The original idea of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” was to reveal the theme of education, which was very relevant in the Age of Enlightenment; a little later, socio-political issues were added to the work.
The title of the play is directly related to the decree of Peter the Great, who banned the ability of young uneducated noblemen to serve and marry.
History of creation
The first manuscripts of sketches of “The Minor” date back to approximately 1770. To write the play, Fonvizin had to rework many works with the corresponding ideological content - the works of Russian and foreign modern writers (Voltaire, Rousseau, Lukin, Chulkov, etc.), articles from satirical magazines and even comedies written by Empress Catherine II herself. Work on the text was completely completed in 1781. A year later, after some obstacles from censorship, the first production of the play took place, with Fonvizin himself being the director, and the first publication of the play took place in 1773.
Description of the work
Action 1
The scene begins with a heated discussion of the caftan made for Mitrofanushka. Mrs. Prostakova scolds her tailor Trishka and Prostakov supports her in her desire to punish the careless servant. The situation is saved by the appearance of Skotinin, he justifies the unfortunate tailor. What follows is a comical scene with Mitrofanushka - he reveals himself to be an infantile young man, and also very fond of eating heartily.
Skotinin discusses with the Prostakov couple the prospects of his marriage with Sofyushka. The girl’s only relative, Starodum, unexpectedly sends news of Sophia’s acquisition of an impressive inheritance. Now the young lady has no end to suitors - now the “minor” Mitrofan appears on the list of candidates for husbands.
Act 2
Among the soldiers staying in the village, by chance, turns out to be Sofyushka’s fiancé, officer Milon. He turns out to be a good acquaintance of Pravdin, an official who came to deal with the lawlessness happening on the Prostakov estate. During a chance meeting with his beloved, Milon learns about Prostakova’s plans to arrange the fate of her son by marrying a now wealthy girl. What follows is a quarrel between Skotinin and Mitrofan over the future bride. Teachers Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin appear, they share with Pravdin the details of their appearance in the Prostakovs’ house.
Act 3
Arrival of Starodum. Pravdin is the first to meet Sophia’s relative and reports to him about the atrocities happening in the Prostakovs’ house in relation to the girl. The entire owner's family and Skotinin greet Starodum with hypocritical joy. The uncle’s plans are to take Sofiushka to Moscow and marry her off. The girl submits to the will of her relative, not knowing that he chose Milon to be her husband. Prostakova begins to praise Mitrofanushka as a diligent student. After everyone has left, the remaining teachers Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin discuss the laziness and mediocrity of their underage student. At the same time, they accuse the rogue, Starodum’s former groom, Vralman, of hindering the learning process of the already stupid Mitrofanushka with his dense ignorance.
Act 4
Starodum and Sofyushka are having a conversation about high moral principles and family values - true love between spouses. After a conversation with Milo, having made sure of the young man’s high moral qualities, the uncle blesses his niece to marry her lover. What follows is a comical scene in which the unlucky suitors Mitrofanushka and Skotinin are shown in a very unfavorable light. Having learned about the departure of the happy couple, the Prostakov family decides to intercept Sophia on the way out.
Action 5
Starodum and Pravdin are having pious conversations, hearing a noise, they interrupt the conversation and soon learn about the attempt to kidnap the bride. Pravdin accuses the Prostakovs of this crime and threatens them with punishment. Prostakova begs Sophia's forgiveness on her knees, but as soon as she receives it, she immediately accuses the servants of being slow in kidnapping the girl. A government document arrives announcing the transfer of all the Prostakovs’ property to Pravdin’s custody. The scene of paying off debts to teachers ends with a fair denouement - Vralman’s deception is revealed, the modest hard worker Tsyfirkin is generously rewarded, and the ignorant Kuteikin is left with nothing. The happy young people and Starodum are preparing to leave. Mitrofanushka heeds Pravdin’s advice to join the army.
Main characters
Considering the images of the main characters, it is worth noting that the speaking surnames of the characters in the play express the one-linearity of their character and leave no doubt about the author’s moral assessment of the characters in the comedy.
