Oblomov and Stolz
Stolz is the antipode of Oblomov (The principle of antithesis)
All figurative system I. A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” is aimed at revealing the character and essence of the main character. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is a bored gentleman lying on the sofa, dreaming of transformations and happy life surrounded by family, but doing nothing to make dreams come true. The antipode of Oblomov in the novel is the image of Stolz. Andrei Ivanovich Stolts is one of the main characters, a friend of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, the son of Ivan Bogdanovich Stolts, a Russified German who manages an estate in the village of Verkhlev, which is five miles from Oblomovka. In the first two chapters of the second part there is detailed story about the life of Stolz, about the conditions in which his active character was formed.
1. General features:
a) age (“Stolz is the same age as Oblomov and is already over thirty”);
b) religion;
c) training at the boarding house of Ivan Stolz in Verchlöw;
d) service and quick retirement;
e) love for Olga Ilyinskaya;
f) kind attitude towards each other.
2. Various features:
A ) portrait;
Oblomov . “He was a man about thirty-two or three years old, of average height, pleasant appearance, with dark gray eyes, but with absence of any definite idea, any concentration in facial features.”
«… flabby beyond his years: from lack of movement or air. In general, his body, judging by its matte finish, too white color necks, small plump arms, soft shoulders, seemed too effeminate for a man. His movements, even when he was alarmed, were also restrained softness and not devoid of a kind of graceful laziness.”
Stolz- the same age as Oblomov, he is already over thirty. The portrait of Sh. contrasts with the portrait of Oblomov: “He is all made up of bones, muscles and nerves, like a blooded English horse. He is thin, he has almost no cheeks at all, that is, bone and muscle, but no sign of fatty roundness ... "
Getting to know portrait characteristic this hero, we understand that Stolz is strong, energetic, purposeful personality, which is alien to daydreaming. But this almost ideal personality resembles a mechanism, not a living person, and this repels the reader.
b) parents, family;
Oblomov's parents are Russian; he grew up in a patriarchal family.
Stolz comes from the philistine class (his father left Germany, wandered around Switzerland and settled in Russia, becoming the manager of an estate). “Stolz was only half German, on his father’s side; his mother was Russian; He professed the Orthodox faith, his native speech was Russian...” The mother was afraid that Stolz, under the influence of his father, would become a rude burgher, but Stolz’s Russian entourage prevented him.
c) education;
Oblomov moved “from hugs to hugs of family and friends,” his upbringing was patriarchal in nature.
Ivan Bogdanovich raised his son strictly: “From the age of eight, he sat with his father at the geographical map, sorted through the warehouses of Herder, Wieland, biblical verses and summed up the illiterate accounts of peasants, townspeople and factory workers, and with his mother he read sacred history, learned Krylov’s fables and sorted through Telemachus’ warehouses.”
When Stolz grew up, his father began to take him to the field, to the market, and forced him to work. Then Stolz began sending his son to the city on errands, “and it never happened that he forgot something, changed it, overlooked it, or made a mistake.”
Upbringing, like education, was dual: dreaming that his son would grow up to be a “good bursh,” the father in every possible way encouraged boyish fights, without which the son could not do a day. If Andrei appeared without a lesson prepared “by heart,” Ivan Bogdanovich sent his son back to where he came from - and every time young Stlts returned with the lessons he had learned.
From his father he received a “hard-working, practical upbringing,” and his mother introduced him to beauty and tried to instill in the soul of little Andrei a love of art and beauty. His mother “seemed the ideal of a gentleman in her son,” and his father accustomed him to hard, not at all lordly, work.
d) attitude towards studying at a boarding house;
Oblomov studied “out of necessity”, “serious reading tired him”, “but the poets touched... a nerve”
Stolz always studied well and was interested in everything. And he was a tutor at his father's boarding school
e) further education;
Oblomov lived in Oblomovka until he was twenty, then graduated from the university.
Stolz graduated from the university with flying colors. Parting with his father, who was sending him from Verkhlev to St. Petersburg, Stolz. says that he will certainly follow his father’s advice and go to Ivan Bogdanovich’s old friend Reingold - but only when he, Stolz, has a four-story house, like Reingold. Such independence and independence, as well as self-confidence. - the basis of the character and worldview of the younger Stolz, which his father so ardently supports and which Oblomov so lacks.
f) lifestyle;
“Ilya Ilyich’s lying down was his normal state.”
Stolz has a thirst for activity
g) housekeeping;
Oblomov did not do business in the village, received little income and lived on credit.
Stolz serves successfully, resigns to do his own business; makes a house and money. He is a member of a trading company that ships goods abroad; as an agent of the company, Sh. travels to Belgium, England, and throughout Russia.
h) life aspirations;
Oblomov in his youth “prepared for the field”, thought about his role in society, about family happiness, then he excluded from his dreams social activities, his ideal was a carefree life in unity with nature, family, and friends.
