The novel "Oblomov", which was written by Ivan Goncharov, became one of the key ones in XIX literature century, and such a concept as “Oblomovism,” magnificently revealed by Goncharov in the novel, reflected the character of society of that time in the best possible way. When we look at the characterization of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, the main character of the novel, the concept of “Oblomovism” will become even more understandable.
So, Ilya Oblomov was born into a landowner’s family with its way of life and accepted norms. The boy grew up, absorbing environment and the spirit of life of landowners. He began to consider what he learned from his parents to be his priorities, and, of course, his personality was formed precisely in such circumstances.
Brief description of Oblomov Ilya Ilyich
Already at the beginning of the novel, the author introduces us to the image of Oblomov. This is an introvert who experiences apathy towards everything, who indulges in his dreams and lives in illusions. Oblomov can paint a picture so vividly and vividly in his imagination, having invented it, that he himself often cries or rejoices from the bottom of his heart at scenes that actually do not exist.
Oblomov's appearance in the novel "Oblomov" seems to reflect him internal state, his soft and sensual character traits. We can say that his body movements were smooth, graceful and gave off some kind of tenderness unacceptable for a man. Oblomov’s characteristics are clearly expressed: he had soft shoulders and small, plump hands, had long been flabby and led an inactive lifestyle. And Oblomov’s gaze - always sleepy, lacking concentration - testifies to him more clearly than anything else!
Oblomov in everyday life
From considering the image of Oblomov, we move on to a description of his life, which is important to understand when studying the characteristics of the main character. At first, reading the description of his room, one gets the impression that it is beautifully decorated and cozy: there is a nice wooden bureau, and sofas with silk upholstery, and hanging carpets with curtains, and paintings... But now we take a closer look at the decoration of Oblomov’s room and we see cobwebs, dust on the mirrors, dirt on the carpet, and even an uncleaned plate on which lies a gnawed bone. In fact, his home is unkempt, abandoned and unkempt.
Why is this description and its analysis so important for us in Oblomov’s characterization? Because we draw a significant conclusion about the main character: he does not live in reality, he is immersed in a world of illusions, and everyday life worries him little. For example, when meeting acquaintances, Oblomov not only does not greet them with a handshake, but does not even deign to get out of bed.
Conclusions about the main character
Of course, Ilya Ilyich’s upbringing played an important role in the development of his image, because he was born in the distant Oblomovka estate, which was famous for its peaceful life. Everything there was calm and measured, from the weather to the very way of life of the local residents. These were lazy people, constantly on vacation and dreaming of hearty food from morning to evening. But the image of Oblomov that we see when we begin to read the novel differs greatly from the characterization of Oblomov in childhood.
When Ilya was a child, he was interested in everything, thought and imagined a lot, and lived actively. For example, he liked to look the world with its diversity, go for walks. But Ilya’s parents raised him according to the “greenhouse plant” principle; they tried to protect him from everything, even from work. How did this boy end up? What was sown, grew. Oblomov, being an adult, did not respect work, did not want to communicate with anyone, and preferred to solve difficulties by calling a servant.
Turning to the childhood of the main character, it becomes clear why Oblomov’s image developed this way and who is to blame for this. Yes, because of this upbringing and the nature of Ilya Ilyich, which in itself was very sensual with a good imagination, he was practically unable to solve problems and strive for something high.
The pinnacle of creativity of the talented Russian prose writer and criticism XIX century, Ivan Goncharov became the novel “Oblomov”, published in 1859 in the magazine “Domestic Notes”. Its epic scale of artistic exploration of the life of the Russian nobility of the mid-nineteenth century allowed this work to occupy one of the central places in Russian literature.
Characteristics of the main character
The main character of the novel is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a young (32-33 years old) Russian nobleman, idly and carefree living on his estate. Has a pleasant appearance main feature which is gentleness in all his features and the fundamental expression of his soul.
His favorite pastime is lying apathetically on the couch and pointlessly spending time in empty thoughts and dreamy thoughts. Moreover, the complete absence of any action is his conscious choice, because he once had a position in the department and was waiting for advancement up the career ladder. But then he got bored with it and gave up everything, making his ideal a carefree life filled with sleepy peace and tranquility, like in childhood.
