INSTRUCTIONS AND PROPHECIES OF THE Blessed MOTHER ALIPIA GOLOSEEVSKY, Kyiv...
In 1851, Leo Tolstoy traveled to the Caucasus. At that moment, there were fierce battles with the highlanders, in which the writer took part, without interrupting the fruitful creative work. It was at this moment that Tolstoy came up with the idea of creating a novel about spiritual growth and personal development person.
Already in the summer of 1852, Lev Nikolaevich sent the first story "Childhood" to his editor. In 1854, the part "Boyhood" was printed, and three years later - "Youth".
This is how the autobiographical trilogy was designed, which today is included in the compulsory school curriculum.
Analysis of the trilogy of works
Main character
The plot is based on the life of Nikolai Irtenyev, a nobleman from a noble family, who is trying to find the meaning of existence, to build the right relationship with the environment. The characteristics of the protagonist are quite autobiographical, so the process of finding spiritual harmony is especially important for the reader, who finds parallels with the fate of Leo Tolstoy. It is interesting that the author seeks to present the portrait of Nikolai Petrovich through the points of view of other people whom fate brings together with the main character.
Plot
Childhood
In the story "Childhood" Kolenka Irteniev appears as a modest child who experiences not only joyful, but also mournful events. In this part, the writer maximally reveals the idea of the dialectic of the soul. At the same time, "Childhood" is not without the power of faith and hope for the future, since the author describes the life of a child with undisguised tenderness. Interestingly, there is no mention of Nikolenka's life in the parental home in the plot. The fact is that the formation of the boy was influenced by people who did not belong to his immediate family circle. First of all, these are the tutor Karl Ivanovich Irtenyev and his housekeeper Natalya Savishna. Interesting episodes of "Childhood" are the process of creating a blue picture, as well as playing rowers.
adolescence
The story "Boyhood" begins with the thoughts of the protagonist who visited him after the death of his mother. In this part, the character touches on the philosophical issues of wealth and poverty, intimacy and loss, jealousy and hatred. In this story, Tolstoy seeks to convey the idea that the analytical mindset inevitably reduces the freshness of feelings, but at the same time does not prevent a person from striving for self-improvement. In Boyhood, the Irtenyev family moves to Moscow, and Nikolenka continues to communicate with tutor Karl Ivanovich, receive punishments for bad grades and dangerous games. A separate storyline is the development of the relationship of the protagonist with Katya, Lyuba, and also a friend Dmitry.
Youth
The finale of the trilogy - "Youth" - is dedicated to the protagonist's attempts to get out of the labyrinth of internal contradictions. Irteniev's plans for moral development are collapsing against the backdrop of an idle and petty lifestyle. The character is faced here with the first love anxieties, unfulfilled dreams, the consequences of vanity. In "Youth" the plot begins with the 16th year of Irtenyev's life, who is preparing to enter the university. The hero experiences the joy of confession for the first time, and also faces difficulties in communicating with friends. Tolstoy seeks to show that life has made the main character less sincere and kind towards people. Neglect, pride of Nikolai Petrovich leads him to expulsion from the university. The series of ups and downs does not end, but Irtenyev decides to create new rules for a good life.
Tolstoy's trilogy was realized with an interesting compositional idea. The author does not follow the chronology of events, but the stages of personality formation and turning points in fate. Lev Nikolayevich conveys through the main character the basic values of a child, a teenager, a youth. There is also an instructive aspect in this book, since Tolstoy appeals to all families not to miss the most important moments in raising a new generation.
According to many literary critics, this is a book about the most important role of kindness, which helps a person to stay away from cruelty and indifference, even despite serious life trials. With the seeming ease of narration and the fascination of the plot, Tolstoy's novel hides the deepest philosophical overtones - without hiding moments from own life, the author seeks to answer the question of what challenges of fate a person has to answer in the process of growing up. Moreover, the writer helps the reader decide what kind of answer to give.
”, which is the first part of the trilogy: “Childhood”, “Boyhood” and “ Youth". They say that Tolstoy wanted to write in the fourth part and call his work: "The History of Four Epochs", but this final fourth chapter, which obviously spoke about the "manhood" of the hero, was not written by him.
The main interest of the story "Childhood" focuses on the personality of its hero - Nikolenka Irteniev. The author follows, step by step, the development of his child's soul - each, even small, but characteristic, manifestations of it. Thus, the work is, for the most part, "psychological". But besides, it can be called “moral” to the same extent, since the author judges his hero with ethical point of view - tries, using psychological analysis, to determine in him the moral side of his rich, developing nature.
Lev Tolstoy. Childhood. audiobook
No other work of Russian literature has made such observations on the soul. growing person. Turgenev, in his own name, told us Lisa's childhood, Rudin's youth. Goncharov depicted one day of Oblomov's childhood. Tolstoy, on the other hand, leads his hero day after day, from his nursery to the university, and everything characteristic is gradually determined and clarified in his soul.
The era with which the action of the story "Childhood" is connected is 1830 - 1840s. The environment in which its content unfolds is a rich noble, landowner, associated with the "land". It was a time when in Russian life, after events of December 14, 1825, those few glimpses of social self-consciousness, which, in some places, flickered in the hearts of the best Russian people of that time in the provincial noble environment, with a few exceptions, almost completely went out. At such a time and in such an environment there were no serious, spiritual interests, thought subsided, and therefore there was no need for spiritual food. Time was filled with a strictly measured order of life, established etiquette, which was raised "almost to the level of unshakable laws" - so, even "lunch" in the Irtenev family was some kind of "daily family joyful celebration."
Life in the story invariably flows along the direction once taken from the parents - it is all built in such a way as to fill the idle time of the provincial wealthy nobility with its little things. The serf system and the entire way of life of a wealthy landowner that rested on it eliminated all labor from this latter, not excluding any serious household chores. In a word, this was, in essence, the same "Oblomovism", only with lackeys in white gloves, with exacting French speech, with constant worries about comme il faut.
