Introduction
Olga Ilyinskaya in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” is the most striking and complex female character. Getting to know her as a young, only developing girl, the reader sees her gradual maturation and revelation as a woman, mother, and independent person. At the same time, a complete description of Olga’s image in the novel “Oblomov” is possible only when working with quotes from the novel that most succinctly convey the appearance and personality of the heroine:
“If she were turned into a statue, she would be a statue of grace and harmony. The size of the head strictly corresponded to a somewhat tall stature; the size of the head corresponded to the oval and size of the face; all this, in turn, was in harmony with the shoulders, and the shoulders with the body...”
When meeting Olga, people always stopped for a moment “before this so strictly and thoughtfully, artistically created creature.”
Olga received a good upbringing and education, understands science and art, reads a lot and is in constant development, learning, achieving new and new goals. These features of hers were reflected in the girl’s appearance: “The lips are thin and mostly compressed: a sign of a thought constantly directed at something. The same presence of a speaking thought shone in the vigilant, always cheerful, unmissing gaze of dark, gray-blue eyes,” and unevenly spaced thin eyebrows created a small fold on the forehead “in which something seemed to say, as if a thought rested there.”
Everything about her spoke of her own dignity, inner strength and beauty: “Olga walked with her head tilted slightly forward, resting so slenderly and nobly on her thin, proud neck; she moved her whole body evenly, walking lightly, almost imperceptibly.”
Love for Oblomov
The image of Olga Ilyinskaya in “Oblomov” appears at the beginning of the novel as a still very young, little-knowing girl, looking at the world around her with wide open eyes and trying to understand it in all its manifestations. The turning point, which became for Olga a transition from childhood shyness and a certain embarrassment (as was the case when communicating with Stolz), was her love for Oblomov. The wonderful, strong, inspiring feeling that flared up between the lovers with lightning speed was doomed to parting, since Olga and Oblomov did not want to accept each other as they really are, cultivating in themselves a feeling for semi-ideal prototypes of real heroes.
For Ilyinskaya, love for Oblomov was not associated with those feminine tenderness, softness, acceptance and care that Oblomov expected from her, but with duty, the need to change the inner world of her lover, to make him a completely different person:
“She dreamed of how she would “order him to read the books” that Stolz left, then read newspapers every day and tell her the news, write letters to the village, complete a plan for organizing the estate, get ready to go abroad - in a word, he would not fall asleep with her; she will show him a goal, make him love again everything that he has stopped loving.”
“And she will do all this miracle, so timid, silent, whom no one has listened to until now, who has not yet begun to live!”
Olga's love for Oblomov was based on the heroine's selfishness and ambitions. Moreover, her feelings for Ilya Ilyich can hardly be called true love - it was a fleeting love, a state of inspiration and ascent before the new peak that she wanted to achieve. For Ilyinskaya, Oblomov’s feelings were not really important; she wanted to make him her ideal, so that she could then be proud of the fruits of her labors and, perhaps, remind him later that he owed everything he had to Olga.
Olga and Stolz
The relationship between Olga and Stolz developed from a tender, reverent friendship, when Andrei Ivanovich was for the girl a teacher, mentor, an inspiring figure, distant and inaccessible in his own way: “When a question or bewilderment arose in her mind, she did not suddenly decide to believe him: he was too far ahead of her, too taller than her, so that her pride sometimes suffered from this immaturity, from the distance in their minds and years.”
The marriage to Stolz, who helped her recover after breaking up with Ilya Ilyich, was logical, since the characters are very similar in character, life guidelines and goals. Olga saw quiet, calm, endless happiness in her life together with Stolz:
“She experienced happiness and could not determine where the boundaries were, what it was.”
“She, too, walked alone, along an inconspicuous path, and he also met her at a crossroads, gave her his hand and led her out not into the brilliance of dazzling rays, but as if onto the flood of a wide river, to spacious fields and friendly smiling hills.”
Having lived together for several years in cloudless, endless happiness, seeing in each other those ideals that they had always dreamed of and those people who appeared in their dreams, the heroes began to seem to move away from each other. It became difficult for Stolz to reach out for the inquisitive Olga, constantly striving forward, and the woman “began to strictly notice herself and realized that she was embarrassed by this silence of life, its stopping at moments of happiness,” asking questions: “Is it really still necessary and possible to desire something?” ? Where should we go? Nowhere! There is no further road... Really, really, have you completed the circle of life? Is it really all here... everything....” The heroine begins to become disillusioned with family life, with a woman’s destiny and with the fate that was destined for her from birth, but continues to believe in her doubting husband and that their love will keep them together even in the most difficult hour:
“That unfading and undying love lay powerfully, like the force of life, on their faces - in a time of friendly sorrow, it shone in the slowly and silently exchanged glance of collective suffering, was heard in endless mutual patience against life’s torture, in restrained tears and muffled sobs.”
And although Goncharov does not describe in the novel how the further relationship between Olga and Stolz developed, one can briefly assume that after some time the woman either left her husband or lived the rest of her life unhappy, increasingly plunging into disappointment from the unattainability of those lofty goals about which I dreamed of in my youth.
Conclusion
The image of Olga Ilyinskaya in the novel “Oblomov” by Goncharov is a new, to some extent feminist type of Russian woman who does not want to close herself off from the world, limiting herself to the household and family. A brief description of Olga in the novel is a woman seeker, a woman innovator, for whom “routine” family happiness and “Oblomovism” were truly the most terrifying and frightening things that could lead to degradation and stagnation of her forward-oriented, cognitive personality. For the heroine, love was something secondary, stemming from friendship or inspiration, but not an original, leading feeling, and certainly not the meaning of life, as with Agafya Pshenitsyna.
