The little man who wrote. Research work “The image of the “little man” in Russian literature

Anikin A. A. The definition of “little man” is a true long-liver in school and university literary criticism. Devoid of scientific dryness, it is also convenient for exam topics. Therefore, it is natural that a certain semantic and emotional stereotype has developed that accompanies this expression. Even the literary heroes themselves openly recommend themselves this way: “I, sir, am a little man” (Kuligin from A.N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”), with the natural addition: “You can offend me!” This, it would seem, is the whole simple meaning of this name. But this is clearly a crafty simplicity, which, due to its many years, or even centuries of existence, turns out to be completely unproductive both for literary analysis and for living, explanatory writing. This apparent simplicity is aggravated by the fact that the image “ little man", out of compassion or something, they usually make it look younger: good when its pedigree is traced back to " Poor Lisa» N.M. Karamzin, otherwise they’ll throw back another half century and give N.V. as a “father.” Gogol with the story “The Overcoat”. If we look impartially, not through established dogmas, we will see a different picture. First, not every poor person depicted will respond to this theme. The same Kuligin is filled with such pretentious pathos that the definition of “little man” is more a mask than authenticity. He wants to “command thunder with his mind”, he will reject all natural laws and invent the “perpeta mobile”, the notorious perpetual motion machine, symbol human pride; he sees himself as a rich man, the owner of a million, a judge and benefactor of the people, almost a mouthpiece of God (in the final remark “she is now before a judge who is more merciful than you”), and it is hardly possible to “offend” him: they are too annoying and defiant to him demands to “finance” him, Kuligin’s inventive whims... Secondly, already from Kuligin’s short assessment it is clear that the content of the image with the emblem of the “little man” is far from monotonous, rather paradoxical, and this is exactly what makes this topic interesting and lively, despite the known costs of any stable expression. In short, the prevailing pattern is that the “little man” is seen as a victim of one kind or another. public relations: if he is good (let’s say, like Samson Vyrin), then society unfairly keeps him in the fourteenth, last class; if he is bad, like ninth-grade official Akakiy Bashmachkin, then society is to blame for his shortcomings (remember that N.G. Chernyshevsky called Akakiy Akakievich nothing less than an “idiot”: “a complete ignoramus and a complete idiot, incapable of anything” , 5, 323). To discuss a topic in such a spirit is not only vulgar or uninteresting, but the main thing is that it does not mean understanding the text, but fitting it into an ideological scheme that remains tenacious, despite the seeming change of social ideologies. So, in the future we will turn to the same images of Pushkin and Gogol, but we will emphasize that building social protection their heroes are not included in the author’s position, and this, however, does not at all negate the motive of compassion: the authors see their heroes not in socio-political coordinates, but rather put them before God, before eternity, before entities human existence(bright symbolic episodes: parable about prodigal son, choosing a name, death and transformation, etc.).

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………….4

Main part…………………………………………………………………………………………4

Chapter 1. “Little Man” Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin……………………………………..4

Chapter 2. "Little Man" in the works " Stationmaster", "Bronze Horseman", " Captain's daughter"……………………………………………………………..4

Chapter 3. . "Death of an Official" "Man in a Case." "The triumph of the winner."

"Chameleon". "Thick and thin"…………………………………………………………………………………6

Chapter 4. . "Poor people." "Crime and Punishment". ……………………..7

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Used literature…………………………………………………………………………………...8

Applications……………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

Hypothesis: Man - does that sound proud?

Target: Identify image features of this type heroes in literature and understand the reasons for the appearance of such people in society

Objectives: read works of Russian literature of the 19th century: the story "The Overcoat", the story "The Station Warden", "The Bronze Horseman", "The Captain's Daughter"; study critical literature on the story; familiarize yourself with Internet resources on this issue.

Methodology:

1. At the stage of determining the needs of students, the following methods will be effective:

A) studying a student questionnaire that determines the level of their knowledge on the topic;

B) the use of an analytical table that reveals the degree of understanding of the essence of the proposed study.

This stage is extremely important, as it allows the teacher to adjust the work on the project, and the students to assess their own abilities and correlate them with the objectives of the project.

2. During the students’ work on the project, it is possible to use a wide variety of methods:

a) drawing up a map plan for the upcoming work, which will allow students to feel

responsibility for one’s own learning, as well as to introduce assessment criteria for each stage of work;

b) “brainstorming” - in order to concentrate ideas about the upcoming work;

c) informal observations of the teacher, which will support the adjustment of the study and provide grounds for objective assessment;

d) feedback from peers, helping the student evaluate the quality of his work and relate it to the needs of the general study in the group;

e) self-assessment and reflection, giving the student the opportunity to evaluate his own work and think about methods for improving it;

e) implementation reports key stages project, presented in the form of rough sketches, plans, diagrams, informal questionnaires in which students express their thoughts about the progress of the research. These methods will allow the teacher and students to constantly evaluate the progress of work on the project and will contribute to the development of high-level thinking skills.

3. After completing the project, it is expected to evaluate the following final works of students:

a) reports - presentations on the research conducted;

b) speeches at the final student conference;

c) creative works in the form of essays and wiki articles;

d) dramatization of fragments of Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”

e) student portfolio with research materials.

When assessing at each stage of work on the project, the depth and completeness of the research, the use of various educational resources, a creative approach, the ability to connect the problem with other areas of science and see the prospects for its development will be taken into account.

