“Little Man” is an image of a hero who is on the lowest rung of the social ladder. The appeal to this topic in the works of N.M. Karamzin was important step in Russian literature, since the writer drew attention to the situation of many powerless people of his time, when genuine feelings and thoughts “ little man“No one in society was interested. In the story " Poor Lisa" Karamzin revealed to readers living soul village girl Lisa, a representative of the lower class, showing that “peasant women know how to love.”
The author of the work becomes a friend and protector of the unfortunate girl. He asks not to judge her actions harshly, justifies her mistakes with her love for Erast, highly values Lisa’s spiritual qualities and her ability to consider love as the main feeling. All this confirms the origin new tradition in Russian literature - sympathy for the “little man”, compassion and the desire to help in his troubles. That is why the writer would like to protect his heroine, who could not find a way out of the impasse in which she found herself.
Karamzin gives Liza high spiritual qualities, but emphasizes the impossibility for her to reveal her soul to anyone due to her humiliated position in society. Since Lisa could not talk about her experiences and misfortune, she is forced to hide her pain and considers the situation hopeless. Lack of rights and injustice forced the “little people” to withdraw into themselves, to feel lonely and defenseless.
Why couldn't Lisa do anything to achieve happiness in life? Because in a society where the main measure of human dignity was wealth and nobility, the peasant girl understood the impossibility of her equality with the nobleman Erast. She felt weak, unable to change her life for the better. The author sympathizes with his heroine, who suffers from loneliness and defenselessness in a world where even the mother cannot help her unfortunate daughter. Lisa chooses death for herself (and therefore for her mother), she does not want to suffer because of unrequited love and shame, realizing that not only will no one support her, but, rather, they will “throw stones” in her direction.
Could Lisa demand that her beloved be honest and fair towards her? No, and in this, the peasant girl, not only because of pride, but also because of her social status, was powerless and voiceless, meekly accepting the blows of fate. Erast’s attitude towards Lisa during the period of their acquaintance undergoes changes because the nobleman needed a simple girl for a short period of time, while his passion and feelings seemed unusual and interesting. He justified the termination of his relationship with Lisa by life circumstances, but it was unlikely that Erast was going to connect his life with the peasant woman forever. The cooling of feelings and the break with the girl who loves him is also explained by the low moral qualities of Erast, his upbringing and prejudices about social inequality. Therefore, Lisa’s fate could not have been different: the fate of the “little man” in conditions of social injustice was often predetermined, as it turned into hopelessness and turned out to be tragic. People sometimes tried to defend individual rights through riots, but Lisa could not stand up for herself, she experienced her grief alone, and in this case it is almost impossible to achieve self-respect. A person’s struggle for his rights, even in the 21st century, does not always lead to positive results.
The theme of the “little man” is also reflected in the work of A.S. Pushkin " Stationmaster" The author calls his hero a “fourteenth class martyr” because he is in no way protected by his rank from unfair accusations and demands from travelers stopping at the station or from his superiors. Indeed, his service is real hard labor. Even in bad weather and delays of travelers on the road, the caretaker is to blame. Pushkin convincingly depicted the difficult fate of the “little man” who is in a humiliated position while serving important gentlemen. Therefore, the author’s call to feel compassion for such employees as Samson Vyrin is understandable.
Minsky (the traveling hussar) was not at all going to take into account the feelings of Dunya’s father, or the caretaker’s hopes for a calm old age next to his daughter and grandchildren. The desire to return his daughter is too great, and the unfortunate caretaker goes to St. Petersburg, finds out Minsky’s address and meets with him, begs him to give Dunya back. But here Vyrin may be mistaken, because he does not know whether Dunya wants to return home from St. Petersburg, to the wilderness. Although the hussar took her away by deception and the girl did not intend to decide her fate in this way, later she apparently fell in love with Minsky and hoped for happiness with him. It is clear that she feels sorry for her father, but does not know how to solve the family problem. And the father is right when he seeks a meeting with Dunya, when he tries to defend his self-esteem. He rejects monetary reward for the loss of a daughter, excluding such sale of paternal feelings and parental rights. But money would not have hurt him, since a lonely old age lay ahead.