Stolz chose an active beginning in his youth... Stolz’s ideal of life is continuous and meaningful work, this is “the image, content, element and purpose of life.”
i) views on society;
Oblomov believes that all members of the world and society are “dead men, sleeping people”, they are characterized by insincerity, envy, the desire to “get a high-profile rank” by any means, he is not a supporter of progressive forms of farming.
According to Stolz, with the help of the establishment of “schools”, “piers”, “fairs”, “highways”, the old, patriarchal “detritus” should be turned into comfortable estates that generate income.
j) attitude towards Olga;
Oblomov wanted to see loving woman, capable of creating a serene family life.
Stolz marries Olga Ilyinskaya, and Goncharov tries to imagine their active alliance, full of work and beauty, ideal family, a true ideal that fails in Oblomov’s life: “we worked together, had lunch, went to the fields, played music< …>just as Oblomov dreamed... Only there was no drowsiness, no despondency, they spent their days without boredom and without apathy; there was no sluggish look, no words; their conversation never ended, it was often heated.”
k) relationship and mutual influence;
Oblomov considered Stoltz his only friend, capable of understanding and helping, he listened to his advice, but Stoltz failed to break Oblomovism.
Stolz highly appreciated the kindness and sincerity of the soul of his friend Oblomov. Stolz does everything to awaken Oblomov to activity. In friendship with Oblomov Stolz. also rose to the occasion: he replaced the rogue manager, destroyed the machinations of Tarantiev and Mukhoyarov, who deceived Oblomov into signing a false loan letter.
Oblomov is accustomed to living according to Stolz’s orders; in the smallest matters he needs the advice of a friend. Without Stoltz, Ilya Ilyich cannot decide on anything, however, Oblomov is in no hurry to follow Stoltz’s advice: their concepts of life, work, and application of strength are too different.
After the death of Ilya Ilyich, a friend takes in Oblomov’s son, Andryusha, named after him.
m) self-esteem ;
Oblomov constantly doubted himself. Stolz never doubts himself.
m) character traits ;
Oblomov is inactive, dreamy, sloppy, indecisive, soft, lazy, apathetic, and not devoid of subtle emotional experiences.
Stolz is active, sharp, practical, neat, loves comfort, open in spiritual manifestations, reason prevails over feeling. Stolz could control his feelings and was “afraid of every dream.” Happiness for him lay in consistency. According to Goncharov, he “knew the value of rare and expensive properties and spent them so sparingly that he was called an egoist, insensitive...”.
The meaning of the images of Oblomov and Stolz.
Goncharov reflected in Oblomov the typical features of the patriarchal nobility. Oblomov absorbed the contradictory features of the Russian national character.
Stolz in Goncharov’s novel was given the role of a person capable of breaking Oblomovism and reviving the hero. According to critics, the unclear idea of Goncharov about the role of “new people” in society led to the unconvincing image of Stolz. According to Goncharov's plan, Stolz - new type Russian progressive figure. However, he does not depict the hero in a specific activity. The author only informs the reader about what Stolz has been and what he has achieved. By showing Stolz's Parisian life with Olga, Goncharov wants to reveal the breadth of his views, but in fact reduces the hero
So, the image of Stolz in the novel not only clarifies the image of Oblomov, but is also interesting to readers for its originality and complete opposite to the main character. Dobrolyubov says about him: “He is not the person who will be able, in a language understandable to the Russian soul, to tell us this almighty word “forward!” Dobrolyubov, like all revolutionary democrats, saw the ideal of a “man of action” in serving the people, in the revolutionary struggle. Stolz is far from this ideal. However, next to Oblomov and Oblomovism, Stolz was still a progressive phenomenon.
The absolute opposite of Oblomov is Stolz, who becomes the embodiment of calculation, activity, strength, determination, and determination. In Stolz’s German upbringing, the main thing was the development of an independent, active, purposeful nature. When describing the life of Stolz, Goncharov most often uses the words “firmly,” “straight,” and “walked.” And Stolz’s surname itself is sharp, abrupt, and his whole figure, in which there was not a fraction of roundness and softness, as in Oblomov’s appearance - all this reveals his German roots. His whole life was mapped out once and for all; imagination, dreams and passions did not fit into his life program: “It seems that he controlled both sorrows and joys like the movement of his hands.” The most valued quality in a person for Stolz is “persistence in achieving a goal,” however, Goncharov adds that Stolz’s respect for a persistent person did not depend on the quality of the goal itself: “He never refused to respect people with this persistence, no matter how their goals were not important."