What do I know: Spiritual world the “little man” is meager and uninteresting.

What else needs to be found: to reveal the true face, the spiritual potential of the “little man” using the example of the image of Bashmachkin from Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”, Samson Vyrin from the story “The Station Warden” and heroes of other works.

Introduction

The definition of "little man" applies to the category literary heroes era of realism, usually occupying a rather low place in the social hierarchy: a minor official, a tradesman or even a poor nobleman. The image of the “little man” turned out to be all the more relevant the more democratic literature became. The very concept of “little man” was most likely introduced into use by Belinsky (1840 article “Woe from Wit”). The theme of the “little man” is raised by many writers. It has always been relevant because its task is to reflect the life of an ordinary person with all its experiences, problems, troubles and little joys. The writer takes on the hard work of showing and explaining life ordinary people. “The little man is a representative of the entire people. And each writer represents him in his own way.

The project is dedicated to a cross-cutting theme in Russian literature - the evolution of the image of the "little man". This topic is quite capacious; it reflects many literary and social processes, which took place in Russia throughout the 19th century. The works contain rich material for the development of this topic, for the development of analytical abilities, thinking, and general intelligence of students. The project method will allow us to consider this topic comprehensively, in integration with psychology, sociology, and the realities of the modern world.

Main part

Chapter 1. “Little Man” Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin

It often happens in life that cruel and heartless people who humiliate and insult the dignity of other people often look more pathetic and insignificant than their victims. The same impression of spiritual meagerness and fragility from the offenders of the petty official Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin remains with us after reading Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”. Akaki Akakievich is a real “little man”. Why? Firstly, he stands on one of the lowest steps of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is not noticeable at all. Secondly, the world of his spiritual life and human interests is extremely narrowed, impoverished, and limited. Gogol himself characterized his hero as poor, mediocre, insignificant and unnoticed. In life, he was assigned an insignificant role as a copyist of documents for one of the departments. Brought up in an atmosphere of unquestioning submission and execution of orders from his superiors, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin was not used to reflecting on the content and meaning of his work. Therefore, when he is offered tasks that require the manifestation of elementary intelligence, he begins to worry, worry, and ultimately comes to the conclusion: “No, it’s better to let me rewrite something.” Bashmachkin's spiritual life is also limited. Collecting money for a new overcoat becomes for him the meaning of his whole life, filling it with happiness in anticipation of the fulfillment of his cherished desire. Theft new overcoat acquired through such hardships and suffering becomes truly a disaster for him. Those around him laughed at his misfortune, and no one helped him. The “significant person” shouted at him so much that poor Akaki Akakievich lost consciousness. Almost no one noticed his death. Despite the uniqueness of the image created by the writer, he, Bashmachkin, does not look lonely in the minds of readers, and we imagine that there were a great many similarly humiliated people sharing the lot of Akaki Akakievich. Gogol was the first to talk about the tragedy of the “little man,” respect for whom did not depend on his spiritual qualities, not from education and intelligence, but from his position in society. The writer compassionately showed the injustice and oppressiveness of society in relation to the “little man” and for the first time called on this society to pay attention to the inconspicuous, pitiful and funny people, as it seemed at first glance. It’s not their fault that they are not very smart, and sometimes not smart at all. But they don’t harm anyone, and this is very important. So why then laugh at them? Maybe you can't treat them with more respect, but you can't offend them. They, like everyone else, have the right to a decent life, to the opportunity to feel like full-fledged people.

Chapter 2. “Little Man" in works"The Station Agent", "The Bronze Horseman", "The Captain's Daughter"

The greatest poet of the 19th century also did not leave the theme of the “little man” unnoticed, only he turned his gaze not to the image of the kneeling man, but to the fate of the unfortunate man, showing us his pure soul, unspoiled by wealth and prosperity, who knows how to rejoice, love, and suffer. This is the story "The Station Agent", part of the cycle of "Belkin's Tales". Pushkin sympathizes with his hero. Initially, his life is not easy. “Who hasn’t cursed the stationmasters, who hasn’t scolded them? Who, in a moment of anger, hasn’t demanded from them a fatal book in order to write into it their useless complaint about oppression, rudeness and malfunction? Who doesn’t consider them monsters of the human race, equal to the deceased let's clerk or at least Murom robbers? Let us, however, be fair, we will try to put ourselves in their position and, perhaps, we will begin to judge them much more leniently. What is a stationmaster? A real martyr of the fourteenth class, protected by his rank only from beatings, and even then not always... I have peace neither day nor night. The traveler takes out all the frustration accumulated during a boring ride on the caretaker. The weather is unbearable, the road is bad, the driver is stubborn, the horses are not carrying - and the caretaker is to blame. Entering his poor home, a traveler looks at him as if he were an enemy; it would be good if he soon managed to get rid of the uninvited guest; but what if the horses don't happen? God! what curses, what threats will rain down on his head! In the rain and slush, he is forced to run around the yards; in a storm, in the Epiphany frost, he goes into the hallway, just to rest for a minute from the screams and pushes of an irritated guest... Let's look into all this carefully, and instead of indignation, our hearts will be filled with sincere compassion." This is Pushkin's text, but behind it we hear Radishchev's voices and Karamzin. But the hero of the story - Samson Vyrin - is quite happy and calm, he has long adapted to the conditions of service, his beautiful daughter Dunya helps him run a simple household, he dreams of simple human happiness, hoping to take care of his grandchildren, to spend his old age with his family. A passing hussar, Minsky, is preparing for him to take Dunya away, without thinking about the consequences of his action. The unfortunate father hopes to return his daughter, but how can he compete with the rich hussar? unsuccessful attempt to return his daughter, when the hussar “grabbed the old man by the collar with a strong hand and pushed him onto the stairs,” Vyrin was no longer able to fight. He “thought, waved his hand and decided to retreat.” Samson died in longing for his daughter, grieving over her possible deplorable fate. Evgeny, the hero of The Bronze Horseman, looks like Samson Vyrin.

