When we hear the words “victory” and “defeat,” images of military action or sports competitions usually appear before our eyes. But these concepts themselves, of course, are much broader and accompany us every day. Victory or defeat always involves confrontation with someone or something. Our life, whether we like it or not, is a struggle with circumstances, problems, competitors. And the more serious the opponent, the more significant and important the victory over him is for us. To win a grueling struggle against a powerful enemy means to become better, stronger. But if the enemy is obviously weaker, can such a victory be called real?
It seems to me that victory over the weak is still a defeat. Moreover, if a person enters into confrontation with someone who cannot fight back, he shows his moral weakness. Many Russian writers shared the same opinion. Thus, in A.S. Pushkin’s novel “Dubrovsky” we see the landowner Troekurov, who, out of a sense of resentment, deprived his longtime friend Andrei Gavrilovich of his estate. The imperious tyrant Kirila Petrovich, using his influence and wealth, ruined the Dubrovsky family. As a result, Andrei Gavrilovich, struck by such betrayal, goes crazy and soon dies, and his son Vladimir becomes noble robber. Can Troekurov, who took advantage of his opponent’s weakness, be called a real winner? Of course not. The true moral victory in the novel is won by the younger Dubrovsky, who gave up revenge, falling in love with Masha, the daughter of his enemy.
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Direction "Victory and defeat" of the final essay 2016-2017 in literature: examples, samples, analysis of work
Examples of writing essays on literature in the direction of "Victory and defeat." Statistics are provided for each essay. Some essays are for school, and can be used as ready-made samples It is not recommended for the final essay.
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Victory is always desired. We are waiting for victory with early childhood, playing catch up or Board games. We need to win at all costs. And the one who wins feels like the king of the situation. And someone is a loser because he doesn’t run so fast or the chips just fell out wrong. Is victory really necessary? Who can be considered the winner? Is victory always an indicator of true superiority?
In Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's comedy “The Cherry Orchard,” the conflict is centered on the confrontation between the old and the new. Noble society, brought up on the ideals of the past, has stopped in its development, accustomed to receiving everything without much difficulty, by right of birth, Ranevskaya and Gaev are helpless before the need for action. They are paralyzed, cannot make a decision, cannot move. Their world is collapsing, going to hell, and they are building rainbow projects, starting an unnecessary holiday in the house on the day of the estate auction. And then Lopakhin appears - a former serf, and now - the owner cherry orchard. Victory intoxicated him. At first he tries to hide his joy, but soon triumph overwhelms him and, no longer embarrassed, he laughs and literally shouts:
My God, my God, The Cherry Orchard my! Tell me that I'm drunk, out of my mind, that I'm imagining all this...
Of course, the slavery of his grandfather and father may justify his behavior, but in the face of, according to him, his beloved Ranevskaya, it looks, at least, tactless. And here it is already difficult to stop him, like a real master of life, a winner he demands:
Hey musicians, play, I want to listen to you! Come and watch how Ermolai Lopakhin takes an ax to the cherry orchard and how the trees fall to the ground!
Maybe, from the point of view of progress, Lopakhin’s victory is a step forward, but somehow it becomes sad after such victories. The garden is cut down without waiting for departure former owners, Firs is forgotten in a boarded-up house... Does such a play have a morning?
In the story “The Garnet Bracelet” by Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, the focus is on fate young man who dared to love a woman outside his circle. G.S.J. He has long and devotedly loved Princess Vera. His gift is Garnet bracelet- immediately attracted the woman’s attention, because the stones suddenly lit up like “lovely thick red living lights. “Definitely blood!” - Vera thought with unexpected alarm.” Unequal relationships are always fraught with serious consequences. The alarming premonitions did not deceive the princess. The need to put the presumptuous scoundrel in his place at all costs arises not so much from the husband as from Vera’s brother. Appearing in front of Zheltkov, representatives high society a priori behave like winners. Zheltkov’s behavior strengthens them in their confidence: “his trembling hands ran around, fiddling with buttons, pinching his light reddish mustache, touching his face unnecessarily.” The poor telegraph operator is crushed, confused, and feels guilty. But only Nikolai Nikolaevich remembers the authorities to whom the defenders of the honor of his wife and sister wanted to turn, when Zheltkov suddenly changes. No one has power over him, over his feelings, except the object of his adoration. No authorities can prohibit loving a woman. And to suffer for the sake of love, to give one’s life for it - this is the true victory of the great feeling that G.S.Zh. was lucky enough to experience. He leaves silently and confidently. His letter to Vera is a hymn to a great feeling, a triumphant song of Love! His death is his victory over the insignificant prejudices of pathetic nobles who feel like masters of life.