(Old faithful servant Zakhar)
Oblomov is distinguished by his sincerity, gentleness and kindness; he has not even lost such a valuable moral quality like conscience. He is far from evil or bad deeds, but at the same time confidently say that he positive hero, it is forbidden. Goncharov drew for the reader scary picture Oblomov’s spiritual desolation and his moral decay. Old and faithful servant Zakhar - mirror reflection the character of his young master. He is just as lazy and sloppy, devoted to the depths of his soul to his master and also shares with him the philosophy of his life.
One of the main storylines in the novel, which reveals the character of the main character in the best possible way, is Oblomov’s love relationship with Olga Ilyinskaya. The romantic feelings that suddenly flared up in Oblomov’s heart for this young and sweet person awaken in him an interest in spiritual life, he begins to take an interest in the art and mental demands of his time. Thus, there is a ray of hope that Oblomov can return to normal human life. Love reveals in him new, previously unknown traits of his character, inspires him and inspires him to a new life.
But in the end, the feeling of love for this pure and highly moral girl becomes a bright, but very short-lived flash in the measured and monotonous life of the lazy gentleman. The illusions that they can be together are dispelled very quickly, they are too different from Olga, he will never be able to become the one she wants to see next to her. There is a natural break in the relationship. In the process of choosing between romantic dates and the serene sleepy state in which he lived most of his adult life, Oblomov chooses his usual and favorite option of doing nothing. And only in the house of Agafya Pshenitsina, surrounded by such familiar care and an idle, carefree life, does he find his ideal refuge, where his life quietly and imperceptibly ends.
The image of the main character in the work
After its release, the novel received close attention from both critics and readers. By the name of the main character of this work(on the initiative of the famous literary critic Dobrolyubov) a whole concept of “Oblomovism” appeared, which subsequently became widespread historical meaning. It is described as a real disease of modern Russian society, when young and full of energy people of noble origin are busy with reflection and apathy, they are afraid to change anything in their lives and prefer lazy and idle vegetation instead of action and struggle for their happiness.
According to Dobrolyubov, the image of Oblomov is a symbol of serf society in Russia XIX century. The origins of his “disease” lie precisely in the serfdom, in the technical backwardness of the economy, in the process of exploitation and humiliation of forced peasant slaves. Goncharov revealed to the readers the entire path of development of Oblomov’s character and his complete moral degradation, which applies not only to one individual representative of the noble class, but to the entire nation as a whole. Oblomov’s path, sadly enough, is the path of most people who do not have specific purpose in life and absolutely useless for society.
Even such noble and high feelings how friendship and love could not break this vicious circle of laziness and idleness, so one can only sympathize with Oblomov that he did not find the strength to cast off the shackles of sleep and live a new, full life.
Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” was written during the period of transition of Russian society from outdated, home-building traditions and values to new, educational views and ideas. The most complex and difficult this process became for representatives of the landowner social class, as it required an almost complete rejection of the usual way of life and was associated with the need to adapt to new, more dynamic and rapidly changing conditions. And if part of society easily adapted to the new circumstances, for others the transition process turned out to be very difficult, since it was essentially opposed to the usual way of life of their parents, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. The representative of precisely such landowners, who failed to change with the world, adapting to it, in the novel is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. According to the plot of the work, the hero was born in a village far from the capital of Russia - Oblomovka, where he received a classic landowner, house-building education, which formed many of the main character traits of Oblomov - weak-willedness, apathy, lack of initiative, laziness, reluctance to work and the expectation that someone will do everything for him. Excessive parental care, constant prohibitions, and the pacifying lazy atmosphere of Oblomovka led to a deformation of the character of a curious and active boy, making him introverted, prone to escapism and unable to overcome even the most minor difficulties.
The inconsistency of Oblomov’s character in the novel “Oblomov”
The negative side of Oblomov’s character
In the novel, Ilya Ilyich does not decide anything on his own, hoping for help from the outside - Zakhar, who will bring him food or clothes, Stolz, who is able to solve the problems in Oblomovka, Tarantiev, who, although he will deceive, will himself figure out the situation that interests Oblomov, etc. The hero is not interested in real life, it causes him boredom and fatigue, while he finds true peace and satisfaction in the world of illusions he himself has invented. Spending all his days lying on the sofa, Oblomov makes unrealistic plans for the arrangement of Oblomovka and his happy family life, in many ways similar to the calm, monotonous atmosphere of his childhood. All his dreams are directed to the past, even the future that he imagines for himself - echoes of a distant past that can no longer be returned.
