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In the novel by A. S. Pushkin “The Captain's Daughter” two opposing characters are depicted: the noble Pyotr Grinev and the dishonest Alexey Shvabrin. The story of their relationship is one of the main plot points of The Captain's Daughter and reveals in detail the problem of protecting honor in the novel.
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Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin’s novel “The Captain’s Daughter” is dedicated to the problem of protecting and preserving honor. To explore this topic, the author portrays two opposing characters: the young officer Pyotr Grinev and Alexey Shvabrin, exiled to the Belogorsk fortress for a duel.
Young Pyotr Grinev appears in the novel as an infantile, poorly educated nobleman, not ready for adult life, but in every possible way wanting to break out into this adult life. The time spent in the Belogorsk fortress and in the battles near Orenburg changes his character and fate. He not only develops all his best noble qualities, but also finds true love, as a result remaining an honest man.
In contrast, the author from the very beginning portrays Alexei Shvabrin as a man who has clearly crossed the line between honor and dishonor. According to Vasilisa Egorovna, Alexey Ivanovich “was discharged from the guard for murder and does not believe in God.” Pushkin endows his hero not only with a bad character and a penchant for dishonest acts, but also symbolically paints a portrait of a man with a “swarthy face and distinctly ugly,” but at the same time “excessively lively.”
Perhaps it is Shvabrin’s liveliness that attracts Grinev. The young nobleman is also very interesting to Shvabrin, for whom the Belogorsk fortress is an exile, a disastrous place in which he does not see people. Shvabrin’s interest in Grinev is explained by the desire to “finally see a human face” after five years of being in the hopeless steppe wilderness. Grinev feels sympathy for Shvabrin and spends a lot of time with him, but gradually his feelings for Maria Mironova begin to take hold of him. This not only alienates Grinev from Shvabrin, but also provokes a duel between them. Grinev wants to take revenge on Shvabrin for slandering his beloved, whom Shvabrin takes revenge on for rejecting him.
During all subsequent events, Shvabrin increasingly shows his dishonor and, as a result, turns into the ultimate villain. All the traits most disgusting to Grinev awaken in him: a slanderer, a traitor, who forcibly wants to marry Maria to himself. He and Grinev are no longer friends or even comrades in arms; Shvabrin not only becomes disgusted by Grinev, they become on opposite sides in the Pugachev uprising. Even entering into relations with Pugachev, Grinev cannot go all the way, he cannot betray his noble honor. For Shvabrin, honor is initially not so important, so it costs him nothing to run over to the other side and then slander honest Grinev.
Grinev and Shvabrin are two opposites that diverge as quickly as they attract. These heroes choose different paths, but the outcome still turns out to be successful precisely for honest Grinev, who was pardoned by the empress and lived a long, happy life, unlike Shvabrin, who disappeared unknown to the sound of chains in the prison corridors.
Even more essays on the topic: “Relationships between Grinev and Shvabrin”:
The historical story “The Captain's Daughter” is the last work of A.S. Pushkin, written in prose. This work reflects all the most important themes of Pushkin’s creativity of the late period - the place of the “little” person in historical events, moral choice in harsh social circumstances, law and mercy, people and power, “family thought.” One of the central moral problems of the story is the problem of honor and dishonor. The resolution of this issue can be traced primarily through the fates of Grinev and Shvabrin.
These are young officers. Both serve in the Belogorsk fortress. Grinev and Shvabrin are nobles, close in age, education, and mental development. Grinev describes the impression the young lieutenant made on him: “Shvabrin was very intelligent. His conversation was witty and entertaining. With great joy he described to me the commandant’s family, his society and the region where fate had brought me.” However, the heroes did not become friends. One of the reasons for the hostility is Masha Mironova. It was in the relationship with the captain's daughter that the moral qualities of the heroes were revealed. Grinev and Shvabrin turned out to be antipodes. The attitude towards honor and duty finally separated Grinev and Shvabrin during the Pugachev rebellion.
Pyotr Andreevich is distinguished by kindness, gentleness, conscientiousness, and sensitivity. It is no coincidence that Grinev immediately became “native” to the Mironovs, and Masha fell in love with him deeply and selflessly. The girl confesses to Grinev: “... until your grave, you will remain alone in my heart.” Shvabrin, on the contrary, makes a repulsive impression on others. The moral flaw is already evident in his appearance: he was short in stature, with a “very ugly face.” Masha, like Grinev, is unpleasant about Shvabrin, the girl is scared off by his evil tongue: “... he is such a mocker.” She senses a dangerous person in the lieutenant: “I am very disgusted with him, but it’s strange: I would never want him to dislike me the same way. That would worry me with fear.” Subsequently, having become a prisoner of Shvabrin, she is ready to die, but not submit to him. For Vasilisa Egorovna, Shvabrin is a “murderer,” and the disabled Ivan Ignatich admits: “I’m not a fan of him myself.”
Grinev is honest, open, straightforward. He lives and acts at the behest of his heart, and his heart is freely subordinate to the laws of noble honor, the code of Russian chivalry, and a sense of duty. These laws are unchanged for him. Grinev is a man of his word. He promised to thank the random guide and did this, despite Savelich’s desperate resistance. Grinev could not give half a ruble for vodka, but gave the counselor his rabbit sheepskin coat. The law of honor forces the young man to pay a huge billiard debt to the hussar Zurin, who played not too honestly. Grinev is noble and ready to fight a duel with Shvabrin, who insulted the honor of Masha Mironova.
Grinev is consistently honest, and Shvabrin commits immoral acts one after another. This envious, evil, vengeful person is accustomed to acting with deceit and deceit. Shvabrin deliberately described Grineva Masha as “a complete fool” and hid from him his matchmaking with the captain’s daughter. Grinev soon understood the reasons for Shvabrin’s deliberate slander, with which he persecuted Masha: “He probably noticed our mutual inclination and tried to distract us from each other.”
Shvabrin is ready to get rid of his opponent by any means necessary. Insulting Masha, he skillfully infuriates Grinev and provokes a challenge to a duel, not considering the inexperienced Grinev a dangerous opponent. The lieutenant planned murder. This man stops at nothing. He is used to having all his wishes come true. According to Vasilisa Egorovna, Shvabrin was “transferred to the Belogorsk fortress for murder”, for the fact that in a duel he “stabbed a lieutenant, and even in front of two witnesses.” During the duel of officers, Grinev, unexpectedly for Shvabrin, turned out to be a skilled fencer, but, taking advantage of the favorable moment for him, Shvabrin wounded Grinev.
Grinev is generous, and Shvabrin is low. After the duel, the young officer forgave the “unfortunate rival,” but he continued to insidiously take revenge on Grinev and wrote a denunciation to his parents. Shvabrin constantly commits immoral acts. But the main crime in the chain of his constant baseness is going over to Pugachev’s side not for ideological, but for selfish reasons. Pushkin shows how in historical trials all the qualities of nature are fully manifested in a person. The vile beginning in Shvabrin makes him a complete scoundrel. Grinev's openness and honesty attracted Pugachev to him and saved his life. The hero’s high moral potential was revealed during the most difficult tests of the strength of his convictions. Grinev several times had to choose between honor and dishonor, and in fact between life and death.
