DI. Fonvizin wrote his best comedy“Minor” for many years. He carefully worked out the images and lines of the characters in order to maintain the golden mean between social satire and the favor of the authorities. In 1782 the work was ready.
The main theme of the play was ridiculing Russian morals and depicting the life of provincial landowners. Fonvizin identifies the vices of his contemporary society, denounces them and invites the reader to think for himself about ways to overcome them.
Conflict of the play
In the work, two opposing camps collide - positive and negative heroes, good and evil, baseness and nobility, truth and lies.
Positive characters include Sophia, Starodum, Milon, Pravdin. The negative ones are Prostakova, Mitrofan, Skotinin. The Prostakovs and Skotinins are cruel, proud, and uneducated. They strive to subordinate to their will everything that happens around them, to have complete power over serfs and over people of high birth, who at some points in their lives turn out to be weaker.
Theme of education in comedy
The opposing sides presented have different needs, life priorities, manner of communication, ideals. The main representatives of the two camps are Prostakova and Starodum. Their difference is already expressed in their attitude to the education of the younger generation, on whom the future of the country and society rests.
Prostakova, present at the lesson of her son Mitrofan, persuades him not to listen to teachers and not to share his goodness with anyone. Starodum bequeaths Sophia to help those in need if she has an extra ruble. This, in his opinion, is the nobility of soul and character.
Features of the play's comedy
The comedy in “The Minor” has two layers – superficial and deep. The reader and viewer find it funny that Mrs. Prostakova swears like a street vendor, Skotinin considers pigs to be the ideal of his life, and Mitrofan, a teenager with a “delicate build,” having eaten too much at night, eats five buns again in the morning.
It’s also funny how Mitrofan, limited both in mind and in conscience, at the slightest scandal hides behind the back of the nanny Eremeevna, and in another scene with feigned importance he talks about the door being an adjective, since it is attached to the doorframe.
Internal comedy is expressed in masking rudeness with courtesy, greed with generosity, ignorance with education. The low and simplified world of provincial landowners is trying to break into the world of the nobles, to take over everything that the world of goodies owns. At the same time, their actions are very diverse and are tailored to changing situations.
Finale of the play
In the comedy “Minor”, good triumphs over evil only thanks to the intervention of the authorities - Pravdin, an honest executor of the laws issued. I think that such an accident of the victory of positive heroes over negative ones gives comedy a special tragic sound.
Why are you laughing? You're laughing at yourself! N. Gogol
Funny and tragic in comedy. In literature, as in life, the cheerful and comic is closely intertwined with the sad and tragic. Reading a work, together with the author we laugh or feel sad, rejoice or suffer. Likewise, D.I. Fonvizin’s play “The Minor,” which is a comedy genre, evokes laughter, but only very often—it’s “laughter through tears.” Why is this so? It would seem that the era of Catherine II’s reign, depicted in the work, is not very clear and close to us, readers of the 21st century, but the main problems of the comedy are so relevant and topical that we are imbued with the author’s ideas and understand what the playwright is laughing about and what he is sad about.
The scene of Mitrofanushka trying on a caftan also evokes laughter, and Eremeevna’s words that he “married until the morning,” although he “almost didn’t have dinner at all”: “three slices of corned beef, and hearth... five,., six,” and “kvass.” deigned to eat the whole jug.” The resourcefulness of the undergrowth is also funny when he “felt sorry” for his mother, who was “so tired, beating the priest.” And at the same time, Mrs. Prostakova’s abusive speech, her arbitrariness and cruelty cause bewilderment and indignation.
Reading the play further and getting to know the characters better, we laugh bitterly at Skotinin, who only loves pigs, and having married Sophia, “wants to have his own piglets,” and at Mitrofanushka, “so-and-so smart,” “so-and-so.” a “reasonable” child, whose stupidity is ridiculed by the writer, especially in the scene of teaching the underage.
Tsyfirkin remarks: “All the butts, your honor. After all, a person will remain with his backside.” But this does not bother Mitrofan, and Prostakova is deeply confident that her son is already smart enough, and sincerely exclaims: “With his intelligence, let him fly far, and God forbid!” And then we have the opportunity to see with our own eyes what Mitrofanushka is like in the sciences. This is indeed, in the words of Kuteikin, “I am cattle, not man. Defamation of people."
Besides the fact that Mitrofan is stupid and uneducated, he is also ill-mannered, he does not love anyone and does not feel sorry for him, not even his own mother. And it's sad. Last scene, in which the son rudely pushes away his mother, is truly tragic. What can come out of an undergrowth for whom nothing is sacred in life?!