The tragedy of Olga’s image lies in the fact that the society of the 19th century was not yet ready for the emergence of strong female personalities capable of changing the world on an equal basis with men, so she would still have been awaited by the same soporific, monotonous family happiness that the girl so feared.
Work test
In the image of Olga Ilyinskaya, Goncharov embodied not only the best features of a real woman, but also all the best in a Russian person. The author writes that this girl was not a beauty in the literal sense of the word, “but ... if she were turned into a statue, she would be a statue of grace and harmony.” Goncharov notes that this is a strong and courageous person who feels like a stranger in her environment, but this does not in the least prevent her from defending her position. “In a rare girl,” the author emphasizes, “you will meet such... natural simplicity of look, word, deed... No affectation, no coquetry, no lies...”
For Olga Ilyinskaya, love, first of all, is an opportunity to change a loved one, to make him better than he really is. And this is the tragedy of the heroine, since she demands the impossible from Oblomov: activity, energy and will. However, it should be noted that Olga herself is not ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of love, as Agafya Pshenitsyna does, for example. “Would you like to know if I would sacrifice my peace of mind for you, if I would go down this path with you?.. Never, never!” - she says very confidently to Oblomov.
Olga loves the Oblomov she created in her imagination. She constantly tries to change the main character, but realizing that this is impossible, she retreats. Olga says to Ilya Ilyich: “I thought that I would revive you, that you could still live for me, but you have already died a long time ago...” Thus, we can talk about some one-sidedness of the heroine’s love.
For her, love for Oblomov was a kind of mission that had to be fulfilled. But such an attitude towards a loved one could not be crowned with success; here we should talk about some of Olga’s selfishness. Goncharov understands perfectly well that Ilyinskaya and Oblomov are too different people and the fact that their paths diverged is quite natural. Olga marries Stolz, but never becomes happy. She is overcome by melancholy, because even in her marriage to the active Stolz, her spiritual growth does not occur, as was the case during her communication with Oblomov. Olga suffers from this situation, but nothing can be changed.
Thus, speaking about the character of Olga Ilyinskaya, we should note a kind of egoism, which in many ways makes her and her love vulnerable. The heroine becomes a victim of her own desire to change another person. But this is impossible, and this is her tragedy.
Roman I.A. Goncharov’s “Oblomov” took more than ten years to create (1846 - 1858). It explores personality given in complex relationships with the environment and time. The main character of the novel, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, lies whole on the sofa in his apartment on Gorokhovaya Street and does absolutely nothing. His world is limited only by the space of his apartment. Oblomov has accumulated pressing matters related to the transformation of his estate. He makes plans, but does nothing to implement them. Such a life does not suit Oblomov, but he cannot and does not want to change anything in it: he is a master, he is “not like everyone else,” he has the right to do nothing. But, at the same time, the hero realizes the inferiority of his life. He is tormented by the question: “Why am I like this?” The chapter “Oblomov’s Dream” gives the answer to this question. It describes in detail the hero's childhood. It was there that the beginning of his destiny and the ideal of his life began.
Oblomov’s entire estate bears the stamp of laziness and contentment. Interesting and indicative in this sense is the episode with a letter that was once brought by a man who was traveling to the city on business. The lady scolds him for bringing the letter, because there might be some unpleasant news there.
Little Ilyusha sees himself in a dream as a seven-year-old boy. He is playful and playful, he is curious about everything that happens around him. But the vigilant supervision of his mother and nanny prevents him from fulfilling his desires: “Nanny! Don’t you see that the child ran out into the sun!”
Then Ilya Ilyich sees himself as a boy of twelve or thirteen. And now it’s more difficult for him to resist, his mind has almost understood that this is exactly the way his parents live, and he should live. He doesn’t want to study because, firstly, he has to leave their home, and secondly, there’s no reason to. After all, the main thing that his mother followed was that the child was cheerful, fat and healthy. Everything else was considered secondary.
This way of life, and most importantly, way of thinking, is what the writer calls “Oblomovism.” This is far from a clear-cut concept. On the one hand, this is undoubtedly a negative phenomenon: all the vices of serfdom merged in it. On the other hand, this is a certain type of Russian life, which can be described as patriarchal-idyllic. The closedness of space, the cyclical nature of the circle of life, the predominance of physiological needs and the complete absence of spiritual ones - these are the characteristics of this world. There are many positive aspects in it, which Goncharov poetizes: the gentleness, kindness and humanity of the Oblomovites, their love for their family, widespread hospitality, calm and tranquility.
Having found himself from this world into the cold and cruel world of St. Petersburg, where he had to fight for his “place in the sun,” Oblomov felt that he did not want to live like his St. Petersburg acquaintances. In many ways, he consciously chooses his position in life, not wanting to “get dirty” in the dirt of modern cynical life. But, at the same time, Oblomov is afraid of real life, he is completely unsuited to it. In addition, serfdom was firmly in his head: I am a gentleman, which means I have the right to do nothing. All together, social and philosophical, gave rise to Oblomov’s character and such a phenomenon of Russian life as Oblomovism.
In the novel “Oblomov” I.A. Goncharov's main female character is a young girl named Olga Ilyinskaya. This is an extraordinary woman with a complex, strong character and destiny. Her image is a bright and at the same time complex character.
The description of Olga's life in the work "Oblomov" begins from an early age. Throughout the novel, the main character grows and develops her personality. A young girl becomes a mature and strong-willed woman, she has children, and her view on many moments that occur throughout her life changes.