Why didn’t Samson Vyrin write complaints and seek justice? Probably not only because he is a weak person, unsure of his abilities. But also because he was mistaken, thinking that his daughter left with Minsky by consent, and would return after realizing the mistake. The caretaker is confident in tragic outcome events and is ready to wish the death of his lost daughter if she does not come to him with repentance. He assumed that the hussar would definitely abandon his daughter, but, apparently, Minsky loved Dunya. However, Samson Vyrin had the right to bless his daughter, and Minsky deprived him of this opportunity, since, apparently, he did not intend to get married in church. Therefore, the daughter’s life seemed vicious to the caretaker, and separation from Dunya and worries about her brought him to an early grave. This is the fate of a person who was not considered necessary to treat with respect, and his rights were grossly violated.
N.V. Gogol more than once addressed the topic of exposing the bureaucratic and bureaucratic system of the Russian state. This system made it possible to divide people into “big” (significant) and “small”. Gogol's story "The Overcoat" reflects not only the theme of the "little man", but also poses the problem of corporate inaccessibility of senior officials. Special role V satirical depiction important bosses are devoted to the episode of Akaki Akakievich’s meeting with a “significant person”.
From the moment the unfortunate “little man” lost his most precious possession (an overcoat, sewn at an unimaginable cost and taken away by a robber), he experienced a feeling of hopelessness and great grief. On the advice of one of his colleagues, Bashmachkin turns to a “significant person” because the police did not provide him with help.
Akakiy Akakievich experienced for himself all the superiority of his superiors over the insignificant little men for them. He came for help, but was given such a beating that he almost lost consciousness. Fear, resentment, pain and the wind that pierced him right through when returning home led to serious illness and untimely death. And all because of an overcoat! Gogol emphasizes how insignificant a person’s life can be even in comparison with things, and even more so in comparison with the “precious” time of a “significant” person, that is, an official.
Who or what makes a person “small” and his life insignificant? The assumption arises that the very structure of life in Russia was inhumane, incorrect, and unfair. Therefore, the episode of Bashmachkin’s meeting with a “significant person” has a continuation.
The writer further shows a fantastic situation when the “little man” avenges himself, fighting for justice: already dead (in the guise of a ghost), Akaki Akakievich takes the general’s overcoat from the very boss who trampled on his human dignity and took his life. Moreover, Gogol hints to the bosses about the revenge of other “humiliated and insulted”, poor people, for whom the “overcoat” more valuable than life. Gogol created the image of a ghost, which no longer resembles Bashmachkin, but continues to wander in the darkness of the night, as if looking for someone.
This episode played an important role in the author’s plan, allowing him to satirically depict Russian bureaucracy, draw public attention to the lack of rights of the “little man” and identify true values in life. People themselves, according to the author, must also learn to value both their personality and their lives in order to fight for the right to be a Person whom no one dares to consider “small”.
Reviews
When school curriculum children get acquainted with the classics, few children discover them for themselves. (maybe I’m wrong?)
For me personally, there were only a few works that amazed me and made me think.
But now, decades later...I really want to re-read and re-read.
With respect and warmth, Irina.
Introduction
little man ostrovsky literature
The concept of “little man” was introduced by Belinsky (1840 article “Woe from Wit”).
"Little Man" - who is this? This concept refers to literary hero era of realism, which usually occupies a fairly low place in the social hierarchy. A "little man" could be anyone from a minor official to a tradesman or even a poor nobleman. The more democratic literature became, the more relevant the “little man” became.
Appealing to the image of the “little man” was very important even at that time. More than that, this image was relevant because its task is to show life common man with all its problems, experiences, failures, troubles and even small joys. It is very hard work to explain, to show the life of ordinary people. To convey to the reader all the subtleties of his life, all the depths of his soul. This is difficult, because the “little man” is a representative of the entire people.
This topic is still relevant today, because even in our time there are people who have such a shallow soul behind which you cannot hide either deception or a mask. It is these people who can be called “little people.” And there are simply people who are small only in their status, but are great, showing us their pure soul, unspoiled by wealth and prosperity, who know how to rejoice, love, suffer, worry, dream, simply live and be happy. These are small birds in the endless sky, but they are big-hearted people.
The history of the image of the “little man” in world literature and its writers
Many writers raise the theme of the “little man.” And each of them does it in his own way. Some present it accurately and clearly, while others hide it inner world, so that readers can think about his worldview and, somewhere in depth, compare with their own. Ask yourself a question. Who am I? Am I a little person?
