The very concept of “Oblomovism” appeared with the publication of Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” in 1859. The novel is socio-psychological, clearly depicting the crisis of the serfdom system and its detrimental impact on the development of man as an individual. The meaning of Oblomovism means this very influence. Since the landowners did not have to work to provide for themselves, in some estates life froze in melancholy and inaction. People were not interested in anything, did nothing, and let themselves go to such an extent that they could no longer get off the couch either psychologically or physically. Thus, the meaning of the concept of Oblomovism is the melancholy and apathy that captured not a person, but an entire class represented by the main character of the novel, Goncharov.
Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is a nobleman. As a child, he was an inquisitive boy, keenly interested in the world around him and the people around him. Later, he was a young man who received an education and entered the service as an official in St. Petersburg. Now he is a recluse, fenced off from the whole world with a Persian robe. All day long Oblomov lies on the sofa, whiling away the time in dreams and reflections. Neither the active businessman Stolz nor the decisive, bright Olga can stir him up. Apathy and laziness destroy the hero, lead him into a moral impasse, depriving him of hope for further development.
By the age of 32, Ilya Ilyich had turned into a driven man, indifferent to everything, confined to a small apartment on Gorokhovaya. This condition does not allow positive qualities to develop. Unfortunately, love, the most wonderful feeling that pushes people to exploits and changes, does not save the hero. Oblomov finds his place in the house of Agafya Pshenitsyna, which reminds him of his native Oblomovka. He is well aware of his spiritual fall, he suffers, but cannot resist it. The hero himself gives the name “Oblomovism” to the disease that struck him and many other serf-owners throughout Russia.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!I. A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” was published in 1859, at a time when the issue of abolition of serfdom was extremely acute in the country, when Russian society was already fully aware of the destructiveness of the existing order. A deep knowledge of life and the accuracy of social analysis of characters allowed the writer to find a surprisingly correct definition of the way of Russian life of that time - Oblomovism.
The action of Oblomov covers, at intervals, the period from 1819 (when Ilyusha was 7 years old) to 1856. The actual action of the novel takes place over eight years, while counting its “prehistory” and “posthistory” - thirty-seven years. Until then, no Russian novel had covered such a wide span of time. A person's entire life has passed before us. And along with it, “Oblomov” revealed the processes of a large historical period, an entire era of Russian life.(3)
Goncharov explored and revealed in artistic images the origin of Oblomovism, its development and destructive influence on the human personality. It was this sociological “monographic nature” that distinguished “Oblomov” from a number of works similar to it in theme: “Childhood” and “Adolescence” by Tolstoy, “Family Chronicle” by Aksakov - and to some extent brought “Oblomov” closer to such works of Shchedrin as “Poshekhon Antiquity” and especially “Messrs. Golovlevs”. (27)
This novel resolves a vast, universal psychological problem that could arise only in purely Russian, national phenomena, possible only with our way of life, under those historical circumstances that shaped the national character, under those conditions under the influence of which it developed and is partly developing before still our younger generation. The author touches on vital issues and shortcomings of society in order to show the full picture of life as it is, and a person with his feelings, thoughts and passions. Complete objectivity, calm, dispassionate creativity, the absence of narrow temporary goals and lyrical impulses that violate the clarity and distinctness of the epic narrative - these are the hallmarks of Goncharov’s talent. His thought, carried out in the novel, belongs to all centuries and peoples, but has special significance for Russian society. The author decided to trace the deadening, destructive influence that mental apathy and sleep have on a person, which little by little takes possession of all the forces of the soul, embracing and fettering all the best, human, rational movements and feelings. This apathy is a universal human phenomenon, it is expressed in the most diverse forms and is generated by the most diverse causes; but everywhere in it the main role is played by the terrible question: “Why live? Why bother? - a question to which a person often cannot find a satisfactory answer. This unresolved question, this unsatisfied doubt, drains strength and ruins activity. A person gives up and gives up work without finding a goal for it. One will throw away the work with indignation and bile, the other will put it aside quietly and lazily. One will break out of his inaction, be indignant at himself and at people, look for something with which to fill the inner emptiness, his apathy will take on a shade of gloomy despair and will be interspersed with feverish impulses to disorderly activity, but it will remain apathy, because which will take away his strength to