The comedy “Woe from Wit,” written by A. S. Griboedov at the beginning of the 19th century, is still relevant for today’s Russia. In this work, the author reveals in all depth the vices that afflicted Russian society at the beginning of the last century. However, reading this work, we also find in it heroes of the present day. It is no coincidence that the names of the comedy characters collected by Griboedov in the house of the Moscow master Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov became household names.
Let's look at the owner of the house. Every replica of Famusov, every monologue of his is a zealous defense of the “age of obedience and fear.” This person is dependent primarily on traditions and public opinion. He teaches young people that they need to follow the example of their fathers: “You should learn by looking at your elders.”
And what, in Famusov’s understanding, is the experience of older generations? This is clearly seen in the example of his comments about the late uncle Maxim Petrovich, who “not only lived on silver, but also on gold.” Maxim Petrovich, a nobleman from the time of “Mother Catherine,” is a role model for Famusov, because “when it was necessary to oblige, he bent over backwards.” Flattery and sycophancy come at a price with this comedy character. Occupying a high post, Famusov admits that he serves in order to obtain ranks and other benefits.
At the same time, he doesn’t even delve into the essence of the papers he signs: But for me, whatever it is, what’s not, my custom is this: Signed, off your shoulders. A. S. Griboedov brilliantly reflected in the image of Famusov also such a feature of bureaucracy, which we call today “protectionism”. The hero of the comedy admits: With me, strangers' employees are very rare, More and more sisters, sisters-in-law, children... How do you begin to introduce yourself to a little cross, to a small town, Well, how can you not please your own little person. The measure of a person’s value for Famusov is rank and money.
He says to his daughter Sophia: “He who is poor is not a match for you.” Colonel Skalozub, according to Famusov, would be suitable for Sophia as a husband, because he is “not a general today, a general tomorrow.” In the image of Famusov we can easily find familiar features of our contemporary.
After all, many people still use in their lives the same scale of values that the Russian nobility had early XIX century. And the bureaucracy, which has already become social phenomenon, rests on these same Famusovs. The same can be said about Molchalin and Skalozub.
The main goal of their life is their career, position in society and everything connected with it. They are used to “;easy”; bread, which is achieved by currying favor with superiors. They love a beautiful life, which is rewarded for their sycophancy and sycophancy. So, for example, Molchalin lives by the principle: First, to please all people without exception - the Master, where I happen to live, the Chief, with whom I will serve, his Servant, who cleans the dresses, the doorman, the janitor, to avoid evil, the janitor’s dog. to be kind. In the person of Molchalin, Griboedov created an expressive, generalized image of a cynic, devoid of moral values, who will be able to reach “the known degrees.”
This hero lists among his virtues “moderation and accuracy”, the ability to remain silent when they scold you. As for Colonel Skalozub, in him Griboyedov recreated the type of stupid, narcissistic and ignorant hero of parade exercises, an ardent opponent of everything new. This “wheezer, strangler, bassoon, constellation of maneuvers and mazurkas” chasing ranks, orders and a rich bride. In my opinion, it’s scary when in society there are people like Famusov, Molchalin, Skalozub. Because the silent people are silent, innocent people suffer, although the truth is on their side.
These heroes of Griboedov constitute that layer of society that always meekly serves the authorities, whatever it may be. It is precisely such people who serve as a support in an anti-democratic state, as the history of our country convinces. Therefore, we can talk about the relevance of heroes like Chatsky for today. In him, the writer embodied many of the qualities of a leading man of his era. According to his beliefs, he is close to the Decembrists.
He has a negative attitude towards serfdom, the cruelty of landowners, careerism, veneration of rank, ignorance, and the ideals of the “past century”. Chatsky proclaims humanity, respect for to the common man, service to the cause, not to persons, freedom of thought. He affirms the progressive ideas of modernity, the prosperity of science and art, respect for the national language and culture, and education.
The hero’s beliefs are revealed in his monologues and disputes with representatives of Famus’s Moscow. His rejection of serfdom is heard in his memoirs about the serf theater, about “Nestor of the Noble Scoundrels,” who exchanged his faithful servants for three greyhounds. After listening to Famusov’s enthusiastic story about Maxim Petrovich, Chatsky speaks with contempt about people who “not in war, but in peace, took their foreheads, knocked on the floor, did not regret”, about those “whose necks often bent.” He despises people who are ready to yawn at the ceiling of their patrons, show up to be silent, shuffle around, and have lunch.
