Hearing the name of the comedy “Undergrown”, the image of a slacker and ignoramus emerges. The word undergrowth did not always have an ironic meaning. During the time of Peter I, noble children under 15 years of age were called minors. Fonvizin managed to give the word a different meaning. After the release of the comedy, it became a household name. The image and characterization of Mitrofanushka in the comedy “Minor” are negative. Through this character, Fonvizin wanted to show the degradation of the Russian nobility, when a person ceases to be human, turning into an ignorant and stupid beast.
The key role in the comedy “The Minor” is played by Mitrofan Prostakov, a noble son. The name Mitrofan means “similar”, similar to his mother. The parents looked into the water. Having named the child this way, they received a complete copy of themselves. A slacker and a parasite, accustomed to having all his wishes fulfilled the first time. Favorite activities: eat well and sleep. Mitrofan is only 16 years old and while his peers are full of aspirations and desires, he has none at all.
Mitrofan and mother
Mitrofan is a typical mama's boy.
“Well, Mitrofanushka, I see you are mother’s son, not father’s son!”
The father loves his son no less than the mother, but the father's opinion means nothing to him. Seeing how his mother treated her husband, humiliating him in front of the serfs, sometimes with a word, sometimes with a slap on the head, the guy drew certain conclusions. If a man voluntarily allowed himself to be turned into a rag, then what can he deserve? The only wish wipe your feet and move around.
Thanks to his mother, Mitrofan is absolutely not adapted to life. Why bother with problems and worries when there are servants and a mother who is ready to do anything for him. Her guardianship and dog-like adoration were annoying. Mother's love did not find a response in his heart. He grew up cold and insensitive. In the final scene, Mitrofan proved that his mother is indifferent to him. He refuses loved one, as soon as he heard that she had lost everything. Rushing to him in the hope of getting support, the woman hears something rude:
“Go away, mother, how you forced yourself on me”
Self-interest and the desire to get rich quickly and without effort became his credo. These traits were also passed on from the mother. Even the wedding with Sophia was at the suggestion of the mother, who wanted to profitably accommodate her unlucky son.
“I don’t want to study, I want to get married”
These are the words of Mitrofan addressed to her. The proposal was received with a bang. After all, a wedding with a rich heiress promised him a carefree and prosperous future.
Leisure
Favorite leisure activities: food and sleep. Food meant a lot to Mitrofan. The guy loved to eat. I filled my belly so much that I couldn’t sleep. He was constantly tormented by colic, but this did not reduce the amount he ate.
“Yes, it’s clear, brother, you had a hearty dinner...”
After having a hearty dinner, Mitrofan usually went to the dovecote or went to bed. If it weren't for the teachers with their classes, he would get out of bed only to look into the kitchen.
Attitude to study
Science was difficult for Mitrofan. Teachers fought for four years to teach the stupid guy something, but the result was zero. The mother herself, an uneducated woman, inspired her son that it was not necessary to study. The main thing is money and power, everything else is a waste of time.
“It’s only torment for you, but everything, I see, is emptiness. Don’t learn this stupid science!”
Peter's decree that noble children should know arithmetic, God's word and grammar played a role. She had to hire teachers not out of love for science, but because it was the right thing to do. It is not surprising that with such an attitude towards learning, Mitrofan did not understand and did not know basic things.
The importance of Mitrofan in comedy
Through the image of Mitrofan, Fonvizin wanted to show what can happen to a person if he stops developing, getting stuck in one pore and forgetting about human values, such as love, kindness, honesty, respect for people.
In this lesson we will get acquainted with the VII and VIII phenomena of the third act of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor”. During the lesson, we will analyze these two phenomena, the scene of a fight between teachers, and also learn the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Topic: Russian literature XVIII century
Lesson: Episode of Fonvizin’s comedy “Minor”
This comedy episode could be called “Mitrofanushka’s Lesson.” Initially, it may seem that everything described in phenomena VII and VIII is a comic exaggeration, or, in scientific language, hyperbole. That it wasn’t and couldn’t be, that Fonvizin had already come up with it. But everything described is from nature. For example, in Radishchev’s book “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” there is a chapter called “Gorodnya”. In this chapter, the traveler meets a Frenchman, and he says that he was a hairdresser, then a sailor, but he was always prone to drunkenness and laziness, so he could not earn his daily bread. And on the advice of his fellow countrymen, he became a teacher and, together with the student’s family, went to the village, where for a whole year they did not know that he could not write. Derzhavin in his “Notes” says that he was apprenticed to a certain Joseph Rosa, who was exiled to hard labor for some crime. His teacher himself was ignorant and did not even know grammatical rules. In the comedy of Catherine II (“Mrs. Vestnikova with her family”) one of the characters says about teachers: “Let him still go as a coachman to someone.” Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov, an outstanding statesman of the Elizabethan era, founder of Moscow University, patron of Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, founder of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, in a memo to the Senate in 1754, proving that a university was needed, wrote: “The nobles, not having found the best teachers, accept those who spent their whole lives as footmen, hairdressers, and other similar crafts. We need a university."
Commentary on the selected scene
In the works of the past (and this could be a recent time, say, the end of the last century), and even more so in the works of the 18th-19th centuries, there is an unusually large number of unclear words. Correct reading requires, first of all, familiarity with these words. It is impossible to understand the meaning of a work without understanding the words used in it. What words do you simply need to know in order to read the two phenomena of the third act of the play “The Minor”.
First, the word “conspiracy.” Mitrofanushka says: “So that tomorrow there will be an agreement.” Collusion- this is an engagement. That is, a young man and a girl are declared the bride and groom. It's not a wedding yet, but they are already engaged to each other. This custom of engagement is still alive, although not as widespread as in the past.
Butts which Mitrofanushka demands to take to him - this is what has been passed. Tsyfirkin says quite rightly that if you constantly repeat the same thing, then “you’ll be left with your backside a century ago.” In general, Fonvizin’s penchant for puns is unusually good. Fonvizin makes puns constantly.
Onbutt- For example.
Sabbat- end.
Surname Kuteikin derived from the name of the funeral dish “kutya” - rice with raisins. This is a Lenten dish that is eaten at funerals and on memorial holidays.
Az- I (Church Slavonic).
I am- first person singular verb "to be". “I am a worm” - I am a worm. Psalter- a book of the Old Testament, a collection of spiritual poems, psalms. Authorship is attributed to the Biblical King David. This book was used to teach literacy, writing, and reading. Kuteikin's ignorance is emphasized by the fact that he thinks that different things should be written in the two psalters.
Asmoe tifa f sfete- the eighth wonder in the world.
Palfan- blockhead, block of wood, that is, an empty piece of wood.
Aristotle- ancient Greek philosopher, sage.