act, feel and live. For another, indifference to life will be expressed in a softer, colorless form, animal instincts will quietly float to the surface of the soul, the highest aspirations will freeze without pain, the person will sink into a soft chair and fall asleep, enjoying his meaningless peace. Instead of life, vegetation will begin and stagnant water will form in the human soul, which will not be touched by any disturbance of the external world, which will not be disturbed by any internal revolution. In the first case, it is forced apathy. At the same time, we are seeing a struggle against it, an excess of forces asking for action and slowly fading away in fruitless attempts. This is Byronism, a disease of strong people. In the second case, we are dealing with submissive apathy, peaceful, smiling, without the desire to get out of inaction. This is Oblomovism, as Goncharov himself called it, a disease whose development is promoted by both Slavic nature and the entire life of our society. It was precisely this kind of apathy, its development, that Goncharov described in the novel and showed with incredible accuracy, tracing it from origins to completion. (1)
The entire plan of the novel is constructed according to this idea in such a deliberate manner. There is not a single accident in it, not a single introductory person, not a single unnecessary detail. Everything is strictly natural and, at the same time, quite meaningful, imbued with an idea; there are almost no events or actions. The content of a novel can be told in two or three lines, just as the life of any person who has not experienced strong shocks can be told in a few words. The interest of such a novel, the interest of such a life, lies not in the intricate combination of events, but in observing the inner world of a person. This world is always interesting, always attracts attention, and is especially accessible for study in quiet moments, when the person who is the subject of our observation is left to himself, does not depend on external events, and is not placed in an artificial position resulting from a random coincidence of circumstances. In such quiet moments of life, a person concentrates, collects his thoughts and looks into his inner world. It is then that an invisible, silent internal struggle occurs, a thought matures and develops, or a turn to the past occurs, an assessment of one’s own actions, one’s own personality. Such mysterious moments, especially dear to the artist, are especially interesting to the enlightened observer. In Goncharov's novel, the inner life of the characters is open before the reader's eyes. (3)
Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, the hero of the novel, personifies that mental apathy to which Goncharov gave the name Oblomovism. The word Oblomovism will not die in our literature: it is composed so successfully and so tangibly characterizes one of the significant vices of our Russian life that, in all likelihood, from literature it will penetrate into the language and come into general use (1).
To understand the essence of Oblomovism and describe the life of Ilya Ilyich, Goncharov skillfully describes first everything that surrounded the main character, his place of life, his parents, who symbolically act as guides in the novel. (9.24)
Oblomovka was depicted by Goncharov with amazing completeness and versatility. He showed the isolation and closedness of this social environment: “their interests were focused on themselves, did not intersect or come into contact with anyone else.” Oblomovka appeared before us in its silence and “in imperturbable calm,” so characteristic of this patriarchal outback. The inhabitants of Oblomovka were characterized by the undivided power of tradition: “The norm of life was ready and taught to them by their parents, and they accepted it, also ready from their grandfather, and grandfather from their great-grandfather, with a covenant to preserve its value and inviolability.” Patriarchal Oblomovka is the kingdom of laziness. Here live people whose souls “sank peacefully, without interference, into a soft body” (10)
When analyzing the chapter “Oblomov’s Dream”, Goncharov’s position in relation to the “ideal of calm and inaction”, as the main character of the novel imagines the existence of the inhabitants of Oblomovka, clearly becomes clear. It is not without reason that in Oblomovka’s description, the images of sleep and death are not only endlessly repeated but are also equated to each other, for peace and silence serve as characteristics of both “twins,” as F.I. Tyutchev called these states of the human soul:
“everything there promises a peaceful, long-term life until the hair turns yellow and an imperceptible death like a dream”
“Everything in the village is quiet and sleepy... It will be in vain to call loudly: dead silence will be the answer.”
“Dead silence reigned in the house. The time for everyone's afternoon nap has arrived."
“In Oblomovka everyone rests so soundly and peacefully”
Moreover, symbolic designations of life and death often collide in context:
“everything promises a peaceful, long-term life there”
"life is like a calm river"
“three main acts of life - homeland, weddings and funerals”
"sleep, the eternal silence of a sluggish life"
The concepts of life, death, sleep, peace, peace, silence - essentially do not have independent characteristics, and for Oblomovites these states themselves are no different. “Sleepy Oblomovka is an afterlife, this is the absolute peace of a person...”
