What does Olga see in Oblomov? Why did Olga fall in love with Oblomov and marry Stolz? Could Olga and Oblomov be happy?
According to the tradition that has developed in Russian literature, love becomes a test for heroes and reveals new facets of characters. This tradition was followed by Pushkin (Onegin and Tatyana), Lermontov (Pechorin and Vera), Turgenev (Bazarov and Odintsova), Tolstoy (Bolkonsky and Natasha Rostova). This topic is also touched upon in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov”. Using the example of the love of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov and Olga Ilyinskaya, the author showed how a person’s personality is revealed through this feeling.
Olga Ilyinskaya is a positive image of the novel. This is an intelligent girl with sincere, devoid of affectation, manners. She did not enjoy much success in the world; only Stolz was able to appreciate her. Andrei singled out Olga from other women because “she, although unconsciously, followed a simple, natural path of life... and did not shy away from the natural manifestation of thought, feeling, will...”
Oblomov, having met Olga, first of all drew attention to her beauty: “Whoever met her, even absent-minded, stopped for a moment before this so strictly and deliberately, artistically created creature.” When Oblomov heard her singing, love awakened in his heart: “From the words, from the sounds, from this pure, strong girlish voice, the heart beat, the nerves trembled, the eyes sparkled and swam with tears...” The thirst for life and love that sounded in Olga’s voice, echoed in Ilya Ilyich’s soul. Behind the harmonious appearance, he felt a beautiful soul, capable of deep feelings.
Thinking about his future life, Oblomov dreamed of a tall, slender woman with a quiet, proud look. Seeing Olga, he realized that his ideal and she were one person. For Oblomov, the highest harmony is peace, and Olga would be a statue of harmony, “if she were turned into a statue.” But she could not become a statue, and, imagining her in his “earthly paradise,” Oblomov began to understand that he would not succeed in an idyll.
The heroes' love was doomed from the very beginning. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov and Olga Ilyinskaya understood the meaning of life, love, family happiness differently. If for Oblomov love is a disease, a passion, then for Olga it is a duty. Ilya Ilyich fell in love with Olga deeply and sincerely, idolized her, gave her his whole self: “He gets up at seven o’clock, reads, carries books somewhere. There is no sleep, no fatigue, no boredom on his face. Even colors appeared on him, there was a sparkle in his eyes, something like courage or, at least, self-confidence. You can’t see the robe on him.”
A consistent calculation was visible in Olga’s feelings. Having agreed with Stolz, she took the life of Ilya Ilyich into her own hands. Despite his youth, she was able to discern in him an open heart, a kind soul, and “dovelike tenderness.” At the same time, she liked the very idea that it was she, a young and inexperienced girl, who would bring back to life a person like Oblomov. “She will show him a goal, make him love again everything that he has stopped loving, and Stolz will not recognize him when he returns. And she will do all this miracle, so timid, silent, whom no one has listened to until now, who has not yet begun to live! She is the culprit of this transformation!”
Olga tried to change Ilya Ilyich, but he needed feelings that would bring him closer to his native Oblomovka, the blessed corner of the earth where he grew up, where the meaning of life fits into thoughts about food, sleep, and idle conversations: care and warmth, requiring nothing in return. He found all this in Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna, and therefore became attached to her as to a fulfilled dream of returning.
Realizing how different their views on life are, Oblomov decides to write a letter to Olga, which becomes a real poetic work. This letter conveys a deep feeling and desire for happiness to the beloved girl. Knowing himself and Olga’s inexperience, in a letter he opens her eyes to the mistake and asks her not to make it: “Your present love is not true love, but future love. This is only an unconscious need to love...” But Olga understood Oblomov’s act differently - as fear of misfortune. She understands that anyone can fall out of love or fall in love with another person, but says that she cannot follow a person if there is a risk in doing so. And it is Olga who decides to break off their relationship. In the last conversation, she tells Ilya Ilyich that she loved the future Oblomov. Assessing the relationship between Oblomov and Olga, Dobrolyubov wrote: “Olga left Oblomov when she stopped believing in him; she will leave Stolz too if she stops believing in him.”
Having written the letter, Oblomov renounced happiness in the name of his beloved. Olga and Ilya separated, but their relationship had a profound impact on their future lives. Oblomov found happiness in the house of Agafya Matveevna, which became a second Oblomovka for him. He is ashamed of such a life, he understands that he lived it in vain, but it is too late to change anything.