…Our hero
Lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere,
Avoids nobles...

He does not make great plans for the future; he is satisfied with a quiet, inconspicuous life.

What was he thinking about? About,
That he was poor, that he worked hard
He had to deliver to himself
Both independence and honor;
What could God add to him?
Mind and money.

He also hopes for his personal, albeit small, but much-needed family happiness.

Marry? To me? Why not?
It's hard, of course.
But well, I'm young and healthy
Ready to work day and night;
I’ll arrange something for myself
Shelter humble and simple
And in it I will calm Parasha.
Perhaps a couple of weeks will pass -
I’ll get a place, Parashe
I will entrust our family
And raising children.
And we will live, and so on until the grave
We'll both get there hand in hand
And our grandchildren will bury us.

But all his dreams are in vain, because evil rock bursts into his life: the elements destroy his beloved. Evgeniy cannot resist fate; he quietly experiences his loss. And only in a state of madness does he threaten the Bronze Horseman, considering the man who built the city on this ruinous place to be the culprit of his misfortune. Pushkin looks at his heroes from the outside. They do not stand out for their intelligence or their position in society, but they are kind and decent people, and therefore worthy of respect and sympathy. In the novel "The Captain's Daughter" the category of "little people" includes Pyotr Andreevich Grinev and Captain Mironov. They are distinguished by the same qualities: kindness, justice, decency, the ability to love and respect people. But they have one more thing good quality- stay true to your word. Pushkin included the saying in the epigraph: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” They saved their honor. And just as dear as the heroes of his previously mentioned works.

Chapter 3.. "Death of an Official" "Man in a Case." "The triumph of the winner." "Chameleon". "Thick and thin".

“Little Man” is constantly found on the pages of works. This is the main character of his work. Chekhov's attitude towards such people is especially evident in his satirical stories. And this attitude is unambiguous. In the story “The Death of an Official,” the “little man” Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov constantly and obsessively apologizes to General Brizzhalov for accidentally spraying him when he sneezed. “I sprayed him!” thought Chervyakov. “Not my boss, a stranger, but still awkward. I need to apologize.” Keyword in this thought - “boss”. Chervyakov probably wouldn’t endlessly apologize to an ordinary person. Ivan Dmitrievich has a fear of his superiors, and this fear turns into flattery and deprives him of self-respect. A person has already reached the point where he allows himself to be trampled into the dirt; moreover, he himself helps to do this. We must give the general his due; he treats our hero very politely. But the common man was not accustomed to such treatment. thinks that he was ignored and comes to ask for forgiveness several days in a row. Brizzhalov gets fed up with this and finally yells at Chervyakov. “Get out!” the general, suddenly blue and shaking, barked.
“What, sir?” Chervyakov asked in a whisper, dying of horror.
-Go away!! - the general repeated, stamping his feet.
Something came off in Chervyakov’s stomach. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed away to the door, went out into the street and trudged... Arriving automatically home, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died." This is what fear of higher ranks, eternal admiration and humiliation before them leads to. To more fully reveal the image of his hero, Chekhov used a “speaking” surname. Yes, Ivan Dmitrievich is small, pitiful, like a worm, he can be crushed without effort, and most importantly, he is just as unpleasant.

In the story “The Triumph of the Winner,” Chekhov presents us with a story in which a father and son humiliate themselves before their boss so that the son can get a position.
“The boss was talking and, apparently, wanted to seem witty. I don’t know if he said anything funny, but I just remember that dad pushed me in the side every minute and said:
-Laugh!...
... - Yes, yes! - Dad whispered. - Well done! He looks at you and laughs... This is good; Maybe he’ll actually give you a job as an assistant clerk!”
And again we are faced with admiration for superiors. And again this is self-deprecation and flattery. People are ready to please the boss to achieve their insignificant goal. It doesn’t even occur to them to remember that there is a simple human dignity, which must not be lost under any circumstances. I wanted all people to be beautiful and free. “Everything in a person should be beautiful: face, clothes, soul, and thoughts.” Anton Pavlovich thought so, therefore, ridiculing primitive man in his stories, he called for self-improvement. Chekhov hated self-humiliation, eternal servility and admiration for officials. Gorky said about Chekhov: “His enemy was vulgarity, and he fought against it all his life.” Yes, he fought against it with his works, he bequeathed to us to “squeeze the slave out of ourselves drop by drop.” Perhaps such a vile lifestyle of his “little people”, their low thoughts and misbehavior- the result of not only personal character traits, but also their social status and existing orders political system. After all, Chervyakov would not have apologized so zealously and lived in eternal fear of officials if he had not been afraid of the consequences. The characters in the stories “Chameleon”, “Thick and Thin”, “Man in a Case” and many others have the same unpleasant character traits. Anton Pavlovich believed that a person should have a goal, the fulfillment of which he will strive, and if there is none or it is completely small and insignificant, then the person becomes just as small and insignificant. A person must work and love - these are the two things that play main role in the life of any person: small and not small.

