Enlightenment ideals in the comedy “Minor.” Theme and idea of ​​the comedy “Minor

Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin came from a Russified German family, whose original surname was von Wiesen. The modern spelling Fonvizin was proposed by A.S. Pushkin much later.

At first, Fonvizin studied with private teachers, then he entered the gymnasium at Moscow State University, where he later studied. But he didn’t finish the University; he dropped out to start his military service. While still at the gymnasium, he made his debut as a writer and translator from German: when Fonvizin was a first-year university student, a translator was needed at court, and he was accepted into the service of the College of Foreign Affairs, where he worked all his life. In 1763, Fonvizin moved to St. Petersburg, where he met writers, incl. with Elagin: he joins his circle and becomes a fan of the theory of declinations.

Fonvizin as a playwright

1764 - Fonvizin’s debut as a playwright: he publishes the play Corion. It is poorly written, but in full accordance with the theory of declensions - it is a reworking of the French comedy.

After this failure, Fonvizin did not write for a long time; only in 1769 did he create a comedy Brigadier. From this play it is clear that Fonvizin understood: it is not enough just to give the characters Russian names, it is also necessary to introduce Russian problems into the play. In Brigadier this problem is gallomania- imitation of everything French, this was relevant in Russia mid-18th century century; another, no less current problem, - education of young nobles. But the influence of the theory of declinations is also felt in The Brigadier, because the plot device there is borrowed from French drama - this is the so-called. symmetry in red tape(situation when two married couples husbands simultaneously court other people's wives). But since the Brigadier was nevertheless sensibly adapted for Russia, it is considered the first Russian play.

At first, the production of The Brigadier in the theater was prohibited, because Elagin and Lukin were afraid that Fonvizin would take away their dramatic fame. And, in order to bring the play to the public, Fonvizin began organizing public readings. At one of them he met Count Nikita Panin, the teacher of the heir to the throne, Paul. Communicating with him, Fonvizin began to become more interested in politics and became bolder.

Fonvizin's ideals in the comedy Nedorosl

Fonvizin knew how to distinguish and describe any problems Russian society, had a good sense of humor, could think like a statesman. All this was manifested in his main work - comedy Minor, written in 1781. However, the comedy was first published only in 1830, after the death of Fonvizin.

The main problem that is raised in this comedy- education of a young Russian nobleman, ideas of enlightenment. This was very relevant in the 1780s, when even Empress Catherine herself thought a lot about education and was opposed to home education with tutors.

In the 18th century there were several philosophical theories about education. According to one of them, initially a child is not a full-fledged person; he only copies the behavior of adults. Since Catherine shared this theory, she recommended separating children from their parents and placing them in educational establishments. Fonvizin, who was also a supporter of this theory, just shows in the comedy Minor all the harmfulness of home education.

Fonvizin strives to prove that education is synonymous with happiness.

Comedy protagonist- a young nobleman Mitrofan, who has many negative role models before his eyes. Firstly, his mother, Mrs. Prostakova, is a cruel and willful landowner who does not see the point in education at all. Secondly, his nurse Eremeevna is a slave in spirit, from whom Mitrofan adopts the psychology of admiration for the strong (as well as from his father). Thirdly, his uncle, Taras Skotinin, is a nobleman who does not want to serve his fatherland; most of all, he loves his pigs. It is emphasized that Mitrofanushka learns something from all of them.

Despite the satire, the play was not originally intended to be funny. Contemporaries, reading it, were horrified.

Minor as a work of classicism

The comedy is undoubtedly a work of the era of classicism, but with some deviations from the canonical rules. For example, here only one rule from the trinity- unity of place, because All the action takes place on the Prostakov estate.

Present masked heroes: Sophia is the mistress, Starodum is the father (although he is not stupid!), he is also the hero-reasoner, Milon is the hero-lover, Mitrofan and Skotinin are negative suitors, Pravdin is the god ex machina. There is no role of soubrette here.

In the play, as expected, five actions: exposition, plot, development of conflict, climax and denouement (which includes an unjustified denouement and catharsis when we feel sorry for Prostakov).

Classic conflict feelings and duty is expressed in the fact that goodies in this play they live, submitting to reason, the state and the will of their elders. Negative ones become slaves to their feelings, often evil and selfish. Of course, in the end, the positive characters are rewarded with happiness, while the negative ones end up losing.

Comedy contains many speaking names: Skotinin, Tsifirkin, Milon, etc.