The love of Olga and Oblomov enriched the spiritual world of both. But the greatest merit is that Ilya Ilyich contributed to the formation of Olga’s spiritual world. A few years after breaking up with Ilya, she confesses to Stolz: “I don’t love him as before, but there is something that I love in him, to which I seem to have remained faithful and will not change like others...” And in this reveals the full depth of her nature. Unlike Stolz, whose life goals have boundaries, people like Oblomov and Olga do not stop thinking about a person’s purpose all their lives and asking themselves the question: “What’s next?”
Materials about the writer’s work and the novel “Oblomov”.
1. The image of Olga Ilyinskaya.
2. Attempts to change Oblomov.
3. Olga's disappointment.
4. Contrast between Pshenitsyna and Ilyinskaya.
The fate of the main character of the novel by A. A. Goncharov, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, can rightfully be called atypical. There were no bright, impressive events in Oblomov’s life. Every day was similar to the previous one. Ilya Ilyich refused to take action and spent his time in idleness. But, despite this, fate gave him a meeting with Olga Ilyinskaya.
Olga can certainly be called an extraordinary woman. She is not like most of the fairer sex of her time. Ilyinskaya has a strong character, an established worldview and a passion for action. The people around her treat Olga without much sympathy or warmth. This is not surprising; the contrast between her and the others is too sharp. People are not very kind to those who seem incomprehensible to them, whose behavior deviates from the generally accepted framework. Olga lives by her own rules. She is least bothered by the opinions of others. She has her own evaluation criteria that she focuses on. Ilyinskaya decides to re-educate Oblomov because his lifestyle seems wrong to her.
Olga Ilyinskaya is close in behavior and character to Andrei Stolts. From the point of view of such active and active people, the sluggish, apathetic Oblomov seems to be the most unhappy person and needs help. Olga wants to help Ilya Ilyich and decides to radically change his life.
It is impossible not to admit that Oblomov falls under the influence of Olga. There is nothing surprising. A weak-willed and weak-willed person often falls under the influence of a stronger one. Oblomov is delighted with Olga. She seems to him beautiful, smart, almost ideal. However, he himself is not so interested and important in the merits of this extraordinary woman. Oblomov lives in his own world, for which he does not care about others.
Oblomov and Ilyinskaya look at the world from different points of view. They are absolutely not alike. Since Ilya Ilyich nevertheless fell under Olga’s influence, he tries to do what she demands of him. Changes are painful for Oblomov. He quickly gets tired of playing by someone else's rules, trying to change his life in accordance with someone else's will. And Oblomov protests as best he can. He may have a weak character, but he has the strength to resist Olga’s influence.
Olga is upset; she believed that her strength and charm would be enough to change Oblomov’s life. Meanwhile, Ilya Ilyich quite rightly wonders whether Olga loves him, whether she really needs him. After all, true love implies accepting a person as he is. This is not typical for Olga. And therefore Oblomov begins to think that Ilyinskaya’s feelings are a substitute for love, caused by the natural desire for a person to love. Yes, he loves her. But this is clearly not enough for him to change his own life through enormous efforts.
One cannot help but think about why Olga Ilyinskaya needs to remake Oblomov. After all, Olga is far from a stupid person; she must realize that her attempts are unlikely to be crowned with success. In addition, the desire to influence another requires a lot of strength. Olga could not help but understand that her desire to remake Oblomov was met with misunderstanding on his part. The lifestyle that Olga demanded was alien to Ilya Ilyich. He valued his own comfort above all else. And Ilyinskaya tried to deprive him of this comfort.