Stolz's goal in life, as he formulates it, is work and only work. To Oblomov’s question: “Why live?” - Stolz, without thinking for a moment, answers: “For the work itself, for nothing else.” This unequivocal “nothing else” is somewhat alarming. The results of Stolz’s work have a very tangible “material equivalent”: “He really made a house and money.” Goncharov speaks very vaguely, casually about the nature of Stolz’s activities: “He is involved in some company that ships goods abroad.” For the first time in Russian literature, an attempt appeared to show a positive image of an entrepreneur who, not having wealth at birth, achieves it through his labor.
Trying to elevate his hero, Goncharov convinces the reader that from his mother, a Russian noblewoman, Stolz acquired the ability to feel and appreciate love: “he developed for himself the conviction that love, with the power of Archimedes’ lever, moves the world.” However, in Stolz’s love everything is subordinated to reason; it is no coincidence that the “reasonable” Stolz never understood What happened between Oblomov and Olga, What became the basis of their love: “Oblomov! Can't be! – he added again affirmatively. “There’s something here: you don’t understand yourself, Oblomov, or, finally, love!” “This is not love, this is something else. It didn’t even reach your heart: imagination and pride, on the one hand, weakness, on the other.” Stolz never understood that there are different types of love, and not just the kind that he calculated. It is no coincidence that this inability to accept life in its diversity and unpredictability ultimately leads to the “Oblomovism” of Stolz himself. Having fallen in love with Olga, he is ready to stop, freeze. “I found mine,” thought Stolz. – I’ve waited!.. here it is, the last happiness of a person! Everything has been found, there is nothing to look for, there is nowhere else to go!” Having already become Stolz’s wife, experiencing true love for him, realizing that she has found her happiness in him, Olga often thinks about the future, she is afraid of this “silence of life”: “What is this? - she thought. -Where should we go? Nowhere! There is no further road. Is it really not, have you really completed the circle of life? Is everything here, everything?”
Their attitude towards each other can say a lot about the characters. Oblomov sincerely loves Stolz, he feels true selflessness and generosity towards his friend; one can recall, for example, his joy at the happiness of Stolz and Olga. In his relationship with Stolz, the beauty of Oblomov’s soul is revealed, his ability to think about the meaning of life, activity, and its focus on man. Oblomov appears as a man who passionately seeks, although he does not find, a standard of life. In Stolz there is some kind of “lack of feeling” towards Oblomov; he is not capable of subtle emotional movements: on the one hand, he sincerely sympathizes with Ilya Ilyich, loves him, on the other hand, in relation to Oblomov he often turns out to be not so much a friend as “formidable” teacher." Stolz was for Ilya Ilyich the embodiment of that stormy life that always frightened Oblomov, from which he tried to hide. To Oblomov’s bitter and annoying: “Life touches,” Stolz immediately responds: “And thank God!” Stolz sincerely and persistently tried to force Oblomov to live more actively, but this persistence sometimes became harsh and sometimes cruel. Without sparing Oblomov and not considering that he has the right to do so, Stolz touches on the most painful memories of Olga, without the slightest respect for his friend’s wife he says: “Look around, where are you and who are you with?” The very phrase “now or never,” menacing and inevitable, was also unnatural to Oblomov’s soft nature. Very often, in a conversation with a friend, Stolz uses the words “I will shake you,” “you must,” “you must live differently.” Stolz drew a life plan not only for himself, but also for Oblomov: “You must live with us, close to us. Olga and I decided so, so it will be!” Stolz “saves” Oblomov from his life, from his choice - and in this salvation he sees his task.
What kind of life did he want to involve his friend in? The content of the week that Oblomov spent with Stolz was inherently different from the dream on Gorokhovaya Street. There were some things to do this week, lunch with a gold miner, tea at the dacha in a large society, but Oblomov very accurately called it vanity, behind which no person is visible. In his last meeting with his friend, Stolz said to Oblomov: “You know me: I set myself this task a long time ago and will not give up. Until now I was distracted by various things, but now I am free.” So the main reason emerged - various matters that distracted Stolz from his friend’s life. And indeed, between the appearances of Stolz in Oblomov’s life - like failures, like abysses - years pass: “Stolz did not come to St. Petersburg for several years,” “a year has passed since Ilya Ilyich’s illness,” “it’s been five years since we have seen each other.” It is no coincidence that even during Oblomov’s life, “an abyss opened up” between him and Stolz, “a stone wall was erected,” and this wall existed only for Stolz. And while Oblomov was still alive, Stolz buried his friend with an unequivocal sentence: “You are dead, Ilya!”
The author's attitude towards Stolz is ambiguous. Goncharov, on the one hand, hoped that soon “many Stolts would appear under Russian names,” on the other hand, he understood that in artistically It is hardly possible to call the image of Stolz successful, full-blooded, he admitted that the image of Stolz is “weak, pale - the idea from it looks too bare.”