This is a tragedy for Fonvizin, who dreamed of an enlightened young generation, filled with nobility and a desire to benefit the fatherland, Russia. Laughing at the sad phenomena of reality, the playwright sought to reveal those shortcomings in the upbringing and education of the nobles, which led to the appearance of a whole army of the same Mitrofans - lazy, ignorant, mama's boys. Even now he makes us think about what we are like and whether in some ways we are similar to the undergrowth, and in some ways like his relatives. After all, ignorance, laziness, cruelty, bad manners and other human vices have taken deep roots and it is very difficult to get rid of them, especially in the present time.
In the comedy “The Minor,” D.I. Fonvizin poses one of the most important problems of society: the upbringing and education of the younger generation. The play caricatures the “educational process” in the Prostakov family of landowners. Satirically depicting the morals of the local nobles, showing their complete ignorance of how they prepare children for life and activity in society, the writer sought to condemn this approach to education. Mitrofan's mother is forced (in addition to her main concern - the nutrition of her son) to demonstrate the implementation of the decree on the education of noble children, although of her own free will she would never force her beloved child to “useless teaching.”
The author satirically depicts Mitrofan's lessons in mathematics, geography, and the Russian language. His teachers were the sexton Kuteikin, the retired sergeant Tsyfirkin and the German Vralman, who were not far from the landowners who hired them. During an arithmetic lesson, when the teacher suggested solving a division problem, the mother advises her son not to share with anyone, not to give anything away, but to take everything for himself. And geography, according to Prostakova, is not needed by the master, because there are cab drivers who will take you where you need to go.
The “exam” scene in which Mitrofan demonstrated all his knowledge is imbued with a special comedy. He sought to convince the “commission” how “far he had gone” in studying, for example, the Russian language. And therefore he sincerely assured that the word “door” can be both a noun and an adjective, depending on its location. Mitrofan achieved such results thanks to his mother, who indulged her lazy son in everything, who was used to doing only what he liked: eating, sleeping, climbing the dovecote and seeing unquestioning obedience from everyone around him, the fulfillment of his desires. Study was not part of my interests.
In the conditions depicted in the comedy, children could not be very different from their parents, since ignorant people are not able to instill in their offspring a thirst for knowledge, a desire to become educated and intelligent citizens who would consciously prepare to serve the Fatherland. Mitrofan’s father and mother don’t even know how to read, and his uncle “hasn’t read anything in his life”: “God... saved this boredom.” The vital interests of these landowners are extremely narrowed: satisfaction of needs, passion for profit, desire to arrange a marriage of convenience rather than love (at the expense of Sophia’s dowry, Skotinin would like to “buy more pigs”). They have no concept of duty and honor, but they have an immensely developed desire to rule. Prostakova is rude, cruel, inhumane towards the serfs. “Beast, thief's mug” and other curses are a reward, and the payment for work was “five blows a day and five rubles for a year.” Mitrofan will become the same owner, who has been taught cruelty to serfs since childhood. He considers teachers to be servants, wanting them to submit to his lordly will.
Mrs. Prostakova in mentally“too simple” and “not trained in delicacy.” All issues are resolved with abuse and fists. Her brother, Skotinin, belongs to that group of people who are close to animals in their image and likeness. For example, Skotinin says: “Mitrofan loves pigs because he is my nephew. Why am I so addicted to pigs?” To this statement, Mr. Prostakov answers him: “And here there is some similarity.” Indeed, the Prostakovs’ son Mitrofan is in many ways similar to his mother and uncle. For example, he does not have a desire for knowledge, but he eats a lot, and at the age of sixteen he is quite overweight. The mother tells the tailor that her child is “delicately built.” Nanny Eremeevna reports about Mitrofan’s needs: “I deigned to eat five buns before breakfast.”
The goal of D.I. Fonvizin was not only ridiculing, denouncing morals landed nobility, but also satirical image existing orders in society, in the state. Despotism destroys humanity in a person. The writer substantiates his conclusions about the need to abolish serfdom by showing how some landowners in their own way understood the “Decree on the Liberty of the Nobility” and other royal decrees supporting serf owners. The peculiarity of the life and everyday life of the local nobles is that they accept laxity of morals as a virtue, since they have unlimited power, which is why rudeness, lawlessness, and immorality flourished in their society.
The comedy “Undergrown” is aimed at exposing the vices of society. Satirically depicting the morals of landowners, their “methods of education,” Fonvizin sought conclusions about what people should not be like, how children should not be raised, so that new “Mitrofanushki” do not appear among the nobles. Life principles Mitrofan is directly opposite to the beliefs of an enlightened person. The author of the work created not a positive, but negative image. He wanted to show the "evil nature" worthy fruits“, therefore, he reflected the worst aspects of landowner life, the evil nature of the serf owners, and also highlighted the vices of educating the younger generation.