It would seem that a lazy, lumbering hero living in an untidy apartment cannot evoke sympathy and affection from the reader, especially against the backdrop of Ilya Ilyich’s active, purposeful friend, Stolz. However, Oblomov’s true essence is revealed gradually, which allows us to see all the versatility and inner unrealized potential of the hero. Even as a child, surrounded by quiet nature, the care and control of his parents, the sensitive, dreamy Ilya was deprived of the most important thing - knowledge of the world through its opposites - beauty and ugliness, victories and defeats, the need to do something and the joy of what was gained through one’s own labor. From an early age, the hero had everything he needed - helpful servants carried out orders at the first call, and his parents spoiled their son in every possible way. Finding himself outside his parents' nest, Oblomov, not ready for the real world, continues to expect that everyone around him will treat him as warmly and welcomingly as in his native Oblomovka. However, his hopes were destroyed already in the first days in the service, where no one cared about him, and everyone was only for themselves. Deprived of the will to live, the ability to fight for his place in the sun and perseverance, Oblomov, after an accidental mistake, leaves the service himself, fearing punishment from his superiors. The very first failure becomes the last for the hero - he no longer wants to move forward, hiding from the real, “cruel” world in his dreams.
Positive side of Oblomov’s character
The person who could pull Oblomov out of this passive state leading to personality degradation was Andrei Ivanovich Stolts. Perhaps Stolz is the only character in the novel who thoroughly saw not only the negative, but also the positive traits of Oblomov: sincerity, kindness, the ability to feel and understand the problems of another person, inner calm and simplicity. It was to Ilya Ilyich that Stolz came in difficult moments, when he needed support and understanding. Oblomov’s dove-like tenderness, sensuality and sincerity are also revealed during his relationship with Olga. Ilya Ilyich is the first to realize that he is not suitable for the active, purposeful Ilyinskaya, who does not want to devote herself to “Oblomov” values - this reveals him as a subtle psychologist. Oblomov is ready to give up his own love, because he understands that he cannot give Olga the happiness she dreams of.
Oblomov’s character and fate are closely connected - his lack of will, inability to fight for his happiness, together with spiritual kindness and gentleness, lead to tragic consequences - fear of the difficulties and sorrows of reality, as well as the hero’s complete withdrawal into the pacifying, calm, wonderful world of illusions.
National character in the novel "Oblomov"
The image of Oblomov in Goncharov’s novel is a reflection of the national Russian character, its ambiguity and versatility. Ilya Ilyich is the same archetypal Emelya the fool on the stove, about whom the nanny told the hero in childhood. Like the character in the fairy tale, Oblomov believes in a miracle that should happen to him by itself: a supportive firebird or a kind sorceress will appear and take him to the wonderful world of honey and milk rivers. And the chosen one of the sorceress should not be a bright, hard-working, active hero, but always “quiet, harmless,” “some kind of lazy person who is offended by everyone.”
Unquestioning faith in a miracle, in a fairy tale, in the possibility of the impossible is the main feature not only of Ilya Ilyich, but also of any Russian person raised on folk tales and legends. Finding itself on fertile soil, this faith becomes the basis of a person’s life, replacing reality with illusion, as happened with Ilya Ilyich: “his fairy tale is mixed with life, and he is unconsciously sad sometimes, why is a fairy tale not life, and why is life not a fairy tale.”
At the end of the novel, Oblomov, it would seem, finds that “Oblomov” happiness that he has long dreamed of - a calm, monotonous life without stress, a caring, kind wife, an organized life and a son. However, Ilya Ilyich does not return to the real world, he remains in his illusions, which become more important and significant for him than real happiness next to the woman who adores him. In fairy tales, the hero must pass three tests, after which he will be expected to fulfill all his desires, otherwise the hero will die. Ilya Ilyich does not pass a single test, giving in first to failure in the service, and then to the need to change for the sake of Olga. Describing Oblomov’s life, the author seems to be ironizing about the hero’s excessive faith in an unrealizable miracle for which there is no need to fight.
Conclusion
At the same time, the simplicity and complexity of Oblomov’s character, the ambiguity of the character himself, the analysis of his positive and negative sides, allow us to see in Ilya Ilyich eternal image unfulfilled personality “out of his time” - a “superfluous person” who failed to find his own place in real life, and therefore gone into the world of illusions. However, the reason for this, as Goncharov emphasizes, is not a fatal combination of circumstances or the difficult fate of the hero, but the incorrect upbringing of Oblomov, who is sensitive and gentle in character. Raised as a “houseplant,” Ilya Ilyich turned out to be unadapted to a reality that was harsh enough for his refined nature, replacing it with the world of his own dreams.
