There are times when you need to quickly get acquainted with a book, but there is no time to read. For such cases there is brief retelling(briefly). “The Captain's Daughter” is a story from the school curriculum, which certainly deserves attention, at least in a brief retelling.
The main characters of "The Captain's Daughter"
Before you read the abridged story “The Captain's Daughter,” you need to get to know the main characters.
The Captain's Daughter tells the story of several months in the life of Pyotr Andreevich Grinev - hereditary nobleman. He undergoes military service in the Belogorodskaya fortress during the time of peasant unrest under the leadership of Emelyan Pugachev. This story is told by Pyotr Grinev himself through entries in his diary.
Main characters
Minor characters
Chapter I
Peter Grinev's father, even before his birth, enrolled in the ranks of the sergeants of the Semenovsky regiment, since he himself was a retired officer.
At the age of five, he assigned his son a personal servant named Arkhip Savelich. His task was to raise him to be a real master. Arkhip Savelich taught little Peter a lot, for example, to understand the breeds of hunting dogs, Russian literacy and much more.
Four years later, his father sends sixteen-year-old Peter to serve with his good friend in Orenburg. Servant Savelich is traveling with Peter. In Simbirsk, Grinev meets a man named Zurin. He teaches Peter how to play billiards. After getting drunk, Grinev loses a hundred rubles to a military man.
Chapter II
Grinev and Savelich got lost on the way to their place of service, but a random passer-by showed them the way to the inn. There Peter examines the guide- he looks about forty years old, he has a black beard, a strong build, and in general he looks like a robber. Having entered into a conversation with the owner of the inn, they discussed something on foreign language.
The guide is practically naked, and therefore Grinev decides to give him a hare sheepskin coat. The sheepskin coat was so small for him that it was literally bursting at the seams, but despite this, he was glad for the gift and promised never to forget this kind deed. A day later, young Peter, having arrived in Orenburg, introduces himself to the general, who sends him to the Belgorod fortress to serve under Captain Mironov. Not without the help of Father Peter, of course.
Chapter III
Grinev arrives at the Belgorod fortress, which is a village surrounded by high wall and one gun. Captain Mironov, under whose leadership Peter came to serve, was a gray-haired old man, and two officers and approximately a hundred soldiers served under his command. One of the officers is the one-eyed old lieutenant Ivan Ignatich, the second is called Alexey Shvabrin - he was exiled to this place as punishment for a duel.
Newly arrived Peter met Alexei Shvabrin that same evening. Shvabrin told about each of the captain’s family: his wife Vasilisa Egorovna and their daughter Masha. Vasilisa commands both her husband and the entire garrison. And my daughter Masha is a very cowardly girl. Later, Grinev himself meets Vasilisa and Masha, and also the constable Maksimych . He's very scared that the upcoming service will be boring and therefore very long.
Chapter IV
Grinev liked it in the fortress, despite Maksimych’s experiences. The soldiers here are treated without much severity, despite the fact that the captain at least occasionally organizes exercises, but they still cannot distinguish between “left” and “right”. In the house of Captain Mironov, Pyotr Grinev becomes almost a member of the family, and also falls in love with his daughter Masha.
In one of the outbursts of feelings, Grinev dedicates poems to Masha and reads them to the only one in the castle who understands poetry - Shvabrin. Shvabrin makes fun of his feelings in a very rude manner and says that the earrings are it's more useful gift . Grinev is offended by this too much harsh criticism in his direction, and he calls him a liar in response, and Alexei emotionally challenges him to a duel.
Excited Peter wants to call Ivan Ignatich as a second, but the old man believes that such a showdown is too much. After dinner, Peter tells Shvabrin that Ivan Ignatich did not agree to be a second. Shvabrin proposes to conduct a duel without seconds.
Having met early in the morning, they did not have time to sort things out in a duel, because they were immediately tied up and taken into custody by soldiers under the command of a lieutenant. Vasilisa Egorovna forces them to pretend that they have made peace, and after that they are released from custody. From Masha, Peter learns that the whole point is that Alexey had already received a refusal from her, which is why he behaved so aggressively.
This did not dampen their ardor, and they meet the next day by the river to complete the matter. Peter had almost defeated the officer in a fair fight, but was distracted by the call. It was Savelich. Turning towards a familiar voice, Grinev is wounded in the chest area.