Oblomovism, according to Goncharov himself, corrupted not only the landowner class, but also a certain part of the Russian peasants, who were torn away from productive work. The Oblomovs' servants inevitably became a type of boibak - this was exactly Zakhar's life path. Zakhar is the same inert person as Oblomov, but if in the former this trait is dramatic, here it became only comic: Zakhar’s consciousness did not suffer from inertia at all. Everything that Oblomov is clothed in the poetic attire of a “dream” appeared in Zakhar in all its prosaic nakedness
However, a comprehensive display of Oblomovka was not a goal, but a means. The focus of his attention was the fate of the boy raised in this well-fed and inert environment. Goncharov's novel amazes us with the depth of penetration into the spiritual world of Ilyusha Oblomov. With the skill of a true psychologist, Goncharov posed the problem of the destructive impact of the reactionary environment on a living and inquisitive child, in whom it, however, fostered anemia, an inability to live and act.
Oblomovka broke the will of the person it raised. Oblomov admits this, telling Stoltz: “I know everything, I understand everything, but there is no strength and will. Give me your will and mind and guide me (10).
The author's main task in the novel is to show how a person gradually dies in a person, how unadapted a landowner is to life, not accustomed to doing anything. The main qualities of the kind, sweet Ilya Ilyich Oblomov are his inertia, apathy, and aversion to any activity. True to the traditions of realism, I. A. Goncharov shows that these qualities were the result of Oblomov’s upbringing; they were born from the confidence that any of his desires would be fulfilled and no effort needed to be made for this. Oblomov is a nobleman, he does not have to work for a piece of bread - hundreds of Zakharov serfs work for him on the estate and completely ensure his existence.
This means that he can lie on the sofa all day long, not because he is tired, but because “this was his normal state.” He almost merged with his soft, comfortable robe and long, wide shoes, which he masterfully slipped into the first time, as soon as he dangled his feet from the sofa. (27)
In his youth, Oblomov “was full of all sorts of aspirations, hopes, he expected a lot from fate and himself, he was always preparing for some field, for some role.” (10) But time passed, and Ilya Ilyich kept getting ready, preparing to start a new life, but did not advance a single step towards any goal. In Moscow he received a good education, but his head “was like a library, consisting of only knowledge scattered in parts.” Entering the service, which had previously seemed to him in the form of some kind of family occupation, he did not even imagine that life would immediately be divided into two halves for him, one of which would consist of work and boredom, which for him were synonymous, and the other - from peace and peaceful fun. He realized that “it would take at least an earthquake to prevent a healthy person from coming to work,” and therefore he soon resigned, then stopped going out into the world and completely shut himself up in his room. If Oblomov recognizes some kind of work, it is only the work of the soul, since dozens of generations of his ancestors “endured labor as a punishment imposed on our forefathers, but they could not love, and where there was a chance, they always got rid of it, finding it possible and due."
There were moments in Oblomov’s life when he thought about the reasons that prompted him to lead such a life, when he asked himself the question: “Why am I like this?” In the climactic chapter of the novel “Oblomov’s Dream,” the writer answers this question. (1, 17)
He creates a picture of provincial landowner life and shows how lazy hibernation gradually becomes the normal state of a person.
The chapter “Oblomov’s Dream” has independent meaning. In the preface to the novel, literary critic V.I. Kuleshov writes: “Goncharov decided to insert the previously published “Oblomov’s Dream” in its entirety, giving it a kind of symbolic meaning in the overall composition. As part of the novel “Oblomov,” this early essay began to play the role of a preliminary story, an important message about the hero’s childhood... The reader receives important information, thanks to what kind of upbringing the hero of the novel became a couch potato. Since lazy hibernation became “the hero’s lifestyle and more than once dreams appeared to him, dreams that transported him to the world of dreams, imaginary kingdoms, then “Oblomov’s Dream” turned out to be natural for him. His unique presence with a special title in the composition of the novel acquired a certain symbolic meaning, giving the reader the opportunity to realize where and in what way this life “broke off.” But that's not all there is to a great episode.
From a medical point of view, such long and clear dreams do not exist, and Goncharov did not have the task of describing a real dream. Here the dream is a dream, it is conditional, and also logically constructed.
Chapter IX of the novel, entitled “Oblomov’s Dream,” shows an idyll of childhood. Childhood is a special page of Russian classical literature, soulful, poetic; The joys and sorrows of a child learning the world, nature, and himself were described by S. T. Aksakov, L. N. Tolstoy, A. N. Tolstoy, V. V. Nabokov. We can say that the theme of childhood is nostalgic, especially in Nabokov, for whom childhood is also the lost homeland that he carries within himself.