After Pugachev “pardoned” Grinev, he had to kiss his hand, that is, recognize him as the king. In the chapter “The Uninvited Guest,” Pugachev himself arranges a “test of compromise,” trying to get a promise from Grinev to “at least not fight” against him. In all these cases, the hero, risking his life, shows firmness and intransigence.
Shvabrin has no moral principles. He saves his life by breaking his oath. Grinev was amazed to see “among the elders Shvabrin, with his hair cut in a circle and wearing a Cossack caftan.” This terrible man continues to relentlessly pursue Masha Mironova. Shvabrin is fanatically obsessed with the desire to achieve not love, but at least obedience from the captain's daughter. Grinev assesses Shvabrin’s actions: “I looked with disgust at the nobleman lying at the feet of the runaway Cossack.”
The author's position coincides with the views of the narrator. This is evidenced by the epigraph to the story: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” Grinev remained faithful to duty and honor. He said the most important words to Pugachev: “Just don’t demand what is contrary to my honor and Christian conscience.” Shvabrin violated both his noble and human duties.
Source: mysoch.ru
The story “The Captain's Daughter” by A. Pushkin attracts the reader not only with interesting historical facts, but also with bright, memorable images of the characters.
Young officers Pyotr Grinev and Alexey Shvabrin are characters whose characters and views are completely opposite. This is evidenced by how differently they behave in everyday life, in critical situations, and in love. And if you feel sympathy for Grinev from the very first pages of the story, then meeting Shvabrin evokes contempt and disgust.
The portrait of Shvabrin is as follows: “... a young officer of short stature, with a dark and distinctly ugly face.” His appearance matches his nature - evil, cowardly, hypocritical. Shvabrin is capable of dishonest acts; it costs him nothing to slander or betray a person for his own benefit. This person cares most about his “selfish” interest.
Having failed to achieve the love of Masha Mironova, he not only seeks to stand in her way to happiness, but also tries, with the help of threats and force, to force the girl to marry him. Saving his life, Shvabrin is one of the first to swear allegiance to the impostor Pugachev, and when this is revealed and he appears in court, he perjures himself against Grinev in order to at least take revenge on him for all his failures.
In the image of Pyotr Grinev, all the best features of the noble class were embodied. He is honest, brave, courageous, fair, knows how to keep his word, loves his fatherland and is devoted to his duty. Most of all, the young man is liked by his sincerity and straightforwardness. He is alien to arrogance and sycophancy. Having managed to win the love of Marya Ivanovna, Grinev reveals himself not only as a gentle and devoted admirer. Above all, he puts her honor, her name, and is ready not only to defend them with a sword in hand, but also to go into exile for Masha’s sake.
With his positive character qualities, Grinev even conquered the robber Pugachev, who helped him free Masha from the hands of Shvabrin and wanted to be imprisoned by his father at their wedding.
I am sure that in our time many would like to be like Pyotr Grinev, while they would never want to meet Shvabrin.
Source: www.ukrlib.com
Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin is not only a negative character, but also the opposite of Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, the narrator on whose behalf the narration in “The Captain's Daughter” is told.
Grinev and Shvabrin are not the only characters in the story who are in one way or another compared to each other: similar “pairs” are formed by almost all the main characters of the work: Empress Catherine - false emperor Pugachev, Masha Mironova - her mother Vasilisa Egorovna - which allows us to say about comparison as one of the most important compositional techniques used by the author in the story.
It is interesting, however, that not all of the named heroes are absolutely opposed to each other. Thus, Masha Mironova, rather, is compared with her mother and displays as much devotion to her chosen one and courage in the fight for him as captain Mironova, who was not afraid of the villains and accepted death with her husband. The contrast between the “couple” Ekaterina and Pugachev is not as clear as it seems at first glance.
These hostile and warring characters have many similar traits and similar actions. Both are capable of cruelty and of showing mercy and justice. In the name of Catherine, supporters of Pugachev (a mutilated Bashkir with his tongue cut out) are brutally persecuted and brutally tortured, and Pugachev commits atrocities and executions together with his comrades. On the other hand, both Pugachev and Ekaterina show mercy towards Grinev, saving him and Marya Ivanovna from trouble and ultimately arranging their happiness.
And only between Grinev and Shvabrin nothing but antagonism is revealed. It is already indicated in the names with which the author calls his heroes. Grinev bears the name Peter, he is the namesake of the great emperor, for whom Pushkin, of course, had the most enthusiastic feelings. Shvabrin is given the name of the traitor to his father's cause - Tsarevich Alexei. This, of course, does not mean at all that every character in Pushkin’s work who bears one of these names should be correlated in the reader’s mind with the named historical figures. But in the context of the story, where the problem of honor and dishonor, devotion and betrayal is so important, such a coincidence seems no coincidence.
It is known how seriously Pushkin took the concept of family noble honor, what is commonly called roots. It is no coincidence, of course, that this is why the story tells in such detail and detail about the childhood of Petrusha Grinev, about his family, in which the traditions of centuries-old noble upbringing are sacredly preserved. And even though these “habits of dear old times” are described not without irony, it is obvious that the author’s irony is full of warmth and understanding. And in the end, it was the thought of the impossibility of disgracing the honor of the clan and family that did not allow Grinev to commit betrayal against his beloved girl and violate the officer’s oath.
Shvabrin is a man without a family, without a tribe. We know nothing about his origin, about his parents. Nothing is said about his childhood or upbringing. Behind him, it seems, there is no spiritual and moral baggage that supports Grinev. Apparently, no one gave Shvabrin the simple and wise instruction: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” And therefore he easily neglects it to save his own life and simply for his personal well-being. At the same time, we note that Shvabrin is an avid duelist: it is known that he was transferred to the Belogorsk fortress for some kind of “villainy,” probably for a duel. He challenges Grinev to a duel, and in a situation where he himself is entirely to blame: he insulted Maria Ivanovna, vilely slandering her in front of the lover Pyotr Andreevich.
It is important that none of the honest heroes approve of duels in the story: neither Captain Mironov, who reminded Grinev that “duels are formally prohibited in the military article,” nor Vasilisa Yegorovna, who considered them “murder” and “murder,” nor Savelich. Grinev accepts the challenge, defending the honor of his beloved girl, while Shvabrin - from the fact that he was rightly called a liar and a scoundrel. Thus, in his addiction to duels, Shvabrin turns out to be a defender of superficial, falsely understood honor, a zealot not for the spirit, but for the letter of the law, only for its external observance. This once again proves that he has no idea of true honor.
For Shvabrin, nothing is sacred at all: no love, no friendship, no duty. Moreover, we understand that neglecting these concepts is commonplace for him. From the words of Vasilisa Yegorovna, we learn that Shvabrin “does not believe in God,” that he was “discharged from the guard for murder.” Not every duel and not every officer was dismissed from the guard. Obviously, some ugly, vile story was connected with that duel. And, therefore, what happened in the Belogorsk fortress and subsequently was not an accident, not a consequence of momentary weakness, not just cowardice, which is ultimately excusable under certain circumstances. Shvabrin came to his final fall naturally.
