The image of Tatyana in the novel “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. has conceptual significance. Pushkin. Firstly, because the poet in his work created the unique, unique character of the Russian woman. And secondly, this image embodied an important principle of Alexander Sergeevich - the principle of realistic art. In one of his articles, Pushkin explains and analyzes the reasons for the emergence of “literary monsters” with the emergence and development of romantic literature, which replaced classicism. Let's take a closer look at the image of Tatyana in the novel "Eugene Onegin".
Pushkin's main idea
The poet agrees that the depiction of not a moral teaching, but an ideal - the general trend of contemporary literature - is correct in its essence. But, according to Alexander Sergeevich, neither the past idea of human nature as a kind of “cute pomposity”, nor today’s image of vice triumphant in the hearts are essentially deep-seated. Pushkin, thus, affirms new ideals in his work (stanzas 13 and 14 of the third chapter): according to the author’s plan, the novel, built primarily on a love conflict, should reflect the most stable and characteristic signs of the way of life adhered to by several generations of the noble family in Russia .
Pushkin's heroes therefore speak in a natural language, their experiences are not monotonous and schematic, but multifaceted and natural. Describing the feelings of the characters in the novel, Alexander Sergeevich tests the veracity of the descriptions with life itself, relying on his own impressions and observations.
Contrast between Tatiana and Olga
Taking into account this concept of Alexander Sergeevich, it becomes clear how and why the image of Tatyana in the novel “Eugene Onegin” is compared with the character of another heroine, Olga, when the reader gets acquainted with the first. Olga is cheerful, obedient, modest, sweet and simple-minded. Her eyes are blue, like the sky, her curls are flaxen, her figure is light, yet she does not stand out in any way from a number of similar provincial young ladies in the novel “Eugene Onegin.” The image of Tatyana Larina is built on contrast. This girl is not as attractive in appearance as her sister, and the heroine’s hobbies and behavior only emphasize her originality and difference from the others. Pushkin writes that in her family she seemed like a strange girl, she was silent, sad, wild, timid, like a doe.
Name Tatyana
Alexander Sergeevich gives a note in which he indicates that names such as Thekla, Fedora, Filat, Agrafon and others are used among us only among common people. Then, in the author's digression, Pushkin develops this idea. He writes that the name Tatyana will sanctify the “tender pages” of this novel for the first time. It merged harmoniously with the characteristic features of the girl’s appearance, her character traits, manners and habits.
The character of the main character
The village world, books, nature, scary stories that the nanny told on dark winter nights - all these simple, sweet hobbies gradually form the image of Tatyana in the novel "Eugene Onegin". Pushkin notes what was most dear to the girl: she loved to meet the “sunrise of dawn” on the balcony, to watch the dance of stars disappear on the “pale horizon.”
Books played a big role in shaping the feelings and views of Tatyana Larina. Novels replaced everything else for her, providing her with the opportunity to find her dreams, her “secret heat.” Passion for books, acquaintance with other, fantastic worlds that were filled with all kinds of colors of life, was not just entertainment for our heroine. Tatyana Larina, whose image we are considering, wanted to find in them something that she could not find in the real world. Perhaps that is why she suffered a fatal mistake, the first failure in her life - her love for Eugene Onegin.
Perceiving the alien surroundings as contrary to her poetic soul, Tatyana Larina, whose image stands out among all others in the work, created her own illusory world, where love, beauty, goodness, and justice ruled. To complete the picture, only one thing was missing - a unique, only hero. Therefore, Onegin, shrouded in mystery, thoughtful, seemed to the girl the embodiment of her secret girlish dreams.
Tatiana's letter
Tatyana's letter, a touching and sweet declaration of love, reflects the entire complex range of feelings that gripped her restless, immaculate soul. Hence such a sharp, contrasting opposition: Onegin is “unsociable”, he is bored in the village, and the members of Tatyana’s family, although “simply happy” to have a guest, do not shine in any way. This is where the excessive praise of the chosen one comes from, conveyed, among other things, through the girl’s description of the indelible impression that she received at the first meeting with the hero: she always knew him, but fate did not give the lovers a chance to meet in this world.