The problem of the hero in the novel “Oblomov” is connected with the author’s thoughts about the present and future of Russia, about the generic traits of the Russian national character. Oblomov and Stolz are not just different human characters, they are different systems moral values, different worldviews and ideas about the human personality. The hero’s problem is that the author does not give preference to either Oblomov or Stolz, reserving to each of them his right to the truth and choice of life path.
Andrei Ivanovich Stolts has been communicating with Oblomov since childhood and has become his close friend. By character he is a man of action, a practitioner, and by origin he is half German. Stolz's mother is a Russian noblewoman. For all his rationalism, Stolz has a good disposition. The hero is honest, understands people, and at the same time tends to calculate every action and approach everything in life from the side of practical benefit. Stolz was written out as an antipode to Oblomov and should, according to the author’s plan, be perceived as a role model.
Stolz is married to a noblewoman, a woman with whom Oblomov is in love. Olga loved Oblomov at first, but broke up with him. Oblomov was listless and dreamy, before proposing to Olga, he thought a lot and retreated.
Stolz at times brings Oblomov out of his apathy and makes him remember about life, encourages him to get down to business, invest in the establishment of schools, building roads, but Oblomov brushes aside such ideas.
Ilya Oblomov is taken advantage of by scammers, the hero’s affairs and economy pass into their hands, and he himself plunges into even greater inactivity than usual. When Oblomov hears rumors about his own upcoming wedding, the hero is horrified because nothing has been decided for him yet. During this period, Olga visits the hero and, seeing him in such a weak-willed and pitiful state, breaks off this relationship. This is where the love story between Olga and Oblomov ends.
The heroine is not going to get involved in a new relationship, but Stolz convinces Olga that the first relationship turned out to be a mistake and only laid the foundation for new love- to him, Stolz. Olga appreciates hard work and determination in Stolz - something that she did not see in Oblomov. And she trusts her husband unlimitedly, “like a mother.”
Stolz holds progressive (for that time) views on the role of women in society. According to the hero, a woman is called upon to contribute to social life, engaged in raising worthy citizens, and for this she herself must be well educated. Stolz studies with his wife, teaches her science, and these activities bring the spouses even closer together. Stolz argues heatedly with his wife and is surprised at Olga's intelligence.
Stolz saves Oblomov from the clutches of scammers who would otherwise have robbed him completely. Later, Oblomov names his son after Stoltz, who is born to him from a woman from the bureaucratic environment, a landlady with whom Oblomov goes to live. Due to a sedentary lifestyle, Oblomov suffers an early stroke, and Stolz visits a sick friend. During this visit, Oblomov asks Stolz, in the name of friendship, to look after his little son Andrei. When Oblomov dies two years later, the Stolts take his son to be raised.
Image
Stolz is in his early thirties. The hero's appearance emphasizes his character - he is strong, thin, muscular, with high cheekbones, and no excess fat. Goncharov compares the hero to a “blooded English horse.” Stolz has greenish eyes, the hero is dark-skinned, calm in his movements as well as in character. The hero is not characterized by excessive facial expressions, sharp gestures or fussiness.
Stolz's father, a German, came from the burghers and was not a nobleman. The boy was raised in the traditions of the burghers - he was taught to work and practical activities, which Andrei’s mother, a Russian noblewoman, did not like. My father studied geography with Andrey. The hero learned to read from the texts of German writers and biblical verses, and from a young age he helped his father in business, summing up accounts. Later he began to work as a tutor in a small boarding house set up by his father, and received a salary for this, like an ordinary artisan.
By the age of fourteen, the hero already went to the city alone on errands for his father and carried out his assignments exactly, without mistakes, errors or bouts of forgetfulness. Andrei's father forbade his mother to interfere with the boy's activity and keep him with him. Stolz grew up active and was often absent from home for a long time. The young man received a good university education and speaks Russian and German equally well. At the same time, the hero continues to study throughout his life and constantly strives to learn new things.
Portrait of Andrey Stolts Stolz did not receive nobility at birth, but soon rose to the rank of court councilor, which gave the hero the right to personal nobility. Further along career ladder he does not advance, but leaves the service to engage in trade. The company in which Stolz invested is engaged in the export of goods. Andrei was able to increase his father’s fortune many times over, turning forty thousand in capital into three hundred, and bought a house.
Stolz travels a lot and rarely stays at home for long. The hero traveled the length and breadth of Russia, visited abroad, studied at foreign universities and studied Europe “as his estate.” At the same time, Stolz is no stranger to social interaction, attends parties, and knows how to play the piano; interested in science, news and “all life.”
