Analysis of the work “Undergrowth” (D. Fonvizin). Essay on the topic: the theme of landowner tyranny in the comedy of D.I. fonvizina

TEST ESSAY ON COMEDY

DI. FONVIZINA "MINOR"
DURING THE CLASSES
I. Approximate plans to the suggested topics.

“Here are the fruits of evil.”

1. What characterizes sentimentalism as literary direction?

2. The main genres of sentimentalism.

Sentimentalism appeared in Europe in the second half of the 18th century.

The ideology of sentimentalism is close to the Enlightenment. Most educators believed that the world could be made perfect if people were taught certain reasonable forms of behavior. Writers of sentimentalism set the same goal and adhered to the same logic. Only they argued that it was not reason, but sensitivity that should save the world. They reasoned something like this: by cultivating sensitivity in all people, evil can be defeated.

In the 18th century the word “sentimentalism” meant receptivity, the ability to respond with the soul to everything that surrounds a person.

Thus sentimentalism is literary movement, reflecting the world from the position of feeling, not reason.

As an independent literary movement, sentimentalism originated in the works of the Englishman Laurence Stern and the French educator J.-J. Rousseau. In Russia, it was developed in the works of N.M. Karamzin.

Characteristic genres for sentimentalism are letters, where the thoughts and feelings of the characters are revealed in the form of a confidential monologue, and travel, where they describe random encounters and conversations on the way, the most minor road incidents. All this is important because it provides food for the heart and imagination.

In a work of sentimentalism, the voice of the narrator is very important. In the article “What the Author Needs,” which became a manifesto of Russian sentimentalism, N.M. Karamzin wrote: “You want to be an author: read the history of the misfortunes of the human race - and if your heart If it doesn’t bleed, leave the pen, or it will depict to us the cold gloom of your soul.”

Individual task - prepare a message on the topic “N.M. Karamzin" (on card 8).

Card 8

N.M. Karamzin 1

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin (1766-1826) grew up in the provinces, in the Simbirsk province. When he turned 14 years old, he was taken to Moscow and sent to the boarding school of Professor Schaden. He received a good education and secular education.

At the age of 18, Karamzin entered the military service, - as befits a noble youth, - into one of the best guards regiments. However, he soon retired and left for Simbirsk. There he shone in society, astounding provincials with his metropolitan toilets and extraordinary education. In Simbirsk Karamzin was seen by I.P. Turgenev, a famous freemason and writer of the Novikov circle. He convinced young man to go with him to Moscow, involved him in the Masonic organization, forced him to seriously engage in literature and deepen his scientific horizons.

The Masons believed that through education, through good deeds, and through re-education, evil could be gradually eliminated.

Karamzin's life among the Masons lasted about four years. Finally, he experienced disappointment in the Masonic organization and in Novikov himself. He was tired of the mystical hobbies of the Freemasons, who probably initially influenced him with the atmosphere of mystery and the peculiar knightly romance of rituals. But most of all, Karamzin was confused in Novikov’s Freemasonry by a touch of conspiracy, which was not so much aesthetic as political in nature. Karamzin did not want to participate in the plans of the Freemasons; he avoided direct political action, the practical, business scope of Novikov’s enterprises was also unpleasant to him. Besides, he wanted to see Europe, he wanted to grow as a writer. He went abroad, left his beloved woman and friends in Moscow; it was a break with the Freemasons and the beginning of a new life.

He visited Germany, Switzerland, France and England, while trying to observe the nature and rights of foreign countries, read, sought to meet outstanding people in the West - writers, scientists, philosophers; I immediately tried to sort out my impressions, understand what I saw, and comprehend it. In 1790, he lived for several months in Paris, observing the revolution in action, and reacted to it without sympathy.

In the autumn of 1790, Karamzin returned to Russia in a fashionable tailcoat, with a fashionable high hairstyle, with ribbons on his shoes, with a lot of French, German and English books, with a supply of ideas, impressions and memories for many years. In 1791, he began publishing the Moscow Journal, which was published for two years. Karamzin published many of his stories and poems in it; story " Poor Lisa", placed in it, created a sensation. Moscow girls and boys, having read the story and were touched by the sad fate of its heroine, went to the Simonov Monastery and admired the pond in which she allegedly drowned. Fame came to Karamzin when he was only 25 years old.