In the upbringing of children, exceptional attention was directed to appearance, to manners; no attention was paid to the development of the mind and heart. Books were never discussed here, and education was not taken seriously: if children were sent to universities, then all for the same motives that forced Prostakov to teach Mitrofan, Oblomovs - their Ilyusha. Considering the whole goal of educating and preparing the child for an idle, secular life, parents and educators considered their task fulfilled if care for external education was crowned with success. It never occurred to them that it was their duty to develop in a child a healthy moral sense, a strong will, energy, love and ability to work, and many other positive qualities necessary for a good and happy life.
many Russian Oblomov was the result of such education. But Nikolenka Irteniev did not turn out like that, thanks to his strong and rich nature, freeing himself from the influences of the environment. This is explained, however, by the fact that Tolstoy in his Nikolenka did not at all want to depict the type of a young nobleman, that his typicality is not class, but completely individual. This is the fundamental difference between Tolstoy and other portrayers of childhood. He understood his Nikolenka and painted it quite individually and introduces us to the smallest details of his inner world, in which there are a lot of features that are completely independent of any environment.
Trilogy L.N. Tolstoy "Childhood. Adolescence. Youth"
Tolstoy thought over this trilogy very carefully. It was important for him to express his thoughts about Russian life, Russian society, and literature. Therefore, in these works everything is very important, there is nothing unnecessary - Tolstoy thought through every detail, every scene, every word. Its task is to show the development of a person's personality, the formation of his character, beliefs. We see the main character, Nikolenka Irtenyev, at different periods of his life. This is childhood, adolescence and youth. Tolstoy chose these periods because they are the most important in a person's life. In childhood, the child is aware of his connection with the family and the world, he is very sincere and naive; in adolescence, the world expands, new acquaintances occur, a person learns to interact with other people; in youth there is an awareness of oneself as a unique personality, separation from the surrounding world. Nikolenka also goes through all these stages.
The writer constructed the scene of action in such a way that it coincided with his main idea. The action of the first book takes place in the Irtenevs' estate - the boy's home; in the second book the hero visits many other places; Finally, in the third book, the relationship between the hero and outside world. And here the theme of the family is very important.
The theme of the family is the leading theme of the trilogy. It is the connection with the family, with the house that strongly affects the main character. Tolstoy deliberately shows in each part some sad event in the Irtenev family: in the first part, Nikolenka's mother dies, and this destroys harmony; in the second part, the grandmother, who was Nikolenka's support, dies; in the third part, the stepmother appears, the new wife of the father. So gradually, but inevitably, Nikolenka enters the world of adult relationships. I think he is getting angry.
The story in the trilogy is told in the first person. But this is not written by Nikolenka himself, but by the already adult Nikolai Irtenyev, who recalls his childhood. In Tolstoy's time, all memoirs were written in the first person. In addition, the story in the first person brings the author and the hero closer together, so the trilogy can be called autobiographical. In many ways, in this book, Tolstoy writes about himself, about the maturation of his soul. After the release of the entire trilogy, the writer admitted that he had departed from his initial plan.
In the trilogy, six years from the life of Irtenev pass before us, but they are not described day by day. Tolstoy shows the most important moments of the boy's fate. Each chapter carries an idea. They follow each other so as to convey the development of the hero, his emotions and feelings. Tolstoy chooses circumstances in such a way that they show the character of the hero brightly and strongly. So, Nikolenka finds herself in the face of death, and here conventions do not matter.
Tolstoy characterizes his heroes through a description of appearance, manners, behavior, because this is how inner world heroes. Even foreign language serves to characterize the hero: the aristocrats speak French, the teacher Karl Ivanovich speaks broken Russian and German, simple people speak Russian.
All this allowed L.N. Tolstoy to analyze the psychology of the child and adolescent. In the trilogy, the inner world of a person and the external environment are constantly compared.
Characteristics of the characters in the trilogy of Leo Tolstoy “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth"
Characteristics of the image of Irteniev Nikolenka (Nikolai Petrovich)
Irteniev Nikolenka (Nikolai Petrovich) — main character from whose perspective the story is being told. Nobleman, Count. From a noble aristocratic family. The image is autobiographical. The trilogy shows the process of internal growth and formation of the personality of N., his relationship with the people around him and the world, the process of comprehending reality and himself, the search peace of mind and the meaning of life. N. appears before the reader through his perception different people with which one way or another confronts his life.
« Childhood ". N.'s story is ten years old. Among his dominant features are shyness, which brings the hero a lot of suffering, a desire to be loved and introspection. The hero knows that he does not shine with his appearance and they even find moments of despair on him: it seems to him that “there is no happiness on earth for a person with such a wide nose, thick lips and small gray eyes.” Acquaintance with the hero occurs at the moment of his awakening, when his tutor Karl Ivanovich wakes him up. Already here, in the first scene of the story, one of the main features of Tolstoy's writing is manifested - psychological analysis, the famous "dialectics of the soul", about which N. G. Chernyshevsky wrote in an article devoted to the trilogy and military stories of Tolstoy, and which will be developed in his future essays. Several large (the death of the mother, moving to Moscow and the countryside) and small (grandmother's birthday, guests, games, first love and friendships, etc.) events take place in the story, thanks to which the writer manages to look deeper into the soul of the hero.
Perfectly conveying child psychology, Tolstoy depicts little N. acutely perceiving not only the surrounding nature, but also childishly vividly and directly responding to the troubles of people close to him. So, he sympathizes with the tutor Karl Ivanych, whom his father decided to fire. Tolstoy describes in detail the state of mind of the hero. “After praying, you used to wrap yourself in a blanket; the soul is light, light and gratifying; some dreams drive others, but what are they about? they are elusive, but filled with pure love and hope for bright happiness.” N.'s childhood - a time of maximum life fullness and harmony, carelessness and strength of faith, innocent gaiety and boundless need for love - is drawn by the writer with a feeling of undisguised tenderness.