The sovereign mistress of the estate, a despotic and ignorant woman who believes that all matters, without exception, can be solved with the help of force, money or deception.
His image is the focus of stupidity and lack of education. He has an amazing lack of will and unwillingness to make decisions himself. Mitrofanushka was called a minor not only because of his age, but also because of his total ignorance and low level of moral and civic education.
A kind, sympathetic girl who received a good education and has a high level of internal culture. Lives with the Prostakovs after the death of his parents. She is devoted to her fiancé, officer Milon, with all her heart.
A person who personifies the truth of life and the word of the law. As a government official, he is on the Prostakov estate in order to understand the lawlessness happening there, in particular the unfair treatment of servants.
Sophia's only relative, her uncle and guardian. A successful person who managed to bring his highly moral principles to life.
Sophia's beloved and long-awaited groom. A brave and honest young officer distinguished by high virtue.
A narrow-minded, greedy, uneducated person who does not disdain anything for the sake of profit and is distinguished by deceit and hypocrisy to a high degree.
Comedy Analysis
Fonvizin’s “Minor” is a classic comedy in 5 acts, in which all three unities are strictly observed - the unity of time, place and action.
The solution to the problem of education is the central point of the dramatic action of this satirical play. The accusatory sarcastic scene of Mitrofanushka’s exam is a true culmination in the development of the educational theme. In Fonvizin's comedy, there is a collision of two worlds - each of them with different ideals and needs, with different lifestyles and speech dialects.
The author innovatively shows the life of the landowners of that time, the relationship between the owners and ordinary peasant people. The complex psychological characteristics of the characters gave impetus to the subsequent development of Russian everyday comedy as a theatrical and literary genre of the era of classicism.
Hero Quotes
Mitrofanushka- “I don’t want to study, I want to get married”;
— “The direct dignity in man is the soul” and many others.
Prostakova — « People live and lived without sciences"
Final conclusion
Fonvizin's comedy became a unique iconic work for his contemporaries. In the play there is a vivid contrast between high moral principles, true education and laziness, ignorance and waywardness. In the socio-political comedy “The Minor,” three themes rise to the surface:
- the topic of education and upbringing;
- theme of serfdom;
- the theme of condemnation of despotic autocratic power.
The purpose of writing this brilliant work is clear - the eradication of ignorance, the cultivation of virtues, the fight against the vices that have afflicted Russian society and the state.
Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” was written in the best traditions of Russian classicism. In accordance with the classic canons, the characters in the work are clearly divided into positive and negative, and their names and surnames succinctly characterize and reveal the main features of the characters. However, in contrast to the traditional images of classic plays, the heroes of “The Minor” are devoid of stereotypes, which is what attracts modern readers and viewers.
Positive actors include Pravdin, Sophia, Starodum And Milo. Each of them supports the ideas of the Enlightenment, considering virtue, honesty, love of country, high morality and education to be the main human values. The negative heroes are depicted as their complete opposite - Prostakovs, Skotinin And Mitrofan. They are representatives of the “old” nobility, which with all its might clings to outdated ideas of serfdom and feudalism. Their core values are money, position in the social hierarchy and physical strength.
In Fonvizin’s play “The Minor,” the main characters are divided into peculiar dual pairs, in which the author portrays people with similar social roles, but depicting them in a mirror distortion. So, in addition to a couple of “children” - Sophia and Mitrofan, we can distinguish “educators” - Starodum and Prostakov, “suitors” - Milon and Skotinin, as well as “owners” - Prostakov and Pravdin.
Mitrofan- a teenager and the main character of the comedy - a spoiled, stupid young man of sixteen, for whom his mother, nanny or servants always did everything. Having adopted from his mother a love of money, rudeness and disrespect for his family (Prostakova is ready to deceive her brother in order to arrange a marriage that is profitable for her), and from his father complete lack of will, he behaves like a small child - he does not want to study, while he finds marriage fun fun. The complete opposite of Mitrofan is Sophia. This is an educated, smart and serious girl with a difficult fate. Having lost her parents at an early age and living in the care of the Prostakovs, Sophia does not adopt their values, but, in fact, becomes a “black sheep” in their society (Prostakova is even indignant that the girl can read).
