Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is an apathetic lazy person. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov - an apathetic lazy person Why is Oblomov trying to get away from real life

Oblomov and “Oblomovism” in the novel by I. A. Goncharov

The idea for the novel “Oblomov” arose in 1847, and at the same time I. A. Goncharov published the chapter “Oblomov’s Dream,” central in meaning and place in the narrative. The entire novel was published only in 1859 in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. Reading this work, one cannot help but recall the wonderful phrase of M. Yu. Lermontov: “The history of the human soul, even the smallest soul, is almost more curious than the history of an entire people...” Observations on the image of the main character - Ilya Ilyich Oblomo -va, allow us to trace the fate of an entire generation. I. A. Goncharov himself defined the ideological orientation of his novel as follows: “I tried to show in “06-lomov” how and why our people turn before their time into ... jelly - climate, backwater environment, drowsy life and also private, individual circumstances for each person.”

What are these particular circumstances that turned Oblomov into a couch potato, not interested in anything other than his own peace of mind? What gave rise to lack of will, apathy, and indifference to his own fate? What led him to worthlessness, insolvency, and disintegration of personality?

The novel “Oblomov” is a novel born from a dream. The author, skillfully using the technique of accessing the character's memory to unfold events, shows the reader the hero's childhood. The isolation and homogeneity of space, the cyclical nature of the circle of life, the predominance of physiological needs, the complete absence of spirituality - these are the main signs of life in Oblomovka. “There are no... there are high mountains, rocks and abysses, no dense forests - there is nothing grandiose, wild and gloomy... The entire corner of fifteen or twenty miles around presents a series of picturesque sketches, cheerful, smiling landscapes. .. The annual cycle takes place there correctly and calmly... The main concern was the kitchen and dinner... Caring for food was the first and main concern of life in Olomovka.” After a hearty lunch, all residents of Oblomovka were overcome by “some kind of all-consuming, invincible sleep, a true semblance of death.”

Without the chapter “Oblomov’s Dream,” the image of the main character would be incomplete. In it, the author shows where the roots of “Oblomovism” lie. Goncharov calls Ilya Ilyich’s family estate “a blessed corner of the earth,” “a wonderful land.” Residents of Oblomovka “never embarrassed themselves with any vague mental or moral questions... The standard of life was ready and taught to them by their parents, and they accepted it, too, ready-made, from their grandfather, and grandfather from their great-grandfather... Like what it was done under grandfathers and fathers, this is how it was done under Ilya Ilyich’s father, and this is, perhaps, how it is done now in Oblomovka.

What did they have to think about and what to worry about, what to learn, what goals to achieve?

Nothing is needed: life, like a calm river, flowed past them; they could only sit on the banks of this river and observe the inevitable phenomena that, in turn, without calling, appeared before each of them.”

Little Ilya was surrounded by love and constant care in his parents’ house. From childhood, he absorbed the lordly lifestyle that the residents of the estate led. “Not a single detail, not a single feature escapes the child’s inquisitive attention; the picture of domestic life is indelibly etched into the soul; the soft mind is fed with living examples and unconsciously draws a program for his life based on the life around him,” writes the author.

Childhood curiosity prompts Ilyusha to run to the mountain, into the birch forest and into the ravine, but all these impulses are suppressed by the nanny and parents. The parents also did not force their only son to study. Then he will be left at home for a week, since “everyone ... was imbued with the conviction that studying and parental Saturday should in no way coincide together, or that the holiday on Thursday is an insurmountable obstacle to studying all week.” And then “Ilyusha stays at home for three weeks, and then, you see, it’s not far from Holy Week, and then there’s a holiday, and then someone in the family for some reason decides that they don’t study on St. Thomas’s Week; There are two weeks left until summer - there’s no point in traveling, and in the summer the German himself rests, so it’s better to put it off until the fall.”

Oblomov is endowed with the trait of a fairy-tale hero - faith in the possibility of a miracle. This adds charm and sympathy to Oblomov, who is lazy and incapable of creation, and brings him closer to the heroes of Russian fairy tales. Having absorbed the fairy-tale perception of the world around him since childhood, he tries to create a special world even in adulthood. “Although the adult Ilya later learns that there are no honey and milk rivers, no good sorceresses, although he jokes about the nanny’s stories, this smile is not sincere, it is accompanied by a secret sigh, his fairy tale is mixed with life, and he is unconsciously sad at times, Why is a fairy tale not life, and why is life not a fairy tale?