In 1816 Karamzin arrived in St. Petersburg. Two years later, the first eight volumes of the History of the Russian State appeared. The success of the book was unheard of. Everyone wanted to read the history of their country, written scientifically and fascinatingly for the first time.

Since 1816, Karamzin lived in the summer in Tsarskoe Selo, not far from the palace. Work on “History...” took the whole morning. While walking in the park, Karamzin constantly met with Tsar Alexander. They walked and talked together. Karamzin became a personal friend of the tsar, although he often challenged his opinions and even actions very decisively.

He did not want ranks or money - and he did not receive them. Friends and writers often came to Tsarskoe Selo. In the summer of 1816, the young man Pushkin often attended these tea parties. In winter, round table discussions were moved to St. Petersburg.

LESSON 17

N.M. KARAMZIN. PERSONALITY, CREATIVITY, DESTINY

With it and as a result of its influence, severe

pedantry and scholasticism were replaced by sentimentality

grandeur and secular ease...

V.G. Belinsky
DURING THE CLASSES
I. Checking an individual assignment - a message on the topic “N.M. Karamzin" (According to card 8).
II. Conversation on questions:

1. Why N.M. Was Karamzin one of the outstanding figures of his time? (He entered literature early and quickly gained fame as the first writer. He traveled and communicated with prominent people Western Europe. He is the head of the school of Russian sentimentalists and a reformer of the Russian language. He is the author of “The History of the Russian State,” called by Pushkin “the creation of a great writer” 1.)

2. What is “sensibility” in the understanding of Karamzin’s contemporaries and how is this concept related to the sentimentalism movement in art?

3. Find in the poems of N.M. Karamzin, placed in the textbook, features of sentimentalism. Read these poems expressively, note the features of their intonation, the images drawn in them, the beauty and expressiveness of the epithets.

a) Why do critics consider the image of Erast to be the author’s undoubted merit? Is Erast a villain or a victim of his passions?

b) How does the story express the attitude of the author-narrator to the events taking place?

Prove that descriptions of nature prepare heroes and readers, setting them up for certain events.

2. Task in groups to analyze the following points:

1 option- description of the Simonov Monastery at the beginning of the story;

Option 2- Lisa on the banks of the Moscow River early in the morning before meeting with Erast;

Option 3- description of the thunderstorm.

LESSON 18

STORY N.M. KARAMZIN "POOR LISA".

LIFE OF SIMPLE PEOPLE.

FEATURES OF SENTIMENTALISM IN THE STORY

“Poor Liza” - ...an exemplary work-

tion devoted not to external events, but

"sensitive" soul.

E. Osetrov
DURING THE CLASSES
I. Conversation on the following issues:

1. About the plot of the story “Poor Lisa,” researchers say that it was neither new nor complex. What events underlie it?

2. Why was this story, written in 1792, an unprecedented success, and what did the public find in it? (The audience was sympathetic ordinary people, sympathized with the victims of passion.)

4. Became catchphrase N.M. Karamzin that “even peasant women know how to love.” Which heroine do these refer to? famous words? (It's about not about Lisa, but about her mother. After reading the story, we understand that this can be said about Lisa.)

5. The feelings of the heroes, their state are closely related to nature. Prove that descriptions of nature “prepare” heroes and readers, “set them up for certain events. To do this, analyze three landscapes (check homework).

6. Does the narrator condemn his heroine for committing suicide? (No, he is convinced that every suffering will receive a reward, and this seemed true to many readers, many accused the author of immorality, even an anonymous epigram appeared:

Well, is it possible to do something more ungodly and worse:

Fall in love with a tomboy and drown in a puddle?

Drown yourself, girls, there's plenty of room in the pond!) 1

Do you agree that Erast is an elodea or is he a victim of his passions? (Answer to homework question.)

9. Why is “Poor Lisa” a work related to sentimentalism? Find words that create an image-mood, an image-experience. Why is the word “tears” used so often?
II. Homework.