And then came this wonderful moment of recognition, meeting. “I recognized it instantly,” writes Tatiana. For her, whom no one around her understands, and this brings suffering to the girl, Eugene is a deliverer, a savior, a handsome prince who will revive her and disenchant Tatiana’s unfortunate heart. It would seem that dreams have come true, but reality sometimes turns out to be so cruel and deceptive that it is impossible even to imagine.
Evgeniy's answer
The girl’s tender confession touches Onegin, but he is not yet ready to bear responsibility for other people’s feelings, fate, and hope. His advice is simple in everyday life, reflecting the life experience he has accumulated in society. He urges the girl to learn to control herself, since inexperience leads to trouble and not everyone will understand her the way Eugene understood.
New Tatiana
This is just the beginning of the most interesting thing that the novel “Eugene Onegin” tells us about. Tatiana's image is significantly transformed. The girl turns out to be a capable student. She learned to “control herself” by overcoming mental pain. In the careless and stately, indifferent princess it is now difficult to recognize that former girl - in love, timid, simple and poor.
Have Tatyana's life principles changed?
Is it fair to assume that if significant changes have occurred in Tatyana’s character, then the heroine’s life principles have also changed significantly? If we interpret Tatyana’s behavior in this way, then in this we will follow Eugene Onegin, who was inflamed with passion for this unapproachable goddess. Tatyana accepted the rules of this game that was alien to her, but her sincerity, moral purity, inquisitiveness of mind, directness, understanding of duty and justice, and the ability to courageously and with dignity to face and overcome difficulties that arose along the way did not disappear.
The girl responds to Onegin’s confession that she loves him, but is given to another, and will be faithful to him forever. These are simple words, but how much resentment, bitterness, mental pain, and suffering they contain! The image of Tatyana in the novel is vital and convincing. He evokes admiration and sincere sympathy.
Tatyana's depth, height, and spirituality allowed Belinsky to call her a “genius.” Pushkin himself admired this image, created so skillfully. In Tatyana Larina, he embodied the ideal of a Russian woman.
We looked at this complex and interesting image. Tatiana Onegina was not in the novel, and could not have been, according to Pushkin. The heroes' attitudes to life were too different.
Appearance, habits of the heroine
Tatyana Larina is the main female character in the novel Eugene Onegin. Belinsky called the novel “an encyclopedia of Russian life.” The image of Tatyana, like the images of other heroes, was typical for Russia in the 20-30s. 19th century But Tatyana is a lively woman with a unique, strong character. Her actions, dictated by internal logic and circumstances, turn out to be unexpected even for the author: “My Tatiana got weird”.
Tatyana is not like her younger sister Olga, a cheerful beauty. The elder sister does not attract the eye with either beauty or freshness. In addition, she is uncommunicative and unkind: “Wild, sad, silent, like a timid forest deer”.
Tatyana does not resemble a traditional folklore, hard-working girl: she does not do embroidery, does not play with dolls, and is not interested in fashion and outfits. Doesn't like girls “playing and jumping in a crowd of children”, run in burners (an outdoor game), does not play pranks or play pranks.
Tatyana loves scary stories, is thoughtful, and watches the sunrise on the balcony. Since childhood, she has been inclined to escape reality into the world of dreams, imagining herself as the heroine of the novels of Richardson and Rousseau: "She fell in love with deceptions".
Character and its origins, character development
Tatyana grew up in the village and was a neighbor on the estate of Evgeniy Onegin. Her parents kept the old patriarchal way of life. It is said about the father that he was late in the past century. This is probably why Tatyana received such an exotic name, with which she is inseparable “memory of antiquity or maidenhood”. In her youth, Tatiana’s mother was fond of the same novels that her eldest daughter later read. In the village of the husband to whom Tatyana's mother was not given for love, she, in the end, “I got used to it and became happy”, forgetting his novel hobbies. The couple lived, keeping "Habits of a dear old man".
Tatiana is cut off from her environment. On the one hand, she - “Russian in soul, without knowing why”. Pushkin, according to the laws of realism, reveals why Tatyana is like this. She lived in "the wilderness of a forgotten village", raised by a nanny, "heart friend", in the atmosphere "legends of common folk antiquity". But the nanny, whose prototype was Pushkin’s nanny, does not understand Tatyana’s feelings.