He does not accept “the past century”: “The century of obedience and fear was direct.” He approves of those young people who are in no hurry to “fit into the regiment of jesters.” He is critical of the dominance of foreigners: Will we ever be resurrected from the foreign power of fashion? So that our smart, cheerful people, although by language, do not consider us Germans.
Chatsky defends the right of a person to freely choose his own activities: travel, live in the countryside, “fix his mind”; in science or devote oneself to “high and beautiful creative arts.” Chatsky strives to “serve”, and not “to be served”, and to serve “the cause”, and not “persons”. Chatsky is a leading man of his time. It should be noted that this character of Griboedov is very realistic, he lives in the present, and his views are directed far into the future. Such people can be found in every era, and especially at the turn of the “past century.” and “;the present century”;.
On this occasion, I. A. Goncharov in his article “A Million Torments” wrote: “During sharp transitions from one century to another - the Chatskys live and are not transferred in society, repeating themselves at every step, in every house, where the old and the young coexist under one roof, where two centuries come face to face in crowded families - the struggle between the fresh and the outdated, the sick and the healthy continues..."; We see that Chatsky - extraordinary personality. He, unlike other comedy heroes, openly expresses his thoughts and does not hide anything. This person directly speaks about what contradicts his views on life, what he does not accept. Nowadays, people like Chatsky are called “white crows”, since they are not like everyone else. Chatsky stands out for his pronounced individuality.
That is why he does not fit into Famus society, which does not understand him and does not even try to understand him. On the contrary, he is recognized as crazy: He’s gone crazy!.. It seems to her, that’s it! No wonder?
So... why would she even think so? Goncharov in his article “A Million Torments” wrote about “Woe from Wit” - that it “all lives its own imperishable life, will survive many more eras and will not lose its vitality.” I completely share his opinion. After all, the writer painted a real picture of morals and created living characters.
So alive that they have survived to our times. It seems to me that this is the secret of the immortality of A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy. After all, our Famusovs, silents, and skalozubs still make our contemporary Chatsky experience grief from his mind.
2. Immortal work of Griboyedov
comedy Griboyedov hero speech
“For more than 150 years, Griboedov’s immortal comedy “Woe from Wit” has attracted readers; each new generation rereads it anew, finding in it consonance with what worries him today.”
Goncharov in his article “A Million Torments” wrote about “Woe from Wit” - that it “all lives its own imperishable life, will survive many more eras and will not lose its vitality.” I completely share his opinion. After all, the writer painted a real picture of morals and created living characters. So alive that they have survived to our times. It seems to me that this is the secret of the immortality of A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy. After all, our Famusovs, silents, skalozubs still make our contemporary Chatsky experience grief from his mind.
The author of the only fully mature and completed work, which, moreover, was not published in its entirety during his lifetime, Griboyedov gained extraordinary popularity among his contemporaries and had a huge influence on the subsequent development of Russian culture. For almost a century and a half, the comedy “Woe from Wit” has been living, without aging, exciting and inspiring many generations for whom it has become part of their own spiritual life, entered their consciousness and speech.
After several years when criticism did not mention Griboyedov’s comedy, Ushakov wrote an article. He correctly identifies historical meaning comedy "Woe from Wit". He calls Griboyedov’s work an “immortal creation” and sees the best proof of the comedy’s “high dignity” in its extraordinary popularity, in the fact that almost every “literate Russian” knows it by heart.
Belinsky also explained the fact that, despite the efforts of censorship, it “even before printing and presentation spread across Russia in a stormy stream” and acquired immortality.
The name of Griboyedov invariably stands next to the names of Krylov, Pushkin and Gogol.
Goncharov, comparing Chatsky with Onegin and Pechorin, emphasizes that Chatsky, unlike them, is a “sincere and ardent figure”: “their time ends with them, and Chatsky begins new Age, and this is his whole meaning and his whole mind,” and that’s why “Chatsky remains and will always remain alive.” He is “inevitable with every change from one century to another.”