The landowner Prostakova raised her son in her own image and likeness (as her parents once raised her) and instilled in him the qualities that she considered necessary, so Mitrofan, at the age of sixteen, had already defined goals and priorities for himself, and they are as follows:
– does not want to study;
- work or service does not seduce, it is better to chase pigeons in a dovecote;
– food has become the most important pleasure for him, and daily overeating is the norm;
– greed, greed, stinginess – qualities that help achieve complete well-being;
- rudeness, cruelty and inhumanity are the necessary principles of the serf-owner;
– deceit, intrigue, deception, fraud are the usual means in the struggle for one’s own interests;
– the ability to adapt, that is, to please the authorities and show lawlessness with people without rights, is one of the conditions for a free life.
For each of these “principles” in the comedy “The Minor” there are examples. The author wanted to ridicule and expose the low morals of many landowners, so in creating images he used techniques such as satire, irony, and hyperbole. For example, Mitrofan complains to his mother that he was starved: “I haven’t eaten anything since the morning, only five buns,” and last night “he didn’t have dinner at all - only three slices of corned beef, and five or six hearth (buns).” The author also reports with sarcasm and hostility about Mitrofan’s “thirst for knowledge,” who is going to give the old nanny a “trash” because she asks him to study a little. And he agrees to go to lessons only if the conditions set by him are fulfilled: “... so that it is in last time and so that we can come to an agreement today” (about marriage).
Mrs. Prostakova shamelessly lies to Pravdin that her son “doesn’t get up for days because of a book.” And Mitrofan enjoys the permissiveness, the blind love of his mother, he has well learned how to achieve the fulfillment of his desires. This ignoramus is self-willed, rude, cruel not only towards the nanny or other serfs, but even towards his mother, for whom he is the main joy. “Get off me, mother, I’m so intrusive!” - the son pushes his mother away when she tries to find support from him.
Starodum’s conclusion, made at the end of the play (“These are the worthy fruits of evil!”), returns viewers and readers to previous facts that explain and clearly show how characters like the undergrown Mitrofan and his mother are formed in society.
The noble son accepts Pravdin’s decision to send Mitrofanushka to serve unquestioningly. But a question arises that is not answered in the comedy, although it is implied: “Can Mitrofan be useful in the service of the Fatherland?” Of course not. This is why D.I. Fonvizin created his comedy, to show society what “underage” people are being raised by landowners and in whose hands the future of Russia may lie.
IN this lesson we will get acquainted with the VII and VIII phenomena of the third act of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor”. During the lesson, we will analyze these two phenomena, the scene of a fight between teachers, and also learn the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Topic: Russian literature XVIII century
Lesson: Episode of Fonvizin’s comedy “Minor”
This comedy episode could be called “Mitrofanushka’s Lesson.” Initially, it may seem that everything described in phenomena VII and VIII is a comic exaggeration, or, in scientific language, hyperbole. That it wasn’t and couldn’t be, that Fonvizin had already come up with it. But everything described is from nature. For example, in Radishchev’s book “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” there is a chapter called “Gorodnya”. In this chapter, the traveler meets a Frenchman, and he says that he was a hairdresser, then a sailor, but he was always prone to drunkenness and laziness, so he could not earn his daily bread. And on the advice of his fellow countrymen, he became a teacher and, together with the student’s family, went to the village, where for a whole year they did not know that he could not write. Derzhavin in his “Notes” says that he was apprenticed to a certain Joseph Rosa, who was exiled to hard labor for some crime. His teacher himself was ignorant and did not even know grammatical rules. In the comedy of Catherine II (“Mrs. Vestnikova with her family”) one of the characters says about teachers: “Let him still go as a coachman to someone.” Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov, an outstanding statesman of the Elizabethan era, founder of Moscow University, patron of Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, founder of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, in a memo to the Senate in 1754, proving that a university was needed, wrote: “The nobles, not having found the best teachers, accept those who spent their whole lives as footmen, hairdressers, and other similar crafts. We need a university."
Commentary on the selected scene
In the works of the past (and this could be a recent time, say, the end of the last century), and even more so in the works of the 18th-19th centuries, there is an unusually large number of unclear words. Correct reading requires, first of all, familiarity with these words. It is impossible to understand the meaning of a work without understanding the words used in it. What words do you simply need to know in order to read the two phenomena of the third act of the play “The Minor”.
First, the word “conspiracy.” Mitrofanushka says: “So that tomorrow there will be an agreement.” Collusion- this is an engagement. That is, a young man and a girl are declared the bride and groom. It's not a wedding yet, but they are already engaged to each other. This custom of engagement is still alive, although not as widespread as in the past.
Butts which Mitrofanushka demands to take to him - this is what has been passed. Tsyfirkin says quite rightly that if you constantly repeat the same thing, then “you’ll be left with your backside a century ago.” In general, Fonvizin’s penchant for puns is unusually good. Fonvizin makes puns constantly.
Onbutt- For example.
Sabbat- end.
Surname Kuteikin derived from the name of the funeral dish “kutya” - rice with raisins. This Lenten dish, which is eaten at funerals and on memorial holidays.
Az- I (Church Slavonic).