Individual tasks - prepare messages on the topics “V.A. Zhukovsky", "Romanticism" (on cards 9, 10).

Second half of the 18th century. is distinguished by the genuine flowering of Russian drama. Works that are not provided for by the rules of the classics of the genre are beginning to penetrate into the previously established literary direction, indicating an urgent need to expand the boundaries and democratize the content. Among these new products, first of all, was the so-called public satirical comedy. Perhaps the first work of this direction can be considered “Undergrowth”.

This play is ambiguous, but still the author considers the main goal of the work to be an influence on the human mind to correct vices and cultivate virtue. The conflict between feeling and reason, personal aspirations and duty to the state is always resolved in favor of the latter. Thus, the image of a person doing good is created - an ideal to which everyone living in this world should strive.

Fonvizin is not limited to exposing social vices and creating satirical characters. The author draws a series positive characters- Starodum, Pravdin, Sophia, Milon. It is not difficult to understand that they are the closest and dearest to the author. This is easy to notice both from the views on the life of Fonvizin himself, and from the special warmth with which these characters are developed. It is they who openly express the views of an “honest” person on noble morality, family relationships and even civil structure. The importance of positive characters for Fonvizin is also due to the fact that with their help he can tell his contemporaries about painful things, about pressing problems that do not allow them to remain silent.

The main problem that Fonvizin raises in the comedy “Minor” is the problem of educating the enlightened, advanced people. A nobleman, a future citizen of the country who must do things for the good of the fatherland, is brought up from birth in an atmosphere of immorality and complacency. Such a life and upbringing immediately took away his purpose and meaning in life. And the teachers will not be able to help (this is just a tribute to fashion on the part of Mrs. Prostakova), Mitrofan had no other desires than to eat, run around in the dovecote and get married.

The same thing happens at court. This is big barnyard, where everyone wants to grab a better piece and roll in the golden mud. “Here I love myself perfectly; I care about myself alone; fussing about one real hour.” The nobles forgot what duty and useful good deeds are. They “...do not leave the yard... the yard is useful to them,” “... ranks are often begged for.” They have forgotten what soul, honor, and good behavior are.

But the author remains hopeful that the situation can change. Pravdin takes custody of Prostakova’s household and prohibits her from ruling over his estate. “It is in vain to call a doctor to the sick without healing. The doctor won’t help here unless he gets infected himself,” Starodum draws such a conclusion about life at court. Behind all this one can see the radical measures that Fonvizin proposes to take: to limit the power of the Prostakovs and Skotinins over the peasants, and the power of the tsar and courtiers over

All Russian life.

Your hopes for revival Russian society Fonvizin is associated with positive heroes"Undergrown." Inspirationally, with all the ardor and heat of the soul, the writer gives them the maximum positive traits nobleman and progressive ideals.

But here are the life “...rules that real nobles must follow” formulated by the playwright: “... Have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times”; “Everyone will find enough strength in himself to be virtuous. You have to want it decisively, and then the easiest thing will be not to do something for which your conscience would gnaw at you”;

“Good behavior gives direct value to it (the mind). Without him clever man- a monster. It is immeasurably higher than all the fluency of the mind”; “... A pious person is jealous of deeds, not ranks”; “Respect alone should be flattering to a person - spiritual; and only those who are in rank not by money, and in nobility not by rank are worthy of spiritual respect”; “I calculate the degree of nobility by the number of deeds that the great gentleman did for the fatherland, and not by the number of deeds that he took upon himself out of arrogance... According to my calculation, it is not the rich man who counts out money to hide it in a chest, but the one who counts out what he has in excess in order to help someone who has what he needs”; “...What is a position. This is the sacred vow that we all owe to those with whom we live and on whom we depend... A nobleman, for example, would consider it the first dishonor to do nothing when he has so much to do: there are people to help, there is a fatherland to serve. Then there would be no such nobles, whose nobility... was buried with their ancestors. A nobleman unworthy of being a nobleman! I don’t know anything more vile than him in the world.”