In a dream, Oblomov is transported to his parents’ estate Oblomovka, “to a blessed corner of the earth,” where there is “no sea, no high mountains, rocks, abysses, no dense forests - there is nothing grandiose, wild and gloomy.” An idyllic picture appears before us, a series of beautiful landscapes. “The annual circle is performed there correctly and calmly. Deep silence lies in the fields. Silence and calm of life also reign in the morals of the people in that region,” writes Goncharov. Oblomov sees himself as a little boy, striving to look into the unknown, ask more questions and get answers. But only caring for food becomes the first and main concern of life in Oblomovka. And the rest of the time is occupied by “some kind of all-consuming, invincible dream,” which Goncharov makes a symbol characterizing people like Oblomov, and which he calls “the true likeness of death.” From childhood, Ilya was accustomed to the fact that he did not have to do anything, that for any job there was “Vaska, Vanka, Zakharka,” and at some point he himself realized that it was “much calmer” this way. And therefore, all those “seeking manifestations of strength” in Ilyusha “turned inward and sank, withering away.” Such a life deprived the hero of the novel of any initiative and gradually turned him into a slave of his position, his habits, and even a slave of his servant Zakhar.
Ilyusha Oblomov has everything that is typical of a normal child: liveliness, curiosity. “He passionately wants to run up to the hanging gallery that goes around the whole house...” “With joyful amazement, as if for the first time, he looked around and ran around his parents’ house...” “His childish mind observes all the phenomena taking place in front of him; they sink deep into his soul, then grow and mature with him.” And the nanny? There is always a nanny who tells fairy tales. And here are the significant words: “...his fairy tale is mixed with life, and he sometimes unconsciously feels sad, why is a fairy tale not life, and why is life not a fairy tale.” Here, in childhood, everything that will remain with him until his death is already laid down.
The idyll of local life, peace, sweet sleep, frozen life, the sleep of all Oblomovka... How was life understood in Oblomovka? “Good people understood it only as an ideal of peace and inaction, disturbed from time to time by various troubles, such as illness, losses, quarrels and, among other things, labor. They endured labor as a punishment imposed on our forefathers, but they could not love...” And death here was like an imperceptible transition from a state of sleep to eternal sleep. But there is also endless charm in this idyll.
“The annual circle was completed there correctly and calmly.” Nature itself, soft, calm, where there are no mountains, but only hills that smoothly turn into plains, embodies “deep silence and peace.” “Silence and imperturbable calm reign in the morals of people.” In all this there is both joy and... death. No matter how much charm and poetry these paintings contain, they are about frozen time.
The adult Ilya Ilyich Oblomov would like to live in this frozen time. He sighs heavily when “life gets to him.”
Oblomov's dream plays an important compositional role in the novel. Starting from Chapter II, Goncharov brings visitors to Oblomov’s apartment. Volkov, a narcissistic dandy who needs to get into “ten places.” “Ten places in one day - unfortunate! - thought Oblomov. - And this is life!.. Where is the person here? What does it crush and crumble into?” And Oblomov rejoices, “turning over on his back, that he does not have such empty desires and thoughts, that he does not rush around, but lies here, maintaining his human dignity and his peace.” The next visitor is Sudbinsky, a former colleague of Oblomov who has made a career. “I got stuck, dear friend, I got stuck up to my ears... And when he comes out into the world, he will eventually manage his affairs and grab ranks... And how little a person needs here: his mind, his will, his feelings...” Next comes the writer Penkin. Oblomov’s conclusion after Penkin’s departure: “Yes, write everything, waste your thought, your soul on trifles... trade in your mind and imagination... know no peace... When to stop and rest? Unhappy!" A man without qualities arrives, no one even knows his last name for sure: either Ivanov, or Vasilyev, or Alekseev, who is also fussing, always calling Oblomov somewhere. Finally, Ilya Ilyich’s fellow countryman, Tarantiev, appears, a personality no less vain than the others. He is a master at talking, he makes a lot of noise, but he is not enough for action.
A doctor comes for a visit and gives practical advice to Oblomov: move more, walk “eight hours a day.” After all, Ilya Ilyich had already developed early obesity.
Not accepting all this empty activity (the pursuit of a career, money, social entertainment), Oblomov subjects himself to a “secret confession” and comes to the conclusion that “some secret enemy laid a heavy hand on him at the beginning of his journey...”. His thoughts ended with the fact that “sleep stopped the slow and lazy flow of his thoughts.”
