The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The proverb from D. I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” was written at the end of the 18th century. Today is the 21st century, and many of its problems are relevant, the images are still alive. One of the main problems raised by the play is the writer’s thoughts about the legacy that the Prostakovs and Skotinins are preparing for Russia. Before Fonvizin, the word “minor” did not have a condemnatory meaning. Minors were the children of the nobility who had not reached 15 years of age, i.e., the age appointed by Peter I for entering the service. In Fonvizin it received a mocking, ironic meaning. Raising children is a state problem. But it is solved not only by the education system, but also by each family individually. Until the age of sixteen or seventeen, noble children are only “undergrown.” They eat pies in abundance, chase pigeons, and are frequent visitors to "girls' rooms." They don’t bother themselves with anything, they don’t care about anything. But childhood passes quickly, they must grow up, go to public service or continue the work of the parents. This means that they need to be prepared for adult life, and parents prepare their children for life in accordance with their ideals (if they have them), each in their own way. Mitrofan is the only son of provincial parents. Nobleman, future serf owner or civil servant. “Resembling his mother”... This already says a lot. The mother, Mrs. Prostakova, is a cruel and domineering woman, insidious, cunning and greedy. An ignorant mother teaches her son science, but she hired teachers “at a cheaper price”, and even then gets in the way. What is her advice to her son worth: “...my friend, at least for the sake of appearance, learn, so that it reaches his ears how hard you work!” “I found the money, don’t share it with anyone. Take it all for yourself, Mitrofanushka. Don’t learn this stupid science!” Mitrofan's mother raises him in her own image and likeness: he is stupid, greedy, lazy. In a fit of rage, she screams at the yard girl Palashka, who is seriously ill. She does not take into account the dignity of those who live next to her: she has long crushed her husband, depriving him of his will and his opinion, and humiliates Sophia, considering her a parasite. In Prostakova we see only a landowner, illiterate, cruel and unbridled. We don’t see a woman in her, she has no intelligence, no mercy. In some respects, Mitrofan went further than his mother. Let us remember how he feels sorry for his mother, who was tired of beating her father. He understands very well who is the real boss in the house, and clumsily flatters his mother. Blindly and recklessly loving her son, Prostakova sees his happiness in wealth and idleness. Having learned that Sophia is a rich bride, the mother curries favor with the girl and wants to marry her son by any means. Prostakova thinks that with his intelligence Mitrofan will “fly far”, forgetting the folk wisdom: “What you sow, so shall you reap.” Apparently folk wisdom She didn’t know, because people are worse than cattle to her. Eremeevna, who devoted her entire life to serving in the Prostakov family, deserved nothing except punches. Teachers came to Mitrofan, and he grumbled: “Get them shot!” Mitrofan calls Tsyfirkin, who wants to teach him something, a “garrison rat,” and after failing to kidnap Sophia, he and his mother intend to “take on people,” that is, flog the servants. So, Prostakova raised her son the way she knew how and the way she wanted. What happened? At the most critical moment of her life, when she found herself broken trough“, Prostakova rushes to her son with an exclamation: “You’re the only one left for me, my dear friend, Mitrofanushka!” - and comes across her son’s callous, rude answer: “Get off, mother, how you imposed yourself!” The son’s “evil character” is a direct consequence the bad qualities of his parents. Mitrofan is an immature, first of all, because he is a complete ignoramus, who knows neither arithmetic nor geography, unable to distinguish an adjective from a noun. But he is also an immature in moral terms, because he does not know how to respect the dignity of other people. and in the civic sense, since he has not matured to understand his duties to the state, it is quite natural that the sense of citizenship is alien to Skotinin-Prostakov, the thought of “being useful to his fellow citizens” cannot come to these heads, either. neither to the service and prefers the position of a “minor.” Mitrofan’s sentiments are completely shared by his mother. “While Mitrofanushka is still a teenager,” she argues, “it’s time to pamper him, and then in a dozen years, when he goes into service, God forbid, he will suffer everything.” ". Are there many such Mitrofans? Vralman said about this: “Don’t worry, my mother, don’t worry: what a darling son you are - there are millions of them in the world.” “We see,” says Starodum, “all the unfortunate consequences of bad upbringing.” Now is a different time, different people. But Fonvizin tells us: family brings up first of all. Children inherit from their parents not only genes, but also ideals, habits, ways of thinking and living. As a rule, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
- New!