At first, Olga’s desire to re-educate Oblomov can be explained by the request of Andrei Stolz. After all, it was he who turned to the girl and asked to help Oblomov. Andrey is sure that Ilya Ilyich can have a different, beautiful, active and fruitful life. From Stolz’s point of view, Olga’s extraordinary abilities can be used for this good cause. Andrei is confident that Olga is capable of rehabilitating Oblomov. In fact, Stolz judges by himself. He himself is an active, active, energetic person. He has been friends with Ilya Ilyich since childhood. And truly suffers from the degradation of his friend. But in his desire to intervene in someone else’s fate, Stolz does not seem to understand that Oblomov is already an adult, mature person. And any changes will be useless and in vain. But under no circumstances should we judge Andrei. He's trying to do what he can. It was not his fault that the attempts were fruitless. Olga is truly happy when Oblomov begins to change. This happens almost immediately, because Ilya Ilyich came under the influence of a strong personality. Ilyinskaya is engaged in “educating” Oblomov not only and not so much for his own sake. No, in this way she is trying to assert herself as a person. Olga is ambitious and is looking for a worthy use for herself. And the desire to “make another person happy” seems to her a noble act. Olga believes that her task is to introduce Oblomov to the way of life that is familiar to everyone. Ilya Ilyich must go out into the world, read, communicate with people, “throw off the sleepy stupor.” Olga believes that she has enough energy to implement this plan. Ilyinskaya is confident that she can use any means to achieve the desired goal. Olga becomes strict and stern. She mocks Oblomov, tries to make him hate his past life, his laziness and inactivity. Olga wants Oblomov to begin to despise himself. Perhaps this is her mistake. You cannot make a person happy by force. If Olga had tried to truly interest Oblomov in something that seemed important to him, perhaps her efforts would have been crowned with success. But she chooses a different path. Ridicule and a harsh attitude do not bring the desired result. Little by little Oblomov begins to fear her. Of course, this does not happen immediately. At first, Olga’s actions, as it seemed to her, were successful. Oblomov is gradually changing, or pretending that this is happening. The moment of declaration of love to Olga seems to be evidence that her efforts were not in vain. Olga thinks that now Oblomov will fulfill all the requirements. But her harsh and stern behavior had already begun to puzzle the soft-bodied Ilya Ilyich. He wants to protect himself from such unceremonious interference in his own life. Olga seems alien and dangerous to him. And you should hide from danger.
Olga cannot foresee what her efforts will lead to. This girl is not as smart as it seemed at first. She chose the wrong path to raise an adult. And Oblomov quickly forgot all the “lessons” and returned to what was dear to him. What is Olga's role in Oblomov's fate? First of all, he was once again convinced that his worldview was alien to those around him. Thanks to communication with Olga, Oblomov did not become happier, and this should be recognized.
Meanwhile, attempts to educate Oblomov turned out to be important for Olga herself. She made an attempt to realize herself by influencing others. Let the intention not come true. But it was an experience for the girl, necessary and interesting. After all, in the life of an extraordinary person, which Olga certainly is, there is always room for something new.
Paradoxically, Oblomov became happier with Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna. This woman is the complete opposite of Olga. She is not so interesting, elegant and smart. But she has simple worldly wisdom, which Olga so lacks. Agafya Matveevna understands that it will not be possible to change an adult. She accepts Oblomov for who he is. And Ilya Ilyich’s life is actually getting a little better. Pshenitsyna surrounded Oblomov with care and attention. She truly loves him. Ilya Ilyich is broke, he lives precisely at the expense of Agafya Matveevna. The poor woman sells her things so that Oblomov has something to live on. Ilya Ilyich can no longer change; any attempts to influence him would be unsuccessful. And Agafya Matveevna’s desire to selflessly help him testifies to the genuine kindness of this simple woman. If Ilyinskaya found herself in exactly such a situation, it is unlikely that she would take responsibility for Oblomov. She wouldn't help him to her own detriment. After all, this would not give her the opportunity to admire herself, to consider herself a wise mentor. Olga is selfish, this fundamentally distinguishes her from Agafya Matveevna. But on the other hand, one cannot help but admit that her image is very interesting and multifaceted. Olga is a very special type of woman in Russian literature; she is a strong personality. She is not characterized by self-sacrifice; she is characterized by the desire to turn another person into a mirror reflecting her own merits. After all, this is exactly what she wanted from Oblomov.
— seemed like a natural ending to Goncharov’s novel. But everything turned out differently. Therefore, not all readers understand why Olga fell in love with Oblomov, but married another man?
Characteristics of Olga
Possessing an inner core and a constant thirst for self-development, the girl was fascinated by her inner beauty - tenderness, openness, ingenuousness, prudence, nobility - in harmony with her external data. She was an addicted person, so she surrendered herself wholeheartedly to this feeling.
She amazed those around her with her brilliant mind, feminine grace and ability to behave in society. With her lively, real character, she was so different from the flirtatious girls of that time.
Oblomov's personality
Ilya Ilyich was a small landowner who could not adapt to life in a big city, but still dreamed of returning to his family estate - the village of Oblomovka. Homemade warm pies from the oven, raspberry jam and pickles from a barrel - this was his model of happiness. Therefore, Oblomov spent almost all his time daydreaming and daydreaming about the future quiet life in his village. He was not interested in anything else.
