Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin” (see its full text and summary by chapter) is of great importance not only in the history of the Russian novel, but also as a work of autobiographical significance. The image of the hero took shape in the author’s imagination when he already had a completely negative attitude towards Byronism. But Pushkin still had fresh memories of his recent passion for the English poet. And so, according to his confession, he writes a “satirical work” in which he aims to ridicule “Muscovites in Harold’s cloaks,” that is, the young men of his time who pretended to be disappointed Byronic heroes. Pushkin himself sinned with this not long ago, and did not hide this weakness in his novel.
Scolded Homer, Theocritus;
But I read Adam Smith
And there was a deep economy,
That is, he knew how to judge
How does the state get rich?
And how does he live, and why?
He doesn't need gold
When a simple product has.
It was “fashionable”, it was a sign of “good form”...
But this was not what filled his social life. Catching women's hearts, that's what Evgeniy did especially diligently. And here success awaited him. Pushkin helps us understand where Onegin got his knowledge from:
It is not nature that teaches us love...
We are hungry to know life in advance
And we recognize her in the novel...
Onegin experienced this.
And Pushkin points out which romantic hero was the model of Onegin: this Richardsonian Lovelace, "winner of women's hearts." The goal of his life is “to conquer women’s hearts.” For this, Onegin developed a special tactic, studied the psychology of the female heart: easy victories are not interesting to him; he loved the "hard fight"; This is a kind of “sport” for him...
How early could he be a hypocrite?
To harbor hope, to be jealous,
To dissuade, to make believe,
Seem gloomy, languish,
Be proud and obedient
Attentive or indifferent!
How languidly silent he was,
How fieryly eloquent
How careless in heartfelt letters!
Handra Onegina
Onegin's life rolled on, cloudless and calm, an environment of all kinds of pleasures: theaters, balls, dinners in a fashionable restaurant, worries about appearance and costume filled his empty and vulgar existence. Fate endowed Onegin with “mind” and “heart”, without giving him any education or upbringing, without indicating the outcome of his spiritual powers. From such a discrepancy between the wealth of his strength and the poverty of his soul, discord arose in him, and it is no wonder that he soon became tired and bored:
His feelings cooled down early,
He was tired of the noise of the world,
The beauties didn't last long
The subject of his usual thoughts.
We've had time to tire of the betrayals,
Friends and friendship are boring
And, although he was an ardent rake,
But he finally fell out of love
And scolding, and saber, and lead.
And so, the “English spleen”, or Russian melancholy, took possession of him, and besides, fashion in high society changed, and “Lovelace’s fame became dilapidated.” Then he replaced the imitation of Lovelace with the imitation of Childe Harold, and began to “act like an eccentric.”
He will shoot himself, thank God,
I didn't want to try
But he completely lost interest in life.
Like Child-Harold, gloomy, languid
He appeared in living rooms;
Neither the gossip of the world, nor Boston,
Not a sweet look, not an immodest sigh,
Nothing touched him
He didn't notice anything.
The heart was empty, the mind was idle. Onegin tried to take up literature, but he was sick of the persistent work, and he gave up his pen. Onegin took up the book, but he was not accustomed to “reading” either, and besides, when he had lost faith in life, he could not believe the book.
He lined the shelf with a group of books,
I read and read, but to no avail:
There is boredom, there is deception or delirium;
There is no conscience in that, there is no meaning in that;
Everyone is wearing different chains;
And the old thing is outdated,
And the old are delirious of the newness.
Like women, he left books,
And a shelf with their dusty family,
Covered it with mourning taffeta.
Onegin considered his “blues” and “apathy”, the result of fatigue and spiritual emptiness, to be “disappointment” and willingly covered himself with the then fashionable Childe Harold cloak. It is not for nothing that out of all the books he read only the works of Byron:
Yes, there are two or three more novels with him,
In which the century is reflected,
And modern man
Depicted quite accurately
With his immoral soul,
Selfish and dry,
Immensely devoted to a dream;
With his embittered mind
Seething in empty action.
Onegin was a prominent representative of that “half-education” that was so characteristic of Russian society of that time. The mind did not allow Onegin to merge with this society for the rest of his life, but he did not know how to look for the goals of existence outside of this society. And, as a result, in his person the first example of a “superfluous person” appeared in Russian literature.