“Nedorosl” is the first Russian socio-political comedy. Fonvizin depicts the vices of his contemporary society: masters who rule unjustly, nobles who are not worthy of being nobles, “accidental” statesmen, self-proclaimed teachers. Madam...
One of the main characters of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” is Prostakov Mitrofan Terentyevich, the noble son of the Prostakovs. The name Mitrofan means “similar”, similar to his mother. Maybe with this name Mrs. Prostakova wanted to show that her son is a reflection...
The dictionary gives two definitions for the word "minor". The first is “this is a young nobleman who has not reached the age of majority and has not entered the public service.” The second is “a stupid young man - a dropout.” I think it's the second...
Comedy is a very unique genre. Most comedies have a mythical or fairy-tale plot. And very few comic works are distinguished by an accurate and complete depiction of reality. And “Nedorosl” is no exception. The question of whether a writer should...
Characteristics of Mitrofan Prostakov (“Minor” by Fonvizin) 3.44 /5 (68.89%) 9 votes
Mitrofan is the son of the Prostakovs, an undergrowth - that is, a young nobleman who has not yet entered the public service. By decree of Peter I, all minors were required to have basic knowledge. Without this, they had no right to marry, and also could not enter the service. That’s why Prostakova hired teachers for her son Mitrofanushka. But nothing good came of it. Firstly, his teachers were a half-educated seminarian and a retired soldier. Secondly, Mitrofan himself did not want to study, and Mrs. Prostakova did not really insist on studying.
Of course, family played a big role in laziness and immaturity. Since the mother did not consider education important, where could Mitrofanushka himself have a reverent attitude towards learning?
The main character traits of Mitrofan are laziness and selfishness. He doesn't want to do anything at all. Mitrofan does not want to learn and does not understand the need for knowledge at all: “Well, give me the board, you garrison rat!” From childhood he was under the tutelage of his mother and Eremeevna, so it is not surprising that Mitrofan grew up to be such a slob.
The selfishness with which Mitrofan treats those around him is simply amazing. The only authority for him is his mother Prostakova, and even she fulfills all his whims. He treats Eremeevna terribly: “Well, just say another word, you old bastard, and I’ll get you off! I'll complain to my mother again; so she will deign to give you a task like yesterday.” But in a moment of danger he always calls her for help:
“Skotinin (throwing himself at Mitrofan) Oh, you damn pig...
Mitrofan. Mother! Shield me."
The minor did not think at all about his future, did not care about his fate. He lived one day at a time, every day he was fed, and he didn’t have to do anything. If good life ended, then he would not be able to do anything, to adapt to life in any way.
Of course he is funny, but it becomes sad when you think about what will happen to him next. After all, there are such Mitrofanushki in our time. We read books in order to avoid the troubles described in them. After reading Fonvizin’s “The Minor,” we may be able to help such lazy people who have become lazy due to improper upbringing. This is what the power of words, the power of books, means. And even now, when the world has changed, “Minor” is very useful to read. And of course, without the image of Mitrofan there would not have been this comedy denouncing injustice.
The rude ignoramus Mitrofanushka is not only a clear result of improper upbringing, but his upbringing itself is a picture of the everyday life of the selfish landowners Prostakov-Skotinin.
The images of both Prostakovs, Skotinin and Mitrofanushka itself are exaggerated. They are funny, but at the same time scary, if you imagine that such landowners could exist at that time, and how hard it was for their serfs.
How will you have to to the common people with Mitrofan, it’s impossible to imagine. He will be even more immoral than his uncle Skotinin, who wanted to get married because of pigs. But what worries me more is how such an egoist slob who knows nothing and can’t do anything will live in society. He will not only ruin his own life, but also ruin the lives of other people with his disrespect and inhumanity. But it cannot be said that Mitrofan is to blame, because he did not choose his parents, and the Prostakovs raised him as they saw fit. After all, they were also raised by the same selfish landowners. We can say that the system, the power that made people unequal, was to blame. A privileged position, not deserved by anything other than origin, birth, for many years plunged the nobility into a slack state. Of course, the era of Peter the Great marked the beginning of equality of opportunity and useful, motivating competition. But the nobility, which then had enormous influence, bringing one monarch after another to power, was able to secure the comfort of their lives and the lives of their children. Under Catherine II, the nobility received unimaginable rights and opportunities, but lordly image life did not stimulate the elite of society to work even intellectually.