He lived without faith, without moral ideals. He himself was incapable of love, and neglected the feelings of others. After all, he knew that he was disgusted with Masha, but, despite this, he harassed her, stopping at nothing. The advice he gives to Grinev regarding Marya Ivanovna reveals him as a vulgar (“... if you want Masha Mironova to come to you at dusk, then instead of tender poems, give her a pair of earrings”), Shvabrin is not only mean, but also cunning. After the duel, fearing new troubles, he acts out a scene of sincere repentance in front of Grinev. Subsequent events show that the simple-minded Grinev was in vain to believe the liar. At the first opportunity, Shvabrin takes vile revenge on Grinev by betraying Marya Ivanovna to Pugacheva. And here the villain and criminal, the peasant Pugachev, shows a nobility incomprehensible to Shvabrin: he, to Shvabrin’s indescribable anger, lets Grinev and Masha Mironova go with God, forcing Shvabrin to give them “a pass to all outposts and fortresses under his control. Shvabrin, completely destroyed, stood dumbfounded”...
The last time we see Shvabrin is when he, arrested for his connection with Pugachev, shackled in chains, makes a last attempt to slander and destroy Grinev. He had changed greatly in appearance: “his hair, recently pitch black, had turned completely grey,” but his soul was still black: he uttered his accusations, albeit in a “weak but bold voice” - so great was his anger and hatred of his opponent’s happiness.
Shvabrin will end his life as ingloriously as he lived: loved by no one and loved by no one, serving no one and nothing, but only adapting all his life. He is like a tumbleweed, a plant without a root, a man without a clan, without a tribe, he did not live, but rolled down,
until he fell into the abyss...
The image of Shvabrin in the story is very clearly outlined; it does not leave any blank spots, no opportunities to “think out, finish writing” his biography. A detailed description of Shvabrin is given at the moment of Grinev’s arrival at the service. “The officer is short, with a dark and distinctly ugly face, but extremely lively.” He seemed glad to have a new comrade. “Yesterday I learned about your arrival; The desire to finally see a human face took such hold of me that I could not stand it.”
Alexey Ivanovich is an educated young man who knows languages, a freethinker, with a short track record as a lieutenant, with his own ideas about good and evil. It seems to him that he is not doing anything special, but in seeking Masha’s favor, he crosses the line of decency and sanity. What kind of girl, tell me, would marry a man who threatens to take her by force?
Shvabrin was exiled to a remote garrison for his hot temper and participation in duels. Very soon he will see in Grinev a rival for Masha’s heart and will decide to slander her. But he doesn't expect such a rebuff. The conflict is growing, it will end in a duel and Peter being seriously wounded.
The further behavior of the victim of a fiasco on the personal, love front does not go beyond the once set framework. At the most difficult, culminating moment of the story, Shvabrin betrays the commandant of the fortress, going over to Pugachev’s side. Thus, he violates his oath. The traitor is rewarded: now he is the leader of the Belogorsk fortress.
Subsequently, Shvabrin prevents the rescue of Masha, and even later writes a denunciation to the investigative authorities about his colleague’s collaboration with the rioters. But disorderly and chaotic actions to shield oneself and denigrate the eternal rival do not achieve the goal: Grinev loves and is loved, he is acquitted by the empress, and hard labor awaits the intriguer and traitor.
To a large extent, the image of Shvabrin in the story The Captain's Daughter is written in bright, largely “sarcastic” colors, which directly indicates the author’s attitude towards this type of people. Behavior unworthy of an officer and a man only further emphasizes the nobility and infallibility of the protagonist of the story, rewarded for his diligence, perseverance, and selflessness.
Agreeing to compromises where this cannot be done, making a deal with conscience, looking for workarounds, writing anonymous letters, weaving intrigues, in other words, ruining one’s own soul - this is the choice of Alexei himself. The author thinks so, and in his judgments he is quite straightforward. Only once, at the very end of the story, will we hear sympathetic notes in the speeches of Pyotr Grinev. He will give credit to the defendant in shackles, because during interrogations he never mentioned the name of Masha Mironova.
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Without the image of Shvabrin, Pushkin’s novel “The Captain’s Daughter” would have been deprived of confidence in the triumph of justice. It is thanks to this hero that we can fully appreciate the nobility of Grinev and the truth of Masha’s love.
Origin and occupation of Shvabrin
Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin is a man of aristocratic origin. His family was rich and influential in aristocratic circles.
Alexey Ivanovich, like all nobles, received a good education, he knew several foreign languages and was distinguished by an extraordinary mind.
We invite you to read the poem by A.S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”
Like most young people, Shvabrin chose a military career. Alexey Ivanovich began his military path in the elite troops - in the guard. At first his service was not difficult, but Alexei Ivanovich’s recklessness ruined everything.
Despite the ban on dueling, Shvabrin still disregards the official ban. The duel ended quite successfully for him, which cannot be said about his opponent, the lieutenant. The wound he received led to his death. The fact of the duel became known and Shvabrin, as punishment, was sent to the Belogorodskaya fortress, where he served for about five years: “God knows what sin befell him; As you can see, he went out of town with one lieutenant, and they took swords with them, and, well, they stabbed each other; and Alexey Ivanovich stabbed the lieutenant, and in front of two witnesses.”
Shvabrin's appearance
Alexey Ivanovich did not have a pleasant appearance - he was short, his face was absolutely ugly, it was difficult to identify any pleasant facial features, his face was distinguished by facial liveliness, which was even more repulsive. His skin was dark in color, matching his hair. His hair was perhaps one of the few things that was attractive about Shvabrin - it was deep black and framed his face beautifully.
After Pugachev captured the fortress, Shvabrin’s appearance changed significantly - he changed his usual suit to Cossack clothes, and grew a beard.
The arrest by the official authorities also affected his appearance - his once beautiful hair turned gray, and his beard became matted and lost its attractiveness. “He was terribly thin and pale. His hair, recently jet black, was completely grey; his long beard was disheveled.”
In general, his appearance corresponded to a man awaiting sentencing - he was depressed and discouraged.
Characteristics of personal qualities
Alexey Ivanovich had an extremely hot temper, which repeatedly became the cause of his misfortunes. Intemperance towards the lieutenant deprived him of the opportunity to serve carefree in the elite troops. His temper towards Grinev became the reason for going over to the side of the rebels and, as a consequence, hard labor.
In general, Shvabrin is not a stupid person, he is endowed with intelligence and ingenuity, but in moments of emotional instability, his mental abilities fade into the background - emotions decide everything. “Shvabrin was not very stupid. His conversation was sharp and entertaining.”
Alexey Ivanovich is a dishonest person. His habits include deceiving people and slander. Sometimes he does this out of boredom, sometimes to gain some personal benefit.