« adolescence ". Adolescence, according to the narrator, begins for him with the death of his mother. He speaks of it as a "desert", where there are rarely "minutes of a true warm feeling, so brightly and constantly illuminating the beginning of my life." The maturing N. begins to attend questions that until then did not bother him at all - about the lives of other people. Until now, the world revolved around him alone, and now his view is gradually beginning to change. The impetus for this is a conversation with the daughter of Mimi's mother's friend Katenka, who is brought up with the Irtenyevs, who talks about the difference between them: the Irtenyevs are rich, they are poor with their mother. The hero is now interested in how others live, “if they don’t care about us at all ?., how and with what they live, how they raise their children, do they teach them, are they allowed to play, how are they punished? etc.". For the writer, this process of gradual opening of individualistic isolation on oneself alone is extremely important - both from a psychological and moral point of view, although in the story he does not evaluate it as a sin, since, in his opinion, children's egoism is, so to speak, a natural phenomenon, as, however, and social - a consequence of education in aristocratic families. N.'s relations with other people are also becoming more complicated, primarily with his brother Volodya, who is only a year and a few months older than him, but this gap seems to be much larger: the brother irresistibly moves away from N., causing him a bitter sense of loss, jealousy and a constant desire to look into his world (the scene of the destruction of N.'s brother's jewelry collection, which he overturns along with the table). His likes and dislikes become sharper and more contradictory (the episode with the tutor St.-Jerom (oM), his self-awareness, analyzed in detail by the author. does not have such a striking influence on the direction of a person as his appearance, and not so much the appearance itself, but the belief in its attractiveness or unattractiveness. "The hero describes his appearance as follows:" I am much shorter than Volodya, broad-shouldered and fleshy, still bad and still tormented by this, I try to seem original. One thing consoles me: this is what my dad once said about me that I have a smart mug, and I quite believe in it.
It was during this period that the “favorite and most constant subjects” of the hero’s thoughts became “abstract questions about the purpose of a person, about future life about the immortality of the soul ... ". Tolstoy emphasizes that in solving them, N. comprehends the impotence of the mind, falls into a hopeless circle of analysis of his thoughts, at the same time losing willpower, freshness of feeling and clarity of mind (which will subsequently affect the general concept of the writer's personality). At the same time, N.'s first true friendship was established with Dmitry Nekhlyudov, under whose influence N. came to "an enthusiastic adoration of the ideal of virtue and the conviction that a person is destined to constantly improve."
« Youth ". N. - almost seventeen. He reluctantly prepares for university. His main passion is the desire for moral improvement, which now gives food not only to the mind, awakening new thoughts, but also to feelings, prompting its active implementation. The hero, however, is soberly aware of the sharp contradiction between the remarkable plans of a morally active life and its present "petty, confused and idle order." Dreams are replacing reality. At the heart of them, as the hero reports, are four feelings: love for an imaginary woman; the love of love, that is, the desire to be loved; hope for extraordinary, vainglorious happiness and expectation as a result of this of something magically happy; self-loathing and remorse, consisting in hatred of the past and a longing for perfection. The hero makes rules of life and tries to follow them. His whole life during this period passes in a series of falls and rebirths.
The hero enters the mathematical faculty of the university, his father gives him a droshky with a horse, and he goes through the first temptations of the consciousness of his own adulthood and independence, which, however, lead to disappointment. Reading novels (especially in summer) and comparing himself with their heroes, N. begins to try to be “as much as possible comme il faut” (he calls this concept “one of the most pernicious, false concepts instilled in me by education and society”), that is meet a number of conditions: excellent knowledge French, especially pronunciation, long and clean nails; "the ability to bow, dance and talk"; “indifference to everything and the constant expression of some elegant contemptuous boredom”, etc. It is this concept, as Tolstoy emphasizes, that is the reason for the hero’s false prejudice towards other people, primarily towards the students studying with him, who are not only no less intelligent, than he, but they also know much more, although they fall far short of the criteria he has chosen. The ending of the story is N.'s failure in the exam in mathematics and expulsion from the university. The hero again decides to write the rules of life and never do anything wrong.
Characteristics of the image of St.-Jerome
St.-Jerome- French, tutor of the Irtenevs. At first, his relationship with Nikolenka does not add up, it seems to the boy that he has “no other goal in life than the desire to punish” him. In the episode at the grandmother's name day, the hero punishes the naughty Nikolenka, and he, who at first fought back, and then is still locked in the closet, imagines how and with what he could take revenge on the tormentor. The hero becomes the object of irreconcilable hatred on the part of the pupil. One of the methods of educating S. is that, “straightening his chest and making a majestic gesture with his hand, he shouted in a tragic voice: “A genoux, mauvais sujet!” Subsequently, their relationship gradually improves. “Now discussing this man in cold blood, I find that he was a good Frenchman, but a Frenchman in the highest degree. He was not stupid, quite well educated and conscientiously fulfilled his duty towards us, but he had common to all his fellow countrymen and so opposite to the Russian character the distinctive features of frivolous egoism, vanity, insolence and ignorant self-confidence.
Characteristics of the image of Grandmother
Grandmother- the countess, one of the most important figures in the trilogy, as if representing the past majestic era (like Prince Ivan Ivanovich). Image B, fanned by universal reverence and respect. She knows how to give a word or intonation to understand her attitude towards a person, which for many others is a decisive criterion. The narrator portrays her not so much with the help of static characteristics, but through the description of her interaction with other characters who arrive to congratulate her on her name day, her reactions and words. B. seems to feel his strength and power, his special significance. After the death of her daughter, Nikolenka's mother, she falls into despair. Nikolenka catches her at the moment when she is talking to the deceased as if she were alive. Despite the importance of the old woman, he considers her kind and cheerful, but her love for her grandchildren is especially intensified after the death of their mother. Nevertheless, the narrator compares her with a simple old woman, housekeeper Natalya Savishna, finding that the latter had a greater influence on his worldview.
Characteristics of the image of Valkhina Sonechka
Valahina Sonechka- the daughter of an acquaintance of the Irtenyevs, Mrs. Valakhina. Nikolenka meets her at her grandmother's birthday party and immediately falls in love. Here is his first impression: “... A wonderful twelve-year-old girl in a short open muslin dress, white pantaloons and tiny black shoes came out of the muffled person. There was a black velvet ribbon on her white neck; her head was all in dark blond curls, which went so well in front to her beautiful swarthy face, and in the back to her bare shoulders ... ”He dances a lot with S, makes her laugh in every possible way and is jealous of other boys. In Youth, Nikolenka, after a long separation, meets again with S, who has grown ugly, but "the charming bulging eyes and a bright, good-natured cheerful smile were the same." The grown-up Nikolenka, whose feelings require food, is again carried away by it.