“Woe from Wit” appeared before Onegin, Pechorin, survived them, passed unscathed through the Gogol period, lived these half a century from the time of its appearance and still lives its imperishable life, will survive many more eras and still not lose its vitality.
The epigram, the satire, this colloquial verse, it seems, will never die, just like the sharp and caustic, living Russian mind scattered in them, which Griboyedov imprisoned, like some kind of magician, in his castle, and he scatters there with evil laughter. It is impossible to imagine that another, more natural, simpler, more taken from life speech could ever appear. Prose and verse merged here into something inseparable, then, it seems, to make it easier to retain them in memory and to put into circulation again all the author’s collected intelligence, humor, jokes and anger of the Russian mind and language.
The great comedy remains young and fresh even now. She retained her social sound, her satirical salt, her artistic charm. She continues her triumphant march through the scenes Russian theaters. It is studied at school.
The Russian people who built new life, who showed all humanity the straight and broad road to a better future, remembers, appreciates and loves the great writer and his immortal comedy. Now, more than ever, the words written on Griboyedov’s gravestone sound loudly and convincingly: “Your mind and deeds are immortal in Russian memory...”
Analysis of the comedy "Woe from Wit"
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Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" is satirical work, ridiculing the morals of the aristocratic society of Moscow during the times of serfdom. After analyzing the work, you can find that the model for writing this comedy was Moliere’s play “The Misanthrope.” Below is one of the options for analyzing comedy according to plan. This material can help you understand the meaning of “Woe from Wit,” highlight the main idea of the comedy, and draw the right conclusion when preparing for a literature lesson in 9th grade, and independently preparing for the Unified State Exam.
Brief Analysis
Year of writing – 1822-1824
History of creation– Griboedov’s desire to create a new direction in literature by combining different styles.
Subject– The problems of the comedy are varied, it raises many sensitive topics of that era, ridiculing veneration and grandeur before higher ranks, ignorance and hypocrisy. Serfdom, bureaucracy - all the pressing problems of that time are covered in one play.
Composition– The comedy consists of four acts, skillfully combined into a single script, where some appropriate intervals give the play a special rhythm and unique tempo. The action of the play moves progressively, in the fourth act the development accelerates, and rapidly moves towards the finale.
Genre- A play. Griboedov himself believed that the first writing of this work was more significant, but to stage it on stage, he had to simplify the comedy. According to critics, this is not just a comedy, but realistic sketches of ordinary social life, played on stage.
Direction– Classicism and realism. Griboyedov confidently introduced a bold realistic solution into the traditional classical direction, creating an unusual genre diversity.
History of creation
The history of the creation of “Woe from Wit” dates back to the period of the writer’s return from Persia to Tiflis; the initial version of the comedy was completed in Moscow. In Moscow, Griboedov had the opportunity to observe the mores of noble society, and the heroes of his work received realistic images. A bold idea of a socio-political nature embraces a whole generation of people of the era of the Decembrist movement.
Griboyedov was prompted to create just such a comedy by an incident that took place at one of the aristocratic receptions. The writer noticed with what servility and hypocrisy high society fawns over a representative of a foreign state. An ardent man with more progressive views on life, Griboyedov spoke sharply on this matter. Hypocritical guests reacted to the statement young writer with condemnation, quickly spreading rumors of his madness. Griboyedov decided to make fun of the generally accepted vices of society, the struggle between progressive and conservative views, and began work on the play.
Subject
In the comedy “Woe from Wit,” analysis of the work makes it possible to highlight many themes involved by the author. The pressing issues of that era, raised by Griboedov, were met with hostility by the censorship. main topic “Woe from Wit” is the vices of society that have taken deep roots and bloom in full bloom. Hypocrisy and bureaucracy, arrogance and veneration, love for foreignness - all this takes place in Griboyedov’s play.
the main problem- this is a confrontation between “new” and “old” life, an eternal conflict of generations, where Famusov is a representative of the old way of life, and Chatsky is an adherent of new views.
In this and meaning of the name“Woe from Wit” - at that time a man of progressive views, striving for a new life, thinking broadly and comprehensively, for ordinary people, adhering to the old fashioned way, was a madman, a man with oddities. For the Famusovs and the Molchalins, such a representative, suffering from “grief from the mind,” is Chatsky, an intelligent and passionate man of the new generation.