One way or another, this pushes those around him away from Shvabrin - no one wants to communicate with a daring and insidious person.
Shvabrin and Grinev
Grinev's appearance in the fortress brought some revival to her sleepy and boring life. There weren't that many employees here, so there were no problems choosing a company to hang out with. Grinev says about Shvabrin: “I really didn’t like his constant jokes about the commandant’s family, especially his caustic remarks about Marya Ivanovna. There was no other society in the fortress, but I didn’t want anything else.” The noble and kind Grinev managed to win over everyone in the fortress, in particular the commandant’s daughter, Masha. Eaten by jealousy, Shvabrin challenges the young opponent to a duel. Shvabrin was practically convinced of his victory - he believed that a person of Grinev’s age could not have exceptional fencing abilities, but it turned out to be the opposite - an accident decided the course of the fight -
Unable to get rid of his opponent in a duel, Shvabrin resorts to deceit. He writes an anonymous letter to Grinev's father about the events that took place. Alexey Ivanovich hopes that the angry father will take his son from the fortress and the path to his beloved Masha will again be clear, but this does not happen. Shvabrin had to hide and wait for a more suitable opportunity.
After some time, such an opportunity arose - after the arrests of the participants in the uprising, to which Alexei Ivanovich belonged, legal proceedings began. It is here that Shvabrin recalls his long-standing grudge against Grinev and attributes to him a game on two fronts. However, this time Shvabrin’s hopes were not realized: thanks to Masha, Grinev was pardoned by the empress.
Shvabrin and Marya Ivanovna Mironova
Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin was by nature an amorous person. Once in the fortress, he immediately noticed a pretty girl - the daughter of the commandant of the fortress. Marya Ivanovna was not exceptionally beautiful; she was unlikely to be able to compete with the first beauties, but she still had pleasant facial features. Over time, Alexey Ivanovich begins to show interest in the girl. It seems to him that even if he does not arouse Marya’s sympathy, then her parents will convince the girl to reciprocate - the Shvabrin family is wealthy, and the Mironovs eke out a miserable existence on the brink of poverty.
Most likely, Shvabrin does not truly love the girl - for him it is a game, entertainment. Marya realizes this and therefore avoids the dishonest and unattractive man, which causes indignation and irritation in Shvabrin. The appearance of Grinev in the fortress further strained the relationship between Alexei Ivanovich and Maria Ivanovna. Mironova falls in love with a sweet and kind young man, and Shvabrin is unable to rejoice at their mutual feeling, and all the time tries to find a way to defend his illusory right to the girl’s love. Shvabrin's attempts do not lead to anything good: Masha only becomes more convinced of his dishonesty and hypocrisy.
After the fortress is captured by the rebels, Shvabrin locks the girl up and starves her - he hopes that in this way he can break her and get what he wants, but Marya is helped to escape, and Alexey Ivanovich is left with nothing.
Shvabrin and Pugachev
Shvabrin's transition to the side of the rebels seems illogical and absurd. For him, as a representative of the aristocracy, a rich and wealthy person, supporting the rebellion is absolutely unnecessary and unjustifiably risky.
The first objective thought that explains such an act is fear for one’s life. Pugachev and the rebels are very categorical with people who do not want to serve them, but, as further developments show, Shvabrin was not only motivated by the desire to stay alive. Shvabrin was disdainful of other people's lives, but was in no hurry to part with his own. Seeing how decisively the rebels deal with the rebellious, Shvabrin takes an oath to faithfully serve Pugachev.
He faithfully serves him and his cause - he cuts his hair in the Cossack manner and dresses in Cossack clothes. Shvabrin behaves freely and uninhibitedly in company with the rebels; he has become so accustomed to the role that it is difficult to recognize him as an aristocrat.
It is likely that Shvabrin’s behavior was just a game for the public - it is unlikely that a person like Alexei Ivanovich truly shared the views and desires of Pugachev.
On our website you can read the poem “Eugene Onegin” by A. S. Pushkin.
The image of Shvabrin did not inspire much confidence in Pugachev - Alexey Ivanovich was a traitor who went over to his side. The fact of betrayal should have alerted Pugachev and cast doubt on the sincerity of his intentions, but, in spite of everything, Pugachev makes Shvabrin the new commander of the fortress; it is likely that this choice was influenced by Shvabrin’s military past.
Thus, the negative image of Shvabrin becomes the background for displaying the actions and characteristics of other characters. A.S. Pushkin uses contrast to achieve a vivid portrayal of the importance of morality and integrity. Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin was always a dishonest, greedy person and as a result suffered for his temper, anger and self-interest - for his involvement in the activities of the rebels he was sent to hard labor.
Literary critical remarks about "The Captain's Daughter"
Reading “The Captain’s Daughter” and condemning Shvabrin’s behavior, the reader probably doesn’t think about the fact that this work is unique in Russian literature in its own way. The problem of artistic psychologism is one of the most complex and least explored. This problem arose, in fact, along with literature and, therefore, went through a number of stages in its development. In the 20–30s of the 19th century, Russian literature had already acquired real maturity. First of all, in the work of Pushkin, who thus became the founder of Russian literature. Artistry has found its fullest expression in the creation of characters - as the most stable, multifaceted and dynamic psychological structures, embodying the uniqueness of individuality. It was on this basis that the formation of psychologism as one of the leading principles of reflection was completed. This happened in close interaction with romanticism and critical realism. After all, their pathos lay primarily in the reflection of human individuality, in the affirmation of its independence, in showing its flourishing and, at the same time, the injuries caused by the socio-historical conditions of life.
So, we must assume that in Russian literature of the first half of the 19th century there were at least three forms of psychologism. First of all, this is the psychologism that arose when man in general was considered the subject of literature, and the dogmas of normative poetics still weighed heavily on writers to one degree or another. However, here it was no longer “high” and “low” that were opposed, but “sensitivity” and “coldness”...
Pushkin's words in the context of psychologism
The main one was also the form of psychologism, which arose with the recognition of the value of human individuality. This contributed to the fact that psychologism finally turned into one of the leading principles of literature (and, perhaps, culture), along with humanism. At that time, fundamental changes were taking place in social psychology in connection with the awakening of self-awareness in society, with the advent of an analytical approach to the existing way of life. Writers of the 20s and especially the 30s increasingly came to this form of psychologism.
“The Captain's Daughter” is the author’s last word. Our writer began his creative path when the process of awakening social self-awareness, and with this the recognition of the value of individual uniqueness, was directly reproduced in literature. Thus, “everyday free-thinking” was reflected, according to Yuri Lotman, which was clearly manifested in “riotism,” as well as “hussarism,” “epicureanism,” a romantic attitude, etc. All these are different manifestations of personal self-affirmation. And it is from this point of view that the hero of Pushkin’s work interprets such forms of the psyche as “character” and “passion”.