Stolz organized their acquaintance in order to pull his longtime childhood friend out of eternal hibernation. He believed that the young, confident and purposeful Olga would captivate the dreamy master, encourage him to think, act, develop, in a word, get off the couch in the literal and figurative sense.
Girls sometimes tend to mold men to suit themselves, and Olga was no exception. But all this was more reminiscent of a creative experiment, and not love in the true sense of the word.
“I love the future Oblomov,” she said, meaning that she expected an internal revolution from him. She longed for her chosen one to become taller than her, as if she expected to see Ilya Ilyich on a pedestal and only then present herself to him as a well-deserved reward.
As much as Oblomov was lazy and passive, Olga was just as active. The young people were complete opposites of each other. Therefore, it is all the more difficult to understand why Olga Ilyinskaya fell in love with Oblomov. She was most likely attracted by his purity of soul, naivety and sensuality. Twenty-year-old girls love romantics, and Ilya Ilyich was one. She really encouraged him to live, and for a time he almost lived up to her ideal.
The separation of Ilyinskaya and Oblomov
They even planned to get married. But here Ilya Ilyich’s indecision and inertia took its toll: he kept postponing the wedding. She soon realized that they still had radically different views on life, and therefore deliberately left him.
He preferred to be not a leader, but a follower. Almost everything suited him in their relationship; he would gladly give the reins of power into Olga’s hands. Perhaps another woman would have taken this as a gift of fate, but not her. Why did Olga fall in love with Oblomov not entirely and completely, but only some of his character traits? Because for her, who was in such a hurry to live, resigning herself to eternal lying on the sofa was unacceptable. She wanted to see next to her a man superior to her in almost everything. At the same time, Ilyinskaya realized that Oblomov would never become like that.
Love or something else?
Their relationship was more like that of a teacher and student. It was the sculptor's love for his creation. Only Galatea in this case was Ilya Ilyich. Ilyinskaya admired the results she had achieved in re-educating his personality, and mistakenly perceived this feeling as something more than compassion or pity.
Andrei was a practical and proactive person, he knew how to adapt to life very well, unlike her previous lover. A marriage with Stolz would guarantee stability for her. Although Olga cannot be accused of selfishness towards Andrei. No, she would never allow deceit or insincerity.
A logical question arises: why did Olga Ilyinskaya fall in love with Oblomov, but did not become his wife? Was it blasphemous or hypocritical of her? Not at all. Her feelings have long since dried up. A year has passed since parting with Ilya Ilyich. She realized that she was looking for a reliable life partner, and not a dreamer with her head in the clouds. It was very smart of her. Andrei strove to support his beloved in everything and could give her everything she wanted. He was head and shoulders taller than her at the beginning of their relationship, so he performed the role of mentor and teacher of life. True, over time, his wife outgrew him in spiritual development, both in the strength of feelings and in the depth of reflection.
It would seem that the union of two people with very similar values and life positions should be simply ideal.
Family life with Andrey
Was she happily married? It seems that it is more likely yes than no. At least, all the components of happiness were present: children, a cozy family nest, an intelligent husband, confidence in the future. But sometimes there were difficult moments. The fact is that her marriage to Andrei was influenced more by a cold mind than by warm feelings. And she expected a little more from this union: Olga was very eager to develop as a person, to grow, to realize herself. But, unfortunately, marriage for a woman in the century before last was the last step and the ultimate dream. Therefore, sometimes Olga had periods of depression.
The family life of the Stolz family was devoid of the stormy passion and sensuality that Ilyinskaya’s soul so yearned for. Andrei was a cold-blooded and calculating person. He inherited these qualities from his German father. Their mutual decision to unite their destinies was dictated by a cold mind, and not by fiery feelings. Sometimes she recalled with quiet sadness Ilya Ilyich, who had a “heart of gold.” That is why Olga fell in love with Oblomov and not Stolz from the very beginning.
Oddly enough, their quiet, stable family life with Andrei began to remind the woman more and more of that “Oblomovism” that she and her current husband wanted to eradicate from Ilya Ilyich. Stolz himself did not see a problem in this; on the contrary, he believed that this was such a temporary stage in their life, a side effect of creating a cozy nest, and Olga’s apathy should go away by itself. True, at times he was frightened by the dark abyss of her restless soul. After living with Stolz for three years, she sometimes began to feel that marriage was limiting her.