Herself idea The play is already contained in its title. Chatsky's progressive views do not correspond to the generally accepted norms of the conservative nobility, and society accuses him of madness. It is easier to be accused of insanity than to change your quiet, philistine life in accordance with the new trends of the times, because this will affect not only everyone’s personal world, but also society as a whole, affecting many other areas of life. It will be necessary to reconsider national-cultural, everyday, and political issues, and change the entire structure of life.
Composition
The peculiarity of the composition of the text of Griboyedov's play lies in its holistic completeness. Confident and bold presentation of actions, vivid images, parallel and symmetrical development of two storylines, public and personal - in general, all this results in a single, dynamic scenario.
Dividing the play into four actions, was Griboyedov’s innovation in the creation of this genre. The rejection of the generally accepted mechanism for creating a play, the novelty of the presentation of the material - all this shocked the audience, and made Griboedov’s work immortal.
The compositional features of the play caused an unfriendly attitude from critics, and these same features revealed in the author a great talent for poetic skill.
Main characters
Genre
It is impossible to define the genre of “Woe from Wit” in one word. The opinions of critics, with this genre originality works, largely differ in their assessment. Griboedov's plays can be classified as both comedy and drama, but the general essence of the work does not change. Social and love conflicts run parallel to each other, they are closely interconnected, and do not lead to a logical conclusion. In both conflicts, each side of the opposing forces remains with its own opinion, without finding understanding on the part of the opponent. The development of two conflicts at once does not fit into the framework traditional classicism, and the play has, along with it, a pronounced realistic beginning.
Griboyedov's play is one of the most quoted works of Russian classics, phrases from which have become catchphrases and scattered throughout the world, without losing their relevance to this day.
Work test
Rating analysis
Average rating: 4.7. Total ratings received: 5501.
The philosophical sound of the comedy “Woe from Wit”, the universal meaning of comedy. “Woe from Wit” is both a picture of morals, and a gallery of living types, and an ever-sharp, burning satire.” (I. A. Goncharov). The comedy “Woe from Wit” as assessed by A. S. Pushkin. Comedy realism. The conflict and its development. Chatsky against Famusov society
. “A Million Torments” by Chatsky.
Intelligence is the most valuable quality of a person. Has the problem of grief from the mind become a thing of the past? The struggle of the mind with stupidity has continued throughout the history of mankind.
Review questions
Why is the comedy called “Woe from Wit”?
Who spread the rumor about Chatsky's madness and why did it spread so quickly?
Which hopes of Chatsky turned out to be illusions and why? Did Chatsky fight to fulfill his hopes? What aspects of his character are close to you? Is Chatsky modern?
Why does Sophia “not stupid prefer a fool to a smart one” (A.S. Griboyedov)?
Reading by heart
Chatsky's monologue
Comedy essay topics"Woe from Wit"
Moral character and life ideals Chatsky.
“A Million Torments” by Chatsky.
Chatsky and Sophia. The meaning of their images in comedy.
Chatsky against Famusov society.
Moscow as depicted by Griboyedov.
Chatsky and Famusovskaya Moscow.
“Woe from Wit” by Griboyedov - a comedy for the ages.
“In a group of 20 people, the entire former Moscow was reflected, like a ray of light in a drop of water” (I. A. Goncharov).
Chatsky and Molchalin.
I am Chatsky.
The ball scene in Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" and its role in the play.
“Why hasn’t Griboyedov’s Chatsky, and with him the whole comedy, grown old yet?” (I. A. Goncharov).
Chatsky and Onegin: who is more significant?
Decembrist orientation of Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit".
“Your mind and deeds are immortal in Russian memory...” (Nina Chavchavadze).
Chatsky and Famusov.
Reading and reviewing essays, genre definition
1. “Why hasn’t Griboyedov’s Chatsky, and with him the whole comedy, grown old yet?” (I. A. Goncharov).
2. I am Chatsky.
“Why hasn’t Griboyedov’s Chatsky, and with him the whole comedy, grown old yet?” (I. A. Goncharov)
N. A. Nekrasov
A. S. Griboyedov one of the geniuses of the Russian land, writer, diplomat, composer... To become famous, he did not need to write a dozen works. Thanks to just one comedy, “Woe from Wit,” his name became known.