Chapter V
The wound turned out to be so serious that Peter woke up only on the fourth day. Shvabrin decides to make peace with Peter, they apologize to each other. Taking advantage of the moment that Masha is caring for the sick Peter, he confesses his love to her and receives reciprocity in return.
Grinev, in love and inspired writes a letter home asking for blessings for the wedding. The answer comes strict letter with a refusal and the sad news of the death of his mother. Peter thinks that his mother died when she found out about the duel, and suspects Savelich of the denunciation.
The offended servant shows proof to Peter: a letter from his father, where he scolds and scolds him because he did not tell about the injury. After a while, suspicions lead Peter to the idea that Shvabrin did this in order to prevent his and Masha’s happiness and disrupt the wedding. Having learned that her parents do not give their blessing, Maria refuses the wedding.
Chapter VI
In October 1773 very quickly rumor spreads about the Pugachev rebellion, despite the fact that Mironov tried to keep it a secret. The captain decides to send Maksimych on reconnaissance. Maksimych returns two days later and reports that there is unrest among the Cossacks enormous power.
At the same time, they report to Maksimych that he went over to Pugachev’s side and incited the Cossacks to start a riot. Maksimych is arrested, and in his place they put the man who reported on him - the baptized Kalmyk Yulay.
Further events They pass very quickly: constable Maksimych escapes from custody, one of Pugachev’s men is captured, but he cannot be asked anything because he does not have a language. The neighboring fortress has been captured, and very soon the rebels will be under the walls of this fortress. Vasilisa and her daughter go to Orenburg.
Chapter VII
The next morning an armful reaches Grinev latest news: the Cossacks left the fortress, taking Yulay prisoner; Masha did not have time to get to Orenburg and the road was blocked. By order of the captain, the rebel patrolmen are shot from a cannon.
Soon Pugachev’s main army appears, led by Emelyan himself, smartly dressed in a red caftan and riding a white horse. Four traitorous Cossacks offer to surrender, recognizing Pugachev as ruler. They throw Yulay's head over the fence, which falls at Mironov's feet. Mironov gives the order to shoot, and one of the negotiators is killed, the rest manage to escape.
They begin to storm the fortress, and Mironov says goodbye to his family and gives Masha’s blessing. Vasilisa takes away her terribly frightened daughter. The commandant fires the cannon once, gives the order to open the gate, and then rushes into battle.
The soldiers are in no hurry to run after the commander, and the attackers manage to break into the fortress. Grinev is taken prisoner. A large gallows is being built in the square. A crowd gathers around, many greet the rioters with joy. The impostor, sitting on a chair in the commandant's house, takes oaths from prisoners. Ignatyich and Mironov are hanged for refusing to take an oath.
The turn reaches Grinev, and he notices Shvabrin among the rebels. When Peter is escorted to the gallows to be executed, Savelich suddenly falls at Pugachev’s feet. Somehow he manages to beg for mercy for Grinev. When Vasilisa was taken out of the house, seeing her dead husband, she emotionally called Pugachev “an escaped convict.” She is immediately killed for this.
Chapter VIII
Peter began to look for Masha. The news was disappointing - she was lying unconscious with the priest’s wife, who told everyone that it was her seriously ill relative. Peter returns to the old looted apartment and learns from Savelich how he managed to persuade Pugachev to let Peter go.
Pugachev is the same random passer-by whom they met when they got lost and gave them a hare sheepskin coat. Pugachev invites Peter to the commandant’s house, and he eats there with the rebels at the same table.
During lunch, he manages to overhear how the military council is making plans to march on Orenburg. After lunch, Grinev and Pugachev have a conversation, where Pugachev again demands to take an oath. Peter again refuses him, arguing that he is an officer and the orders of his commanders are law for him. Pugachev likes such honesty, and he lets Peter go again.
Chapter IX
On the morning before Pugachev’s departure, Savelich approaches him and brings things that were taken from Grinev during his capture. At the very end of the list is a hare sheepskin coat. Pugachev gets angry and throws out the sheet of paper with this list. Leaving, he leaves Shvabrin as commandant.
Grinev rushes to the priest's wife to find out how Masha is, but very disappointing news awaits him - she is delirious and in a fever. He can't take her away, but he also can't stay. Therefore, he has to leave her temporarily.
Worried, Grinev and Savelich walk slowly to Orenburg. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the former constable Maksimych, who is riding a Bashkir horse, catches up with them. It turned out that it was Pugachev who said to give the officer a horse and a sheepskin coat. Peter gratefully accepts this gift.