The first image of a little man was Samson Vyrin from the story “The Station Warden” by A.S. Pushkin. Pushkin, in the early stages of his work, as one of the first classics to describe the image of the “little man,” tried to show the high spirituality of the characters. Pushkin also considers the eternal relationship between the “little man” and unlimited power - “Arap of Peter the Great”, “Poltava”.
Pushkin was characterized by a deep penetration into the character of each hero - the “little man”.
The evolution of the little man in Pushkin himself is explained by constant social changes and the variability of life itself. Each era has its own “little man”.
But, since the beginning of the 20th century, the image of the “little man” in Russian literature has disappeared, giving way to other heroes.
Gogol continues the traditions of Pushkin in the story “The Overcoat”. A “little man” is a person of low social status and origin, without any abilities, not distinguished by strength of character, but at the same time kind, harmless and does no harm to the people around him. Both Pushkin and Gogol, creating the image of a little man, wanted to remind readers that the most ordinary person is also a person worthy of sympathy, attention and support.
The hero of “The Overcoat” Akaki Akakievich is an official of the lowest class - a person who is constantly made fun of and mocked. He was so accustomed to his humiliated position that even his speech became defective - he could not fully finish his sentences. And this made him humiliated in front of everyone else, even his equals in class. Akaki Akakievich cannot even defend himself in front of people equal to him, despite opposing the state (as Evgeniy tried to do).
It was in this way that Gogol showed the circumstances that make people “small”!
Another writer who touched on the theme of the “little man” was F.M. Dostoevsky. He shows the “little man” as a personality more deeply than Pushkin and Gogol, but it was Dostoevsky who writes: we all came out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat.”
His main goal was to convey all the internal movements of his hero. He feels to experience everything with him, and concludes that “little people” are individuals, and their personal sense is valued much more than that of people with a position in society. Dostoevsky’s “little man” is vulnerable; one of the values of his life is that others can see in him a spiritually rich personality. And your own self-awareness plays a huge role.
In the work “Poor People” by F.M. Dostoevsky's main character, copyist Makar Devushkin, is also a minor official. He was also bullied at work, but he is a completely different person by nature. The ego is concerned with problems of human dignity, he reflects on his position in society. Makar, having read “The Overcoat,” was outraged that Gogol portrayed the official as an insignificant person, because he recognized himself in Akaki Akakievich. He differed from Akaki Akakievich in that he was capable of deeply loving and feeling, which means he was not insignificant. He is a person, although low in his position.
Dostoevsky strove for his character to realize that he was a person, a personality.
Makar is a person who knows how to empathize, feel, think and reason, and this is according to Dostoevsky best qualities"little man"
F.M. Dostoevsky becomes the author of one of the leading themes - the theme of “humiliated and insulted”, “poor people”. Dostoevsky emphasizes that every person, no matter who he is, no matter how low he stands, always has the right to compassion and sympathy.
For a poor person, the basis in life is honor and respect, but for the heroes of the novel “Poor People” this is almost impossible to achieve: “And everyone knows, Varenka, that a poor person is worse than a rag and cannot receive any respect from anyone, so what?” don’t write.”
According to Dostoevsky, the “little man” himself is aware of himself as “small”: “I’m used to it, because I get used to everything, because I’m a humble person, because I’m a small person; but, however, what is this all for?...” “Little Man” is a so-called microworld, and in this world there are many protests, attempts to escape from a difficult situation. This world is rich positive qualities and bright feelings, but he is subjected to humiliation and oppression. The “little man” is thrown out onto the street by life itself. “Little people” according to Dostoevsky are small only in social status, and their inner world is rich and kind.
The main feature of Dostoevsky is his love of humanity, paying attention to the nature of a person, his soul, and not to the person’s position on the social ladder. It is the soul that is the main quality by which a person must be judged.
F.M. Dostoevsky wished better life for the poor, defenseless, “humiliated and insulted,” “little man.” But at the same time, pure, noble, kind, selfless, sincere, honest, thinking, sensitive, spiritually exalted and trying to protest against injustice.
The theme of the “little man” becomes especially relevant in Russian literature in the second half of the 19th century, when authors and readers are already tired of reading about extremely smart and talented “supermen”, they want to see ordinary people in the works.
