The only form that protest can take among the dark merchants is the liberation of the individual from the bonds of his stuffy life... If the individual is cultured, many paths are open to him. If not, she, most often, turns out to be unsettled and dies: robbery, revelry, drunkenness, vagrancy - this is how this protest was expressed in ancient Rus'.
This protest resulted in such a folk, ancient form even in an atmosphere of merchant “tyranny.” In Ostrovsky’s comedy “Poverty is not a vice” (see its full text, summary and more detailed contents separate actions: 1st, 2nd and 3rd), Lyubim Tortsov, brother of the tyrant Gordey, was brought out. By nature, possessing an ardent temperament, what is called a “broad nature,” during his father’s lifetime he family of origin, where, in all likelihood, tyranny also reigned, he inevitably had to restrain himself, submitting to the dominant force. The stronger this subordination was, the more it was replaced passionate nature, the more powerfully the uncontrollable need for “free will” should have awakened in him - the desire to give space to the soul striving for strong, varied impressions.
Ostrovsky. Poverty is not a vice. Performance, 1969
Lyubim swung wide when he broke free - revelry, debauchery, drunkenness, all kinds of hobbies - he experienced everything, not knowing where to look for true freedom. He soon squandered all his father's inheritance, became a drunkard, a tramp, and earned his living by buffoonery. But he didn’t drink, he didn’t waste his soul. We love, and she spoke to him: “Fear attacked me,” he says, “horror came over me. How did I live? What kind of business was I doing? I began to feel sad, so sad that it seemed better to die!”
Such soul-cleansing impulses of people in ancient Rus' usually led to the monastery (cf. “The Tale of Misfortune-Grief”), but Lyubim did not go to the monastery - he became a drunkard, did not work, perhaps because that his brother did not give him a helping hand when he asked for it. But under the rags of a tramp, he had an honest heart beating - truthful, grateful to those who were sympathetic to him.
Having experienced a lot of grief, Lyubim became responsive to the suffering of others; While idle himself, he, however, knows how to respect work. Smart and at the same time cunning, he cleverly thwarts Gordey’s intentions to marry his daughter Lyubov to old African Korshunov. He knows how to help the young man Mitya, who has tender feelings for Lyuba, and he also knows how to pity Gordey’s stony heart.
“Are you a man or a beast?” says We love our brother, kneeling in front of him. “Have pity on Lyubim Tortsov too! Brother, give Lyubushkuz to Mitya - he will give me a corner. I'm already cold and hungry. My summers are over, it’s hard for me to clown around in the cold just for a piece of bread; at least in old age, but live honestly! After all, I deceived the people, begged for alms, and got drunk myself. If they give me a job, I’ll have my own pot of cabbage soup. Then I will thank God. Brother! and my tears will reach the sky... Why is he poor! Eh, if I were poor, I would Human was. Poverty is not a vice!
This heartfelt, strong speech expressed a purely Russian, common people’s view of life. In general, Ostrovsky's entire play, abundant folk songs, sayings and proverbs, written in purely Russian beautiful language, made such an impression on contemporaries with its “nationality” that one of the contemporaries of the Slavophile poets sang of the Russian stage, renewed by this comedy, in the following verses:
There... now the native life is walking around;
There the Russian song flows freely and loudly,
There is a whole world there - a free and living world...
Great Russian life feasts on stage,
The Great Russian principle triumphs!..
Great Russian speech warehouse,
Great Russian mind, Great Russian look,
Like Mother Volga, wide and roaring!
“Wider the road - Love Tortsov is coming!” - this exclamation of the intoxicated Lyubim became a solemn cry that swept through Russian Slavophile literature after the publication of the comedy “Poverty is not a vice.” In Lyubim they saw the personification of the Russian national soul, Russian mind and heart...
The fact that Ostrovsky chose a fallen man as the bearer of “national ideals” did not bother anyone. With a light hand
Gordey Tortsov
Gordey Karpych Tortsov is the hero of A. N. Ostrovsky’s comedy “Poverty is not a vice,” a rich merchant, the father of Lyubov Gordeevna, the brother of Lyubim Karpych. The name of this character speaks for itself. Gordey Karpych is a proud and arrogant man. After his father’s death, he chose to inherit a profitable establishment, and gave it to his brother Lyubim in money and bills. Lyubim Karpych quickly squandered part of the inheritance in Moscow, and entrusted the rest to the manufacturer Korshunov, who subsequently deceived him. Gordey Karpych, on the contrary, did not lose his inheritance,
but he multiplied it and was very proud of it.