I am- first person singular of the verb “to be”. “I am a worm” - I am a worm. Psalter- a book of the Old Testament, a collection of spiritual poems, psalms. Authorship is attributed to the Biblical King David. This book was used to teach literacy, writing, and reading. Kuteikin's ignorance is emphasized by the fact that he thinks that different things should be written in the two psalters.
Asmoe tifa f sfete- the eighth wonder in the world.
Palfan- blockhead, block of wood, that is, an empty piece of wood.
Aristotle- ancient Greek philosopher, sage.
Advance- move forward.
Goat- this is an elevation for the coachman.
Mrs. Prostakova and Mitrofan. Teachers Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin.
Prostakova: “While he is resting, my friend, at least for the sake of appearance, learn, so that it reaches his ears how you work, Mitrofanushka.”
Please note that Prostakova constantly emphasizes, especially in front of Pravdin and Starodum, that Mitrofanushka is a scientist, that he is enlightened. That is, Fonvizin seems to show that they, of course, are “dense,” but the time is now such that even the “dense” should send their children to study. No other way.
Mitrofan: “Well! And then what?"
Prostakova: “And then you’ll get married.”
Mitrofan: “Listen, mother, I’ll amuse you. I'll study; just let this be the last time and let there be an agreement today.”
Prostakova: “The hour of God’s will will come!”
Mitrofan: “The hour of my will has come! I don’t want to study, I want to get married! You lured me in, blame yourself. So I sat down.”
Tsyfirkin is repairing the slate (back then they wrote on a black slate board with soft slate - a stylus).
Prostakova: “And I’ll sit down right away and tie the wallet for you, my friend! There would be somewhere to put Sophia’s money.”
This simple motive - money - runs through the entire play and the desire to marry Mitrofan to Sophia is caused by the news that Sophia has a hefty dowry. As for studying directly, everything is very simple for Prostakova.
Mitrofan: “Well! Give me the board, garrison rat! Ask what to write."
Why garrison rat? Because Tsyfirkin served, was a soldier, and then retired. Now he makes money by what he knows in mathematics, he checks the accounts for some, and does something else for others.
Tsyfirkin: “Your honor is always barking idlely.”
Prostakova: “Oh, my God! Don’t you dare, child, to elect Pafnutich! I’m already angry!”
The most wonderful feature that distinguishes all Fonvizin’s satirical characters: absolute contempt for the merits of another person. Just think the child said garrison rat? Why be offended? There is even a proverb: “A scolding does not hang on the collar.”
Tsyfirkin: “Why be angry, your honor? We have a Russian proverb: the dog barks, the wind blows.”
Mitrofan: “Get your butts back, turn around.” Tsyfirkin: “All the backs, your honor. After all, you’ll be left with the backside of a century ago.” Prostakova: “It’s none of your business, Pafnutich. It’s very nice to me that Mitrofanushka doesn’t like to step forward. With his intelligence, may he fly far, and God forbid!” And what does Prostakova mean here? With his grandiose mind or with his weak little mind? Most likely, the first, but we are reading the second, no doubt. Tsyfirkin: “The task. You deigned, on the butt (that is, for example), to walk along the road with me. Well, at least we’ll take Sidorich with us. We found three...” Mitrofan (writes): “Three.” Tsyfirkin: “On the road, for the butt, three hundred rubles.” Mitrofan (writes): “Three hundred.” Tsyfirkin: “It came to a division. Think about it, why on your brother?” Mitrofan (calculating, whispers): “Once three is three. Once zero is zero. Once zero is zero.” Prostakova: “What, what, before the division?” Mitrofan: “Look, the three hundred rubles that were found should be divided among the three of us.” Prostakova: “He’s lying, my dear friend. I found the money and didn’t share it with anyone. Take it all for yourself, Mitrofanushka. Don’t learn this stupid science.” Mitrofan: “Listen, Pafnutich, ask another question.” Tsyfirkin: “Write, your honor. You give me ten rubles a year for my studies.” Mitrofan: “Ten.” Tsyfirkin: “Now, really, no problem, but if you, master, took something from me, it wouldn’t be a sin to add ten more.” Mitrofan (writes): “Well, well, ten.” Tsyfirkin: “How long for a year?” Mitrofan: “Zero yes zero - zero. One and one..." (Thinking.) But then Prostakova intervenes. Prostakova: “Don’t work in vain, my friend! I won’t add a penny; and you're welcome. Science is not like that. Only you are tormented, but all I see is emptiness. No money - what to count? There is money - we’ll figure it out well without Pafnutich.” Here Kuteikin intervenes. Kuteikin: “Sabbath, really, Pafnutich. Two problems have been solved. After all, they won’t bring it up for verification (in the sense that no one will check how they were decided).” Mitrofan: “I suppose, brother. Mother herself can’t make a mistake here. Go now, Kuteikin, teach yesterday a lesson.” Kuteikin (opens the book of hours): “Let’s start with blessings. Follow me with attention: “I am a worm...” Mitrofan: “I am a worm...” Kuteikin: “A worm, that is, (that is) an animal, a cattle. In other words: “I am cattle.” Mitrofan: “I am cattle.” And this motif, taken from the psalter (chapter 21, verse 7), runs through the entire book: “I am a worm, and not a man, a reproach of men and the humiliation of people.” Kuteikin: “Not a man.” Mitrofan: “Not a man.” Kuteikin: “Reviling people.” Mitrofan: “Reproach of people.” Kuteikin: “And uni...” This is where phenomenon VII ends.