The play is written in a low style, easy spoken language, in prose.

Need help with your studies?

Second half of the 18th century. is distinguished by the genuine flowering of Russian drama. In the previously established literary direction Works that are not provided for by the rules of the classics of the genre are beginning to penetrate, indicating an urgent need to expand boundaries and democratize 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.

Fonvizin connects his hopes for the revival of Russian society with the positive heroes of “The Minor.” Inspiredly, with all the ardor and heat of his soul, the writer endows them with the maximum of positive traits of a nobleman and progressive ideals.

But here are the life rules formulated by the playwright that real nobles must follow: “... 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 not to do anything 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.

Most popular articles:

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

Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin writes his sparkling comedy “The Minor” in the era of the dominance of classicism. In accordance with the strict hierarchy of genres, comedy (as well as satire and fable) is classified as low literary genre, but, nevertheless, has a number of features and is aimed at revealing social vices. The images of heroes of the era of classicism are devoid of individual traits, since they are aimed at capturing stable generic characteristics that do not cease over time.

The comedy "Minor" has a bright author's assessment historical reality, which Fonvizin tries to portray most truthfully and reliably, in which the features of realism that replaced classicism are noticeable. The author puts his views into the dialogues of positive characters, whose speech is replete with worldly wisdom. No wonder the comedy was literally dismantled into aphorisms after publication. The heroes whom the author and the reader sympathize with are ideal, they have practically no flaws, and their function in the work is aimed at establishing a fair social order. The division into strictly positive and negative characters is a sign of classicism inherent in the work.

In the role of the most significant figure wearing positive features, Starodum appears - Sophia’s sixty-year-old uncle, who lived for several years in Siberia, where “through labor and honesty” he made his fortune of ten thousand rubles, which he bequeaths to his beloved orphaned niece. It is noteworthy that the name of each comedy hero is “speaking”. Starodum (i.e. “representative of old thoughts, views”) received the best education of the Petrine era. He gives quite capacious characteristic the time of his formation: “At that time there were few ways to learn, and they still did not know how to fill an empty head with someone else’s mind,” “Then one person was called you, and not you. Back then they didn’t yet know how to infect so many people that everyone would consider themselves to be many. But nowadays many are not worth one.” The hero has seen a lot in his lifetime. Without sparing himself, he served the Fatherland, exposing his chest to bullets during hostilities, was seriously wounded and impulsively resigned after he learned that his former friend the Count, who did not want to repay his debt to the Motherland, had been promoted to rank and surpassed him . Only later did Starodum conclude that “a pious person is jealous of deeds, not ranks; that ranks are often begged for, but true respect must be earned; that it is much more honest to be bypassed without guilt than to be rewarded without merit.” After his resignation, he came to St. Petersburg, where he was introduced to the court, but even there he did not stay long, because he could not come to terms with established morals: “They love themselves excellently; they care about themselves alone; they fuss about one real hour. I saw here many people who, in all cases of their lives, never thought of their ancestors or descendants.” The hero makes a strict diagnosis of court society: “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 attaches the main importance to the moral formation of the individual; his father taught him: “Have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times. There is fashion for everything else: fashion for minds, fashion for knowledge, like fashion for buckles and buttons.” The hero considers the soul to be the most important virtue in a person: “Without it, the most enlightened, clever woman is a pitiful creature. An ignoramus without a soul is a beast. The smallest deed leads him into every crime.” Starodum – true patriot of his Fatherland, evaluating a person not by his condition, but by the benefit that he brought to his native land: “I calculate the degree of nobility by the number of deeds that the great gentleman did for the Fatherland<...>Without noble deeds, a noble fortune is nothing.”

A like-minded person who shares the views of Starodub in the comedy is the most honest and impeccable government official Pravdin. A native of Moscow, he was appointed a member of the governorship to which the Prostakov estate belongs, and was called upon to serve as a zealous guardian of order: “I have orders to go around the local district; and besides, out of my own heart’s struggle, I do not allow myself to notice those malicious ignoramuses who, having complete power over their people, use it inhumanly for evil.” He gives a rather apt description of Prostakov himself: “I found the landowner a countless fool, and his wife a despicable fury, whose hellish disposition makes their whole house miserable.” It is with the help of Pravdin that Starodum manages to expose and stop the excesses of the tyrant Prostakova and protect Sophia from her tyranny.