Olga was raised by her aunt, who replaced her parents. She is well-mannered, educated, well versed in art, and is constantly engaged in self-development and learning new things. Olga Ilyinskaya has been strong since early childhood. Assertive character. If she sets a goal for herself, then, no matter what, she achieves success. The girl loves books and is drawn to various sciences.
Her appearance consists of piercing blue-gray eyes, eyebrows that are constantly drawn together to the bridge of her nose, which is why she has a small crease between her eyebrows, and thin, pursed lips. The girl’s gait speaks of her self-confidence and inner strength of spirit. Olga has a slender figure, with a straight, proud posture, every step of the girl is light and weightless.
The turning point that changed the view on many things was a sudden and strong feeling for a young man named Ilya Oblomov. Their feeling was strong and deep, but due to their own character and life position, it did not find continuation. Young people, due to their ardor and different views on life, did not want to accept each other with all their shortcomings. Each of them had his own image of the “ideal hero of his time.”
Oblomov wanted Olga to treat him with all her feminine softness and tenderness. Olga, on the contrary, considered her goal to change Ilya’s inner world, make him more decisive, overcome laziness and get him addicted to reading and science.
In fact, Olga did not love the young man; having set a goal for herself, she tried to achieve a positive result at all costs. Ilya’s feelings were not as important to her as her own self-affirmation from what would eventually happen. As a result, not having achieved what she wanted, the girl broke up with the young man.
A completely different relationship arose between Olga and her friend Andrei Stolts. At first they were just friends, their relationship was tender and reverent. Andrei was a teacher and mentor for the girl; he admired her sharp mind and strong character. Marriage helped Olga overcome her crush on Oblomov and survive a painful separation. At first, their happiness was calm and cloudless, since the young people had similar views on life and characters in general. But gradually, after several years of living together, they began to move away from each other.
Stolz began to notice that it was difficult for him to keep up with his wife’s activity; for him, marriage was something calm and measured. Olga, on the contrary, began to feel burdened by the routine life with Andrey; she wanted knowledge and development. Olga did not want to come to terms with her destiny as a faithful and calm wife; she began to doubt the correctness of her choice. What happened next to this strong and intelligent woman is unknown. It can be assumed that Olga still left her husband, or maybe, regardless of her judgments and views, she remained close to him.
Olga Ilyinskaya is an unusual woman who is constantly fighting against the centuries-old way of life that a woman’s purpose is to raise children and run a household. Olga’s position is constant self-improvement, knowledge and development of one’s own personality. Love for her is a secondary, insignificant feeling, for the sake of which one cannot compromise one’s inner world.
Option 2
In the novel by Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov there are two female characters, one of the characters is Olga Ilyinskaya. Olga is a girl of ordinary appearance who does not have graceful, beautiful features. Ilyinskaya knows what she wants from life, so she tries in every possible way to achieve it.
When Olga meets Oblomov, it seems to her that she can fall in love with him and wake him up from his many years of hibernation. Ilyinskaya tries in every possible way to stir up Oblomov and for a while she even succeeds. Olga asks the impossible from Oblomov, he is a homely man, and she strives for the light.
Olga appreciates that there is no cynicism or pretense in Oblomov, but she wants him to be like Stolz. Ilyinskaya even acts more as a teacher for Oblomov than as a beloved woman. She tries in every possible way to remake him, not realizing that then it will no longer be Oblomov.
She is assertive and stubborn and always knows what she wants; Ilyinskaya does not want to sit at home next to Oblomov and devote her whole life to him. On the contrary, she wants them to go together towards the same goal, but, alas, this is not allowed to happen. Olga Ilyinskaya created for herself the image of Oblomov, whom she would like to see, but she did not take into account that then Ilya would have to sacrifice himself, and he is also not ready for this.
Olga Ilyinskaya is demanding of those around her, but she herself is ready to put a lot of effort into her self-development. A very smart and self-sufficient woman who believes that everyone should get the most out of life. Ilyinskaya never wasted her time and strived for comfort and coziness for herself.
Realizing that she and Oblomov are too different, she without a doubt decides to break up with him, but soon realizes what a good person he is. Olga Ilyinskaya is marrying Oblomov’s best friend Andrei Stolts, she has chosen the right man for herself. Stolz, like Olga, knew what he wanted and his life was like a stormy river, so they got together. In her marriage to Stolz, Olga finds the happiness she dreamed of so much; finally, she and her beloved look in the same direction and he can become the head of the family and take responsibility for her, which Oblomov could not give her.
It cannot be said that Olga was calculating and cold, it’s just that every person has their own views on life and priorities in life.
Essay Characteristics and image of Olga Ilyinskaya
The famous Russian critic N.A. Dobrolyubov believed that a writer like Goncharov is an expert on women's hearts. Goncharov successfully created the image of Olga in his creation “Oblomov”. According to the description, Olga was not beautiful. She did not have white skin, scarlet cheeks or lips. She had no inner fire. She combined harmony and grace. According to the critic, Olga had all the qualities that attracted other writers. The heroine had a natural, lively beauty. Olga was simple and had her own outlook on life.
In society, Olga was perceived as a stranger. Due to her intelligence and determination, the girl defended her rights to behavior and life position. The girl did not adhere to generally accepted norms. The main character Oblomov considered Olga to be the real ideal of a female image. In relationships, Olga saw in Oblomov gullibility, simplicity and the absence of all conventions. She does not see cynicism in Ilya and finds in him a constant desire for sympathy. The heroine constantly thought about how she influenced Ilya. Love became the most important goal in life for Olga. For the sake of love, Olga was ready to sacrifice everything. Olga and her lover demanded too much from each other. Olga wanted Oblomov to be like Stolz. The heroine deceived herself and knew that their relationship would soon come to an end.