The phenomenon changes when the cast of characters on stage changes. Vralman runs in.
Vralman: “Ay! ah! ah! ah! ah! Now I'm freaking out! They want to kill the turnip! Mother you are! Have fun with this morning...” And so on. This is the so-called German accent, which is found both in the comedies of Fonvizin’s time and in “Woe from Wit” (“he went to hell”), which will continue to be found for a very long time in Russian literature. Moreover, it is not very easy to immediately understand all the words. For example, Vralman says about Mitrofan: “ asmoe tifa f sfete " This means: the eighth wonder in the world. And since it is known that there are only 7 miracles in the world, then Mitrofan, it turns out, is the eighth miracle. Vralman: “Follow these damned slateys. And with such a kalaf, how long is palfan? Ush disposition, ear fse is.” (that is, there is a predisposition that the last brains have flown out). Prostakova: “The truth, the truth is yours, Adam Adamych! Mitrofanushka, my friend, if teaching is so dangerous for your little head, then for me, stop.” Mitrofan: “And even more so for me.” In one of the previous phenomena, teachers complained to each other that as soon as they started studying, a German immediately appeared and interfered with the lessons. That's how it happens here. Kuteikin: “The end and glory to God.” Vralman: “My mother! What's wrong with it? Son, there’s some shit, let’s give up the old stuff; or the wise son, so to speak, Aristotelis, and to the grave.” That is, the mother has to decide whether her son will remain as he is, but will be healthy, or will become a sage, like Aristotle, but his teaching will lead him to the grave. Prostakova: “Oh, what passion, Adam Adamych! He already had a careless dinner yesterday.” Vralman: “Rassuti-sh, mother of May, drank too much pryukho: peda. And the fit of the kaloushka is much slower than that of the nefo; drink it too much and save it later!” That is, if you fill your belly, it’s a disaster, but what if you fill your head with too much? This will be really bad. Mitrofanushka’s head is weaker than his belly. Prostakova: Your truth, Adam Adamych; what are you going to do? A child, if you don’t learn, go to St. Petersburg: they’ll say you’re a fool. There are a lot of smart people these days. I'm afraid of them." And what is here - a feeling of one’s time, already new, or a nod to the empress? After all, there were a lot of smart people with her. One way or another, Prostakova wants to teach her Mitrofan (at least in appearance). Vralman: “Why bother, my mother? A wise man will not saturate Nikakhta, Nikakhta will not argue with him: but he does not get involved with clever bastards, and he will continue to be prosperous!” Prostakova: “This is how you should live in the world, Mitrofanushka!” Mitrofan: “I myself, mother, am not one for clever people. Your brother is always better.” Vralman: “Is this a campaign or a body?” Prostakova: “Adam Adamych! But from whom will you choose her? Vralman: “Don’t crash, my mother, don’t crash; What is your most tragic son, there are millions, millions of them in the world. How can he not ruin his campaigns?” Prostakova: “It’s for nothing that my little son is sharp and agile.” Vralman: “Didn’t you just give up your body and don’t samarize your dick? Rossiska kramat! Arihmetika! Oh, my goodness, how the carcass remains in the body! How putto py rassiski tforyanin ush and could not f sfete advance (that is, move forward) pez russian kramat! Kuteikin (to the side): “You should have labor and illness under your tongue.” Vralman: “Kak putto py do arihmetiki dust lyuti turaki sandy!” Tsyfirkin (to the side): “I’ll count those ribs. You will come to me." Vralman: “He needs to know how to sew on fabric. I know the sfet by heart. I grated Kalash myself.” Prostakova: “How can you not know big world, Adam Adamych? I am tea, and in St. Petersburg alone you have seen enough of everything.” Vralman: “It’s tacky, my mother, it’s tacky. I have always been a keen hunter and eager to watch public. Pyfalo, about the celebratory holiday of the Sietuts in Katringhof, the carriages with the hospots. I still look at them. Damn, I won’t leave my mow for a minute.” Prostakova: “What the hell?” Vralman (to the side): “Ay! ah! ah! ah! What did I screw up! (Aloud.) You, mother, dream that you should always look higher. So, suddenly, I sat down on someone else’s carriage, and I smeared the Polish land from the mowers.”