Thus, psychologism finally took shape as a principle of reflection in connection with the reproduction of a special state of social psychology: the awakening of an individual’s self-awareness and recognition of the value of individual uniqueness. This is how the form arose that reached its highest development in the works of Pushkin and Gogol. Of course, this form was realized by these authors in different ways, because Pushkin and Gogol did not adhere to the same concepts of humanism and, moreover, dealt with different life material. With the spread of reflection, in particular skepticism, the transition to a new form of psychologism began, which was already discovered by Lermontov. The next step is the psychologism of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy... And, as we see, everything begins in many ways with Pushkin.
Modern receptions of “The Captain’s Daughter” and the image of Shvabrin
Above we analyzed the image of Shvabrin in isolation. However, one cannot help but admit the fact that literature is a series of receptions and reincarnations. Thus, we offer an original look at how the image of Shvabrin migrated into modern literature. In particular, we are talking about the work of Victor Pelevin. In his novel, Pelevin uses a plot device from Pushkin’s “The Captain’s Daughter,” namely, the duel between Grinev and Shvabrin. This duel takes place through a heartfelt poem to Masha, written by the loving Grinev and the ridiculed Shvabrin. In Pelevin's "Empire V" the duel actually takes place in verses of different genres. Mithra writes a sycophantic madrigal, Roma-Rama writes an invective with a socio-political sound.
Pushkin and Pelevin carefully describe the rules of the duel as a knightly code of honor (“The Captain’s Daughter”) and as its verbal imitation (“Empire V”). The duel (the struggle between the heroes for Masha’s heart in “The Captain’s Daughter”) and the dispute over Hera’s commitment (in “Empire V”) becomes the reason for further self-characterization of the heroes. Shvabrin, like Mithra, reveals baseness and sycophancy. Grinev, like Roma-Rama, reveals, in turn, historical insight, wisdom, honesty, and patriotism. The historical insight of Pelevin’s hero continues Pushkin’s reflections on the causes of Russian national-historical “non-identity”, inconsistency with oneself at various stages of social development. Thoughts about the tragic consequences of Russian historical chaos, which are based on “violent upheavals,” have been continued for almost two centuries by the hero of the postmodern era, Roma-Rama. So, the “eternal youth of Russia” is ensured by the previous history torn to the core.
Pushkin's intertext in Pelevin's novel thus acts as a consolidating cultural factor that continues the original Russian literary tradition, creates a dialogue between modernity and the golden time of Russian literature, thereby embodying the saving continuity of eras.
Another emphasis: Shvabrin as a two-spirited person
Pushkin's system is a classical system of antitheses, when positive characters correspond to negative heroes. Shvabrin, as we have seen from our analysis, embodies those characteristics that are associated with negative figures. Meanness, dishonesty, a tendency to treason and betrayal, insidiousness, cruelty, unscrupulousness - all this is about Shvabrin.
When the reader first meets this hero, he finds him in the fortress. Shvabrin is serving a sentence “for murder.” Of course, negative heroes are usually endowed with a powerful mind, wit, attractive appearance, liveliness of character, and entertaining speech. Pushkin collects in the image of Shvabrin all those features that are inherent in typical villains. The reader becomes a witness to the unfolding drama - not jealousy, but the triumph of a sense of ownership. Shvabrin is contrasted with Grinev, a positive character. Grinev gets what Shvabrin couldn’t get. That is, the love of a girl. Dissatisfaction - almost in the Freudian sense - pushes Shvabrin to heinous acts: denigrating the name of Masha (the same girl, as we remember), wounding Grinev in a duel, finally recognizing the impostor Pugachev as sovereign, dressing up, betrayal... Shvabrin captivates Masha, trying to force him to leave marry him. Of course, the story ended happily, and Masha was freed from the fortress. However, Pushkin’s logic unfolds in the key of “misdemeanor - punishment”; in a literary work, justice triumphed, but in life it would probably have happened differently. Shvabrin, after a series of losses, still tries to console himself with revenge. However, he receives only devastation and the final loss of dignity - as a person.
Shvabrin Alexey Ivanovich is one of the negative characters in this work. In the novel, he represents the image of a young officer from a fairly wealthy family of a noble family. As an officer, he was demoted to the Belgorod fortress due to the murder of his comrade.
Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin did not have very beautiful facial features, but there were notes of liveliness in him. He also did not differ in height and, moreover, suffered from excessive thinness.
Among his personal qualities, Shvabrin had a fairly good mind, intelligence and wit. His dialogues are filled with poignant and fascinating themes that further engage the reader. But since he was a negative character, Shvabrin was endowed with such qualities as slander and invention. So, for example, he described Maria Mironova as an absolute fool, but in reality she was a very smart and good-natured girl.
In many scenes he maintained his importance and a very pompous appearance. He constantly made inappropriate and rude jokes that were alien to those around him. Shvabrin always loved to laugh at someone and received great pleasure from it. This man had nothing sacred. He completely refused to believe in God, and therefore he did not care that he was ranked among the murderers.
A deceitful, impudent, and also vile man who betrayed his army and then calmly joined the forces of the impostor Pugachev. After which, Shvabrin received the post of chief of the Belgorod fortress in Pugachev’s detachment. And taking advantage of his position, he kidnaps Masha and holds her by force, thus trying to gain favor from her. But as a result, there is justice in everything and Shvabrin is arrested for committing treason.
Essay Image and characteristics of Shvabrin
Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin is a minor and negative hero of the story “The Captain's Daughter”. This is a young, educated officer from a wealthy family. He was short in stature, his face was dark and ugly. He knew French and skillfully wielded a sword.
He once served in the guard. There he stabbed one lieutenant with a sword and was sent to serve in the remote Belogorsk fortress.
In the fortress, Shvabrin meets Pyotr Grinev, who has arrived for service. At first, he seems to be a very friendly and witty person, with whom it is interesting and fun to spend time.
But, in the future, the hero reveals himself on the other side. He was in love with the daughter of Captain Mironov, but she did not reciprocate his feelings. Being a vindictive, cowardly and vile person, he began to spread bad rumors about her and her family.
He quarrels with Pyotr Grinev because of his jealousy of Masha Mironova and wants to fight him in a duel. During the fight, he stabs his opponent in the back, who momentarily turns away. He writes a false letter to Grinev's father, after which Peter's mother falls ill.
Alexey Shvabrin is a dishonest and unscrupulous person. During the attack of Pugachev's gang on the fortress, he betrays his own and immediately goes over to the side of the villains. Then the impostor Pugachev appoints him commandant of the fortress. His appearance changes, he becomes important, dresses in Cossack clothes and grows a beard.
He takes advantage of his new position and forcibly detains the captain's daughter Masha. He treats her poorly, keeps her locked up, humiliates her in every possible way and starves her. But all his attempts to force Masha Mironova to become his wife are in vain.
At the end of the story, Alexei Shvabrin is arrested. He looks thin and emaciated, his face becomes pale, and his once black hair turns gray. Out of overwhelming powerlessness and anger, he tries to annoy his rival Pyotr Grinev. Shvabrin gives false testimony about him. He claims that Grinev joined the ranks of Pugachev and is a traitor to his homeland. He reveals himself as a vile, hypocritical and deceitful person.