Victory, as it turns out, can be more dangerous and disgusting than defeat if it tramples Eternal values, distorts moral principles life.
Total: 508 words
To answer the question: “What does Katerina’s suicide mean - her victory or defeat?”, it is necessary to examine the circumstances of her life, study the motives of her actions, and address Special attention on the complexity and contradictory nature of the heroine and the extraordinary originality of her character.
Katerina is a poetic person, full of deep lyricism. She grew up and was brought up in a bourgeois family, in a religious atmosphere, but she absorbed all the best that the patriarchal way of life could give. She has a sense of self-esteem, a sense of beauty, and she is characterized by the experience of beauty, which was brought up in her childhood. N.A. Dobrolyubov saw the greatness of Katerina’s image precisely in the integrity of her character, in her ability to be herself everywhere and always, to never betray herself in anything.
Arriving at her husband’s house, Katerina was faced with a completely different way of life, in the sense that it was a life in which violence, tyranny, and humiliation of human dignity reigned. Katerina's life changed dramatically, and events became tragic character, but this might not have happened if not for the despotic nature of her mother-in-law, Marfa Kabanova, who considers the basis of “pedagogy” to be fear. Her philosophy of life is to frighten and keep in obedience with fear. She is jealous of her son towards the Young Wife and believes that he is not strict enough with Katerina. She is afraid that her youngest daughter Varvara may be “infected” by such a bad example, and how would she future husband I didn’t later reproach my mother-in-law for not being strict enough in raising my daughter. Katerina, humble in appearance, becomes for Marfa Kabanova the personification of a hidden danger that she feels intuitively. So Kabanikha seeks to subjugate, break Katerina’s fragile character, force her to live according to her own laws, and so she sharpens her “like rusty iron.” But Katerina, endowed with spiritual gentleness and trepidation, is capable in some cases of showing both firmness and strong-willed determination - she does not want to put up with this situation. “Eh, Varya, you don’t know my character!” she says. “Of course, God forbid this happens! And if I get really tired of being here, you won’t be able to hold me back with any force. I’ll throw myself out the window, throw myself into the Volga. I don’t want to be here.” I won’t live like that, even if you cut me!” She feels the need to love freely and therefore enters into a struggle not only with the world of the “dark kingdom”, but also with her own beliefs, with her own nature, incapable of lies and deception. A heightened sense of justice makes her doubt the correctness of her actions, and she perceives the awakened feeling of love for Boris as terrible sin, because, having fallen in love, she violated those moral principles that she considered sacred.
But she also cannot give up her love, because it is love that gives her the much-needed feeling of freedom. Katerina is forced to hide her dates, but living a life of deception is unbearable for her. Therefore, she wants to free herself from them by her public repentance, but only further complicates her already painful existence. Katerina’s repentance shows the depth of her suffering, moral greatness, and determination. But how can she continue to live, if even after she repented of her sin in front of everyone, it did not become easier. It is impossible to return to your husband and mother-in-law: everything there is foreign. Tikhon will not dare to openly condemn his mother’s tyranny, Boris is a weak-willed man, he will not come to the rescue, and continuing to live in the Kabanovs’ house is immoral. Previously, they couldn’t even reproach her, she could feel that she was right in front of these people, but now she is guilty in front of them. She can only submit. But it is no coincidence that the work contains the image of a bird deprived of the opportunity to live in the wild. For Katerina, it is better not to live at all than to put up with the “miserable vegetation” that is destined for her “in exchange for her living soul". N.A. Dobrolyubov wrote that Katerina’s character “is full of faith in new ideals and selfless in the sense that it is better for him to die than to live under those principles that are disgusting to him.” To live in a world of “hidden, quietly sighing sorrow. .. prison, deathly silence...", where "there is no space and freedom for living thought, for sincere words, for noble deeds; a heavy tyrant prohibition is imposed on loud, open, wide activity" there is no possibility for her. If she cannot enjoy her feeling, her will legally, "in the light broad daylight, in front of all the people, if something that is so dear to her is snatched from her, then she doesn’t want anything in life, she doesn’t even want life..."