He involuntarily dreams of Militris Kirbityevna; he is constantly pulled in that direction, where they only know that they are walking, where there are no worries and sorrows; he always has the disposition to lie on the stove, walk around in a ready-made, unearned dress and eat at the expense of the good sorceress.”

And it should be noted that the adult Oblomov, to some extent, manages to make his dreams come true. Thanks to Zakhar, he does not need to worry about organizing his life, Tarantiev (albeit for selfish purposes) takes on the hassle of moving to the Vyborg side, Stolz saves the family estate from ruin. Oblomov could even marry Olga if he put in a little effort. Inspired by the news that the matter with her estate had been decided, she thought: “He will gallop headlong to Oblomovka, quickly make all the necessary orders, forget a lot, fail, everything somehow, and gallop back, and suddenly finds out that there was no need to jump - that there is a house, a garden and a pavilion with a view, that there is somewhere to live without his Oblomovka... Yes, yes, she will never tell him, she will endure it to the end ; let him go there, let him move, come to life - everything for her, in the name of future happiness! Or not; Why send him to the village and separate? No, when he comes to her in traveling clothes, pale, sad, saying goodbye for a month, she will suddenly tell him that he doesn’t have to go until the summer: then they’ll go together...”

Stolz was the first to use the word “Oblomovism” as a designation of a way of life. The author showed us its roots in the chapter “Oblomov’s Dream”. This chapter is important for understanding the image of the protagonist as a universal human type. The life and fate of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov makes readers think about issues of free will, responsibility for themselves and for the people around us. What is the key to a fulfilling life? How should life be structured so that a person does not die in it, does not hide from it? Do I need to live “as I need” or “as I want”? Oblomov’s fate is an example of how everything “began with the inability to put on stockings and ended with the inability to live.”

Introduction

The work “Oblomov” by Goncharov is a socio-psychological novel that was published in 1859. In the book, the author touches on a number of eternal topics: parents and children, love and friendship, the search for the meaning of life and others, revealing them through the biography of the main character - Ilya Ilyich Oblomov - a lazy, apathetic man, overly dreamy and completely unadapted to real life. The image of Oblomov in Goncharov’s novel is the central and most striking male image of the work. According to the plot of the book, the reader meets Ilya Ilyich when the hero has already reached over thirty years of age and is a fully formed personality. Like many men of his age, he dreams of a large family, children, a sweet, thrifty wife and a prosperous end of life in his native estate - Oblomovka. However, all these ideas about the distant wonderful future remain only in the hero’s dreams; in real life, Ilya Ilyich does absolutely nothing that would bring him even one step closer to the idyllic picture that he had long planned in his dreams.

Oblomov's days pass in continuous idleness; he is even too lazy to get out of bed to greet guests. His whole life is a sleepy kingdom, a dreamy half-asleep, consisting of the continuous stringing and creation of unrealizable illusions that exhausted him morally and from which he sometimes got tired and fell asleep exhausted. In this monotonous life leading to degradation, Ilya Ilyich hid from the real world, fenced himself off from it in every possible way, fearing its activity and not wanting to take responsibility for his actions, much less work and confidently step over failures and defeats, continuing forward movement.

Why is Oblomov trying to escape from real life?

To understand the reasons for Oblomov’s escapism, it is worth briefly describing the atmosphere in which the hero was brought up. Ilya Ilyich’s native village, Oblomovka, was located in a picturesque and quiet area remote from the capital. Beautiful nature, a calm, measured life on the estate, the lack of need to work and excessive parental care led to the fact that Oblomov was not ready for the difficulties of life outside Oblomovka. Brought up in an atmosphere of love and even adoration, Ilya Ilyich thought that he would encounter a similar attitude towards himself in the service. Imagine his surprise when, instead of a semblance of a loving family, where everyone supports each other, a team with a completely different attitude was waiting for him. At work, no one was interested in him, no one cared about him, since everyone thought only about increasing their own salary and moving up the career ladder. Feeling uncomfortable after his first mistake in the service, Oblomov, on the one hand, fearing punishment, and on the other, having found a reason for dismissal, he leaves his job. The hero no longer tried to get a job somewhere, living on the money that was sent to him from Oblomovka and spending all his days in bed, thus reliably hiding from the worries and problems of the outside world.

Oblomov and Stolz are antipodal images

The antipode of the image of the main character in the novel “Oblomov” by Ilya Ilyich is his childhood friend, Andrei Ivanovich Stolts. In terms of character and life priorities, Stolz is the complete opposite of Oblomov, although they come from the same social class. Unlike the lazy, apathetic, dreamy Ilya Ilyich, who lives exclusively in his past, Andrei Ivanovich always strives forward, he is not afraid of failures, since he knows that in any case he will be able to achieve his goal, to reach ever greater heights. And if the meaning of Oblomov’s life is the illusory world that he builds in his imagination and for which he lives, then for Stolz this meaning remains hard work.

