The biography of the characters is immature. Minor (play)

Characteristics of the heroes of the comedy D.I. Fonvizin "Minor"

All the action takes place in Prostakova's house.

He decides to marry Sophia first to his brother (Skotinin), then to his son.

Organizes the kidnapping of Sophia.

“I love that strangers listen to me”

“From morning to evening... I don’t lay down my hands: I scold, I fight, and that’s what the house rests on.”

“Do you really have to be a tailor to sew a caftan well!”

“Here, son, my only consolation”

Skotinin

From "cattle", "cattle". On the one hand, the surname speaks of love for animals, on the other hand, it denotes a rude, ill-mannered person

Rude, ignorant, tyrannical. Mentally underdeveloped, his main passion is his love for pigs.

Prostakova's brother. I was brought up the same way, so I remained uneducated and does not understand the need for education. Proud of his lack of education

wants to marry Sophia in order to take possession of the dowry and to “have his own piglets.” In the finale, he is tasked with notifying all the Skotinins (i.e., all landowners) that they will be punished for their cruel treatment of the servants.

“I don’t like to bother, and I’m afraid”

“I’ll rip off my own peasants and end up in the water”

“I haven’t read in my life, God save me from this boredom!”

“Isn’t a nobleman free to beat a servant whenever he wants?”

Mitrofan

In the lane from Greek - “given by the mother.” The hero's name draws attention to the fact that his mother has a detrimental influence on him.

Spoiled, capricious, selfish. He is not even capable of loving his own mother.

Completely ignorant, despite the fact that teachers teach him.

Concern for Mitrofanushka caused Prostakova’s desire to marry Sophia to him by any means.

“I don’t want to study, I want to get married”

“I’d rather get better on my own. Let me run to the dovecote"

“For me, where they tell me...”

Starodum

“Thinking in the old way” - his ideals belong to the Petrine era.

Honest, noble. Inertia and inhumanity cause indignation in him. He achieves everything through honest work. People are judged by the benefit they bring to their homeland.

He received the best education of his time.

With the arrival of Starodum, the main events of the play begin: the matchmaking of Skotinin and Mitrofan, the refusal to marry Sophia to them, her abduction by Prostakova.

The inheritance left by him makes Sophia independent of Prostakova.

“Everyone will find enough strength in himself to be virtuous”

“The rich man is not the one who counts out money in order to hide it in a chest, but the one who counts out what he has in excess in order to help someone else.”

“The dignity of the heart is indivisible. An honest person must be completely honest."

“My father constantly repeated: have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times.”

Pravdin

From the word “truth”, which the hero serves

An official in the viceroyalty oversees the implementation of government decrees locally

Exemplary officer.

Claims for Sophia's hand.

Saves her from being kidnapped.

In the finale of the comedy, the government takes custody of Prostakova’s estate, depriving her of the right to arbitrarily dispose of the peasants

“The judge, who was not afraid of revenge or the threats of the strong, gave justice to the helpless, is a hero in my eyes”

Sophia

In the lane from Greek “wise” (the highest value of the Enlightenment)

Modest, prudent, virtuous. Educated, looking for moral guidelines. Respects elders

She was brought up in the house of her uncle, Starodum.

The matchmaking of Skotinin, Mitrofan, and Milon to Sophia forms the main plot line of the comedy. She is the center of the plot

“In order to get rid of their rudeness, in order to have some freedom, I am forced to hide my feelings”

(To Starodum) “All my life your will will be my law”

“give me the rules that I must follow” “Your instructions, uncle, will make up my well-being”

"Written in the best traditions of Russian classicism. In accordance with the classic canons, the characters in the work are clearly divided into positive and negative, and their names and surnames succinctly characterize and reveal the main features of the characters. However, in contrast to the traditional images of classic plays, the heroes of “The Minor” are devoid of stereotypes, which is what attracts modern readers and viewers.