Katerina did not want to put up with the reality that kills human dignity, could not live without moral purity, love and harmony, and therefore got rid of suffering in the only way possible in those circumstances. “... Simply as a human being, we are glad to see Katerina’s deliverance - even through death, if there is no other way... A healthy personality breathes upon us with joyful, fresh life, finding within itself the determination to end this rotten life at any cost !..” - says N.A. Dobrolyubov. And that's why tragic ending dramas - Katerina’s suicide is not a defeat, but an assertion of strength free man, is a protest against Kabanov’s concepts of morality, “proclaimed under domestic torture, and over the abyss into which the poor woman threw herself,” this is “a terrible challenge to tyrant power.” And in this sense, Katerina’s suicide is her victory.
Total: 780 words
In my opinion, victory is the success of something, and defeat is not only a loss in something, but also the recognition of this loss. Let us prove it using examples from the well-known writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol from the story “Taras and Bulba”.
Firstly, I believe that younger son, betrayed his homeland and Cossack honor, for the sake of love. This is both victory and defeat, victory is that he defended his love, and defeat is that the betrayal he committed: going against his father, his homeland is unforgivable.
Secondly, Taras Bulba, having committed his act: killing his son, is probably most of all a defeat. Even though it’s a war, you have to kill, and then live with it all your life, suffering, but there was no other way, since war, unfortunately, has no regrets.
Thus, to summarize, this story by Gogol talks about ordinary life which can happen to someone, but we must remember that when admitting our mistakes we must immediately and not only when it is proven by fact, but in its essence, but for this we must have a conscience.
Total: 164 words
There are probably no people in the world who would not dream of victory. Every day we win small victories or suffer defeats. Trying to achieve success over yourself and your weaknesses, getting up thirty minutes earlier in the morning, studying sports section, preparing lessons that are not going well. Sometimes such victories become a step towards success, towards self-affirmation. But this doesn't always happen. Apparent victory turns into defeat, but defeat is, in fact, victory.
In the comedy by A.S. Griboedov “Woe from Wit” main character A.A. Chatsky, after a three-year absence, returns to the society in which he grew up. Everything is familiar to him, about each representative secular society he has a categorical judgment. “The houses are new, but the prejudices are old,” the young, hot-blooded man concludes about the renewed Moscow. The Famusov society adheres to the strict rules of the times of Catherine:
“honor according to father and son”, “be bad, but if there are two thousand family souls - he and the groom”, “the door is open for those invited and uninvited, especially from foreigners”, “it’s not that they introduce new things - never” “they are judges of everything, everywhere, there are no judges above them.”
And only servility, veneration, and hypocrisy rule over the minds and hearts of the “chosen” representatives of the top of the noble class. Chatsky with his views turns out to be out of place. In his opinion, “ranks are given by people, but people can be deceived,” seeking patronage from those in power is low, one must achieve success with intelligence, and not with servility. Famusov, barely hearing his reasoning, covers his ears and shouts: “... to trial!” He considers young Chatsky a revolutionary, a “carbonarius”, dangerous person, when Skalozub appears, he asks not to express his thoughts out loud. And when the young man does begin to express his views, he quickly leaves, not wanting to bear responsibility for his judgments. However, the colonel turns out to be a narrow-minded person and only catches discussions about uniforms. In general, few people understand Chatsky at Famusov’s ball: the owner himself, Sophia and Molchalin. But each of them makes his own verdict. Famusov would prohibit such people from approaching the capital for a shot, Sophia says that he is “not a man - a snake,” and Molchalin decides that Chatsky is simply a loser. The final verdict of the Moscow world is madness! IN climax When the hero makes his keynote speech, no one in the hall listens to him. You can say that Chatsky is defeated, but this is not so! I.A. Goncharov believes that the hero of the comedy is a winner, and one cannot but agree with him. The appearance of this man shook up the stagnation Famusov society, destroyed Sophia’s illusions and shook Molchalin’s position.