Characteristics of the image of Semenov
Semenov- a rogue student. Entered the university together with Nikolenka. For a month he carefully went to lectures, and then went on a spree and at the end of the course did not show up at the university at all. He enjoys special respect among students, they look at him "with some kind of even horror." The narrator describes the original end of his "revelry": C, in order to pay off his debts, voluntarily sells himself into recruits. From the barracks, he sends Zukhin a debt and a note. Students go to him there. Nikolenka describes his appearance as follows: “It was he, with gray hair cut to a comb, a shaved blue forehead and with his usual gloomy and energetic expression on his face.” He carries himself openly and simply, holding out his black big hand, and then tells Zukhin about his "strange, incomprehensible adventures."
Characteristics of the image of Grapa Ilinka
Grap Ilinka- the son of a foreigner who once lived with the grandfather of the Irtenevs, was obliged to him for something and considered it his duty to send them I. "A boy of about thirteen, thin, tall, pale, with a bird's face and a good-natured submissive expression." They pay attention to him only when they want to laugh at him. This character - a participant in one of the games of the Ivins and Irtenevs - suddenly becomes the object of general mockery, ending with him crying, and his hunted appearance painfully affects everyone. The narrator's recollection of him is associated with remorse and, according to him, is the only dark spot of his childhood. “How did I not approach him, protect him and comfort him?” he asks himself. Later, I., like the narrator, enters the university. Nikolenka admits that he is so used to looking down on him that he is somewhat unpleasant that he is the same student, and he refuses father I.'s request to allow his son to spend the day with the Irtenevs. From the moment of entering the university, I., however, comes out from under the influence of Nikolenka and keeps up with a constant challenge.
Characteristics of the image of Grisha
Grisha- wanderer, holy fool. "A man of about fifty, with a pale oblong face pitted with smallpox, long gray hair and a sparse reddish beard." Very tall. “His voice was rough and hoarse, his movements hurried and uneven, his speech was meaningless and incoherent (he never used pronouns), but the accents were so touching, and his yellow ugly face sometimes took on such an openly sad expression that, listening to him, it was impossible to resist from some mixed feeling of regret, fear and sadness. The main thing known about him is that he goes barefoot in winter and summer, visits monasteries, gives icons to those he loves, and speaks mysterious words that are taken for predictions. To see the pood chains that he wears, the children peep how he undresses before going to bed, they see how selflessly he prays, evoking a feeling of tenderness in the narrator: “Oh, great Christian Grisha! Your faith was so strong that you felt the closeness of God, your love is so great that the words poured out of your mouth by themselves - you did not believe them with your mind ... "
Characteristics of the image of Dubkov
Dubkov- adjutant, friend of Volodya Irtenyev. “... A small wiry brunette, no longer the first youth and a little short-legged, but not bad-looking and always cheerful. He was one of those limited people, who are especially pleasant precisely because of their limitedness, who are not able to see objects from different angles and who are always carried away. The judgments of these people are one-sided and erroneous, but always sincere and fascinating. A big fan of champagne, trips to women, playing cards and other entertainments.
Characteristics of the image of Avdotya Vasilievna Epifanova
Epifanova Avdotya Vasilievna- a neighbor of the Irtenyevs, then the second wife of Pyotr Aleksandrovich Irtenyev, Ni-Kolenka's father. The narrator notes her passionate, devoted love for her husband, which, however, does not in the least prevent her from loving to dress beautifully and go out into the world. Strange, playful relations are established between her and the young Irtenevs (with the exception of Lyubochka, who fell in love with her stepmother, who reciprocates her feelings), hiding the absence of any kind of relationship. Nikolenka is surprised at the contrast between that young, healthy, cold, cheerful beauty that Y. appears before the guests, and an elderly, exhausted, yearning woman, sloppy and bored without guests. It is her slovenliness that robs her of her final respect as a storyteller. About her love for her father, he remarks: “The only purpose of her life was to acquire the love of her husband; but she did, it seemed, on purpose everything that could only be unpleasant for him, and everything with the aim of proving to him the full strength of her love and readiness for self-sacrifice. E.'s relationship with her husband becomes the subject of special attention for the narrator, since the “family thought” already occupies Tolstoy at the time of the creation of the autobiographical trilogy and will be developed in his subsequent writings. He sees that in their relationship, “a feeling of quiet hatred, that restrained disgust for the object of affection, which is expressed by an unconscious desire to do all possible minor moral troubles to this object,” begins to appear.
Characteristics of the image of Zukhin
Zukhin- Nikolenka's comrade at the university. He is eighteen years old. Ardent, receptive, active, riotous nature, full of strength and energy wasted in revelry. Drinks from time to time. The narrator meets him at a meeting of a circle of students who have decided to prepare for exams together. “... A small dense brunette with a somewhat swollen and always glossy, but extremely intelligent, lively and independent face. This expression was especially given to him by a low, but humpbacked forehead above deep black eyes, bristly short hair and a thick black beard that always seemed unshaven. He never seemed to think about himself (which I always especially liked in people), but it was clear that his mind was never left without work. He does not respect and does not like science, although they are given to him with extreme ease.
Zukhin is a type of commoner, intelligent, knowing, although not belonging to the category of people, comme il faut, which at first causes the narrator “not only a feeling of contempt, but also some personal hatred that I felt for them because, without being comme il faut, they seemed to consider me not only equal to themselves, but even good-naturedly patronized me. Despite his irresistible disgust at their untidy appearance and manners, the narrator feels something good in Z. and his comrades and is drawn to them. He is attracted by knowledge, simplicity, honesty, poetry of youth and daring. In addition to the abyss of shades that make up the difference in their understanding of life, Nikolenka cannot get rid of the feeling of inequality between him, a wealthy person, and them, and therefore cannot “enter into even, sincere relations with them.” However, he is gradually drawn into their life and once again discovers for himself that the same 3., for example, judges literature better and more clearly and in general not only is not inferior to him in anything, but even surpasses him, so that the height, with which he, a young aristocrat, looks at Z. and his comrades - Operov, Ikonin and others - imaginary.