Chapter 4. . "Poor people." "Crime and Punishment".

If Chekhov’s characters are humiliated and do not realize their insignificance, then Dostoevsky’s “little man” fully understands his uselessness, uselessness.

In the novel "Poor People" we're talking about about "little people". Makar Devushkin and Varvara Alekseevna also belong to the lower class of society. They want to live well, work, hope for their happiness. Makar Devushkin loves Varenka very much, he is like a father to her: he buys her what she dreams of, although she does not ask him for it, and he himself remains virtually without food, becomes a debtor to the owner of the house in which he lives. Varenka, having learned about Makar Devushkin’s misfortune, tries to help him: she sends him money so that he can pay the hostess and buy something for himself. It should be noted that she gives away far from extra money earned by her painstaking work. Pity and kindness are characteristic of this gentle girl and her friend, Makar Devushkin, who once saved her from an evil relative. Mutual assistance is very important here, because this is the only thing these people can hope for. The author with his works wanted to point out the problems of the disadvantaged. They are forced to live in dark, dirty, nasty and smelly areas of the city. And what did many of them do to deserve this? What did Sonya Marmeladova do to deserve this? What did Makar Devushkin and Varvara Alekseevna deserve this? This is what Dostoevsky draws attention to. His “little man” knows how to reason. He is not only “humiliated and insulted”, realizing his insignificance, he is also a philosopher who poses questions of the greatest importance to society.

Conclusion

The idea of ​​the “little man” changed throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each writer also had his own personal views on of this hero. But already from the second third of the 20th century this image disappears from the pages of literary works, because the method socialist realism does not imply such a hero. In the process of studying the subject, we came to the conclusion that it was impossible to identify any system for changing the views of writers on these heroes. But you can find common ground in views different writers. For example, writers of the first half of the 19th century (Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol) treat the “little man” with sympathy. Griboyedov stands apart, he looks at this hero differently, which brings his views closer to the views of Chekhov and partly Ostrovsky. Here the concept of vulgarity and self-humiliation comes to the fore. In the minds of L. Tolstoy, N. Leskov, A. Kuprin, a “little man” is a talented, selfless person. Such a diversity of views of writers depends on the characteristics of their worldview and on the diversity human types that surrounds us in real life

conclusions

As a result of the work, we came to the conclusion that a person is not just a physiological and social being living among other people, but also an individual endowed with his own rich inner world, feelings, thoughts, rights. Gogol was the first to talk about the tragedy of the “little man,” respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer compassionately showed the injustice and despotism of society in relation to the “little man” and for the first time called on this society to pay attention to people who were invisible, pitiful and funny, as it seemed at first glance. It’s not their fault that they are not very smart, and sometimes not smart at all. But they don’t harm anyone, and this is very important. So why then laugh at them? Maybe you can't treat them with more respect, but you can't offend them. They, like everyone else, have the right to a decent life, to the opportunity to feel like full-fledged people.

References.

Textbooks, teaching aids, reading books, laboratory manuals, reference material, etc.

Printed materials Dictionaries, manuals, reference materials, etc.

1. Voropaev Vasilievich Gogol. Russian writers. 19th century. – M., 2000.

2. "Overcoat"

3. "Crime and Punishment"

4. "Inspector"

5. Esin and techniques for analyzing a literary work. – M., 2000.

6. Lotman space in Gogol’s prose. – M., 1978.

7. Mann by Gogol. – M., 1978.

8. Gogol’s Mashinsky world. – M., 1983.

"Little Man" in literature is designation of rather heterogeneous heroes, united by the fact that they occupy one of the lowest places in the social hierarchy and that this circumstance determines their psychology and social behavior(humiliation combined with a sense of injustice, wounded pride).

Therefore, the “Little Man” often acts in opposition to another character, a high-ranking person, “ significant person"(according to the usage adopted in Russian literature under the influence of "The Overcoat", 1842, N.V. Gogol), and the development of the plot is constructed mainly as a story of resentment, insult, misfortune.

"Little Man" has international distribution, and its origins date back to ancient times. The neo-Attic comedy already showed interest in the life of the “Little Man”; The point of view of the “Little Man” was used in Juvenal’s satires, which exposed the moral degradation of those in power. In medieval literature, an example of the implementation of such a point of view is “Prayer” by Daniil Zatochnik (13th century). One of the first works in European literature, dedicated to the theme of “The Little Man”, is considered to be “The Vicar of Wakefield” (1766) by O. Goldsmith, where the typical plot outline for this theme has already been outlined (persecution of a poor man, seduction of his daughter by a landowner).

The theme of the “Little Man” was consistently developed in Russian literature of the 19th century, especially after “The Station Agent” (1830) by A.S. Pushkin. One of the first cases of the use of the concept is found in V. G. Belinsky’s article “Woe from Wit” (1840), with a clear description of the entire opposition: “Become our mayor<из «Ревизора» Гоголя>general - and when he lives in county town, woe to the little man... then the comedy could turn out to be a tragedy for the “little man”....”