Chapter X
Arriving in Orenburg, Peter reports to the general about everything that happened in the fortress. At the council they decide not to attack, but only to defend. After some time, the siege of Orenburg by Pugachev’s army begins. Thanks to a fast horse and luck, Grinev remains safe and sound.
In one of these forays he meets Maksimych. Maksimych gives him a letter from Masha, which says that Shvabrin kidnapped her and forcibly forces her to marry him. Grinev runs to the general and asks for a company of soldiers to liberate the Belgorod fortress, but the general refuses him.
Chapter XI
Grinev and Savelich decide to escape from Orenburg and without any problems go towards the Bermuda settlement, which was occupied by Pugachev’s people. Having waited until nightfall, they decide to drive around the settlement in the dark, but they are caught by a detachment of patrolmen. He miraculously manages to escape, but Savelich, unfortunately, does not.
Therefore, Peter returns for him and is then captured. Pugachev finds out why he fled Orenburg. Peter informs him about Shvabrin’s tricks. Pugachev begins to get angry and threatens to hang him.
Pugachev's adviser does not believe Grinev's stories, claiming that Peter is a spy. Suddenly, a second adviser named Khlopusha begins to stand up for Peter. They almost start a fight, but the impostor calms them down. Pugachev decides to take the wedding of Peter and Masha into his own hands.
Chapter XII
When Pugachev arrived to the Belgorod fortress, he began to demand to see the girl who was kidnapped by Shvabrin. He leads Pugachev and Grinev into the room where Masha is sitting on the floor.
Pugachev, deciding to understand the situation, asks Masha why her husband beats her. Masha exclaims indignantly that she will never become his wife. Pugachev is very disappointed in Shvabrin and orders him to immediately let the young couple go.
Chapter XIII
Masha with Peter set off on the road. When they enter the town, where there should be a large detachment of Pugachevites, they see that the city has already been liberated. They want to arrest Grinev, he goes into the officer’s room and sees his old acquaintance Zurin at the head.
He remains in Zurin’s detachment, and sends Masha and Savelich to their parents. Soon the siege was lifted from Orenburg, and news of victory and the end of the war arrived, since the impostor was captured. While Peter was getting ready to go home, Zurin received an order for his arrest.
Chapter XIV
In court, Pyotr Grinev is accused of treason and espionage. Witness - Shvabrin. In order not to drag Masha into this matter, Peter does not justify himself in any way, and they want to hang him. Empress Catherine, taking pity on his elderly father, changes the execution to serving a life sentence in the Siberian settlement. Masha decides that she will lie at the feet of the empress, begging for mercy on him.
Having gone to St. Petersburg, she stops at an inn and finds out that the owner is the niece of the stove burner in the palace. She helps Masha enter the garden of Tsarskoye Selo, where she meets a lady who promises to help her. After some time, a carriage arrives from the palace for Masha. Entering Catherine's chambers, she is surprised to see the woman with whom she spoke in the garden. She announces to her that Grinev is acquitted.
Afterword
This was a short retelling. “The Captain's Daughter” is a rather interesting story from the school curriculum. A summary of the chapters is needed for.
Year of writing:
1836
Reading time:
Description of the work:
Alexander Pushkin's work "The Captain's Daughter", a summary of which we invite you to read, was written by the famous Russian writer in 1836. This is one of his last works.
To more accurately describe historical events, Pushkin went to the Urals, where the Pugachev uprising took place, and talked with the Pugachevites. It is also known that Alexander Pushkin worked hard on “The Captain’s Daughter”, because as many as five versions of the story have survived to this day.
Read the summary of "The Captain's Daughter" below.
The basis of the novel is the memoirs of one person who wrote them when Emperor Alexander occupied the throne. This man is a nobleman, now he is fifty years old, and his name is Pyotr Andreevich Grinev. At the time he recalls, he was seventeen years old, and due to very strange circumstances, he became an involuntary participant in the events associated with the “Pugachevism.” This is what the novel is dedicated to.
Grinev is somewhat ironic in his childhood memories. He was a noble undergrowth. His father Andrei Petrovich Grinev was awarded the title of retired prime minister, and he remained to live in the village, marrying the daughter of an impoverished nobleman. Petrusha had many brothers and sisters, but none of them survived. Grinev writes that before he was born, he was already listed as a sergeant in the Semenovsky regiment.