Olga loved the Ilya she created in her thoughts and diligently tried to change him. Goncharov portrayed the end of the relationship between Olga and Oblomov as a tragedy. The heroine married Stolz. After marriage, Olga realized that reason and common sense are the most important in life. She was happy. Stolz became a real support for her and a good husband. In her marriage, Olga began to feel melancholy. The business life and activities of the spouse did not provide opportunities for the development of the soul. Olga still loved Oblomov in her heart. She was often tormented by mental suffering.
If the author had continued the novel, then in the end, due to Stolz’s strong character, Olga would have divorced him. The Russian critic described Olga as a modern woman and emphasized in the heroine the desire for selfish and noble goals. Olga always strived for the ideal. The girl did not particularly like her husband. The heroine could fall in love with a person if he developed every day and pleased her with something new. And Stolz chose a measured, calm and stable life. Without the female image of Olga, the book “Oblomov” would not be so bright. The image of Olga completely complements the main character of the novel.
Option 4
From the pen of Alexander Ivanovich Goncharov came many excellent works, which even after so many years remain recognized by the Russian literary society. One of them is the novel “Oblomov”.
Olga Sergeevna Ilyinskaya is the main character of the novel, a young beauty who will now be discussed.
At the beginning of the novel, Olga is a twenty-year-old noblewoman, landowner and orphan. She lives with her aunt on a small estate. The author openly speaks of Ilyinskaya as a person with a far from ideal appearance: tall, without white cheeks and with uneven eyebrows, because of which a wrinkle appeared on her forehead, but with such a sparkle in her eyes that the first beauties do not have. This is what distinguishes her from other girls and this is what Oblomov liked, as well as her simplicity, sincerity and inexperience. She's also smart. She received a good education and does not stand still. Olga is engaged in self-development, reads books and has a passion for science. In the novel, she transforms from a young naive girl into an adult lady with her own point of view and attitude towards life. Always bringing what is planned to the end is a trait that does not leave Ilyinskaya with age.
The love she felt for Ilya Ilyich turned out to be a key moment in Olga Sergeevna’s life. This feeling arose in one moment. She learned about Oblomov from the stories of her friend, Stolz. Ilyinskaya imagined herself as a savior, an angel who would direct Ilya Ilyich on the right path of self-development and eternal movement along which she walked, she made Oblomov himself believe in it, and she almost succeeded. They called it love. However, the man's nature defeated his love for her. For the first time in her life, she gave up.
Later, Olga finds the ideal man in Stolz. He became her friend, mentor and husband. And he saw in her a partner and student, a wife who also loves to learn and discover something new. Andrei Stolts proposes to Olga immediately after breaking up with Oblomov. Largely thanks to her new love, she quickly forgot Ilya Ilyich.
The image of Olga Ilyinskaya is something new and unusual, not fitting into the ideal of a woman of that time. She is not used to closing herself off from the world and sitting quietly at home, taking care of the children and baking pies; Olga is not her husband’s shadow. She's on her own. Smart and independent. For her, love does not come first and comes from friendship. Unfortunately, 19th century society was not ready to accept the image of such a woman.
Image 5
The image of Olga Ilyinskaya is one of the central female images of the novel “Oblomov” by I.A. Goncharova.
At the beginning of the novel we see her very young. Goncharov draws a portrait of Olga with warmth, noting that she is not a beauty, but she can be compared to a statue of grace and harmony. Olga attracts with her simplicity and naturalness. She is educated, well-mannered, versed in the arts and sciences, reads a lot and is constantly developing. She has a constant desire to be active.
Love for Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, the main character of the novel, arose from the desire to re-educate Oblomov. Stolz pointed him out to her and at the same time revealed his merits. Oblomov has enough positive qualities: he is smart, educated, kind. If it were not for Stolz, Olga would not have paid any attention to Oblomov. She decides to experiment, hoping to awaken Oblomov from his laziness. Olga likes the role of a “ray of light” for Oblomov. Very quickly the game develops into a true feeling. Love filled Olga's life with new content.
Olga thoughtfully fights Oblomov’s habits. She always knows exactly what she wants. Olga did a lot to change Oblomov, and achieved some success. She did not take into account that she was fighting against traditions that had developed over many generations. Oblomov is incapable of taking care of himself or others. When he pushes back the question of the wedding, Olga stops believing him. Oblomov’s soul does not belong to the life that Olga offers him. She understands that his laziness has won.
Olga is growing up and gaining experience after the story with Oblomov. Abroad, where she goes for treatment, she meets Andrei Stolts. Stolz does not recognize her as the same young girl. She is very changeable, but is always frank with Andrey. He falls in love with the “new” Olga, she becomes his wife. Stolz matches her ideals of a husband; he created a comfortable life for her. But Olga is not satisfied with her quiet personal life. She dreams of a different life and almost repents of her choice; she misses Oblomov. According to the critic N. Dobrolyubov, Olga will leave Stolz when she stops believing in him.
In the image of Olga Ilyinskaya, Goncharov solved the problem of women’s equality in rights with men. Dobrolyubov saw in her an advanced Russian woman.
Essay 6
Goncharov wrote a large number of different works. But the most interesting is the work “Oblomov”. There is one fascinating hero here and he is a girl named Olga. Many men like her, but she doesn’t want to give her heart to the first person she meets, and he must first achieve her. The author managed to fit into this image the most beautiful and valuable features that a person has.