Fonvizin veiled thoughts about the causes of the vices of the nobility; castigation of laziness, the way of life of hundreds of the same simpletons throughout Russia occupies a central place among the ideas of the work. The lack of criticism spoiled the nobility and made them tyrants. It was possible to become more humane; the Prostakovs were not forced to treat the serfs badly and raise their son that way. The most scary people These are not those who admit their immorality, but those who consider their behavior to be correct, since the latter cannot return morality.
One of the main characters of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” is Prostakov Mitrofan Terentyevich, the noble son of the Prostakovs.
The name Mitrofan means “similar”, similar to his mother. Maybe with this name Mrs. Prostakova wanted to show that her son is a reflection of Prostakova herself.
Mitrofanushka was sixteen years old, but his mother did not want to part with her child and wanted to keep him with her until he was twenty-six, without letting him go to work.
Mrs. Prostakova herself was stupid, arrogant, impolite, and for this reason she did not listen to anyone’s opinion.
“While Mitrofan is still in his infancy, it’s time to get him married; and there, in ten years, when he enters, God forbid, into the service, you will have to endure everything.”
Mitrofanushka himself has no goal in life, he only loved to eat, laze around and chase pigeons: “I’ll run to the dovecote now, maybe, or...” To which his mother replied: “Go and frolic, Mitrofanushka.”
Mitrofan did not want to study, his mother hired teachers for him only because this was how it was supposed to be in noble families, and not so that her son would learn intelligence. As he told his mother: “Listen, mother. I'll amuse you. I'll study; just let it be the last one. The hour of my will has come. I don’t want to study, I want to get married.” And Mrs. Prostakova always echoed him: “It’s very nice to me that Mitrofanushka doesn’t like to step forward, With his mind, may he sweep you far, and God forbid!” Only you are tormented, but all I see is emptiness. Don’t learn this stupid science!”
The worst qualities of character, the most backward views on science characterize such young nobles as Mitrofan. He is also unusually lazy.
Mrs. Prostakova herself doted on Mitrofanushka. Fonvizin understood the unreasonableness of her blind, animal love for her brainchild, Mitrofan, a love that, in essence, destroys her son. Mitrofan ate until his stomach hurt, and his mother kept trying to persuade him to eat more. The nanny said: “He’s already eaten five buns, mother.” To which Prostakova replied: “So you feel sorry for the sixth one, you beast.” These words show concern for his son. She tried to provide him with a carefree future and decided to marry him to a rich wife. If someone offends her son, she immediately goes to the defense. Mitrofanushka was her only consolation.
Mitrofan treated his mother with disdain: “Yes!” Just look at the trouble from the uncle: and then from his fists and for the book of hours” What, what do you want to do? Come to your senses, darling!” “It’s here and the river is close. I’ll dive in, remember your name.” “Killed me!” God killed you!”: these words prove that he does not love at all and does not feel sorry for his own mother at all, Mitrofan does not respect her and plays on her feelings. And when Prostakova, who has lost power, rushes to her son with the words: You are the only one left with me, my dear friend, Mitrofanushka! " And in response he hears the heartless: “Let yourself go, mother, how you imposed yourself.” “The whole night I had such rubbish in my eyes.” “What kind of rubbish is Mitrofanushka?” “Yes, either you, mother, or father.”
Prostakov was afraid of his wife and in her presence spoke about his son like this: “At least, I love him as a parent should, a smart child, a smart child, a funny man, an entertainer; sometimes I am beside myself with joy because of him, I truly don’t believe that he is my son,” and added, looking at his wife: “Before your eyes, mine see nothing.”
