Project "Speech Characteristics of a Character as a Means of Creating a Comic Situation (based on D.I. Fonvizin's comedy "The Minor")."

Semakova Anastasia

Characteristics of Mrs. Prostakova, Mitrofanushka, Skotinin through the speech of the heroes

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MBOU "Selmenga Secondary School"
branch "Topetskaya Basic School"

Research work on Russian language

8th grade students

Semakova Anastasia

Swear words are a means of speech characterization of the characters in the play.
DI. Fonvizin "Minor"

Head of work – Fedoseeva S.V.

October, 2013

Introduction

Target - explore swear words in the speech of the characters in the play by D.I. Fonvizin "Undergrowth".

Tasks :

Determine what swear words are and what marks they have in dictionaries.
Extract from the text of the play by D.I. Fonvizin vocabulary that can be classified as abusive, and analyze the etymology and lexical meaning of these words.
Determine how the swear words of the characters in the play characterize them.
Draw conclusions about how abusive language characterizes the characters in the play.

This paper examines the use of swear words by the characters in the play by D.I. Fonvizin “Undergrown”, in order to characterize the characters.

Speech always characterizes the speaker:

Study

“Dictionary of the Russian Language of the USSR Academy of Sciences” (MAS), edited by A.P. Evgenieva indicates that the adjective abusive refers to the word swearing, and the interpretation of swearing gives as “offensive, abusive words, swearing” and notes the connotation of this word “condemnation, censure, reproaches.”

Let's try to characterize the heroes of the work by D.I. Fonvizin “Undergrown”, using abusive language in their speech. To do this, we wrote out lines containing abusive language from the text of the play, and based on this we compiled a table:

Hero of the play	Action/ phenomenon	Whom is he talking to?	What does it say
Ms. Prostakova		Trischke	And you, beast , come closer. Didn't I tell you thief's mug I wish you could make your caftan wider. Tell, idiot What is your excuse?
			While searching, he argues. A tailor learned from another, another from a third, and who did the first tailor learn from? Speak up, cattle.
		Trischke	Get out, you beast.
		Eremeevna	So you feel sorry for the sixth one, beast?
		Eremeevna	Well... and you, beast , dumbfounded, but you didn’t glared at my brother haryu , and you didn’t pull him apart dug up to my ears... Yes...yes what...not your child, beast! You, the old witch, burst into tears.
		Eremeevna	All of you beasts zealous in words only, but not in deeds...
		Eremeevna	Are you a girl? you're a dog's daughter ? Is there anything in my house other than yours? nasty hari, and no maids!
		Eremeevna about the serf Palashka	Lying down! Oh, she's a beast! Lying down! As if noble!
		Eremeevna about the serf Palashka	She's delusional, she's a beast ! As if noble!
		Sophia	Perhaps a letter for me. (Almost throws up.) I bet it's some kind of amorous. And I can guess from whom. This is from that officer who was looking to marry you and whom you yourself wanted to marry. Yes which one beast Gives you letters without my asking! I'll get there. This is what we have come to. They write letters to girls! Girls can read and write!
		Starodum About Me	Oh, I'm such a fool ! Father! I'm sorry. I stupid .
		Milo about my husband	Don't be angry, my father, what freak mine missed you. That's right I'm a baby born, my father.
		household members and serfs	Rogues! The thieves! Fraudsters!I'll order everyone to be beaten to death!
		everyone About Me	Oh me, the dog's daughter! What have I done!
Skotinin		Pravdin	How! The nephew should interrupt his uncle! Yes, I like him at the first meeting damn I'll break it. Well, if I were pig son , if I am not her husband, or Mitrofan freak.
		Mitrofan	Oh, you damn pig!
		Pravdin	I myself won’t take my eyes off it without the elected official telling me stories. Master, dog son where does everything come from!
Mitrofan		Eremeevna	Well, another word, old Khrychovka!
Tsyfirkin		Vralman	Why did you frown your eyebrows? Chukhon owl!
Kuteikin		Vralman	Damn owl! Why are you patting your teeth?
Vralman		Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin	What the hell are you doing, you beast? Shuta suntes.
		Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin	How to put it down to the arithmetic of dustluthi turaki sandy!

For the etymological analysis of words, we used the dictionary of N.M. Shansky. All words from the list we compiled are marked “Obshcheslav.” and “Original”, except for words fury , borrowed from the Polish language, which got there from the Greek language, and canine , which refers to the word dog, borrowed from the Iranian language.Based on their origin, all the swear words from the play “The Minor” can be divided into groups:

Animal origin:

Livestock = wealth, money. This is explained by the fact that cattle served as bargaining chips.
Mug. Origin unclear. Presumably a contraction of Khavrya Sow. In this case, mug literally means “pig snout.”
Bestia. From the argot of seminarians.Is a rethinking of lat. bestia “beast, animal”, Bestia “animal” literally means “breathing”. Dictionary V.I. Dalia points to the Latin origin of this word.
Chushka is a suffixal derivative of chukha “pig”, derived from “imitative” chug-chug . Chukha → pig (alternating x//sh). Dictionary V.I. Dalia gives an explanation of the word chukha as in “snout, nose, pig’s grunt.”
Canine is an adjective formed from the noun dog.
Snout is the front part of the head in some animals.