Although Olga is very young, God has not deprived her of intelligence and beauty. In addition, she is also a proud and proud girl. In order to describe it, just a few phrases will be enough. There is no lie in her, which many other people have, she also sincerely worries about every person and always tries to help him in everything, even if he does not ask for it. But, despite all this, she is an extra person in this world. And this is not considered a negative point, but rather a positive one, because it was precisely such a woman that the author of the work dreamed of, and Stolz always admired such women.
More than anything else, she likes to study something that has not yet been studied by her. If she has a free moment, the girl will either read some new book, or listen to songs and sing along with the singers. Olga had never experienced a feeling of love before, but one day it overwhelmed her. She fell in love with Ilya. She so wanted to change everything in his life and return him to normal life, and for him to understand what it means to live a normal life. If others saw him as a cynical person, then our main character did not see anything like that or simply did not want to see.
Of course, it is very difficult to change a person and she will need to expend not only energy, but also show perseverance, but nothing is impossible for the girl, and after some time she still manages to do it, and Olga is very pleased with herself. Oblomov suddenly realized that there was another world and it was much more interesting to live in it than in the one he had invented for himself. Now he doesn’t just sit at home, but visits not only museums, but also theaters. And the clothes now correspond to where he decided to go. In addition, Olga always thinks about how Oblomov is changing and at the same time growing spiritually. Gradually, there is practically nothing left of that Olga, because love completely changes her. Now she is not sweet and touching as before. She created for herself an ideal man who would suit her perfectly and did everything not to be disappointed in him.
As long as the girl believed in him, there was love between them, but one day she was disappointed in him, because he did not live up to her hopes and the love disappeared somewhere.
Now she realized that if a person does not want to change, then it will be very difficult or almost impossible to change him. And then the girl found herself another ideal man, who was real and loved her very much.
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OBLOMOV
(Novel. 1859)
Ilyinskaya Olga Sergeevna - one of the main heroines of the novel, a bright and strong character. A possible prototype of I. is Elizaveta Tolstaya, Goncharov’s only love, although some researchers reject this hypothesis. “Olga in the strict sense was not a beauty, that is, there was no whiteness in her, no bright coloring of her cheeks and lips, and her eyes did not burn with rays of inner fire; there were no corals on the lips, no pearls in the mouth, no miniature hands, like those of a five-year-old child, with fingers in the shape of grapes. But if she were turned into a statue, she would be a statue of grace and harmony.”
Since the time she was orphaned, I. has been living in the house of her aunt Marya Mikhailovna. Goncharov emphasizes the heroine’s rapid spiritual maturation: she “as if she was following the course of life by leaps and bounds. And every hour of the slightest, barely noticeable experience, an incident that flashes like a bird past a man’s nose, is grasped inexplicably quickly by a girl.”
Andrei Ivanovich Stolts introduces I. and Oblomov. How, when and where Stolz and I. met is unknown, but the relationship connecting these characters is distinguished by sincere mutual attraction and trust. “...In a rare girl you will find such simplicity and natural freedom of look, word, action... No affectation, no coquetry, no lies, no tinsel, no intent! But almost only Stolz appreciated her, but she sat through more than one mazurka alone, not hiding her boredom... Some considered her simple, short-sighted, shallow, because neither wise maxims about life, about love, nor quick, unexpected and bold remarks, nor read or overheard judgments about music and literature..."
It is no coincidence that Stolz brings Oblomov to I.’s house: knowing that she has an inquisitive mind and deep feelings, he hopes that with her spiritual needs I. will be able to awaken Oblomov - make him read, watch, learn more and more discriminatingly.
In one of the very first meetings, Oblomov was captivated by her amazing voice - I. sings an aria from Bellini’s opera “Norma,” the famous “Casta diva,” and “this destroyed Oblomov: he was exhausted,” becoming more and more immersed in a new feeling for himself.
I.’s literary predecessor is Tatyana Larina (“Eugene Onegin”). But as a heroine of a different historical time, I. is more confident in herself, her mind requires constant work. This was noted by N.A. Dobrolyubov in the article “What is Oblomovism?”: “Olga, in her development, represents the highest ideal that only a Russian artist can now evoke from present-day Russian life... There is more in her than in Stolz, one can see a hint of a new Russian life; One can expect from her a word that will burn and dispel Oblomovism...”
But this is not given to I. in the novel, just as it is not given to Goncharov’s similar heroine Vera from “The Precipice” to dispel phenomena of a different order. Olga’s character, fused simultaneously from strength and weakness, knowledge about life and the inability to bestow this knowledge on others, will be developed in Russian literature - in the heroines of A.P. Chekhov’s drama - in particular, in Elena Andreevna and Sonya Voinitskaya from “Uncle Vanya”.
The main quality of I., inherent in many female characters of Russian literature of the last century, is not just love for a specific person, but an indispensable desire to change him, raise him to his ideal, re-educate him, instilling in him new concepts, new tastes. Oblomov turns out to be the most suitable object for this: “She dreamed of how she would “order him to read the books” that Stolz left, then read newspapers every day and tell her the news, write letters to the village, complete a plan for organizing the estate, get ready to go abroad, - in a word, he will not fall asleep with her; she will show him his goal, make him love again everything that he has stopped loving, and Stolz will not recognize him when he returns. And she will do all this miracle, so timid, silent, whom no one has listened to until now, who has not yet begun to live!.. She even trembled with proud, joyful trepidation; I considered this a lesson ordained from above.”