On the other hand, Tatyana was brought up on foreign novels, “I didn’t speak Russian well”. She writes a letter to Onegin in French because “explained herself with difficulty in her native language”.
The novel traces the change in the life of Tanya, who was brought to the capital by her mother and liked "important general". Everything that happens in St. Petersburg is alien to her: “The excitement of the world hates; it’s stuffy here... she dreams of life in the field.”.
Onegin fell in love with a completely different Tatiana, not a timid girl, poor and simple in love, but an indifferent princess, the unapproachable goddess of the luxurious, royal Neva, "legislator hall". But internally Tatyana remains the same: “Everything was quiet, it was just there”. Dignity and nobility were added to simplicity. The heroine's appearance also changes. No one would call her beautiful, but her sophistication could not be overshadowed by the first beauty of St. Petersburg.
Onegin does not recognize the old Tatiana. She is indifferent, brave, calm, free, stern. There is no coquetry in Tatyana, which “does not tolerate high society”, confusion and compassion. She doesn't look like the girl who wrote “a letter where the heart speaks, where everything is outside, everything is free”.
The relationship between Tatyana and Onegin is the main plot line of the novel
After Onegin, who arrived in his village, visited the Larins, they began to propose him as Tatyana’s groom. She fell in love with Onegin simply because "the time has come". But, brought up in a healthy folk atmosphere, Tatyana is waiting for great love, her only betrothed.
Onegin taught Tatyana the most important lesson in life, which she learned well: "Learn to control yourself". He acted nobly, but Pushkin sympathizes with Tatyana: “Now I’m shedding tears with you”, - and foresees her death at the hands of "fashion tyrant"(Onegin).
The lesson that Tatyana gives Onegin, having become a society lady, in turn, consists of the same wisdom: you cannot be "feelings of a petty slave". This should be preferred "cold, stern talk". But Onegin and Tatyana have different motives. He was never able to become "natural man", as Tatyana has always been. For her, life in the world is hateful, it "masquerade rags". Tatyana deliberately doomed herself to such a life, because when she got married, for her “all the lots were equal”. And although the first love still lives in the heroine, she sincerely and confidently remains faithful to her husband. Onegin does not fully realize that his love is excited by the desire to be noticed in society, to have "seductive honor".
- “Eugene Onegin”, analysis of the novel by Alexander Pushkin
- “Eugene Onegin”, a summary of the chapters of Pushkin’s novel
Lonely, “she seemed like a stranger to the girl,” she didn’t like children’s games and could sit silently all day by the window, immersed in dreams. But outwardly motionless and cold, Tatyana lived a strong inner life. “The Nanny's Scary Stories” made her a dreamer, a child “out of this world.”
Shunning naive village entertainment, round dances and games, Tatyana devoted herself wholeheartedly to folk mysticism, her penchant for fantasy directly attracted her to this:
Tatyana believed the legends
Common folk antiquity:
And dreams, and card fortune-telling,
And the predictions of the moon.
She was worried about signs.
All objects are mysterious to her
They proclaimed something
Premonitions pressed in my chest.
Suddenly seeing
The young two-horned face of the moon
In the sky on the left side,
She trembled and turned pale.
Well? the beauty found the secret
And in the most horror she:
This is how nature created you,
Inclined to contradiction.
From her nanny's fairy tales, Tatyana switched early to novels.
They replaced everything for her
She fell in love with novels
And Richardson and Russo...
From a dreamer girl, Tatyana Larina became a “dreamy girl” who lived in her own special world: she surrounded herself with the heroes of her favorite novels and was alien to village reality.
Her imagination has long been
Burning with bliss and melancholy,
Hungry for fatal food.
Long-time heartache
Her young breasts were tight.
The soul was waiting for someone.
Tatyana Larina. Artist M. Klodt, 1886
Tatyana in the novel in verse by A.S. Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” is truly the ideal of a woman in the eyes of the author himself. She is honest and wise, capable of ardent feelings and nobility and devotion. This is one of the highest and most poetic female images in Russian literature.