Borrowed from Greek mythology – Fury.
Devil / Devil - origin unclear. Presumably "he who digs lives in the earth" and further - "underground spirit."
Blockhead - origin unclear. Presumably a suffixal derivative oflost bally, bally "log".

Let's consider the lexical meaning (LZ) of swear words (according to the dictionaries of V. I. Dahl and S. I. Ozhegov)

Words	LZ	Litters
		“Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language” by V.I. Dahl	Dictionary of the Russian language by S.I. Ozhegov.
livestock	“an animal-like man”	“abusive”	“figurative” “colloquial” “expletive”
mug	“bad, disgusting face, mug”		“colloquial” “expletive”
idiot	“stupid, fool, ignorant, ignorant”		“abusive” “colloquial”
beast	“a rogue, a sneak, an impudent swindler, a clever and daring rogue”	“abusive”	“colloquial”
fool / fool	“stupid man, dumbass”		“colloquial” “abusive”
crap	“the personification of evil, the enemy of the human race: unclean, black power, Satan, devil, evil one”	“abusive”
khrych / khrychovka	“old man, old man”	“abusive or humorous”	“colloquial” “expletive”
pig /chukhna	“the same as a pig” (according to S.I. Ozhegov) “clueless fool” (according to V.I. Dahl)	“abusive”	“colloquial”
canine	“grumpy, abusive” (according to V.I. Dahl’s dictionary)	“abusive”	“colloquial” “disapproving”
deadhead	“slow person”		“disapproving” “colloquial”
rogue	“a person who likes to be cunning, disingenuous” (according to S.I. Ozhegov)		“colloquial”
thief	“a swindler, a slacker, a deceiver; traitor” (according to V.I. Dahl’s dictionary) “traitor, villain” (according to S.I. Ozhegov)
scammer	“rogue, swindler”
freak	“immoral, a person of bad rules or inclinations” (according to V.I. Dahl’s dictionary) “a person with some bad, negative properties” (according to S.I. Ozhegov)
snout	“same as face”	“abusive”	“colloquial” “expletive”

Most of the words that the characters in the play “The Minor” swear at refer to colloquial and colloquial vocabulary and are labeled “abusive.”

conclusions

So, abusive language as an address is most often present in the speech of Mrs. Prostakova (“And you, cattle, come closer”, “Didn’t I tell you, you thieving mug, to let your caftan widen”, “Get out, you cattle” , “Well... and you, beast, were dumbfounded, and you didn’t dig into your brother’s mug, and you didn’t tear his snout to the ears,” “Tell me, idiot, how will you justify yourself?”). Addressing her maids, Prostakova most often calls them beasts and the servants brutes, while when she wants to achieve something from influential people, she begins to humiliate herself in front of them, for example: “Oh, I’m an incredible fool! Father! I'm sorry. I'm a fool". Since she always uses rude words from colloquial vocabulary, which are not diverse and are related in origin to the animal world, it can be argued that Prostakova is uneducated, ignorant, rude, and cruel to those who cannot protect themselves from her rudeness. Prostakova uses abusive language when communicating with her servants, brother and husband or talking about them, for example: “Don’t be angry, my father, that my freak missed you. I was born so young, my father.” The same applies to her son Mitrofan and brother Skotinin, who use swear words of animal origin as addresses, for example: “Oh, you damn pig!”

Throughout the entire play, the author constantly plays with words of animal origin in the speech of the characters, thereby trying to expose the bestial behavior of some characters, even though they are people of noble noble origin. For example, the word livestock appears in the play in different meanings. “When only cattle can be happy in our country, then your wife will have bad peace from them and from us,” - in Pravdin’s speech, the word cattle can be understood in different ways: “the general name for domestic farm animals” or “a person similar to cattle " Cattle is the root of the surname of the hero of the play Skotinin. And Prostakova herself, although she now bears the same surname, was also originally Skotinina. It is no coincidence that Kuteikin dictates the words to Mitrofan: “I am cattle” (I am cattle). With the help of these words, Fonvizin constantly ridicules the lack of education and rudeness of the Prostakov and Skotinin family, showing their true essence. The author is trying to convince the reader that, no matter how noble a person’s origin may be, with bestial behavior he will be worse than the cattle itself.

Three teachers, Tsyfirkin, Kuteikin and Vralman, although they are teachers, behave very hostilely towards each other, using the same words of animal origin when meeting. Just like Prostakova herself, she chose such teachers for her son: rude and uneducated.

Consequently, abusive language characterizes the heroes of Fonvizin’s play “The Minor” as rude, vicious, uneducated, ignorant people.