Taras Skotinin, looking at everything that was happening, repeated: “Well, Mitrofanushka, you, I see, are mother’s son, not father’s son!” And Mitrofan turned to his uncle: “Why, uncle, have you eaten too much henbane? Get out, uncle, get out.”
Mitrofan was always rude to his mother and snapped at her. Although Eremeevna did not receive a penny for raising the undergrowth, she tried to teach him good things, defended him from his uncle: “I’ll die on the spot, but I won’t give up the child. Show up, sir, just kindly show up. I’ll scratch out those thorns.” I tried to make him a decent person: “Yes, teach me at least a little.” “Well, say another word, you old bastard! I’ll finish them off; I’ll complain to my mother again, so she’ll deign to give you a task like yesterday.” Of all the teachers, only the German Adam Adamych Vralman praised Mitrofanushka, and only so that Prostakova would not be angry with him and scold him. The other teachers openly scolded him. For example, Tsyfirkin: “Your honor will always be idle.” And Mitrofan snapped: “Well! Give me the board, garrison rat! Get your butts on.” “All butts, your honor. We remain with our behinds forever behind us.” Mitrofan's dictionary is small and poor. “He shot them with Eremeevna too”: this is how he spoke about his teachers and nanny.
Mitrofan was ill-mannered, rude, a spoiled child, whom everyone around obeyed and obeyed, and he also had freedom of speech in the house. Mitrofan was confident that the people around him should help him and give advice. Mitrofan had high self-esteem.
No matter how smart and hardworking a person is, there is a piece of such Mitrofanushka in him. Every person is lazy sometimes. There are also people who try to live only at the expense of their parents, without doing anything themselves. Of course, much depends on how children are raised by their parents.
I treat people like Mitrofan neither good nor bad. I just try to avoid communicating with such people. And in general, I think that we should try to help such people with their difficulties and problems. We need to reason with him and force him to study. If such a person himself does not want to improve, learn and study, but, on the contrary, remains stupid and spoiled, treats his elders with disrespect, then he will remain an underage and ignorant for the rest of his life.
Nov 30 2015
The comedy by D. I. Fonvizin “The Minor” was written at the end of the 18th century. Today is the 21st century, and many of its problems are relevant, the images are still alive. One of the main problems raised by the play is the writer’s thoughts about the legacy that the Prostakovs and all so ch are preparing for Russia. ru 2001 2005 Skotinin. Before Fonvizin, the word “minor” did not have a condemnatory meaning. Minors were the children of the nobility who had not reached 15 years of age, i.e., the age appointed by Peter I for entering the service.
In Fonvizin it received a mocking, ironic meaning. Raising children is a state problem. But it is solved not only by the education system, but also by each family individually. Until the age of sixteen or seventeen, noble children are only “underage.” They eat pies in abundance, chase pigeons, and are frequent visitors to “girls’ rooms.”
They don’t bother themselves with anything, they don’t care about anything. But it passes quickly, children must grow up, go into public service or continue the work of their parents. This means that they need to be prepared for adult life, and parents prepare their children for life in accordance with their ideals (if they have them), each in their own way. Mitrofan is the only son of provincial parents.
Nobleman, future serf owner or civil servant. “Like a mother”... This already says a lot. The mother, Mrs. Prostakova, is a cruel and domineering woman, insidious, cunning and greedy. An ignorant mother teaches her son science, but she hired teachers “at a cheaper price,” and even so she gets in the way.
What is her advice to her son worth: “... my friend, at least for the sake of appearance, learn, so that it reaches his ears how hard you work!” “I found the money, don’t share it with anyone. Take everything for yourself, Mitrofanushka. Don't learn this stupid science!
“Mitrofan’s mother raises him in her own image and likeness: he is stupid, greedy, lazy. In a fit of rage, she screams at the yard girl Palashka, who is seriously ill. She does not take into account the dignity of those who live next to her: she has long crushed her husband, depriving him of his will and his opinion, and humiliates Sophia, considering her a parasite. In Prostakova we see only a landowner, illiterate, cruel and unbridled. We don’t see a woman in her, she has no intelligence, no mercy.