Prostakova appears before readers, on the one hand, as an uneducated, cunning woman who is ready to do almost anything for the sake of profit, and on the other hand, as a practical housewife and loving mother, for whom the happiness and carefree future of her son comes above all else. Prostakova raised Mitrofan the way she was raised, and therefore was able to convey and show by her own example outdated, long-exhausted ideas and values.
U Staroduma a completely different approach to education - he does not treat Sophia like a small child, talking with her as an equal, instructing her and advising her based on his own experience. In the matter of marriage, a man does not undertake to make final decisions for a girl, because he does not know whether her heart is free. In the image of Starodum, Fonvizin portrays his ideal of a parent and educator - an authoritative, strong personality who herself has walked a worthy path. However, analyzing the system of characters in “The Minor” from the point of view of a modern reader, it is worth noting that the image of Starodum as a teacher is also not ideal. The entire time he was away, Sophia was deprived of parental care and left to her own devices. The fact that the girl learned to read, values morality and virtue is most likely the merit of her parents, who instilled this in her at a young age.
In general, the theme of kinship is important both for the positive characters of the play “The Minor” and for the negative ones. Sophia- daughter of worthy people, Milo- the son of a good friend Starodum. Prostakova received this surname only after marriage; in fact, she is Skotinina. Brother and sister are very similar, they are both driven by a thirst for profit and cunning, they are uneducated and cruel. Mitrofan is depicted as the real son of his parents and his uncle’s pupil, who inherited all their negative traits, including his love for pigs.
Characters whose relationship is not mentioned in the play - Prostakov and Pravdin. Prostakov is radically different from his wife; compared to the active and active Prostakova, he looks weak-willed and passive. In a situation where he must show himself as the owner of the village, the man is lost against the background of his wife. This leads to the fact that the more active Pravdin, who was able to pacify Prostakova, becomes the owner of the estate. In addition, Prostakov and Pravdin act as some kind of “auditors” of what is happening. Pravdin is the voice of the law, while Prostakov is the opinion of the simple (remember the “talking” names of the play) people who do not like how the “old” nobility behave in the person of his wife and brother-in-law, but is afraid of their anger, therefore he speaks only aside and not negotiating.
The last couple of characters are Skotinin and Milon. Men represent outdated and new ideas about marriage and family life. Milon has known Sophia since childhood, they love each other, and therefore their relationship is built on mutual respect and friendship. Skotinin does not even try to get to know the girl better, he is only concerned about his dowry, and he is not even going to arrange good conditions for her after marriage.
In addition to the main characters, the play contains secondary characters - teachers and educators of Mitrofan the underage. Characteristics of the supporting characters – Eremeevna, Tsyfirkina, Kuteikina And Vralman– is connected with their social role in the play. The nanny is an example of a serf who faithfully serves his mistress all his life, enduring beatings and injustice. Using the example of images of teachers, the author exposes all the problems of education in Russia in the 18th century, when children were taught by retired military men who had not graduated from the seminary or even grooms.
For the 18th century, Fonvizin’s innovation was that the author depicted the characters in “The Minor” without excessive pathos and stereotypes inherent in many works of classicism. Each comedy hero is undoubtedly a composite image, but created not according to a ready-made “stencil”, but with its own individual traits. That is why the characters in the work “The Minor”, even today, remain the brightest images of Russian literature.
Work test
The work of D. I. Fonvizin “The Minor” showed the positive character traits that every conscientious citizen of the state must have.
Fonvizin endowed the character Starodum with this character in the written play. This is a hero with a big heart, an honest, sympathetic and merciful character. There are no episodes in the comedy when Starodum speaks unflatteringly about someone, steals or deceives. On the contrary, his calmness and poise are always with him. Starodum does not throw his words to the wind, gives practical advice, makes good conclusions and at the same time has a sense of humor - he laughs and jokes.
Characters who have similar character traits: Sophia – Starodum’s niece; Milon - military man, Sophia's fiancé; Pravdin is a member of the city council. Together they represent an example of a law-abiding citizen.