Advance- move forward.
Goat- this is an elevation for the coachman.
Mrs. Prostakova and Mitrofan. Teachers Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin.
Prostakova: “While he is resting, my friend, at least for the sake of appearance, learn, so that it reaches his ears how you work, Mitrofanushka.”
Please note that Prostakova constantly emphasizes, especially in front of Pravdin and Starodum, that Mitrofanushka is a scientist, that he is enlightened. That is, Fonvizin seems to show that they, of course, are “dense,” but the time is now such that even the “dense” should send their children to study. There is no other way.
Mitrofan: “Well! What’s there?”
Prostakova: “And then you’ll get married.”
Mitrofan: “Listen, mother, I’ll amuse you. I'll study; just let this be the last time and let there be an agreement today.”
Prostakova: “The hour of God’s will will come!”
Mitrofan: “The hour of my will has come! I don’t want to study, I want to get married! You lured me in, blame yourself. So I sat down.”
Tsyfirkin is repairing the slate (back then they wrote on a black slate board with soft slate - a stylus).
Prostakova: “And I’ll sit down right away and tie the wallet for you, my friend! There would be somewhere to put Sophia’s money.”
This simple motive - money - runs through the entire play and the desire to marry Mitrofan to Sophia is caused by the news that Sophia has a hefty dowry. As for studying directly, everything is very simple for Prostakova.
Mitrofan: “Well! Give me the board, garrison rat! Ask what to write."
Why garrison rat? Because Tsyfirkin served, was a soldier, and then retired. Now he makes money by what he knows in mathematics, he checks the accounts for some, and does something else for others.
Tsyfirkin: “Your honor is always barking idlely.”
Prostakova: “Oh, my God! Don’t you dare, child, to elect Pafnutich! I’m already angry!”
The most wonderful feature that distinguishes all Fonvizin’s satirical characters: absolute contempt for the merits of another person. Just think the child said garrison rat? Why be offended? There is even a proverb: “A scolding does not hang on the collar.”
Tsyfirkin: “Why be angry, your honor? We have a Russian proverb: the dog barks, the wind blows.”
Mitrofan: “Get your butts back, turn around.” Tsyfirkin: “All the backs, your honor. After all, you’ll be left with the backside of a century ago.” Prostakova: “It’s none of your business, Pafnutich. It’s very nice to me that Mitrofanushka doesn’t like to step forward. With his intelligence, may he fly far, and God forbid!” And what does Prostakova mean here? With his grandiose mind or with his weak little mind? Most likely, the first, but we are reading the second, no doubt. Tsyfirkin: “The task. You deigned, on the butt (that is, for example), to walk along the road with me. Well, at least we’ll take Sidorich with us. We found three...” Mitrofan (writes): “Three.” Tsyfirkin: “On the road, for the butt, three hundred rubles.” Mitrofan (writes): “Three hundred.” Tsyfirkin: “It came to a division. Think about it, why on your brother?” Mitrofan (calculating, whispers): “Once three is three. Once zero is zero. Once zero is zero.” Prostakova: “What, what, before the division?” Mitrofan: “Look, the three hundred rubles that were found should be divided among the three of us.” Prostakova: “He’s lying, my dear friend. I found the money and didn’t share it with anyone. Take it all for yourself, Mitrofanushka. Don’t learn this stupid science.” Mitrofan: “Listen, Pafnutich, ask another question.” Tsyfirkin: “Write, your honor. You give me ten rubles a year for my studies.” Mitrofan: “Ten.” Tsyfirkin: “Now, really, no problem, but if you, master, took something from me, it wouldn’t be a sin to add ten more.” Mitrofan (writes): “Well, well, ten.” Tsyfirkin: “How long for a year?” Mitrofan: “Zero yes zero - zero. One and one..." (Thinking.) But then Prostakova intervenes. Prostakova: “Don’t work in vain, my friend! I won’t add a penny; and you're welcome. Science is not like that. Only you are tormented, but all I see is emptiness. No money - what to count? There is money - we’ll figure it out well without Pafnutich.” Here Kuteikin intervenes. Kuteikin: “Sabbath, really, Pafnutich. Two problems have been solved. After all, they won’t bring it up for verification (in the sense that no one will check how they were decided).” Mitrofan: “I suppose, brother. Mother herself can’t make a mistake here. Go now, Kuteikin, teach yesterday a lesson.” Kuteikin (opens the book of hours): “Let’s start with blessings. Follow me with attention: “I am a worm...” Mitrofan: “I am a worm...” Kuteikin: “A worm, that is, (that is) an animal, a cattle. In other words: “I am cattle.” Mitrofan: “I am cattle.” And this motif, taken from the psalter (chapter 21, verse 7), runs through the entire book: “I am a worm, and not a man, a reproach of men and the humiliation of people.” Kuteikin: “Not a man.” Mitrofan: “Not a man.” Kuteikin: “Reviling people.” Mitrofan: “Reproach of people.” Kuteikin: “And uni...” This is where phenomenon VII ends.
The phenomenon changes when the cast of characters on stage changes. Vralman runs in.