Positive actors include Pravdin, Sophia, Starodum And Milo. Each of them supports the ideas of the Enlightenment, considering virtue, honesty, love of country, high morality and education to be the main human values. The negative heroes are depicted as their complete opposite - Prostakovs, Skotinin And Mitrofan. They are representatives of the “old” nobility, which with all its might clings to outdated ideas of serfdom and feudalism. Their core values ​​are money, position in the social hierarchy and physical strength.

In Fonvizin’s play “The Minor,” the main characters are divided into peculiar dual pairs, in which the author portrays people with similar social roles, but depicting them in a mirror distortion. So, in addition to a couple of “children” - Sophia and Mitrofan, we can distinguish “educators” - Starodum and Prostakov, “suitors” - Milon and Skotinin, as well as “owners” - Prostakov and Pravdin.

Mitrofan- a teenager and the main character of the comedy - a spoiled, stupid young man of sixteen, for whom his mother, nanny or servants always did everything. Having adopted from his mother a love of money, rudeness and disrespect for his family (Prostakova is ready to deceive her brother in order to arrange a marriage that is profitable for her), and from his father complete lack of will, he behaves like a small child - he does not want to study, while he finds marriage fun fun. The complete opposite of Mitrofan is Sophia. This is an educated, smart and serious girl with a difficult fate. Having lost her parents at an early age and living in the care of the Prostakovs, Sophia does not adopt their values, but, in fact, becomes a “black sheep” in their society (Prostakova is even indignant that the girl can read).

Prostakova appears before readers, on the one hand, as an uneducated, cunning woman who is ready to do almost anything for the sake of profit, and on the other hand, as a practical housewife and loving mother, for whom the happiness and carefree future of her son comes above all else. Prostakova raised Mitrofan the way she was raised, and therefore was able to convey and show by her own example outdated, long-exhausted ideas and values.

U Staroduma a completely different approach to education - he does not treat Sophia like a small child, talking with her as an equal, instructing her and advising her based on his own experience. In the matter of marriage, a man does not undertake to make final decisions for a girl, because he does not know whether her heart is free.
In the image of Starodum, Fonvizin portrays his ideal of a parent and educator - an authoritative, strong personality who herself has walked a worthy path. However, analyzing the system of characters in “The Minor” from the point of view of a modern reader, it is worth noting that the image of Starodum as a teacher is also not ideal. The entire time he was away, Sophia was deprived of parental care and left to her own devices. The fact that the girl learned to read, values ​​morality and virtue is most likely the merit of her parents, who instilled this in her at a young age.

In general, the theme of kinship is important both for the positive characters of the play “The Minor” and for the negative ones. Sophia- daughter of worthy people, Milo- the son of a good friend Starodum. Prostakova received this surname only after marriage; in fact, she is Skotinina. Brother and sister are very similar, they are both driven by a thirst for profit and cunning, they are uneducated and cruel. Mitrofan is depicted as the real son of his parents and his uncle’s pupil, who inherited all their negative traits, including his love for pigs.

Characters whose relationship is not mentioned in the play - Prostakov and Pravdin. Prostakov is radically different from his wife; compared to the active and active Prostakova, he looks weak-willed and passive. In a situation where he must show himself as the owner of the village, the man is lost against the background of his wife. This leads to the fact that the more active Pravdin, who was able to pacify Prostakova, becomes the owner of the estate. In addition, Prostakov and Pravdin act as some kind of “auditors” of what is happening. Pravdin is the voice of the law, while Prostakov is the opinion of the simple (remember the “talking” names of the play) people who do not like how the “old” nobility behave in the person of his wife and brother-in-law, but is afraid of their anger, therefore he speaks only aside and not negotiating.

The last couple of characters are Skotinin and Milon. Men represent outdated and new ideas about marriage and family life. Milon has known Sophia since childhood, they love each other, and therefore their relationship is built on mutual respect and friendship. Skotinin does not even try to get to know the girl better, he is only concerned about his dowry, and he is not even going to arrange good conditions for her after marriage.