All these postulates correspond to the ideas of the Enlightenment, of which the author was an ardent champion. And those characters who are closest to the author’s heart, on the “borders of the Minor”, ​​are the embodiment and focus of the ideals of progress.< явного общества. Отражая актуальные для своего времени проблемы, Фонвизин влялся талантливым психологом, мыслителем, художником. Его комедия имеет бщечеловеческое значение, не потерявшее своей актуальности и в наши дни.

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Homework on the topic: Enlightened heroes of "The Minor" as an ideal nobleman for Fonvizin.

Denis Fonvizin's immortal comedy "The Minor" is an outstanding work of Russian literature XVIII century. Bold satire and truthfully described reality are the main components of this writer’s skill. Centuries later, every now and then modern society heated debates emerge about the main character of the play, Mitrofanushka. Who is he: a victim of improper upbringing or shining example moral decay of society?

The comedy “Brigadier” written by Fonvizin, which had a stunning success in St. Petersburg, became the basis of one of the world’s greatest literary monuments. After its publication, the writer did not return to drama for more than ten years, devoting himself more and more to state issues and tasks. However, the thought of creating a new book excited the author’s imagination. Let’s not hide the fact that, according to scientists, the first note related to “The Minor” was started back in the 1770s, long before its publication.

After a trip to France in 1778. The playwright had an exact plan for writing the future work. Interesting fact— initially Mitrofanushka was Ivanushka, which naturally spoke of the similarity of the two comedies (Ivan was a character in “The Brigadier”). In 1781 the play was completed. Of course, a production of this type meant covering one of the most problematic issues noble society of that time. However, despite the risk, Fonvizin became the direct “instigator” of the literary revolution. The premiere was postponed due to the empress's hostility to any kind of satire, but it still took place on September 24, 1782.

Genre of the work

COMEDY is a type of drama in which the moment of effective conflict is specifically resolved. It has a number of signs:

1. does not entail the death of one representative of the warring parties;
2. aimed at “nothing” goals;
3. the narrative is lively and vivid.

Also in Fonvizin’s work it is obvious satirical focus. This means that the author set himself the task of ridiculing social vices. This is an attempt to disguise life problems under the mask of a smile.

“Minor” is a work built according to the laws of classicism. One story line, one location, and all events take place within 24 hours. However, this concept is also consistent with realism, as evidenced by individual objects and places of action. Besides, characters They are very reminiscent of real landowners from the outback, ridiculed and condemned by the playwright. Fonvizin added something new to classicism - merciless and sharp humor.

What is the work about?

The plot of Denis Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” revolves around a family of landowners who are completely mired in immorality and tyranny. Children became like their rude and narrow-minded parents, and their sense of morality suffered as a result. Sixteen-year-old Mitrofanushka is trying his best to complete his studies, but he lacks the desire and ability. The mother looks at this carelessly, she does not care whether her son will develop. She prefers that everything remain as it is; any progress is alien to her.

The Prostakovs “sheltered” distant relative- orphan Sophia, who differs from the whole family not only in her outlook on life, but also in her good manners. Sophia is the heiress of a large estate, which Mitrofanushka’s uncle, Skotinin, who is a great hunter, “looks” at. Marriage is the only one affordable way to take over Sophia's household, so the relatives around her are trying to persuade her into an advantageous marriage.

Starodum, Sophia’s uncle, sends his niece a letter. Prostakova is terribly dissatisfied with this “trick” of her relative, who was considered dead in Siberia. The deceit and arrogance inherent in her nature is manifested in the accusation of a “deceptive” letter, supposedly “amorous”. Illiterate landowners will soon learn the true content of the message, resorting to the help of the guest Pravdin. He reveals to the whole family the truth about the Siberian inheritance he left, which gives him as much as ten thousand in annual income.

It was then that Prostakova came up with an idea - to marry Sophia to Mitrofanushka in order to appropriate the inheritance for herself. However, officer Milon, walking through the village with soldiers, “bursts” into her plans. He met with his old friend Pravdin, who, as it turned out, is a member of the vicegerental board. His plans include observing landowners mistreating their people.