Goats are a kind of elevation on the front of the crew. The place where the coachman sits.
Prostakova: “Of course, we know better. Clever man knows where to climb." Vralman: “Your dearest son is also on the sfeta somehow in a smastitsa, fiercely look at and touch sepya. Utalets!” Vralman knows perfectly well the value of Mitrofanushka and here he must be played in such a way that there is both innocence and cunning, so that it is clear that he is being ironic about Mitrofanushka and his mother, and at the same time he says the words that are expected of him. Vralman: “Utalets! He won't stand still, like a ticking horse. Go! Fort!" Prostakova: “A child, really, even though he’s a groom. Follow him, however, so that he doesn’t anger the guest out of playfulness without intent.” Vralman: “Poti, my mother! Saletna bird! Your voices flow with him.” Prostakova: “Farewell, Adam Adamych!”
This ends the VIII phenomenon, after which there is a scene of a fight between the teachers.
About Molière's comedy "The Bourgeois among the Nobility"
The scene of the teachers' fight, perhaps, is reminiscent of a similar scene in Moliere's comedy "The Bourgeois in the Nobility." This play was staged in 1670, with Moliere himself playing Jourdain, the main character. What is it main character Moliere's comedies? This is always a hero, obsessed with some kind of mania that does not allow him to sleep, does not allow him to live. Jourdain really wants to consider himself a nobleman, and for everyone to consider him a nobleman. He wants to become a nobleman. And he recruits a whole staff of teachers: music, dance, fencing and philosophy teachers. And, in fact, the comedy begins precisely with the fact that each teacher says how important his science is. And they start arguing with each other, especially when the fencing teacher appears. It’s clear that there are music and dance teachers if a fencing teacher can easily put them on a sword. But as soon as the argument between the music, dance and fencing teacher begins, the philosophy teacher appears and tries to reason with the disputants, saying that they are doing this in vain. Each science has its own meaning, its own significance. But, truly, philosophy is above all. And then a general fight begins, and the philosophy teacher ends up getting the most.
There is some wonderful dialogue in the comedy. The philosophy teacher explains to Jourdain that everything that is not poetry is prose, and everything that is not prose is poetry. And Jourdain discovers to his surprise that all his life he spoke in prose. In general, there are many wonderful moments in this comedy. For example, when it comes to the new suit that Jourdain ordered. And this costume is associated with a very important motive: life is a game, and each of us plays a role. But nobility is not reduced to a role, to dressing up, it is not bought. And this suit becomes as if theatrical costume. Much of Moliere’s comedy will later remain in Russian comedy in the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, the same Prostakova is obsessed with mania - an unhealthy love for her son. Love that cripples a son, and does not protect or educate. There is also a love couple here, as in “The Bourgeois in the Nobility.” Jourdain, as a father, is sure that only an aristocrat, a marquis, and therefore a nice, kind guy, but a merchant rank (and Jourdain himself is a merchant) will never be the husband of his daughter. But Jourdain is deceived when he is made to believe that his daughter married the son of the Turkish Sultan.
It is curious that “The Minor” begins in much the same way as “The Bourgeois in the Nobility.” It starts with the costume - with a caftan sewn by Trishka. But if for Moliere the most important thing is appearance and essence (that is, you can wear any suit you like, but you will still remain a bourgeois), then with Fonvizin the emphasis is shifted to something else. Here, for example, is a serf who was ordered to become a tailor, regardless of whether he knows how to sew or not. Stanislav Borisovich Rassadin says that this episode can easily be projected onto Catherine’s court, when already in the 80s such great people as Grigory Orlov and Potemkin were replaced by mere nonentities, like Platon Zubov or Vasilchikov. That is, Catherine gave the opportunity to rule, to manage almost the entire state, to people who not only did not know how to do this, but also did not want to learn it.
Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin beat up Vralman, who constantly interferes with the teaching and prevents them from even their modest opportunities to teach Mitrofanushka something. And this theme of teaching organically continues in Act 4, Act 8, where Mitrofan demonstrates his knowledge in front of Starodum, Pravdin and others. Starodum: “It dawned on my ears that now he only deigned to unlearn. I have heard about his teachers and I can see in advance what kind of literate he needs to be, studying with Kuteikin, and what kind of mathematician, studying with Tsyfirkin. I would be curious to hear what the German taught him.” Mitrofan: “Everything! For example, grammar.” Pravdin: “I see. This is grammar. What do you know about it? Mitrofan: “A lot. A noun and an adjective...” Pravdin: “Door, for example, what name: a noun or an adjective?” Mitrofan: “Door? Which door?" Pravdin: “Which door! This one". Mitrofan: “This one? Adjective." Pravdin: “Why?” Mitrofan: “Because it is attached to its place. Over there at the closet of the pole for a week the door has not yet been hung: so for now that is a noun.” You can see that Mitrofanushka copes well with the situation. So to speak, by intuition he copes with grammatical categories. He is very witty. Starodum: “So that’s why you use the word fool as an adjective, because it is applied to a stupid person?” Mitrofan: “And it is known.” Prostakova: “What, what is it, my father?” Pravdin: “It can’t be better. He's good at grammar." Milo: “I think no less in history.”