Characteristics of Stolz
The hero is restless, cheerful, firm and even stubborn. Always takes active position: “if society needs to send an agent to Belgium or England, they send him; need to write some project or adapt new idea to the point - they choose him.” Stolz's time is clearly planned, he does not waste a minute.
At the same time, the hero knows how to restrain unwanted impulses and remain within the boundaries of natural, rational behavior, controls his own feelings well and does not rush to extremes. Stolz is not inclined to blame others for his own failures and easily takes responsibility for the suffering and troubles that have occurred.
Oleg Tabakov and Yuri Bogatyrev as Ilya Oblomov and Andrei Stolts In contrast to Oblomov, the hero does not like to dream, avoids fantasies and everything that cannot be analyzed or applied in practice. Stolz knows how to live within his means, is prudent, is not prone to unjustified risks, and at the same time easily navigates difficult or unfamiliar circumstances. These qualities, coupled with determination, make the hero a good businessman. Stolz loves order in affairs and things, and navigates Oblomov’s affairs better than Oblomov himself.
Actors
The novel "Oblomov" was filmed in 1979. The director of the film entitled “A few days in the life of I. I. Oblomov” was, and the role of Andrei Stolts was played by the actor. Stolz in the film is depicted as cheerful and active person, as it is presented in Goncharov’s novel.
At the same time, the actor admitted that he rather saw himself in the image of Oblomov, and Stolz, whose role Bogatyrev had to play, was in character the complete opposite of the actor himself.
The word “Oblomovism,” which became a household word after the release of the novel, was first heard from Stolz as a characteristic of Oblomov’s lifestyle. This word denoted a tendency toward laziness, apathy, and stagnation in business. In a word, what we would now call “procrastination.”
Quotes
“Labor is the image, content, element and purpose of life. At least mine."
“Life and work itself are the goal of life, not a woman.”
“Man is created to arrange himself and even change his nature.”
In Ivan Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” there are many storylines. The variety of characters helps to better understand the meaning that the author puts into the work.
The image and characterization of Stolz with quotes prove that success is achieved by those who confidently move towards their own goals, without fear of difficulties.
Childhood and literacy
Stolz Andrei Ivanovich was born into a family of a German and a Russian noblewoman. His father was a manager in the village of Verkhlevo, he ran a local boarding house, where Andryusha met young Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. They soon became inseparable friends.
“Russian was a natural speech” Stolz, he learned it from his mother, from books, and adopted many words from peasants and village boys. Parents early began to introduce their son to all kinds of sciences.
“From the age of eight the boy sat over geographical maps, taught Bible verses, Krylov’s fables.”
When he “looked up from the instructions,” he ran to the neighbor’s kids.
He stayed on the street until late at night, destroyed birds' nests, and often got into fights. The mother complained to her husband that:
“Not a day goes by without a boy returning without a blue spot, and the other day he breaks his nose.”
Despite his violent temper, he never lost his talent for learning. When he played the piano four hands with his mother, she instantly forgot about the bad behavior of her beloved son.
From the age of fourteen, the father began to send his son to the city on certain errands.
“It never happened that the boy forgot, overlooked, changed things up, made a mistake.” Mother did not like this kind of “work discipline”.
The woman dreamed of seeing her son as a gentleman, and not as a farmer with working hands.
Appearance
Andrei Ivanovich was the same age as his friend Ilya Oblomov. The author compares him to a thoroughbred English horse. It seemed that he was composed only of nerves and muscles. Stolz was thin. He was missing "a sign of fatty roundness".
On a dark face, green eyes looked very expressive. The look was sharp. Absolutely no detail escaped him. Ilya Oblomov enviously tells his friend that he exudes masculinity and health, because he “is not fat and does not have styes.”
Attitude to work. Financial situation
Andrey was persistent.
“He stubbornly walked along his chosen path. I haven't seen anyone think painfully about anything. Didn’t get lost in difficult circumstances.”
From childhood he was accustomed to any kind of work. After he resigned, he decided to start his own business. Thanks to this, I managed to acquire a house and money. “He is involved in a company that ships goods overseas.” Colleagues respect him and treat him with confidence.
Andrey's life is continuous movement. If work requires you to go abroad, then they definitely send him.
“When there is a need in society to visit Belgium or England, they send Stolz, it is necessary to write a project or adapt a new idea to the case, they choose him.”
This kind of enterprise helped him:
“from the parents’ forty, make three hundred thousand capital.”
To Ilya Oblomov’s assurances that one cannot devote one’s whole life to work, he replies that such a thing is possible. He cannot imagine himself being idle.
“I will never stop working. Labor is the goal, the element and the way of life.”
Lives on a budget, without frills.
“I tried to spend every ruble, with vigilant control over time and labor, the strength of the soul and heart.”
Friendship and love.