Throughout the entire work, Tortsov’s various emotional outbursts can be traced. In the first and second acts he appears as an angry and angry master. Everyone around him annoys him, including his family and guests. He often shouts at his clerk Mitya. Paying him a meager salary, he demands that he buy himself a more expensive caftan and not visit them in cheap things. He considers his brother’s behavior completely offensive, while Lyubim is forced to earn his living by buffoonery. He considers his wife an uneducated ignoramus and does not hide it.
Having visited Moscow, Gordey
Karpych decided that his place was only in the capital and in high circles. Now he doesn’t like anything Russian, just give him something foreign. That is why he makes friends with the manufacturer Afrikan Savich, who often drinks with his English director. However, he does not even suspect how cunning this manufacturer is and that it was he who ruined his brother. He is even ready to give his only daughter for this rich old man. Fortunately, in the third act, Lyubim Karpych exposes Korshunov and the wedding is cancelled. In this part of the work, the reader sees Gordey Karpych from a different side. This is a person who is able to admit his mistakes and repent. He thanks his brother for opening his eyes and bless his daughter to marry the man who is dear to her.
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- We love Tortsov We love Karpych Tortsov - the hero of A. N. Ostrovsky’s comedy “Poverty is not a vice”, the squandered brother of Gordey Tortsov. This character is endowed with spirituality and high moral...
- Korshunov Korshunov African Savich is a character in A. N. Ostrovsky’s comedy “Poverty is not a vice,” a wealthy manufacturer from Moscow, a friend of Gordey Karpych. The hero's name speaks for itself...
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After his father’s funeral, Gordey divided the inheritance according to a scheme convenient for himself - he kept the establishment for himself, which brought in a stable income, and gave the difference to his brother in cash and valuable bills. The inheritance regularly “worked” for Gordey, his capital increased significantly, which caused him heightened sense pride. And Lyubim Karpych quickly squandered almost all his money, and the money that remained with him was deceived by the manufacturer Korshunov. In order not to starve, Lyubim was forced to earn extra money as a jester.
At the beginning of the story, the reader knows Gordey Karpych as a grumpy and demanding owner, who is irritated by everyone and everything around him, from close people to house guests. He tends to lash out at the clerk Mitya with demands “above his head”, he endlessly scolds his brother and believes that he is behaving unworthily and insultingly, Proudey openly considers his wife a stupid ignoramus who does not deserve respect.
Having gone on vacation to Moscow, the hero became ill with the desire to stay there forever. Now he is sure that his true place is in the highest circles and only in the capital. He no longer likes everything Russian; he wants to surround himself only with foreign and outlandish things. Gordey even had a corresponding friend - Afrikan Savich. The manufacturer has reliably ingratiated himself into the trust of the hero, who does not suspect that it was this rich old man who deceived his brother, and now aims to ruin him himself.
Gordey Karpych had already promised to marry his only daughter to Korshunov, but, fortunately, Lyubim exposed the fraudster in time, and the wedding did not take place. After what happened, Gordey reveals himself to the reader from a new, unfamiliar side of a person who knows how to realize his mistakes, repent of what he has done and be grateful for the help provided. He reconciles with the brother who rescued him, and gives his daughter down the aisle with the one who really loves her.
Quotes from Gordey Tortsov
Yes, I’ll throw such a wedding as you’ve never seen: I’ll order musicians from Moscow, I’ll go alone in four carriages.
What tenderness in our poverty!
Why are you there? Is this where you belong? A crow flew into the high mansions!
Eh, if I were poor, I would be a man. Poverty is not a vice.
You know a lot! Well, there’s nothing to collect from you! You yourself are stupid, and your father is not very smart... he’s been walking around with a greasy belly for a whole century; You live as unenlightened fools, and you will die as fools.
WE LOVE TORTSOV - the hero of A.N. Ostrovsky’s comedy “Poverty is not a vice” (1853, original title: “God Resists the Proud”). Spiritual appearance of L.T. became the center of critical and journalistic controversy surrounding the play. Slavophiles regarded its appearance as a “new word” in art, associated with the revelation of the national ideal. The hero’s exclamation “Wide the road - We love Tortsov is coming!” became for them a symbol of the victory of national principles in art. “Democratic” criticism was skeptical about both the excessive enthusiasm of the Slavophiles and the moral pathos of the image of L.T. The squandered brother of a rich merchant, L.T. walks around the city as a “buffoon”, collects pennies, “plays a joke.” In revenge for his brother Gordey L.T. who kicked him out. “he acted in disgrace”: he went and stood with the beggars at the cathedral, disgracing his brother “throughout the whole city.”