Why, after two centuries, has the comedy, and with it its main character, not only not grown old, but continue to enjoy growing interest? What is her immortality?
It seems to me that what makes her truly immortal is the image of Chatsky.
His image can be associated with progressive people of both that time and the present.
Having burst into the sleepy silence of Famus's house, Chatsky becomes out of place in it. His sincere feelings, his passionate love and faith are not needed there:
It's barely light on your feet! and I am at your feet.
Intelligence is the most valuable quality of a person. Has the problem of grief from the mind become a thing of the past? The comedy "Woe from Wit" convinces us of this. The struggle of the mind with stupidity has continued throughout the history of mankind. How many examples can be given when stupidity and ignorance triumph over intelligence and justice.
The comedy "Woe from Wit" cannot but be called topical, since the main problem, staged in it, still does not lose its sharpness. This was noted by I. A. Goncharov 50 years after the creation of the work in his critical sketch “A Million Torments”: “But as long as there will be a desire for honors in addition to merit, as long as there will be masters and hunters to please and “take awards and live happily,” while gossip, idleness, emptiness will dominate not as vices, but as elements of social life, until then, of course, they will flicker in modern society features of the Famusovs, Molchalins and others..."
These words of the critic have not lost their relevance, although they were written more than a century ago. Until now we are witnessing a struggle between the old and the new, the stagnant and the advanced, the vulgar and the lofty.
What is Chatsky fighting for? In the image of the main character, the author showed a man who has embarked on the path of fighting lies and vulgarity. In Chatsky, Griboyedov showed not only a hero of his time, but also gave the image of a fighter for freedom and truth. Chatsky’s break with Famusov’s society occurred because he could serve, and not be served:
I would be glad to serve, but being served is sickening.
He mercilessly stigmatizes the “tormentors of the crowd”:
Blind!
In whom I sought the reward of all my labors!
Alexander Andreevich Chatsky devotes himself to art and science, refuses ranks, hates “noble scoundrels.” Following Goncharov at the end of the 20th century, we can say that comedy has not lost its relevance. Her images amaze with their vitality and tangibility. Through hand written greatest master
We feel around us stupid rock-toothed, silent scoundrels, blissful Famusovs.
According to Goncharov, “The Chatskys live and are not transferred in society, repeating themselves at every step, in every house, where the old and the young coexist under the same roof, where two centuries come face to face in crowded families, the struggle between the fresh and the outdated continues, sick with healthy... Every business that requires updating evokes the shadow of Chatsky...”
The image of Chatsky contains a huge generalizing power, which is why Goncharov attributed it to the eternal manifestations of the rebellious energy of renewal in humanity.
As a truly great work, Griboyedov’s classic comedy “Woe from Wit” poses transtemporal problems. Written about two centuries ago, the work raises actual problems . AND main character
comedy moves us and inspires us with its resilience, courage and optimism.
But I believe that it is not only the content that gives comedy a connection with our times. Haven't the main characters become household names? And how often do we use expressions from comedy that have become catchphrases: “Is it possible to choose a farther back street for a walk?”, “Bah! all familiar faces..." In his work, Griboyedov with the greatest skill combined colloquial language with literary language, common language with the vocabulary of the educated nobility.
The depth of the depiction of life, the vivid typicality of the images, the apt and lively language, the originality of the genre and composition all this ensured the longevity of the comedy and the immortality of its talented creator.
The comedy “Woe from Wit” is one of the monuments of world culture, an “eternal book”, the brightest artistic document of the Decembrist era. Upon its release, the comedy was recognized instantly, and the prophetic words of A. Bestuzhev: “The future will worthily appreciate this comedy and place it among the first folk creations” seemed overly exalted. But a remarkable quality of the comedy turned out to be that the polyphony of its content became more and more noticeable with the passage of time, which is why “Griboyedov’s Chatsky, and with him the whole comedy, has not aged yet.” Review. In his essay on the comedy “Woe from Wit” by A. S. Griboyedov, factual material
The comedy convincingly shows that the main criterion for the formation of a person as an individual is his high ideological conviction, and the measure of a person’s value is his spiritual wealth, patriotism, and service to the Fatherland.