Despite the fact that in the work the heroes are contrasted as two differently directed principles and two antithetical personality types - introverted and extroverted, Stolz and Oblomov organically complement each other and need each other. Without Andrei Ivanovich, Ilya Ilyich would probably have completely abandoned business in Oblomovka or sold it for pennies to someone like Tarantiev. Stolz most clearly understood the harmful influence of “Oblomovism” on his friend, so he tried with all his might to return him to real life, taking him with him to social events or forcing him to read new books.
The author's introduction into the narrative of such a character as Andrei Ivanovich helps to better understand the image of Ilya Ilyich. Compared to his friend, Oblomov, on the one hand, looks passive, lazy, not wanting to strive for anything. On the other hand, his positive qualities are also revealed - warmth, kindness, tenderness, understanding and sympathy for loved ones, because it was in conversations with Ilya Ilyich that Stolz found peace of mind, lost in the constant race of life.

Revealing the image of Oblomov through love

In the life of Ilya Ilyich there were two different loves - a spontaneous, all-encompassing, stormy and revitalizing love for Olga Ilyinskaya and a quiet, pacifying, respect-based, full of calm and monotony love for Agafya Pshenitsyna. The image of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is revealed differently in relationships with each of the women.

Love for Olga was that bright ray that could pull the hero out of the “swamp of Oblomovism”, because it was for the sake of Ilyinskaya that Oblomov forgets about his favorite robe, begins to read books again, it’s as if his wings grow, since a real goal appears - a possible happy future with Olga, family and her own comfortable estate. However, Ilya Ilyich was not ready to completely change; Ilyinskaya’s aspirations for constant development and achieving new heights were alien to him. In a relationship with Olga, Oblomov is the first to retreat and the first writes her a letter in which he says that her love is not true feelings. This act can be considered not only as the hero’s weakness, his fear of change and internal passivity, but also as a better understanding of the sphere of feelings, excellent intuitive sense and understanding of the psychology of other people. Ilya Ilyich subconsciously felt that their life paths were too different, that Olga needed much more than he was ready to give her. And even if he tries to become for her the very ideal of a gentle, kind, sensual, but at the same time continuously developing, active person, he will be unhappy for the rest of his life, never having found the desired happiness.

After the difficult but predetermined separation of Oblomov and Olga, the hero finds solace surrounded by the care of Pshenitsyna. Agafya, by nature, is the ideal of the “Oblomov” woman - poorly educated, but at the same time very kind, sincere, economic, caring for the comfort and satiety of her husband and adoring him. Ilya Ilyich’s feelings for Pshenitsyna were built on respect, which gradually grew into warmth and understanding, and then into calm but strong love. Let us remember that when Stolz tried to take Oblomov with him, he did not want to go, not because he was lazy, but because it was important for him to stay with his wife, who was able to give him the happiness that he had dreamed of for so long.

Conclusion

An analysis of Oblomov’s image makes it clear that it is impossible to interpret Ilya Ilyich as a uniquely positive or negative hero. He attracts the reader in his own way, but also causes antipathy with his laziness and passivity, which indicates the versatility of the character’s nature, his inner depth and, possibly, powerful unrealized potential. Oblomov is a composite image of a typical Russian person, a dreamy, contemplative personality who always hopes for the best and sees true happiness in monotony and tranquility. As critics point out, Goncharov largely copied Ilya Ilyich from himself, which makes the novel even more interesting for a modern reader interested in the work of the great Russian writer.

A detailed analysis of the image of the hero of Goncharov’s novel will be useful for 10th graders when writing an essay on the topic “The Image of Oblomov in the novel “Oblomov”.”

Work test

OBLOMOV

Hero of the novel I.A. Goncharova"Oblomov."