Stolz was a loyal and reliable comrade. He became friends with Oblomov when he was a teenager. Together they studied at the boarding school, where Andrei’s father was in charge. The guys were already very different in their aspirations.
Ilya did not like science. But when he developed a passion for poetry, Andryusha began to bring him all kinds of books from home, just to develop his knowledge.
“Stolz’s son spoiled Ilyusha, giving him lessons and doing many translations for him.”
Years later, he never ceases to support Oblomov. He claims that he is a close person to him.
“Closer than any relative: I studied and grew up with him.”
Andrey will always selflessly support his comrade. Ilya happily awaits his visit and trusts him with all his affairs, including financial ones. Stolz would come soon! He writes that it will be soon. He would have sorted it out. When Oblomov has serious problems with the estate, his friend himself offers to help restore order there; he understands that the estate manager is deceiving Ilya Ilyich. He does everything competently.
Even after Oblomov’s death, he never ceases to show concern for his loved ones. He sends his wife Agafya Pshenitsyna the money that the estate brings. He takes the son of his late comrade into his home.
“Andryusha was asked to be raised by Stolz and his wife. Now they consider him a member of their own family.”
Love.
Andrei Ivanovich was careful in relationships with the opposite sex.
“Among my hobbies, I felt the ground under my feet and enough strength to break free in case of emergency. I was not blinded by beauty, I did not lie at the feet of beauties.”
They had a long-standing friendship with Olga Ilyinskaya. The man was older than her and perceived her acquaintance as a child.
“I was in his eyes as charming, giving big hopes child."
After a painful break in relations with Oblomov, Olga and her aunt go abroad. They will meet Andrey in Paris, and will never part again.
Andrey will try in every possible way to brighten up her loneliness in a foreign city.
“Having covered it with notes and albums, Stolz calmed down, believing that he had filled his friend’s leisure time for a long time, and went to work.”
Soon they leave for Switzerland together. Here he becomes even more convinced that he cannot live without Olga.
The man is in love with her.
“During these six months, all the tortures of love, from which he so carefully guarded himself in relationships with women, played out over him.”
Having confessed to her sincere feelings, finds out that she feels reciprocity towards him. Soon the lovers get married and have children.
The family lives amicably and happily. The widow of the late Ilya Ilyich Oblomov comes to visit them to visit her son Andryushka. The woman understands that their feelings are sincere. “Both existences, Olga and Andrey, merged into one channel. Everything was harmony and silence with them.”
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The image of Andrei Ivanovich Stolts in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” is one of the most attractive. His activities and ability to manage free time suggest the ideality and harmony of the individual, however, this is not entirely true.
Origin of Andrei Stolts
Andrey Stolts was born in a small village Russian Empire. His father was German by birth, who later finally settled in Russia. His mother was like an impoverished noble family. Thanks to this symbiosis of cultures, Andrei Stolts was able to acquire such character traits and qualities that would allow him to become successful in life, but at the same time not lose his moral character.
Family relationships and the question of Stolz’s upbringing
The parents in the Stolts family lived harmoniously. Despite the fact that various disagreements arose between them, this did not contribute to the emergence of conflicts in the family.
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In her upbringing, her mother adhered to the traditional Russian view. She, like many nobles, instilled in her son a love of the arts and a measured lifestyle. It is thanks to his mother that Andrei learns the basics of music and chants, and gets acquainted with painting and literature. As a child, Andrei often visited the Oblomovs; their measured, lazy life tired the boy, but was quite natural for his mother - such behavior of the nobles (with the exception of some moments in the life of the Oblomovs) could serve as a standard for the life of aristocrats.
Andrei’s father took a different position in life and, accordingly, in upbringing - he believed that in life you need to have practical skills that allow you to organize yourself and your work with the greatest productivity. Little Andrei was delighted with his father’s upbringing style - he was interested in the factory and in the field. Soon little Stolz worked with his father as equals and, if necessary, could easily replace his father in his work.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with what Ivan Goncharov wrote.
The mother watched all these manipulations with horror - her dream of white collars and brilliant social life her son gradually melted away, but the woman did not despair. She began to teach her son the basics of social life even more diligently.
Thus, in the Stolts family there was a completely successful combination of the pragmatic and the sincere. At the same time, the father was the embodiment of pragmatism, and the mother was the embodiment of the spiritual principle.
The early death of his mother did not allow for upbringing within the same framework - his father did not know how to be so emotional, sometimes he cannot even find words to support his son, to admonish him, so Stolz’s further upbringing confidently acquired the features of pragmatism and discipline.
After graduating from university, Andrei’s father did not let him idle for long - he sent his son on an independent voyage. This tradition was accepted in European society - the parents provided all the conditions for Andrei’s harmonious existence, and now Stolz must take care of himself.