The essay proves Chatsky’s originality and talks about the significance of the image of the hero of Griboyedov’s comedy for modern times.
(Based on the comedy “Woe from Wit” by A. S. Griboyedov)
I am a man who was mistaken for a madman, and a man who is still right!
No, I do not claim that those who declared me crazy (“He’s out of his mind”, “Mad in everything”, “Learning is a plague, learning is the reason that today there are more crazy people and cases than ever before) and opinions") are not right in everything, but in most cases they deliberately fabricate lies or are deeply mistaken.
What brought me to Famusov’s house was my love for Sophia:
It's barely light on your feet! and I am at your feet.
I'm forty-five hours, without squinting my eyes,
More than seven hundred miles passed, the wind, the storm...
But when I found out that Sophia loves someone else, instead of seeking her reciprocity, referring to my long-standing love for her, I try to explain to Sophia her terrible delusion.
Molchalin! Who else will settle everything so peacefully!
There he will pet the pug in time!
It's time to rub the card in!
Zagoretsky will not die in it!
Just now you were calculating its properties for me.
But have many forgotten? yes?
And finally, after talking with Molchalin himself, I became convinced that Sophia looks at many things in life through his eyes.
We love with such feelings, with such a soul!..
And now I'm alone. But I freed myself from illusions in relation to Sophia.
Blind! In whom I sought the reward of all my labors!
I was in a hurry!.. flying! trembled! Happiness, I thought, was close.
I saw my many-sided enemies and realized my goals even better.
I traveled for a long time and thought that I knew people, their thoughts, their thoughts. But no...
Dreams are out of sight and the veil falls.
In Famusov’s circle they talk only about rank, money, achievements, and condemn science:
Learning is the plague, learning is the reason...
...If evil is to be stopped:
Take all the books and burn them.
Marrying for convenience:
Be bad, but if you get enough
Shower thousand two generic
He's the groom.
All this is unacceptable to me.
That’s why every new person who appears in the comedy takes a hostile position towards me, and not only those who had direct clashes with me, but also people who have never spoken to me are terribly slandered:
Crowd of tormentors
In the love of traitors, in the tireless enmity...
And the only thing left for me is:
Get out of Moscow! I don't go here anymore.
I’m running, I won’t look back, I’ll go looking around the world,
Where is there a corner for an offended feeling!..
The comedy “Woe from Wit” is one of the monuments of world culture, an “eternal book”, the brightest artistic document of the Decembrist era. Upon its release, the comedy was recognized instantly, and the prophetic words of A. Bestuzhev: “The future will worthily appreciate this comedy and place it among the first folk creations” seemed overly exalted. But a remarkable quality of the comedy turned out to be that the polyphony of its content became more and more noticeable with the passage of time, which is why “Griboyedov’s Chatsky, and with him the whole comedy, has not aged yet.” The essay is interesting in form, with a look at Chatsky from the inside. Very personal, bright, excited.
Modern interpretation of the classics
Latest publications on A. S. Griboyedov
Velagin A. P. A. S. Griboedov. “Woe from Wit”: Let’s read it together. M.: Education, 1991. P. 24.
Struve P.B. The face and genius of Griboyedov // Literature at school. 1994. No. 1.
Bazhenov A. To the mystery of “grief”: Ideas and images of the comedy “Woe from Wit” // Literature at school. 1996. No. 4, 5.
Lanshchikov A.I. “Woe from Wit” as a mirror of Russian life // Literature at school. 1997. No. 5.
The plot of A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” is a conflict between a man of progressive convictions - Alexander Andreevich Chatsky - and the conservative Famus society. The only character conceived as close to Chatsky is Sofya Pavlovna Famusova. To meet her, Chatsky comes to Moscow after a three-year absence. He doesn’t even suspect that Molchalin has become her chosen one: a typical situation arises “ love triangle" The development of the plot is also determined by Chatsky’s desire to find out who Sophia’s heart is given to. But the hero constantly comes into conflict with the people around her and, above all, with her father Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov. Chatsky’s views are incompatible with the views of Famus society, and he does not know how to hide them. Griboyedov brilliantly shows how alien Chatsky is to this society in which Sophia lives. Thus, the girl finds herself, as it were, at the intersection of all the “power lines” of this comedy. Griboyedov, creating such a complex and contradictory image, wrote: “The girl, not stupid herself, prefers a fool to an intelligent man...” He introduced female character great strength and depth. The image of Sophia has been “unlucky” with criticism for quite a long time. Even Pushkin considered this image a failure of the author. And only Goncharov in “A Million Torments” in 1878 first understood and appreciated the image of Sophia and her role in the play. “This is a mixture of good instincts with lies, a lively mind with the absence of any hint of ideas and beliefs, confusion of concepts, mental and moral blindness - all this does not have the character of personal vices in it, but is like common features her circle,” writes Goncharov.