In I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons,” two opponents collide in a heated argument: a representative younger generation- nihilist Bazarov and nobleman P.P. Kirsanov. One lived an idle life, spent the lion's share of the allotted time on love for a famous beauty, socialite- Princess R. But, despite this way of life, he gained experience, experienced, probably, the most important feeling that overtook him, washed away everything superficial, knocked down arrogance and self-confidence. This feeling is love. Bazarov boldly judges everything, considering himself a “self-made man,” a man who made his name only through his own labor and intelligence. In a dispute with Kirsanov, he is categorical, harsh, but observes external decency, but Pavel Petrovich cannot stand it and breaks down, indirectly calling Bazarov a “blockhead”:
...before they were just idiots, and now they suddenly became nihilists.
Bazarov's external victory in this dispute, then in the duel turns out to be a defeat in the main confrontation. Having met my first and only love, the young man is unable to survive defeat, does not want to admit failure, but cannot do anything. Without love, without sweet eyes, such desirable hands and lips, life is not needed. He becomes distracted, cannot concentrate, and no amount of denial helps him in this confrontation. Yes, it seems that Bazarov won, because he so stoically goes to death, silently struggles with the disease, but in fact he lost, because he lost everything for which it was worth living and creating.
Courage and determination in any struggle are essential. But sometimes you have to put aside self-confidence, look around, re-read the classics so as not to be mistaken making the right choice. After all, this is your life. And when defeating someone, think about whether this is a victory!
Total: 608 words
An example of a final essay for the third direction from FIPI.
All victories begin with victory over yourself
Don't be afraid to go the wrong way -
be afraid not to go anywhere.
Dmitry Yemets.
Life is long long road woven from victories and defeats, from ups and downs, on which events of a universal scale and personal take place. How not to get lost and confused in the universe of the time allotted to a person? How can you resist temptations and fatal mistakes so that you don’t feel bitter and offended later? And how to become a winner in your life?
There are many questions, almost no answers, but one thing is clear: this is not easy to do. Literary world is rich in examples confirming the fact of how a person walked through thorns to the stars and how he slipped into the world of greed, spiritual emptiness, losing himself, family and friends. My reader and life experience allow me to safely agree with the statement that “all victories begin with victory over oneself.”
The life of Santiago, an old man whose face is dotted with wrinkles, and whose hands are covered with deep scars from a string, and very old ones, is proof of this. When you read Ernest Hemingway's parable, at first you are perplexed about what kind of victory we can even talk about. The deplorable, plight of the frail old man is eloquently emphasized by one small but significant detail: a patched sail, reminiscent of “the banner of a completely defeated regiment.” What feelings could this old man evoke in me? Of course, pity, compassion. It is bitter to look at a lonely, old, hungry man, at his hut open to all the winds. The impression is also aggravated by the fact that for 84 days in a row he has been returning from the sea without a single fish. And this is 3 months of living from hand to mouth.
But! Amazing thing! Among all this despondency, we see the cheerful eyes of the old man, “the eyes of a man who does not give up.” Despite his age and streak of bad luck, he is ready to fight and overcome circumstances. I was interested to understand where Santiago got such confidence? After all, everyone had long written off this unlucky old man; the parents of the boy who fished with him took their son and put him in a boat with another fisherman. But the devoted boy is here, taking care of the old man. Maybe it was he, who carefully covered Santiago with a newspaper and brought him food, who was the support he needed in old age? I think it’s the warmth of the soul little boy warmed old age, softened failures and the cold attitude of fishermen. But even more important for Santiago himself is to convey the experience that a young fisherman needs, to prove that an experienced fisherman can catch big fish, you just need to sail further.
And we will see this big fish, or rather, its skeleton - evidence of the extraordinary victory of the old man, which he got at a huge price. In this story you can endlessly ask whole line questions, among which there is one main one: “Was it worth risking yourself and dragging a narwhal accompanied by bloodthirsty sharks?” Many condemn the old man and see his defeat in this act, claiming that he overestimated his strength and underestimated the sharks. I associate this assessment with the stupid remark of tourists who saw the skeleton of a narwhal and were amazed that the shark (!) had such a beautiful tail. How can it be considered a defeat for Santiago to remain above himself, above the narwhal?! I will not join their voice and say that it was worth it. If he had to repeat this path, he would choose it. It was no coincidence that after this campaign he dreamed of lions. This victory was needed not only by Santiago, but also by the boy. He is still a child, he has a lot to learn from life, from such brave and brave people, like Santiago.