“Oblomov’s Dream” explains why the path of his visitors is unacceptable for Ilya Ilyich. A dream separates these visits from the arrival of Stolz, who played a huge role in Oblomov’s life.
With difficulty, at the beginning of five o'clock, Oblomov comes out of sleep, and then, like a fresh wind from the outside, Stolz bursts in. He has nothing in common with previous visitors. Stolz is honest, smart, active. He sincerely wants to bring Oblomov out of hibernation. But it turned out that his childhood friend Stolz also does not know the true purpose of life, and his activities are largely mechanical. Oblomov, in essence, realizing that Stolz sincerely wants to help him, turns out to be unable to join life, to go his own way, and Stolz’s activities are not for him. However, the arrival of Stolz brought Oblomov out of his immobility, as if giving him a chance. Oblomov seemed to come to life when he fell in love with Olga. But even here he saved.
Oblomov’s days end on Vasilyevsky Island near Pshenitsyna. This is also a kind of Oblomovka, but without the feeling of the poetry of childhood, nature, or the expectation of a miracle. Almost imperceptibly our hero passes into his eternal sleep.
What is the reason that Oblomov’s capabilities were not realized, that internal forces remained unused? Of course, it is rooted in Oblomovka. “Oblomov’s Dream” explains why he did not want and could not follow either the path of the early visitors or the path of Stolz: Ilya Ilyich had neither a specific goal nor the energy to implement it. Thus, Oblomov’s dream is, as it were, the focus of the novel.
In his article “What is Oblomovism?” N.A. Dobrolyubov wrote “Oblomov is not a stupid apathetic figure without aspirations and feelings, but a person who is also looking for something in life, thinking about something.” (17) He is endowed with many positive qualities, and he is not stupid. There is a sad truth in his judgments - also a consequence of Russian life. What are all these Sudbinskys, Volkins, Penkovs striving for? Indeed, is it worth getting up from the couch for the sake of the petty fuss that his former comrades are busy with?
In the extremely simple plot of “Oblomov”, which did not shine with any external effects, Dobrolyubov saw deep social content. He wrote: “Apparently, Goncharov did not choose a vast sphere for his own. The story of how the good-natured sloth Oblomov lies and sleeps, and how neither friendship nor love can awaken and raise him, is not God knows what an important story. But it reflects Russian life, in it a living, modern Russian type appears before us, minted with merciless severity and truthfulness; it expressed a new word for our social development, pronounced clearly and firmly, without despair and without childish hopes, but with a full consciousness of the truth. This word - “Oblomovism”, serves as the key to unraveling many phenomena of Russian life, and it gives Goncharov’s novel much more social significance than all our accusatory stories have. In the type of Oblomov and in all this “Oblomovism” we see something more than just the successful creation of a strong talent; we find in it a work of Russian life, a sign of the times.” (17)
Turning to the image of Oblomov, Dobrolyubov insightfully saw the source of his life drama, partly in Oblomov’s external position, and partly “in the image of his mental and moral development.” Dobrolyubov saw in Oblomov an image of those “supposedly talented natures” whom they had previously admired “before they covered themselves with different robes, adorned themselves with different hairstyles, and attracted people with different talents. But now Oblomov appears before us exposed as he is, silent, brought down from a beautiful pedestal onto a soft sofa, covered instead of a robe only with a spacious robe. The question is what does he do? What is the meaning and purpose of his life? - delivered directly and clearly, not filled with any side questions.” (27)
Oblomov was destroyed by serfdom, lordly upbringing and the entire system of Russian landowner life, which slowly but surely turned this man out of life, turning him into “a warehouse filled with all sorts of rubbish.” (18)
The antithesis of Obolomova is Andrei Ivanovich Stolts. He is introduced into the novel to emphasize Oblomov’s character, to show the difference between them; without him, the picture of Oblomovism would not be complete, so we will not ignore Stolz.
Andrei Ivanovich Stolts is such a person as there were very few in that society. He was not spoiled by home education; from a young age he began to enjoy reasonable freedom, learned life early and was able to bring solid theoretical knowledge into practical activity.
Elaboration of convictions, strength of will, a critical view of people and life, as well as faith in truth and goodness, respect for everything beautiful and sublime - these are the main character traits of Stolz.
It was after analyzing the two heroes of the novel that we saw a clear difference.