The book was discarded, and Eugene remained helpless in life, “without a rudder” and “without sails,” with a “sharp, chilled mind,” a strange dreamer without a goal in life, gloomy with complaints about the malice of blind fortune, with contempt for people, with sarcastic speeches.
He who lived and thought cannot
Do not despise people in your heart;
Whoever felt it is worried
Ghost of irrevocable days:
There's no charm for that
That serpent of memories
He is gnawing at remorse.
He almost went to travel, but the news of the fatal illness of a village uncle called him to the village.
Suddenly he really got
Report from the manager
That uncle is dying in bed
And I would be glad to say goodbye to him.
After reading the sad message,
Evgeniy on a date right away
Swiftly galloped through the mail
And I already yawned...
In the village, Onegin was at first interested in the novelty of life, the unusual beauties of quiet nature for him. He became interested in the plight of his serfs, and made their existence easier, replacing the “yoke of ancient corvée” with “light quitrent,” but soon he got bored here too and led a solitary life, alienating his neighbors with misanthropy. The naive villagers in their assessment of the hero were not as lenient as the St. Petersburg “society”; they recognized Onegin as both a freethinker (“farmazon,” i.e., a Frank Freemason) and an “ignoramus.”
Read about the future fate of Onegin in the articles
The poem “Eugene Onegin” is a real encyclopedia of the life of Russian people of the 19th century. The novel in verse was created during the years 1823-1831. It clearly shows the stylistic features of realism. The different segments of the Russian population of that time period are depicted very laconically and accurately. The initial chapters were written by a young poet, and in the final chapters it is felt that the author is a person with vast life experience. This novel traces the maturation of A. S. Pushkin as a creator.
History of creation
The great poet worked on his brainchild for more than seven years. The author considered the novel “Eugene Onegin” a magnificent creation. Along with “Boris Godunov” he called it a feat. This fascinating work reveals the dramatic fate of the noble intelligentsia. All this happens against the backdrop of pictures of Russian life.
Work on the essay began in May 1823 in Chisinau. At this time the poet was in exile. Pushkin decided to write a realistic novel in verse, abandoning romanticism as the leading creative principle.
But still, the first pages still have romantic features. The original idea called for nine chapters. However, due to political issues, one chapter had to be removed - “Onegin’s Travels”. Some of its fragments are included in the appendix. Researchers of Alexander Sergeevich’s work point out that this chapter describes how Evgeny Onegin becomes an observer near the Odessa pier. This was followed by rather harsh judgments and remarks. Fearing possible persecution by the authorities, Pushkin destroyed this fragment.
Time period of the novel
The poem "Eugene Onegin" covers numerous events (from 1819 to 1825). Firstly, this was the time of the reign of Alexander the First. Secondly, these were the years of development of Russian society. Thirdly, the period from before the Decembrist uprising.
The time of action and creation of the novel practically coincides. Indeed, in general, it reflected the important events of the first quarter of the 19th century.
Similar to Lord Byron’s poem called “Don Juan,” A. S. Pushkin created his novel. “Eugene Onegin,” whose poems seem to be collected in motley chapters, is rightfully considered the best literary creation of the 19th century.
It is not for nothing that the novel is called the encyclopedia of its time. From the text you can learn about tastes and their preferences in clothing, fashion, and values. “Eugene Onegin” literally describes the entire Russian life.
Editions
The poem was published gradually, in separate editions, each of which included one chapter. The most striking excerpts were published in almanacs and magazines. Each chapter was awaited with great impatience; it was perceived as a great event in Russian literature. The very first chapter was published in 1825. Readers could purchase the complete edition in one volume since 1833. Shortly before Pushkin’s death (in January 1837), I. Glazunov’s printing house released the novel in mini-format.
It was planned to sell 5,000 copies within a year (five rubles per book). However, after the death of the poet, the entire circulation was sold out within a week.
In 1988, a circulation of 15,000 copies was published (Kniga publishing house).
Plot
The poem opens with the lamentations of a young nobleman about the illness of his uncle. Already here the character of Eugene Onegin is revealed. He has to come to St. Petersburg to say goodbye to the patient. The first chapter tells about the origin, family and life of the main character before receiving the sad news.