From the age of five, Petrusha was entrusted to the supervision of the eager Savelich, who, thanks to his sober behavior, began to be called the boy’s uncle. Savelich supervised Petrusha's studies well, and he quickly learned both the Russian language with all its literacy and the intricacies of hunting. Soon Grinev got along with the new French teacher, whose name was Beaupre. This same Frenchman was engaged in another craft in his homeland - cutting hair, and in Prussia he was a military service. And although Beaupre had a contract according to which he had to teach the young student French, German languages and to help comprehend other sciences, the Frenchman himself learned Russian from Petrusha. It ended with Beaupre being caught in drunkenness, dissolute behavior and failure to fulfill his teaching duties, as a result of which he was expelled.
Early years Pyotr Grinev is having fun - chasing birds, playing with the neighbor's kids in the yard, racing leapfrog. But at the age of sixteen, his father decided to send Petrusha to serve the Fatherland. Moreover, it was not about St. Petersburg - that’s too simple, but about the army in Orenburg. Let the young man find out what gunpowder is, and “pull the strap.” Of course, Grinev did not like such an idea, because his dreams were of a fun life in the capital, and now boring days lay ahead in remote and remote Orenburg. Let's continue the summary of "The Captain's Daughter", because the most interesting things are just beginning.
Grinev goes to Orenburg together with Savelich, however, at the entrance to the city, they are caught by a strong snowstorm. On the way, they meet a man who helps the wagon get to the level, and at that time Pyotr Andreevich sees a dream that frightened him, where now Grinev, from the age of fifty, sees some prophetic features. And then he dreamed of a black-bearded man, who, according to Petrusha’s mother, was “the imprisoned father” and Andrei Petrovich, and he was lying in his father’s bed. This same man wants to give the young man a hand to kiss and then bless him. Then he begins to swing the ax, bloody puddles appear, but he tells the frightened Grinev that there is no need to be afraid, come on, they say, I will bless you.
The tent gets out of the snowstorm thanks to a random counselor, and Grinev wants to thank him. Moreover, the counselor is dressed lightly. Therefore, Pyotr Grinev treats him to wine and gives him clothes - a hare sheepskin coat, to which he hears words of gratitude and respect in response. Grinev remembered his appearance: age - forty years or so, thin build with broad shoulders, average height, black beard.
In Orenburg, Grinev must find the Belogorsk fortress to serve there. But the fortress is just a name. There are no formidable bastions, towers and ramparts there. It is a simple village surrounded by a wooden fence. There are several disabled people living there who cannot distinguish right side from the left, and all the artillery is an old cannon, and it’s filled with rubbish.
The commandant of the fortress is called Ivan Kuzmich Mironov. Although he is not educated, he is honest and kind. The commandant's wife, Vasilisa Egorovna, has taken over the management of affairs and even manages the service independently, as if running a household. Grinev fits in well with the Mironov family, and they almost consider him one of their own. The Mironovs have a daughter, Masha, a prudent and sensitive girl in the eyes of Pyotr Grinev.
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Grinev is not at all burdened by service, quite the contrary. He reads a lot, translates and writes poetry. In the fortress there is Lieutenant Shvabrin - the only person, in fact, who is educated in the same way as Grinev, of the same age and does the same thing. At first, the young people become close, but not for long. Soon there is quite a quarrel. It turns out that Shvabrin made attempts to gain the favor of Masha Mironova, tried to woo her, but the girl refused him. Grinev did not know this, and earlier showed Shvabrin small poems with a love theme, dedicated to Masha. The lieutenant, of course, reacted in a peculiar way - he criticized the poems, and even expressed his opinion about Masha’s “mores and customs” with dirty hints. As a result, Shvabrin and Grinev fought in a duel, in which Grinev was wounded.
While Masha is caring for a patient after being wounded by Grinev, the relationship between the young people grows stronger, and feelings of sympathy are mutual. They even admitted this to each other, and Grinev had already decided to ask for his father’s consent to the wedding, for which he wrote him a letter. However, the father turned out to be against this marriage, because the Grinevs have three hundred peasants, and the Mironovs are poor - there is only one girl Palashka. The priest’s prohibition is strict, and he even threatens to knock the “stupid” out of Petrusha’s head by transferring him to serve in another place.