Shvabrin's character does not evoke any respect or compassion.
Option 3
Shvabrin Alexey Ivanovich is a minor character, an aristocrat, a nobleman who, for one reason or another, ended up in the Belgorod fortress. He is a young officer of average height. He is well educated and knows how to talk. There is always a joke and wit in his speech. Once upon a time, he was in love with Masha Mironova, the only daughter of the commander of the fortress, but was refused, which he was not particularly pleased with. He has been serving in the Belgorod fortress for five years.
After Masha Mironova’s refusal, Shvabrin begins to spread dirty rumors about her in the fortress and beyond. Considering this circumstance, we can say with confidence that this is not a very honest person.
His cunning and deceit is proven by the fact that he took advantage of the fact that during the duel, Grinev was distracted by Savelich, and it was Alexey Ivanovich who shot at him. Next, Shvabrin writes a letter about the duel to Grinev’s father, knowing that this could aggravate the situation for Grinev Jr.
At the moment of the capture of the Belgorod fortress, seeing that Pugachev and his comrades were winning. Shvabrin, without thinking about anything, goes over to the side of the barbarian and the robber. In the service of Pugachev, Grinev continues to lie and commit all sorts of tricks and meanness. Having learned that Masha Mironova was alone in the fortress and no one could protect her, he decided to use his power. He rudely harasses the daughter of the murdered commandant of the fortress, which does not indicate his love for Masha Mironova.
When Shvabrin saw that Grinev was under the protection of Pugachev, he fell at the feet of the sovereign, forgetting about his sense of self-worth and honor. He doesn't honor anyone or anything. He is only afraid for his own skin, which is worth nothing. But we should not forget that Shvabrin is a nobleman, and it is disgusting to see a nobleman lying on the ground.
When Grinev took Maria Ivanovna with him, Shvabrin felt anger and a desire to take revenge on him. He wanted to take revenge not out of love for Maria Mironova, but out of rivalry and personal vileness and flattery. In the end, Shvabrin Alexei Ivanovich is arrested for treason.
When Shvabrin is arrested, he will slander Grinev, although he will know that he did not swear allegiance to Pugachev and did not participate in his robberies.
When characterizing the image of Shvabrin, it should be noted that Pushkin introduced this negative character into the novel not only to diversify the plot, but also to remind the reader that in life there are real scoundrels who can ruin the lives of the people around them.
Shvabrin in Pushkin's story
In the work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter", the main villain and anti-hero is not the robber Pugachev with his henchmen, but a young Russian officer - Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin. This is a young man with a quarrelsome disposition, coming from an aristocratic family, with an inflated opinion of himself and his own actions. This character lacks the concept of honor and duty, because after the capture of the Belgorod fortress, without hesitation, he sided with the enemy, without even remembering that he had taken the most important oath - to defend his homeland.
Alexey Ivanovich is not familiar with true love. He really liked the daughter of the commandant of the fortress, Masha, so in a fit of his feelings Shvabrin proposed marriage to her. The girl refused the young officer, as she felt bad intentions and deception from him. After the refusal, Alexey did not reconcile himself and decided that he would take revenge on Maria, calling her names and spreading inappropriate rumors about the life of the poor girl. But Masha steadfastly endured Shvabrin’s attacks, while Shvabrin himself became angrier. During the capture of the fortress, Alexei Ivanovich managed to get closer to Maria, he put her under lock and key, did not give her normal food, but only bread and water, thereby hoping to extract consent to marriage from the exhausted Masha. This act shows that Alexey has no mercy and sympathy, he does not feel sorry for the girl, he only thinks about his own benefit and enrichment.
Shvabrin also did not strive to create faithful and sincere friendship. His meanness and cowardice hurt people. In a duel with Pyotr Grinev, Alexey Shvabrin behaved basely and dishonestly; he stabbed Pavel in the back when he was distracted. Thus, with his cowardly and dishonest act, Shvabrin won a victory over Peter. Alexey also often slandered Grinev, presenting his comrade in a bad light.
Even when a righteous trial of Pugachev’s robbers took place, Shvabrin did not admit his guilt, but was only looking for a reason to evade justice and shift his guilt onto others.
The image of the dishonest, envious and cowardly Shvabrin is very carefully conveyed by the author, thus A.S. Pushkin wanted to show what an officer in the Russian army should not be, and what lies, envy, meanness and cowardice can lead to.
Several interesting essays
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- Essay For the first time in the Opera and Ballet Theater (6th grade Russian language)
This week my classmates and I went to the Opera and Ballet Theater. I have already been to the theater before with my parents, but this is my first time visiting the Opera and Ballet Theater. So the first ballet I saw live was Swan Lake.
- Aesopian language of Saltykov-Shchedrin
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- The image and characteristics of Stelkovsky in the story Kuprin's Duel
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin in his story “The Duel” directed all the reader’s attention to the problems that reign in the army at all times. He dared to show army life with all its vices and shortcomings
One day an instructive incident happened to me, after which I had to draw important conclusions. During the summer holidays, my grandparents decided to go for a walk in the forest
Publication (abbreviated), especially for the Russian People's Line (according to the publication: Chernyaev N.I. “The Captain’s Daughter” of Pushkin: Historical-critical etude. - M.: Univ. typ., 1897.- 207, III p. (reprint from: Russian Review. - 1897. -NN2-4, 8-12; 1898.- N8) prepared by Professor A. D. Kaplin.
Shvabrin.- He has nothing in common with melodramatic villains. - His past. - The main features of his mind and character, his views and his relationship to Grinev, to Marya Ivanovna, to Pugachev and to other characters in The Captain's Daughter.
Shvabrin is usually considered to be Pushkin's failed face. Prince Odoevsky refused to understand him; Belinsky called him a melodramatic hero. Meanwhile, Shvabrin, both as a type and as a character, is depicted in “The Captain’s Daughter” with the same amazing skill as the Grinevs, Mironovs, Pugachevs, etc. This is, in the full sense of the word, a living person, and all the misunderstandings about him are explained solely by the fact that Pushkin, following the laconism of presentation he learned in “The Captain’s Daughter,” does not tell the reader what motives guide Shvabrin in some cases of his life. The duty of criticism is to clarify these motives and thereby put an end to the incorrect, but, unfortunately, very widespread view of Shvabrin among us.
There is nothing in common between melodramatic heroes and Shvabrin. If we include Shvabrin among them, then he will need to be classified as a so-called villain. Belinsky obviously had this opinion. But is Shvabrin really like the traditional villains of the Western European stage, who breathe crimes both in reality and in their dreams about poisoning, strangling, destroying someone, etc. Shvabrin is not this or that walking passion, not this or that walking vice , but a complex character and a creature in the full sense of the word, alive, bearing, moreover, the features of that era, which is reproduced in “The Captain's Daughter”.