In the 1830-50s, the theme of “The Little Man” was developed in Russian literature mainly in line with the story about a poor official; evolution took place central character, rethinking the motives of his behavior. If the object of Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin’s aspirations is a thing, an overcoat, then in the works of the natural school (Ya.P. Butkov, A.N. Maikov, etc.) the hero’s affection for his daughter, bride, lover was pointedly brought to the fore, and the discrepancy between the official ( official) and his home life, primary attention was paid to the motives of honor, pride, and “ambition.”

This process reached its culmination point in “Poor People” (1846) by F.M. Dostoevsky, which was emphasized by the polemical repulsion of the main character of the story from Gogol’s Bashmachkin. In the literature of the second half of the 19th century, the theme of the “Little Man” continued to develop in the works of Dostoevsky, A.N. Ostrovsky, E. Zola, A. Daudet, and among verists (see Verism). At the origins of the theme in modern literature stands Svejk (J. Hasek. The adventures of the good soldier Svejk during the World War, 1921-23), whose naivety and “idiocy” are the flip side of wisdom that protects him from the omnipotence of militarism and bureaucracy.

The definition of “little man” is applied to the category of literary heroes of the era of realism, usually occupying a rather low place in the social hierarchy: a minor official, a tradesman, or even a poor nobleman. The image of the “little man” turned out to be more and more relevant the more democratic literature became. The very concept of “little man” was most likely introduced into use by V.G. Belinsky Belinsky V.G. "Woe from Wit." Comedy in four acts, in verse. Essay by A.S. Griboedova. // A.S. Griboedov in Russian criticism: Collection of articles. / Comp., intro. Art. and note. A.M. Gordina. - M., 1958. - P.111..

The theme of the “little man” is raised by many writers. It has always been relevant because its task is to reflect the life of an ordinary person with all its experiences, problems, troubles and little joys. The writer takes on the hard work of showing and explaining the lives of ordinary people. The “little man” is a representative of the people as a whole. And each writer presents it in his own way Krasukhin K. Ranks and awards of characters in Russian literature // Literature (PS). - 2004. - No. 11. - P. 9..

What is a “little man”? In what sense is “small”? This person is small precisely in social terms, since he occupies one of the lower steps of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is little or not noticeable. This man is also “small” because the world of his spiritual life and human aspirations is also extremely narrowed, impoverished, surrounded by all sorts of prohibitions and taboos. For him, for example, there are no historical and philosophical problems. He remains in a narrow and closed circle of his life interests.

Never attracted the attention of others, forgotten by everyone, humiliated people. Their life, their little joys and big troubles seemed insignificant to everyone, unworthy of attention. The era produced such people and such an attitude towards them. Cruel times and tsarist injustice forced the “little people” to withdraw into themselves, to withdraw completely into their souls, which had suffered, with the painful problems of that period; they lived an unnoticed life and also died unnoticed. But it was precisely such people at some point, by the will of circumstances, obeying the cry of the soul, who began to fight against powerful of the world This, calling for justice, ceased to be nothing. That's why writers turned their attention to them late XVII- XIX centuries With each work, the life of people of the “lower” class was shown more and more clearly and truthfully. Little officials, stationmasters, “little people” who had gone mad against their own free will began to emerge from the shadows.

Interest in the “little man”, in his fate and pain for him is constantly and repeatedly observed in the works of the great Russian writers Nabati Sh. The theme of “little man” in the story “The Overcoat” by N.V. Gogol and in the story “Cow” by G. Saedi // Bulletin of the development of science and education. - 2011. - No. 3. - P.103..

Among Russian writers A.S. Pushkin was one of the first to put forward the theme of the “little man” in Russian literature.

A.S. Pushkin in “Belkin's Tales” focuses on the fate of the “little man,” whom he tried to portray objectively, without idealization. In these stories, unlike many other works of that time in Russia, Pushkin began to write and talk about the ordinary, common man and tried to describe the life of such a person in society.

So, greatest poet XIX century A.S. Pushkin did not leave the theme of the “little man” unnoticed, only he focused his gaze not on the image of the kneeling man, but on the fate of the unfortunate man, showing us his pure soul, unspoiled by wealth and prosperity, who knows how to rejoice, love, suffer, in the story “The Station Agent” , part of the cycle of “Belkin’s Tales”.

A.S. Pushkin sympathizes with his hero. Initially, his life is not easy: “Who hasn’t cursed the stationmasters, who hasn’t scolded them? Who, in a moment of anger, did not demand from them a fatal book in order to write into it his useless complaint about oppression, rudeness and malfunction? Who does not consider them monsters of the human race, equal to the late clerks or at least the Murom robbers? Let us, however, be fair, we will try to put ourselves in their position and, perhaps, we will begin to judge them much more leniently. What is a stationmaster? A real martyr of the fourteenth class, protected by his rank only from beatings, and even then not always... I have peace neither day nor night. The traveler takes out all the frustration accumulated during a boring ride on the caretaker. The weather is unbearable, the road is bad, the driver is stubborn, the horses are not carrying - and the caretaker is to blame. Entering his poor home, a traveler looks at him as if he were an enemy; it would be good if he soon managed to get rid of the uninvited guest; but what if the horses don't happen? God! what curses, what threats will rain down on his head! In the rain and slush, he is forced to run around the yards; in a storm, in the Epiphany frost, he goes into the hallway, just to rest for a minute from the screams and pushes of an irritated guest... Let’s look into all this thoroughly, and instead of indignation, our hearts will be filled with sincere compassion.” Pushkin A.S. Collection Op.: In 10 volumes. - T.5. - Novels, stories. - M., 1960. - P. 118. .