The author showed the Prostakov family of petty nobles as the opposite of these characters. The head of this family is Mrs. Prostakova - a greedy, rude and deceitful woman. It’s not for nothing that Fonvizin calls her Fury, the avenger goddess of the ancient Romans. She loves only one person - her son, Mitrofan, who is lazy by nature, he is distinguished by illiteracy and uncultured behavior, it is not for nothing that his name means “like a mother.”
When talking about Prostakov Sr., one can easily say that life makes him happy only when his wife does not get angry at him. It is clearly visible in the work that he is trying in every possible way to please her and does not have his own opinion. Another negative character is Skotinin, Prostakova’s brother. For this person, pigs are more valuable than people. He intends to marry Sophia when he learned that she has a rich inheritance.
Drawing conclusions, we can divide the characters of this work into two halves - good, represented by Starodum, Milon, Sophia, and evil - which is represented by the Prostakov and Skotinin families.
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“The Minor” is a play in five acts written by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin. A cult dramatic work of the 18th century and one of the most striking examples of classicism. It was included in the school curriculum, was repeatedly staged on the theater stage, received a screen embodiment, and its lines were disassembled into quotes, which today live independently of the original source, becoming aphorisms of the Russian language.
Plot: summary of the play “Minor”
The plot of “The Minor” is well known to everyone since school years, but we will still recall a brief summary of the play in order to restore the sequence of events in our memory.
The action takes place in the village of Prostakovs. Its owners - Mrs. and Mr. Prostakov and their son Mitrofanushka - live the quiet life of provincial nobles. Also living on the estate is the orphan Sofyushka, whom the lady sheltered in her house, but, as it turns out, not out of compassion, but because of the inheritance, which she freely disposes of as a self-proclaimed guardian. In the near future, they plan to marry Sophia to Prostakova’s brother Taras Skotinin.
The mistress's plans collapse when Sophia receives a letter from her uncle Starodum, who was still considered dead. Stradum is alive and well and is going on a date with his niece, and he also reports a fortune of 10 thousand in income, which he passes on as an inheritance to his beloved relative. After such news, Prostakova begins to court Sophia, whom she has hitherto given little favor to, because now she wants to marry her to her beloved Mitrofan, and leave Skotinin with nothing.
Fortunately, Starodum turned out to be a noble and honest man who wished well for his niece. Moreover, Sophia already had a betrothed - officer Milon, who had just stopped with his regiment in the village of Prostakov. Starodub knew Milo and gave the young man his blessing.
In desperation, Prostakova tries to organize the kidnapping of Sophia and forcibly marry her to her son. However, even here the treacherous mistress suffers a fiasco - Milon saves his beloved on the night of the kidnapping.
Prostakova is generously forgiven and not put on trial, although her estate, which has long been a source of suspicion, is transferred to a state guardian. Everyone leaves and even Mitrofanushka leaves his mother, because he doesn’t love her, like, in general, no one else in the world.
Characteristics of heroes: positive and negative characters
As in any classic work, the characters in “The Minor” are clearly divided into positive and negative.
Negative heroes:
- Mrs. Prostakova is the mistress of the village;
- Mr. Prostakov is her husband;
- Mitrofanushka is the son of the Prostakovs, an undergrowth;
- Taras Skotinin is the brother of the Prostakovs.
Positive heroes:
- Sophia is an orphan, lives with the Prostakovs;
- Starodum is her uncle;
- Milon is an officer, Sophia’s lover;
- Pravdin is a government official who came to monitor affairs in the Prostakov village.
Minor characters:
- Tsyfirkin – arithmetic teacher;
- Kuteikin – teacher, former seminarian;
- Vralman is a former coachman, posing as a teacher;
- Eremevna is Mitrofan’s nanny.
Mrs. Prostakova
Prostakova is the most striking negative character, and indeed the most outstanding character in the play. She is the mistress of the Prostakov village and it is the mistress, who has completely suppressed her weak-willed husband, who establishes the lordly order and makes decisions.
At the same time, she is absolutely ignorant, has no manners, and is often rude. Prostakova, like other members of the family, cannot read and despises science. Mitrofanushka’s mother is involved in education only because this is how it is supposed to be in New World society, but she does not understand the true value of knowledge.