And it turns out that Mitrofan is a history hunter, just like Skotinin is his uncle.
Pravdin: “How far are you in history?” Mitrofan: “Is it far? What's the story? In another you will fly to distant lands, to a kingdom of thirty." Pravdin: “Ah! So this is the story that Vralman teaches you?” Starodum: “Vralman! The name is somewhat familiar."
And finally, the famous scene with geography. It turns out that this is not a noble science. You need to tell the cab driver where you are going - that’s all. He'll take it.
Here is the education of Mitrofan, which may seem to us described completely implausibly, but which, judging by the comments of his contemporaries, was written almost from life.
Final settlement with teachers
Eremeevna brings the teachers and says a phrase that may not be very clear to today’s schoolchildren: “Here, father, all our bastards.” Here the word “bastard” is not a curse word. It means “companions”, “accompanying”, that is, the one who drags along with us, the one who is with us. And although at the beginning of the 19th century this word was rude, it was not abusive.
How do teachers part with their jobs? Vralman asks to be returned to the box, and Starodum tells him: “You probably lost the habit of being a coachman while you were teaching?” To which Vralman responds with a wonderful phrase: “Hey, no, my father! Shiuchi with great hospots, it mattered to me that I was all with horses.” (That is, with cattle).
Honest Tsyfirkin doesn’t ask for anything. Mitrofan didn’t adopt anything. What is there to take here for? And Kuteikin says that it would be necessary to pay off. Indeed, he walked, taught, time and energy wasted. But when he is offered to settle accounts with the lady herself, Kuteikin renounces everything. This is also a property of classical comedy. Each, even tiny line, each character must exhaust its own path. He must find his final place. There are no misunderstandings, like, for example, Chekhov. So, Mitrofan went to serve. Prostakova is deprived of her estate and removed from management, and we see in this “evil behavior worthy fruits.” Skotinin is told to tell all Skotinins what awaits the evil ones. So, in the context of one particular case, an appeal is read to all those who deserve a similar outcome.
1. Korovina V.Ya., Zhuravlev V.P., Korovin V.I. Literature. 9th grade. M.: Education, 2008.
2. Ladygin M.B., Esin A.B., Nefedova N.A. Literature. 9th grade. M.: Bustard, 2011.
3. Chertov V.F., Trubina L.A., Antipova A.M. Literature. 9th grade. M.: Education, 2012.
1. Learn all the unfamiliar words from scenes VII-VIII of the comedy “The Minor.”
2. Write down 10-15 aphorisms from VII-VIII phenomena.
3. * Retell phenomena VII and VIII.
What is the comedy of the “exam” arranged for Mitrofan?
Read the text fragment below and complete the tasks.
Pravdin (To Mitrofan). How far are you in history?
Mitrofan. How far is it? What's the story? In another you will fly to distant lands, to a kingdom of thirty.
Pravdin. A! Is this the story that Vralman teaches you?
Starodum. Vralman? The name is somewhat familiar.
Mitrofan. No, our Adam Adamych doesn’t tell stories; He, like me, is a keen listener himself.
Mrs. Prostakova. They both force themselves to tell stories to the cowgirl Khavronya.
Pravdin. Didn’t you both study geography from her?
Ms. Prostakova (to son). Do you hear, my dear friend? What kind of science is this?
Mitrofan (quietly to mother). How do I know?
Mrs. Prostakova (quietly to Mitrofan). Don't be stubborn, darling. Now is the time to show yourself.
Mitrofan (quietly to mother). Yes, I have no idea what they are asking about.
Ms. Prostakova (Pravdin). What, father, did you call science?
Pravdin. Geography.
Ms. Prostakova (To Mitrofan). Do you hear, eorgafiya.
Mitrofan. What is it! Oh my God! They stuck me with a knife to my throat.
Ms. Prostakova (Pravdin). And we know, father. Yes, tell him, do me a favor, what kind of science this is, he will tell it,
Pravdin. Description of the land.
Ms. Prostakova (To Starodum). What would this serve in the first case?
Starodum. In the first case, it would also be suitable for the fact that if you happen to go, you know where you are going.
Mrs. Prostakova. Ah, my father! But what are cab drivers for? It's their business. This is not a noble science either. Nobleman, just say: take me there, and they will take you wherever you please. Believe me, father, that, of course, what Mitrofanushka does not know is nonsense.
Starodum. Oh, of course, madam. In human ignorance, it is very comforting to consider everything that you don’t know to be nonsense.