Bibliography

Emelyanenko E. M. Predicate nouns with the meaning of a negative evaluation // RYASh, 1990, No. 5, pp. 73 - 76.
Kimyagarova R. S., Bash L. M., Ilyushina L. A. Dictionary of the language of comedy by D. I. Fonvizin “Minor”. -http://www.philol.msu.ru/~slavmir2009/sections/?secid=9- International scientific symposium “Slavic languages and cultures in the modern world.” - Moscow, Faculty of Philology, Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov, March 24–26, 2009
Krysin L.P. Relationships between modern literary language and vernacular // RYASh, 1988, No. 2, pp. 81 - 88.
The full text of the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language” by Vladimir Ivanovich Dahl (vols. 1-4, 1863-66) in accordance with modern spelling rules.http://slovari.yandex.ru/dict/dal
Dictionary of the Russian language S.I. Ozhegova. 10th edition, stereotypical. Ed. Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor N.Yu. Shvedova. Publishing house "Soviet Encyclopedia", Moscow - 1973.http://www.ozhegov.org
Dictionary of the Russian language: In 4 volumes /AS USSR, Institute of the Russian Language; Ed. A.P.Evgenieva. - 3rd ed., stereotype. - M.: Russian language, 1985 -1988. T.1. A - J. 1985. - 696 p. T.2. K-O. 1986. - 736 p.
Shansky. N. M. School etymological dictionary of the Russian language. Origin of words / N. M. Shansky, T. A. Bobrova. - 7th ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2004. - 398, p.http://slovari.yandex.ru/dict/shansky/
Fonvizin D.I. Minor //Fonvizin D.I., Griboedov A.S., Ostrovsky A.N. Selected works / Editorial Board: G. Belenky, P. Nikolaev, A. Puzikov; Comp. And entry. Article by V. Turbin; Comp. section "Applications" and notes. Yu. Dvinskaya. - M.: Artist. Lit., 1989. - 608 p.

Addressing this topic will allow us to consider many others raised in comedy.

During the conversation, you can repeat theoretical and literary concepts.

Name the features of drama as a type of literature.

How does drama differ from epic and lyric poetry?

What genres is drama divided into?

The play was staged in St. Petersburg in 1782, published in 1783, and went through four editions during the author’s lifetime.

“The Minor” is the pinnacle of Fonvizin’s creativity, the first Russian comedy created during the times of Russian classicism.

Name the features of classicism as a literary movement.

The educational orientation of literature (writers sought to influence the human mind in order to correct the vices of society), the doctrine of three “calms”, the telling names of the heroes, their division into positive and negative, the trinity of place, time and action - all these are the main features and rules of classicism.

In his comedy, Fonvizin largely deviates from these rules, although he builds it in accordance with the norms of classicism.

Fonvizin’s merit in creating a spoken language of comedy. Fonvizin's true innovation lay in the widespread use of colloquial speech, the principles of its selection, and the skill of individualization. All this is all the more important because in the second half of the 18th century a pan-Russian literary language was being formed, and Fonvizin himself was an active participant in this process.

The clear division of heroes into positive and negative among all comedians of that time entailed the need to differentiate the speech of the heroes. The language of positive heroes, bearers of abstract virtues, is bookish and literary, rich in Slavic vocabulary, many periphrases, and complex syntactic structures.

At first glance, the images of positive characters in Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” were created in the same traditions. The language of Sophia, Milon, and Pravdin is bookish, colloquial vocabulary is almost never used.

However, Fonvizin's comedy is sharply different from others.

In Fonvizin we not only see the actions of positive heroes, but also learn their moral ideal - honest service to the Fatherland, intolerant attitude towards vice and injustice. Fonvizin's educated, progressively thinking heroes express the innermost thoughts of the author, who was close to the noble opposition during the reign of Catherine II - this is the main ideological and artistic function of positive heroes. Consequently, the high syllable of their speech is psychologically motivated. And this distinguishes their speech from the speech of abstractly positive heroes of other comedies - wise fathers, honest, devoted friends, and so on.

The above should first of all be attributed to Starodum. This is the author’s favorite hero, his second self. The desire for realism, which characterizes Fonvizin’s comedy, was clearly reflected in the creation of Starodum’s speech characteristics.

Starodum's speech is, first of all, Speaker's speech. He, according to Fonvizin, must convey new ideas to the reader and interpret them. That's why His speech is figurative, aphoristic.

An ignoramus without a soul is a beast; It is much more honest to be treated without guilt than to be rewarded without merit; Have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times; Cash is not cash worth; The golden fool is still a fool; Enlightenment elevates one virtuous soul; Only those who are in rank not by money, and in the nobility not by rank, are worthy of spiritual respect.

In Starodum’s speech, Fonvizin consistently shows how the choice of words depends on the speech situation, which was typical for the colloquial speech of educated people in the second half of the 18th century. Thus, when he has nothing to talk about with his interlocutor (for example, with the ignorant Prostakova), his remarks become monosyllabic, he is ironic, and often uses such colloquial words as To start, this is a master of interpretation, bah! I'm having tea; post-positive particles (think about it). He seems to adapt to the vocabulary of his interlocutor.