At the beginning of the novel, Tatyana Larina is a romantic and sincere girl who loves solitude and seems like a stranger in her family:
Dick, sad, silent,
Like a forest deer is timid,
She is in her own family
The girl seemed like a stranger.
Of course, in the Larin family, where serious and deep feelings are not honored, no one understood Tanya. Her father is unable to understand her passion for reading, and her mother did not read anything herself, but heard about books from her cousin and loved them in absentia, from a distance.
Tatyana truly grew up as a stranger to the Larins. It’s not for nothing that she writes to Onegin: “Nobody understands me.” She is thoughtful, reads a lot, and partly romance novels have shaped her idea of love. But real love is not always like love stories from books, and men from novels are extremely rare in life. Tatyana seems to live in her own imaginary world, conversations about fashion are alien to her, games with her sister and friends are completely uninteresting to her:
She was bored and the ringing laughter,
And the noise of their windy pleasures...
Tatyana has her own idea of the ideal world, of her beloved man, who, of course, should be like the hero from her favorite novels. Therefore, she imagines herself to match him with the heroine of Rousseau or Richardson:
Now with what attention she pays
Reading a sweet novel
With such living charm
Drinks seductive deception!
Having met Onegin, the naive girl saw in him her hero, whom she had been waiting for so long:
And she waited... The eyes opened;
She said: it's him!
Tatyana falls in love with Onegin from the first minutes and cannot think about anything but him:
Everything is full of it; everything to the maiden dear
Incessantly magical power
Talks about him.
Onegin in Tatiana's thoughts has little in common with a real man: he appears to the girl in love as either an angel, or a demon, or Grandison. Tatyana is fascinated by Eugene, but she herself “drew” his image for herself, largely anticipating events and idealizing her lover:
Tatiana loves seriously
And he surrenders unconditionally
Love like a sweet child.
Tatyana is a romantic and naive girl who has no experience in love affairs. She is not one of those women who knows how to flirt and flirt with men, and she takes the object of her love very seriously. In her letter to Onegin, she honestly admits her feelings for him, which speaks not only of her sincerity, but also of her inexperience. She did not know how to be hypocritical and hide her feelings, did not want to intrigue and deceive; in the lines of this letter she bared her soul, confessing to Onegin her deep and true love:
Another!.. No, no one in the world
I wouldn't give my heart!
It is destined in the highest council...
That is the will of heaven: I am yours;
My whole life was a pledge
The faithful's meeting with you;
I know you were sent to me by God,
Until the grave you are my keeper...
Tatyana “entrusts” her fate into the hands of Onegin, having no idea what kind of person he is. She expects too much from him, her love is too romantic, too sublime, the image of Onegin that she created in her imagination does not correspond much to reality.
Nevertheless, Tatyana accepts Onegin’s refusal with dignity; she silently and carefully listens to him, without appealing to his pity and without begging for reciprocal feelings. Tatyana speaks about her love only to her nanny; no one from her family knows about her feelings for Onegin anymore. With her behavior, Tatyana evokes respect from readers; she behaves with restraint and decentness, does not hold a grudge against Onegin, and does not accuse him of unrequited feelings.
Lensky's murder and Onegin's departure deeply wound the girl's heart, but she does not lose herself. During long walks, she reaches Onegin's estate, visits the library of the empty house and finally reads the books that Eugene read - of course, not romance novels. Tatyana begins to understand the one who has settled in her heart forever: “Isn’t he a parody?”
At the request of her family, Tatyana marries an “important general,” because without Onegin, “all her lots were equal.” But her conscience does not allow her to become a bad wife, and she tries to live up to her husband’s status, especially since her beloved man gave her fair advice: “Learn to control yourself.” It is precisely this, the famous socialite, the unapproachable princess, that Onegin sees her upon returning from his voluntary exile.
However, even now her image in the work remains the image of a beautiful and worthy girl who knows how to remain faithful to her man. At the end of the novel, Tatyana reveals herself to Onegin from the other side: as a strong and majestic woman who knows how to “control herself,” which he himself taught her in his time. Now Tatyana does not follow her feelings; she restrains her ardor, remaining faithful to her husband.