The hero of the story, Samson Vyrin, remains happy and calm person until some time. He is accustomed to his service and has a good assistant, his daughter. He dreams of simple happiness, grandchildren, big family, but fate has other plans. Hussar Minsky, while passing through their place, takes his daughter Dunya with him. After an unsuccessful attempt to return his daughter, when the hussar “grabbed the old man by the collar with a strong hand and pushed him onto the stairs” Ibid. - P. 119., Vyrin was no longer able to fight. And the unfortunate old man dies of melancholy, grieving over the possible pitiable fate of his daughter.

A.S. Pushkin in “The Station Agent” reveals the image of Vyrin in family tragedy. The caretaker is offended in his fatherly feelings, his human dignity is violated. Vyrin’s struggle with Minsky is for the assertion of the right to loved one. The development of events is associated with drastic changes in the private lives of the characters. Nevertheless, it would be wrong not to see in Pushkin’s conflict a “reflection social contradictions: private life determined by the legal, property status" Belkind V.S. The image of the “little man” in Pushkin and Dostoevsky (Samson Vyrin and Makar Devushkin) / V.S. Belkind // Pushkin collection. - Pskov, 1968. - P. 142..

From the very first lines, the author introduces us to the powerless world of people in this profession. Every person passing by almost considers it his duty to pour out all the anger accumulated in road troubles on him. However, despite all the difficulties associated with the profession, the caretakers, according to Pushkin, are “... peaceful people, naturally helpful, inclined to live together, modest in their claims to honor and not too money-loving.” This is exactly the kind of person described in the story. Semyon Vyrin is a typical representative of the petty bureaucratic class, he regularly performed his service and had his own “little” happiness - the beautiful daughter Dunya, who remained in his arms after the death of his wife. The clever, friendly Dunyasha became not only the mistress of the house, but also her father’s first assistant in his difficult work. Rejoicing, looking at his daughter, Vyrin probably painted in his imagination pictures of the future, where he, already an old man, lives next to Dunya, who has become a respected wife and mother. But the laws of the era enter into the narrative, when any elder, whether by rank, rank or class, invades the life of the “little man,” sweeping away everything in his path, regardless of other people’s feelings or moral principles. Breaking lives, crippling the souls of people, feeling the protection of others in power or money. This is what Hussar Minsky did to Vyrin, who took Dunya to St. Petersburg. The poor caretaker tries to resist the blows of fate by going in search of his daughter. But in a world where everything is bought and sold, they do not believe sincere, even paternal, feelings. Minsky sends the unfortunate father out.

Fate gave him another chance to see his daughter, but Dunya betrayed her father for the second time, allowing Minsky to push the old man out the door. Even after seeing her father’s grief, she did not repent to him and did not come to him. Devoted and lonely lives last days Vyrin at his station, sad about his daughter. The loss of his daughter deprived the old man of the meaning of life. An indifferent society silently looked at him and hundreds of others like him, and everyone understood that it was stupid to ask the strong for protection for the weak. The destiny of the “little man” is humility. And the stationmaster died from his own helplessness and from the selfish callousness of the society around him.

Professor N.Ya. Berkovsky points out that “Pushkin portrays Samson Vyrin with sympathetic insight into his social personality, with precision in everything that notes how he is positioned in the official, public world” Berkovsky N.Ya. Articles about literature. - M., 1962. - P. 329. However, there is no reason to exaggerate the sociality of Pushkin’s story and turn Vyrin into an active Protestant. This is, first of all, a family story with a relatively happy ending.

Evgeniy, the hero of The Bronze Horseman, looks like Samson Vyrin. The hero lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere, and shuns the nobles. He does not make great plans for the future; he is satisfied with a quiet, inconspicuous life. He also hopes for his personal, albeit small, but much-needed family happiness. But all his dreams are in vain, because evil fate bursts into his life: the elements destroy his beloved. Evgeniy cannot resist fate; he quietly experiences his loss. And only in a state of madness does he threaten the Bronze Horseman, considering the man who built the city on this ruinous place to be the culprit of his misfortune. A.S. Pushkin looks at his heroes from the outside. They do not stand out for their intelligence or their position in society, but they are kind and decent people, and therefore worthy of respect and sympathy.

“The Bronze Horseman” is one of the first works where the author tries to describe the “little man”. Pushkin begins his work odicly. He glorifies the city of Petra, the “greatness” of St. Petersburg, and admires the capital of Russia. In my opinion, the author does this in order to show the power of the capital and everything Russian state. Then the author begins his story. The main character is Eugene, he is an impoverished nobleman, has neither a high rank nor a noble name. Evgeniy lives a calm, measured life, provides for himself by working hard. Evgeny does not dream of high ranks, he only needs simple human happiness. But grief breaks into this measured course of his life; his beloved dies during a flood. Evgeny, realizing that he is powerless in the face of the elements, still tries to find those to blame for the fact that his hope for happiness has collapsed. And he finds it. Eugene blames Peter I, who built the city in this place, for his troubles, and therefore blames the entire state machine, thereby entering into an unequal battle; and Pushkin shows this through the revival of the monument to Peter I. Of course, in this fight Eugene, weak person, fails. Due to enormous grief and inability to fight the state main character is dying.