Work test
The central character of I. A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a gentleman “thirty-two years old.” Revealing it life philosophy, the way of existence, its psychology is what the work is dedicated to.
Oblomov's main character traits are apathy, laziness, and inactivity. He lies on the couch all day, completely uninterested in anything. But this state of affairs does not bother the hero at all: everything suits him in this existence: “Ilya Ilyich’s lying down was neither a necessity,... nor an accident...: it was his normal state.” On the contrary, Oblomov’s discomfort is caused by intrusive “touches of life.”
However, this hero also has his own dreams. In the chapter “Oblomov’s Dream,” the author outlines them to us quite clearly. We see that my native Oblomovka instilled in Ilya Ilyich a love of home comfort, silence, and peace: “Happy people lived, thinking that it should not and cannot be otherwise.”
r /> This person vitally needed love, care, warmth and affection. Let's remember his dreams about his family life. Oblomov dreamed of a wife-mother, wife-housewife, and not of a passionate lover: “Yes, passion must be limited, strangled and drowned in marriage...” He imagined a very warm pastime - in the peaceful circle of family and loving friends. Here conversations would be held about art, about events happening in the world, etc.
It is precisely the need for such a life - where everyone loves each other, is satisfied with each other and with themselves - that, it seems to me, is life ideal Oblomov. It is for this that Olga Ilyinskaya called the hero a “heart of gold,” because he knew how not only to take love, but also to generously give it and share it.
Of course, Oblomovka cultivated not only this in her Ilyusha. She instilled in him fear of life, indecision, laziness, helplessness, and snobbery. And, in addition, she formed a completely distorted idea of adult life.
All this - both positive and negative - manifested itself in the hero’s life later. We know that in his youth, Oblomov, supported by Stolz, dreamed of improving himself, changing himself and the world around him. However, if Stolz began to realize his dreams, then Oblomov’s words remained just words.
Arriving in St. Petersburg, the hero gradually became disillusioned with the service (“When will we live?”), retired from all affairs and lay down on the sofa. Somehow, Oblomov imperceptibly lost almost all his acquaintances, because in order to maintain communication, you need to make some effort. And this was completely unbearable for the hero.
Only once did Ilya Ilyich perk up and begin to change - by falling in love with Olga Ilyinskaya.
r /> Then the hero was ready to do whatever his beloved wanted. Ilya Ilyich really began to change - he forced himself to be interested in the life around him, move more, eat less. But in this story, Oblomov’s uncertainty and his fear of change played a tragic role. At one point, he felt that he was unworthy of Olga, and wrote a letter to the girl with an explanation: “Listen, without any hints, I will say directly and simply: you do not love me and cannot love me.”
After this, Oblomov’s life took its usual course - he continued to lie in seclusion, communicating only with Zakhar and occasionally with Stolz.
http://www.litra.ru/composition/download/coid/00330401314114204204
Essay Character Traits of Oblomov Reasoning
Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” was written in the mid-nineteenth century and accurately described a prominent representative of noble society, who has a consumerist attitude towards life and the people around him, and cannot find application for his knowledge and abilities. This is the fruit of upbringing, accustomed from generation to generation to use slave labor, to live at the expense of another person.
The main character of the novel is called Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. He repeats not only his father's name, but also his habits and lifestyle. A life test for Oblomov was his studies at the boarding school. He studied well, but was more happy when his parents, having come up with dozens of reasons, left him at home. After finishing his studies at the boarding school, and then in Moscow, Ilya Ilyich enters the service. But even there he cannot hold out for more than two years. He finds doing any work boring and uninteresting.
He justifies his passivity by saying that he has big plans for the future. Lying on the sofa, he considers a plan for reorganizing the estate. But things don’t go further than dreams. And even his friend Andrei Stolts cannot stir him up. Going abroad on business, Andrei introduces Oblomov to Olga Ilyinskaya. But this acquaintance only revived Oblomov’s life for a short time. Kind and honest by nature, Ilya Ilyich suddenly realizes that he cannot make Olga happy, that their views on life are very different.
He wants a calm, measured life, without difficulties and shocks, to be surrounded by kind and loving people. The owner of the house where he rented an apartment, Pshenitsyn’s widow, was able to provide him with such a life. Over time, she became his wife, the mother of his son, was his nurse, his guardian angel. Even Stolz, having arrived to Oblomov, realized that he could not change his friend’s life.