The novel was written between 1848 and 1859. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is a landowner, hereditary, educated man, 32–33 years old. In my youth I was official, but, having served only 2 years and being burdened by the service, he resigned and began to live on income from the estate.
The surname of the hero of the novel is formed from the words bummer, break off, which, indeed, corresponds to his character: Oblomov cannot withstand the difficulties of life and solve problems that arise. He is broken by life, passive and lazy. But at the same time, he is a nice, sincere, sincere person, trusting himself and winning people over.
Oblomov’s entire previous life was full of failures: in childhood he considered teaching as a punishment, and his head was filled with chaotic useless knowledge; the service was unsuccessful: he saw no point in it and was afraid of his superiors; he did not experience love, because it required, in his opinion, a lot of trouble; control estate also failed, and his participation in the household was limited to dreams on the sofa about rebuilding his life. Oblomov gradually ceases all contact with society and even with people close to him - his childhood friend Stolz, his servant Zakhar, his beloved girl Olga.
A symbol of Oblomov’s laziness is his robe, in which Ilya Ilyich’s life basically passes. No matter what blessings, even personal happiness, Oblomov’s life attracts, he again and again and finally finally returns to his sofa in his robe, where he remains in dreams, half-asleep and sleep.
Goncharov's novel has been dramatized many times and filmed several times. Latest film adaptation - director N.S. Mikhalkova 1988 The role of Oblomov in the film was played by a popular artist Oleg Tabakov.
Surname Oblomov for Russians has become a household word to denote a lazy, weak-willed person, indifferent to life. The word is derived from the “speaking” surname Oblomovism, denoting apathy, lack of will, a state of inactivity and laziness.
I.A. Goncharov. Lithography. 1847 Illustration for the novel. Artist N.V. Shcheglov. 1973:

Still from the film N.S. Mikhalkov “A few days in the life of I.I. Oblomov." Olga - E. Solovey, Oblomov - O. Tabakov:


Russia. Large linguistic and cultural dictionary. - M.: State Institute of Russian Language named after. A.S. Pushkin. AST-Press. T.N. Chernyavskaya, K.S. Miloslavskaya, E.G. Rostova, O.E. Frolova, V.I. Borisenko, Yu.A. Vyunov, V.P. Chudnov. 2007 .

Synonyms:

See what "OBLOMOV" is in other dictionaries:

    bummers- Cm … Synonym dictionary

    OBLOMOV- hero of I.A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” (1848-1859). Literary sources of the image of O. Gogol Podkolesin and old-world landowners, Tentetnikov, Manilov. Literary predecessors of O. in the works of Goncharov: Tyazhelenko (“Dashing Sickness”), Egor ... Literary heroes

    Oblomov- This term has other meanings, see Vasya Oblomov. Oblomov Genre: social psychological novel

    bummers- (foreign) lazy, apathetic Oblomovshchina apathy, ponderous drowsiness of Russian nature and lack of internal inspiration in it Russian laziness; indifference to social issues and lack of energy; mental immobility and indecision. Wed... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

    Oblomov- the hero of the same name. rum I. A. Goncharova (1859), professing renunciation of activity, inactivity, peace of mind as ch. life principle. After the article by N. A. Dobrolyubov What is Oblomovism? the concepts of Oblomov and Oblomovism have acquired a generalizing... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

    Oblomov- Oblomov (foreign language) lazy, apathetic. Oblomovism is apathy, the ponderous drowsiness of Russian nature and its lack of inner inspiration. Explanation Russian laziness; indifference to public issues and lack of energy; mental immobility and... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

    Oblomov- m. 1. Literary character. 2. Used as a symbol of a person characterized by a sluggish indifference to public interests, a reluctance to make any decisions or perform any actions, who believes that others should do this... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

    Oblomov- Region omov, and... Russian spelling dictionary

    Oblomov- (2 m) (lit. character; type of inactive person) ... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

    bummers- A; m. About a lazy, apathetic, inactive person; sybarite. ◁ Oblomovsky, oh, oh. Oh laziness, boredom. Character traits of the Oblomov type. According to Oblomov, adv. To languish in idleness like Oblomov. ● By the name of Oblomov, the hero of the novel of the same name... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

The life and death of Oblomov. Epilogue of the novel. For the third and last time, Stolz visits his friend. Under the caring eye of Pshenitsyna, Oblomov almost realized his ideal: “He dreams that he has reached that promised land, where rivers of honey and milk flow, where they eat unearned bread, walk in gold and silver...”, and Agafya Matveevna turns into the fabulous Miliktrisa Kirbitevna.. The house on the Vyborg side resembles rural freedom.

