The article is devoted to the problem of the resurrection of the dead in the religious culture of mankind. A religious view on the issue under consideration is presented.
Many of the works of the school literature curriculum, re-read in adulthood, are assessed completely differently than in inexperienced youth. And those places in books where the authors in one way or another indicate their religious views are perceived differently. For example, Ivan Turgenev’s famous novel “Fathers and Sons” (1861) ends with the heartfelt words: “There is a small rural cemetery in one of the remote corners of Russia. Like almost all of our cemeteries, it has a sad appearance: the ditches surrounding it have long been overgrown; gray wooden crosses droop and rot under their once painted roofs; the stone slabs are all shifted, as if someone is pushing them from below; two or three plucked trees barely provide scant shade; sheep wander freely through the graves... But between them there is one, which is not touched by man, which is not trampled by animals: only birds sit on it and sing at dawn. An iron fence surrounds it; two young fir trees are planted at both ends: Evgeny Bazarov is buried in this grave. From a nearby village, two already decrepit old men often come to her - a husband and wife. Supporting each other, they walk with a heavy gait; they will approach the fence, fall down and kneel, and cry long and bitterly, and look long and carefully at the silent stone under which their son lies; they exchange a short word, brush away the dust from the stone and straighten the tree branch, and pray again, and cannot leave this place, from where they seem to be closer to their son, to the memories of him... Are their prayers, their tears, fruitless? Isn’t love, holy, devoted love, omnipotent? Oh no! No matter what passionate, sinful, rebellious heart hides in the grave, the flowers growing on it serenely look at us with their innocent eyes: they tell us not only about eternal peace, about that great peace of “indifferent” nature; they also talk about eternal reconciliation and endless life...”
The question of the omnipotence of holy and devoted love, raised by the writer, seems to worry every person in the face of death.
Dogma of the Resurrection of the Dead; this is the foundation of the Christian faith. The Doctrine of the General Resurrection; the solid teaching of the Holy Scriptures of both the New and Old Testaments. The entire fifth chapter of the Gospel of John in the Bible is devoted to the conversation of the Lord Jesus Christ with the Jews about the most important truths of the faith, of which the message of victory over death is the most important: “Marvel not at this; for the time is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who have done good will come forth into the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil into the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28-30). The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is also presented in the Old Testament. The Prophet of God Job says: “And I know that my Redeemer lives, and on the last day He will raise this decaying skin of mine from the dust, and I will see God in my flesh. I will see Him myself; my eyes, not the eyes of another, will see Him.” (Job 19:25-28). And the prophet Ezekiel was shown a field full of dead bones that were clothed with flesh (Ezek. 37).
For believers, spring is an obvious reminder of the dogma of the resurrection from the dead. And for Evgeny Bazarov, death was associated with the burdock that grew out of him - nothing more. This explains the grief of the nihilist’s believing parents, crying for his all-denying soul. But Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, in his article “The Garden in Winter,” wrote in 1843 in the Sergius Hermitage: “If it were possible to find a person who did not know the transformations produced by the changes of the seasons; if you were to bring this wanderer into the garden, majestically resting in the sleep of death during winter, show him the naked trees and tell him about the luxury in which they will be clothed in the spring, then, instead of answering, he would look at you and smile - such an impossible fable would seem your words to him! Likewise, the resurrection of the dead seems incredible to the wise, wandering in the darkness of earthly wisdom, who do not know that God is omnipotent, that His manifold wisdom can be contemplated, but not comprehended by the mind of creatures.” (Brianchaninov, 1993, P.178)
In Judaism and Islam there is also a doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. Its signs can be found even in pagan cults. There is an opinion that the entire religious culture of Egypt is permeated by the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead; it is with this that the tradition of mummification of bodies that must be resurrected is connected. For example, Moscow professor Andrei Zubov argues that, if we summarize the Egyptian texts, they talk about victory over death and the bodily resurrection of a deceased person. Burials of the Early Paleolithic era show us graves filled with objects of earthly life and very labor-intensive stone tools to manufacture. Why part with these treasures, so necessary for the living, if there is nothing THERE? The deceased were generously showered with flowers, the pollen of which was found in the graves. These facts are; indirect confirmation of the religiosity of the very first people. And even the very position of their bodies - in the fetal position - suggests the thought: just as a person comes out of his mother’s womb, so he must come out of the womb of the earth in due time. This is what Novosibirsk professor Pavel Volkov thinks (Volkov, 2003, p. 165).
However, modern humanity drives the thought of death far away from itself. It seems as if people don’t even think about dying. Just a few decades ago, the coffins of especially respected people were carried throughout the city during funerals. Now we see only closed hearses. An entire funeral industry has been created: the dead are dressed up beautifully, copious amounts of cosmetics are used... A full range of funeral services is provided, as long as the living see less of the dead. And if they came into contact with them, it was for a very short time. For what? After all, it reminds us of death! The very practice of cremating the dead, of course, can be justified by a shortage of land. In Moscow, for example, the cost of burying the deceased in the city cemetery is already approaching the cost of an apartment. But the territory of Russia is still the largest in the world. Why destroy bodies?...