In the novel “The Captain's Daughter” the category of “little people” includes Pyotr Andreevich Grinev and Captain Mironov. They are distinguished by the same qualities: kindness, justice, decency, the ability to love and respect people. But they have one more very good quality - to remain faithful to their word. Pushkin included the saying in the epigraph: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” They saved their honor. And so are the roads of A.S. Pushkin, like the heroes of his previously mentioned works.

A.S. Pushkin puts forward in them the democratic theme of the little man. This is what he writes in his critical article « Fiction Pushkin” literary critic S.M. Petrov: “Belkin’s Tales” appeared in print first realistic work Russian prose. Along with traditional themes from the life of the nobility and estate (“Young Lady-Peasant”). Pushkin puts forward in them the democratic theme of the little man (the story “The Station Warden”), which precedes N.V.’s “The Overcoat”. Gogol" Petrov S.M. Pushkin's fiction / Collected works of A.S. Pushkin in 10 volumes. - T.5. - M., 1960. - P.6..

“Belkin’s Tales” was a polemical response to A.S. Pushkin on the main trends of contemporary Russian prose. The truthfulness of the image, deep penetration into the character of a person, the absence of any didacticism “The Station Agent” by A.S. Pushkin put an end to the influence of the sentimental-didactic story about a little person like “Poor Liza” by N.M. Karamzin. Idealized images deliberately created in didactic purposes plot situations of a sentimental story are replaced by real types and everyday paintings, depicting the true joys and sorrows of life. The deep humanism of the story by A.S. Pushkin confronts the abstract sensitivity of a sentimental story. The mannered language of a sentimental story, falling into moralizing rhetoric, gives way to a simple and ingenuous narrative, like the old caretaker’s story about his Duna. Realism is replacing sentimentalism in Russian prose.

The deep humanism of the story by A.S. Pushkin confronts the abstract sensitivity of a sentimental story. The mannered language of a sentimental story, falling into moralizing rhetoric, gives way to a simple and ingenuous narrative, like the old caretaker’s story about his Duna.

“In reality, Pushkin of the 30s, who more than once sympathetically depicted the life and way of life of “little people”, endowing the latter with warm human feelings, could not help but see at the same time the limitations, the poverty of the spiritual needs of a petty official, a tradesman, a seedy nobleman. While pitying the “little man,” Pushkin at the same time shows the petty-bourgeois narrowness of his requests.” Blagoy D.D. The creative path of Pushkin (1826-1830). - M., 1967. - P. 85..

In more late period the same Dmitry Blagoy in his book “The Creative Path of Pushkin” concludes new interpretation“little man” of the poet - the one who opposes himself to the autocracy: “The deep regularity, the organic nature of Peter’s theme for the post-December Pushkin is convincingly confirmed by the entire further course of his work, in which this theme becomes one of the leading, central themes, filling, as we will later see, increasingly complex ideological, philosophical and socio-historical content, acquiring an increasingly problematic character due to the formulation and artistic development A.S. Pushkin precisely on this topic of the central issues of his modernity and Russian historical life in general - about the relationship between the state and the individual, autocratic power and a simple “little” person, about the ways of the Russian historical development, about the fate of the country, nation, people. It is this issue that will be at the center of such works by Pushkin, related to the theme of Peter, as “The Blackamoor of Peter the Great”, as “Poltava”, as the deepest of the poet’s creations - “ Petersburg story" in verse, " Bronze Horseman" The first in this series, as if a condensed, concentrated introduction to everything that follows, is the poem “Stanzas” by Blagoy D.D. The creative path of Pushkin (1826-1830). - M., 1967. - P. 86..

A well-known underestimation of the prose of A.S. Pushkin’s criticism of the 19th century slowed down the comparative historical study of the “little man” type. There are works in Soviet Pushkin studies that address this issue. However comparative study artistic system prose by A.S. Pushkin in relation to the work of later, subsequent authors (in particular N.V. Gogol and F.M. Dostoevsky) is a problem that has largely not yet been resolved. "This big task, as one of the most important, stands before our Pushkin studies” Pushkin A.S. Results and problems of the study. - M., 1966. - P. 482..

Thus, A.S. Pushkin, one of the first classics to describe the image of the “little man,” in the early stages of his work tried to show the high spirituality of such characters, as, for example, in the story “The Station Agent.” A.S. Pushkin shows that being a “little man” is a natural and inevitable destiny. Much is revealed to the “little man,” but little is accepted by him; he strives to alleviate his earthly fate, but only incurs even greater suffering; striving for good, does not avoid sin; leaves this life deeply depressed and awaiting the highest court; Death itself turns out to be more desirable for him than life. At A.S. Pushkin's image of the “little man” is deeply realistic. The question of the behavior of the “Little Man” in the works of A.S. Pushkin is staged sharply and dramatically. Later, his works featured motifs of the transition of the image of the “little man” and merging with the image folk hero- "Songs Western Slavs" For all works by A.S. Pushkin was characterized by a deep penetration into the character of each hero - the “little man”, masterful writing of his portrait, from which not a single feature escaped.

A little man is a person of low social status and origin, not gifted with outstanding abilities, not distinguished by strength of character, but at the same time kind, does no harm to anyone, and is harmless. Both Pushkin and Gogol, creating the image of a little man, wanted to remind readers who were accustomed to admiring romantic heroes what's the most ordinary person He is also a person worthy of sympathy, attention, and support.