Mrs. Prostakova. Without sciences people live and lived. The deceased father was a commander for fifteen years, and at the same time he deigned to die because he did not know how to read and write, but he knew how to make and save enough wealth. He always received petitions, sitting on an iron chest. Afterwards, he will open the chest and put something in. That was the economy! He did not spare his life so as not to take anything out of the chest. I won’t boast to others, I won’t hide it from you: the dead light, lying on a chest with money, died, so to speak, of hunger. A! what does it feel like?
Starodum. Commendable. You have to be Skotinin to taste such a blissful death.
Skotinin. But if we are to prove that the teaching is nonsense, then let’s take Uncle Vavila Faleleich. No one had ever heard of literacy from him, nor did he want to hear from anyone: and what a head he was!
Pravdin. What is it?
Skotinin. Yes, this is what happened to him. Riding on a greyhound pacer, he ran drunkenly into the stone gate. The man was tall, the gate was low, he forgot to bend over. As soon as his forehead hit the lintel, the Indian bent his uncle to the back of his head, and the vigorous horse carried him out of the gate to the porch on his back. I would like to know if there is a learned forehead in the world that would not fall apart from such a blow; and my uncle, to his eternal memory, having sobered up, only asked if the gate was intact?
Milo. You, Mr. Skotinin, admit yourself to be an unlearned person; however, I think, in this case, your forehead would be no stronger than a scientist.
Starodum (to Milo). Don't bet on it. I think that the Skotinins are all tough-minded by birth.
D. I. Fonvizin “Minor”
Indicate the name of the dominant literary movement in the 18th century, the principles of which were reflected in the dramaturgy of D. I. Fonvizin.
Explanation.
This is classicism. A work of art is organized as an artificial, logically constructed whole. Strict plot and compositional organization, schematism. Human characters are depicted in a straightforward manner; positive and negative heroes are contrasted. Actively addressing social and civil issues. Emphasized objectivity of the narrative. Classicism in Russia developed under the influence of enlightenment ideas. In his comedy, Fonvizin makes fun of a society that is not interested in acquiring knowledge and is proud of it.
Answer: classicism.
Answer: Classicism
Tatiana Statsenko
We read the assignment: “the name of the dominant literary movement in the 18th century.” Still, this is classicism.
Ksenia Budai 10.10.2016 21:38
Such a question cannot be on the exam, since there cannot be an exact answer to this question. This is classicism with realism. Correct or delete the question. Thanks for understanding.
Tatiana Statsenko
During the exam, unfortunately, as practice shows, there may be different questions, including some that are not entirely correct. As for this issue, then there can only be one answer here - classicism. I draw your attention once again to the wording of the question: " dominant in the 18th century literary direction". Is realism, even educational realism- This mainstream direction of the 18th century?
Name the genre to which Fonvizin’s “Minor” belongs.
Explanation.
This genre is called comedy. Comedy is a dramatic work that, through satire and humor, ridicules the vices of society and man.
Mitrofanushka is a fool who believes that education is not a noble matter.
Answer: comedy.
Answer: Comedy
The heroes of "The Minor" have surnames, the sound of which is their unique characteristic. What are these names called?
Explanation.
Such surnames are called speaking names. Mrs. Prostakova is a stupid, narrow-minded woman, and the stupid, rude man is Skotinin.
Answer: speakers.
Answer: Talking
What term refers to the author's comments and explanations during the action of the play (Ms. Prostakova ( quietly to Mitrofan))?
A remark is an explanation given by the author in a dramatic work, describing how he imagines the appearance, age, behavior, feelings, gestures, intonations of the characters, and the situation on stage. Directions are instructions for the performers and the director staging the play, an explanation for its readers.
Answer: remark.
Answer: Remark|remarks
Catherine Rabbit 09.06.2013 19:24
And for what reason is the answer from “Remarks” not accepted? After all, the question is in the plural. And won’t such a “mistake” affect the Unified State Exam scores? Thank you in advance.
Tatiana Statsenko
the question is formulated as follows: what TERM denotes the author's remarks... The term denoting these author's remarks is REMARK, not REMARKS.
The basis of the play's action is the conversation of the characters, the exchange of remarks. What is this form of communication between characters called?
Explanation.
This form of communication is called dialogue. Let's give a definition.
Dialogue is a conversation between two or more persons in a work of fiction. In a dramatic work, the dialogue of the characters is one of the main artistic means for creating an image and character.
Answer: dialogue.
Answer: dialogue|polylogue
In the stories of Ms. Prostakova and Skotinin, the “dead father” and uncle Vavila Faleleich appear. What are the names of the characters mentioned in the speech of the heroes, but not appearing on stage?
Explanation.
Such a character is called off-stage. An off-stage character is a character who is mentioned in the speeches of characters on stage, but does not appear on stage himself. Off-stage characters are especially important for characterizing society and the people who mention them.