Blindly and recklessly loving her son, Prostakova sees him in wealth and idleness. Having learned that Sophia is a rich bride, the mother curries favor with the girl and wants to marry her son by any means. Prostakova thinks that with his intelligence Mitrofan will “fly far”, forgetting the folk wisdom: “What you sow is what you reap.”
Apparently, she did not know folk wisdom, because for her people are worse than cattle. Eremeevna, who devoted all her service to the Prostakov family, except for teething, deserved nothing. Teachers came to Mitrofan, and he grumbled: “Get them shot!”
“Mitrofan calls Tsyfirkin, who wants to teach him something, a “garrison rat,” and after failing to kidnap Sophia, he and his mother intend to “take on people,” that is, flog the servants. So, Prostakova raised her son the way she knew how and the way she wanted. What happened? At the most critical moment of her life, when she found herself “at breaking point,” Prostakova rushes to her son with an exclamation: “You are the only one left for me, my dear friend, Mitrofanushka!”
” - and comes across the callous, rude answer of his son: “Yes, get rid of yourself, mother, how you imposed yourself!” The son’s “evil character” is a direct consequence of the bad qualities of his parents. Mitrofan is an undergrowth, first of all, because he is a complete ignorant, knowing neither arithmetic nor geography, unable to distinguish an adjective from a noun. But he is also immature morally, since he does not know how to respect the dignity of other people.
He is also immature in the civic sense, since he has not matured enough to understand his responsibilities to the state. It is quite natural that civic feeling is alien to the Skotinin-Prostakovs; the thought of “being useful to one’s fellow citizens” cannot enter their heads. Mitrofan is not eager to study or serve and prefers the position of a “minor.” Mitrofan's sentiments are completely shared by his mother.
“While Mitrofanushka is still in his infancy,” she reasons, “it’s time to pamper him, and then in a dozen years he’ll be released, God forbid, into the service, he’ll suffer everything.” Are there many such Mitrofans? About this Vralman said: “Don’t worry, my mother, don’t worry: what a terrible son you are - there are millions of them in the world.” “We see,” says Starodum, “all the unfortunate consequences of bad upbringing.” Now is a different time, different people.
But Fonvizin tells us: family brings up first of all. Children inherit from their parents not only genes, but also ideals, habits, thoughts and lives. As a rule, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Need a cheat sheet? Then save - “A son worthy of his mother (Based on the comedy by D. I. Fonvizin “The Minor”). Literary essays!Denis Fonvizin wrote the comedy “The Minor” in the 18th century. At that time, a decree of Peter I was in force in Russia, prescribing that young men under 21 without education were prohibited from entering military and government service, as well as from getting married. In this document, young people under this age were called “minors” - this definition formed the basis of the title of the play. In the work, the main character is Mitrofanushka the undergrowth. Fonvizin portrayed him as a stupid, cruel, greedy and lazy young man of 16 who behaves like small child, does not want to study and is capricious. Mitrofan is negative character and the funniest hero of the comedy - his absurd statements of stupidity and ignorance cause laughter not only among readers and spectators, but also among other characters in the play. The character plays an important role in ideological plan plays, therefore the image of Mitrofan the Minor requires detailed analysis.
Mitrofan and Prostakova
In Fonvizin’s work “The Minor,” the image of Mitrofanushka is closely connected with the theme of education, since in fact it was the wrong upbringing that became the cause of the evil character of the young man and all his negative traits. His mother, Mrs. Prostakova, is an uneducated, cruel, despotic woman, for whom the main values are material wealth and power. She adopted her views on the world from her parents - representatives of the old nobility, uneducated and ignorant landowners like herself. The values and views received through upbringing were passed on to Prostakova and Mitrofan - the young man in the play is depicted as a “mama's boy” - he cannot do anything on his own, the servants or his mother do everything for him. Having received from Prostakova cruelty towards servants, rudeness and the opinion that education is one of last places in life, Mitrofan also adopted disrespect for loved ones, a readiness to deceive them or betray them for the sake of more advantageous offer. Let us remember how Prostakova persuaded Skotinin to take Sophia as his wife in order to essentially get rid of the “extra mouth.” Whereas the news about the girl’s large inheritance made her a “caring teacher”, supposedly loving Sophia and wishing her happiness. Prostakova is looking for her own self-interest in everything, which is why she refused Skotinin, because if the girl married Mitrofan, who listened to his mother in everything, Sophia’s money would go to her.