The representative of the fair sex in the group of ideal characters is Sophia - a modest, intelligent, educated and well-mannered orphan, forced by the will of circumstances to live in a house distant relative despotic Prostakova. It is not for nothing that Fonvizin gives the heroine the name Sophia, which from ancient Greek means “wisdom, rationality, science.” She is respectful of her elders and wise beyond her years. The heroine compares favorably with the inhabitants of the Prostakov house, who see in her only easy way profit to continue their outrages. She is not used to spending time idly and devotes her free minutes to reading. Sophia doesn’t just read, she analyzes what she read, it is from her lips that such important words belong: “How can the heart not be satisfied when the conscience is calm! It is impossible not to love the rules of virtue. They are ways to happiness."

And finally, last Hero a galaxy of positive characters - officer Milon, who was deeply in love with Sophia and literally snatched her from the hands of the offenders who wanted to kidnap her and forcefully marry her with Mitrofanushka. Milon is a patriot, ready to repay his debt to the Fatherland: “I place true fearlessness in the soul, and not in the heart. Whoever has it in his soul, without any doubt, has a brave heart. In our military craft, a warrior must be brave, a military leader must be undaunted.” The young man very quickly and easily wins the favor of Starodum, who gives his blessing for his upcoming marriage: “I am a friend honest people. This feeling is ingrained in my upbringing. In yours I see and honor virtue, adorned with enlightened reason. You both deserve each other. With all my soul I give you my consent.”

Comedy D.I. Fonvizin has a happy ending - evil is punished, justice has triumphed, each character gets what he deserves.

In the Age of Enlightenment, the value of art was reduced to its educational and moral role. Artists
took over this time hard labour awaken in a person the desire for development and self-improvement
personality. Classicism is one of the movements within which they worked. The purpose of literature, according to the classicists,
is the influence on the human mind to correct vices and cultivate virtue. Conflict between
feeling and reason, duty to the state was always resolved in favor of the latter. Thus, it was created
the image of a person doing good is an ideal to which everyone living in this world should strive.
Russian figures of the Enlightenment have always actively participated in political life countries. Writers, spoke
Fonvizin, “...have... a duty to raise their loud voice against abuses and prejudices that harm
fatherland, so that a person with talent can be a useful adviser in his room, with a pen in his hands
sovereign, and sometimes the savior of his fellow citizens and the fatherland.”
The main problem that Fonvizin raises in the comedy “Minor” is the problem of education
enlightened progressive people. A nobleman, a future citizen of the country who must do things for the good
fatherland, from birth is brought up in an atmosphere of immorality, complacency and self-sufficiency.
Such a life and upbringing immediately took away his purpose and meaning in life. And teachers will not be able to help (this is just a tribute
fashion from Mrs. Prostakova); Mitrofan had no other desires than to eat, run on
dovecote and get married.
The same thing happens at court. It's a big barnyard where everyone wants to grab the best piece and
roll around 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
often begged for.” They have forgotten what soul, honor, and good behavior are.
But the author does not give up hope that something can change. Pravdin takes custody of the farm
Prostakova, forbids her to rule over her estate. “It is in vain to call a doctor to the sick without healing. There is no doctor here
will help, unless he himself becomes infected” - this is the conclusion Starodum makes about life at court. Behind all this they are watching
radical measures that Fonvizin proposes to take: limit the power of the Prostakovs and Skotinins over
peasants, and the tsar and courtiers - over all Russian life.
But the life “...rules that must be followed” formulated by the playwright are real
nobles:
1. “...Have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times.”
2. “Everyone will find enough strength in himself to be virtuous. You have to want it decisively, but that’s all
it will be easier not to do something for which your conscience would prick you.”
3. “Good behavior gives direct value to it (the mind). Without it, an intelligent person is a monster. It is immeasurably higher than all
mental fluency."
4. “...A pious man is jealous of deeds, not of rank.”
5. “Respect alone should be flattering to a person - spiritual; and only those who are worthy of spiritual respect
ranks not according to money, and in the nobility not according to ranks.”
6. “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 tasks that he took upon himself out of arrogance... According to my calculation, he is not rich who counts
money to hide it in a chest, and the one who counts out the excess from himself in order to help those who do not have
needed.”
7. “...What is a position. This is the sacred vow that we all owe to those with whom we live and from whom
dependent... 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 as
nobility... buried with their ancestors. A nobleman unworthy of being a nobleman! There's nothing meaner than him
I don’t know in the world.”
All these postulates correspond to the ideas of the Enlightenment, of which Fonvizin was an ardent champion.