Milon speaks of his long-standing love for a sweet person who was transported to an unknown place due to the death of a relative. Suddenly he meets Sophia - she is that same girl. The heroine talks about her future marriage with the undersized Mitrofanushka, from which the groom “flashes up” like a spark, but then gradually “weakens” with detailed story about "narrowed".

Sophia's uncle has arrived. Having met Milon, he accepts Sophia’s choice, while inquiring about the “correctness” of her decision. At the same time, the Prostakovs' estate was transferred to state custody due to cruel treatment of the peasants. Seeking support, the mother hugs Mitrofanushka. But the Son did not intend to be polite and polite, he was rude, causing the venerable matron to faint. Waking up, she laments: “I am completely lost.” And Starodum, pointing at her, says, “These are the fruits worthy of evil!”

The main characters and their characteristics

Pravdin, Sophia, Starodum and Milon are representatives of the so-called “new” time, the Age of Enlightenment. The moral components of their souls are nothing more than goodness, love, thirst for knowledge and compassion. The Prostakovs, Skotinin and Mitrofan are representatives of the “old” nobility, where the cult of material well-being, rudeness and ignorance flourish.

• The minor Mitrofan is a young man whose ignorance, stupidity and inability to adequately analyze the situation do not allow him to become an active and reasonable representative of the noble community. “I don’t want to study, but I want to get married” - life motto, which fully reflects the character of a young man who does not take anything seriously.
• Sophia - educated, kind girl, which becomes a black sheep in a society of envious and greedy people.
• Prostakova is a cunning, careless, rude woman with many shortcomings and a lack of love and respect for all living things, except for her beloved son Mitrofanushka. Prostakova’s upbringing is only a confirmation of the persistence of conservatism, which does not allow the Russian nobility to develop.
• Starodum raises “his little blood” in a different way - Sophia is no longer for him Small child, but a formed member of society. He gives the girl freedom of choice, thereby teaching her the right basics life. In it, Fonvizin portrays the type of personality that has gone through all the “ups” and downs,” becoming not only a “worthy parent,” but also an undoubted example for the future generation.
• Skotinin, just like everyone else, is an example of “ speaking surname" The man whose inner essence more like some kind of rude, uncouth cattle than like a well-bred person.

Theme of the work

• The education of the “new” nobility is the main theme of the comedy. “Undergrowth” is a kind of allusion to the “disappearing” moral principles in people who are afraid of transformations. Landowners raise their offspring the old fashioned way, without paying due attention to their education. But those who were not taught, but were only spoiled or intimidated, will not be able to take care of either their family or Russia.
• Family theme. Family is social institution, on which personality development depends. Despite Prostakova’s rudeness and disrespect towards all residents, she cherishes her beloved son, who does not at all appreciate her care or her love. This behavior is a typical example of ingratitude, which is a consequence of spoiling and parental adoration. The landowner does not understand that her son sees her treatment of other people and repeats it. Thus, the weather in the house determines the character of the young man and his shortcomings. Fonvizin emphasizes the importance of maintaining warmth, tenderness and respect in the family towards all its members. Only then will children be respectful and parents worthy of respect.
• The theme of freedom of choice. The “new” stage is Starodum’s relationship with Sophia. Starodum gives her freedom of choice, without limiting her with his beliefs, which can affect her worldview, thereby cultivating in her the ideal of a noble future.

Main problems

• The main problem of the work is the consequences of improper upbringing. The Prostakov family is a family tree that has its roots in the distant past of the nobility. This is what the landowners boast about, not realizing that the glory of their ancestors does not add to their dignity. But class pride has clouded their minds, they do not want to move forward and achieve new achievements, they think that everything will always be as before. That’s why they don’t realize the need for education; in their world, enslaved by stereotypes, it really isn’t needed. Mitrofanushka will also sit in the village all her life and live off the labor of her serfs.
• The problem of serfdom. The moral and intellectual decay of the nobility under serfdom is an absolutely logical result of the tsar’s unjust policies. The landowners have become completely lazy; they don’t need to work to support themselves. The managers and peasants will do everything for them. With such a social system, the nobles have no incentive to work and get an education.
• The problem of greed. The thirst for material well-being blocks access to morality. Prostakovs are fixated on money and power, they don’t care whether their child is happy, for them happiness is synonymous with wealth.
• The problem of ignorance. Stupidity deprives the heroes of spirituality; their world is too limited and tied to the material side of life. They are not interested in anything other than primitive physical pleasures, because they don’t know anything else at all. Fonvizin saw the true “human appearance” only in the person who was raised by literate people, and not by half-educated sextons.