Here you can compare her character with the character of Lisa Kalitina from I. S. Turgenev’s novel “The Noble Nest”, with Elena from his “On the Eve”. Re-education becomes the goal, the goal captivates so much that everything else is pushed aside, and the feeling of love gradually submits to the teaching. Teaching, in a sense, enlarges and enriches love. It is from this that the serious change occurs in I. that so amazed Stolz when he met her abroad, where she arrived with her aunt after breaking up with Oblomov.
I. immediately understands that in her relationship with Oblomov she plays the main role, she “instantly weighed her power over him, and she liked this role of a guiding star, a ray of light that she would pour over a stagnant lake and be reflected in it.” Life seems to wake up in I. along with Oblomov’s life. But in her this process occurs much more intensely than in Ilya Ilyich. I. seems to be testing her capabilities as a woman and teacher at the same time. Her extraordinary mind and soul require more and more “complex” food.
It is no coincidence that at some point Obkomov sees Cordelia in her: all of I.’s feelings are permeated by a simple, natural, like a Shakespearean heroine, pride, encouraging her to realize the treasures of her soul as a happy and well-deserved given: “What I once called mine is no longer I’ll give it back, maybe they’ll take it away...” she says to Oblomov.
I.’s feeling for Oblomov is whole and harmonious: she simply loves, while Oblomov is constantly trying to find out the depth of this love, which is why he suffers, believing that I. “loves now, like embroidering on canvas: the pattern comes out quietly, lazily, she is even lazier unfolds it, admires it, then puts it down and forgets.” When Ilya Ilyich tells the heroine that she is smarter than him, I. replies: “No, simpler and bolder,” thereby expressing almost the defining line of their relationship.
I. hardly knows that the feeling she experiences is more reminiscent of a complex experiment than first love. She does not tell Oblomov that all the affairs of her estate have been settled, with only one goal - “...to see to the end how love will make a revolution in his lazy soul, how the oppression will finally fall from him, how he will not resist his loved one happiness..." But, like any experiment on a living soul, this experiment cannot be crowned with success.
I. needs to see his chosen one on a pedestal, above himself, and this, according to the author’s concept, is impossible. Even Stolz, whom I. marries after an unsuccessful romance with Oblomov, only temporarily stands higher than her, and Goncharov emphasizes this. By the end, it becomes clear that I. will outgrow her husband both in the strength of her feelings and in the depth of her thoughts about life.
Realizing how far her ideals diverge from the ideals of Oblomov, who dreams of living according to the ancient way of life of his native Oblomovka, I. is forced to abandon further experiments. “I loved the future Oblomov! - she says to Ilya Ilyich. - You are meek and honest, Ilya; you are gentle... like a dove; you hide your head under your wing - and don’t want anything more; you’re ready to coo under the roof all your life... but I’m not like that: this is not enough for me, I need something else, but I don’t know what!” This “something” will not leave I.: even after surviving a break with Oblomov and happily marrying Stolz, she will not calm down. The moment will come when Stolz will be faced with the need to explain to his wife, mother of two children, the mysterious “something” that haunts her restless soul. “The deep abyss of her soul” does not frighten, but worries Stolz. In I., whom he knew almost as a girl, for whom he felt first friendship and then love, he gradually discovers new and unexpected depths. It is difficult for Stoltz to get used to them, therefore his happiness with I. seems problematic in many ways.
It happens that I. is overcome by fear: “She was afraid to fall into something similar to Oblomov’s apathy. But no matter how hard she tried to get rid of these moments of periodic torpor, the sleep of the soul, no, no, but first a dream of happiness would creep up on her, surround her with the blue night and envelop her in drowsiness, then again there would be a thoughtful stop, as if the rest of life, and then embarrassment, fear , languor, some kind of dull sadness, some vague, foggy questions will be heard in a restless head.”
These turmoil are fully consistent with the author’s final reflection, which makes us think about the heroine’s future: “Olga did not know... the logic of submission to blind fate and did not understand women’s passions and hobbies. Having once recognized the dignity and rights to herself in the chosen person, she believed in him and therefore loved, and if she stopped believing, she stopped loving, as happened with Oblomov... But now she believed in Andrei not blindly, but with consciousness, and in him her ideal of male perfection was embodied... That is why she would not tolerate a decrease in the merits she recognized by even a hair; any false note in his character or mind would produce stunning dissonance. The destroyed building of happiness would have buried her under the rubble, or, if her strength had still survived, she would have searched..."
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The image of Olga Ilyinskaya stands out noticeably against the general background of the characters in the novel. Thanks to her honesty, sincerity and nobility, many people associate the girl with an angel who descended from heaven to earth.
Origin of Ilyinskaya and her family
Olga Sergeevna Ilyinskaya was a hereditary noblewoman. Her parents died and she was taken in by her aunt. The author does not say at what age Ilyinskaya became an orphan. The only thing that is known is that it happened after the girl turned 5 years old. (When Olga was 5, her father left their estate with her).
Olga’s estate was under collateral for some time, but at the time when the main events unfolded, all the documents were put in order, and the girl could already live on her estate. The Ilyinsky estate was not in good condition, but had a favorable location, which was promising for its restoration and development.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the image of Ilya Oblomov, a man distinguished by laziness and apathy towards life, in I. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov”.
Olga's family is small - she was the only child in the family, so she has no brothers or sisters. The girl's only relative is her aunt, Marya Mikhailovna. The aunt has neither a husband nor children of her own - Olga replaced her family.
A trusting relationship has arisen between the aunt and niece, but Olga is not always ready to discuss everything with her aunt. So, for example, she conceals the details of their relationship with Oblomov, but does this not because she does not trust Marya Mikhailovna, but because she is not ready to discuss this situation with anyone.