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Women whose behavior and appearance differ from the generally accepted canons of the ideal have always attracted the attention of both literary figures and readers. The description of this type of people allows us to lift the veil of unknown life quests and aspirations. Tatyana Larina's image is ideal for this role
Family and childhood memories
Tatyana Larina belongs to the nobility by origin, but all her life she was deprived of an extensive secular society - she always lived in the village and never strived for an active city life.
Tatiana's father Dmitry Larin was a foreman. At the time of the actions described in the novel, he is no longer alive. It is known that he died young. “He was a simple and kind gentleman.”
The girl's mother's name is Polina (Praskovya). She was extradited as a girl under duress. For some time she was depressed and tormented, experiencing a feeling of attachment to another person, but over time she found happiness in family life with Dmitry Larin.
Tatyana also has a sister, Olga. She is not at all similar in character to her sister: cheerfulness and coquetry are a natural state for Olga.
An important person for Tatyana’s development as a person was her nanny Filipyevna. This woman is a peasant by birth and, perhaps, this is her main charm - she knows many folk jokes and stories that so captivate the inquisitive Tatyana. The girl has a very reverent attitude towards the nanny, she sincerely loves her.
Name selection and prototypes
Pushkin emphasizes the unusualness of his image at the very beginning of the story, giving the girl the name Tatyana. The fact is that for the high society of that time the name Tatyana was not characteristic. This name at that time had a pronounced folk character. In Pushkin's drafts there is information that initially the heroine had the name Natalya, but later Pushkin changed his intention.
Alexander Sergeevich mentioned that this image is not without a prototype, but did not indicate who exactly played such a role for him.
Naturally, after such statements, both his contemporaries and researchers of later years actively analyzed Pushkin’s environment and tried to find the prototype of Tatyana.
Opinions on this issue are divided. It is possible that multiple prototypes were used for this image.
One of the most suitable candidates is Anna Petrovna Kern - her similarity in character with Tatyana Larina leaves no doubt.
The image of Maria Volkonskaya is ideal for describing the tenacity of Tatyana's character in the second part of the novel.
The next person who bears a resemblance to Tatyana Larina is Pushkin’s sister Olga. In terms of her temperament and character, she ideally matches the description of Tatyana in the first part of the novel.
Tatyana also has a certain similarity with Natalya Fonvizina. The woman herself found a great resemblance to this literary character and expressed the opinion that she was the prototype of Tatyana.
An unusual suggestion about the prototype was made by Pushkin’s lyceum friend Wilhelm Kuchelbecker. He found that the image of Tatiana was very similar to Pushkin himself. This similarity is especially evident in chapter 8 of the novel. Kuchelbecker states: “the feeling with which Pushkin is filled is noticeable, although he, like his Tatyana, does not want the world to know about this feeling.”
Question about the heroine's age
In the novel, we meet Tatyana Larina during her growing up period. She is a girl of marriageable age.
The opinions of researchers of the novel on the question of the girl’s year of birth differed.
Yuri Lotman claims that Tatyana was born in 1803. In this case, in the summer of 1820 she just turned 17 years old.
However, this opinion is not the only one. There is an assumption that Tatyana was much younger. Such thoughts are prompted by the nanny’s story that she was married off at the age of thirteen, as well as the mention that Tatyana, unlike most girls her age, did not play with dolls at that time.
V.S. Babaevsky puts forward another version about Tatyana’s age. He believes that the girl should be much older than Lotman’s supposed age. If the girl had been born in 1803, then the girl’s mother’s concern about the lack of options for her daughter’s marriage would not have been so pronounced. In this case, a trip to the so-called “bride fair” would not yet be necessary.
Appearance of Tatyana Larina
Pushkin does not go into a detailed description of Tatyana Larina’s appearance. The author is more interested in the heroine's inner world. We learn about Tatyana's appearance in contrast to the appearance of her sister Olga. The sister has a classic appearance - she has beautiful blond hair and a ruddy face. In contrast to this, Tatyana has dark hair, her face is excessively pale, devoid of color.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with A. S. Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin”
Her look is full of despondency and sadness. Tatyana was too thin. Pushkin notes, “no one could call her beautiful.” Meanwhile, she was still an attractive girl, she had a special beauty.