In addition to the main characters, the play contains secondary characters - teachers and educators of Mitrofan the underage. Characteristics of the supporting characters – Eremeevna, Tsyfirkina, Kuteikina And Vralman– is connected with their social role in the play. The nanny is an example of a serf who faithfully serves his mistress all his life, enduring beatings and injustice. Using the example of images of teachers, the author exposes all the problems of education in Russia in the 18th century, when children were taught by retired military men who had not graduated from the seminary or even grooms.

For the 18th century, Fonvizin’s innovation was that the author depicted the characters in “The Minor” without excessive pathos and stereotypes inherent in many works of classicism. Each comedy hero is undoubtedly a composite image, but created not according to a ready-made “stencil”, but with its own individual traits. That is why the characters in the work “The Minor”, ​​even today, remain the brightest images of Russian literature.

The main characters of “The Minor” - characteristics of the heroes of Fonvizin’s play |

", is one of the first-class works of Russian literature. The playwright depicted in it, firstly, the ignorant ancient education of noble children; secondly, the gross arbitrariness of the landowners, their inhumane treatment of the serfs.

About the main characters of the play, Mrs. Prostakova , and her son, Mitrofanushka , you can read in the articles especially dedicated to them on our website: Characteristics of Mrs. Prostakova in “The Minor” by Fonvizin and Characteristics of Mitrofan in “The Minor” by Fonvizin. Next we will outline the other characters in the play.

Heroes of Fonvizin's "Undergrowth"

Prostakova's husband , Mitrofan's father, is a timid and weak-willed man, so downtrodden and intimidated by his wife that he has neither his own desires nor his own opinions. “Before your eyes,” he says to his wife, “mine see nothing.”

Skotinin, Prostakova's brother , is a comic face. He is depicted a little caricaturedly with his exaggerated passion for pigs, which he himself innocently explains as follows: “People in front of me are smart, but among the pigs I myself am smarter than everyone else.” He received the same upbringing as his sister, and is just as rude as she: he treats pigs “infinitely better than people”; but in his whole figure there is some kind of comic good nature, which, however, stems from extraordinary stupidity. His name, as well as the names of other characters, were selected by Fonvizin in accordance with the properties of their characters or occupations.

Fonvizin. Minor. Maly Theater performance

In a few strokes, but very vividly, Mitrofan’s teachers, retired sergeant Tsyfirkin and seminarian Kuteikin are depicted. Tsyfirkin teaches Mitrofan arithmetic, as his name hints at; this is an honest old soldier. Kuteikin says that he left the seminary without completing the course: “fearing the abyss of wisdom.” He is a completely ignorant person; the only thing that remained with him from his stay in the seminary was his manner of often using Church Slavonic expressions; Moreover, Kuteikin is greedy and selfish, an “insatiable soul,” as Prostakova characterizes him.

The name of another teacher is German Vralman– very successfully composed of the Russian word “liar” and the German “mann” (man). In the person of Vralman, Fonvizin shows what kind of foreign teachers in those days taught noble children “all sciences.” Vralman was a coachman for a long time: having lost his job, he became a teacher, only in order not to die of hunger. In the Prostakovs' house, he, as a foreigner, is given special honor and preference over other teachers. He receives a salary of three hundred rubles a year, while honest Tsyfirkin should receive only ten. Prostakova lists all the benefits that Vralman receives in their house: “we seat you at the table with us; Our women wash his linen; where needed - a horse; at the table - a glass of wine; at night - a tallow candle." Prostakova is happy with the German: “he doesn’t force the child.” The cunning Vralman found a wonderful way to please his mistress, while at the same time hiding his ignorance: not only does he not teach Mitrofanushka anything, but he also prevents other teachers from studying with him, indulging Mitrofan’s laziness, praising him in every possible way before his adoring mother.