However, the hero never reached his native village. Subject "Oblomov and the men" runs through the entire novel. Even in the first chapters, we learned that in the absence of the master, life is difficult for the peasants. The headman reports that the men are “running away,” “begging for rent.” It is unlikely that they felt better under the rule of the Overhauled One. While Oblomov was drowning in his problems, he missed the opportunity to pave a road, build a bridge, as his neighbor, a village landowner, did. It cannot be said that Ilya Ilyich does not think about his peasants at all. But his plans boil down to ensuring that everything remains as it is. And to the advice to open a school for the man, Oblomov replies with horror that “he probably won’t even plow…” But time cannot be stopped. In the finale we learn that “Oblomovka is not in the wilderness anymore<…>, the rays of the sun fell on her! The peasants, no matter how difficult it was, managed without the master: “... In four years it will be a road station<…>, the men will go to work on the embankment, and then it will roll along the cast iron<…>bread to the pier... And there...schools, literacy..." But did Ilya Ilyich manage without Oblomovka? Using the logic of the narrative, Goncharov proves his favorite thoughts. And the fact that on the conscience of every landowner lies concern for the fate of hundreds of people (“Happy Mistake”). And the fact that village life is the most natural and therefore the most harmonious for the Russian person; she herself will guide, teach and suggest what to do better than any “plans” (“Frigate “Pallada””).

In the house on Vyborgskaya Oblomov sank. What was a free dream became a hallucination - “the present and the past merged and mixed up.” On his first visit, Stolz managed to get Oblomov off the couch. In the second, he helped a friend in solving practical matters. And now he realizes with horror that he is powerless to change anything:<«Вон из этой ямы, из болота, на свет, на простор, где есть здоровая, нормальная жизнь!» - настаивал Штольц…

“Don’t remember, don’t disturb the past: you can’t bring it back! - said Oblomov. - I have grown to this hole with a sore spot: try to tear it off - there will be death... I feel everything, I understand everything: I have long been ashamed to live in the world! But I can’t go your way with you, even if I wanted to... Maybe the last time was still possible. Now... now it’s too late...” Even Olga is not able to resurrect him: “Olga! - the frightened Oblomov suddenly burst out... - For God’s sake, don’t let her here, leave!”

As on his first visit, Stolz sums it up sadly:

What's there? - Olga asked...

Nothing!..

Is he alive and well?

Why did you come back so soon? Why didn’t you call me there and bring him? Let me in!

What is going on there?... Has “the abyss opened”? Will you tell me?.. What's going on there?

Oblomovism!

And if Ilya Ilyich found people who agreed to endure this life around him, then nature itself, it seems, came out against it, measuring out a short period for such an existence. That is why the same Agafya Matveevna’s attempts to limit her husband produce a tragicomic impression. “How many times have you gone through? - she asked Vanyusha... - Don’t lie, look at me... Remember Sunday, I won’t let you visit<…>" And Oblomov, willy-nilly, counted eight more times, then came into the room...”; “It would be nice to have some pie!” - “I forgot, I really forgot! I wanted to since the evening, but my memory seems to have gone missing!” - Agafya Matveevna cheated.” This makes no sense. For she cannot offer him any other purpose in life other than food and sleep.

Goncharov devotes relatively little space to describing the illness and death of his hero. I. Annensky summarizes the reader’s impressions, saying that “we read 600 pages about him, we do not know a person in Russian literature so fully, so vividly depicted. And yet his death affects us less than the death of a tree in Tolstoy...” Why? Critics of the “Silver Age” are unanimous, because the worst has already happened to Oblomov. Spiritual death preceded physical death. “He died because he ended...” (I. Annensky). “Vulgarity has finally triumphed over purity of heart, love, and ideals.” (D. Merezhkovsky).

Goncharov says goodbye to his hero with an emotional lyrical requiem: “What happened to Oblomov? Where is he? Where? - In the nearest cemetery, under a modest urn, his body rests<…>. Lilac branches, planted by a friendly hand, doze over the grave, and wormwood smells serenely. It seems that the angel of silence himself is guarding his sleep.”

It would seem that there is an undeniable contradiction here. A high funeral speech for a fallen hero! But life cannot be considered useless when someone remembers you. Bright sadness filled the life of Agafya Matveevna with the highest meaning: “She realized that<…>God put his soul into her life and took it out again; that the sun shone in it and darkened forever... Forever, really; but on the other hand, her life was forever comprehended: now she knew why she lived and that she did not live in vain.”

In the finale, we meet Zakhar in the guise of a beggar on the church porch. The orphaned valet prefers to ask for Christ's sake rather than serve the “objectionable” lady. The following dialogue takes place between Stolz and his literary acquaintance about the late Oblomov:

And he was no more stupid than others, his soul was pure and clear, like glass; noble, gentle, and - disappeared!

From what? What reason?

The reason... what a reason! Oblomovism! - said Stolz.

Oblomovism! - the writer repeated with bewilderment. - What it is?