Social entertainment and love affairs filled the life of a young man in St. Petersburg. But he gets tired of all this. When Evgeniy visits his uncle in the village, he finds out that his relative has already died. The young man becomes his only heir.
Evgeny Onegin falls into deep depression (analysis of his image is in a separate section). He begins to make friends with his neighbor Lensky, who is the complete opposite of Onegin. Vladimir is an ardent and passionate romantic poet who is in love with Olga Larina. Evgeniy is quite surprised by his friend’s choice, hinting that he would choose Tatiana. The latter falls in love with Onegin and writes him a frank letter with declarations of love. However, the cold nobleman rejects her.
Onegin finds himself at dinner with the Larins. Out of boredom, he begins to court Olga, making his friend jealous. Lensky challenges him to a duel. The duel ends with the death of Vladimir, and Evgeniy leaves the village.
The next meeting with Tatyana, who fell in love with him, happens three years later. Now she is an important socialite, the wife of a general. Onegin falls in love with her, but attempts to woo the girl end in failure. Now she refuses him, although she does not hide the fact that she still loves him. But loyalty and family are more important to her than feelings.
At this point the story is interrupted. The description of the novel “Eugene Onegin” continues with a description of the main characters.
Characters
- Onegin.
- Tatyana Larina.
- Vladimir Lensky.
- Olga Larina.
- Tatiana's nanny.
- Zaretsky (second).
- Husband of Tatyana Larina, whose name is not indicated.
- Author (Pushkin himself).
Dmitry and Praskovya Larins (father and mother), uncle Evgenia, Moscow cousin of the Larins, etc. are mentioned.
"Eugene Onegin". Analysis of Tatiana's letter
A young provincial girl, in a letter to Onegin, confesses the feelings that have flared up in her. In the 19th century, it was not customary for young ladies to be the first to declare their love. However, Tatyana consciously oversteps moral prohibitions. Her pride suffers from this, she torments herself with doubts, and is overcome by conflicting feelings. Despite all this, the girl acts decisively. The letter reveals her subtle and romantic nature. It is not at all surprising that Tatyana experiences such passionate feelings. The girl loved French novels since childhood. She always dreamed of finding her hero so that she could throw out her emotions. The choice of Onegin did not fall by chance. He seemed special to her, completely different from the other residents of the village. He was mysterious and enigmatic to her. This is exactly the hero Tatyana dreamed about. She believed that Evgeny would certainly understand and love her. She is very worried about the lines written and is ashamed of them. The nanny who suddenly enters notices the blush on the girl’s face, but considers this a sign of health. Tatyana gives the letter and awaits the result in fear.
Characteristics of the main character
The image of Evgeny Onegin is very complex and contradictory. This is a young landowner who did not receive due attention and proper upbringing as a child. He grew up without a mother, deprived of the necessary affection and warmth. The father had nothing to do with his son. He entrusted it to the tutors. Therefore, Onegin became a selfish person. He cared only about his own desires, and the suffering of other people was absolutely uninteresting. The image of Eugene Onegin amazes with its composure. It can touch almost anyone's nerves. Evgeniy is capable of greatly offending without noticing that he has committed a bad act. Unfortunately, everything good and beautiful that was hidden deep in his soul remained undeveloped. Evgeny's whole life is sheer laziness and boredom. Saturated with monotonous pleasures, he sees nothing joyful in life.
Fictional hero
The image of Evgeny Onegin was not invented. This is a typical young man of that time. Such youths are different from the representatives of the ruling class. They are nobler, more conscientious and smarter. Such as themselves, the social structure and personal environment. Onegin has high views and demands on life. Having met Lensky, who graduated from the best university in Germany, he can argue with him on any topic. He values his friendship with Vladimir very much. In his attitude towards Tatyana and Lensky, such a trait of his as goodwill is revealed.
By the end of the novel, the image of Eugene Onegin is transformed. We already see a sincere person in love. He's different. But his love was late. Although Tatyana has feelings, she is not ready to betray her husband. Now Evgeniy understands how stupid he was before. He regrets that he missed such a girl and possible happiness. But awareness comes too late, nothing can be changed.