Vralman: “Ay! ah! ah! ah! ah! Now I'm freaking out! They want to kill the turnip! Mother you are! Have fun with this morning...” And so on. This is the so-called German accent, which is found both in the comedies of Fonvizin’s time and in “Woe from Wit” (“he went to hell”), which will continue to be found for a very long time in Russian literature. Moreover, it is not very easy to immediately understand all the words. For example, Vralman says about Mitrofan: “ asmoe tifa f sfete " This means: the eighth wonder in the world. And since it is known that there are only 7 miracles in the world, then Mitrofan, it turns out, is the eighth miracle. Vralman: “Follow these damned slateys. And with such a kalaf, how long is palfan? Ush disposition, ear fse is.” (that is, there is a predisposition that the last brains have flown out). Prostakova: “The truth, the truth is yours, Adam Adamych! Mitrofanushka, my friend, if teaching is so dangerous for your little head, then for me, stop.” Mitrofan: “And even more so for me.” In one of the previous phenomena, teachers complained to each other that as soon as they started studying, a German immediately appeared and interfered with the lessons. That's how it happens here. Kuteikin: “The end and glory to God.” Vralman: “My mother! What's wrong with it? Son, there’s some shit, let’s give up the old stuff; or the wise son, so to speak, Aristotelis, and to the grave.” That is, the mother has to decide whether her son will remain as he is, but will be healthy, or will become a sage, like Aristotle, but his teaching will lead him to the grave. Prostakova: “Oh, what passion, Adam Adamych! He already had a careless dinner yesterday.” Vralman: “Rassuti-sh, mother of May, drank too much pryukho: peda. And the fit of the kaloushka is much slower than that of the nefo; drink it too much and save it later!” That is, if you fill your belly, it’s a disaster, but what if you fill your head with too much? This will be really bad. Mitrofanushka’s head is weaker than his belly. Prostakova: Your truth, Adam Adamych; what are you going to do? A child, if you don’t learn, go to St. Petersburg: they’ll say you’re a fool. There are a lot of smart people these days. I'm afraid of them." And what is here - a feeling of one’s time, already new, or a nod to the empress? After all, there were a lot of smart people with her. One way or another, Prostakova wants to teach her Mitrofan (at least in appearance). Vralman: “Why bother, my mother? A wise man will not saturate Nikakhta, Nikakhta will not argue with him: but he does not get involved with clever bastards, and he will continue to be prosperous!” Prostakova: “This is how you should live in the world, Mitrofanushka!” Mitrofan: “I myself, mother, am not one for clever people. Your brother is always better.” Vralman: “Is this a campaign or a body?” Prostakova: “Adam Adamych! But from whom will you choose her? Vralman: “Don’t crash, my mother, don’t crash; What is your most tragic son, there are millions, millions of them in the world. How can he not ruin his campaigns?” Prostakova: “It’s for nothing that my little son is sharp and agile.” Vralman: “Didn’t you just give up your body and don’t samarize your dick? Rossika kramat! Arihmetika! Oh, my goodness, how the carcass remains in the body! How putto py rassiski tforyanin ush and could not f sfete advance (that is, move forward) pez russian kramat! Kuteikin (to the side): “You should have labor and illness under your tongue.” Vralman: “Kak putto py do arihmetiki dust lyuti turaki sandy!” Tsyfirkin (to the side): “I’ll count those ribs. You will come to me." Vralman: “He needs to know how to sew on fabric. I know the sfet by heart. I grated Kalash myself.” Prostakova: “How can you not know big world, Adam Adamych? I am tea, and in St. Petersburg alone you have seen enough of everything.” Vralman: “It’s tacky, my mother, it’s tacky. I have always been a keen hunter and eager to watch public. Pyfalo, about the celebratory holiday of the Sietuts in Katringhof, the carriages with the hospots. I still look at them. Damn, I won’t leave my mow for a minute.” Prostakova: “What the hell?” Vralman (to the side): “Ay! ah! ah! ah! What did I screw up! (Aloud.) You, mother, dream that you should always look higher. So, darling, I got into someone else’s carriage, and I smeared the Polish land from the mowers.”
Goats are a kind of elevation on the front of the crew. The place where the coachman sits.
Prostakova: “Of course, we know better. Smart man knows where to climb." Vralman: “Your dearest son is also on the sfeta somehow in a smastitsa, fiercely look at and touch sepya. Utalets!” Vralman knows perfectly well the value of Mitrofanushka and here he must be played in such a way that there is both innocence and cunning, so that it is clear that he is being ironic about Mitrofanushka and his mother, and at the same time he says the words that are expected of him. Vralman: “Utalets! He won't stand still, like a ticking horse. Go! Fort!" Prostakova: “A child, really, even though he’s a groom. Follow him, however, so that he doesn’t anger the guest out of playfulness without intent.” Vralman: “Poti, my mother! Saletna bird! Your voices flow with him.” Prostakova: “Farewell, Adam Adamych!”
This ends the VIII phenomenon, after which there is a scene of a fight between the teachers.
About Moliere's comedy "The Bourgeois in the Nobility"
The scene of the teachers' fight, perhaps, is reminiscent of a similar scene in Moliere's comedy "The Bourgeois in the Nobility." This play was staged in 1670, with Moliere himself playing Jourdain, the main character. What is it main character Moliere's comedies? This is always a hero, obsessed with some kind of mania that does not allow him to sleep, does not allow him to live. Jourdain really wants to consider himself a nobleman, and for everyone to consider him a nobleman. He wants to become a nobleman. And he recruits a whole staff of teachers: music, dance, fencing and philosophy teachers. And, in fact, the comedy begins precisely with the fact that each teacher says how important his science is. And they start arguing with each other, especially when the fencing teacher appears. It’s clear that there are music and dance teachers if a fencing teacher can easily put them on a sword. But as soon as the argument between the music, dance and fencing teacher begins, the philosophy teacher appears and tries to reason with the disputants, saying that they are doing this in vain. Each science has its own meaning, its own significance. But, truly, philosophy is above all. And then a general fight begins, and the philosophy teacher ends up getting the most.
There is some wonderful dialogue in the comedy. The philosophy teacher explains to Jourdain that everything that is not poetry is prose, and everything that is not prose is poetry. And Jourdain discovers to his surprise that all his life he spoke in prose. In general, there are many wonderful moments in this comedy. For example, when it comes to the new suit that Jourdain ordered. And this costume is associated with a very important motive: life is a game, and each of us plays a role. But nobility is not reduced to a role, to dressing up, it is not bought. And this suit becomes as if theatrical costume. Much of Moliere’s comedy will later remain in Russian comedy in the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, the same Prostakova is obsessed with mania - an unhealthy love for her son. Love that cripples a son, and does not protect or educate. There is also a love couple here, as in “The Bourgeois in the Nobility.” Jourdain, as a father, is sure that only an aristocrat, a marquis, and therefore a glorious one, is suitable for his daughter as a husband. kind guy, but a merchant rank (and Jourdain himself is a merchant) will never be the husband of his daughter. But Jourdain is deceived when he is made to believe that his daughter married the son of the Turkish Sultan.
It is curious that “The Minor” begins in much the same way as “The Bourgeois in the Nobility.” It starts with the costume - with a caftan sewn by Trishka. But if for Moliere the most important thing is appearance and essence (that is, you can wear any suit you like, but you will still remain a bourgeois), then with Fonvizin the emphasis is shifted to something else. Here, for example, is a serf who was ordered to become a tailor, regardless of whether he knows how to sew or not. Stanislav Borisovich Rassadin says that this episode can easily be projected onto Catherine’s court, when already in the 80s such great people as Grigory Orlov and Potemkin were replaced by mere nonentities, like Platon Zubov or Vasilchikov. That is, Catherine gave the opportunity to rule, to manage almost the entire state, to people who not only did not know how to do this, but also did not want to learn it.
Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin beat up Vralman, who constantly interferes with the teaching and prevents them from even their modest opportunities to teach Mitrofanushka something. And this theme of teaching organically continues in Act 4, Act 8, where Mitrofan demonstrates his knowledge in front of Starodum, Pravdin and others. Starodum: “It dawned on my ears that now he only deigned to unlearn. I have heard about his teachers and I can see in advance what kind of literate he needs to be, studying with Kuteikin, and what kind of mathematician, studying with Tsyfirkin. I would be curious to hear what the German taught him.” Mitrofan: “Everything! For example, grammar.” Pravdin: “I see. This is grammar. What do you know about it? Mitrofan: “A lot. A noun and an adjective...” Pravdin: “Door, for example, what name: a noun or an adjective?” Mitrofan: “Door? Which door?” Pravdin: “Which door! This one." Mitrofan: “This one? Adjective." Pravdin: “Why?” Mitrofan: “Because it is attached to its place. Over there at the closet of the pole for a week the door has not yet been hung: so for now that is a noun.” You can see that Mitrofanushka copes well with the situation. So to speak, by intuition he copes with grammatical categories. He is very witty. Starodum: “So that’s why you use the word fool as an adjective, because it is applied to a stupid person?” Mitrofan: “And it is known.” Prostakova: “What, what is it, my father?” Pravdin: “It can’t be better. He's good at grammar." Milo: “I think no less in history.”
And it turns out that Mitrofan is a history hunter, just like Skotinin is his uncle.
Pravdin: “How far are you in history?” Mitrofan: “Is it far? What's the story? In another you will fly to distant lands, to a kingdom of thirty.” Pravdin: “Ah! So this is the story that Vralman teaches you?” Starodum: “Vralman! The name is somewhat familiar."
And finally, the famous scene with geography. It turns out that this is not a noble science. You need to tell the cab driver where you are going - that’s all. He'll take it.
Here is the education of Mitrofan, which may seem to us described completely implausibly, but which, judging by the comments of his contemporaries, was written almost from life.
Final settlement with teachers
Eremeevna brings the teachers and says a phrase that may not be very clear to today’s schoolchildren: “Here, father, all our bastards.” Here the word “bastard” is not a curse word. It means “companions”, “accompanying”, that is, the one who drags along with us, the one who is with us. And although at the beginning of the 19th century this word was rude, it was not abusive.
How do teachers part with their jobs? Vralman asks to be returned to the box, and Starodum tells him: “You probably lost the habit of being a coachman while you were teaching?” To which Vralman responds with a wonderful phrase: “Hey, no, my father! Shiuchi with great hospots, it mattered to me that I was all with horses.” (That is, with cattle).
Honest Tsyfirkin doesn’t ask for anything. Mitrofan didn’t adopt anything. What is there to take here for? And Kuteikin says that it would be necessary to pay off. Indeed, he walked, taught, time and energy wasted. But when he is offered to settle accounts with the lady herself, Kuteikin renounces everything. This is also a property of classical comedy. Each, even tiny line, each character must exhaust its own path. He must find his final place. There are no misunderstandings, like, for example, Chekhov. So, Mitrofan went to serve. Prostakova is deprived of her estate and removed from management, and we see this as “evil morality.” worthy fruits" Skotinin is told to tell all Skotinins what awaits the evil ones. So, in the context of one particular case, an appeal is read to all those who deserve a similar outcome.
1. Korovina V.Ya., Zhuravlev V.P., Korovin V.I. Literature. 9th grade. M.: Education, 2008.
2. Ladygin M.B., Esin A.B., Nefedova N.A. Literature. 9th grade. M.: Bustard, 2011.
3. Chertov V.F., Trubina L.A., Antipova A.M. Literature. 9th grade. M.: Education, 2012.
1. Learn all the unfamiliar words from scenes VII-VIII of the comedy “The Minor.”
2. Write down 10-15 aphorisms from VII-VIII phenomena.
3. * Retell phenomena VII and VIII.
“Minor” D.I. Fonvizin
Pravdin (Mitrofan). How far are you in history?
Mitrofan. How far is it? What's the story? In another you will fly to distant lands, to a kingdom of thirty.
Pravdin. A! Is this the story that Vralman teaches you?
Starodum. Vralman? The name is somewhat familiar.
Mitrofan. No, our Adam Adamych doesn’t tell stories; He, like me, is a keen listener himself.
Ms. Prostakova. They both force themselves to tell stories to the cowgirl Khavronya.
Pravdin. Didn’t you both study geography from her?
Ms. Prostakova (son). Do you hear, my dear friend? What kind of science is this?
Mitrofan (quiet mother). How do I know?
Ms. Prostakova (quietly to Mitrofan). Don't be stubborn, darling. Now is the time to show yourself.
Mitrofan (quiet mother). Yes, I have no idea what they are asking about.
Ms. Prostakova (Pravdin). What, father, did you call science?
Pravdin. Geography.
Ms. Prostakova (Mitrofan). Do you hear, eorgafiya.
Mitrofan. What is it! Oh my God! They stuck me with a knife to my throat.
Ms. Prostakova (Pravdin). And we know, father. Yes, tell him, do me a favor, what kind of science this is, he will tell it,
Pravdin. Description of the land.
Ms. Prostakova (Starodum). What would this serve in the first case?
Starodum. In the first case, it would also be suitable for the fact that if you happen to go, you know where you are going.
Ms. Prostakova. Ah, my father! But what are cab drivers for? It's their business. This is not a noble science either. Nobleman, just say: take me there, and they will take you wherever you please. Believe me, father, that, of course, what Mitrofanushka does not know is nonsense.
Starodum. Oh, of course, madam. In human ignorance, it is very comforting to consider everything that you don’t know to be nonsense.
Ms. Prostakova. Without sciences people live and lived. The deceased father was a commander for fifteen years, and at the same time he deigned to die because he did not know how to read and write, but he knew how to make and save enough wealth. He always received petitions, sitting on an iron chest. Afterwards, he will open the chest and put something in. That was the economy! He did not spare his life so as not to take anything out of the chest. I won’t boast to others, I won’t hide it from you: the deceased light, lying on a chest with money, died, so to speak, of hunger. A! what does it feel like??
Starodum. Commendable. You have to be Skotinin to taste such a blissful death.
Skotinin. But if we are to prove that the teaching is nonsense, then let’s take Uncle Vavila Faleleich. No one had ever heard of a letter from him, nor did he want to hear from anyone: and what a head he was!
Pravdin. What is it?
Skotinin. Yes, this is what happened to him. Riding on a greyhound pacer, he ran drunkenly into the stone gate. The man was tall, the gate was low, he forgot to bend over. As soon as his forehead hit the lintel, the Indian bent his uncle to the back of his head, and the vigorous horse carried him out of the gate to the porch on his back. I would like to know if there is a learned forehead in the world that would not fall apart from such a blow; and my uncle, to his eternal memory, having sobered up, only asked if the gate was intact?
Milo. You, Mr. Skotinin, admit yourself to be an unlearned person; however, I think, in this case, your forehead would be no stronger than a scientist.