If a person does not learn to overcome circumstances, he becomes their slave. A striking example For me, the slave of my own destiny is Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin. Perhaps my statement will cause a storm of indignation, but how can you live your whole life in fear, submitting to everyone and everything, and at the same time grumble: “Leave me alone, why are you offending me?” It’s not about the overcoat, old and patched, but about the soul, patched with fears, lack of will, and lack of struggle. In the struggle over his weaknesses, a person grows stronger, step by step establishing himself in life, no matter how difficult and unbearable it may be. “To be”, not “to exist”! “To be” means to burn, to fight, to strive to give the warmth of your soul to people. After all, I found the same warmth in my heart small man Maxim Maksimych, who lived in the same period, but in more difficult conditions, in order to warm the captive Bela, Pechorin. Who did Akaki Akakievich caress?! Who did you help?! Whom did you bestow with your care and attention?! No one... If he fell in love with someone, he would not have time to feel sorry for himself. I feel sorry for him as a human being, but in today’s reading I associate this image with lack of will and lack of fortitude. With the absence of life. One must be, not exist. To live, and not to vegetate, like wise minnow like a teacher Greek language Belikov and the like.
From all that has been said, I can draw the following conclusion. Life is a long, long road. The wheel of life lifts some above circumstances, and wipes others off the face of the earth. But the chariot of his own destiny is controlled by man himself. He may be wrong, but he must always remember that only strong man A man who knows how to triumph over himself can bear his story. “The falcon rises high when it flies” - wisdom confirming the movement up the ladder of one’s own destiny.
Final essay 2017: arguments based on the work “War and Peace” for all directions
Honor and dishonor.
Honor: Natasha Rostova, Petya Rostov, Pierre Bezukhoe, Captain Timokhin, Vasily Denisov, Marya Bolkonskaya, Andrei Bolkonsky, Nikolai Rostov
Dishonor: Vasil Kuragin and his children: Helen, Ippolit and Anatole
Argument: Patriots are ready to fight the French. They want to liberate Russian lands. Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, Vasily Denisov and captain Timokhin strived for this goal. For her sake, young Petya Rostov gives his life. Natasha Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya wish for victory over the enemy with all their hearts. There is no reason to doubt the truth of the patriotic feelings that possessed both the old Prince Bolkonsky and Nikolai Rostov. At the same time, the writer convinces us of the complete lack of patriotism among people like Prince Vasily Kuragin and his children: Hippolyte, Anatole and Helen. It is not love for the Motherland (they do not have this love) that guide Boris Drubetskoy and Dolokhov when they join the active army. The first one studies the “unwritten chain of command” to make a career. The second is trying to distinguish himself in order to quickly regain officer rank, and then receive awards and ranks. A military official, Berg, in Moscow, abandoned by residents, buys things cheap...
Victory and defeat.
Victory: Battle of Shengraben. The French army outnumbered the Russian one. One hundred thousand versus thirty-five. The Russian army led by Kutuzov won a small victory at Krems and had to move to Znaim to escape. Kutuzov no longer trusted his allies. The Austrian army, without waiting for reinforcements from Russian troops, launched an attack on the French, but seeing their superiority, capitulated. Kutuzov had to retreat, because the inequality of forces did not bode well. The only salvation was to get to Znaim before the French. But the Russian road was longer and more difficult. Then Kutuzov decides to send Bagration’s vanguard to cross the enemy, so that he can detain the enemy as best he can. And here chance saved the Russians. The French parliamentarian Murat, seeing Bagration's detachment, decided that this was the entire Russian army, and proposed a truce for three days. Kutuzov took advantage of this “rest”. Of course, Napoleon immediately realized the deception, but while his messenger was traveling to the army, Kutuzov had already managed to get to Znaim. When Bagration's vanguard went into retreat, Tushin's small battery, stationed near the village of Shengraben, was forgotten and abandoned by the Russians.
Defeat: Battle of Austerlitz. The Austrian military leaders took on the main role in waging this war, especially since the battles took place on Austrian territory. And the battle near the town of Austerlitz in the novel “War and Peace” was also thought out and planned by the Austrian general Weyrother. Weyrother did not consider it necessary to take into account the opinion of Kutuzov or anyone else.