Leisure and attitude towards needlework
It was generally accepted that the female half of society spent their free time doing needlework. The girls, in addition, also played with dolls or various active games (the most common was burners).
Tatiana does not like to do any of these activities. She loves listening to the nanny's scary stories and sitting by the window for hours.
Tatyana is very superstitious: “She was worried about omens.” The girl also believes in fortune telling and that dreams don’t just happen, they carry a certain meaning.
Tatyana is fascinated by novels - “they replaced everything for her.” She likes to feel like the heroine of such stories.
However, Tatyana Larina’s favorite book was not a love story, but a dream book “Martyn Zadeka became later / Tanya’s favorite.” Perhaps this is due to Tatyana’s great interest in mysticism and everything supernatural. It was in this book that she could find the answer to the question that interested her: “he gives her joy / in all her sorrows / and sleeps with her without leaving.”
Personality characteristics
Tatyana is not like most girls of her era. This applies to external data, hobbies, and character. Tatyana was not a cheerful and active girl who was easily given to coquetry. “Wild, sad, silent” is Tatyana’s classic behavior, especially in society.
Tatyana loves to indulge in daydreams - she can fantasize for hours. The girl has difficulty understanding her native language, but is in no hurry to learn it; in addition, she rarely engages in self-education. Tatyana gives preference to novels that can disturb her soul, but at the same time she cannot be called stupid, rather the opposite. Tatyana's image is full of “perfections”. This fact is in sharp contrast to the rest of the characters in the novel, who do not possess such components.
Due to her age and inexperience, the girl is too trusting and naive. She trusts the impulse of emotions and feelings.
Tatyana Larina is capable of tender feelings not only in relation to Onegin. With her sister Olga, despite the striking difference between the girls in temperament and perception of the world, she is connected by the most devoted feelings. In addition, she develops a feeling of love and tenderness towards her nanny.
Tatiana and Onegin
New people coming to the village always arouse interest among the permanent residents of the area. Everyone wants to meet a newcomer, learn about him - life in the village is not distinguished by the variety of events, and new people bring with them new topics for conversation and discussion.
Onegin's arrival did not go unnoticed. Vladimir Lensky, who was lucky enough to become Evgeniy’s neighbor, introduces Onegin to the Larins. Evgeny is very different from all the inhabitants of village life. His manner of speaking, behaving in society, his education and ability to conduct a conversation pleasantly amaze Tatyana, and not only her.
However, “the feelings in him cooled down early,” Onegin “has completely lost interest in life,” he is already bored with beautiful girls and their attention, but Larina has no idea about this.
Onegin instantly becomes the hero of Tatiana's novel. She idealizes the young man; he seems to her like he came straight out of the pages of her books about love:
Tatiana loves seriously
And he surrenders unconditionally
Love like a sweet child.
Tatyana suffers for a long time in languor and decides to take a desperate step - she decides to confess to Onegin and tell him about her feelings. Tatyana writes a letter.
The letter carries a double meaning. On the one hand, the girl expresses indignation and grief associated with Onegin’s arrival and her love. She has lost the peace in which she lived before and this leads the girl to bewilderment:
Why did you visit us
In the wilderness of a forgotten village
I would never have known you.
I wouldn't know bitter torment.
On the other hand, the girl, having analyzed her position, sums up: Onegin’s arrival is salvation for her, it is fate. Due to her character and temperament, Tatyana could not become the wife of any of the local suitors. She is too alien and incomprehensible for them - Onegin is another matter, he is able to understand and accept her:
It is destined in the highest council...
That is the will of heaven: I am yours;
My whole life was a pledge
The faithful date with you.
However, Tatyana’s hopes were not justified - Onegin does not love her, but was just playing with the girl’s feelings. The next tragedy in the girl’s life is the news of the duel between Onegin and Lensky, and the death of Vladimir. Evgeniy is leaving.
Tatyana falls into a blues - she often comes to Onegin’s estate and reads his books. Over time, the girl begins to understand that the real Onegin is radically different from the Eugene she wanted to see. She just idealized the young man.