Starodum (Milo). Don't bet on it. I think that the Skotinins are all tough-minded by birth.
Mitrofan means “revealing his mother,” i.e., similar to his mother. This is a bright type of spoiled “mama’s boy”, who grew up and developed in an ignorant environment landed nobility. Serfdom, the home environment and the absurd, ugly upbringing spiritually ruined and corrupted him.
By nature, he is not devoid of cunning and intelligence. He sees perfectly well that the mother is the sovereign mistress of the house, and he plays nice with her, pretends to be a son who loves her tenderly (story about a dream) or scares her with the threat of drowning if
They won’t protect him from his uncle’s fists and will torment him with reading the Book of Hours. Mntrofan's mental development is extremely low, since he has an insurmountable aversion to work and learning.
The scenes of his classes with teachers and the “exam” clearly and fully show his mental squalor, ignorance of the sciences, reluctance to understand anything, to learn new things. The dovecote, hearth pies, sweet soya and the idle life of the barchuk are much dearer to him than mental pursuits. Mitrofan does not know love for anyone, even for those closest to him - his mother and nanny.
He doesn’t talk to teachers, but “barks,” as Tsyfirkin puts it; Eremeeviu devoted to him
He calls her “an old bastard,” and threatens her with fierce reprisals: “I’ll beat them up!” “When Sophia’s kidnapping failed, he angrily shouts: “Take care of people! “The mother who has lost both power and property, rushing to him in despair, he rudely pushes away: get off, mother, how you imposed yourself! “Mitrofan’s speech fully reflects his character and his distinctive qualities.
Mitrofan’s mental poverty and lack of development are reflected in this. that he does not know how to use words or speak coherently. He expresses himself in monosyllables: “I suppose, brother,” “Which door? “, “To hell with everything!” In his language there are many colloquialisms, words and phrases borrowed: “For me, where they tell me to!”
, “Yes, look at that, it’s a task from Uncle, “I’ll dive - that’s what they called me!” The main tone of his speech is the capricious, disdainful, rude tone of a spoiled “mama's son, a barchuk, a future despot and tyrant. Even with his mother, he speaks more than cheekily, and sometimes he is insolent to her.
The image of Mitrofan is an image of enormous generalizing power. The name Mitrofanushka became a household name. The very word “minor,” which before Fonvizin meant a noble teenager who had not reached 16 years of age, became synonymous with a complete ignoramus, knowing nothing and not wanting to know anything.
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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 then in ten years, when, God forbid, he enters the service, you’ll 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 the custom in noble families, and not so that her son would learn intelligence. As he said to his mother: “Listen, mother. I’ll amuse you. I’ll study; just so that this is the last. The hour will change my will. 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 is moving forward.” doesn’t love, With his mind, may he sweep it far away, and God save you! Only you will suffer, but everything, I see, is emptiness! 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.
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 Uncle: and then from his fists and for the book of hours.” What, what do you want to do? Come to your senses, darling!" "The river is here and close. I’ll dive in, remember my name.” “I killed you!” God killed you!”: these words prove that he does not love at all and he 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 you.” me, my dear friend, Mitrofanushka! And in response he hears the heartless: “Let go, mother, you imposed yourself.” “I had such crap in my eyes all night.” "What kind of rubbish is Mitrofanushka?" “Yes, either you, mother, or father.” Prostakov was afraid of his wife and in her presence he spoke about his son like this: “At least, I love him as a parent should, he’s a smart child, he’s a sensible child, he’s funny, he’s an entertainer; sometimes I’m beside myself with joy over him. I 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 a mother’s son, not a father’s son!” And Mitrofan turned to his uncle: “What, 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 will die on the spot, but I will not give up the child. 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. undergrowth Mitrofan simpleton hero
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, you rat of the garrison! Give me your butts.” “All our butts, your honor. We’ll remain behind our butts forever.” Mitrofan's dictionary is small and poor. “Take them and 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, study 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.
Mitrofan and Prostakova
Mitrofan's training
Work test
The eighteenth century gave Russian (and world, of course) literature many outstanding names and talented figures. One of them is Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, writer and playwright. Most people know him as the author of the comedy “The Minor.” How was the most famous work the author, who did he base his characters on and what is special about one of the play's heroes - Mitrofanushka?
Denis Fonvizin
Before talking about the comedy itself, it is necessary to at least briefly say about its author. Denis Fonvizin did not live too long (only forty-seven years), but bright life. Most people know him only as the person who wrote “The Minor,” while he wrote the play “The Brigadier,” many translations and adaptations, treatises and essays.
Despite the fact that he wrote only two plays (and after “The Brigadier” he did not turn to drama for more than ten years), it was Fonvizin who is the “progenitor” of the so-called Russian everyday comedy.
“Minor” by Fonvizin: history of creation
Despite the fact that “The Minor” was completed by the writer and politician in the early eighties, there is reason to believe that Fonvizin conceived his satirical “comedy of manners” back in the sixties: it was precisely this time that the play dates back to, which first saw the light only in the last century - during during the author's life it was never published. Its characters can be called early prototypes of the heroes of “The Minor”: in each of them familiar features are easily discernible.
While working on the comedy, Denis Ivanovich used a huge variety of sources - both articles and works of various authors (both modern and past centuries), and even texts written by Catherine the Great herself. Having finished work on “The Minor,” Fonvizin, of course, decided to stage the play, although he understood that it would be difficult to do so - the abundance of new ideas and bold statements blocked the work’s path to a wide audience. Nevertheless, he himself took up the preparation of the performance and, albeit slowly, although with all sorts of delays, “The Minor” was released in the theater on Tsaritsyn Meadow and received phenomenal success with the audience. This happened in 1782, and a year later the play was published for the first time.
Who is this little guy?
Many people are genuinely puzzled by the title of the work. In fact, why - an undergrowth? What kind of word is this anyway? It's simple. In the eighteenth century (and it was then that Denis Fonvizin lived and worked), a young man of noble (that is, noble) origin who did not receive an education was called a “minor.” A lazy, stupid person, incapable of anything - that's what he is. Such young men could not get a job, and they were not given a marriage license.
Denis Ivanovich called his work “Minor” because this is exactly what Mitrofanushka, one of the main characters, is like. He put a little more satire into this word than it actually had. Minor, with light hand Fonvizin is not only an uneducated, but also a selfish and rude young man. The characteristics of the image of Mitrofanushka will be presented in more detail below.