Sophia is a character in an everyday drama, not a social comedy, just like Chatsky, she is a passionate nature, living with a strong and real feeling. And even if the object of her passion is wretched and pitiful, this does not make the situation funny, but, on the contrary, aggravates its drama. Sophia has a very strong feeling of love, but at the same time her love is joyless and unfree. She is well aware that her chosen one, Molchalin, will never be accepted by his father: in Famus society, marriages are made for convenience. The father dreams of marrying his daughter to Skalozub, but she is able to adequately assess the personality of the groom:
He never said a smart word,
I don’t care what goes into the water.
Sophia dreams of love, and extraordinary love. The thought of marriage with Skalozub darkens the girl’s life, and internally she is already ready for a fight. Feelings overwhelm her soul so much that she confesses her love first to the maid Liza, and then to Chatsky. Sophia is so in love and at the same time so depressed by the need to constantly hide from her father that common sense simply fails her: “What do I care about? Before them? To the whole universe?
Sophia chose and fell in love with a comfortable person: soft, quiet and resigned (this is how Molchalin appears in her characteristics). It seems to her that she treats him sensibly and critically:
Of course, he doesn’t have this mind.
What a genius is to some, and a plague to others,
Which is fast, brilliant and will soon become disgusting...
Will such a mind make a family happy?
It probably seems to her that, dreaming of marriage with Molchalin, she is being very practical. But in the finale, when she becomes an involuntary witness of Molchalin’s “courtship” of Liza, the true essence of her lover is revealed to her. Molchalin is so low, so vile in the scene with Lisa that, in comparison with him, Sophia behaves in this situation with great dignity:
Reproaches, complaints, my tears
Don't you dare expect it, you're not worth it.
How did it happen that an intelligent and deep girl not only preferred the scoundrel, the soulless careerist Molchalin, to Chatsky? but also committed treason by spreading a rumor about the madness of the man who loved her?
Probably the problem was not with Sophia herself, but with the entire system female education, which had the ultimate goal of giving the girl the necessary knowledge for a successful secular career, that is, for a successful marriage. Sophia does not know how to think, is not able to be responsible for her every step - that is her trouble. She builds her life according to generally accepted models, not trying to find own way. On the one hand, books educate her. She reads sentimental love stories between a poor boy and a rich girl, and admires their loyalty and devotion. Molchalin is so similar to romantic hero! There is nothing wrong with a young girl wanting to feel like the heroine of a novel. But she does not see the difference between romantic fiction and life, she does not know how to distinguish a true feeling from a fake. On the other hand, Sophia unconsciously builds her life in accordance with generally accepted morality. In comedy female images presented in such a way that we see everything life path society lady: from girlhood to old age, from the Tugoukhovsky princesses to the countess-grandmother. So lucky prosperous life a secular lady, which every young lady strives to emulate, and Sophia too: marriage, a legislator in secular drawing rooms, respect from others, and so on until the moment when “from the ball to the grave.” And Chatsky is not suitable for this life, but Molchalin is simply ideal! She needs “a boy-husband, a servant-husband, one of the wife’s pages—the high ideal of all Moscow husbands.” Therefore, even having abandoned Molchalin, Sophia, most likely, will not refuse a fan of the “Molchalin type”.
Sophia is, of course, an extraordinary person: passionate, deep, selfless. In Griboyedov's comedy, Sofya, thanks to her character, finds herself in a very special position, occupying a kind of middle place in the conflict between Chatsky and Famus society. In certain aspects of her nature, Sophia is close to Chatsky, but ultimately turns out to be his opponent. This contradiction makes Sophia one of the most original images of Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit.”