This is where her unfulfilled romance with Onegin ends.
Tatiana's dream
Unpleasant events in the girl’s life, associated with the lack of mutual feelings for the object of her love, and then death, two weeks before the wedding of Vladimir Lensky’s sister’s fiancé, were preceded by a strange dream.
Tatyana always attached great importance to dreams. This same dream is doubly important for her, because it is the result of Christmas fortune-telling. Tatyana was supposed to see her future husband in a dream. The dream becomes prophetic.
At first, the girl finds herself in a snowy clearing, she approaches a stream, but the passage through it is too fragile, Larina is afraid of falling and looks around for an assistant. A bear appears from under a snowdrift. The girl gets scared, but when she sees that the bear is not going to attack, but on the contrary, he offers her his help, extends his hand to him - the obstacle has been overcome. However, the bear is in no hurry to leave the girl; he follows her, which scares Tatyana even more.
The girl tries to escape from her pursuer - she goes into the forest. Tree branches catch her clothes, take off her earrings, tear off her scarf, but Tatyana, gripped by fear, runs forward. The deep snow does not allow her to escape and the girl falls. At this time, a bear overtakes her; he does not attack her, but picks her up and carries her further.
A hut appears ahead. The bear says that his godfather lives here and Tatyana can warm up. Once in the hallway, Larina hears the sound of fun, but it reminds her of a wake. Strange guests - monsters - are sitting at the table. The girl is overcome with both fear and curiosity; she quietly opens the door - the owner of the hut turns out to be Onegin. He notices Tatyana and heads towards her. Larina wants to run away, but she can’t - the door opens and all the guests see her:
... Fierce laughter
It sounded wild; everyone's eyes
Hooves, trunks are crooked,
Tufted tails, fangs,
Mustaches, bloody tongues,
Horns and fingers are bone,
Everything points to her
And everyone shouts: mine! my!
The imperious owner calms the guests - the guests disappear, and Tatyana is invited to the table. Olga and Lensky immediately appear in the hut, causing a storm of indignation on the part of Onegin. Tatyana is horrified by what is happening, but does not dare to intervene. In a fit of anger, Onegin takes a knife and kills Vladimir. The dream ends, it’s morning already.
Tatyana's marriage
A year later, Tatiana’s mother comes to the conclusion that it is necessary to take her daughter to Moscow - Tatiana has every chance of remaining a virgin:
At Kharitonya's alley
Cart in front of the house at the gate
Has stopped. To the old aunt
The patient has been suffering from consumption for four years,
They have arrived now.
Aunt Alina joyfully received the guests. She herself was unable to get married at one time and lived alone all her life.
Here, in Moscow, Tatiana is noticed by an important, fat general. He was struck by Larina’s beauty and “meanwhile he couldn’t take his eyes off her.”
Pushkin does not reveal the general’s age, as well as his exact name, in the novel. Alexander Sergeevich calls Larina’s admirer General N. It is known that he took part in military events, which means that his career advancement could occur at an accelerated pace, in other words, he received the rank of general without being at an advanced age.
Tatyana does not feel even a shadow of love towards this man, but still agrees to the marriage.
The details of their relationship with her husband are not known - Tatyana came to terms with her role, but she did not have a feeling of love for her husband - it was replaced by affection and a sense of duty.
Love for Onegin, despite the debunking of his idealistic image, still did not leave Tatyana’s heart.
Meeting with Onegin
Two years later, Evgeny Onegin returns from his journey. He does not go to his village, but visits his relative in St. Petersburg. As it turned out, during these two years, changes occurred in the life of his relative:
“So you're married! I didn’t know before!
How long ago?” - About two years. -
"On whom?" - On Larina. - “Tatyana!”
Onegin, who always knows how to restrain himself, succumbs to excitement and feelings - he is overcome by anxiety: “Is it really her? But definitely... No...".
Tatyana Larina has changed a lot since their last meeting - they no longer look at her as a strange provincial girl:
The ladies moved closer to her;
The old women smiled at her;
The men bowed lower
The girls walked by more quietly.