Shvabrin is young, “has a good name and has a fortune.” He speaks French, is familiar with French literature and, apparently, received, for his time, a good education. He calls Trediakovsky his teacher and, having literary taste and some literary training, laughs at his love couplets. He served in the guard, but he came to the Belogorsk fortress five years before Grinev appeared there. He was transferred here for killing an officer in a duel. Shvabrin says nothing about his religious, philosophical and political views, but they can be judged by his actions and some hints scattered throughout the novel. Shvabrin obviously belonged to our freethinkers of the last century, who, under the influence of Voltaire, the French encyclopedists and the general spirit of the times, adopted a negative attitude towards the Church and everything Russian, looked at the requirement of duty and morality as prejudices, and, in general, adhered to grossly materialistic views. “He doesn’t even believe in the Lord God,” Vasilisa Egorovna says with horror about Shvabrin (in the fourth chapter), and this alone could not help but alienate Marya Ivanovna from him, to whom he proposed a year before Grinev’s arrival at the Belogorsk fortress.
“Shvabrin was very intelligent,” says Grinev, “his conversation was witty and entertaining.” Having a sociable character and accustomed to moving in the big world in St. Petersburg, he was extremely burdened by being in the wilderness where fate had thrown him, looked down on the people with whom he was surrounded, and was genuinely happy about Grinev’s arrival, because he thought he would find in him some kind of suitable interlocutor and comrade. From the very first time he charmed the inexperienced young man with his liveliness, his ability to speak and present others in a caricature. Grinev only later realized that underneath Shvabrin’s cheerfulness there was an unkind feeling hidden. Shvabrin did not spare even such harmless people as the old Mironovs and Ivan Ignatich. It does not follow from this, however, that he was truly observant and knew the human heart well.
He was mocking, that's all. Shvabrin's mind was a shallow, superficial mind, devoid of that subtlety and depth, without which there can be neither foresight nor a correct assessment of one's own and others' actions and intentions. True, Shvabrin was cunning, crafty and interesting as an interlocutor, but if Pechorin had met him, he could safely say about his mind what he says in “Princess Mary” about Grushnitsky’s mind: Shvabrin, like Grushnitsky, was “ quite sharp"; his inventions and witticisms were often funny, but they were never pointed and evil, even in those cases when they were generated by the most genuine anger; he could not kill anyone with one word, because he did not know people and their weak strings, spending his whole life occupied with himself. Shvabrin could have made up the idea that Ivan Ignatich was in a relationship with Vasilisa Egorovna and that Marya Ivanovna was selling her affections; but he, despite all his cunning, did not know how to use people as instruments of his goals, did not know how to subordinate them to his influence, despite the fact that he passionately desired this; he did not even know how to skillfully wear the mask he put on himself and be in the eyes of others what he wanted to appear to be.
That is why he constantly fell into the nets he spread for others and did not mislead anyone about his person except the inexperienced and gullible Pyotr Andreich. Not only Marya Ivanovna, but even Vasilisa Egorovna and Ivan Ignatich had no doubt that Shvabrin was a bad person. Shvabrin felt this and took revenge on them with slander. About his relationship with Pugachev, one can say the same thing that Pushkin says about Shvanvich: “He had the cowardice to pester the impostor and the stupidity to serve him with all zeal.” This also does not give a particularly favorable idea of Shvabrin’s foresight and insight.
Shvabrin belonged to the same category of people to which Shakespeare's Iago and Walter Scott's Rashley (from the novel “Rob Roy”) belong. He swims smaller than them, but he is just as soulless and immoral as they are. Strongly developed pride, terrible vindictiveness, the habit of taking roundabout paths and complete unscrupulousness in means constitute the main traits of his character. He vividly felt the bitterness of every insult inflicted on him and did not forgive his enemies. Sometimes he put on a mask of generosity and sincerity in order to lull their vigilance, but he could never reconcile with those whom he had once designated as his victims.
Double-mindedness and pretense never left Shvabrin for a minute. After the duel with Grinev, he comes to him, asks him for an apology and admits that he himself was to blame, but at the same time writes a letter to old Grinev, in which, of course, he did not spare either Pyotr Andreevich or Marya Ivanovna, and if not for Pugachev’s attack would have achieved its goal - the transfer of young Grinev from the Belogorsk fortress to some other “fortification”. Seeking Marya Ivanovna's hand, Shvabrin denigrates the young girl in order to bring her down in Grinev's eyes, and thus distract them from each other. In this case, he remained true to himself. His favorite means of intrigue were lies, slander, rumors and denunciations. He resorted to them in relations with Pugachev, and with the old man Grinev, and in the Investigative Commission.
Nervous, annoying, nimble, restless and mocking Shvabrin, completely alien to sincerity and kindness, could not help but have clashes with people close to him. No details are given about his first St. Petersburg duel in The Captain's Daughter, but we know very well under what circumstances the duel took place over Marya Ivanovna. Shvabrin was not a Bretter of the Pechorin type. He did not look for dangers and was afraid of them. True, he was not averse to playing the role of a brave man, but only if this could be achieved without putting his life at stake. This is evident from his clash with Grinev.
Mocking Marya Ivanovna in the presence of Grinev, Shvabrin obviously did not think that his young comrade, whom he considered a boy, would take his words so close to heart and answer him with a sharp insult. Shvabrin challenges Grinev to a duel, carried away by a momentary outburst and a long-ripening feeling of envy and hatred in him. Having made a challenge to Grinev, they are not looking for seconds. “Why do we need them?” - he says to Grinev, having learned about his conversation with Ivan Ignatich, who flatly refused to “be a witness to the fight.”
- “We can do without them.” The fact is that Shvabrin was more skilled than Grinev in fencing, looked at him as a harmless opponent, and, challenging him to a duel, was sure that he was playing for sure. Preparing to put an end to Grinev, Shvabrin did not at all intend to fight him like a knight and, of course, prepared in advance not to miss the opportunity to deal him a treacherous blow (after all, he did not disdain to do this at the time when Grinev heard his name spoken by Savelich , and looked back). This is the answer to why Shvabrin did not look for seconds. They would only get in his way.
Shvabrin was a coward. There is no doubt about it. He was afraid of death and was unable to sacrifice his life in the name of duty and honor.
- “How do you think this will all end?” - Grinev asks him, after the first meeting with Ivan Ignatich about Pugachev.
God knows, Shvabrin answered: “We’ll see.” For now, I don’t see anything important yet. If...
Then he became thoughtful and absent-mindedly began whistling a French aria.
Shvabrin’s “if” meant that under no circumstances did he intend to go to the gallows, and that he would go over to Pugachev’s side if the impostor was really as strong as he said.
The thought of treason appeared in Shvabrin at the first hint of danger and finally matured by the time the Pugachevites appeared near the Belogorsk fortress. He did not follow Captain Mironov, Ivan Ignatich and Grinev when they rushed on a sortie, but joined the Cossacks who handed over to Pugachev. All this could be explained by Shvabrin’s political lack of principles and the ease with which he was accustomed to playing with the oath, like an unbeliever.