In conclusion of this part of the diploma, I would like to summarize what Oblomovism really is, what its place is in Goncharov’s work and the life of a Russian person.
Let us turn to the words of Gorky, who wrote that the generalizing power of the image created by Goncharov is enormous “... in the person of Oblomov we have before us the most truthful image of the nobility” (16). The Oblomovites are not only the small provincial nobility, they are the entire Russian nobility of that time, which was experiencing a process of deep, social and moral crisis. Oblomov is the broadest image in its range, covering the entire noble-landowner class, a synthesis of the most significant features of its psyche and, above all, deep inertia, convinced bigotry. In the fate of Oblomov, the process of degradation and degeneration of the serf system with its characteristic features of savagery and stagnation was shown with exhaustive completeness. Oblomov is the personification of the entire landowner way of life on the eve of the 60s.
The novel “Oblomov” was created by I. Goncharov two years before the major changes in the social and political structure of Russia. In 1859, the issue of abolishing serfdom was already acute, as society realized the destructiveness of the existing systems. The hero of the work represents a special type of local nobility, called “Oblomovshchina”.
This definition of the way of life of a best friend is given by Andrei Ivanovich Stolts.
But what is Oblomovism, why was it characteristic of educated people? Ilya Ilyich himself is trying to find the answer, asking the question: “Why am I like this?” In the chapter “Oblomov’s Dream,” the author shows that inertia and apathy are the result of upbringing, which convinced the hero to fulfill any desires without any effort.
Goncharov talks about Ilya’s childhood in his native Oblomovka. Life in the village flows slowly and measuredly, every day is similar to the previous one. Breakfast gives way to lunch, then comes a lazy afternoon nap and long evenings with fairy tales. Nothing interesting happens in Oblomovka. From an early age, the master is looked after by servants: they dress him, put on shoes, feed him, discouraging the boy from any desire for independence. Provincial landowner life gradually turns into a lazy hibernation, becoming a way of life.
Thus, Oblomovism is a special lifestyle that has been formed over generations. Stolz’s sincere desire to stir up Oblomov, to “awaken him to life” is realized only for a short period. Even love for Olga Ilyinskaya is not able to force Ilya Ilyich to change his habits. A short “awakening” becomes only a spark of activity that quickly fades away forever.
Oblomov is not ready to defend the right to love with Olga and chooses a comfortable, measured life with Agafya Pshenitsyna. The Vyborg side becomes for the hero the embodiment of his beloved Oblomovka. However, doing nothing and lying on the sofa does not affect the spiritual qualities of Ilya Ilyich. He has a good disposition, a gentle soul, morality and a subtle understanding of the surrounding reality. It is these qualities that attract the energetic Stolz to him; Olga, in love, also saw them. At the same time, the hero does not lie aimlessly on the sofa for days on end; internal work is going on in his mind. He doesn’t see the point in “work for work’s sake,” like his friend Andrei.
In my opinion, the nobility itself provoked the emergence of Oblomovism. This “disease”, which has social roots, literally struck society in the mid-19th century. When a person knows in advance that he will not have to work for food and benefits, he loses the ability to be active.
Updated: 2017-01-24
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Collection of essays: Oblomov and Oblomovism as a phenomenon of Russian life
I. A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” was published in 1859, at a time when the issue of abolition of serfdom was extremely acute in the country, when Russian society had already fully realized the destructiveness of the existing order. Deep knowledge of life and accuracy of social analysis characters allowed the writer to find a surprisingly correct definition of the way of Russian life of that time - “Oblomovism”.
The author's main task in the novel is to show how a person gradually dies in a person, how unadapted a landowner is to life, not accustomed to doing anything. The main qualities of the kind, sweet Ilya Ilyich Oblomov are his inertia, apathy, and aversion to any activity. True to the traditions of realism, I. A. Goncharov shows that these qualities were the result of Oblomov’s upbringing; they were born from the confidence that any of his desires would be fulfilled and no effort needed to be made for this. Oblomov is a nobleman, he does not have to work for a piece of bread - hundreds of Zakharov serfs work for him on the estate and completely ensure his existence. This means that he can lie on the sofa all day long, not because he is tired, but because “this was his normal state.” He almost merged with his soft comfortable robe and long wide shoes, which he masterfully slipped into the first time, I barely dangled my legs off the sofa.