The military council before the Battle of Austerlitz resembles not a council, but an exhibition of vanities; all disputes were not conducted with the goal of achieving the best and the right decision, and, as Tolstoy writes: “... it was obvious that the purpose... of the objections was mainly the desire to make General Weyrother feel, as self-confidently as schoolchildren reading his disposition, that he was not dealing with only fools, but with people who could teach him in military affairs.” Having made several useless attempts to change the situation, Kutuzov slept the entire time the council lasted. Tolstoy makes it clear how much Kutuzov is disgusted by all this pomposity and complacency, old general understands perfectly well that the battle will be lost.
Conclusion: The history of mankind consists of victories and defeats in wars. In the novel War and Peace, Tolstoy describes the participation of Russia and Austria in the war against Napoleon. Thanks to Russian troops The Battle of Schöngraben was won, and this gave strength and inspiration to the sovereigns of Russia and Austria. Blinded by victories, occupied mainly with narcissism, holding military parades and balls, these two men led their armies to defeat at Austerlitz. The Battle of Austerlitz in Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” became decisive in the war of the “three emperors”. Tolstoy shows the two emperors at first as pompous and self-righteous, and after their defeat as confused and unhappy people. Napoleon managed to outwit and defeat the Russian-Austrian army. The emperors fled the battlefield, and after the battle ended, Emperor Franz decided to submit to Napoleon on his terms.
Mistakes and experience.
Argument: While living in France, Pierre became imbued with the ideas of Freemasonry; it seemed to Pierre that he had found like-minded people, that with their help he could change the world for the better. But soon he became disillusioned with Freemasonry.
Pierre Bezukhov is still very young and inexperienced, he is looking for the purpose of his life, but comes to the conclusion that nothing can be changed in this world and falls under the bad influence of Kuragin and Dolokhov. Pierre begins to “waste his life”, spending his time on balls and social evenings. Kuragin marries him to Helen. Bezukhov was inspired by passion for Helen Kuragina, he rejoiced at the happiness of marrying her. But after some time, Pierre noticed that Helen was just beautiful doll with an icy heart. Marriage to Helen Kuragina brought Pierre Bezukhov only pain and disappointment in the female sex. Tired of a wild life, Pierre is eager to get to work. He begins to carry out reforms in his lands.
Pierre found his happiness in marriage with Natasha Rostova. Long haul wanderings, sometimes erroneous, sometimes funny and absurd, nevertheless led Pierre Bezukhov to the truth. We can say that the end life's quest Pierre is good, because he achieved the goal that he initially pursued. He tried to change this world for the better.
Mind and feelings.
On the pages of the world fiction The problem of the influence of a person’s feelings and mind comes up very often. So, for example, in Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy’s epic novel “War and Peace” two types of heroes appear: on the one hand, the impetuous Natasha Rostova, the sensitive Pierre Bezukhov, the fearless Nikolai Rostov, on the other, the arrogant and calculating Helen Kuragina and her callous brother Anatol. Many conflicts in the novel arise precisely from the excess of feelings of the characters, the ups and downs of which are very interesting to watch. A striking example of how an outburst of feelings, thoughtlessness, ardor of character, impatient youth influenced the fate of the heroes is the case of Natasha, because for her, funny and young, it was an incredibly long time to wait for her wedding with Andrei Bolkonsky, could she subdue her unexpectedly flared up feelings? feelings for Anatole the voice of reason? Here a real drama of the mind and feelings in the soul of the heroine unfolds before us; she faces a difficult choice: leave her fiancé and leave with Anatole or not give in to a momentary impulse and wait for Andrei. It was in favor of feelings that this difficult choice was made; only an accident prevented Natasha. We cannot blame the girl, knowing her impatient nature and thirst for love. It was Natasha’s impulse that was dictated by her feelings, after which she regretted her action when she analyzed it.
Friendship and enmity.
One of the central lines of the novel, one of the greatest values, according to Tolstoy, is, of course, the friendship of Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. They are both alien to the society in which they find themselves. Both of them are higher than him in their thoughts and moral values, but it takes Pierre a while to understand this. Andrei is confident in his own, special destiny, and an empty, unchanging life is not for him. He is trying to convince Pierre, who is the only one he respects in that environment due to the contrast with the empty elite, to stay away from this life. But Pierre is still convinced of this on his own, from his own experience. It is difficult for him, so simple and unpretentious, to resist temptation. The friendship of Andrei and Pierre can be considered true, beautiful and immortal, because the soil on which it stood was the most worthy and noble. There was not an iota of self-seeking in this friendship, and neither money nor influence were a guideline for any of them, either in their relationships or in the lives of each individual. This is what should unite people if they live in a society where all feelings can be bought and sold so cold-bloodedly.