So, why did Olga fall in love with Oblomov? In the novel “Oblomov,” Goncharov explains this by her belief that Ilya Ilyich’s best qualities will overcome his laziness and he will become an active and active person. But, unfortunately, she had to be disappointed.
The main character of Goncharov's work Oblomov is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. This is a man who grew up in a noble family. He was used to doing nothing. He just lies on the couch all day. Many people tried to change his fate. One of these people is Olga Ilyinskaya.
Ilya Oblomov and Olga Ilyinskaya met one day when Stolz was trying to awaken Oblomov.
Olga Ilyinskaya also decided to help this man. But gradually she realized that she had fallen in love with Oblomov. Oblomov also liked this girl. He liked the way she sang, he could listen to her for a long time.
That's how they fell in love with each other. But Olga imagined their relationship differently than Oblomov. Beginning to awaken from his former life, he wrote letters to Olga and confessed his love. But he wanted to continue doing nothing. But Olga could not remain idle. This is what came between them. Because of this, their love fell apart. Oblomov found happiness in another girl who did not force him to do anything.
So, Olga Ilyinskaya did a lot for Oblomov. She was practically able to get him out of his deep sleep.
But still, the dislike of work, instilled from childhood, turned out to be stronger than anything else.
Updated: 2017-07-31
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Useful material on the topic
- Olga Ilyinskaya and Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna. Female images: characteristics and contrast. Why did Oblomov choose Agafya?
The image of Olga Ilyinskaya can be called an undoubted success of Goncharov the psychologist. He embodied not only the best features of a Russian woman, but also all the best that he saw in a Russian person in general. “Olga in the strict sense was not a beauty, that is, there was no whiteness in her, no bright coloring of her cheeks and lips, and her eyes did not burn with rays of inner fire... But if she were turned into a statue, she would be a statue of grace and harmony “- exactly like that, in just a few details, I. A. Goncharov gives a portrait of his heroine.
And already in him we see those features that have always attracted Russian writers in any woman: the absence of artificiality, beauty that is not frozen, but living. “In a rare girl,” the author emphasizes, “you will find such simplicity and natural freedom of look, word, action... No affectation, no coquetry, no lies, no tinsel, no intent.”
Olga is a stranger in her own environment. But she is not a victim, because she has both intelligence and determination to defend the right to her position in life, to behavior that is not oriented towards generally accepted norms. It is no coincidence that Oblomov perceived Olga as the embodiment of the ideal that he dreamed of. As soon as Olga sang “Casta diva”, he immediately “recognized” her. Not only Oblomov “recognized” Olga, but she also recognized him. Love for Olga becomes not only a test. “Where did she take her life lessons?” - Stolz thinks about her with admiration, who loves Olga just like this, transformed by love.
It is the relationship of the main character of the novel with Olga that allows us to better understand Ilya Oblomov. It is Holga’s look at her lover that helps the reader look at him the way the author wanted.
What does Olga see in Oblomov? Intelligence, simplicity, gullibility, the absence of all those secular conventions that are also alien to her. She feels that there is no cynicism in Ilya, but there is a constant desire for doubt and sympathy. But Olga and Oblomov are not destined to be happy.
Oblomov has a presentiment that his relationship with Olga cannot always be their personal matter; they will certainly turn into a lot of conventions and responsibilities. You will have to “conform”, do business, become a member of society and the head of the family, and so on. Stolz and Olga reproach Oblomov for inactivity, and in response he only makes unrealistic promises or smiles “somehow pitifully, painfully bashful, like a beggar who was reproached for his nakedness.”
Olga constantly thinks not only about her feelings, but also about the influence on Oblomov, about her “mission”: “And she will do all this miracle, so timid, silent, to whom no one has listened until now, who has not yet begun to live!” And love becomes a duty for Olga, and therefore can no longer be reckless, spontaneous. Moreover, Olga is not ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of love. “Would you like to know if I would sacrifice my peace of mind for you, if I would go down this path with you?.. Never, never!” - she decisively answers Oblomov.
Oblomov and Olga expect the impossible from each other. It comes from him - activity, will, energy; in her mind, he should become like Stolz, but only while preserving the best that is in his soul. He is from her - reckless, selfless love. And both of them are deceived, convincing themselves that this is possible, and therefore the end of their love is inevitable. Olga loves the Oblomov whom she herself created in her imagination, whom she sincerely wanted to create in life. “I thought that I would revive you, that you could still live for me, but you have died a long time ago,” Olga hardly pronounces a harsh sentence and asks the question: “Who cursed you, Ilya? What did you do?<...>What ruined you? There is no name for this evil...” “There is,” answers Ilya. - Oblomovism!” The tragedy of Olga and Oblomov becomes the final verdict on the phenomenon that Goncharov portrayed.