Now I’ll tell you... And you write it down: maybe it will be useful to someone. “And he told him what was written here.”

Thus, the composition of the novel is strictly circular; it is impossible to isolate the beginning and end in it. Everything that we read from the first pages, it turns out, can be interpreted as a story about Oblomov, his friend. At the same time, Stolz could tell the story of a recently completed life. Thus, the circle of human life is completed twice: in reality and in the memories of friends.

Goncharov, the singer of harmony, could not end his book with one minor note. In the epilogue, a new little hero appears, who, perhaps, will be able to harmoniously combine the best features of his father and educator. “Don’t forget my Andrey! - were Oblomov’s last words, spoken in a faded voice...” “No, I won’t forget your Andrey<…>, Stolz promises. “But I’ll take your Andrey where you couldn’t go.”<…>and with him we will put our youthful dreams into action.”

Let's do a little experiment. Open the last page of the Oblomov edition - any that you hold in your hands. Turning it over, you will almost certainly find an article by Nikolai Aleksandrovich Dobrolyubov “What is Oblomovism?” It is necessary to know this work, if only because it is one of the examples of Russian critical thought of the nineteenth century. However, the first sign of a free person and a free country is the ability to choose. Dobrolyubov’s article is more interesting to consider next to the article with which it appeared almost simultaneously and with which it is largely polemical. This is a review of Alexander Vasilyevich Druzhinin “Oblomov”. Roman I.A. Goncharova".

Critics are unanimous in admiring Olga's image. But if Dobrolyubov sees in her a new heroine, the main fighter against Oblomovism, Druzhinin sees in her the embodiment of eternal femininity: “One cannot help but be carried away by this bright, pure creature, who has so wisely developed in herself all the best, true principles of a woman...”

The disagreements between them begin with Oblomov’s assessment. Dobrolyubov argues with the author of the novel himself, proving that Oblomov is a lazy, spoiled, worthless creature: “He (Oblomov) will not bow to the idol of evil! But why is that? Because he is too lazy to get up from the couch. But drag him down, put him on his knees in front of this idol: he will not be able to stand up. Dirt won't stick to it! Yes, he's lying alone for now. Nothing yet; and when Tarantyev, the Worn One, arrives. Ivan Matveich - brr! what disgusting filth begins around Oblomov.”

The critic astutely guesses the origins of Oblomov’s character in his childhood. He sees primarily social roots in Oblomovism: “... He ( Oblomov) from an early age he sees in his house that all housework is done by footmen and maids, and daddy and mummy only give orders and scold for bad performance.” Gives the example of the symbolic episode of pulling on stockings. He also views Oblomov as social type. This is a gentleman, the owner of “three hundred Zakharovs”, who “while drawing the ideal of his bliss, ... did not think about establishing its legality and truth, did not ask himself the question: where will these greenhouses and greenhouses come from ... and why on earth will he use them?”

Yet the psychological analysis of the character and the meaning of the entire novel is not so interesting to the critic. He is constantly interrupted by “more general considerations” about Oblomovism. In Goncharov’s hero the critic is, first of all, an established literary type; the critic traces his genealogy from Onegin, Pechorin, Rudin. In literary science, it is usually called the type of superfluous person. Unlike Goncharov, Dobrolyubov focuses on his negative traits: “What all these people have in common is that they have no business in life that would be a vital necessity for them, a sacred thing of the heart...”

Dobrolyubov shrewdly guesses that the reason for Oblomov’s restless sleep was the lack of a high, truly noble goal. I chose Gogol’s words as my epigraph: “Where is the one who, in the native language of the Russian soul, could tell us this almighty word “forward?..””

Let's now look at Druzhinin's article. Let's be honest: it's a lot harder to read. As soon as we open the pages, the names of philosophers and poets, Carlyle and Longfellow, Hamlet and the artists of the Flemish school will dapple before our eyes. An intellectual of the highest outlook, an expert in English literature, Druzhinin does not stoop to the average level in his critical works, but seeks an equal reader. By the way, this is how you can check the degree of your own culture - ask yourself, which of the mentioned names, paintings, books are familiar to me?

Following Dobrolyubov, he pays a lot of attention to “The Dream...” and sees in it “a step towards understanding Oblomov with his Oblomovism.” But, unlike him, he focuses on the lyrical content of the chapter. Druzhinin saw poetry even in the “sleepy servant,” and gave Goncharov’s highest merit the fact that he “poeticized the life of his native land.” So the critic touched lightly national content Oblomovism. Defending his beloved hero, the critic calls: “Take a careful look at the novel, and you will see how many people in it are devoted to Ilya Ilyich and even adore him...” It’s not without reason!