After Oblomov’s death, Stolz told the writer about his fate. He wanted readers to appreciate his pure soul and constant struggle with himself and the life around him.
Plan
- Introduction
- Conclusion
Introduction
Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” was written during the period of transition of Russian society from outdated, home-building traditions and values to new, educational views and ideas. This process became the most complex and difficult for representatives of the landowner social class, as it required an almost complete rejection of the usual way of life and was associated with the need to adapt to new, more dynamic and rapidly changing conditions. And if part of society easily adapted to the new circumstances, for others the transition process turned out to be very difficult, since it was essentially opposed to the usual way of life of their parents, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. The representative of precisely such landowners, who failed to change with the world, adapting to it, in the novel is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. According to the plot of the work, the hero was born in a village far from the capital of Russia - Oblomovka, where he received a classic landowner, house-building education, which formed many of the main character traits of Oblomov - weak-willedness, apathy, lack of initiative, laziness, reluctance to work and the expectation that someone will do everything for him.
Excessive parental care, constant prohibitions, and the pacifying lazy atmosphere of Oblomovka led to a deformation of the character of a curious and active boy, making him introverted, prone to escapism and unable to overcome even the most minor difficulties.
The inconsistency of Oblomov’s character in the novel “Oblomov”
The negative side of Oblomov’s character
In the novel, Ilya Ilyich does not decide anything on his own, hoping for help from the outside - Zakhar, who will bring him food or clothes, Stolz, who is able to solve the problems in Oblomovka, Tarantiev, who, although he will deceive, will himself figure out the situation that interests Oblomov, etc. The hero is not interested in real life, it causes him boredom and fatigue, while he finds true peace and satisfaction in the world of illusions he himself has invented. Spending all his days lying on the sofa, Oblomov makes unrealistic plans for the arrangement of Oblomovka and his happy family life, in many ways similar to the calm, monotonous atmosphere of his childhood. All his dreams are directed to the past, even the future that he imagines for himself - echoes of a distant past that can no longer be returned.
It would seem that a lazy, lumbering hero living in an untidy apartment cannot evoke sympathy and affection from the reader, especially against the backdrop of Ilya Ilyich’s active, purposeful friend, Stolz. However, Oblomov’s true essence is revealed gradually, which allows us to see all the versatility and inner unrealized potential of the hero. Even as a child, surrounded by quiet nature, the care and control of his parents, the sensitive, dreamy Ilya was deprived of the most important thing - knowledge of the world through its opposites - beauty and ugliness, victories and defeats, the need to do something and the joy of what was gained through one’s own labor.
From an early age, the hero had everything he needed - helpful servants carried out orders at the first call, and his parents spoiled their son in every possible way. Finding himself outside his parents' nest, Oblomov, not ready for the real world, continues to expect that everyone around him will treat him as warmly and welcomingly as in his native Oblomovka. However, his hopes were destroyed already in the first days in the service, where no one cared about him, and everyone was only for themselves. Deprived of the will to live, the ability to fight for his place in the sun and perseverance, Oblomov, after an accidental mistake, leaves the service himself, fearing punishment from his superiors. The very first failure becomes the last for the hero - he no longer wants to move forward, hiding from the real, “cruel” world in his dreams.
Positive side of Oblomov’s character
The person who could pull Oblomov out of this passive state leading to personality degradation was Andrei Ivanovich Stolts. Perhaps Stolz is the only character in the novel who thoroughly saw not only the negative, but also the positive traits of Oblomov: sincerity, kindness, the ability to feel and understand the problems of another person, inner calm and simplicity. It was to Ilya Ilyich that Stolz came in difficult moments, when he needed support and understanding. Oblomov’s dove-like tenderness, sensuality and sincerity are also revealed during his relationship with Olga. Ilya Ilyich is the first to realize that he is not suitable for the active, purposeful Ilyinskaya, who does not want to devote herself to “Oblomov” values - this reveals him as a subtle psychologist. Oblomov is ready to give up his own love, because he understands that he cannot give Olga the happiness she dreams of.
Oblomov’s character and fate are closely connected - his lack of will, inability to fight for his happiness, together with spiritual kindness and gentleness, lead to tragic consequences - fear of the difficulties and sorrows of reality, as well as the hero’s complete withdrawal into the pacifying, calm, wonderful world of illusions.