Olga marries Stolz. It was he who managed to ensure that in Olga’s soul common sense and reason finally defeated the feeling that tormented her. Her life can be called happy. She believes in her husband, and therefore loves him. But Olga begins to feel an inexplicable melancholy. Stolz's mechanical, active life does not provide those opportunities for the movement of the soul that were in her feelings for Oblomov. And even Stolz guesses: “Once you know him, it’s impossible to stop loving him.” With love for Oblomov, part of Olga’s soul dies; she remains a victim forever.
“Olga, in her development, represents the highest ideal that only a Russian can now evoke from the present Russian life,<...>a living face, only one we have never met before,” wrote Dobrolyubov. We can confidently say that it continues the gallery of beautiful female types that Tatyana Larina opened and which will be admired by more than one generation of readers.
It is clear that Oblomov depends on Zakhara more than (and the other serfs of Zakhara) on him. At the same time, Oblomov’s ideals help him see the negative sides of the new bourgeois way of life. Unlike Stolz, driven by the desire for personal success, Oblomov, who already has everything thanks to his origin and position, insistently demands that he be shown the meaning of work, the meaning and incentives for spending abilities and energy. He does not question his right to this criticism and idleness, because he considers Oblomovka’s ideal an unshakable norm. For Stolz, the norm is the bourgeois business life of St. Petersburg, so he does not criticize it and, like all other visitors, calls Oblomov to Peterhof.
The second part of the novel describes the Russian-German upbringing of Stolz, the struggle of two national principles, so to speak, at his cradle. By chance, a strong and harmonious personality emerged from her (Russian mother and pedantic German father). Despite all the mutual differences, Stolz is able to understand Oblomov. This is a character of a new era, an active commoner.
In the second part, the question arises about the ways of progress of Russian society. Oblomov’s criticism of the lack of significant goals and strong motivations in progress, supported by his ideal of the idyllic Oblomovka, gives the latter a relevant social meaning. This makes us see in Oblomov a noble intellectual, a “superfluous man” who had in the past, but has now lost, the ideals of patriotic service to the homeland, spiritual leisure, thought and work, traveling around the world in order to love the fatherland more deeply.
The word “Oblomovism” is pronounced by Stolz, denoting the complex of reasons that caused the paralysis of the hero’s will. Goncharov does not reveal them directly, but it is clear that this is, first of all, landowner idleness, elevated to an ideal and destroying personality. At the same time, throughout the novel the author emphasizes that Oblomovism is not an individual feature of his hero, but a consequence of the influence of the entire public mood as a whole, an expression of social disorder.
So, the first part outlined Oblomovism, the second part explained it. The hero decided to go traveling, but instead of going, he fell in love. And he immediately demonstrated the initial weakness of his nature: Olga is more active, more practical. Oblomov's love is sublime, but abstract; here he is similar to Chatsky and Onegin. The second part ends with a summer declaration of love, the third part concludes with the autumn fading of passion, snowfall on the Vyborg side, Oblomov’s illness, and the widow Pshenitsyn, the second heroine of Oblomov’s “novel,” appears. After all, the love of a nobleman is dual: abstractly romantic, chastely spiritual - for a noblewoman-bride-equal, and a crudely sensual “lordly” passion for a commoner - housekeeper, concubine.
At the beginning of the novel, Oblomovka was replaced by an apartment on Gorokhovaya, now - a house on Vyborgskaya. And again we return to the composition of the novel (very harmonious and logical): the first part with one hero - Oblomov as such, in the second and third - a comparison of him with Stolz (nobleman and commoner) and Olga (passive and active natures). In the fourth part, Oblomov finds himself in a new social environment and a new Oblomovka - the world of average officials and urban philistinism. And active people live here; it is their work that keeps this, also patriarchal, together.
The selflessness of active commoners (Pshenitsyna and Zakhar's wife Anisya) is combined with the selfish passivity of men - these are two sides of the patriarchal ideal of Oblomovka. The unconscious sacrifice of an attractive widow and her meaningful creative work (at least in the field of culinary art) in the name of the well-being of her neighbor illuminate the new Oblomovka.
