritual awakening. Female images in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” are highly artistic and unique. Even the keen Belinsky subtly noticed this feature of Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov - to write female characters with a “thin brush” . None of the heroines of Goncharov’s books in any way repeats the other. All of them are individual, piece, special.
Conclusion
I. A. Goncharov masterfully portrayed in the novel "Oblomov" two really beautiful female images. This showed his talent, observation, knowledge of life. A woman who is actively arranging her life and a woman - the keeper of the hearth. Female images in the novel "Oblomov" are relevant for our time. Ilya Alexandrovich, like a real wizard of the word, subtly reveals the features of each of these characters. As a result, both Olga Ilyinskaya and Agafya Pshenitsyna are characters shown masterfully by their creator, with great artistic power and persuasiveness.
It is characteristic that both Olga and Agafya, in the course of the plot of the book, do not meet in person. Each of them lives and acts in its environment. One is active, active, supportive and helping; the other is cozy, homely, selfless, loving to the end. Which one do you like more? Decide for yourself.