National character in the novel "Oblomov"
The image of Oblomov in Goncharov’s novel is a reflection of the national Russian character, its ambiguity and versatility. Ilya Ilyich is the same archetypal Emelya the fool on the stove, about whom the nanny told the hero in childhood. Like the character in the fairy tale, Oblomov believes in a miracle that should happen to him by itself: a supportive firebird or a kind sorceress will appear and take him to the wonderful world of honey and milk rivers. And the chosen one of the sorceress should not be a bright, hard-working, active hero, but always “quiet, harmless,” “some kind of lazy person who is offended by everyone.”
Unquestioning faith in a miracle, in a fairy tale, in the possibility of the impossible is the main feature not only of Ilya Ilyich, but also of any Russian person raised on folk tales and legends. Finding itself on fertile soil, this faith becomes the basis of a person’s life, replacing reality with illusion, as happened with Ilya Ilyich: “his fairy tale is mixed with life, and he is unconsciously sad sometimes, why is a fairy tale not life, and why is life not a fairy tale.”
At the end of the novel, Oblomov, it would seem, finds that “Oblomov” happiness that he has long dreamed of - a calm, monotonous life without stress, a caring, kind wife, an organized life and a son. However, Ilya Ilyich does not return to the real world, he remains in his illusions, which become more important and significant for him than real happiness next to the woman who adores him. In fairy tales, the hero must pass three tests, after which he will be expected to fulfill all his desires, otherwise the hero will die. Ilya Ilyich does not pass a single test, giving in first to failure in the service, and then to the need to change for the sake of Olga. Describing Oblomov’s life, the author seems to be ironizing about the hero’s excessive faith in an unrealizable miracle for which there is no need to fight.
Conclusion
At the same time, the simplicity and complexity of Oblomov’s character, the ambiguity of the character himself, the analysis of his positive and negative sides, allow us to see in Ilya Ilyich the eternal image of an unrealized personality “out of his time” - an “extra person” who failed to find his own place in real life, and therefore left into the world of illusions. However, the reason for this, as Goncharov emphasizes, is not a fatal combination of circumstances or the difficult fate of the hero, but the incorrect upbringing of Oblomov, who is sensitive and gentle in character. Raised as a “houseplant,” Ilya Ilyich turned out to be unadapted to a reality that was harsh enough for his refined nature, replacing it with the world of his own dreams.
Positive and negative traits character of Oblomov, his inconsistency in Goncharov’s novel | source
The main character of the novel is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a landowner who, however, lives permanently in St. Petersburg. Oblomov's character is perfectly maintained throughout the novel. It is far from being as simple as it might seem at first glance. The main character traits of Oblomov are an almost painful weakness of will, expressed in laziness and apathy, then a lack of living interests and desires, fear of life, fear of any changes in general.
But, along with these negative traits, there are also major positive ones in him: remarkable spiritual purity and sensitivity, good nature, cordiality and tenderness; Oblomov has a “crystal soul,” as Stolz puts it; these traits attract to him the sympathy of everyone who comes into close contact with him: Stolz, Olga, Zakhar, Agafya Matveevna, even his former colleagues who visit him in the first part of the novel. Moreover, Oblomov is far from stupid by nature, but his mental abilities are dormant, suppressed by laziness; He has both a desire for good and a consciousness of the need to do something for the common good (for example, for his peasants), but all these good inclinations are completely paralyzed in him by apathy and lack of will. All these character traits of Oblomov appear brightly and prominently in the novel, despite the fact that there is little action in it; in this case, this is not a drawback of the work, since it fully corresponds to the apathetic, inactive nature of the main character. The brightness of the characterization is achieved mainly through the accumulation of small but characteristic details that vividly depict the habits and inclinations of the person depicted; Thus, just from the description of Oblomov’s apartment and its furnishings on the first pages of the novel, one can get a fairly accurate idea of the personality of the owner himself. This method of characterization is one of Goncharov’s favorite artistic techniques; That’s why in his works there are so many small details of everyday life, furnishings, etc.
