Why do we need speaking surnames in Woe from Wit? Why, in fact, are they called speakers? What role do they play in the work? To answer these questions, you have to plunge into the history of literature.
A few words about the stylistic role of speaking surnames
When reading some books, the question sometimes arises: "If the work is an artwork invented by the author, does it mean that the names in it were invented?"
Of course it is. However, the masters of the pen have always subtly felt how important names-characteristics are for the development of the plot.
On the one hand, they serve as a means of some typification, indicating that the character belongs to a certain community or its essence.
On the other hand, such a literary device makes it possible from the first pages to understand the author’s attitude to his hero, to create his own initial impression. Indeed, it is unlikely that anyone would think that a literary character with the name of Khryumin or, say, Skalozub can be positive.
Griboedov is not the first to come up with speaking surnames. There are many of them in Woe from Wit, but the fact is that almost all writers successfully used this literary device. For Gogol, this is Lyapkin-Tyapkin (judge), for Chekhov - Unter Prishibeev, for Fonvizin - Vralman.
Three types of surnames and images of the comedy “Woe from Wit”
One can make assumptions about the character and image of some Griboedov’s characters after reading the list of characters. Whom do they say that he "grits his teeth"? What could be a person by the name of Tugoukhovsky?
After reading the play, it becomes clear that the speaking surnames in “Woe from Wit” do not belong to any one category. They are very different.
- Some surnames will directly report on a particular trait of a person. Explicit representatives of this group are Molchalin and Tugoukhovsky. If today, as in the days of Griboedov, French was the second language of secular society, many would have noticed the obvious without clues: the names of Repetilov and Famusov belong to the same group. However, more on that later.
- The meaning of the names “Woe from Wit” in the second group is not so obvious. To understand the role of such proper names, knowledge of Russian history and literature and the ability to conduct associations are necessary.
- The third group contains surnames that clearly express the assessment.
Using such techniques, Griboedov was able to draw an objective picture of his contemporary society, to which people of different classes, characters, and beliefs belong.
Why does Griboedov use speaking surnames?
Surnames, which give an estimated characterization of the characters, have long been used by Russian literature.
“Woe from Wit” is a tribute to the tradition that has long existed. However, unlike the works, for example, Fonvizin, such names in "Woe from Wit" are not straightforward. They do not just indicate a personality trait or character, but make you think. To understand what the Famus family name means, you need to know the languages. After all, it came from the Latin word "rumor", in our opinion - gossip. And if you look at the English roots, it becomes clear that famous is famous. Well-known gossip in the city? Here is the association, here is the literary image.
The same applies to Repetilov. His surname comes from the French word "repeat." And what does Repetilov do in the play?
If these characters the author noted problems with speaking, then others clearly have difficulty listening. Tugoukhovsky always hangs up. He does not want or cannot hear? But his family bears the same surname. So much for the problems of communication in society. This is exactly what Griboedov wrote in the play.
There are characters in the work with surnames that are simpler and more understandable to the Russian ears. This is Khlestova, Khryumin, Zagoretsky, Skalozub. They carry an assessment of the actors. Although, if you look from the point of view of communication, gritting your teeth and whipping (in the literal and figurative sense) is also not very useful.
Associative last name
To understand what the name Chatsky means is quite difficult, for this you need to have a broad outlook. Griboedov put several meanings into the word.
First of all, this is an analogy with the proper name Chaadaev. The surname of the famous poet was often pronounced with one “a”. In drafts, the author even first called his hero “Chadsky”. Probably everyone knows what Chaadaev is known for. Nevertheless, we will pay a little attention to this issue.
Translated from Greek, the name of Andrei Andreyevich means “courageous”, and the name means “brave”.
The root "children" is translated as "dispelling illusions."
The end of the surname indicates belonging to a noble family.
This is how the image of Chatsky is made up of details and associations : a courageous and brave nobleman, who takes a healthy look at life, dispels the illusions that exist in society. He is not afraid to build a new society. He is crowded among the Molchalins, Tugoukhovsky and Skalozubs. So the surname not only helps to indicate the character of the hero, but also determines the role of Chatsky in the artistic logic and ideological content of the comedy.
The meaning of surnames for understanding the work
So why did Griboedov use speaking surnames in Woe from Wit? With their help, he not only emphasized the positive and negative qualities of the characters, but created a whole system of images, typified and individualized each of its links. As a result, these surnames served as the key to understanding the whole comedy. After all, she talks about how representatives of different social strata, ages, characters do not know how and do not want to communicate with each other.