Grinev experiences this letter from his father painfully, the environment around him seems dreary and unbearable, he is gloomy, and wants to be alone all the time. Suddenly, everything changes, because events occur that greatly change his life, as Grinev himself notes in his memoirs. You can’t tell everything in the summary of “The Captain’s Daughter,” but we will try to accurately convey the essence of the following events.
In October 1773, the commandant received a notification that the Don Cossack Emelyan Pugachev was impersonating the deceased emperor. Peter III. Having gathered a gang of villains, he caused unrest in the surrounding settlements, destroyed more than one fortress, which is why the commandant must be ready to repel Pugachev’s attack if the impostor shows up.
Pugachev was already on everyone’s lips, and soon they managed to capture one Bashkir man who had “outrageous sheets” with him, but he couldn’t be interrogated because the poor guy’s tongue was torn out. Everyone is waiting for Pugachev to attack the Belogorsk fortress.
Eventually, the rebels show up, but the fortress did not expect to see them so soon. Masha didn’t even have time to leave for Orenburg. The first attack - and the fortress is in the hands of Pugachev. The prisoners must swear allegiance to the impostor, for which they are lined up in the square. Grinev was also captured. First, the commandant is hanged, who refuses the oath, then Vasilisa Yegorovna is killed with a saber. It’s Grinev’s turn, but Pugachev leaves him alive. As it turned out later, there was a reason for mercy - Savelich told Pyotr Andreevich that the same tramp who met them on the way and helped them get out of the snowstorm was Pugachev, and yet Grinev gave him a sheepskin coat and wine.
In the evening, Grinev is received by the “great sovereign.” He reminds Peter of the mercy shown and asks if he is ready to serve him. However, here too Grinev refuses the robber, because his loyalty belongs to the empress. Moreover, Grinev even honestly admits that perhaps he will fight against Pugachev. The impostor is so surprised by the sincerity of the young officer that he decides to let him go home. Grinev goes to Orenburg to ask for help - he really wants to save Masha, who remains in the fortress. Popadya said that this was her niece, so no one touched Masha. But the most unpleasant thing is that now the commandant of the fortress is Shvabrin, who swore an oath to serve the rebel.
Orenburg soon also finds itself surrounded by Pugachev’s troops, a siege begins, and they refuse to help the Belogorsk fortress. Grinev accidentally reads a letter where Masha writes that Shvabrin threatens to tell the whole truth if she does not agree to become his wife. Unsuccessfully, Grinev asks the military commandant to help, but he again refuses him.
Grinev and Savelich have their own plan in mind, so they themselves go to help Masha, but the rebels manage to capture them. Pugachev and Grinev, by chance, come together again, and when the impostor learns the whole essence of the story, he himself becomes determined to free Masha and punish Shvabrin. While the officer and the captor are driving, they have an open conversation. It turns out that Pugachev understands that he is doomed and expects his comrades to betray him. He recalls a Kalmyk tale, from which it follows that it is better for an eagle to drink living blood at once than to be an ordinary scavenger for years. Grinev and Pugachev have different views on the moral side of this issue, because, according to the officer, it is precisely those who live by robbery who peck at carrion. Our portal site does not give ratings, leaving this for the reader to think about, read the summary of “The Captain's Daughter” to the end.
Be that as it may, Masha is freed, Shvabrin tries to show all his cards to Pugachev, but he calmly lets Grinev go, and Pyotr Andreevich decides to send the girl, as his bride, to her parents. The young officer himself remains in service for now in order to fulfill his “duty of honor.”
The military campaign ends, but Grinev is arrested, although at the trial he is calm and confident, because he has many excuses. Here Shvabrin comes forward with false accusations of espionage against Grinev - allegedly Pugachev sent him to Orenburg. The court accepts these arguments and condemns Grinev, who now, disgraced, must go to Siberia.
The role of the savior is Masha, who is determined to ask the queen for mercy, for which she is going to St. Petersburg. In Tsarskoe Selo, when Masha is walking along the paths of the garden, she meets a middle-aged lady. The lady finds out what Masha is doing here and invites her to tell her about everything, which the girl does. It turns out that this lady is the empress herself, she shows mercy to Grinev in the same way as some time ago Pugachev showed mercy to both Masha and Grinev.