In the first part of the novel, Goncharov introduces us to Oblomov’s lifestyle, his habits, and also talks about his past, how his character developed. During this entire part, which describes one “morning” of Oblomov, he almost never leaves his bed; in general, lying on a bed or on a sofa, in a soft robe, was, according to Goncharov, his “normal state.” Any activity tired him; Oblomov once tried to serve, but not for long, because he could not get used to the demands of the service, to strict accuracy and diligence; a fussy official life, writing papers, the purpose of which was sometimes unknown to him, the fear of making mistakes - all this weighed on Oblomov, and, having once sent an official paper instead of Astrakhan to Arkhangelsk, he chose to resign. Since then, he lived at home, almost never leaving: neither to society, nor to the theater, almost never leaving his beloved deceased robe. His time passed in a lazy “crawling from day to day,” in idle doing nothing or in no less idle dreams of great exploits, of glory. This play of imagination occupied and amused him, in the absence of other, more serious mental interests. Like any serious work that requires attention and concentration, reading tired him; therefore, he read almost nothing, did not follow life in the newspapers, content with the rumors that rare guests brought to him; the half-read book, unfolded in the middle, turned yellow and became covered with dust, and in the inkwell, instead of ink, there were only flies. Every extra step, every effort of will was beyond his power; Even concern for himself, for his own well-being, weighed on him, and he willingly left it to others, for example, Zakhar, or relied on “maybe,” on the fact that “somehow everything will work out.” Whenever a serious decision had to be made, he complained that “life touches you everywhere.” His ideal was a calm, peaceful life, without worries and without any changes, so that “today” would be like “yesterday”, and “tomorrow” would be like “today”. Everything that disturbed the monotonous course of his existence, every concern, every change frightened and depressed him. The letter from the headman, who demanded his orders, and the need to move out of the apartment seemed to him real “misfortunes,” in his own words, and he only calmed down with the fact that somehow all this would work out.
But if there were no other traits in Oblomov’s character other than laziness, apathy, weak-willedness, mental slumber, then he, of course, could not have interested the reader in himself, and Olga would not have been interested in him, and could not have served as the hero of an entire extensive novel. To do this, it is necessary that these negative aspects of his character be balanced by equally important positive ones that can arouse our sympathy. And Goncharov, indeed, from the very first chapters shows these personality traits of Oblomov. In order to more clearly highlight its positive, sympathetic sides, Goncharov introduced several episodic persons who appear in the novel only once and then disappear from its pages without a trace. This is Volkov, an empty socialite, a dandy, looking for only pleasures in life, alien to any serious interests, leading a noisy and active life, but nevertheless completely devoid of internal content; then Sudbinsky, a careerist official, completely immersed in the petty interests of the official world and paperwork, and “for the rest of the world he is blind and deaf,” as Oblomov puts it; Penkin, a minor writer of a satirical, accusatory direction: he boasts that in his essays he exposes weaknesses and vices to general ridicule, seeing in this the true calling of literature: but his self-satisfied words cause rebuff from Oblomov, who finds in his works new school only slavish loyalty to nature, but too little soul, little love for the subject of the image, little true “humanity”. In the stories that Penkin admires, according to Oblomov, there are no “invisible tears,” but only visible, rough laughter; By depicting fallen people, the authors “forget man.” “You want to write with only your head! - he exclaims, - do you think that a heart is not needed for thought? No, she is fertilized by love. Extend your hand to a fallen person to lift him up, or weep bitterly over him if he dies, and do not mock him. Love him, remember yourself in him... then I will begin to read you and bow my head before you...” From these words of Oblomov it is clear that his view of the vocation of literature and its demands from a writer is much more serious and lofty than that of a professional writer Penkin, who, in his words, “wastes his thought, his soul on trifles, trades in his mind and imagination.” Finally, Goncharov introduces a certain Alekseev, “a man of uncertain years, with an indeterminate physiognomy,” who has nothing of his own: neither his tastes, nor his desires, nor his sympathies: Goncharov introduced this Alekseev, obviously, in order to show, through comparison, that Oblomov, despite all his spinelessness, is not at all impersonal, that he has his own specific moral physiognomy.