The poem by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is one of the best creations of the 19th century. The poet worked on his brainchild for seven years. The work can be called a socio-psychological novel in poetic form. It is written in simple and easy language. The author pays a lot of attention to depicting the characters and emotional experiences of his characters: Onegin, Lensky, Tatyana, Olga, the girls’ mother, nanny and others.
Eugene Onegin is a young nobleman and aristocrat, the main character of the greatest novel in verse by A.S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin,” which was created by the Russian genius over the course of eight years. In this work, named by the outstanding literary critic of the 19th century V.G. Belinsky's "encyclopedia of Russian life", Pushkin reflected all his thoughts, feelings, concepts and ideals, his life, soul and love.
In the image of the main character, the author embodied the type of modern man of his era, who throughout the novel, like Pushkin, grows up, gets smarter, gains experience, loses and gains friends, makes mistakes, suffers and is mistaken, makes decisions that radically change his life. The very title of the novel shows the central place of the hero in the work and Pushkin’s special attitude towards him, and although he has no prototypes in real life, he is familiar with the author, has mutual friends with him and is really connected with the real life of that time.
Characteristics of the main character
(Evgeniy and Tatiana, meeting in the garden)
The personality of Evgeny Onegin can be called quite complex, ambiguous and contradictory. His egoism, vanity and high demands both for the surrounding reality and for himself - on the one hand, a subtle and vulnerable mental organization, a rebellious spirit striving for freedom - on the other. The explosive mixture of these qualities makes him an extraordinary person and immediately attracts the attention of readers to his person. We meet the main character at the age of 26, he is described to us as a representative of the golden youth of St. Petersburg, indifferent and filled with anger and bilious irony, seeing no meaning in anything, tired of luxury, idleness and other earthly entertainments. To show the origins of his disappointment in life, Pushkin tells us about his origin, childhood and adolescence.
Onegin was born into an aristocratic, rich, but later bankrupt family, received a rather superficial education, divorced from the realities of Russian life, but quite typical for that time, which allowed him to easily speak French, dance the mazurka, bow naturally and have pleasant manners for going out into the world. .
Plunging into a carefree social life with its entertainment (visiting theaters, balls, restaurants), love affairs, a complete lack of responsibilities and the need to earn a living, Onegin quickly becomes fed up and feels a real disgust for the empty and idle metropolitan tinsel. He falls into depression (or, as it was called then, “Russian blues”) and tries to distract himself by finding something to do. First, this is a literary attempt at writing, which ended in complete failure, then binge reading books, which quickly bored him, and finally escape and voluntary seclusion in the wilderness of the village. His pampered lordly upbringing, which did not instill in him a love of work and a lack of willpower, led to the fact that he could not bring a single task to its logical conclusion; he spent too much time in idleness and laziness, and such a life completely ruined him.
Arriving in the village, Onegin avoids the company of neighbors, lives alone and apart. At first, he even tries to make life easier for the peasants in some way, replacing corvee with “light quitrent,” but old habits take their toll and after carrying out one single reform, he becomes bored and despondent and gives up everything.
(Painting by I. E. Repin "Duel of Onegin with Lensky" 1899)
The real gifts of fate (which Onegin selfishly did not appreciate and carelessly discarded) were sincere friendship with Lensky, whom Evgeni killed in a duel, and the sublime, bright love of the beautiful girl Tatyana Larina (also rejected). Having become a hostage of public opinion, which he really despised so much, Onegin agrees to a duel with Lensky, who has become a truly congenial person to him, and mortally wounds him in a duel.
Selfishness, indifference, indifference to life and spiritual callousness did not allow him to appreciate the great gift of love offered by fate, and for the rest of his life he remains a lonely and restless seeker of the meaning of life. Having matured and wiser, he meets Tatiana again in St. Petersburg and falls madly in love with the luxurious and brilliant society lady she has become. But it’s too late to change anything, his love is rejected out of a sense of duty and Onegin is left with nothing.
The image of the hero in the work
(Painting by Yu. M. Ignatiev based on the novel "Eugene Onegin")
The image of Onegin in Russian literature opens up a whole galaxy of heroes, the so-called “superfluous people” (Pechorin, Oblomov, Rudin, Laevsky), who suffer in the reality around them and are in search of new moral and spiritual values. But they are too weak-willed, lazy or selfish to take any real action that can change their life for the better. The ending of the work is ambiguous, Onegin remains at a crossroads and can still find himself and commit actions and deeds that will benefit society.