The comedy by D. N. Fonvizin “The Minor” is the pinnacle of Russian dramaturgy XVIII century. The work was created according to the strict rules of classicism: the unity of time (day), place (the Prostakovs' house) and action (the rivalry of Sophia's suitors) is observed; heroes share...

The comedy “Minor” absorbed all the experience accumulated by Fonvizin, and in depth ideological issues, in terms of the courage and originality of the artistic solutions found, remains an unsurpassed masterpiece of Russian drama of the 18th century. Accusatory pathos...

If you conduct a survey among those who have read Fonvizin’s comedies, you will probably find that the first thing people pay attention to is modern reader comedy "Minor" - these are the names characters. "Speaking" names immediately set the scene...

D.I. Fonvizin was destined to live in the rather dark era of the reign of Catherine II, when inhumane forms of exploitation of serfs reached the limit that could only be followed by a peasant revolt. This frightened the Russian autocrat...

Let's look at the features of the comedy created by Fonvizin ("The Minor"). Analysis of this work is the topic of this article. This play is a masterpiece Russian literature 18th century. This work is now included in the Russian fund classical literature. It affects whole line "eternal problems". And the beauty of the high style still attracts many readers today. The name of this play is associated with the decree issued by Peter I, according to which “minors” (young nobles) are prohibited from entering the service and getting married without education.

History of the play

Back in 1778, the idea of ​​this comedy arose from its author, who was Fonvizin. “The Minor,” the analysis of which interests us, was written in 1782 and presented to the public in the same year. We should briefly highlight the time of creation of the play that interests us.

During the reign of Catherine II, Fonvizin wrote "The Minor". The analysis of the heroes presented below proves that they were heroes of their time. The period in the development of our country is associated with the dominance of ideas. They were borrowed by the Russians from the French enlighteners. The dissemination of these ideas and their great popularity among the educated philistines and nobility was largely facilitated by the empress herself. She is known to have corresponded with Diderot, Voltaire, and d’Alembert. In addition, Catherine II opened libraries and schools, and supported the development of art and culture in Russia through various means.

Continuing to describe the comedy created by D.I. Fonvizin (“The Minor”), analyzing its features, it should be noted that, as a representative of his era, the author certainly shared the ideas that dominated the noble society at that time. He tried to reflect them in his work, exposing not only the positive aspects to readers and viewers, but also pointing out misconceptions and shortcomings.

"Minor" - an example of classicism

Analysis of the comedy "Minor" by Fonvizin requires considering this play as part cultural era and literary tradition. This work is considered one of the best examples of classicism. There is unity of action in the play (there are no secondary plot lines in it, only the struggle for Sophia’s hand and her property is described), place (the characters do not move long distances, all events take place either near the Prostakovs’ house or inside it), and time ( All events take no more than a day). In addition, he used “speaking” surnames, which are traditional for the classic play, Fonvizin (“Minor”). The analysis shows that, following tradition, he divided his characters into positive and negative. The positive ones are Pravdin, Starodum, Milon, Sophia. They are contrasted with Prostakov, Mitrofan, Skotinin by D.I. Fonvizin (play “The Minor”). An analysis of their names shows that they make it clear to the reader which features are prevalent in the image of a particular character. For example, the personification of morality and truth in the work is Pravdin.

A new genre of comedy, its features

At the time of its creation, “Minor” became an important step forward in the development of literature in our country, in particular drama. Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin created a new socio-political. It harmoniously combines a number of realistic scenes depicted with sarcasm, irony, and laughter from the life of some ordinary representatives of high society (nobility) with sermons about morality, virtue, and the need for education human qualities, which were characteristic of the Enlightenment. Instructive monologues do not burden the perception of the play. They complement this work, as a result of which it becomes deeper.

First action

The play, the author of which is Fonvizin (“Minor”), is divided into 5 acts. Analysis of a work involves a description of the organization of the text. In the first act we meet the Prostakovs, Pravdin, Sophia, Mitrofan, Skotinin. The characters' personalities emerge immediately, and the reader understands that Skotinin and the Prostakovs - and Sophia and Pravdin - are positive. In the first act there is an exposition and plot of this work. In the exhibition we get to know the characters, we learn that Sophia lives in the care of the Prostakovs, who is going to be married off to Skotinin. Reading the letter from Starodum is the beginning of the play. Sophia now turns out to be a rich heiress. Any day now, her uncle is returning to take the girl to his place.