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“The Captain's Daughter” is a coming-of-age novel. This is the coming-of-age story of Pyotr Grinev, who transforms from a “green” youth into a responsible man, having gone through harsh life trials. He had a chance to take a direct part in the Pugachev uprising, and all his principles were thoroughly tested. He passed it, maintaining his dignity and remaining faithful to the oath. The narration is conducted in the form of memoirs, and the hero himself sums up his life from the height of his own experience.
Many readers think that “The Captain's Daughter” is just a story, but they are mistaken: a work of such length cannot belong to short prose. But whether it’s a story or a novel is an open question.
The writer himself lived in a time when full-fledged large epic genres classified only those multi-volume works that were comparable in volume to “Anna Karenina,” for example, or “ Noble nest“, so he without a doubt called his creation a story. In Soviet literary criticism this was also considered.
However, the work has all the features of a novel: the action covers a long period of time in the lives of the characters, the book contains many minor characters described in detail and not directly related to the main storyline, throughout the story characters undergoing spiritual evolution. In addition, the author shows all the stages of Grinev’s growing up, which also clearly indicates the genre. That is, we have before us a typical historical novel, since the writer, while working on it, took as a basis facts from the past and the scientific research that he undertook to understand the phenomenon of the peasant war and convey it to descendants in the form of objective knowledge.
But the mysteries don’t end there; we have to decide what kind of direction lies at the origins of the work “The Captain’s Daughter”: realism or romanticism? Pushkin's colleagues, in particular Gogol and Odoevsky, argued that his book more than any other influenced the development of realism in Russia. However, what speaks in favor of romanticism is the fact that historical material is taken as a basis, and the reader’s focus is on the contradictory and tragic figure The rebel Pugachev is exactly the same as a romantic hero. Therefore, both answers will be correct, because after the successful literary discovery of the sun of Russian poetry, Russia was swept by the fashion for prose, and realistic one at that.
History of creation
Pushkin was partly inspired to create The Captain's Daughter by Walter Scott, the master of the historical novel. His works began to be translated, and the Russian public was delighted with the adventurous plots and mysterious immersion in another era. Then the writer was just working on a chronicle of the uprising, scientific work, dedicated to the peasant revolt of Pugachev. He has accumulated a lot of useful material for implementation artistic design reveal to the reader a treasure trove of eventful Russian history.
At first, he planned to describe precisely the betrayal of a Russian nobleman, and not moral feat. The author wanted to focus on the personality of Emelyan Pugachev, and at the same time show the motives of the officer who violated the oath and joined the riot. The prototype would be Mikhail Shvanvich, really existing person, who, out of fear for his fate, was attached to the rebel’s office, and then also testified against him. However, for censorship reasons, the book could hardly be published, so the writer had to step on the throat of his own song and depict a more patriotic plot, especially since he had enough historical examples of valor. And here negative example suitable for creating the image of Shvabrin.
The book was published a month before the author’s death in his own magazine Sovremennik, published on behalf of Grinev. Many noted that the style of narration of that time was conveyed by the writer, so many readers were confused and did not understand who the true creator of the memoirs was. By the way, censorship still took its toll, removing from public access the chapter about the peasant revolt in the Simbirsk province, where Peter himself was from.
Meaning of the name
The work, oddly enough, is not titled in honor of Grinev or Pugachev, so you can’t immediately tell what it’s about. The novel is called "The Captain's Daughter" in honor of Maria Mirova, the main character of the book. Pushkin, thus, pays tribute to the girl’s courage, which no one expected from her. She dared to ask the Empress herself for the traitor! And she begged forgiveness for her savior.
In addition, this story is also called so because Marya was driving force narratives. Out of love for her, the young man always chose a feat. Until she occupied all his thoughts, he was pathetic: he didn’t want to serve, he was losing large amounts playing cards, behaved arrogantly with the servant. As soon as a sincere feeling awakened courage, nobility and boldness in him, the reader did not recognize Petrusha: he turned from an undergrowth into a responsible and brave man, to whom patriotism and awareness of his own self came through strong emotions addressed to a woman.
Historical background
The events in the work took place during the reign of Catherine II. The historical phenomenon in the novel “The Captain's Daughter” is called “Pugachevism” (this phenomenon was studied by Pushkin). This is Emelyan Pugachev’s rebellion against tsarist power. It occurred in the 18th century. The described actions take place in the Belgorod fortress, where the rebel went, gathering strength to storm the capital.