For the first time, Onegin’s characterization is given in Chapter I of the novel, where Pushkin not only introduces us to his hero, but also reveals an important stage in his evolution. And how did he appear?
We note Onegin's honesty and directness: he does not try to instill in himself kindred feelings or pity for his rich old uncle. With his characteristic caustic wit, Onegin mocks the hypocrisy of relatives showing ostentatious care for the sick: “What low deceit...”
But Evgeniy is also ironic about himself: after all, it is he who is going to the dying man,
Getting ready, for the sake of money,
For sighs, boredom and deception...
Onegin's directness is a characteristic that hardly excuses his cynicism, the swagger with which the “young rake” speaks about the dying old man.
So in just one stanza, in one statement of the hero, a complex, contradictory character is revealed: Onegin is sarcastic, smart, does not take into account some social conventions and prejudices, is capable of self-exposure, angry and cynical. The hero's words are caustic, full of dark irony. But this was not Onegin’s speech at his first entrance into the world.
He's completely French
He could express himself and wrote...
Young Onegin speaks gracefully, easily, more often in French than in Russian, and knows how to conduct a casual conversation on any topic. Without a doubt, the content of Onegin’s statements testifies to some of his free-thinking, but at the same time it is clear that this free-thinking is shallow and frivolous.
In the story about Eugene's upbringing and social successes, several mocking verses paint him from head to toe and make one guess about his origin, lifestyle, and surroundings. For example: “He served excellently and nobly.”
The words "distinguished-noble" - a common term used in service records and other official documents - help to imagine a brilliant and perhaps brave retired officer. But one cannot help but feel the ironic connotation of these words, especially when you read the next verse - “lived with debts.” Living in debt is a subtle art, which many aristocrats of that time mastered superbly, but it has little to do with nobility. Onegin's father is one of many like him: a carefree, sociable and hospitable playmaker.
Onegin's teacher is also depicted in an epigrammatic style. The depiction of the teacher and his teaching activities helps us understand Onegin’s character, understand why he was able to “touch everything lightly,” “but he was sick of hard work.”
The author also makes Onegin himself, during the period of his secular success, the target of friendly but merciless ridicule. In themselves, the qualities acquired by Onegin by the time he entered the “society” are not funny or ironic. The funny thing is that this baggage is enough for Evgeny himself, and it’s quite enough for the world: “What do you need more?” - the author asks ironically, revealing the circle of interests of both the hero and the environment.
Let's consider the most important life interest of young Onegin - love play. Why “the science of tender passion”? Why not say “love”? Is it possible to combine the words “science” and “passion”? After all, passion presupposes an uncontrollable feeling, which sometimes even the mind cannot cope with. The fact is that there is no such feeling here, but there is a skillful fake, a complex “science” that replaces true suffering and happiness. And further: “How early he could be a hypocrite,” “Appear gloomy, languish,” “How he knew how to appear new,” etc. Every word speaks of the false, ostentatious nature of feelings, of the fact that Onegin perfectly mastered the entire arsenal of the science of love, but his heart was silent.
Is it his great fault that he, “a child of fun and luxury,” did not find serious business in life? The entire course of the narrative makes us understand that the dear young man, the “philosopher at eighteen years old,” lived as was customary, as was customary in his circle.
Pushkin also recalls his stay in society in the same tone as Onegin’s youth. The son of his time and circle, the poet could not avoid communicating with the light. Digressions help us to more fully feel the atmosphere of cheerful, frivolous emptiness and vulgarity that surrounded Onegin, to see a typical picture of the morals of secular society.
The poet conveys the rapid, uncontrollable pace of Eugene’s monotonous and motley life: “Where will my prankster gallop?”, “Onegin flew to the theater.” Eugene is still full of life, he still greedily pursues its joys. But the closer the narrative comes to the moment of the hero’s disappointment, the more the feeling of sadness, bitterness, and anxiety grows.