Leisure
The role of women in society at that time was limited. For female representatives of noble birth the road to any service was closed. Women at that time took care of household chores and raising children.
Like all women, Olga is actively involved in needlework - she often embroiders, she likes this activity, because she is fascinated by the process of creating unusual patterns.
Olga’s leisure time is not limited only to needlework: in her free time, the girl does not neglect books. She likes to learn something new, but even more Olga likes to listen to stories and retellings of books.
It is because of this that Oblomov begins to actively read books - thanks to retelling the plot, he manages to attract the attention of his beloved to his person and hold it for a long time.
Ilyinskaya also loves theater - she is fascinated by the acting. The girl never misses a chance to see a performance.
Olga, like the majority of nobles, knows how to play musical instruments. In addition to this, she has a developed ear for music; the girl sings well, accompanying herself on the piano.
Appearance Ilyinskaya
Olga Sergeevna is a girl with a pleasant, attractive appearance. People around her consider her a beautiful and sweet girl. Olga has pleasant gray-blue eyes; you can always find something kind and affectionate in them.
Olga has eyebrows of different shapes. One of them is always curved - just in this place a small fold is noticeable - according to the author, this indicates the girl’s perseverance. In general, her eyebrows were not the generally accepted one - a thin, arched shape; they did not frame her eyes. Olga's eyebrows were fluffy and more like a straight line. Her face was oval in shape, it was not distinguished by classical beauty - it was not immaculately white, and her cheeks were not rosy, her teeth were not like pearls, but she could not be considered unattractive.
On our website you can follow the relationship between Olga Ilyinskaya and Ilya Oblomov, described in I. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov”.
Olga always bowed her head a little, which gave her some nobility. This image was enhanced by the neck - beautiful and thin. Her nose “formed a slightly noticeably convex, graceful line.”
The girl had beautiful curly hair, which she tied in a braid at the back of her head, which further enhanced her noble image.
The girl's lips were thin and always tightly compressed. One got the impression that her lips were not laughing, even when her whole face was laughing.
Ilyinskaya’s hands were of normal size, slightly damp and soft.
Olga was beautifully built - she had a good figure. Her gait was light and beautiful. Those around her considered her like an angel.
Olga's clothes are not anything unusual. Her dress is always cleaned and neat. The girl does not chase fashion trends; when choosing clothes, she is guided by personal preferences, and not by the tenets of fashion. In her wardrobe you can find clothes for any occasion - there are light silk dresses and exquisite, lace ones, and warm, cotton-lined ones for the cold season. During hot days, Olga Sergeevna uses a decorative umbrella, and on cold days she dresses in a mantilla with a headscarf or a hat and cloak.
Characteristics of personal qualities
Olga has always been a “wonderful creature.” She was active and smart even as a child. Even in her childhood, Olga was noticeably distinguished by her sincerity and emotionality.
Olga does not know how to lie and deceive - the concepts of falsehood and deception are alien to him.
Olga is not like most girls in high society - her distinctive feature was her inability to flirt and make advances. She never purses her lip, like most cutesy girls in case of indignation, does not stick out her leg while playing the piano in order to attract the attention of the male half of the audience, does not feign fainting and does not pretend to be illusory in order to attract attention to her person.
Olga is a simple girl. There are no memorized philosophical sayings in her speech. She never uses overheard opinions about anything for personal gain and does not pass off someone else’s opinion as her own. Based on this, many consider her to be a simpleton and not insightful and narrow-minded.
In general, Olga was a timid girl. She rarely intervened in the conversation, not so much because she knew little about the subject of discussion, but because by nature she was a taciturn person.
Olga is a sincere and emotional girl; she rarely remains indifferent to current events, but she tries not to advertise her feelings. Her calm nature allows her to do this.
Olga is a very curious girl, she likes to listen to different stories, both from people’s real lives and literary stories. From time to time, the girl likes to fall into thought.
Olga Sergeevna treats others kindly and patiently. She is a trusting person. Ilyinskaya waits for a long time for decisive action on the part of Oblomov, even in those cases when it was easy to indicate Oblomov’s neglect of her. However, she cannot be called spineless - having become convinced of Oblomov’s deception, the girl follows the dictates of her pride - she breaks off relations with Ilya Ilyich, despite the fact that her attachment to him is still strong.
Despite the fact that Olga is a dreamy girl, she is not without a pragmatic and clear mind. Ilyinskaya is a smart girl, she often becomes Oblomov’s adviser; the solutions she proposes surprise Oblomov with their simplicity and at the same time effectiveness.
Olga has tenacity and perseverance; she is used to following her goal in life, and not waiting for what she wants to come true by itself.
Ilyinskaya is a gentle and sensual nature. She is gentle and affectionate with the person she loves.
She is highly moral and loyal. Ilyinskaya does not recognize betrayal and does not understand such a relationship between beloved people or spouses.
Undoubtedly, Olga has determination - she is always open to change and is not afraid of it. Ilyinskaya is not used to going with the flow of life; she is ready to radically change her life.
Relationship between Olga Ilyinskaya and Ilya Ilyich Oblomov
Olga and Ilya Ilyich Oblomov met on the initiative of their mutual friend, Andrei Stolts. Andrei Ivanovich, on one of his regular visits to Oblomov, decides to actively take up the modernization of his friend’s life.
One evening he brings him to the Ilyinskys’ house. The eccentric and simple-minded Ilya Ilyich became the subject of Olga’s interest. The girl at the time of their acquaintance was still very young and inexperienced, so she gives herself entirely to the feeling of sympathy that arises, allowing it to develop into love.