The plot of “The Minor” revolves around a modest girl, Sophia, left without parents and therefore taken into care by the Prostakov family, greedy and narrow-minded people. Sophia is a rich heiress, a bride of marriageable age, and both the Prostakovs want to get a wife with such a dowry, trying to marry her off to their sixteen-year-old son Mitrofanushka, a minor, and Prostakova’s brother Skotinin, obsessed with the idea of a large number of livestock on Sophia’s farm. Sophia has a loved one - Milon, to whom her only relative - Uncle Starodum - wants to marry her. He comes to the Prostakovs and is very surprised to see how the owners are currying favor with him and his niece. They are trying to show Mitrofanushka in the best light, but the uneducated and lazy lump spoils all his mother’s attempts.
Having learned that Starodum and Milon are taking Sophia away, at night, on the orders of the Prostakovs, they try to kidnap her, but Milon prevents the kidnapping. It all ends with the Prostakovs losing not only their profitable bride, but also their estates - it’s all to blame for their greed, anger and selfishness.
Main characters
The main characters of “The Minor” are the already mentioned Mitrofanushka, his parents (it should be noted that everything in this family is run by the mother, who does not consider the servants to be people, and strongly follows the fashion of the time; the father of the family is completely under the heel of his domineering wife, who even raises her hand against him), Sophia, her uncle Starodum, fiancé Milon, government official Pravdin, whose goal is to expose the atrocities of the Prostakovs (in which he ultimately succeeds). Need to pay special attention to the fact that Fonvizin used “speaking” names for his characters - both positive (Starodum, Pravdin, Sophia) and negative (Skotinin, Prostakovs) characters were endowed with them. In the characterization of Mitrofanushka, his name is also of great importance - from Greek “Mitrofan” means “mama’s son,” which truly fully reflects the character of the hero. Only at the very end of the play does Mitrofanushka quarrel with his mother and tells her to leave him alone.
Fonvizin pits completely different social strata against each other in his work - officials, nobles, and servants are represented here... He openly ridicules the nobles and their upbringing, condemns people like the Prostakovs. From the very first words of the play it is easy to understand where are positive and where negative heroes and what is the author's attitude towards each of them. Largely thanks to the beautifully written images negative characters(especially the characterization of Mitrofanushka) “comedy of manners” brought such success to its creator. The name Mitrofanushka has generally become a household name. In addition, the play was dismantled into catchphrases with quotes.
The characteristics of Mitrofanushka should be given special attention. However, first it is necessary to say about three more characters in the play. These are Mitrofanushka’s teachers - Tsyfirkin, Kuteikin and Vralman. They cannot be directly classified as positive, nor do they belong to a type of people in whom both good and bad are equally combined. However, their surnames are also “telling”: and they speak about the main quality of a person - for example, for Vralman it is lying, and for Tsyfirkin it is love for mathematics.
“Minor”: characteristics of Mitrofanushka
The character in whose honor the work is named is almost sixteen years old. While many at his age are completely independent adults, Mitrofanushka cannot take a step without her mother’s prompting, without holding on to her skirt. He is one of those who is called a “mama’s boy” (and as mentioned above, a direct indication of this is contained even in the meaning of his name). Despite the fact that Mitrofanushka has a father, the boy does not receive a male education in the full sense of the word - his father himself is not famous for such qualities.
For his parents, Mitrofanushka is still a small child - even in his presence they talk about him in this way, calling him a child, a child - and Mitrofanushka shamelessly takes advantage of this throughout the comedy. The boy doesn’t think anything of his father, thereby once again proving that he is a perfect “mama’s boy.” Very indicative in this regard is the scene where Mitrofan pities his mother, who is tired of beating her father - so, poor thing, she worked hard beating him. There is no question of sympathizing with the father.
It is not entirely possible to give a brief description of Mitrofanushka in “The Minor” - so much can be said about this character. For example, he really likes to eat a hearty meal, and then - to relax to his heart’s content without doing anything (however, he doesn’t have much to do except study, in which, it must be honestly noted, he is not at all diligent). Like his mother, Mitrofan is a rather heartless person. He loves to humiliate others, putting them below himself, once again “showing a place” to people working for him. Thus, he constantly offends his nanny, who has been assigned to him since birth, but who is always on his side. This is another revealing moment in the characterization of Mitrofanushka from the comedy “The Minor.”
Mitrofanushka is a sneak and an insolent person, but at the same time he is also a sycophant: already at that age he feels who should not be rude, in front of whom he should “show his best qualities.” The only trouble is that with such a mother’s upbringing, Mitrofanushka simply cannot have the best qualities. Even to her, the one who loves him so blindly and allows him everything, he threatens and blackmails her in an attempt to achieve what he wants for himself. Such qualities do not do honor to the characterization of Mitrofanushka, speaking of him as a bad person, ready to go over his head for the sake of only himself and his demands, as a person who loves only as long as his will is fulfilled.
It is interesting that Mitrofan is characterized by self-criticism: he is aware that he is lazy and stupid. However, he is not at all upset about this, declaring that he is “not a hunter of smart girls.” It is unlikely that such a quality passed to him from his mother; rather, he adopted it from his father - at least he should have inherited something from him. This is brief description Mitrofanushka, a hero whose name has been used for several centuries to name people with similar character traits.
Was there a boy?
It is known that Fonvizin “peeped” the scenes for his work in real life. What about the heroes? Are they completely invented or copied from real people?
The characterization of the hero Mitrofanushka gives reason to believe that his prototype was Alexey Olenin. He subsequently became known as a statesman and historian, as well as an artist. But until the age of eighteen, his behavior was absolutely similar to the characteristics of Mitrofanushka: he did not want to study, was rude, lazy, as they say, “wasted his life.” It is believed that it was Fonvizin’s comedy that helped Alexei Olenin “take the right path”: supposedly, after reading it, he recognized himself in the main character, saw his portrait from the outside for the first time and was so shocked that he gained motivation for “rebirth.”
Whether this is true or not, it is now impossible to know for sure. But some facts from Olenin’s biography have been preserved. Thus, until he was ten years old, he was raised by his father and a specially hired tutor, and he was also educated at home. When he went to school (and not just any school, but the Page Court), he was soon sent to continue his studies abroad - he was chosen for this purpose, since little Alyosha demonstrated excellent progress in his studies. Abroad he graduated two higher institutions- thus, there is no need to say that Olenin was lazy and ignorant, like Mitrofanushka. It is quite possible that some of the qualities inherent in Olenin were reminiscent of the characteristics of Mitrofanushka, however, most likely, it is impossible to say that Olenin is a 100% prototype of the Fonvizin hero. It is more likely that Mitrofan is some kind of collective image.
The meaning of the comedy “Minor” in literature
“The Minor” has been studied for more than two centuries - from the very release of the play to this day. Its importance is difficult to overestimate: it satirically ridicules the social and even state structure of society. And he does this openly, without even fearing the authorities - and yet it was precisely because of this that Catherine the Great, after the publication of “The Minor,” forbade the publication of anything coming from the pen of Fonvizin.