Development of events in the play created by Fonvizin (“Minor”)

We will continue the analysis of the work with a description of how events developed. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th acts are their development. We meet Starodum and Milon. Prostakova and Skotinin are trying to please Starodum, but their flattery, falsity, lack of education and enormous thirst for profit only repels them. They look stupid and funny. The funniest scene in this work is the questioning of Mitrofan, during which the stupidity of not only this young man, but also his mother is revealed.

Climax and denouement

Act 5 - climax and denouement. It should be noted that researchers have different opinions about what moment should be considered the climax. There are 3 most popular versions. According to the first, this is the kidnapping of Sophia Prostakova, according to the second, Pravdin’s reading of a letter, which says that Prostakova’s estate is coming under his care, and, finally, the third version is Prostakova’s rage after she realizes her own powerlessness and tries to “get back "on his servants. Each of these versions is fair, since it examines the work of interest to us from different points of view. The first, for example, highlights storyline, dedicated to Sophia’s marriage. An analysis of the episode of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor,” connected with marriage, indeed allows us to consider it key in the work. The second version examines the play from a socio-political point of view, highlighting the moment when justice prevails on the estate. The third focuses on the historical one, according to which Prostakova is the personification of the weakened principles and ideals of the old nobility that have become a thing of the past, who, however, still do not believe in their own defeat. This nobility, according to the author, is based on lack of enlightenment, lack of education, as well as low moral principles. During the denouement, everyone leaves Prostakova. She had nothing left. Pointing to it, Starodum says that these are “worthy fruits” of “evil morality.”

Negative characters

As we have already noted, the main characters are clearly divided into negative and positive. Mitrofan, Skotinin and Prostakovs - negative heroes. Prostakova is a woman seeking profit, uneducated, rude, and domineering. She knows how to flatter to gain benefits. However, Prostakova loves her son. Prostakov appears as the “shadow” of his wife. This is a weak-willed character. His word means little. Skotinin is the brother of Mrs. Prostakova. This is an equally uneducated and stupid person, quite cruel, like his sister, greedy for money. For him, going to the pigs in the barnyard is the best thing to do. Mitrofan is a typical son of his mother. This is a spoiled young man of 16 who inherited a love of pigs from his uncle.

Issues and heredity

In the play, it should be noted that Fonvizin (“The Minor”) devotes an important place to the issue of family ties and heredity. Analyzing this question, let's say, for example, that Prostakova is only married to her husband (a “simple” man who doesn’t want much). However, she is actually Skotinina, akin to her brother. Her son absorbed the qualities of both of his parents - “animal” qualities and stupidity from his mother and weak-willedness from his father.

Similar family ties can be traced between Sophia and Starodum. Both of them are honest, virtuous, educated. The girl listens to her uncle attentively, respects him, and “absorbs” science. Pairs of opposites are created by negative and positive heroes. The children are the spoiled, stupid Mitrofan and the meek, smart Sophia. Parents love children, but they approach their upbringing in different ways - Starodub talks about truth, honor, morality, and Prostakova only pampers Mitrofan and says that he will not need education. A pair of suitors - Milon, who sees an ideal and his friend in Sophia, who loves her, and Skotinin, who calculates the fortune that he will receive after marrying this girl. At the same time, he is not interested in Sophia as a person. Skotinin does not even try to provide his bride with comfortable housing. Prostakov and Pravdin are in fact the “voice of truth”, a kind of “auditors”. But in the person of the official we find active strength, help and real action, while Prostakov is a passive character. The only thing this hero could say was to reproach Mitrofan at the end of the play.

Issues raised by the author

Analyzing, it becomes clear that each of the above-described pairs of characters reflects a separate problem that is revealed in the work. This is a problem of education (which is complemented by the example of half-educated teachers like Kuteikin, as well as impostors such as Vralman), upbringing, fathers and children, family life, relationships between spouses, relations of nobles to servants. Each of these problems is examined through the prism of educational ideas. Fonvizin, sharpening his attention to the shortcomings of the era by using comic techniques, the emphasis is on the need to change outdated, traditional foundations that have become irrelevant. They drag people into the swamp of stupidity and evil, and liken people to animals.

As our analysis of Fonvizin’s play “The Minor” showed, main idea and the theme of the work is the need to educate the nobility in accordance with educational ideals, the foundations of which are still relevant today.