In addition, using the example of Starodum’s speech, Fonvizin showed for the first time that the older generation of educated nobles spoke more simply than the younger generation, his speech was closer to folk colloquialism. So, Starodum uses If(Milon - Will), Now, survived, will help, hang around in the hallway, just now, rich man, get out(“to leave”), Rublev.

Unlike other playwrights, Fonvizin creates individual speech characteristics of positive characters. Thus, Starodum’s speech is simpler, more specific, more figurative than the speech of Pravdin and Milon. Starodum plays a unique role as a translator, a mediator between the serf owners and his truth-loving friends. It is he who can explain himself to Skotinin, “laughing” to find a common language with him, while Milon, regarding Skotinin’s remarks, is only able to exclaim:

What insolence... I can hardly resist... What a bestial comparison!

It is Starodum who knows how to understand the peculiar logic of Mitrofan, who reveals his “knowledge” in the field of grammar: “So that’s why you use the word fool as an adjective, because it is applied to a stupid person?” (To which Mitrofan replies: “And it is known.”) When Prostakova asks Pravdin and Starodum to explain to her what “heorgaphy” is, Pravdin gives an answer incomprehensible to Prostakova: “Description of the land,” and Starodum explains to her in such a way that she immediately understands ( and defines his attitude towards geography as follows): “Science is not a noble science.” Condemning Prostakova, Starodum, unlike Milon and Pravdin, does not philosophize, does not suppress her with abstractions, but simply says in response to her exclamation that she is a person, not an angel:

I know, I know that a person cannot be an angel. And you don’t have to be a devil.

In the first dialogue between Pravdin and Starodum, there is even some opposition between the speech manner of one and the way of expressing the other. The courtly phrases of Pravdin, not only a noble, but also an exquisitely polite person, differ quite sharply from Starodum’s remarks with his “you” addresses and his habit of interrupting the speech of his interlocutor. It seems that a nobleman of Catherine’s era is talking with a close associate of Peter I, the nobility of the first is clothed in exquisite forms, the wisdom of the second is simple and artless, completely in the style of the great sovereign.

Pravdin. As soon as they got up from the table and I went to the window and saw your carriage, then, without telling anyone, I ran out to meet you and hug you with all my heart. My sincere respect to you...

Starodum. It is precious to me. Trust me.

Pravdin. Your friendship for me is all the more flattering because you cannot have it for others except such...

Starodum. What are you like? I speak without ranks. The ranks begin - they stop...

Pravdin. Your treatment...

Starodum. Many people laugh at him. I know it...

But such a contrast is only emerging. Starodum’s “Petrine” style is not maintained to the end, and in many scenes the difference between him and Pravdivny, Milon is erased. In the same dialogue, Starodum moves away from the style of simplicity and artlessness and speaks almost the same as Pravdin.

Starodum. I did not know how to guard against the first movements of my irritated curiosity. My ardor did not allow me to judge then that a truly inquisitive person is jealous of deeds, and not of rank...

If Starodum’s speech sometimes shows a sense of humor, then Pravdin and Milon speak completely seriously, not allowing or understanding jokes. This is how it should be: their word is inflexible, unambiguous, it expresses a thought, but does not convey shades of meaning. For example, the jokes of Sophia, who supposedly talks sympathetically about Mitrofan, “torment” Milon, arouse jealousy in him, and even when he finally realized that she was joking, he still reproaches her: how can you joke with such a passionate, serious and virtuous a person?

All this, in Fonvizin’s understanding, does not at all contradict his plan to present Pravdin and Milon as positive heroes of the comedy. Their speech should appeal to the rigor and classical beauty of abstractions that make up the harmonious edifice of the educational program. Abstractions are perceived and experienced emotionally by positive characters: such, for example, a word as Virtue, causes them ecstasy and excitement.

Starodum. ...I caress that my ardor does not deceive me, that virtue...

Sophia. You filled all my feelings with it. (Rushing to kiss his hands.) Where is she?

Starodum (kissing her hands). She's in your soul...

This is the end of the conversation that it is not love, but reason and good morals that should be the basis of marriage. The bride not only agrees with her uncle - for her this rule was an exciting revelation and a source of intense joy.

In general, the speech of the positive characters is not yet so bright, and this is primarily due to the fact that they practically do not use colloquial, colloquial phrases. The bookish speech of educated people of that time was characterized by a lack of emotion. Clarity, correctness, monotony - these are the distinctive features of the speech characteristics of positive heroes. You understand the meaning of what they say from the immediate meaning of the words. For the rest of the characters, the meaning and essence can be grasped in the very dynamics of the conversation. The speech of positive characters is used by the author to express his thoughts.

Creating images of negative characters, Fonvizin reproduces a lively, relaxed

Negative characters are characterized by the use of folk proverbs, sayings, and phraseological units, which gives the landowner a national flavor.