Ilya Ilyich also fell in love with the girl. Since he was the same age as Stolz, he shared a fairly large age gap with Olga Oblomov - 10 years, but in the case of Oblomov this was little noticeable. Ilya Ilyich was an extremely unadapted person for life, and his ascetic, lazy lifestyle completely deprived him of the opportunity and ability to communicate with people. Ilya Ilyich has not yet had experience in a romantic relationship, so he is somewhat frightened by the feeling that has arisen towards Olga, he is embarrassed and ashamed of his feelings and does not know how he should behave correctly.
One evening, while in prison, Olga performed the aria “Casta Diva,” which was Oblomov’s favorite work. Oblomov’s unexpectedly failed confession became the reason for the active development of the relationship between these heroes.
Ilya Ilyich changed noticeably under the influence of the feeling that arose - he gradually began to abandon his usual Oblomovism, began to monitor his wardrobe and the state of his home. Oblomov actively reads books and constantly goes out into the world.
In a word, he leads the usual life of an aristocrat. However, such a change was not truly his desire - he does this for the sake of his love and in the name of Olga. Oblomov completely surrenders to love, he is a very sentimental and romantic person. It is difficult for Ilya Ilyich to understand other manifestations of love other than this. He is very demanding of Olga, he wants her love to be identical to his love for the girl, and having found different traits, he questions the girl’s love. In this regard, Oblomov writes a letter to the girl, in which he reproaches her for the lack of true feelings towards him and announces to her the separation.
After reading the letter, Olga becomes very upset; she does not understand why her feelings were questioned, because she did not give Oblomov any reason to think that his personality was unpleasant to him. Oblomov, having seen the girl’s reaction to the message about the breakup, understands the error of his actions, he is ashamed of his action. The lovers explain and make peace - their relationship continues to develop.
Oblomov proposes to Olga, and the girl agrees. The only thing left to do is to make their relationship public (which until that time had been secret) and announce their engagement, but Oblomov does not dare to take such actions - he has changed, but not that much. Dramatic changes frighten Ilya Ilyich and he keeps stalling for time. By this moment, Oblomov is tired of Olga’s activity and determination, an active life position, a willingness to change his life and develop as a person are alien to him. His relationship with Olga is increasingly associated with work. Oblomov does not dare to break up with the girl, but he also has no desire to develop the relationship longer. He takes a wait-and-see attitude. At first, Olga doesn’t care much about her lover’s lack of initiative.
She believes that Oblomov needs some time to take action, but the more time passes, the more the girl realizes the illusory nature of her lover’s feelings.
The apogee of the relationship is the exposure of Oblomov’s deception with his invented illness. The upset girl decides to break off relations with Oblomov.
This event has a depressing effect on Olga - despite the secrecy of their relationship, everyone around has already begun to talk about them as future spouses and this hurts the wounded Olga even more.
Relationship between Olga and Andrei Stolts
Olga Sergeevna and Andrei Ivanovich were old acquaintances. A significant age difference (Stolz was 10 years older than Ilyinskaya) did not allow them to create a romantic relationship at the beginning of their communication - in the eyes of Andrei Ivanovich, the girl looked like just a child.
For a long time, their communication did not go beyond friendship, although it was impossible to deny the presence of sympathy. Andrei Ivanovich’s behavior prompted Ilyinskaya to think that he was indifferent to her as a woman. This state of affairs intensified significantly after Stolz introduced the young girl to his friend Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. Andrei Ivanovich knew how to present even the most unattractive features of a person in a favorable light, which is what happened in the case of Oblomov. This fact does not stem from selfish goals, but was the fault of Stolz’s positive and optimistic beginning, who knows how to consider positive, attractive character traits in a person. Olga turns her attention to Oblomov and falls in love with him.
The development of a romantic relationship did not take long to develop - Olga’s feelings turned out to be mutual. However, Oblomovism and Oblomov’s suspiciousness did not allow this relationship to outgrow and start a family - Olga and Oblomov’s engagement was terminated. This incident caused Olga's blues. The girl became disillusioned with love and men in general.
Soon Olga and her aunt are leaving abroad. They lived for some time in France, where they met Andrei Stolts. Andrei Ivanovich, who knew nothing not only about Olga’s engagement to Oblomov, but also about the romantic relationship between them, becomes an active guest in the Ilyinsky house.
After some time, Stolz notices affection for the girl - he realizes that his life is no longer conceivable without Olga. Andrei Ivanovich decides to explain himself to the girl.
Some time ago, Olga would have been happy to hear this, but a bad relationship experience changed her position. Olga decides to open up to Stoltz and tells him all the details from her relationship with Oblomov. Andrei Ivanovich is unpleasantly surprised by his friend’s behavior, but he is unable to change anything. Stolz does not intend to give up his intention and proposes to the girl. Olga does not feel passion or love for Stolz - a feeling of affection and sympathy connects her with Andrei Ivanovich, but the girl agrees to become his wife.
The marriage of Olga and Andrey was not unsuccessful - Olga was able to find harmony in her marriage and become a happy mother.
After her marriage to Andrei Stolz, Olga was transformed; she was able to abstract herself from the negative impressions that arose after breaking up with Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, but their relationship cannot be called complete.
Despite such a sad experience, Olga does not remain indifferent to Oblomov’s fate, and after his death she raises his son along with her children.
Summarize. Olga Ilyinskaya is a positive character in Goncharov’s novel. She embodies the best features and characteristics - she is romantic, gentle and dreamy in nature, but at the same time she has a cold mind and prudence. Olga is noticeably different from the image of cutesy girls that has taken root in society. In her actions, she is guided by morality and humanity, and not by personal gain, which also sets her apart from society.