Characteristics of the image of Ivin Serezha
Ivin Serezha- a relative and peer of the Irtenevs, “a swarthy, curly-haired boy, with an upturned hard nose, very fresh red lips that rarely completely covered the slightly protruding upper row of white teeth, dark blue beautiful eyes and an unusually lively expression on his face. He never smiled, but either looked completely serious, or laughed heartily with his sonorous, distinct and extremely captivating laugh. His original beauty strikes Nikolenka, and he falls in love with him like a child, but he does not find any response in I., although he feels his power over him and unconsciously, but tyrannically uses it in their relationship.
Characteristics of the image of Irteniev Volodya
Irteniev Volodya (Vladimir Petrovich)- Nikolenka's older (for a year and several months) brother. The consciousness of his seniority and primacy constantly prompts him to actions that hurt his brother's pride. Even the condescension and grin, with which he often honors his brother, turns out to be a reason for resentment. The narrator characterizes V .: “He was ardent, frank and fickle in his hobbies. Carried away by the most heterogeneous subjects, he indulged in them with all his soul. He emphasizes the "happy, nobly frank character" of V. However, despite occasional and brief disagreements or even quarrels, relations between the brothers remain good. Nikolenka is involuntarily carried away by the same passions as V., but out of pride she tries not to imitate him. With admiration and a feeling of some envy, Nikolenka describes V.'s admission to the university, the general joy in the house on this occasion. V. has new friends - Dubkov and Dmitry Nekhlyudov, with whom he soon disagrees. His favorite pastimes with Dubkov are champagne, balls, cards. V.'s relationship with the girls surprised his brother, because he "did not allow the thought that they could think or feel anything human, and even less allowed the possibility of discussing anything with them."
Characteristics of the image of Irteniev Peter
Irteniev Petr Alexandrovich (Dad)- Count, head of the Irtenev family, father of Nikolenka. “He was a man of the last century and had, in common with the youth of that century, the elusive character of chivalry, enterprise, self-confidence, courtesy and revelry. He looked contemptuously at the people of this age, and this look came as much from innate pride as from secret annoyance that in our age he could not have either the influence or the success that he had in his. His two main passions in life were cards and women...
Big, stately height, a strange, small step gait, a habit of twitching a shoulder, small always smiling eyes, a large aquiline nose, irregular lips that somehow awkwardly but pleasantly folded, a lack of pronunciation - whispering, and a large bald head over the whole head. The narrator realizes that his father's appearance is not very happy, but at the same time notes that everyone liked him with her, without exception, and was lucky. The main guide of his life and actions is happiness and pleasure. In the story "Youth" he marries a second time to a neighbor on the estate. The narrator admits that for him his father was supreme being, he loves and puts him high, although he does not take a special part in the life of his son.
Characteristics of the image of Irteneva Lyubochka
Irteneva Lyubochka Nikolai's older sister. In the story "Childhood" she is eleven years old. The narrator calls her "the black one" and describes her attire as "a short canvas dress and little white lace-trimmed knickers." In "Boyhood" she is already given a more detailed portrait: "Lyubochka is not tall and, as a result of an English illness, she has legs like a goose and a hideous waist. Only her eyes are good in her whole figure, and these eyes are really beautiful - large, black, and with such an indefinably pleasant expression of importance and naivety that they cannot but stop attention. The narrator notes her family resemblance to her mother, which consists in something elusive: in her hands, in the manner of walking, especially in her voice and in some expressions, as well as in playing the piano and in all the techniques at the same time.
Characteristics of the image of Irteneva Natalia Nikolaevna
Irteneva Natalya Nikolaevna (Maman)- Nikolenka's mother. The narrator describes her as follows: “When I try to remember my mother as she was at that time, I imagine only her brown eyes, always expressing the same kindness and love, a mole on her neck, a little lower than the place where small hairs curl, embroidered white collar, tender dry hand, which caressed me so often and which I kissed so often. In her smile, as noted, all the beauty of the face. She dies early, and the grief of loss then casts a shadow over much of the protagonist's childhood and adolescence.
Characteristics of the image of Karl Ivanovich (Mauer)
Karl Ivanovich (Mauer)- German, teacher, tutor. Appears at the very beginning of the story "Childhood" flapping flies over the head of the sleeping Nikolenka Irtenyev, which causes dissatisfaction with the awakened pupil. Tolstoy emphasizes the eccentricity of K.I. and his kindness, but also the difference between the behavior of the hero in the nursery and in the classroom, where he no longer acts as a good-natured uncle, but as a mentor, with glasses on his nose and a book in his hand. Most K.I. spends most of his time reading, and at that time he has a calmly majestic expression on his face. “As I now see in front of me a long figure in a padded robe and in a red cap, from under which sparse gray hair is visible.” All K.I.’s things are laid out in orderly order, neatly in their place.
K. I. considers himself unhappy from birth, or, as he himself says, distorting Russian words in a German way, “Isho in the womb of my matri.” His life has a long rich story that the hero tells the children: he is the illegitimate son of Count von Somerblat, out of generosity went to military service instead of his brother, whom his father loved more than him, fought with the French, was captured, fled, worked at a rope factory; returning home, he was almost arrested as a deserter, fled again, was hired by the Russian general Sazin, and only then got to the Irtenevs. Parting with their family, when Nikolenka's father is going to take on a new French tutor, is experienced as a drama.
Characteristics of the image of Katenka
Katya- the daughter of the governess Lyubochka Irteneva Mimi. Light blue eyes, a smiling look, a straight nose with strong nostrils and a mouth with a bright smile, tiny dimples on pink transparent cheeks. Nikolenka feels something like first love for her. From her, for the first time, he hears words about poverty and wealth (K. and her mother Mimi are poor, the Irtenievs are rich), which made him think and caused a “moral change” in him.