Tatyana learned to behave like all secular women. She knows how to hide her emotions, is tactful towards other people, there is a certain amount of coolness in her behavior - all this surprises Onegin.
Tatyana, it seems, was not at all stunned, unlike Evgeny, by their meeting:
Her eyebrow didn't move;
She didn't even press her lips together.
Always so brave and lively, Onegin was at a loss for the first time and did not know how to speak to her. Tatyana, on the contrary, asked him with the most indifferent expression on her face about the trip and the date of his return.
Since then, Evgeniy has lost peace. He realizes that he loves a girl. He comes to them every day, but feels awkward in front of the girl. All his thoughts are occupied only with her - from the very morning he jumps out of bed and counts the hours remaining until they meet.
But the meetings do not bring relief either - Tatyana does not notice his feelings, she behaves with restraint, proudly, in a word, just like Onegin himself towards her two years ago. Consumed by excitement, Onegin decides to write a letter.
Noticing a spark of tenderness in you,
“I didn’t dare believe her,” he writes about the events of two years ago.
Evgeniy confesses his love to a woman. “I was punished,” he says, explaining his past recklessness.
Like Tatyana, Onegin entrusts her with the solution to the problem that has arisen:
Everything is decided: I am in your will
And I surrender to my fate.
However, there was no answer. The first letter is followed by another and another, but they remain unanswered. Days pass - Evgeniy cannot lose his anxiety and confusion. He comes to Tatyana again and finds her sobbing over his letter. She was very similar to the girl he met two years ago. Excited Onegin falls at her feet, but
Tatyana is categorical - her love for Onegin has not yet faded, but Eugene himself ruined their happiness - he neglected her when she was unknown to anyone in society, not rich and not “favored by the court.” Evgeny was rude to her, he played with her feelings. Now she is the wife of another man. Tatyana does not love her husband, but she will “be faithful to him forever,” because it cannot be any other way. Another scenario is contrary to the girl’s life principles.
Tatyana Larina as assessed by critics
Roman A.S. Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” has become the subject of active research and scientific-critical activity for several generations. The image of the main character Tatyana Larina became the cause of repeated controversy and analysis.
- Yu. Lotman in his works he actively analyzed the essence and principle of writing Tatiana’s letter to Onegin. He came to the conclusion that the girl, having read novels, recreated “a chain of reminiscences primarily from the texts of French literature.”
- V.G. Belinsky, says that for Pushkin’s contemporaries the release of the third chapter of the novel became a sensation. The reason for this was Tatyana’s letter. According to the critic, Pushkin himself until that moment did not realize the power produced by the letter - he calmly read it, just like any other text.
The writing style is a little childish, romantic - this touches, because Tatyana was not yet aware of the feelings of love “the language of passions was so new and inaccessible to the morally dumb Tatyana: she would not have been able to understand or express her own feelings if she had not resorted to to the help of the impressions left on her.” - D. Pisarev I wasn’t so inspired by Tatyana’s image. He believes that the girl’s feelings are fake - she inspires them herself and thinks that it is the truth. While analyzing the letter to Tatiana, the critic notes that Tatiana is still aware of Onegin’s lack of interest in her person, because she suggests that Onegin’s visits will not be regular; this state of affairs does not allow the girl to become a “virtuous mother.” “And now, by your grace, I, a cruel man, must disappear,” writes Pisarev. In general, the image of a girl in his concept is not the most positive and borders on the definition of a “hillbilly”.
- F. Dostoevsky believes that Pushkin should have named his novel not after Evgeniy, but after Tatiana. Since this heroine is the main character in the novel. In addition, the writer notes that Tatyana has a much greater intelligence than Evgeniy. She knows how to act correctly in current situations. Her image is noticeably firm. “A firm type, standing firmly on its own soil,” Dostoevsky says about her.
- V. Nabokov notes that Tatyana Larina has become one of her favorite characters. As a result, her image turned “into the ‘national type’ of the Russian woman.” However, over time, this character was forgotten - with the beginning of the October Revolution, Tatyana Larina lost her significance. For Tatyana, according to the writer, there was another unfavorable period. During Soviet rule, the younger sister Olga occupied a much more advantageous position in relation to her sister.