In his youth, Oblomov “was full of all sorts of aspirations, hopes, he expected a lot from fate and himself, he was always preparing for some field, for some role.” But time passed, and Ilya Ilyich was still getting ready, preparing to start a new life, but did not advance one step towards any goal. In Moscow, he received a good education, but his head “was like a library, consisting of only knowledge scattered in parts.” Entering the service, which had previously seemed to him in the form of some kind of family occupation, he did not even imagine that life would immediately be divided into two halves for him, one of which would consist of work and boredom, which for him were synonymous, and the other - from peace and peaceful fun. He realized that “it would take at least an earthquake to prevent a healthy person from coming to work,” and therefore he soon resigned, then stopped going out into the world and completely shut himself up in his room. If Oblomov recognizes some kind of work, then only the work of the soul, since dozens of generations of his ancestors “endured labor as a punishment imposed on our forefathers, but they could not love, and where there was a chance, they always got rid of it, finding it possible and proper.”
There were moments in Oblomov’s life when he thought about the reasons that prompted him to lead such a life, when he asked himself the question: “Why am I like this?” In the climactic chapter of the novel, "Oblomov's Dream" answers this question. He creates a picture of provincial landowner life and shows how lazy hibernation gradually becomes the normal state of a person.
In a dream, Oblomov is transported to his parents' estate Oblomovka, "to a blessed corner of the earth," where there is "no sea, no high mountains, rocks, abysses, no dense forests - there is nothing grandiose, wild and gloomy." An idyllic picture appears before us, a series of beautiful landscapes. “The annual circle takes place there correctly and calmly. Deep silence lies in the fields. Silence and tranquility of life also reign in the morals of the people in that region,” writes I. A. Goncharov. Oblomov sees himself as a little boy, striving to look into the unknown, to ask more questions and get answers to them. But only caring for food becomes the first and main concern of life in Oblomovka, and the rest of the time is occupied by “some kind of all-consuming, invincible dream,” which I. A. Goncharov makes a symbol that characterizes people like Oblomov. , and which he calls “the true likeness of death.” From childhood, Ilya was accustomed to the fact that he should not do anything, that for any work there was “Vaska, Vanka, Zakharka,” and at some point he himself realized that this was so “much calmer.” And therefore, all those “seeking manifestations of strength” in Ilyusha “turned inward and sank, fading.” Such a life deprived the hero of the novel of any initiative and gradually turned him into a slave of his position, his habits, and even a slave of his servant Zakhar.
In his article “What is Oblomovism?” N.A. Dobrolyubov wrote: “Oblomov is not a stupid apathetic figure without aspirations and feelings, but a person who is also looking for something in life, thinking about something.” He is endowed with many positive qualities, and he is not stupid. There is a sad truth in his judgments - also a consequence of Russian life. What are all these Sudbinskys, Volkins, Penkovs striving for? Indeed, is it worth getting up from the couch for the sake of the petty fuss that his former comrades are busy with?
In the spirit of the tradition created by Russian writers, I. A. Goncharov subjects his hero to the greatest test - the test of love. A feeling for Olga Ilyinskaya, a girl of enormous spiritual strength, could resurrect Oblomov. But I. A. Goncharov is a realist, and he cannot show a happy ending to the novel. “Why did everything die? Who cursed you, Ilya? What ruined you?” - Olga tries to understand with bitterness. And the writer gives the answer to these questions, clearly defining the name of this evil - Oblomovism. And Ilya Ilyich was not the only one who became its victim. “Our name is legion!” - he says to Stolz. And indeed, almost all the heroes of the novel were amazed by the “Oblomovism”; almost all the heroes of the novel became its victims: Agafya Pshenitsyna, Stolz, and Olga.
The greatest merit of I. A. Goncharov is that he surprisingly accurately depicted the disease that struck Russian society in the mid-19th century, which N. A. Dobrolyubov characterized as “the inability to actively want something,” and pointed out the social causes of this phenomenon.
I. A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” was published in 1859, at a time when the issue of abolition of serfdom was extremely acute in the country, when Russian society was already fully aware of the destructiveness of the existing order. A deep knowledge of life and the accuracy of social analysis of characters allowed the writer to find a surprisingly correct definition of the way of Russian life of that time - “Oblomovism”.