Shvabrin's subsequent behavior shows, however, that in betraying the Empress, he acted mainly under the influence of cowardice. When Pugachev arrives at the Belogorsk fortress, together with Grinev, Shvabrin, noticing that the impostor is dissatisfied with him, trembles, turns pale and positively loses his presence of mind. When Pugachev finds out that Marya Ivanovna is not Shvabrin’s wife, and menacingly says to him: “And you dared to deceive me! Do you know, you slacker, what you deserve?” - Shvabrin falls to his knees and thereby begs for forgiveness. In the Investigative Commission, when Shvabrin is not threatened with immediate bloody reprisal, and when he has already become accustomed to the position of a convicted criminal, he has the courage to give his testimony against Grinev in a “brave voice”: he had nothing to fear from Grinev.
How did Shvabrin behave in front of the judges at first? One must think that he was lying at their feet. It is very possible that he would humbly ask for forgiveness from Grinev during the duel if he seriously feared for his life.
Did Shvabrin love Marya Ivanovna? Yes, as far as selfish and base people can love. As a smart person, he could not help but understand and appreciate her high moral virtues. He knew that Marya Ivanovna would be an exemplary wife, that she would brighten up the life of the one she chose as her husband, and he, as a proud man, would be pleased to subject the wonderful girl to his influence. When his proposal was not accepted, and when he noticed that Marya Ivanovna preferred Grineva to him, he considered himself deeply offended. From that time on, his feelings of love were mixed with a hidden feeling of hatred and revenge, and this was expressed in the slander that he decided to spread about her. By vilifying Marya Ivanovna in front of Grinev, Shvabrin not only acted as his weapon against the emerging affection of young people, but also took revenge on the girl who rejected him, cooling the enmity with slander.
Having become the commandant of the Belogorsk fortress, Shvabrin tries to force Marya Ivanovna with threats to marry him. He fails to do this. Prince Odoevsky was perplexed why Shvabrin did not take advantage of those moments when Marya Ivanovna was in his power, that is, why he did not satisfy his passion through violence or force Father Gerasim to marry him with a poor orphan against her will. Yes, because Shvabrin is not Pugachev or Khlopusha: in his relationship with Marya Ivanovna, raw sensuality did not play a big role. Moreover, Shvabrin was not a person whose blood could cloud his mind. He knew, finally, that Marya Ivanovna was not the kind of girl who could be forced into marriage, and that Father Gerasim would not agree to perform the sacrament of marriage on the daughter of his old friend, contrary to her wishes. Shvabrin wanted Marya Ivanovna to become his wife, and not his concubine, because he still continued to love her, be jealous, and suffered at the thought that she treated him with disgust. Trying to overcome her stubbornness, he used those means that were most consistent with his character: intimidation with denunciation, all kinds of harassment and threats, and, in general, a kind of moral and physical torture.
Slandering Grinev before the Investigative Commission, Shvabrin does not say a word about Marya Ivanovna. Why is this? Answering this question, Grinev notes: “Is it because his pride suffered at the thought of the one who rejected him with contempt; Is it because in his heart lurked a spark of the same feeling that forced me to remain silent - be that as it may, the name of the daughter of the Belogorsk commandant was not uttered in the presence of the commission! Grinev’s words perfectly explain what motives guided Shvabrin in this case. He felt all the bitterness of the resentment that consisted in Marya Ivanovna’s refusal to be his wife, he experienced the pangs of jealousy and envy of his rival; but he still continued to love Marya Ivanovna, felt guilty before her and did not want to involve her in political criminality, subjecting her to all the consequences of close acquaintance with the harsh themis of Shishkovsky’s time. Love for Marya Ivanovna even had an ennobling effect on Shvabrin.
It is possible, however, to admit another clue to Shvabrin’s behavior in the Investigative Commission regarding the daughter of Captain Mironov - a clue that Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, who always somewhat idealized his rival and enemy, overlooks. It was simply unprofitable for Shvabrin to involve Marya Ivanovna in the case, because she could show much that was not in his favor and easily expose his lies and slander; Shvabrin, of course, firmly remembered this during the confrontation with Grinev.
So, what is Shvabrin? This is not a melodramatic villain; he is a lively, witty, intelligent, proud, envious, vindictive, cunning, low and cowardly, deeply corrupted egoist, mocking and insolent with those whom he is not afraid of, servilely servile with those who inspire him with fear. Like Shvanvich, he was always ready to prefer a shameful life to an honest death. Under the influence of anger and a sense of self-preservation, he is capable of any baseness. Regarding his betrayal of loyal and official duty, one can say what Catherine II says about Grinev: “He stuck to the impostor not out of ignorance and gullibility, but as an immoral and harmful scoundrel.”
For Shvabrin, nothing is sacred, and he stopped at nothing to achieve his goals. The addition to the thirteenth chapter of “The Captain’s Daughter” states that Shvabrin did not allow the Grinevs’ house to be plundered, “preserving in his very humiliation an involuntary disgust from dishonest greed.” This is understandable. Shvabrin received a lordly and, to a certain extent, refined upbringing; therefore, much of what seemed very natural to some semi-savage escaped convict inspired him with a feeling of disgust.
This does not mean, however, that he is higher than Pugachev or Khlopushi. Morally, he stands immeasurably lower than them. He did not have the bright sides that they had, and if he disdained some of their exploits, it was only because he was more civilized and more effeminate than them. They rushed at their enemies like lions and tigers, and took prey in battle, but he sneaked up on his victims like a fox, and, like a snake, stung them at a time when they least expected it: He was disgusted with robberies and robberies, but he, without hesitation, inflicted treacherous blows on his enemies and with a light heart would have sent them around the world with the help of forgeries and all sorts of lies, if he had wanted to take possession of their wealth.
Shvabrin was neither Richard III nor Franz Moor, but he would have been a perfectly suitable person for Caesar Borgia's retinue. He could have neither friends nor selfless affections, for he sincerely loved only himself and was completely incapable of self-sacrifice. He was not a monster by vocation, but he did not know how to love very much and he knew how to hate very much.
It was not for nothing that Pushkin endowed Shvabrin with an ugly face: as a man inclined to rule over others and, probably, far from indifferent to the impression he made on women, Shvabrin, one must think, cursed his unfortunate appearance, thanks to it he suffered many injections for his pride and , of course, did not forgive those who guessed his soul from his face.
There is nothing Russian in Shvabrin: everything Russian was erased from him by his upbringing, but he was still a Russian degenerate, a type that could only arise on Russian soil under the influence of the 18th century and its peculiarities. Despising the faith of his grandfathers and fathers, Shvabrin despised, at the same time, the concepts of honor and duty that guided both Grinevs.
Fatherland, oath, etc. - all these are words for Shvabrin, devoid of any meaning. Shvabrin, as an everyday phenomenon, belongs to the same type as Fonvizin’s caricature of our young Westerners of the 18th century - Ivanushka in “The Brigadier”. Shvabrin is smarter than Ivanushka; Moreover, there is not a single comical feature in him. Ivanushka can only excite laughter and contempt; Shvabrin is not at all suitable to be the hero of a cheerful comedy. Nevertheless, he still has a lot in common with the brigadier’s son, as a product of the same spirit of the times.