Traditionally, Christians, Jews and Muslims try to bury their dead, as they see the basis of the tradition in the words spoken by God to Adam: “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, until you return to the ground from which you were taken, for dust you are.” dust you will return." (Gen.3:19). In the legislation of many countries around the world, desecration of a burial place is considered a criminal offense; trampling someone else’s grave underfoot is perceived as a great insult to the relatives of the deceased. Why is this so if there is nothing after death? In this feeling of protest we can see a deeply living faith in the resurrection of the dead. And Orthodox graves are decorated with the cross of Christ, because after Calvary comes Easter, and after the death of our loved ones, we believe in their resurrection on the day of judgment, when the cross appears from the edge of heaven to the edge.
Thus, the last line of the novel by I.S. Turgenev is an obvious reminder of the words that are heard during the burial of the dead. They were well known to the writer’s Orthodox contemporaries and were forgotten in the 21st century. Over the coffin it is sung: “With the saints, rest, O Christ, the soul of your departed servant... where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life.” Death is defeated by the victory of Christ's Resurrection. God's love is omnipotent, because God is love.
Literature:
Turgenev I.S. Fathers and Sons. M., Astrel, 2005 - 240 p.
Ignatius (Brianchaninov), saint. Ascetic experiences. Volume 1. Garden during winter. M., Orthodox publishing house, 1993 – 572 p.
Volkov P.V. Descendants of Adam. - M.-SPb.-Novosibirsk: Society of St. Basil the Great, Orthodox Gymnasium in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 2003.- 207.
Zubov A.B. Lectures on the history of religions, given in Yekaterinburg. M.: Nikea, 2009. - 144 p.
The topic of the lesson is “Analysis of an episode from the novel “Fathers and Sons.”
Today in class, in preparation for the Unified State Exam, we will analyze an excerpt from the novel, prepare for completing tasks in parts B and C, and find out the author’s attitude towards the main character of the novel.
On the screen and on the tables is an excerpt from the novel. Expressive reading of a passage by the teacher.
What does this passage represent? What is its place in the overall structure of the work?
(This is the epilogue of the novel. The last page of the novel. It is preceded by pages dedicated to the death of Bazarov and pages telling about the further fate of other heroes of the novel.)
What is the basis of the epilogue?
(Picture of a rural cemetery. 1/3 of the epilogue is occupied by paintings of nature.)
What is usually the role of landscape in art? work?
(Pictures of nature are in harmony with the hero’s feelings and experiences or shade them.) Turgenev ends his novel with a philosophical description of nature. He had a philosophical education and even defended his dissertation.
In Turgenev’s artistic world, nature is often cruel to a person, capable of destroying his happiness or life.
Let's return to the text. Before us is a picture of a rural cemetery.
What is the tone of this passage? Is it changing?
(The description opens with a sad picture of a rural cemetery, but gradually the tone changes, from sad notes the author gradually raises his voice to solemn pathos. Then again a mournful picture - a description of the suffering of the lonely old men of the Bazarovs.
What means of expression help convey the mood at the beginning of the passage?
Epithets: eternal peace reigns here, the view is sad.
Which one conveys a feeling of neglect, abandonment?
Verbs: the ditches are overgrown, wooden crosses are drooping and rotting, sheep wander freely through the graves, 2-3 plucked trees provide scant shade.
The description of the abandoned cemetery is interrupted by an ellipsis... And here before our eyes is Bazarov’s grave.
Contrast.
What role does contrast play?
What other means of expression does the author use when drawing Bazarov’s grave?
(Personification: “flowers serenely look at us with their innocent eyes.” This technique allows the author to create an image of nature living its own life.
In addition to lexical ones, what other means of expression does the author use when describing Bazarov’s grave?
(Means of syntax. Different types of constructions. SPP with one-word subordinate clauses: “But between them there is one, which is not touched by a person, which is not trampled by an animal.” SBP: “An iron fence surrounds it; two young fir trees are planted at both ends: Evgeny Bazarov is buried in this grave.) Thanks to these syntactic constructions, the tonality changes, the lines begin to sound solemn.
Find another expression. a means of syntax that enhances the emotional sound of the text and helps to understand the author’s thoughts.
(Rhetorical question: “Are their prayers, their tears, fruitless? Isn’t love, holy, devoted love, omnipotent?”)
And then comes the exclamation - Oh no! No matter what passionate, sinful, rebellious heart hides in the grave, the flowers growing on it serenely look at us with their innocent eyes: they tell us not only about eternal peace, about that great peace of “indifferent” nature; they also speak of eternal reconciliation and endless life.
In this last sentence there is another means of expression, which is a chain of definitions with a gradual increase in significance. Which?
(Gradation: Passionate, sinful, rebellious heart.)
In this last sentence we again see a contrast. Where?
(On the one hand, a passionate, sinful, rebellious heart, and on the other, indifferent nature and flowers that look at us with their innocent eyes. They speak of eternal reconciliation and endless life.
But what kind of life? And about reconciliation of whom with whom?
(Probably about the endless continuation of the life of nature. Man is mortal, but nature is eternal. Maybe about the eternity of human values. Or maybe that disputes between fathers and children are eternal, it is from these disputes and clashes that life consists.