The young man is as selfish as Prostakova. He becomes a worthy son of his mother, adopting her “best” traits, which explains final scene comedy, when Mitrofan abandons Prostakova, who has lost everything, leaving to serve the new owner of the village, Pravdin. For him, his mother’s efforts and love turned out to be insignificant before the authority of money and power.
The influence of his father and uncle on Mitrofan
Analyzing the upbringing of Mitrofan in the comedy “The Minor,” one cannot help but mention the figure of the father and his influence on the personality of the young man. Prostakov appears before the reader as a weak-willed shadow of his wife. It was passivity and the desire to transfer the initiative to someone stronger that Mitrofan took over from his father. It is paradoxical that Pravdin speaks of Prostakov as a stupid person, but in the action of the play his role is so insignificant that the reader cannot fully understand whether he really is that stupid. Even the fact that Prostakov reproaches his son when Mitrofan abandons his mother at the end of the work does not point to him as a character with positive features. The man, like the others, does not try to help Prostakova, remaining on the sidelines, thus again showing an example of weak-will and lack of initiative to his son - he doesn’t care, just as he didn’t care while Prostakova beat his peasants and disposed of his property in her own way.
The second man who influenced Mitrofan’s upbringing is his uncle. Skotinin, in essence, represents the person that the young man could become in the future. They are even brought together by a common love for pigs, whose company is much more pleasant for them than the company of people.
Mitrofan's training
According to the plot, the description of Mitrofan’s training is in no way connected with the main events - the fight for Sophia’s heart. However, it is these episodes that reveal many important problems that Fonvizin covers in the comedy. The author shows that the reason for the young man’s stupidity is not only bad upbringing, but also poor education. Prostakova, when hiring teachers for Mitrofan, did not choose educated, smart teachers, but those who would take less. Retired sergeant Tsyfirkin, dropout Kuteikin, former groom Vralman - none of them could give Mitrofan a decent education. They all depended on Prostakova, and therefore could not ask her to leave and not interfere with the lesson. Let us remember how the woman did not allow her son to even think about the decision arithmetic problem, offering “your solution.” The exposure of Mitrofan's useless teaching is the scene of the conversation with Starodum, when the young man begins to come up with his own rules of grammar and does not know what geography is studying. At the same time, the illiterate Prostakova also does not know the answer, but if the teachers could not laugh at her stupidity, then the educated Starodum openly ridicules the ignorance of the mother and son.
Thus, Fonvizin, introducing into the play scenes of Mitrofan’s training and the exposure of his ignorance, raises acute social problems of education in Russia in that era. Noble children were taught not by authoritative educated individuals, but by literate slaves who needed pennies. Mitrofan is one of the victims of such an old-time landowner, outdated and, as the author emphasizes, meaningless education.
Why is Mitrofan the central character?
As the title of the work makes clear, the young man is centrally Comedy "Minor". In the character system, he is contrasted with the positive heroine Sophia, who appears to the reader as an intelligent, educated girl who respects her parents and older people. It would seem, why did the author make the key figure of the play a weak-willed, stupid undergrowth with a completely negative characteristic? Fonvizin in the image of Mitrofan showed a whole generation of young Russian nobles. The author was concerned about the mental and moral degradation of society, in particular, young people who adopted outdated values from their parents.
In addition, in “Nedorosl” Mitrofan’s characterization is a composite image of the negative traits of Fonvizin’s contemporary landowners. The author sees cruelty, stupidity, lack of education, sycophancy, disrespect for others, greed, civic passivity and infantilism not only in extraordinary landowners, but also in officials at the court, who also forgot about humanism and high morality. For the modern reader, the image of Mitrofan is, first of all, a reminder of what a person becomes when he stops developing, learning new things and forgets about eternal human values - respect, kindness, love, mercy.
A detailed description of Mitrofan, his character and way of life will help students in grades 8-9 when preparing a report or essay on the topic “Characteristics of Mitrofan in the comedy “The Minor””
Work test