Characteristics of the image of Prince Ivan Ivanovich
Prince Ivan Ivanovich- a type of aristocrat of the last century, the embodiment of the chivalrous spirit of a past era, partly idealized by Tolstoy (cf. the story "Two Hussars"). “A man of about seventy, tall, in a military uniform with large epaulettes, from under the collar of which a large white cross was visible, and with a calm, open expression on his face. The freedom and simplicity of his movements amazed me. Despite the fact that a semicircle of thin hair remained on the back of his head and that the position of his upper lip clearly proved a lack of teeth, his face was still of remarkable beauty ”- this is how Ni-Kolenka sees him for the first time, at a celebration in honor of his grandmother’s birthday. The narrator also notes his brilliant position in society and the general respect that the prince earned by his consistency and firmness, with which he always adhered to an elevated way of thinking, the basic rules of religion and morality. The hero is kind and sensitive, but cold and somewhat arrogant in his manner. A small, according to the narrator, mind, he is, however, well educated and well-read. The prince cannot live without society, and wherever he is, he lives widely and openly. Subsequently, paying the prince a visit after entering the university, Nikolenka is embarrassed, knowing that he is the heir to the prince.
Characteristics of the image of Kolpikov
Kolpikov- "a short, dense civilian gentleman with a red mustache." Something like a quarrel takes place between him and Nikolenka, who is celebrating his admission to the university with friends in Yar. Dinner K. scolds Nikolenka, who has lit a cigarette next to him, and he stews, partly at a loss, partly feeling guilty. The incident hurts the narrator's self-esteem, especially because he seems to have chickened out, allowing himself to be treated like this and not being able to find a decent answer. Recovering himself, he no longer finds K. in place. Having then told Nekhlyudov about this incident, he learns that K. is “a well-known scoundrel, a cheater, and most importantly a coward, expelled from the regiment by his comrades for having received a slap in the face and did not want to fight.”
Characteristics of the image of Lyubov Sergeevna
Lyubov Sergeevna- Beloved Nekhlyudov, about whom he admiringly tells his friend Nikolenka as a woman who has a huge influence on him. Nikolenka meets her at Nekhlyudov's dacha. “She was very ill-looking: red-haired, thin, small in stature, a little lopsided.” She speaks in incoherent phrases. The narrator, no matter how hard he tries, cannot find a single beautiful feature in her. He finds her mannered and uninteresting, although out of sympathy for a friend, he does not want to admit this even to himself. She, in turn, is also not disposed towards him, considering him "the greatest egoist, atheist and mocker", often arguing with him and getting angry.
Characteristics of the image of Mimi (Maria Ivanovna)
Mimi (Maria Ivanovna)- governess of the Irtenevs, mother of Katenka. The narrator, calling her boring, complains that it was impossible to talk about anything in her presence, because she found everything indecent. Later, Nikolenka learns that once his father was fond of her and therefore she is hostile to his new marriage.
Characteristics of the image of Mikhailov Yakov
Mikhailov Yakov- clerk, serf Irtenev. His face is always calm, expressing "consciousness of his dignity and at the same time subservience, that is: I am right, but by the way, your will!", When he speaks, his fingers are in great anxiety and desperately jump in different directions. The narrator is present business conversation I. with his father and, already from the height of his adult consciousness, gives him the following, slightly ironic description: “Yakov was a serf, very diligent and devoted person; he, like all good clerks, was extremely stingy for his master and had the strangest ideas about the benefits of the master.
Characteristics of the image of Natalia Savishnaya
Natalya Savishna- a housekeeper, in the past a yard girl, then a maid and nanny to Nikolenka's mother. A type of selflessly devoted servant who selflessly devotes her whole life to her masters (cf. Arina Rodionovna in A. S. Pushkin). Her story is as follows: already after she was taken to the state house, she wanted to marry a young lively waiter Foka, but the narrator's grandfather considered this ingratitude on her part and exiled her to a barnyard in a steppe village. However, no one could replace N. S., she was returned, and she, in turn, repented before the master and asked to forget her former nonsense. Having received her freedom after twenty years of faithful service, she was deeply wounded. After the death of his mother, Nikolenka in N.S.'s room listens with bated breath to her simple-hearted explanations about the fact that the soul of the Righteous, before going to heaven, toils for another forty days. He is also struck by her sudden transition from talking about the holy and mysterious to grouchiness and petty calculations, in which he later sees the sincerity of grief, not wanting and not able to pretend. After the departure of the Irtenevs from the village, she is bored with idleness, a year after the death of Nikolenka's mother, dropsy opens in her. For two months she suffers from an illness, enduring torments with Christian patience, and accepts death as a blessing (a motive extremely important for Tolstoy - cf. “Three deaths”), having previously asked everyone for forgiveness for the insults that she could cause them, and thanked for favors given to her. The narrator remembers this old woman as a "rare, wonderful creature" whose whole life was love and self-sacrifice and who had "such a strong and good influence on my direction and development of sensitivity."
Characteristics of the image of Dmitry Nekhlyudov
Nekhlyudov Dmitry- the prince, a friend of Volodya Irtenyev, whom he met at the university, and then best friend Nikolenki. He is “not good-looking: small gray eyes, a low, steep forehead, disproportionate length of arms and legs ... The only good thing about him was his unusually tall stature, delicate complexion, and fine teeth. But this face received such an original and energetic character from narrow, shining eyes and a changeable, now strict, now childishly vague expression of a smile, that it was impossible not to notice it. The hero, like Nikolenka, is very shy and shy, although it is precisely at those moments when he involuntarily blushes that his face expresses the greatest determination, as if he is angry with himself. At first Nikolenka does not like him glance, a proud look, and especially the indifference with which he treats him, but then they draw closer, feeling a common interest and direction, expressed mainly in the pursuit of excellence. N. shares with a friend the most intimate - love for Lyubov Sergeevna, plans for marriage, village life and work on oneself (see the story "The Morning of the Landowner", where N. is the main character).
Characteristics of the image of Marya Ivanovna Nekhlyudova
Nekhlyudova Marya Ivanovna- Princess, mother of Dmitry Nekhlyudov. “... A tall, slender woman of about forty. She could have been given more, judging by the curls of her half-gray hair, frankly exposed from under her cap, but by her fresh, extremely delicate, almost wrinkle-free face, and especially by the lively, cheerful gleam of her large eyes, she seemed much less. Her eyes were brown, very open; lips too thin, a little strict; nose fairly regular and slightly to the left side; her hand was without rings, large, almost masculine, with beautiful oblong fingers. The narrator, who gets to know her at the Nekhlyudovs' dacha, draws attention to her somewhat cold, open look, and a little later defines for himself the character and direction of the Nekhlyudov family as "logicality and at the same time simplicity and elegance", which are set by M.I. Nikolenka likes the fact that she treats him seriously and simply.