The author's main task in the novel is to show how a person gradually dies in a person, how unadapted a landowner is to life, not accustomed to doing anything. The main qualities of the kind, sweet Ilya Ilyich Oblomov are his inertia, apathy, and aversion to any activity. True to the traditions of realism, I. A. Goncharov shows that these qualities were the result of Oblomov’s upbringing; they were born from the confidence that any of his desires would be fulfilled and no effort needed to be made for this. Oblomov is a nobleman, he does not have to work for a piece of bread - hundreds of Zakharov serfs work for him on the estate and completely ensure his existence. This means that he can lie on the couch all day long, not because he is tired, but because “this was his normal state.” He almost merged with his soft, comfortable robe and long, wide shoes, which he masterfully slipped into the first time, as soon as he dangled his feet from the sofa.
In his youth, Oblomov “was full of all sorts of aspirations, hopes, he expected a lot from fate and himself, he was always preparing for some field, for some role.” But time passed, and Ilya Ilyich kept getting ready, preparing to start a new life, but did not advance a single step towards any goal. In Moscow he received a good education, but his head “was like a library, consisting of only knowledge scattered in parts.” Entering the service, which had previously seemed to him in the form of some kind of family occupation, he did not even imagine that life would immediately be divided into two halves for him, one of which would consist of work and boredom, which for him were synonymous, and the other - from peace and peaceful fun. He realized that “it would take at least an earthquake to prevent a healthy person from coming to work,” and therefore he soon resigned, then stopped going out into the world and completely shut himself up in his room. If Oblomov recognizes some kind of work, it is only the work of the soul, since dozens of generations of his ancestors “endured labor as a punishment imposed on our forefathers, but they could not love, and where there was a chance, they always got rid of it, finding it possible and due."
There were moments in Oblomov’s life when he thought about the reasons that prompted him to lead such a life, when he asked himself the question: “Why am I like this?” In the climactic chapter of the novel “Oblomov’s Dream,” the writer answers this question. He creates a picture of provincial landowner life and shows how lazy hibernation gradually becomes the normal state of a person.
In a dream, Oblomov is transported to his parents’ estate Oblomovka, “to a blessed corner of the earth,” where there is “no sea, no high mountains, rocks, abysses, no dense forests - there is nothing grandiose, wild and gloomy.” An idyllic picture appears before us, a series of beautiful landscapes. “The annual circle is performed there correctly and calmly. Deep silence lies in the fields. Silence and peace of life also reign in the morals of the people in that region,” writes I. A. Goncharov. Oblomov sees himself as a little boy, striving to look into the unknown, ask more questions and get answers. But only caring for food becomes the first and main concern of life in Oblomovka. And the rest of the time is occupied by “some kind of all-consuming, invincible dream,” which I. A. Goncharov makes a symbol characterizing people like Oblomov, and which he calls “the true likeness of death.” From childhood, Ilya was accustomed to the fact that he did not have to do anything, that for any job there was “Vaska, Vanka, Zakharka,” and at some point he himself realized that it was “much calmer” this way. And therefore, all those “seeking manifestations of strength” in Ilyusha “turned inward and sank, withering away.” Such a life deprived the hero of the novel of any initiative and gradually turned him into a slave of his position, his habits, and even a slave of his servant Zakhar.
In his article “What is Oblomovism?” N.A. Dobrolyubov wrote: “Oblomov is not a stupid apathetic figure without aspirations and feelings, but a person who is also looking for something in life, thinking about something.” He is endowed with many positive qualities, and he is not stupid. There is a sad truth in his judgments - also a consequence of Russian life. What are all these Sudbinskys, Volkins, Penkovs striving for? Indeed, is it worth getting up from the couch for the sake of the petty fuss that his former comrades are busy with?
In the spirit of the tradition created by Russian writers, I. A. Goncharov subjects his hero to the greatest test - the test of love. A feeling for Olga Ilyinskaya, a girl of enormous spiritual strength, could resurrect Oblomov. But I. A. Goncharov is a realist, and he cannot show a happy ending to the novel. “Why did everything die? Who cursed you, Ilya? What ruined you? - Olga bitterly tries to understand. And the writer gives the answer to these questions, absolutely precisely defining the name of this evil - Oblomovism. And Ilya Ilyich was not the only one who became her victim. “Our name is legion!” - he says to Stolz. And indeed, almost all the heroes of the novel were amazed by “Oblomovism” and became its victims: Zakhar, Agafya Pshenitsyna, Stolz, and Olga.
The greatest merit of I. A. Goncharov is that he surprisingly accurately depicted the disease that struck Russian society in the mid-19th century, which N. A. Dobrolyubov characterized as “the inability to actively want something,” and pointed out the social causes of this phenomenon.