The scene of farewell between father and son in the understanding of Russian peasants also looks strange - the father behaves extremely sparingly emotionally and none of those around him (except Andrei himself) realizes that in fact Ivan Stolts at this time is filled with pride for his son.
The influence of upbringing on later life
The ideals and habits instilled in us in childhood, one way or another, influence our future lives. The same trend is noticeably visible in the life of Andrei Stolts.
The father's demands on his son and his early inclusion in labor activity(Ivan Stolz hired his son and even paid him a salary, like all his employees) contributed to the social strengthening of his son. From childhood, Andrei knew that failures often happen in life; sometimes they have nothing to do with the prejudiced attitude of others, but are a consequence of errors in his work. Avoiding or correcting them requires effort and hard work. This understanding led to the fact that, as an adult, Stolz confidently overcomes difficulties; they do not leave such a significant imprint of despair and apathy on his life as happens with Oblomov.
Attitude to learning
Andrei Stolts was a very restless boy as a child - he loved various pranks and indulged in them at the first opportunity. However, such restlessness did not become an obstacle to obtaining a quality education.
Andrei Stolts received his primary education at home - his mother taught him musical literacy and French. Subsequently, Andrei developed these skills and often played four-handed with his mother. Knowledge of French also became necessary for him in later life - Andrei constantly communicated with aristocrats, knowledge of French allowed him to remain at the proper level in relation to high society.
At the same time, Stolz’s areas of knowledge were extensive - he and his father actively studied geography and German, read various books– from Holy Scripture to Krylov’s fables. I studied Sacred History with my mother.
Andrei Stolts continued his further studies at the boarding house, where his father became the head. During this period, Andrei was able to strengthen his knowledge and expand its boundaries. Studying was easy for him - Andrey from time to time helped his friends at the boarding house with their assignments.
After graduating from the boarding house, studies at the University of the Russian Empire followed. Goncharov says little about this period of Stolz’s life. It is known that Andrei was disciplined and hardworking; learning became an easy task for him.
Friendship with Oblomov
Andrei Stolts knew Ilya Ilyich Oblomov since childhood. However, their close relationship began during their studies at the boarding house. During this period, the boys were very similar to each other: they were both very curious and active. However, soon upbringing played a cruel joke on Ilya - Oblomov’s parents were horrified by their son’s behavior and did their best to suppress possible manifestations of curiosity and activity. In their understanding, the child should be balanced and calm. Over time, Ilya became like that - apathetic and passive.
Stolz's father, on the contrary, always encouraged his son's activity. He even allowed him to leave home for a few days, provided that his son fulfilled all his instructions. As a result, Stolz’s activity and desire to develop remained in his adult life.
Despite the fact that in further life Stolz and Oblomov formed diametrically opposed personalities from similar personalities; their friendship did not end, but continued throughout their lives. Andrei visited Oblomov from time to time and took an interest in his affairs. Stolz did this not because of personal gain or ethical standards, but because he really was not indifferent to the fate of his friend.
After graduating from university, Ilya Ilyich tried for some time to follow the traditional pattern of life - and for this he went to work in the office, but the very first difficulties at work caused Oblomov depression and panic. Thus, excessive parental care provoked a situation of failure in advance. Stolz, on the contrary, was actively involved in the affairs of the service and was able to earn himself the title of aristocrat.
After such a major failure, Oblomov lives in his rented apartment without leaving. He stopped appearing in public and even stopped keeping order in the house - all day long Oblomov lay on the sofa, dozing off from time to time.
None of Ilya Ilyich’s acquaintances could pull him out of this swamp. The only person who could stir him up was Andrei Stolts. During one of his visits to Oblomov, Stolz witnessed a funny picture - Ilya Ilyich intended to beat his servant for trying to wake him up. Having laughed heartily, Stolz begins to reproach Oblomov for apathy and inaction and decides to finally stir up Oblomov. Stolz drags Oblomov out into the light. At first, such a lifestyle incredibly tires Oblomov, but then Ilya Ilyich falls in love - he has an incentive to maintain his activity. However, over time, Oblomovism again draws in Ilya - this time Stolz no longer found the strength to resuscitate his friend to life, although his fate was still not indifferent to Andrei Ivanovich. Stolz from time to time puts Oblomov’s affairs in order on the family estate and visits his friend. Oblomov’s connection with Agafya unpleasantly surprises Stoltz; he does not understand this behavior of his friend, but after his death he does not give up his words and takes in Oblomov’s son, a boy named Andrei in honor of Stoltz. Most likely in last years The friendship between Oblomov and Stolz is maintained by memories of childhood friendship and Oblomov’s unusual ability to show tenderness and sensuality, which is not characteristic of Stolz.