In addition to ignorance, Prostakova is distinguished by cruelty, deceit, hypocrisy, and envy.
The only creature she loves is her son Mitrofanushka. However, the mother’s blind, absurd love only spoils the child, turning him into a copy of himself in a man’s dress.
Mr. Prostakov
The figurative owner of the Prostakov estate. In fact, everything is controlled by his domineering wife, of whom he is terribly afraid and does not dare say a word. Prostakov has long lost his own opinion and dignity. He cannot even say whether the caftan sewn by the tailor Trishka for Mitrofan is good or bad, because he is afraid to say something that is not what his mistress expects.
Mitrofan
Son of the Prostakovs, an undergrowth. His family lovingly calls him Mitrofanushka. Meanwhile, it’s time for this young man to enter adulthood, but he has absolutely no idea about it. Mitrofan is spoiled by his mother's love, he is capricious, cruel to servants and teachers, pompous, and lazy. Despite many years of lessons with teachers, the young master is hopelessly stupid, he does not show the slightest desire for learning and knowledge.
And the worst thing is that Mitrofanushka is a terrible egoist; nothing matters to him except his own interests. At the end of the play, he easily leaves his mother, who loved him so unrequitedly. Even she is nothing to him.
Skotinin
Brother of Mrs. Prostakova. Narcissistic, narrow-minded, ignorant, cruel and greedy. Taras Skotinin has a great passion for pigs; the rest is of little interest to this narrow-minded person. He has no idea of family ties, heartfelt affection and love. Describing how well his future wife will heal, Skotinin only says that he will give her the best light. In his system of coordinates, this is precisely what marital happiness consists of.
Sophia
Positive female image of the work. A very well-mannered, kind, meek and compassionate girl. Sophia received a good education, she has an inquisitive mind and a thirst for knowledge. Even in the poisonous atmosphere of the Prostakovs’ house, the girl does not become like the owners, but continues to lead the lifestyle that she likes - she reads a lot, thinks, is friendly and polite to everyone.
Starodum
Sophia's uncle and guardian. Starodum is the voice of the author in the play. His speeches are very aphoristic, he talks a lot about life, virtues, intelligence, law, government, modern society, marriage, love and other pressing issues. Starodum is incredibly wise and noble. Despite the fact that he clearly has a negative attitude towards Prostakova and others like her, Starodum does not allow himself to stoop to rudeness and outright criticism, and as for light sarcasm, his narrow-minded “relatives” cannot recognize it.
Milo
Officer, Sophia's lover. The image of a hero-protector, an ideal young man, a husband. He is very fair and does not tolerate meanness and lies. Milo was brave, not only in battle, but also in his speeches. He is devoid of vanity and low-minded prudence. All of Sophia’s “suitors” talked only about her condition, but Milon never mentioned that his betrothed was rich. He sincerely loved Sophia even before she had an inheritance, and therefore in his choice the young man was not guided by the size of the bride’s annual income.
“I don’t want to study, but I want to get married”: the problem of education in the story
The key problem of the work is the theme of provincial noble upbringing and education. The main character Mitrofanushka receives an education only because it is fashionable and “just the way it is.” In fact, neither he nor his ignorant mother understands the true purpose of knowledge. They should make a person smarter, better, serve him throughout his life and benefit society. Knowledge is gained through hard work and can never be forced into someone's head.
Mitrofan's home education is a dummy, a fiction, a provincial theater. For several years, the unfortunate student did not master either reading or writing. Mitrofan fails the comic test that Pravdin arranges with a bang, but because of his stupidity he cannot even understand this. He calls the word door an adjective, because it is supposedly attached to the opening, he confuses science history with the stories that Vralman tells him in abundance, and Mitrofanushka can’t even pronounce the word “geography”... it’s too tricky.
To show the grotesqueness of Mitrofan’s education, Fonvizin introduces the image of Vralman, who teaches “French and all sciences.” In fact, Vralman (that’s a telling name!) is not a teacher at all, but Starodum’s former coachman. He easily deceives the ignorant Prostakova and even becomes her favorite, because he professes his own teaching methodology - not to force the student to do anything through force. With such zeal as Mitrofan’s, the teacher and student are simply idle.