His comedy highlights the pressing issues of the time, but they remain no less relevant today. The shortcomings of society that existed in the eighteenth century have not disappeared in the twenty-first. With the light hand of Pushkin, the play was called a “folk comedy” - it has every right to be called that in our days.
- In the first version of the play, Mitrofanushka is called Ivanushka.
- The initial version of the comedy is closer to the play “The Brigadier”.
- Fonvizin worked on Minor for about three years.
- He drew ideas for writing from life, but he talked about the creation of only one scene - the one where Eremeevna protects her pupil from Skotinin.
- When Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was studying at the gymnasium, he played the role of Mrs. Prostakova in school productions.
- Fonvizin sketched out the continuation of “The Minor” in letters from Sophia and Starodum to each other: according to the author’s idea, after the wedding, Milon cheated on Sophia, about which she complained to her uncle.
- The idea of creating such a work first came to Denis Ivanovich when he was in France.
More than two centuries have passed since the creation of the play, and it does not lose its relevance to this day. More and more research is being devoted to the study of comedy itself and its individual characters. This means that Denis Fonvizin managed to notice and highlight something in his work that will always attract the attention of readers and viewers.
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 a small child, does not want to study and is capricious. Mitrofan is a negative character and the funniest hero of the comedy - his absurd statements, stupidity and ignorance cause laughter not only among readers and spectators, but also among other heroes of 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 young man’s ill-will 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 worthy son 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 fail to 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 solving an arithmetic problem, offering “her own 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 the central image of the comedy “The 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
Topics of education and upbringing are always relevant to society. That is why Denis Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” is interesting for readers today. The heroes of the work are representatives of different classes. The comedy is written in the style of classicism. Each character represents a certain quality. For this, the author uses speaking surnames. In comedy, the rule of three unities is observed: unity of action, time and place. The play was first staged on stage in 1782. Since then, there have been thousands, or even millions, of performances of the same name all over the world. In 1926, based on the comedy, the film “Lords of the Skotinins” was shot.
Starodum
Starodum personifies the image of a wise man. He was brought up in the spirit of Peter the Great's time, and accordingly, he honors the traditions of the previous era. He considers serving the Fatherland a sacred duty. He despises evil and inhumanity. Starodum proclaims morality and enlightenment.
Starodum. Fragment from the play “The Minor”These are the worthy fruits of evil.
The ranks begin - sincerity ceases.
An ignoramus without a soul is a beast.
Have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times.
The direct dignity in a person is the soul... Without it, the most enlightened, clever person is a pitiful creature.
It is much more honest to be treated without guilt than to be rewarded without merit.
It is in vain to call a doctor to the sick without healing. The doctor won’t help you here unless you get infected yourself.
All of Siberia is not enough for the whims of one person.
Follow nature, you will never be poor. Follow people's opinions and you will never be rich.
Cash is not cash worth
They never wish harm upon those whom they despise; but usually they wish evil upon those who have the right to despise.
An honest person must be a completely honest person.
Insolence in a woman is a sign of vicious behavior.
In human ignorance, it is very comforting to consider everything that you don’t know as nonsense.
God has given you all the amenities of your sex.
In today's marriages, the heart is rarely consulted. The question is whether the groom is famous or rich? Is the bride good and rich? There is no question about good behavior.
The bad disposition of people who are not worthy of respect should not be distressing. Know that they never wish evil upon those whom they despise, but usually wish evil upon those who have the right to despise.
People envy more than just wealth, more than just nobility: and virtue also has its envious people.
Science in depraved man is a fierce weapon to do evil Children? Leave wealth to children! Not in my head. They will be smart, they will manage without him; and wealth is no help to a stupid son.
The flatterer is a thief at night who will first put out the candle and then begin to steal.
Do not have love for your husband that resembles friendship. Have a friendship for him that would be like love. It will be much stronger.
Is he happy who has nothing to desire, but only something to fear?
Not the rich man who counts out money in order to hide it in a chest, but the one who counts out his extra money in order to help someone who does not have what he needs.
Conscience, like a friend, always warns before punishing like a judge.
It is better to lead life at home than in someone else's hallway.
Everyone must seek his happiness and benefits in that one thing that is lawful.
Pravdin
Pravdin is an honest official. He is a well-mannered and polite person. He conscientiously fulfills his duties, stands for justice and considers it his duty to help poor peasants. He sees through the essence of Prostakova and her son and believes that each of them should get what they deserve.
The direct dignity in man is the soul.
How clever it is to destroy inveterate prejudices in which base souls find their benefits!
Moreover, from my own deed of heart, I do not allow myself to notice those malicious ignoramuses who, having complete power over their people, use it inhumanly for evil.
Excuse me, madam. I never read letters without the permission of those to whom they are written...
What is called sullenness and rudeness in him is one effect of his straightforwardness.
From childhood his tongue did not say yes when his soul felt no.
Evil behavior cannot be tolerated in a well-established state... With guilt you will fly to distant lands, to a kingdom of thirty.
It was her crazy love for you that brought her the most misfortune.
I apologize for leaving you...
I wish, however, to soon put limits on the wife’s malice and the husband’s stupidity. I have already notified our boss about all the local barbarities and I have no doubt that measures will be taken to calm them down...
I have been instructed to take charge of the house and villages at the first rabies, from which the people under her control could suffer...
The pleasure which princes enjoy in possessing free souls must be so great that I do not understand what motives could distract...
Scoundrel! Should you be rude to your mother? It was her crazy love for you that brought her the most misfortune.
Milo
Milon is an officer. He values courage and honesty in people, welcomes enlightenment and considers it his duty to serve the Fatherland. Treats others with respect. Milon is an excellent match for Sophia. There are obstacles on their way, but at the end of the work the fates of the heroes are reunited.
At my age and in my position, it would be unforgivable arrogance to consider everything deserved with which a young man is encouraged by worthy people...
Perhaps she is now in the hands of some selfish people who, taking advantage of her orphanhood, are keeping her in tyranny. This thought alone makes me beside myself.
A! now I see my destruction. My opponent is happy! I do not deny all the merits in it. He may be reasonable, enlightened, kind; but so that you can compare with me in my love for you, so that...
How! such is my opponent! A! Dear Sophia! Why are you tormenting me with jokes? You know how easily a passionate person is upset by the slightest suspicion.
Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin Unworthy people!
The judge who, fearing neither vengeance nor the threats of the strong, gave justice to the helpless, is a hero in my eyes...
If you allow me to say my thought, I believe true fearlessness is in the soul, and not in the heart. Whoever has it in his soul, without any doubt, has a brave heart.
I see and honor virtue, adorned with enlightened reason...
I am in love and have the happiness of being loved...