Comedy idea

Fonvizin was a person, so he did not accept rudeness, ignorance and cruelty. He professed the belief that man is born " blank slate“, therefore, only upbringing and education can make him a moral, virtuous and intelligent citizen who will benefit the fatherland. Thus, chanting the ideals of humanism - main idea"Undergrown." A young man who obeys the call of goodness, intelligence and justice is a true nobleman! If he is brought up in the spirit of Prostakova, then he will never go beyond the narrow confines of his limitations and will not understand the beauty and versatility of the world in which he lives. He will not be able to work for the good of society and will not leave anything significant behind.

At the end of the comedy, the author speaks of the triumph of “retribution”: Prostakova loses the estate and the respect of her own son, raised in accordance with her spiritual and physical ideals. This is the price to pay for miseducation and ignorance.

What does it teach?

Denis Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor,” first of all, teaches respect for one’s neighbors. The sixteen-year-old young man Mitrofanushka did not perceive the care of either his mother or his uncle at all; he took it for granted as a fact: “Why, uncle, have you eaten too much henbane? Yes, I don’t know why you deigned to attack me.” The natural result of rough treatment in the home is the ending where the son pushes away his loving mother.

The lessons of the comedy “Minor” do not end there. It is not so much respect as ignorance that shows people in the position they are carefully trying to hide. Stupidity and ignorance hover in the comedy like a bird over a nest, they envelop the village, thereby not letting the inhabitants out of their own shackles. The author cruelly punishes the Prostakovs for their narrow-mindedness, depriving them of their property and the very opportunity to continue their idle lifestyle. Thus, everyone needs to learn, because even the most stable position in society can easily be lost if you are an uneducated person.

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Denis Fonvizin was a bright personality and a talented writer who knew how to truthfully portray various problems of Russian society in his works. Possessing an excellent sense of humor, he spoke easily about difficult things and made people laugh at ignorance and stupidity. And yet his laughter was not for the sake of entertainment, but to draw attention to the problem. This is what happened in his play “The Minor.”

In form it is called a comedy, but it reflects tragic moments in the history of the Russian state, namely: the rise of serfdom, the arbitrariness of the autocracy and destructive education. Central problem- education of young nobles. Fonvizin shows, using the example of the main character Mitrofan, how an incorrect approach to education and training forms the hero’s ugly personality.

The author was a supporter of the Enlightenment, and his educational ideals embodied in many works, including the comedy “Minor.” Since the figures of the Enlightenment saw the value of art, first of all, in its educational and moral function, it is not surprising that the main problem in the play it is the education of a teenager. The writer was an ardent opponent homeschooling, which was accepted in wealthy noble families. After all, the children saw only the example of their family and had no social experience.

He does not listen to his paid teachers because he adopts the communication style of Prostakova, a rude and ignorant mistress. She cannot read or write, so she sees no point in studying. The minor, seeing the example of his uncle Skotinin, begins to behave like a rude and primitive beast. But the slavish example of the nanny and father confirms in him the idea that people in power are bowed down to. That is why Mitrofan behaves imperiously and is rude to other people.

Paid teachers have no influence on the student because they are afraid of dismissal and do not see support from Mrs. Prostakova. In such conditions we can hardly talk about full-fledged education and science. The author supported the idea of ​​placing children in educational establishments to tear off the family and only their example.

The hero lives according to the “old” order, without asking for high position, as many other nobles do. He sees the purpose of a true nobleman in business, in service to the homeland, and not in rank: “A pious man is jealous of business, and not of rank.”