Ms. Prostakova (behind the scenes). Rogues! The thieves! Fraudsters! Everyone Nail I command To death!

Forgive me! Ah, father... Well! Now I'll give you the dawn channel to your people...

(Kneeling). Ah, my fathers, A fault confessed is half redressed. My sin! Don't ruin me. (To Sophia.) You are my dear mother, forgive me. Have mercy on me (pointing to my husband and son) and on the poor orphans.

There are few vernacular words in comedy, and these are mostly words widely used in everyday speech. Fonvizin carefully selects “reduced” vocabulary; we will not find words from him that are rarely used and therefore attract attention as a foreign inclusion in the fabric of the narrative.

He uses colloquial and “reduced” vocabulary to create vivid speech characteristics.

As an example, let's look at speech Prostakova. The impression of Prostakova’s ignorance is created primarily by the inclusion in her vocabulary of words that are colloquial, but expressively neutral: He, de, ba, to the article, tired, where, nowhere, looking for("more"), I tea, indulge, maybe, intimidate, now, bye, sweat, look, if only, little. It is this vocabulary, devoid of expressive load, designed to emphasize the word in speech, to highlight it - this vocabulary creates a “common” background of speech characteristics. Sounding against this background Swear words (snout, swindler, thief, thieving mug, cattle, fool, beast, freak, weakling, scoundrel, mug, witch, countless fool) Prostakova’s rudeness, unbridledness, and cruelty are conveyed more sharply.

Ms. Prostakova (behind the scenes). Rogues! The thieves! Fraudsters! I'll order everyone to be beaten to death!

Oh me Dog's daughter! What have I done!

Insatiable soul! Kuteikin! What is this for?

Note, however, that in the dictionaries of the second half of the 18th century, not all of these words are classified as stylistically reduced. For example, words like Chatterbox, fool, game, mug, mug, kill, stagger, gape, stylistically not limited. Were completely common in colloquial speech and form Where, nowhere, enough, baby. The colloquial nature of these words is indicated by their absence in official letters and business documents; in Fonvizin (except for “The Minor”) they are found in the comedy “Brigadier”, in translations of fables, in letters to relatives.

Prostakova's speech reflects Dialect features: dialect conjunctions; use of the postpositive member.

Mrs. Prostakova. Forgive me! Ah, father!.. Well! Now- That I will give the dawn to my people. Now- That I'll take them all one by one. Now- That I’ll find out who let her out of his hands. No, scammers! No, thieves! I will not forgive a century, I will not forgive this ridicule.

Not free! A nobleman is not free to flog his servants when he wants; Yes, what have we been given instructions for? From about the freedom of the nobility?

And with debts - That get rid of things?.. Teachers are underpaid...

Prostakova uses bookish expressions in her speech (“a fair amount of fiction”, “amorous writing”).

Most playwrights, reproducing the speech of servants, peasants, and local nobles, created a kind of conventional language that differed from living everyday speech in its deliberate concentration of vernacular elements.

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Fonvizin creates the language of comic characters using literary language, very accurately using elements of vernacular language. In this way he achieves complete verisimilitude in the speech of Prostakova and other “low” characters in the comedy. The reader gets the impression that the speech of these characters reflects the real speech practice of the provincial nobility, servants, and so on.

Obviously, it was precisely this way of creating speech characteristics of everyday, comic comedy characters that was fruitful - the use of the speech practice of the writer himself, the wide inclusion of colloquial vocabulary and phraseology used among educated people. Other comedians, contemporaries of Fonvizin, set themselves a similar task, but it was brilliantly resolved only by Fonvizin, who carried it out more fully and decisively.

The speech of Mitrofan and Skotinin is also replete with proverbs, sayings, jokes, and funny puns: I have... all sorts of guilt; you can’t beat your betrothed with a horse; live happily; a merry feast and for the wedding(Skotinin); Guilty without guilt(Prostakov); Henbane ate too much, shoot them, remember their names, stuck with a knife to the throat(Mitrofan).

Prostakov. ...After all, we can’t move Sofyushkin’s real estate estate to our place.

Skotinin. And although the movable has been put forward, I am not a petitioner.

Mitrofanushka even rhymes some words. Worried after a tough conversation with Skotinin, he tells his mother that he is not able to read the book of hours with Kuteikin.

- Yes! just look at what the uncle is doing; and there from his fists and for the book of hours.

The conversations of the positive characters are inaccessible to the understanding of Prostakovs and Skotinin, but they often pick up one or another word familiar to them, expressing an abstract concept in the language of Pravdin and Milon, and, interpreting this word in their own way, return it to its original concrete meaning. For example:

Pravdin. When only your cattle can be happy, then your wife will suffer from them and from you. Peace.

Skotinin. Poor peace! Bah! bah! bah! Don't I have enough light rooms? I’ll give her a coal stove and a bed for her alone.

It is clear that Pravdin means peace - a “state of mind”, and Skotinin, understanding it differently, speaks of a room, a room (chamber).