Characteristics of the image of Sophia Ivanovna Nekhlyudova
Nekhlyudova Sofia Ivanovna- Aunt Nekhlyudova, an old girl, plump, short, with large lively and calm blue eyes. At first, she seems to Nikolenka very proud, but soon he changes his mind and begins to understand her essence much better. “Sofya Ivanovna, as I later recognized her, was one of those rare middle-aged women born for family life, to whom fate denied this happiness and who, as a result of this refusal, all that supply of love that had been stored for so long grew and grew stronger in their hearts. for children and husband, they suddenly decide to pour out on some of the elect. And this reserve of old girls of this kind is so inexhaustible that, despite the fact that there are many chosen ones, there is still a lot of love that they pour out on everyone around ... "
The story "Childhood" was first published in Sovremennik and immediately brought fame to Tolstoy and recognition of his talent. The remarkable ability to see the human soul was considered in the novice author by the well-known writers of that time Turgenev, Chernyshevsky, Nekrasov. Lev Nikolaevich was then twenty-four years old. He was an officer in the Russian army.
What is the "strength of the writer" Tolstoy?
While in the Caucasus, Tolstoy intended to write the work "Four Epochs of Development" about the formation of a person's personality. The conceived work was supposed to tell about four important milestones in life - childhood, adolescence, youth, youth. But later an interesting idea developed into a trilogy.
The first part of it, "Childhood", became the first work of Lev Nikolayevich. He sent the manuscript to the then-famous Sovremennik magazine, not hoping that the story would be published. He even sent money to the editorial office for its return shipment. Chernyshevsky, giving a review of Tolstoy's "Childhood", already then identified two important features of his work, which later became " business cards» the great Russian thinker.
One of the features - Tolstoy was not limited to "depicting the results of the mental process", he is also concerned about the process itself - "hardly perceptible phenomena of inner life." There is another "strength in his talent - the purity of moral feeling." This is what gives Tolstoy's work "a special - touching and graceful - charm," Chernyshevsky emphasized in his review.
In "Childhood" Tolstoy describes in every detail how life blossoms in a little man, how everyday events resonate in his heart. A person who has just entered this world peers with curiosity and admiration at everything that surrounds him, and his inquisitive mind develops under the influence of the sounds of the outside world.
Who are the main characters of the story?
The life of Nikolenka Irtenyev, the protagonist of the story, a kind and gentle boy, with a sympathetic heart and an inquisitive mind, is surrounded by an atmosphere of well-being. The first days of his childhood are spent in a noble estate. A special place in his life is occupied by his mother, who was for him the source of all the most beautiful. He loves his father, but this feeling is different from the tenderness he feels for his mother. Father for Nikolenka, despite many shortcomings, is an undoubted authority. The boy is proud of his father and considers him a knight.
In the story of L. N. Tolstoy "Childhood", the first memories of the child are associated with the teacher Karl Ivanych and the housekeeper Natalia Savishna. Nikolenka loves her mentor very much, although sometimes she gets angry with him. The child sees the kind heart of the old teacher and feels his great affection for the pupil. For him, Karl Ivanovich is a man with a calm soul and a clear conscience. Nikolenka is not at all perfect: he often gets angry and scolds his teacher or nanny, thinks a lot about himself and does not want to study. But Karl Ivanovich shows patience and restraint towards his pupil.
What is Tolstoy's "Childhood" about?
First impressions of my home, loved ones and loved ones, people living nearby. The second important moment in the boy's life is separation from his home, moving to Moscow, meeting new people. The third, most bitter, moment in the life of the protagonist of the story "Childhood" by L. N. Tolstoy is a letter from the village, the death of a mother, the genuine grief of a child.
Irtenev family
The boy turned ten years old two days ago. Nikolenka wakes up from the fact that Karl Ivanovich hit the fly with a cracker. This made the boy very angry. He goes to wash and coldly and aloofly analyzes the behavior of his teacher. Even his robe and cap with a tassel seem disgusting to Nikolenka. The duties of a teacher include not only the education of children, but also their upbringing. But this is not a burden to him, since he does not have his own family. And with all the severity and exactingness, he loves children very much. Together with their brother Volodya and Karl Ivanovich, they go to greet their parents.
In the dining room, the mother is waiting, kissing Nikolenka and wondering about his well-being. After talking with their mother, the children go into their father's office. Looking at papa giving orders and mother pouring tea, Nikolenka admires them and feels how much she loves them. The father informs his sons that he is leaving for Moscow and takes them with him so that they can continue their education. Nikolenka is very insightful and understands that the good-natured old teacher will be dismissed as unnecessary. He sincerely feels sorry for Karl Ivanych. This news leaves its mark on the rest of the boy's day.
Mother always welcomes strangers and pilgrims. At lunch, at a separate table, food was served to the holy fool Grisha. Nikolenka's father does not like mama's idea at all, but he is silent. After dinner, all the men of the family go hunting, after which the guys frolic in the clearing. Nikolenka kisses Katenka, the pretty little girl of Mimi's governess, on the shoulder. The boy has been indifferent to her for a long time, and the older brother taunts him. In the evening, the family gathers in the living room, where the mother plays music, and the children are busy drawing. The teacher goes to his father's office and says how much he has become attached to the children, that he agrees to teach them for free. Nikolenka's father is an understanding person, he decides to take the old teacher with him to Moscow.
Before leaving, Nikolenka, the protagonist of Tolstoy's Childhood, recalls Natalia Savishna. She also came to work for her grandfather, who did not give her blessing for marriage, but exiled her to the barnyard. The nanny did not become embittered, did not break down, but transferred all her unspent love to the master's daughter, Nikolenka's mother.
Separation from home
Morning comes, and the men of the Irtenev family are going to go to Moscow. Nicholas is very sad. The boy tenderly parted with his mother and sister, sincerely says goodbye to the servants. The child does not hold back emotions when parting and cries. All the way he indulges in childhood memories. In Moscow, the brothers live in their grandmother's house. Their mentor Karl Ivanych lives with them. For the birthday of grandmother Nikolenka composes poems, from which she is delighted. Princess Kornakova also came to congratulate her, who says that the boy is ugly. Nikolenka deeply experiences these words.