The appearance of the theme of the little man in Pushkin
The first in this tradition was A.S. Pushkin in his “Tales of the late Ivan Petrovich Belkin” (1830), which contain five short stories: "The Peasant Young Lady", "The Station Agent", "The Blizzard", "The Undertaker" and "The Shot".
They all become heroes ordinary people, not distinguished by any outstanding features. They are not superfluous in their society, they occupy their insignificant place in it - these are typical representatives Russian society after the Decembrist uprising. And they are told by the same simple storyteller - a little man who reliably conveys simple life.
Particularly expressive in this regard is the story “The Station Agent”, in which, using the example of the main character, we understand that there are no “little” people; Each of them has their own problems that are important to someone, to which society does not want to react.
The reader feels sorry " little hero" Samson Vyrin and his daughter Dunya, the reader understands that any person deserves happiness.
Development of the theme of the little man in Gogol
It was this story that was a kind of basis for N.V. Gogol, when he comes up with a plot for his story “The Overcoat” (1842). Here, as in “The Station Agent,” we see an ordinary petty person whose problems society does not want to accept.
Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin sadly serves every day in his department, his only joy in life is his shabby overcoat. When she is kidnapped, no one wants to help the “little man” in his grief, and in the end Bashmachkin dies of frustration.
After death, he flies in the form of a ghost through the streets of St. Petersburg, tearing off the greatcoat from passers-by - in this way he strives to achieve the highest justice.
The role of the story “The Overcoat” in Russian literature was enormous - it was considered the “starting point” by the authors, who later called their movement the “natural school.”
The focus of the literature of this period is on ordinary people and their ordinary life, without understatement and without embellishment. Consequently, the “little man” became a typical character for this direction, as well as his rather big problems.
The theme of the little man in Dostoevsky
F.M. also belonged to this direction. Dostoevsky, whose favorite theme was the description of the life of the “humiliated and insulted.”
He develops this same theme partially in the story Poor People, but mainly in his novel Crime and Punishment. Particularly interesting here is the image of the main character Rodion Raskolnikov - although he imagines himself above all other people, in fact he is the same “little man”.
However, Dostoevsky’s “little man” goes further than the previous ones: he himself talks about his difficult life, he does not silently submit to circumstances. Other heroes of the novel are the same characters - the unfortunate Sonechka Marmeladova, Raskolnikov’s sister Dunya, Marmeladov himself...
Composition
“Pain about a person” - that’s probably main topic Russian literature of the 19th century. Compassion for tragic fate“little man” formed the basis of the work of all Russian writers. And the first in this row was, of course, A.S. Pushkin.
In 1830, Pushkin wrote five stories, combined common name and the general narrator, “Belkin’s Tale.” Of these, the most touching and at the same time the saddest is, it seems to me, the story “The Station Agent.” In it, the poet first brought to the pages of Russian literature the “little man” - Samson Vyrin. Pushkin described him very accurately social status- “a real martyr of the fourteenth grade.”
The caretaker of the small postal station endured a lot in his miserable life, endured a lot. Almost every one of those passing by, wittingly or unwittingly, offended him, taking out their frustration on him, the unresponsive official, for the bad roads and the delay of the horses. He had one joy - his daughter Dunya, whom he loved more than life itself. But he lost her too: Dunya was taken with him to St. Petersburg by a passing officer, Minsky. Vyrin tried to achieve the truth, but everywhere he was driven away. And the poor official could not bear the insult - he became an alcoholic and soon died. Pushkin clearly showed Samson Vyrin with sympathy, a deeply unhappy man, with his small, but no less sad drama.
“The Little Man” is dedicated to N.V. Gogol’s story “The Overcoat,” which V.G. Belinsky called the writer’s “deepest creation.” Main character story - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, “eternal titular adviser.” All his life he “zealously and lovingly” copied papers in the department. This rewriting was not only his work, but also his calling, even, one might say, his life's purpose. Bashmachkin worked without straightening his back all day at work and took papers home, and copied some of the most interesting ones for himself - as a keepsake. His life was eventful and interesting in its own way. But one thing upset Akakiy Akakievich: the old overcoat, which had served him faithfully for decades, finally fell into such “decay” that the most skilled tailor could no longer repair it. Bashmachkin’s existence acquired a new content: he began to save money to sew a new overcoat, and dreams about it warmed his soul for many years. winter evenings. This overcoat, which became the subject of Bashmachkin’s constant thoughts and conversations, acquired almost mystical significance for him. And when it was finally ready, Bashmachkin, rejuvenated and spiritualized, appeared in it for service. It was the day of his celebration, his triumph, but it ended unexpectedly and tragically: at night, robbers took away his new overcoat. For the poor official it was a disaster, the ruin of his whole life. He turned to a certain “significant person” for help, begging him to find and punish the robbers, but his request seemed too insignificant to the important general to pay attention to. And the loss became fatal for Bashmachkin: he soon fell ill and died. Gogol urged the reader to love the “little man” because he is “our brother”, because he is also a person.