At Christmas time, when “there is a holiday on the street, everyone has a holiday in the house,” the loneliness of L.T., whose soul is “frozen,” is felt more acutely. L.T.’s bitter buffoonery and the need to clown around for a piece of bread make him a “fool against his will.” In the behavior of L.T. features of conscious social self-destruction can be traced, making it similar to holy fools Ancient Rus'. His “decrepit burnus” is akin to the “thin vestments” in which the holy fools, “swearing at the world,” exposed the insignificance of common sense and practical needs in the face of God’s truth. L.T. remembers her when he exclaims: “And my tear will reach the sky!” L.T. does not wish or do harm to anyone, “does not eat up someone else’s life”, treats with compassion and love good people, angry and contemptuous - towards those who have forgotten shame and conscience. “A monster of nature,” he says about African Korshunov, who has lost the image of God in himself. The key to the image of L.T. is his passionate monologue, in which he asks his brother not to ruin his daughter’s happiness and to marry her for love to the poor clerk Mitya. As a result of the intervention of L.T. The “villain” Africanus is put to shame, the proud brother is “brought to his senses,” and the poor lovers are united. The words of Gordey’s wife reveal the meaning of the events that took place and the role of L.T. in them: “Love-fly, you have taken away a great sin from our soul, if only we could pray for it.” L.T. not just fallen man. The most important feature of his personality is the consciousness of his fall. In the image of L.T. Ostrovsky reveals deeply national trait Russian character: the ability to fall low, but not lose moral purity; in the fall itself, to retain the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Ostrovsky's comedy, written in line with traditions folk theater, is quite simple-minded. The almost parable plot, the monochromatic character, clearly divided into “proud” and “humble,” and the happy ending remind us of ancient genres“tearful comedy” and folk melodrama. But the image of L.T. was an exception. Ostrovsky created it according to the laws of realistic art and thereby made comedy a significant event in the history of Russian theater. The impact of the image of L.T. had a noticeable impact in the works of F.M. Dostoevsky (Marmeladov in the novel “Crime and Punishment”) and L.N. Tolstoy (Fedya Protasov in the drama “The Living Corpse”). The first performer of the role of L.T. was P.M. Sadovsky (1854), to whom Ostrovsky dedicated the comedy. Other performers include V.V. Samoilov (1854), M.S. Shchepkin (1855), P.V. Vasilyev (1861), A.A. Ostuzhev (1934).
The famous play “Poverty is not a vice” was written by the wonderful writer Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky in 1953. And exactly a year later this work was published a separate book. It is known that Ostrovsky’s comedy was a success, so in 1854 it was staged on the stages of the Moscow Maly and Alexandria theaters. The author himself did not expect such success. Let's briefly consider the features of this comedy.
History of the play
Alexander Ostrovsky planned to write his new work in mid-July 1853, but was able to fulfill his plan only at the end of August. The author conceived a plot in which there should have been only two acts. But during writing, Alexander Nikolaevich changed not only the structure of his book, but also the name. When its writing was finished, when reading it there was unexpected and huge success, which stunned even Ostrovsky himself.
Important! The original title of Ostrovsky’s work is “God Resists the Proud.”
Meaning of the name
The title of the play allows us to see that, despite the fact that there is no justice in the world in which the main characters live, love can still exist. The world of the Russian worker is beautiful, its holidays and rituals are beautiful. But at the same time, the Russian people are starving and live their lives in poverty, from which they cannot get out. The workers are completely dependent on their boss, who is rude and rude. First place comes not spiritual values, but wealth, and this major vice humanity.
Problems raised by Ostrovsky
The writer Ostrovsky raises many problems in the play “Poverty is not a vice,” but the main one is the confrontation between the individual and the environment.
If a person is poor, then often many of the values of this world pass him by. He turns out to be unhappy in love, and difficulties arise constantly on his way.
But money cannot bring happiness either. You cannot love for money or be friends, as this will still turn into hatred.
But relationships with a person often develop because of how rich he is. Unfortunately, mental and moral qualities fade into the background.
The idea of the play “Poverty is not a vice”
Alexander Nikolaevich in the play perfectly describes how money influences a person, how quickly he begins to obey it, putting it first, and forget about what surrounds him, even about his family and friends. But Ostrovsky shows that, having enormous power over people, they are still powerless. And this idea is proven in the story of Lyubov Gordeevna, who was able to defend her love, although both she and Mitya had to go through trials.
Plot feature
A feature of the plot as a whole is the disclosure of the main, main problem through the conflict of the play. According to the writer, the older generation is trying to completely subjugate adult children. They don't think about happiness younger generation, but only only trying to increase their wealth in. Love means nothing in their value system.
Important! Ostrovsky shows not only the conflict between generations, but also the tyranny of people who have money.
The comedy is structured as follows:
- The plot in which the young and poor clerk Mitya confesses his feelings to Lyuba.
- The climax in which Lyuba's father wants to marry his daughter to a rich manufacturer.