Onegin's disappointment is often explained by satiety. But the point, of course, is not only that. After all, most of the youth in his circle did not feel satiated and followed the beaten path. The appearance of disillusioned young people was due to a certain historical situation, which gave rise to the Decembrist movement. But in order to be disappointed in life, one had to have a remarkable nature, to have deeper needs than those who felt great in the social whirlpool. This is the characteristic of Onegin.
However, Eugene's gloominess - the result of his aversion to secular society - does not yet indicate active protest. One of the means of depicting the “young rake” in Chapter I is the description of the everyday background. For example, when describing what decorated his office, Pushkin does not directly express his condemnation, but, on the contrary, rather justifies Evgeniy.
Onegin is characterized not only by everyday details directly related to him, but also by the depiction of a life that is distant from him - the life of the small St. Petersburg people. This everyday background, contrasted with pictures of Onegin’s life, indirectly casts light on the hero of the novel.
In the stanzas depicting Onegin's disappointment, the background itself changes. This is still the same Petersburg, but not halls and living rooms, not a theater, not everyday pictures, but a poetic Neva landscape that harmonizes with the mood of the hero.
Lanterns are shining everywhere;
Still frozen, the horses fight...
In the subsequent stanzas of Chapter I, the theme of freedom sounds louder and louder. The generation of advanced intelligentsia of the 20s lived in an atmosphere of longing for freedom, feeling like prisoners, convicts.
Getting to know Onegin's uncle in Chapter II of the novel helps us to better understand the evil sarcasm of the hero that sounded at the beginning of the novel. Only one stanza is dedicated to the uncle, in which the poet, in a few lines, reveals the essence of a person, making it possible to imagine both the life path of the character and his environment. Lifestyle, character, spiritual world, level of interests of the old landowner - everything is given in the last two lines of this quatrain.
This is the environment in which Onegin found himself. Apparently, most of the steppe landowners were not much different from Uncle Eugene in spirit and way of life. Their characterization of Onegin, as well as the judgments of secular judges, is in many ways reminiscent of the gossip of enemies. This is what the neighbors say about Onegin: “Our neighbor is ignorant, crazy,” etc.
The neighbors' criticism of the hero also applies to his manner of speaking. The landowners are outraged by Eugene's independent, free tone and the lack of respectful intonations in his speech. It is clear that in such an environment Onegin’s blues could only worsen. But he could not appreciate other aspects of village life. In the further development of the image of Onegin, his comparison with other characters in the novel plays an important role.
>Characteristics of the heroes Eugene Onegin
Characteristics of the hero Eugene Onegin
Evgeny Onegin is the main character of the novel of the same name by A. S. Pushkin, a young nobleman, a man with a complex and contradictory character. Onegin was born and raised in St. Petersburg. He did not have a mother, and his father, although a rich man, was frivolous and quickly squandered his fortune. After his death, all property went to creditors. Eugene was raised by French tutors who did not devote much time to science. In return, they taught him to speak French, understand Latin, dance the mazurka and recite epigrams. Well and quickly he mastered the “science of tender passion.”
Onegin grew up quite selfish, incapable of work, and easily hurting the feelings of other people. Every day he attended theaters, balls and feasts. The next morning I lazed in bed, and then again prepared to go out into the world. Soon, from such monotony, the young man developed melancholy. In order to somehow diversify his life, he tried to read books and engage in literary creativity. But he also soon became bored with this. Going to the village to visit his dying uncle, who bequeathed him a rich inheritance, he hoped to rest there from the bustle of the capital. He liked the change of environment, but even here he soon began to get bored. Such was the nature of the young nobleman.
In the village, Onegin met Lensky, who later became his best friend, as well as the Larin family. The meeting with Lensky opened up in him the opportunity for true friendship, hidden behind cold egoism. And the meeting with young Tatyana Larina touched something in his impoverished soul, but seeing the girl’s romantic nature, he did not dare to play with her feelings. In response to her letter of confession, he said that he could love her with the love of a brother and that family ties were not for him. Despite the fact that he was friendly towards these two people, this did not bring him happiness. He accidentally killed Lensky in a duel, and Tatyana was married off to someone else and became a princess. At the end of the novel, he saw her in a different light and fell in love with her, but this time she refused him. This refusal entailed a revolution in all his thoughts and emotional feelings.