The theme of the “little man” was continued by F. M. Dostoevsky, who very accurately said about himself and his contemporaries: “We all came out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat.” Indeed, the main characters of almost all of his works were “little people”, “humiliated and insulted.” But, unlike Gogol’s hero, Dostoevsky’s heroes are capable of openly protesting. They do not accept the terrible reality; they are able to tell the bitter truth about themselves and about the society around them.
Their spiritual world not as limited and wretched as Bashmachkin’s. They feel the injustice and cruelty of the world of profit and money more acutely than he does. Thus, the poor official Marmeladov, thrown to the very bottom of life, retained his soul and did not become a scoundrel and a scoundrel. He is much more humane than the “masters of life” - Luzhin and Svidrigailov. Marmeladov’s monologue in the tavern is not only a regret about his ruined life, but also a bitter reproach to the whole society.
Sonya Marmeladova was forced to sell herself in order to prevent the little children of her stepmother, Katerina Ivanovna, from starving to death. She suffers for the pain of all people, all the orphaned and wretched. Sonya helps not only her family, she strives to help complete strangers. It was Sonya who became the moral and spiritual support for Raskolnikov: Sonya bore his “cross” with him - she followed him to hard labor. This is her strength and her greatness - the greatness of self-sacrifice in the name of people, of which only an extraordinary person was capable.
The works of Russian writers make us painfully think about the meaning human life, about the purpose of man. Together with their heroes we learn to respect human personality, to sympathize with her pain and empathize with her spiritual quest.
The greatness of a great man is revealed in the way he treats little people." Thomas Carlyle
“The Station Agent” is a work where, for the first time in history, Pushkin raises the problem of the “little man.” The main idea is the plight ordinary people in society, the indifference with which all superiors treat such people, sometimes not considering them as people. Pushkin focuses on the problem of social inequality, the oppressed position of some and the complete indifference to their suffering of others. Pushkin sympathizes with Varin, raises the issue of the “little man ", helpless and humiliated, and such people deserve respect, according to the author, for little people, honor is above all, and instead of understanding, they receive the "spiritual deafness" of people. Pushkin treats very warmly, with compassion and love, a little with pity to his “little hero”, worries about his bitter fate.
The fate of another "little man" is described by N. Gogol in the story "The Overcoat". The "little" man Bashmachkin has the dream of his whole life - a new overcoat. The insignificant little man, after acquiring a new overcoat, believes that he has suddenly become a man. The dream has come true, he is happy , does not notice that those around him are mocking him. The empty space takes on human characteristics. He has become equal to those around him, an overcoat for him is a sign of equality. He develops weak self-confidence, he rises from the knees on which he put himself voluntarily. He begins "dare", but everything collapses with the theft of his overcoat, despair pushes Bashmachkin to important person, and he is shown his place, he is surrounded by indifference, he is pitiful and helpless, just as he was before.
Chekhov's story "Tosca" gives us the image of another "little" man. The indifference of those around him, their indifference and unwillingness to even listen to a person make the grief of the cab driver Jonah unbearable. Not finding sympathy and understanding from people, Jonah pours out his soul to the horse. Shedding tears, he tells about the death of his son to the only close creature, his horse. Chekhov touches on the problem of the indifference of people in society. Everyone is for himself, people are alien to other people's problems and suffering. A “little” person is helpless not only in life, but even in grief.
Many authors in the Russian XIX literature century. The worst thing is that the “little” heroes are helpless and alone even in the face of their own grief, not finding sympathy and understanding from those around them - that’s why they are “little people”. Writers called on those in power to bear responsibility for the fate of “little” people, ordinary people, to be more merciful and show respect to those on whose work the well-being of both the masters and the entire country depends.