An ideal state, according to the author, should be based on reasonable progressive principles, and not on the cruel centrism of the power of managers. The ideals of the Enlightenment should give birth to a humane and intelligent person in the place of the serf owner. Only progressive smart people can rule a state - the main idea of ​​Denis Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor.”

The comedy "The Minor" was written by Denis Fonvizin in the 18th century. In the work, the author reveals the most relevant themes and ideas for that time - issues of social ideals, morality, personal honor and service to the fatherland, the conflict between “fathers and sons” and the importance of parental education in the formation of a conscious personality.

Theme of the comedy "Undergrown"

The leading theme of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” is the theme of educating the new nobility. The author reveals it by contrasting the characters who carry the ideas of enlightenment (Pravdin, Starodum, Sophia, Milon) and representatives of outdated, outdated foundations feudal society(Prostakovs, Mitrofan, Skotinin). This division of the characters in the work “The Minor” is not accidental - they were brought up differently, and therefore have radically opposite views on life. This is reflected even in the relationship between parents and children - just remember how the mutual respect between Sophia and Starodum contrasts with the excessive indulgence of the whims of the spoiled Mitrofan, who does not appreciate what Prostakova gives him and in the end abandons his mother altogether.

It is in the problems of family education that Fonvizin sees the reason for the general moral degradation and lack of education of the Russian nobility of that era. Prostakova, wanting to save money, hires unprofessional teachers - retired sergeant Tsyfirkin, who did not graduate from the Kuteikin seminary and has nothing to do with Vralman’s sciences. Mitrofan is essentially taught by slaves, but what can they teach except to be just like them? (Let us remember the ironic moment when the young man repeated after Kuteikin “I am a worm...” and “I am a cattle”). Ironically, Fonvizin drew attention to the fact that Russia of that era needed urgent educational reform. Nobles should be raised as strong, independent, enlightened individuals with high ideals. And the people serving at court are no exception - we learn about the decline of their morals from Starodum’s speeches when he recalls his years of service.

An additional theme of “The Minor” is the issue of duty to the homeland and its honest fulfillment. As becomes clear when detailed analysis works, it is closely related to the theme of education. High morality, the concept of honor, the ability to neglect one’s own benefit and comfort for the sake of a bright future for the homeland can only be instilled from parents or educated teachers. At the time the play was written, these views were advanced, since the idea was implanted among the nobility that it was necessary to serve first of all the sovereign, and not the fatherland. It was precisely for such rather harsh statements in the work that Fonvizin was limited in literary activity by order of Catherine II.

The idea of ​​the comedy "Minor"

The idea of ​​the comedy “Minor” echoes its theme - it is a condemnation of immorality, cruelty, stupidity, greed of landowners and the celebration of the ideals of enlightenment and humanism. Fonvizin himself was a personality of the Enlightenment, so the highest human principles were the main ones for him. Depicting in a comedy the horrors of ignorance of the “old” nobles, the author exposed the shortcomings of the existing in Russia social order. Fonvizin saw victory over them in the primacy of a fair, humane law, as this happens at the end of the play. Pravdin, who personifies the letter of the law, after receiving confirmation that the Prostakov village is coming under his care, prohibits Prostakova from “playing out” her anger against the serfs. Moreover, he himself pays the teachers, but in the way they really deserve. However, the reader (or viewer) understands that a fair law triumphed only in this village, and not throughout Tsarist Russia, since the highest ranks are still occupied by representatives of landowner morality - the same Prostakovs and Skotinins, who are ready to flatter for their own benefit to a stranger and deceive your relatives.

Thus, the theme and idea of ​​“The Minor” are closely related. In the comedy, Fonvizin not only ridiculed the cruel, uneducated landowners, but also, using the example of Pravdin, Milon, Sophia, Starodum, showed what the personality of the Enlightenment should be like in Tsarist Russia. The author focuses on the fact that it is possible to achieve the renewal of society only through a complete reform of the system of upbringing and education. Outdated ideals must be discarded, while humanism, honesty, justice, and morality must become the basis of a renewed nobility.

To summarize, it is worth noting that Fonvizin created brilliant work, whose ideas have not lost their relevance today. The play attracts more and more readers and researchers with its depth and topicality of the issues covered.

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