“Oblomov is a child, and not a trashy libertine, he is a sleepyhead, and not an immoral egoist or an epicurean...” To emphasize the moral value of the hero, Druzhinin asks the question: who is ultimately more useful to humanity? A naive child or a zealous official, “signing paper after paper”? And he answers: “A child by nature and according to the conditions of his development, Ilya Ilyich ... left behind him the purity and simplicity of a child - qualities that are precious in an adult.” People “not of this world” are also necessary because “in the midst of the greatest practical confusion, they often reveal to us the realm of truth and at times put the inexperienced, dreamy eccentric above ... a whole crowd of businessmen surrounding him.” The critic is sure that Oblomov - universal type, and exclaims: “It’s not good for that land where there are no kind and incapable of evil eccentrics like Oblomov!”

Unlike Dobrolyubov, he does not forget about Agafya Matveevna. Druzhinin made a subtle observation about Pshenitsyna’s place in Oblomov’s fate: she was unwillingly the “evil genius” of Ilya Ilyich, “but everything will be forgiven for this woman because she loved a lot.” The critic is captivated by the subtle lyricism of the scenes depicting the sorrowful experiences of the widow. In contrast, the critic shows the egoism of the Stoltsev couple in relation to Oblomov in scenes where “neither everyday order, nor everyday truth... were violated.”

At the same time, a number of controversial judgments can be found in his review. The critic avoids talking about why Ilya Ilyich dies. Stolz's despair at the sight of his friend's decline is caused, in his opinion, only by the fact that Oblomov married a commoner.

Like Dobrolyubov, Druzhinin goes beyond the consideration of the novel. He discusses the peculiarities of Goncharov's talent and compares it with Dutch painters. Like the Dutch landscape painters and creators of genre scenes, the details of everyday life under his pen acquire an existential scale and “his creative spirit was reflected in every detail... like the sun is reflected in a small drop of water...”

We saw that two critics argue and deny each other in their judgments about Oblomov and the novel as a whole. So which of them should we believe? I. Annensky answered this question, noting that it is a mistake to “dwell on the question of what type of Oblomov. Negative or positive? This question is generally one of the school-market ones...” And he suggests that “the most natural way in every type analysis is to start with an analysis of one’s impressions, deepening them if possible.” It is for this “deepening” that criticism is needed. To convey the reaction of contemporaries, to complement independent conclusions, and not to replace your impressions. In fact, Goncharov believed in his reader, and to comments that his hero was incomprehensible, he retorted: “What does the reader care about? Is he some kind of idiot who cannot use his imagination to complete the rest according to the idea given by the author? Have the Pechorins, Onegins... been told to the last detail? The author’s task is the dominant element of character, and the rest is up to the reader.”


The novel “Oblomov,” written by Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov, was published in one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine. This is the author's best work, and even now it is popular among readers. Ivan Aleksandrovich in “Oblomov” portrayed the traditional type of Russian person, the embodiment of which in the work was Ilya Ilyich.

Source: novel "Oblomov"

Let us turn to the novel and see how the author gradually, with all its completeness, reveals the image of Oblomov. Goncharov introduces his hero into different situations in order to show to the maximum extent all the disadvantages and advantages of the Oblomov type. Ilya Ilyich is tested by both friendship and love, and, nevertheless, is he doomed to disappear?

To answer this question, let's analyze his life. The first time we meet Oblomov in his apartment on Gorokhovaya Street, but over the course of the novel we learn more and more about him, and therefore we can imagine a fairly clear picture of his past life. Ilya Ilyich spent his childhood on the family estate - Oblomovka. Ilyusha was a playful boy. He, like all children, wanted movement, new impressions, but his parents protected him in every possible way from unnecessary worries, did not burden him with anything, but forbade him to show any freedom.

Sometimes the tender care of his parents bothered him. Whether he runs down the stairs or across the yard, suddenly ten desperate voices are heard after him: “Ah, ah! hold it, stop it! will fall and hurt himself! Stop, stop..."

It is not for nothing that Dobrolyubov writes: “From an early age he sees that all household work is performed by lackeys and maids, and daddy and mummy only give orders and scold for poor performance. Therefore, he will not kill himself over work, no matter what they tell him about the necessity and sanctity of work. And now he already has the first concept - that sitting with folded hands is more honorable than fussing about work...” Indeed, all decisions in the house were made without his participation, and Ilya’s fate was decided behind his back, so he had no idea about adult life, in which I arrived completely unprepared.