From the very first scene, when Mrs. Prostakova scolds her husband, to whom the narrow, in her opinion, caftan seemed baggy (“you yourself are baggy, smart head”), and right up to the last words in the comedy, the negative characters, as they say, are behind the word They don't go into your pocket.

But all the techniques of expressiveness that enliven the speech of Prostakov and Skotinin in Fonvizin’s poetics are not techniques for creating any attractive image. The reader or viewer, turning to “The Minor,” judges his negative characters together with the author of the comedy, completely condemning them, despite the objectively valuable features of their language.

What, after all, are the unattractive features in the language of the Fonvizin serf-owners that compromise them in accordance with the author’s intentions? First of all this An abundance of vulgarisms, harsh and rude words. This is especially visible in the Prostakovs’ treatment of servants and teachers, in comparisons of negative characters with animals - dogs, pigs.

“I want to have my own piglets” (Skotinin wants to have children); “Have you ever heard of a bitch giving away her puppies?” (Prostakova explains her intercession for Mitrofan).

Similar parallels and all kinds of vulgarisms serve Satirical debunking of heroes- in Fonvizin’s comedy they play exactly this role.

Fonvizin's individualization of speech reaches high perfection: each comic character differs in the nature of his sayings.

Let's say About the language of teachers and servants. The features of their speech are determined by the social status of these characters, the nature of past and present occupations, professions, nationality (Vralman) and so on. First of all, this applies to teachers - Church Slavonic sayings, book words of Kuteikin.

Kuteikin. The call came and went; Are you willing to let go? Yes, first let’s be disappointed... We’ve been put to shame, damned one.

Vladyka, meal, consistory, battle - soldiers’ words and “arithmeticisms” of Tsyfirkin.

Tsyfirkin (to Pravdin). What will the order be, your honor?

So: with those ten rubles I wore out my boots in two years. We're even.

My pleasure. I served the sovereign for more than twenty years. I took money for service, I didn’t take it in vain, and I won’t take it.

Why, your honor, are you complaining?

AND! Your Honor. I'm a soldier.

Vralman's affectionate speech with the owners is impudently arrogant with the servants.

Vralman (to Pravdin). Fasche fisoko-i-plakhorotie. They fooled me to ask for it?..

(Having recognized Starodum). Ay! ah! ah! ah! ah! It's you, my gracious master! (Kissing the floor of Starodum.) Are you going to cheat the old lady, my dear fellow?

Hey, no, my dad! Shiuchi with great hospotam, it concerned me that I was with horses.

The speech of the characters in the play is a derivative of social and everyday realities; it is an important means of creating comic, as well as psychological characteristics of the characters.

Thus, the author manages to overcome the contradiction: on the one hand, his comedy is associated with the traditions of classicism, therefore all the characters wear speech masks; on the other hand, in the speech characteristics of the characters he manages to achieve their individualization, which gives “The Minor” features of realism.

For independent work Students can be asked to write an essay “Speech characteristics of Mitrofan and Eremeevna.”

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MBOU "Ershichi Secondary School" Speech characterization of a character as a means of creating a comic situation (based on D.I. Fonvizin's comedy "The Minor") (project) Prepared by: 8B grade student Kristina Mikhaleva Supervisor: V.A. Bokataya s. Ershichi 2016 Purpose, objectives of the project, object and method of research:

Show how, with the help of a character’s speech, the author of a literary work in the comedy genre creates a comic situation and an artistic image of the character.

Project objectives: - read D.I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor”

- Observe Ms. Prostakova’s speech, make extracts from this character’s remarks and monologues; -conduct an analysis of Prostakova’s speech - answer the question of how Prostakova’s speech helps make the situation funny, as well as how the speech characterizes the character; - draw conclusions from the observations made

Object of study: Prostakova’s speech from D.I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor”

Research method: observation, extracts, generalization

DI. Fonvizin (1745-1792) Speech characteristics of Ms. Prostakova Characteristics of Prostakova

The central character of the play is Mrs. Prostakova. She manages the household, beats her husband, keeps the servants in terror, and raises her son Mitrofan. “Now I scold, now I fight, and that’s how the house holds together.” No one dares to resist her power: “am I not powerful in my people?” Speech characterization is the main way of creating Prostakova’s character. The heroine's language changes depending on who she is addressing. Mrs. Prostakova calls her servants “thieves”, “rascals”, “beast”, “dog’s daughter”. He addresses Mitrofan: “my dear friend,” “dulyenka.” He greets guests respectfully: “I recommend you a dear guest,” “you are welcome.” There are also tragic elements in the image of Prostakova. This ignorant and self-interested “disdainful fury” loves and sincerely cares about her son. At the end of the play, rejected by Mitrofan, she becomes humiliated and pathetic: - You are the only one left with me. - Yes, get rid of it... - I don’t have a son... It is characteristic that the speech of this hypocritical lady is capable of completely changing its color in conversations with the people on whom she depends: here is her language acquires flattering, cunning intonations, she punctuates the conversation with constant ingratiation and words of praise.Her speech is rude and angry, full of swear words, swearing and threats, emphasizing the despotism and ignorance of the landowner, her callous attitude towards the peasants, whom she does not consider as people, with whom he tears off “three skins” and at the same time is indignant and reproaches them. “Five rubles a year and five slaps a day” receives from her Eremeevna, Mitrofan’s faithful and devoted servant and nanny (“mother”), whom Prostakova calls “an old bastard”, “a nasty hare”, “a dog’s daughter”, “a beast”, “a scumbag”.