In the face Eremeevna, “mother” of Mitrofan, Fonvizin for the first time depicted the type of infinitely devoted, selfless serf servant, which in Russian literature was reflected in several images, male and female. Savelich, in “The Captain’s Daughter” by Pushkin, Evseich, in “Childhood of Bagrov the Grandson” by Aksakov, Natalya Savishna - in “Childhood and Adolescence” by Leo Tolstoy. In life, this type is known to everyone in the person of Pushkin’s nanny, Arina Rodionovna. Yes, how many of us have a dear, beloved face associated with the name “nanny”... It’s amazing that this very type is found only in Russian literature, among the Russian people!

But unlike other heroes and heroines of Russian writers similar to her, Eremeevna is a completely unhappy creature, not appreciated by anyone: it’s not for nothing that she serves in the Prostakovs’ house! For her faithful forty years of service and love, she receives only insults, abuse and beatings. “Am I not zealous for you, mother?” in tears she says to Prostakova, “you don’t know how to serve anymore... I would be glad not only that... you don’t regret your stomach... but everything is undesirable.” Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin ask her how much she receives for her service? “Five rubles a year, and five slaps a day,” Eremeevna answers sadly. Even her pet, Mitrofanushka, is rude to her and insults her.

Mrs. Prostakova- Prostakov's wife. An active, rude, uneducated woman who thinks more about her own profit than about the people around her and virtue, tries to solve everything by force or cunning.

Prostakov Mitrofan- the son of the Prostakovs, a minor, a young man of 16 years old, as stupid as his parents, completely weak-willed, agrees to everything his mother or others say (in the end he immediately agrees to go into the army).

Pravdin- a guest of the Prostakovs, a government official who came to sort out the problems in their estate and resolve the issue of Prostakova’s cruelty towards the servants. A highly moral man, a representative of the “new” educated nobility, personifies the truth and the word of the law in the work “The Minor.”

Starodum- a person with high moral principles who achieved everything in life on his own, without resorting to deception or cunning. Sophia's uncle and guardian.

Sophia- an honest, educated, kind girl. After losing her parents, she lives with the Prostakovs and is in love with Milon.

Milo- Sophia's fiance, whom they have not seen for several years. An officer distinguished himself in the service by courage and boldness, has high concepts of human virtue and honor.

Skotinin- brother of Mrs. Prostakova. A stupid, uneducated man, looking for profit in everything, easily lies and flatters for profit.

Other characters

Prostakov- Prostakova's husband. He solves practically nothing in the house, essentially a shadow and henpecked wife, uneducated, weak-willed.

Eremeevna- Mitrofan's nanny.

Kuteikin(a seminarian who himself quit studying halfway through because he couldn’t master science, cunning and greedy, a grammar teacher), Vralman(a former groom of Starodum, simple, but able to skillfully deceive, called himself a German teacher of social life), Tsyfirkin(retired sergeant, honest man, arithmetic teacher) - Mitrofan's teacher.

Trishka- tailor, Prostakov's servant.

Pushkin highly valued the work of Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, who wrote under Catherine II. He saw Gogol as his successor. Fonvizin's main character, the undergrown Mitrofanushka, delighted Alexander Sergeevich.

Herzen and Belinsky spoke highly of the artistic and social style of this comedian. Gogol immortalized the image of his teacher, Fonvizin (though without specifying his name), in the story “The Night Before Christmas.” Remember, when the blacksmith Vakula turned to the empress, she turned the conversation to a middle-aged man with a plump, pale face and invited him to reflect “this folk innocence” in his next essay. The man was wearing a poor caftan with mother-of-pearl buttons. This is what Fonvizin looked like.

So, a comedy created according to classical canons (Fonvizin, “The Minor”). The characterization of the heroes, however, turned out to be innovative for the 18th century. This article is dedicated to the characters of the play.