Education goes hand in hand with acquiring knowledge and skills. Mrs. Prostakova is mostly responsible for him. She methodically imposes her rotten morality on Mitrofan, who (here he is diligent here!) perfectly absorbs his mother’s advice. So, while solving a division problem, Prostakova advises her son not to share with anyone, but to take everything for himself. When talking about marriage, mother speaks only about the bride’s wealth, never mentioning spiritual affection and love. The young Mitrofan is not familiar with such concepts as courage, boldness, and valor. Despite the fact that he is no longer a baby, he is still looked after in everything. The boy cannot even stand up for himself during a clash with his uncle; he immediately begins to call his mother, and the old nanny Eremeevna rushes at the offender with her fists.
The meaning of the name: two sides of the coin
The title of the play has a literal and figurative meaning.
Direct meaning of the name
In the old days, minors were called teenagers, young men who had not yet reached adulthood and had not entered the public service.
The figurative meaning of the name
A fool, an ignoramus, a narrow-minded and uneducated person was also called a minor, regardless of his age. With the light hand of Fonvizin, it was precisely this negative connotation that became attached to the word in the modern Russian language.
Every person is reborn from a minor youth into an adult man. This is growing up, a law of nature. However, not everyone transforms from a dark, half-educated person into an educated, self-sufficient person. This transformation requires effort and perseverance.
Place in literature: Russian literature of the 18th century → Russian drama of the 18th century → The work of Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin → 1782 → The play “The Minor”.
One of the main positive characters in the play. She is Starodum's niece, who was left an orphan. In his absence, the estate is managed by the Prostakovs. They look after Sophia and at the same time rob her. Having learned that the girl has a rich inheritance, they begin to fight for her hand and heart. However, the girl has a lover named Milon, to whom she remains faithful.
One of the main characters and the driving force in the play. She is the mother of Mitrofanushka and the sister of Taras Skotinin. Prostakova participates in almost all the events of the play, since the action takes place in the house where she is the mistress. She is a noblewoman by status, has serfs and is a typical example of a Russian landowner of the mid-18th century.
The son of the landowners Prostakovs and one of the main negative characters of the comedy. As a minor teenager, he is a prominent representative of the noble youth and one of the many “minors” who inhabited Russia in the 18th century. By nature, he is rude and cruel, does not want to study or serve, does not value his father and, taking advantage of his mother’s boundless love, manipulates her as he wishes.
One of the main characters of the comedy, Sophia's uncle. His surname indicates that he is a man of the “old” era, that is, the era of Peter I. His role in the work is very important, especially his speeches and instructions. Starodum's father served under Peter the Great and always told his son that one must remain human at any time and in any situation.
One of the characters in the comedy, the brother of Mrs. Prostakova. This surname was not chosen by chance by the author. Taras loves and breeds pigs. Farm animals are the character's only interest. Having learned that Starodum's pupil, Sophia, is a rich heiress, he tries to win her favor and marry her.
One of the minor characters of the play. The character's surname was not chosen by chance. Pravdin is an honest and noble official, called upon to understand the actions of the Prostakov-Skotinins. He serves as a bureaucrat in the viceroyalty created by Catherine II.
One of the characters in the comedy, Sophia's fiancé, a young man of great merit, an officer with a valiant character. Milo is a modest and not arrogant person. Sophia and Starodum really like him. Thanks to him, Sophia manages to avoid marriage with Mrs. Prostakova’s underage son and courtship from Skotinin.
One of the minor characters of the play. She is Mitrofan's nanny and nurse. Using her image as an example, the author tries to show how serfdom distorted domestic servants, how it disfigured and humiliated them. Despite her inherent good human qualities, slavish humiliation takes over.
One of the characters in the comedy, Mitrofan's tutor and the highest paid employee in the Prostakovs' house. Adam Adamych Vralman was hired as a teacher of French and other sciences. In fact, he is Starodum’s former coachman, and not a teacher at all.