Prostakova

Prostakova is the central negative character, a representative of the serf nobility. Fonvizin is depicted as an uneducated, ignorant and evil woman who holds all the power in the family: “I scold, then I fight, and that’s how the house holds together.” She is convinced that education is unnecessary and even harmful: “people live and have lived without science.” A two-faced person: she communicates haughtily, rudely, even aggressively with serfs, teachers, husband, brother, and tries to flatter the people on whom her position depends. Confirmation of the same thought is the change in attitude towards Sophia. Pravdin calls her “a despicable woman whose hellish disposition brings misfortune to the whole house.” The only person who inspires her with good feelings is her son Mitrofanushka, “dear friend”, “darling”. That’s why in the finale it’s even a pity for her, because he also turns away from her.

Examples of Prostakova's speech

Trishke - “cattle”, “swindler”, “thief’s mug”, “blockhead”; Eremeevna - “beast”, “scum”, “dog’s daughter”. Starodum - “benefactor”. “Whatever the peasants had, we took it away, we won’t be able to rip it off.” “Cheaters, thieves, swindlers! I’ll order everyone to be beaten to death.”
Mrs. Prostakova (Trishke). -And you, brute, come closer. Didn’t I tell you, you thieving mug, that you should make your caftan wider? The first child grows; another, a child and without a narrow caftan of delicate build. Tell me, idiot, what is your excuse? (Rudity and rudeness)
Mrs. Prostakova (rushing to hug Sophia). Congratulations, Sofyushka! Congratulations, my soul! I'm overjoyed! Now you need a groom. I, I don’t wish for a better bride for Mitrofanushka. That's it, uncle! That's my dear father! I myself still thought that God protects him, that he is still alive. (Hypocrisy and ingratiation)
Mrs. Prostakova. He, my father, is suffering from what we call here, tetanus. Sometimes, with his eyes wide open, he stands rooted to the spot for an hour. I didn’t do anything with him; what he couldn’t put up with from me! You won't get through anything. If the tetanus goes away, then, my father, it will become so bad that you ask God for tetanus again. (Tactlessness and self-confidence in one’s power over everyone)
Mrs. Prostakova. (Eremeevna) Are you a girl, are you a dog’s daughter? Do I have no maids in my house, besides your nasty face? Where is the broadsword? (Despotism)

Let's draw conclusions

How does speech characterize the personality of the hero of a dramatic work? Prostakova, whose maiden name was Skotinina, displays her animal nature: “Have you ever heard of a bitch giving away her puppies? »
There are also apt proverbial expressions in her rough, often primitive speech (“as if hung by the tongue”, “where there is anger, there is mercy”, “the sword does not cut off a guilty head”). but the main distinguishing feature of Prostakova’s speech is the frequent use of colloquialisms (“pervoet”, “deushka”, “arihmetika”, “robenok”, “sweat him and pamper”) and vulgarisms (“... and you, beast, were dumbfounded, but you didn’t dig in brother in the mug, and you didn’t tear his snout up to his ears...”).
All this creates comical situations in which Prostakova constantly finds herself. However, the laughter of the play is not so harmless, since the owner of such speech is a terrible person in her cruelty and rudeness, and Prostakova’s personal tragedy does not evoke sympathy

Prostakova is a typical serf woman. The way she treats her servants testifies to her power and cruelty; the servants are not people to her, so she allows them to be humiliated and suppressed, and sometimes physically tortured. And Prostakova doesn’t value her husband at all. Prostakova’s speech speaks of her limitations, lack of education, she usually pronounces words incorrectly, distorts proverbs as she wants. Prostakova is flattering to those from whom she hopes to benefit; Her flattering words are immediately discerned by the smart Starodum, so he sneers at her. Prostakova does not raise her son, but only spoils Mitrofan with her blind love, indulging his laziness and sloppiness. Mitrofan cannot learn from his mother either humanity, education, or good speech.

Prostakova.

The ideological concept determined the composition of the characters in “Minor”. The comedy depicts typical feudal landowners (Prostakovs, Skotinin), their serf servants (Eremeevna and Trishka), teachers (Tsyfirkin, Kuteikin and Vralman) and contrasts them with such advanced nobles as, according to Fonvizin, all Russian nobility should be: in the public service (Pravdin), in the field of economic activity (Starodum), in military service (Milon).