In a conversation with Ivan Ivanovich, the grandmother mentioned that Nikolenka's father plays cards and has fun with women. The boy inadvertently witnessed this unflattering review. In Tolstoy's "Childhood" one can see how conflicting feelings struggle in the soul of a child. Among the guests are the parents of Serezha Ivin, with whom Nikolenka immediately converges. He sees Sonya among the guests, and tries to please her. Nikolenka dances, but everyone notices his clumsiness. The father is annoyed by this, and the child really wants to snuggle up to the mother. But mother is far away.
After gala dinner the dancing continued. Nikolenka dances with Sonya, and is immensely happy. The boy is excited by the events of the day and cannot sleep. He shares his experiences with his brother Volodya. But he does not understand him and does not share Nikolenka's feelings.
Letter from mom
So six months passed. A letter came from my mother. The father tells the children to immediately gather in the village, but does not name the reason for the hasty departure. The Irtenievs come to the village and see that their mother is very ill and does not get out of bed for several days. On the evening of the same day, she dies.
At the funeral, Nikolenka came up to say goodbye to his mother. The boy sees how much the features of his native face have changed, and runs out of the room screaming. Three days later they return to Moscow. Natalya Savishna does not leave her empty house and stays in the village. She soon dies of longing, and the nanny is buried not far from her mother.
What is special about the story?
With great warmth is told in the story about the nurse. In their reviews of Tolstoy's "Childhood", both readers and literary critics believe that the most heartfelt lines are dedicated to Natalia Savishna. Her selfless love for people makes them kinder and more humane. This rare woman warmed the whole house with her love.
The child feels falsehood and deceit in the feelings that have come to the funeral of the mother, neighbors. In these circumstances, when bitter truths are revealed, the boy sees the sincerity of the serfs. Simply, silently and completely, they share the grief of children who have lost their mother.
The tragedy that occurred in the life of Nikolenka, as it were, draws a line under a carefree childhood. The child's attitudes and feelings, which change as he learns Big world adults, so accurately and in detail described by the author that many were sure - this is the childhood of Leo Tolstoy.
The story published in Sovremennik was called The Story of My Childhood. The author was very saddened by this, since he strove for generalization in revealing the most "fragrant pores of life" - the pores of childhood. He wrote about this to Nekrasov, as the editor of Sovremennik, defending the typicality of the image he created.
Below is his photo. Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy ("Childhood") tells about the following events in the life of boys - the heroes of the work we are interested in. The story "Childhood" is a nostalgic work created in the genre of pseudo-autobiography.
2) Features of the genre of the autobiographical story. An autobiographical story is a work of art based on the personal impressions, thoughts, feelings of the writer with the introduction of fiction into it.
Research project "COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN L.N. TOLSTOY'S WORKS "CHILDHOOD" AND A.M. GORKY'S STORY OF THE SAME NAME"
The story is told in the first person. Tolstoy's three stories are not a consistent story of the upbringing and maturation of the protagonist and narrator, Nikolenka Irteniev. Warm and touching memories of childhood were associated with Tolstoy's older brother Nikolenka. Nikolenka felt ashamed, since before that he had thought extremely disrespectfully of her.) - How do thoughts about his father and Karl Ivanovich characterize the main character of the story - Nikolenka?
Nikolenka and Volodya in Moscow
What feeling from childhood did the main character carry through his whole life? (merged together love for mother and for God) - How does the author call the time of childhood? What in the guise of a mother was most remembered by the main character - little Nikolenka Irtenyev?
Some types, derived in this work, are written off from nature. For example, the German Karl Ivanovich Mauer is none other than Fyodor Ivanovich Rossel, a real German teacher who lived in the Tolstoy household. Lev Nikolayevich himself speaks about him in his “First Memoirs”. No wonder Lev Nikolaevich begins the story of his childhood with the image of this particular person. Fyodor Ivanovich died in Yasnaya Polyana and was buried in the cemetery of the parish church. - Who is Karl Ivanovich?
What are the main characters in Tolstoy's Childhood? Their description? Description of where they live? What is their occupation? Whether there is a
What changes in Karl Ivanovich's behavior during one of the lessons with the boys? The image of Natalia Savishna. Natalya Savishna served in Nikolenka's house and was in charge of the keys to the pantry. The protagonist of the story is an autobiographical character. The little boy Nikolenka Irteniev, the son of a nobleman, receives a typical home upbringing and education for that time. Possessing pride, originality, secularism, he sought to bring up the same in his sons.
Tolstoy believes that the child lives in the soul of every adult. Most of all in a child, Tolstoy appreciates sincerity, the power of faith and the need for love. It is these qualities that make a person a person. The protagonist of the story "Childhood" Nikolai Irteniev acutely feels his shortcomings and weaknesses. The first chapters of the story introduce the reader to the main people in the life of the protagonist: teacher Karl Ivanovich, mother, father. There is a description of life and events in the estate, far from the noisy and fussy capital.
The first impressions in the boy's childhood are colorfully described: falling in love, resentment, pity, anticipation, bitterness of farewell. At some point, it becomes known that Kolya and Volodya are moving to Moscow ...
Childhood is a happy time in the life of every person. Adolescence. Youth" by Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy - Nikolenka Irteniev. In a few weeks, together with his father and older brother, he must go to Moscow to study.
The beginning of the story "Childhood"
This story is considered autobiographical, because Lev Nikolaevich recreated the atmosphere of his childhood. Immediately from the first chapters, together with Nikolenka, the reader is immersed in the atmosphere of noble life late XIX century. The world of the hero's childhood is connected with his tutors and courtyard people. The teacher of German origin, Karl Ivanovich, is closest to him, acquaintance with whom the story opens.
Knows Nicholas and the first disappointment in friendship. Thus ends this carefree time in the life of Nikolenka Irtenyev. After the death of maman, the hero's life will change, which will be reflected in another part of the trilogy - in Boyhood.
3) Narrative features in the story "Childhood". Almost every episode in the story shows how the protagonist of the work was brought up and formed. The problem of education is considered by Leo Tolstoy in conjunction with the main themes of the work: the theme of childhood, the formation of personality.