Thus, a comparison with these episodic persons shows that Oblomov was mentally and morally superior to the people around him, that he understood the insignificance and illusory nature of the interests in which they were keen. But Oblomov not only could, but also knew how “in his clear, conscious moments” to take a critical view of the surrounding society and himself, to recognize his own shortcomings and it’s hard to suffer from this consciousness. Then memories of his youth awakened in his memory, when he was at the university with Stolz, studied science, translated serious scientific works, was fond of poetry: Schiller, Goethe, Byron, dreamed of future activities, of fruitful work for the common benefit. Obviously, at this time Oblomov was also influenced by the idealistic hobbies that dominated among Russian youth of the 30s and 40s. But this influence was fragile, because Oblomov’s apathetic nature was not characterized by long-term passion, just as systematic hard work was unusual. At the university, Oblomov was content to passively assimilate the ready-made conclusions of science, without thinking them through on his own, without defining their mutual relationship, without bringing them into a harmonious connection and system. Therefore, “his head represented a complex archive of dead affairs, persons, eras, figures, unrelated political-economic, mathematical and other truths, tasks, provisions, etc. It was as if a library consisting of some scattered volumes on different parts knowledge. The teaching had a strange effect on Ilya Ilyich: between science and life there lay a whole abyss, which he did not try to cross. “He had life on its own, and science on its own.” Knowledge divorced from life, of course, could not be fruitful. Oblomov felt that he, as an educated person, needed to do something, he was aware of his duty, for example, to the people, to his peasants, he wanted to arrange their fate, improve their situation, but everything was limited only to many years of thinking about a plan for economic reforms, and the actual management of the farm and the peasants remained in the hands of the illiterate headman; and the conceived plan could hardly have practical significance in view of the fact that Oblomov, as he himself admits, did not have a clear understanding of village life, did not know “what corvee is, what rural labor is, what a poor man means, what a rich man means.”
Such ignorance of real life, with a vague desire to do something useful, brings Oblomov closer to the idealists of the 40s, and especially to the “superfluous people,” as they are portrayed by Turgenev.
Similar to " unnecessary people", Oblomov sometimes became imbued with the consciousness of his powerlessness, his inability to live and act; at the moment of such consciousness, "he felt sad and painful for his underdevelopment, stunted growth moral forces, for the heaviness that interfered with everything; and envy gnawed at him that others lived so fully and widely, while it was as if a heavy stone had been thrown on the narrow and pitiful path of his existence... And meanwhile, he painfully felt that some kind of... that good, bright beginning, perhaps now already dead, or it lies like gold in the depths of the mountains, and it would be high time for this gold to be a walking coin.” The consciousness that he was not living as he should, vaguely wandered in his soul, he suffered from this consciousness, sometimes cried bitter tears of powerlessness, but could not decide on any change in life, and soon calmed down again, which was facilitated by his apathetic nature, incapable of a strong uplift of spirit. When Zakhar carelessly decided to compare him with “others,” Oblomov was severely offended by this, and not only because he felt offended in his lordly pride, but also because in the depths of his soul he realized that this comparison with “others” was going far from in his favor.
When Stolz asks Zakhar what Oblomov is, he replies that he is a “master.” This is a naive, but quite accurate definition. Oblomov is, indeed, a representative of the old serf lordship, a “master,” that is, a man who “has Zakhar and three hundred more Zakharovs,” as Goncharov himself puts it about him. Using the example of Oblomov, Goncharov thus showed how detrimental it was serfdom on the nobility itself, preventing the development of energy, perseverance, initiative, and work habits. In former times it was mandatory civil service supported in the service class these qualities necessary for life, which began to gradually fade away since compulsory service was abolished. The best people among the nobility they have long realized the injustice of this order of things created by serfdom; The government, starting with Catherine II, wondered about its abolition; literature, in the person of Goncharov, showed its detrimental nature for the nobility itself.
“It started with the inability to put on stockings, and ended with the inability to live,” Stolz aptly put it about Oblomov. Oblomov himself is aware of his inability to live and act, his inability to adapt, the result of which is a vague but painful fear of life. This consciousness is the tragic feature in Oblomov’s character, which sharply separates him from the former “Oblomovites.” They were whole natures, with a strong, albeit simple-minded, worldview, alien to any doubts, any internal duality. In contrast to them, there is precisely this duality in Oblomov’s character; it was brought into it by the influence of Stolz and the education he received. For Oblomov it was already psychologically impossible to lead the same calm and complacent existence that his fathers and grandfathers led, because deep down in his soul he still felt that he was not living as he should and as “others” like Stolz lived. Oblomov already has a consciousness of the need to do something, to be useful, to live not for himself alone; He also has a consciousness of his duty to the peasants, whose labors he uses; he is developing a “plan” for a new structure of village life, where the interests of the peasants are also taken into account, although Oblomov does not at all think about the possibility and desirability of the complete abolition of serfdom. Until this “plan” is completed, he does not consider it possible to move to Oblomovka, but, of course, nothing comes of his work, because he lacks either knowledge of rural life, perseverance, diligence, or real conviction in the feasibility of the “plan” itself. " Oblomov grieves heavily at times, suffers in the consciousness of his unfitness, but is unable to change his character. His will is paralyzed, every action, every decisive step frightens him: he is afraid of life, just as in Oblomovka they were afraid of the ravine, about which there were various unkind rumors.