Relations with Olga Ilyinskaya
Goncharov during the depiction of the relationship within the framework of Oblomov-Stolz- Ilyinskaya novel uses one of the paradoxes: while the personalities of Oblomov and Stolts seem very different in essence, the personalities of Olga Ilyinskaya and Andrei Stolts seem similar. Detailed analysis shows that this first impression is wrong. In fact, the images of Stolz and Oblomov, especially in childhood, have many similar qualities, and the images of Ilyinskaya and Stolz are very different - after all, the motivation for identifying their qualities and social activity is different feelings and motives.
At the beginning of the novel, Stolz does not have romantic feelings towards Olga, although it cannot be said that there is no sympathy in their relationship. Andrei Ivanovich is not a romantic person, so he could not captivate the girl as much as the gentle and emotional Ilya Ilyich.
Stolz's pragmatic mind allows him to find an answer to virtually any question from the rational world, but not from the sensual world, full of romance - here his mind is powerless. After breaking up with Oblomov, the girl goes with her aunt to Switzerland, where she accidentally meets Andrei Ivanovich. At this time, Stolz still does not know anything about the sad experience of Olga’s relationship and continues to communicate with her as before. Andrei Ivanovich brings the girl new books, sheet music, sometimes flowers, reassuring himself that this will captivate Olga for a long time, but the girl always reads the works very quickly and learns the notes, and then, as a rule, showers Stolz with questions.
In Olga's eyes - Stolz interesting companion, for a girl he acts as something like a teacher who knows more than his student and always knows how to keep him busy with something interesting. Stolz, on the contrary, managed to discern a woman in the girl and fell in love with her not as a person, but as a representative of the female sex. Based on this disharmony, most paradoxes occur in their further relations.
Captivated by Olga, Andrei Ivanovich proposes to the girl - without thinking twice, Olga agrees. She does not feel passion for Stolz, but she is captivated by the level of knowledge of this man - he seems to her to be unusually smart and intelligent, and this becomes the main factor in making the final decision.
In view of his way of life and age, Stolz begins to dream of a calm and measured life - an analogue of the Oblomovism so ardently persecuted by him. Olga does not understand her husband’s preference; she is full of determination and desire for development. Thanks to the fact that all this time Stolz was actively engaged in self-development, there was harmony in their marriage, but, apparently, as soon as Stolz stops his active development, he will cease to be Olga’s idol and disappointment and disharmony will immediately follow.
Stolz always devoted his wife to his affairs and even Oblomovka’s affairs, allowing his wife to take an active part in them, but soon the woman begins to experience melancholy - her life seems boring and monotonous to her, which she repeatedly tells her husband. The lack of tenderness and romance in the relationship between Olga and Andrey becomes more and more noticeable - their union of minds ultimately begins to rapidly approach destruction and disharmony. Goncharov suggests to the reader that the presence of common aspirations and ideas does not make people happy in marriage. A harmonious marriage requires love.
Personality characteristics
The life of Andrei Stolts always took place within the framework of active knowledge of the world and self-development. His father tried to instill in his son such qualities of character that would allow him not to drown in the abyss of life and become a successful person.
Andrey Ivanovich is constantly learning something. It seems that in Stolz’s life not a single minute of his life was wasted - Andrei Ivanovich knows how to distribute his time in the most profitable way in order to accomplish many useful things in a day.
His non-romantic character gives Stolz a positive service in this matter - Stolz never indulges in daydreams and daydreams. He doesn't understand how people can be head over heels in love with someone.
Andrei Ivanovich has a strong and decisive character. Stolz is always very demanding of himself. Thanks to his hard work, perseverance and discipline, Stolz becomes a successful person in his career and even rises to the rank of court councilor, which gives him the right to gain personal nobility. Stolz did not stay in this position - he decided to retire, began to engage in trade and achieved significant achievements in this occupation. Soon his capital grew from his father's forty to three hundred thousand, which was the subject of admiration and envy of many landowners.
Stolz is a very reserved person; he knows how to restrain his emotions. Andrei Ivanovich does not blame others for his failures, as everyone usually likes to do - first of all, he looks for reasons in himself - this allows him to quickly eradicate the problem that has arisen and prevent its occurrence in the future.
Stolz's unemotional nature allows him not to get lost in various situations and find the most attractive and profitable way out of them.
Thus, Andrei Ivanovich Stolts is endowed with many positive qualities character. Most of them are typical for a European burgher, but at the same time very unusual, and to some extent strange for the average person in the Russian Empire. Thanks to his unscrupulousness and hard work, Stolz was able to achieve significant heights in service matters, as well as increase his capital, but Stolz was never able to find harmony in his marriage - his relationship with Ilyinskaya was doomed to collapse, since it was a union of the mind, not feelings.