Fortunately, in Tolstoy’s novel these heroes found each other, thereby finding salvation from moral loneliness and finding worthy soil for the development of morality and real ideas that should not be lost at least by a minority of people.
There are probably no people in the world who would not dream of victory. Every day we win small victories or suffer defeats. Trying to achieve success over yourself and your weaknesses, getting up thirty minutes earlier in the morning, studying in the sports section, preparing lessons that are not going well. Sometimes such victories become a step towards success, towards self-affirmation. But this doesn't always happen. Apparent victory turns into defeat, but defeat is, in fact, victory.
In A.S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit,” the main character A.A. Chatsky, after a three-year absence, returns to the society in which he grew up. Everything is familiar to him; he has a categorical judgment about every representative of secular society. “The houses are new, but the prejudices are old,” the young, hot-blooded man concludes about the renewed Moscow. The Famusov society adheres to the strict rules of the times of Catherine:
“honor according to father and son”, “be bad, but if there are two thousand family souls - he and the groom”, “the door is open for those invited and uninvited, especially from foreigners”, “it’s not that they introduce new things - never” “they are judges of everything, everywhere, there are no judges above them.”
And only servility, veneration, and hypocrisy rule over the minds and hearts of the “chosen” representatives of the top of the noble class. Chatsky with his views turns out to be out of place. In his opinion, “ranks are given by people, but people can be deceived,” seeking patronage from those in power is low, one must achieve success with intelligence, and not with servility. Famusov, barely hearing his reasoning, covers his ears and shouts: “... to trial!” He considers young Chatsky a revolutionary, a “carbonari,” a dangerous person, and when Skalozub appears, he asks not to express his thoughts out loud. And when the young man does begin to express his views, he quickly leaves, not wanting to bear responsibility for his judgments. However, the colonel turns out to be a narrow-minded person and only catches discussions about uniforms. In general, few people understand Chatsky at Famusov’s ball: the owner himself, Sophia and Molchalin. But each of them makes his own verdict. Famusov would prohibit such people from approaching the capital for a shot, Sophia says that he is “not a man - a snake,” and Molchalin decides that Chatsky is simply a loser. The final verdict of the Moscow world is madness! At the climactic moment, when the hero makes his keynote speech, no one in the hall listens to him. You can say that Chatsky is defeated, but this is not so! I.A. Goncharov believes that the hero of the comedy is a winner, and one cannot but agree with him. The appearance of this man shook up the stagnant Famus society, destroyed Sophia’s illusions, and shook Molchalin’s position.
In I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons,” two opponents collide in a heated argument: a representative of the younger generation, the nihilist Bazarov, and the nobleman P. P. Kirsanov. One lived an idle life, spent the lion's share of the allotted time in love with a famous beauty, a socialite - Princess R. But, despite this lifestyle, he gained experience, experienced, probably, the most important feeling that overtook him, washed away everything superficial, arrogance and self-confidence were knocked down. This feeling is love. Bazarov boldly judges everything, considering himself a “self-made man,” a man who made his name only through his own labor and intelligence. In a dispute with Kirsanov, he is categorical, harsh, but observes external decency, but Pavel Petrovich cannot stand it and breaks down, indirectly calling Bazarov a “blockhead”:
...before they were just idiots, and now they suddenly became nihilists.
Bazarov's external victory in this dispute, then in the duel turns out to be a defeat in the main confrontation. Having met his first and only love, the young man is unable to survive defeat, does not want to admit failure, but cannot do anything. Without love, without sweet eyes, such desirable hands and lips, life is not needed. He becomes distracted, cannot concentrate, and no amount of denial helps him in this confrontation. Yes, it seems that Bazarov won, because he so stoically goes to death, silently struggles with the disease, but in fact he lost, because he lost everything for which it was worth living and creating.
Courage and determination in any struggle are essential. But sometimes you need to put aside self-confidence, look around, re-read the classics so as not to make a mistake in the right choice. After all, this is your life. And when defeating someone, think about whether this is a victory!