Writers also turn to the theme of the little man late XIX and the beginning of the 20th century: A. Chekhov, M. Gorky, L. Andreev, F. Sologub, A. Averchenko, K. Trenev, I. Shmelev, S. Yushkevich. The power of tragedy of little people - “heroes of fetid and dark corners” (A. Grigoriev) - was correctly defined by P. Weil:

The little man from the great Russian literature is so small that it cannot be further reduced. Changes could only go upward. This is what the Western followers of our classical tradition did. From our Little Man came the heroes of Kafka, Beckett, Camus, who grew to global proportions […]. Soviet culture threw off Bashmachkin’s overcoat - onto the shoulders of the living Little Man, who, of course, did not disappear anywhere, simply disappeared from the ideological surface, died in literature.

The little man, who did not fit into the canons of socialist realism, migrated to the literary underground and began to exist in the everyday satire of M. Zoshchenko, M. Bulgakov, V. Voinovich.

From the multifaceted literary gallery of little people, heroes stand out who strive to gain universal respect through changing their material status or appearance(“Luka Prokhorovich” - 1838, E. Grebenki; “The Overcoat” - 1842, N. Gogol); gripped by fear of life (“Man in a Case” - 1898, A. Chekhov; “Our Man in a Case” - 1989, V. Pietsukha); who, in conditions of overwhelming bureaucratic reality, become ill with mental disorders (“Double” - 1846, F. Dostoevsky; “Diaboliad” - 1924, M. Bulgakov); in whom an internal protest against social contradictions coexists with a painful desire to elevate oneself, to acquire wealth, which ultimately leads them to loss of reason (“Notes of a Madman” - 1834, N. Gogol; “The Double” by F. Dostoevsky); whose fear of superiors leads to madness or death (“Weak Heart” - 1848, F. Dostoevsky, “Death of an Official” - 1883, A. Chekhov); who, fearing to expose themselves to criticism, change their behavior and thoughts (“Chameleon” - 1884, A. Chekhov; “Jolly Oysters” - 1910, A. Averchenko); who can find happiness only in love for a woman (“Senile Sin” - 1861, A. Pisemsky; “Mountains” - 1989, E. Popova) who want to change their lives through the use of magical means (“The Right Medicine” - 1840, E. Combs; “Little Man” - 1905, F. Sologuba); who, due to failures in life, decide to commit suicide (“Senile sin” - A. Pisemsky; “The Story of Sergei Petrovich” - 1900, L. Andreeva)

Notes

Literature

• Mazurkiewicz E., Mały człowiek, , t. V, pod red. Andrzeja de Lazari, Łódź 2003, s. 152-154.
• Gonczarowa O., Sentymentalism, Idea w Rosji. Leksykon rosyjsko-polsko-angielski, t. V, pod red. Andrzeja de Lazari, Łódź 2003, s. 256-260.
• Sakharova E. M., Semibratova I. V., Encyclopedia of Russian life, Moscow 1981.

Links

• Erofeev, V. Troubling lessons Little devil
• Dmitrievskaya, L.N. A new look at the image of the “little man” in the story by N.V. Gogol’s “The Overcoat” // Russian language, literature, culture at school and university. - Kyiv, No. 4, 2009. P.2-5.
• Epstein, M. Little man in a case: Bashmachkin-Belikov syndrome

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Synonyms

Trifle, fifth spoke in a chariot, small fry, zero, nothing, not a great bird, empty space, nobody, retired goat drummer, small fry, zero without a stick, insignificance, tenth spoke, little ones of this world, small fry, pawn, styutsky, last spoke V… … Synonym dictionary

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"SMALL MAN"- in literature, the designation of rather heterogeneous heroes, united by the fact that they occupy one of the lowest places in the social hierarchy and that this circumstance determines their psychology and social behavior (humiliation combined with a feeling ... Literary encyclopedic Dictionary

Razg. Neglected or Iron. An insignificant, socially or intellectually insignificant person. BMS 1998, 618 ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings

"Small man"- a generalized name for a person who occupies a low social position and plays an inconspicuous role in the socio-economic structure of the state. This definition, essentially an ideological mythologem, was put into use literary critics… … Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)

A number of diverse characters in Russian literature of the 19th century, united common features: low position in the social hierarchy, poverty, insecurity, which determines the peculiarities of their psychology and the plot role - victims of social... ... Literary encyclopedia

Little Man Tate ... Wikipedia

Little Man Tate Little Man Tate Genre drama Starring Jodie Foster Dienne Wiest Duration 95 min ... Wikipedia

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- “THE LITTLE MAN IN THE BIG WAR”, USSR, UZBEKFILM, 1989, color, 174 min. Tale of the war years. Cast: Pulat Saidkasymov (see SAIDKASYMOV Pulat), Muhammadzhan Rakhimov (see RAKHIMOV Muhammadzhan), Matlyuba Alimova (see ALIMOVA Matlyuba Farkhatovna), ... ... Encyclopedia of Cinema

Books

• Little Man (the story of one child), A. Daudet. Petrograd, 1916. Second edition by V. I. Gubinsky. Owner's binding. Temporary spots. The condition is good. With 65 illustrations. THE LITTLE MAN (later published as...