About the reconciliation of man and nature, man with the world, with himself)
The epilogue is filled with deep philosophical meaning. It must be said that Turgenev does not give us the answer, he invites his readers to reflect.
Why do the last lines of the novel sound sad and at the same time majestic and solemn?
(In the last lines, the author’s soulful voice sounds. This can only be said about a dear person. The author speaks not about struggle, not about Bazarov’s rebellion, but about reconciliation. At the end of the novel, Turgenev loves his hero, sympathizes with him, grieves for him. “When I wrote the final lines, I was forced to tilt my head so that tears would not fall on the manuscript,” wrote Turgenev.
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The novel “Fathers and Sons” by I.S. Turgenev ends with the death of the main character. Understanding the reasons why the author completes his work in this way is possible through an analysis of the episode “Bazarov’s death.” “Fathers and Sons” is a novel in which the death of the main character is certainly not accidental. Perhaps such an ending speaks to the inconsistency of this character’s beliefs. So, let's try to figure it out.
Who is Bazarov?
Analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death is impossible without understanding what this character is like. Thanks to what is told about Eugene in the novel, we imagine an intelligent, self-confident, cynical young man who denies generally accepted moral principles and ideals. He considers love to be “physiology”; in his opinion, a person should not depend on anyone.
Subsequently, however, Turgenev reveals to us in his hero such qualities as sensitivity, kindness, and the ability to have deep feelings.
Bazarov is a nihilist, that is, a person who denies all generally accepted values, including that he does not share the enthusiasm of amateurs. In his opinion, only that which brings practical benefit is significant. He considers everything beautiful to be meaningless. Evgeniy’s main meaning is “work for the benefit of society.” His task is “to live for the great purpose of renewing the world.”
Attitude towards others
An analysis of the episode of Bazarov’s death in Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” cannot be carried out without understanding how the main character’s relationships with the people who made up his social circle were built. It should be noted that Bazarov treated others with contempt; he put others lower than himself. This was manifested, for example, in the things he told Arkady about himself and his relatives. Affection, sympathy, tenderness - Evgeniy considers all these feelings unacceptable.
Lyubov Bazarova
Analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death requires mentioning that for all his disdain for sublime feelings, he, ironically, falls in love. His love is unusually deep, as evidenced by his explanation with Anna Sergeevna Odintsova. Having realized that he is capable of such a feeling, Bazarov ceases to treat it as physiology. He begins to consider the existence of love possible. Such a change of views could not pass without a trace for Eugene, who lived by the ideas of nihilism. His old life is destroyed.
Bazarov's declaration of love is not just words, it is an admission of his own defeat. Eugene's nihilistic theories are shattered.
Turgenev considers it inappropriate to end the novel with a change in the views of the main character, but decides to end the work with his death.
Is Bazarov's death an accident?
So, in the finale of the novel, the main event is the death of Bazarov. Analysis of the episode requires remembering the reason why, according to the text of the work, the main character dies.
His life becomes impossible due to an unfortunate accident - a small cut that Bazarov received during the autopsy of the body of a peasant who died of typhus. Ironically, he, a doctor doing a useful job, cannot do anything to save his life. Knowing that he would die gave the protagonist time to evaluate his achievements. Bazarov, knowing about the inevitability of his death, is calm and strong, although, of course, being a young and energetic man, he regrets that he has so little time left to live.
Bazarov's attitude towards death and himself
Analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death is impossible without a deeper understanding of how the hero relates to the proximity of his end and death in general.
No person can calmly realize that the end of his life is approaching. Evgeniy, being a person who is certainly strong and self-confident, is no exception. He regrets that he did not complete his main task. He understands the power of death and speaks of the approaching final minutes with bitter irony: “Yes, go ahead, try to deny death. It denies you, and that’s it!”
So, Bazarov’s death is approaching. Analysis of the episode, which is one of the key ones in the novel, requires an understanding of how the character of the main character has changed. Evgeniy becomes kinder and more sentimental. He wants to meet his beloved, once again tell about his feelings. Bazarov treats his parents more gently than before, now understanding their importance.
Analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death shows how lonely the main character of the work is. He does not have a close person to whom he could convey his beliefs, therefore, his views have no future.
Understanding True Values
In the face of death they change. There comes an understanding of what is really important in life.
Analysis of the episode “Bazarov’s death” based on the novel by I. S. Turgenev requires an understanding of what values the main character now considers true.
The most important thing for him now is his parents, their love for him, as well as his feelings for Odintsova. He wants to say goodbye to her, and Anna, not afraid of becoming infected, comes to Evgeniy. Bazarov shares his innermost thoughts with her. He comes to the understanding that Russia does not need him at all, she needs those who do ordinary work every day.
It is harder for Bazarov to come to terms with his death than for any other person, because he is an atheist and does not believe in life after death.
Turgenev ends his novel with the death of Bazarov. The principles by which the hero lived are destroyed. Bazarov did not have stronger, new ideals. Turgenev notes that it was the deep commitment to nihilism that ruined the main character, which forced him to abandon the universal values that allow him to live in this world.