So, having arrived in the city, Ilya Ilyich tried to find an occupation to his liking. He tried to write, to serve as an official, but all this seemed empty to him, without meaning, because there he had to do business, which, due to his upbringing, he did not like, especially since Oblomov did not know the meaning of these activities and did not strive to understand, therefore he considered that this was not life, because it did not correspond to his ideals, which consisted of a peaceful, calm, carefree life, hearty food and serene sleep. This is precisely the way of life that Oblomov leads at the beginning of the novel. He did not pay much attention to his appearance: he was wearing a robe, which had special meaning for Ilya Ilyich. These were the clothes that he considered the best for himself: the robe is “soft, flexible; he, like an obedient slave, submits to the slightest movement of the body.” It seems to me that the robe is a key detail in Oblomov’s portrait, since it symbolizes this man’s lifestyle and, to some extent, reveals to us his character: lazy, calm, thoughtful. Ilya Ilyich is a homebody. In Oblomov there is neither the despoticism characteristic of serf owners, nor stinginess, nor any sharply negative qualities. This is a kind sloth, prone to daydreaming.

His portrait and the interior of the room tell us a lot about the character of the main character. Oblomov is a man of about thirty-two or three years old, “of average height, pleasant appearance, with dark gray eyes, but with the absence of any definite idea, any concentration in his facial features,” which indicates a lack of purpose in life. At first glance, it seemed that his room was beautifully decorated, but, looking closer, you notice a layer of dust on all things, unread books, the remains of meals, which suggests that the person living here is trying to create the appearance of decency of that time, but not a single thing was done doesn't follow through.

This was the impression of Ilya Ilyich only at the beginning of the novel, because, having met Olga, he was greatly transformed, the former Oblomov remained only in memories, and the new one began to read, write, work a lot, set goals for himself and strive for them. It was as if he had awakened from a long hibernation and began to make up for lost time. This is what love does to a person! Moreover, Olga constantly encouraged Ilya to act. Finally, a full-blooded life began to play within him.

The love of Oblomov and Ilyinskaya continues until Ilya Ilyich has to face real life, until decisive action is required from him, until Olga realizes that she loves the future Oblomov. “I recently found out that I loved in you what I wanted to have in you, what Stolz showed me, what we invented with him. I loved the future Oblomov!” Neither friendship, nor even such pure, sincere love could make him give up his peaceful, calm, carefree life. Ilya Ilyich moved to the Vyborg region, which can be called the “new Oblomovka”, because there he returned to his previous way of life. The widow of Pshenitsyn is exactly the ideal wife that Oblomov imagined during his dreams; she does not force him to do anything, does not demand anything. And Ilya Ilyich begins to degrade again from such a life. But I think you can’t blame him for everything. “What ruined you? There is no name for this evil...” Olga exclaims when parting. “There is... Oblomovism!” - he whispered barely audibly.

Oblomov himself was well aware that the life he was leading would not bring anything to future generations, but there was no such driving vital force that could bring him out of a state of apathy towards everything around him. Ilya Ilyich “painfully felt that some good, bright beginning was buried in him, as in a grave... But the treasure was deeply and heavily littered with rubbish, alluvial debris. It was as if someone had stolen and buried in his own soul the treasures brought to him as a gift of peace and life.”

Oblomov is kind and hospitable: his doors are open to all friends and acquaintances. Even Tarantiev, who is rude and arrogant to Ilya Ilyich, often dines at his house.

And his love for Olga brings out his best qualities: kindness, nobility, honesty and “dovelike tenderness.”

Is Oblomov significantly different from most people? Of course, laziness, apathy and inertia, to one degree or another, are characteristic of many. The reasons for the emergence of such qualities may be different. Some people believe that their whole life is a continuous series of failures and disappointments, and therefore they do not strive to change it for the better. Others are afraid of difficulties, so they try to protect themselves from them as much as possible. However, people still have to face reality, learn its cruel sides, struggle with difficulties in order to celebrate success or suffer defeat as a result. This is precisely the meaning of human life.

If a person decides to protect himself from all possible and impossible difficulties, then his life gradually turns into something completely monstrous. This is exactly what happened to Oblomov. Reluctance to live according to the existing laws of life leads to gradual but very rapid degradation. At first, a person thinks that everything can still be changed, that very little time will pass and he will “resurrect”, throw off laziness and despondency like an old dress, and take up the things that have been waiting for him for a long time. But time passes, strength is depleted. And the person still remains in the same place.