Negative images

Undoubtedly, the characterization of the heroes presented by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin lays down the traditions of Russian national comedy. “The Minor” boldly and openly castigates the tyranny of the feudal landowners. The most negative image of comedy is Mrs. Prostakova. She rules her serfs with a firm hand, rather even cruelly. The heroine does not disdain to be ignorant and vindictive. And talking in a raised voice with the servants is a common thing for her. The landowner habitually addresses her serf Trishka: “cattle”, “thief’s mug”, “blockhead”, “swindler”. To her son’s nanny, Eremeevna, who is in this idiot, the “grateful” mother says “scumbag,” “dog’s daughter,” “beast.” And this is for the closest people, the “yard” people! Her conversation with the others is even shorter. Prostakova threatens to “flog them to death.” She is confident in herself because the laws are always on the side of the landowners.

True, this vixen has an outlet in her soul: she loves her 16-year-old son. True, this feeling is blind, for which Mrs. Prostakova paid at the end of the comedy. The author’s, “Fonvizin’s”, characterization of the heroes is truly original. “Minor” is a comedy where each hero uses his own unique vocabulary and a certain vocabulary.

Mr. Prostakov is a quiet, calm henpecked man. He submits to his wife in everything; not having his own, follows her opinion. However, he is not cruel, he loves his son. But in fact, it doesn’t affect anything in the house, including raising a child.

Fonvizin created the characterization of the heroes in an original and interesting way, respecting individual vocabulary. It is not by chance that the undergrowth wears it. After all, in Greek it sounds like “like a mother.” By the way, regarding the name of the comedy. In Rus', young nobles who did not have a written certificate of education were called ignoramuses.

Mitrofanushka avoids studying, he is rude to people who treat him kindly. Eremeevna says: “Old Khrychovka.” To teacher Tsifirkin - “garrison rat.” The catchphrase of the young dunce - that he does not want to study, but wants to get married - is undoubtedly Fonvizin’s creative find; it really has become popular. The minor is narrow-minded, rude and ignorant. His laziness is indulged by everyone in the house.

Prostakova's brother, Mr. Skotinin, is caricatured in the comedy. He treats the lower class with contempt, but for him it is a real passion and purpose in life. His entire horizons are limited to the problems of the pigsty. He never tires of talking about these animals. On top of that, he wants to marry Sophia.

Good Comedy Heroes

However, there are no less positive images in the comedy. The government official Pravdin, sent to check the Prostakova estate, is the embodiment of justice, legality and reason. He is outraged when people who “have power” over serfs use it “evilly and inhumanely.” He strives to help “worthy people” and promote proper upbringing. As a result of his inspection, Prostakova’s property is requisitioned by the state.

Starodum is also positive, having imbibed an honest attitude to service since the time of Peter I. Service in the army, and then his bureaucratic share not only brought him a fortune, but also molded him into an honest, decent person. He equally considers unacceptable both pleasing those in power and violating the human rights of the disadvantaged.

His niece Sophia is honest and educated. She has a discerning mind, so she is going to build her life in such a way as to earn the trust of “worthy people.” Sophia's fiancé, the young officer Milon, is honest, modest and open. He showed his courage in combat. The young man has a truly knightly upbringing. The war did not turn him into a martinet. He considers his love for Sophia his greatest wealth.

Among the secondary characters there are also positive ones - the decent and straightforward Tsyfirkin, a former soldier; and negative ones - the cunning and greedy Kuteikin, the seminarian - a dropout, Adam Adamovich Vralman - with a vile lackey essence, praising Mitrofan in order to earn mercy from Prostakova.

conclusions

Fonvizin was undoubtedly a wise and observant person. In the comedy they are given a devastatingly accusatory description of the heroes. “Undergrowth” makes you think about the need to stop bullying of serfs. Therefore, Fonvizin’s comedy is not abstract, not for the amusement of Catherine’s nobles and favorites, but sharply satirical, socially oriented. For the comedian himself, working on such works was thankless and required nerves. Denis Ivanovich resigned due to a serious illness - paralysis. Even Empress Catherine II, a progressive woman, did not like Fonvizin’s caustic satire and did not always meet the classic’s requests.