The image of Sophia, an intelligent and enlightened girl, contributes to a more complete disclosure of Prostakova’s self-will and ignorance; The whole struggle that takes place in the “comedy” is connected with Sophia.

The main character of the comedy is the landowner Prostakova. - rough and unbridled nature. She is impudent if she does not meet resistance, and at the same time cowardly when she encounters force. Merciless to those who are in her power, she humiliates herself, is ready to lie at her feet, begging for forgiveness from someone who is stronger than her (the scene with Pravdin at the end of the comedy), she is ignorant of a simpleton. She is hostile to enlightenment; from her point of view, education is unnecessary: “People live and have lived without science,” she says.

Only obeying necessity, wanting to “bring Mitrofan into the people,” she hires teachers for him, but she herself interferes with his studies. In her relations with people, she is guided only by rough calculations and personal gain. This is, for example, her attitude towards Starodum and Sophia. For the sake of personal gain, she is even capable of committing a crime (attempting to kidnap Sophia in order to force her to marry Mitrofan).

Prostakova has no moral concepts: a sense of duty, love of humanity, a sense of human dignity.

A convinced, inveterate serf-owner, she considers serfs to be her complete property: with them she can do whatever she pleases. No matter how hard her servants and peasants work, they cannot please their fierce owner. The serf’s illness enrages her: “He’s lying down!” Oh, she's a beast! Lying down! As if she were noble!.. She's delusional, you beast! As if noble!” Even Eremeevna, who is devoted to her, Mitrofan’s nanny, who tries in every possible way to please her, Prostakova calls her nothing more than “an old witch”, “a dog’s daughter” and “a nasty lurker”.

Prostakova believes that managing a household can only be done with the help of abuse and beatings. She herself speaks about this to Pravdin, naively believing that the methods of her management are worthy of all praise: “From morning to evening, as if hanged by the tongue, I don’t lay down my hands: I scold, then I fight; This is how the house holds together, my father.” She completely robbed the peasants, squeezed everything she could out of them. “Since we took away everything,” she sadly complains to her brother, “we took away everything that the peasants had, we can’t tear anything away. Such a disaster!

Prostakova is despotic and rude not only in relation to serfs. She does not value her stupid, timid and weak-willed husband and pushes him around as she wants. Mitrofan’s teachers, Kuteika-nu and Tsyfirkin, are not paid a salary for a year.

Only Prostakova treats her son Mitrofan differently. She loves him, is tender towards him) Caring for his happiness and well-being is the main content of her life. “My only concern, my only joy is Mitrofanushka,” she says. She compares her motherly love to the affection a dog has for its puppy. Therefore, her blind, unreasonable, ugly love for her son brings neither Mitrofan nor herself anything but harm.

Prostakova's character, the degree of her mental development, the position of a landowner and sovereign mistress of the house, her attitude towards the people around her - all this is expressively and vividly reflected in her speech.

So, she calls Trishka “a swindler, a thief, a slot, a thief’s mug, a fool”, Eremeevna - “a beast”. Her disdainful attitude towards her husband is expressed both in ridicule of him: “You yourself are baggy, smart head,” and in rude shouts: “Why are you so spoiled today, my father?” “All your life, sir, you’ve been walking around with your ears hanging.” She calls her husband a “freak” and a “weeper.” But her speech becomes different when addressing her son: “Mitrofanushka, my friend; my dear friend; son”, etc.

At first, Prostakova treats Sophia in a rudely despotic manner: “No, madam, these are your inventions, in order to intimidate us with your uncle, so that we give you freedom.” “Oh, mother! I know that you are a craftswoman, but I don’t really believe you.” When she finds out that Sophia has become a rich heiress, the tone of her speech changes sharply: “Congratulations, Sophia! Congratulations, my soul!

Prostakova's lack of culture is reflected in her use of vernacular: pervoet - instead of first, searching - instead of yet, deushki - instead of girl.

But Prostakova is a landowner; In her environment, she also heard the speech of people of that time close to the literary language. Therefore, in her speech there are (though rarely) bookish and literary words and phrases, although somewhat distorted: “amorous letter”; “this is from that officer who was looking to marry you”; “I recommend to you our dear guest, Mr. Pravdin”

She ingratiatingly and flatteringly addresses Starodum: “Our priceless guest! Would it really be necessary to meet our own father, on whom we have all our hope, who is the only one we have, like gunpowder in the eye.”

The image of Prostakova, vividly and truthfully drawn, acquires even greater persuasiveness and vitality, especially because Fonvizin shows the conditions under the influence of which her character developed and took such ugly forms. Prostakova grew up in a family characterized by extreme ignorance. Neither her father nor her mother gave her any education, did not instill any moral rules, did not instill anything good in her soul from childhood. But the conditions of serfdom influenced her even more strongly - her position as the sovereign owner of the serfs. Unrestrained by any moral principles, full of consciousness of her limitless power and impunity, she turned into an “inhuman lady,” a monster tyrant.