- The denouement in which the reader constantly hears Lyubim's monologue, and the lovers receive parental blessing.
Characteristics of the characters
Play Poverty is not a vice Ostrovsky
Ostrovsky has few characters, but all of them are necessary in order not only to understand the content, but the writer is trying to make fun of stupidity and ignorance of society, headed by money.
Characters:
- Tortsov Gordey Karpych, rich merchant.
- Pelageya Egorovna, Tortsov’s wife.
- Lyuba, their daughter.
- We love Tortsov, the brother of a rich merchant.
- Korshunov Afrikan Savvich, manufacturer.
- Mitya, clerk.
Many expressions of Ostrovsky’s heroes have become firmly established in our speech and have become popular. And this happened because the language of the characters in Ostrovsky’s work is expressive, flexible, bright and rich. Matched to everything apt word or expression.
Lyubov Gordeevna: description and brief description
Ostrovsky created several female images in his literary essay“Poverty is not a vice,” denouncing people who have wealth. One of them is Lyuba, who grew up in merchant family, but suddenly unexpectedly fell in love with Mitya. The guy is poor and serves as a clerk for her father.
Pay attention! The girl herself is well aware that Mitya is not suitable for her as a groom, since he is not her equal in terms of wealth and position in society.
And the father, Gordey Tortsov, had long ago chosen the groom he liked. Chance decides Lyuba's fate and gives her the opportunity to be happy with the one she loves. All the father's plans collapse, and the marriage with the unloved groom did not take place.
The first action takes place in Tortsov’s house, where Mitya is reading a book, and Yegorushka is telling him latest news. The clerk tried to work, but all his thoughts were about his beloved.
But then Pelageya Egorovna came, complaining about her husband. According to her, after a trip to Moscow, he stopped loving Russian and began to drink a lot. And he even conceived his own daughter to marry in Moscow give away.
And Mitya told his story to Yasha. He is forced to work in Tortsov's house, since his beloved lives here. But he is the only son of a poor mother, to whom he gives all his salary. And he could get more if he went to Razlyulyaev, but he cannot leave Lyubasha.
But soon the cheerful Razlyulyaev appears, with whom the young people begin to sing. Suddenly, right in the middle of the song, Tortsov appears in the room. He starts yelling at Mitya and then drives off again. After his departure, girls enter the room, among whom is Lyubov Gordeevna.
Soon Mitya and Lyuba Tortsova are left alone in the room. The clerk reads the poems he composed for her. After listening to the life story of Lyubim Tortsov, Mitya reads a note from Lyuba, where the girl confesses her love to him.
The second act takes the reader into the living room of Tortsov’s house, where it is already dark. Lyuba confesses to Anna Ivanovna that she loves Mitya. Soon the clerk appears and decides to confess his love. The young people decide to inform Tortsov about this tomorrow and ask for his blessing.
When Mitya leaves, girls appear, having fun, singing songs and telling fortunes. The mummers also appear. At this time, Mitya kisses Lyuba, but Razlyulyaev is dissatisfied, since he himself was going to marry the girl, because he had money. But then Tortsov unexpectedly appears again. He came home with Korshunov, whom he constantly fawns over. Having driven away the guests, he apologizes for his uneducated wife. Korshunov gives Tortsov’s daughter earrings with diamonds.
Tortsov informs the family that he is going from county town move to Moscow. After all, he had already found his son-in-law there, with whom they had already agreed on the wedding. Mother and Lyuba against such a decision of the father, they cry and ask not to destroy the young girl. But Tortsov doesn’t even want to hear anything.
The third act begins in the rooms where preparations for the daughter’s wedding have been underway since the morning. Mitya decided to go to his mother and came to say goodbye, but he himself could barely hold back his tears.
The young man, hearing that Pelageya Egorovna was against marriage with a bad person, reveals a secret that they are in love. Soon the girl appears. The hour of farewell comes when they both cry.
In desperation, Mitya offers to secretly bless them, and then they can go together to his mother, where they can get married in peace. But no one can go against their father’s will, because it is sinful. The young man, having accepted the girl’s decision, leaves sad.
Korshunov tries to explain to Lyubasha what happiness awaits her with a rich husband. But then Lyubim Karpych appears, who not only disperses the guests, but also demands that the old debt be returned. A scandal arises, and in a fit of anger Gordey Karpych, considering himself insulted, gives consent to the marriage of Mitya and Lyuba.
The play “Poverty is not a vice” - summary
Poverty is not Ostrovsky’s vice - analysis, content, plot
Conclusion
Ostrovsky ends his work with the triumph of good and the punishment of vice. It is the wedding of the main characters that proves the title that poverty cannot be a vice, and the main vice is callousness human souls and thirst for wealth.