You know how easily a passionate person is upset by the slightest suspicion...
Sophia
Translated, Sophia means “wisdom.” In “Minor” Sophia appears as a wise, well-mannered and educated person. Sophia is an orphan, her guardian and uncle is Starodum. Sophia's heart belongs to Milo. But, having learned about the girl’s rich inheritance, other heroes of the work also lay claim to her hand and heart. Sophia is convinced that wealth should only be achieved through honest work.
How appearance blinds us!
I was now reading a book... French. Fenelon, about the education of girls...
How many sorrows have I endured since the day of our separation! My unscrupulous relatives...
Uncle! My true happiness is that I have you. I know the price...
How can the heart not be content when the conscience is calm... I will use all my efforts to earn the good opinion of worthy people. How can I prevent those who see me moving away from them from becoming angry with me? Isn’t it possible, uncle, to find a way so that no one in the world would wish me harm?
Is it possible, uncle, that there are such pitiful people in the world in whom a bad feeling is born precisely because there is good in others.
A virtuous person should take pity on such unfortunates. It seemed to me, uncle, that all people agreed on where to place their happiness. Nobility, wealth...
Negative
Prostakova
Mrs. Prostakova is one of the main characters of the work. She is a representative of the noble class, holding serfs. In the house, everything and everyone must be under her control: The mistress of the estate pushes around not only her servants, but also controls her husband. In her statements, Mrs. Prostakova is despotic and rude. But she loves her son endlessly. As a result, her blind love does not bring anything good either to her son or to herself.
This is the kind of hubby God blessed me with: he doesn’t know how to figure out what’s wide and what’s narrow.
So believe also that I do not intend to indulge the slaves. Go, sir, and punish now...
My only concern, my only joy is Mitrofanushka. My age is passing. I'm preparing him for people.
Live and learn, my dear friend! Such a thing.
And I love that strangers listen to me too...
Without sciences people live and lived.
Mrs. Prostakova. Still from the film “The Minor” We took away everything that the peasants had; we can’t rip anything off. Such a disaster!..
I don’t intend to indulge the slaves. Go, sir, and punish now...
From morning to evening, like someone hanged by the tongue, I don’t lay down my hands: I scold, I fight; This is how the house holds together, my father!..
Yes, this is a different century, father!
My Mitrofanushka doesn’t get up for days because of a book. My mother's heart. Otherwise it’s a pity, a pity, but just think: but there will be a kid anywhere.
It is bad to praise your child, but where will the one whom God brings to be his wife not be unhappy?
Mitrofan
Mitrofan is the son of landowner Prostakova. Actually, in comedy he is an undergrowth. This is what they called those who did not want to study or serve in the 18th century. Mitrofanushka is spoiled by his mother and nanny, he is used to idleness, loves to eat well and is completely indifferent to science. At the same time, the feeling of gratitude is alien to him. He is rude not only to his teachers and nanny, but also to his parents. So, he “thanks” his mother for her boundless blind love.
Let go, mother, how you imposed yourself...
Garrison rat.
You're so tired beating your father.
For me, where they tell me to go.
I don't want to study - I want to get married He ate too much henbane.
Yes, all sorts of rubbish got into our heads, then you are a father, then you are a mother.
I'll study; just let this be the last time and let there be an agreement today!
Now I’ll run to the dovecote, maybe…
Well, say another word, you old bastard! I'll finish them off.
Vit is here and the river is close. I’ll dive, so remember my name... You lured me in, blame yourself...
Skotinin is the brother of Mrs. Prostakova. He does not recognize science and any enlightenment. He works in a barnyard; pigs are the only creatures that give him warm feelings. It was not by chance that the author gave this occupation and surname to his hero. Having learned about Sophia's condition, he dreams of marrying her profitably. For this he is even ready to destroy his dear nephew Mitrofanushka.
Every fault is to blame.
It’s a sin to blame for your own happiness.
Learning is nonsense.
I haven't read anything in my life, sister! God saved me from this boredom.
Everyone left me alone. The idea was to go for a walk in the barnyard. Don't be the Skotinin who wants to learn something.
What a parable! I am not a hindrance to anyone else. Everyone should marry his bride. I won’t touch someone else’s, and don’t touch mine.
I wasn’t going anywhere, but I was wandering around, thinking. I have such a custom that if you put a fence in your head, you can’t knock it out with a nail. In my mind, you hear, what came into my mind is stuck here. That’s all I think about, that’s all I see in a dream, as if in reality, and in reality, as in a dream.
Eremeevna
Nanny Mitrofanushka. He has been serving in the Prostakovs' house for more than 40 years. She is devoted to her owners and attached to their home. Eremeevna has a highly developed sense of duty, but self-esteem is completely absent.
I have my own grips sharp!
I tried to push myself towards him, but forcibly carried away my legs. Pillar of smoke, my mother!
Ah, creator, save and have mercy! If my brother hadn’t deigned to leave at that very moment, I would have broken down with him. That's what God wouldn't order. If these were dull (pointing to the nails), I wouldn’t even take care of the fangs.
God forbid vain lies! Even if you read for five years, you won’t get better than ten thousand.
The difficult one won't clean me up! I have been serving for forty years, but the mercy is still the same...
Five rubles a year, and five slaps a day.
Oh, you damn pig!
Tsyfirkin
Tsyfirkin is one of Mitrofanushka’s teachers. Speaking surname directly indicates that he taught Prostakova’s son mathematics. The diminutive use of the surname suggests that Tsyfirkin was not a real teacher. He is a retired soldier who understands arithmetic.
Don't do things, don't run away from things
God gave me a student, a boyar's son
I myself, without deserving it, will not demand a century...
I would let myself have my ear taken, just to train this parasite like a soldier...
I took money for service, I didn’t take it empty-handed, and I won’t take it...
Illustration for D. Fonvizin’s play “The Minor” And who is to blame? Only he has a stylus in his hands, and a German is at the door. It’s a sabbath for him because of the board, but for me it’s a push.
And our brother lives like this forever. Don't do things, don't run away from things. This is the trouble for our brother, how poorly the food is being fed, how today there was no provisions for lunch here...
Why be angry, is it your honor? We have a Russian proverb: the dog barks, the wind blows.
AND! Your Honor. I'm a soldier.
All butts, your honor. He stayed with his backside a century ago and remained.
Tsyfirkin closes the group of negative characters for good reason, because, unlike other heroes, he has a lot good qualities. At the end of the work, he refuses to take money for his work, because he never managed to teach Mitrofan anything. Starodum even calls Tsyfirkin kind person. Thus, the author of the work shows the crisis of education in the contemporary era, when they hired not professional teachers, but soldiers. Consequently, they could not raise a strong, educated personality.