The Peasant War of 1773 - 1775 unfolded in the southeast of the Russian Empire. It was attended by serfs and factory peasants, representatives of national minorities (Kyrgyz, Bashkirs) and Ural Cossacks. All of them were outraged by the predatory policies of the ruling elite and the increasing enslavement common people. People who did not agree with the fate of slaves fled to the outskirts of the country and formed armed gangs for the purpose of robbery. The fugitive “souls” were already outlaws, so there was nothing else left for them. The author reflects on their tragic fate, portraying the leader of the uprising, not devoid of virtue and commendable character traits.
But Catherine the Second demonstrates a tough temper and remarkable cruelty. The Empress, according to historians, was indeed a strong-willed person, but she did not shy away from tyranny and other delights of absolute power. Her policy strengthened the nobility, giving it all sorts of privileges, but the common people were forced to bear the burden of these benefits. The royal court lived in grand style, and not noble people starved, endured violence and humiliation of the slave position, lost, and were sold under the hammer. Naturally, social tension only grew, and Catherine did not take advantage people's love. A foreign woman was involved in a conspiracy and, with the help of the military, overthrew her husband, the legitimate ruler of Russia. Downtrodden and squeezed in the grip of injustice, the serfs believed that the murdered Peter the Third was preparing a decree for their release, and his wife killed him for this. Emelyan Pugachev, a Don Cossack, took advantage of superstition and rumors and declared himself a saved tsar. He fueled the discontent of the armed Cossacks, whose petitions were not listened to, and inspired the peasants, tortured by tyranny and corvée, to revolt.
What is the work about?
We meet Petrusha the underage, who can only “sensibly judge the properties of a greyhound dog.” All his aspirations lie in “dust-free service” in St. Petersburg. However, we see that the father has a huge influence on the young man. He teaches his son to serve the fatherland, cherish family traditions, and not attach much importance to awards. Having received such a strict upbringing, the young man goes to serve. What is told in his “tale of bitter torments” is the plot outline of the work. The fact is that we learn all this from the lips of the venerable old nobleman that Peter became.
There, far from his father's house, the hero goes through a harsh school of life: first he loses at cards and offends a faithful servant, experiencing pangs of conscience. Later, he falls in love with Maria Mironova and risks his life in a duel with Shvabrin, defending the honor of his beloved. The father, having learned about the reason for the fight, refuses to bless the marriage with the dowry. After the capture of the Belogorsk fortress, Peter remains faithful to the oath, and his nobility grants him Pugachev’s leniency: he respects the young man’s choice and does not touch him. The rebel’s decision was influenced by the kindness of the captive: once on the road he gave the Cossack a sheepskin coat and treated him very kindly. The common man appreciated the master's mercy and returned the favor. Pushkin confronts them more than once, and the nobleman is always saved by his straightforwardness and generosity.
His trials did not end there: life presented him with a choice between saving his beloved and serving, and the good name of an officer. Then the hero chooses love and disobeys the boss’s order, freeing his beloved on his own from Shvabrin’s hands. Alexey forced the girl to marry him. Pugachev again shows respect for the daredevil and releases the captive. However, the autocratic government does not forgive free will, and Grinev is arrested. Fortunately, Masha managed to beg clemency from Catherine II. This is what is said in the novel “The Captain's Daughter,” which ended with a happy ending: young people get married with the blessing they received. But now the leader of the uprising is sentenced to quartering.
The main characters and their characteristics
The main characters of the novel are Pyotr Grinev, Maria Mironova, Emelyan Pugachev, Arkhip Savelyev, Alesey Shvabrin and Catherine the Second. The characters are so numerous that their description would take more than one article, so we neglect them.
- - nobleman, officer, main character. He received a strict upbringing in the house of his father, a retired military man. He is only 16 years old, but his parents felt that he was ready for service. He is poorly educated, does not particularly strive for anything and does not in any way resemble an ideal man. Setting out on a journey, the young man bears little resemblance to a soldier: good-natured, gullible, unstable to temptations and not knowledgeable of life. He is spoiled, because at first he loses a significant amount at cards and does not understand why Savelich (his servant) reacts emotionally to this. He does not know the value of money, but he shows arrogance and rudeness towards his devoted servant. However, his innate conscientiousness does not allow him to continue to be carried away by garrison pity. Soon he seriously falls in love with the daughter of the captain of the fortress, and from that moment his growing up begins: he becomes brave, courageous and courageous. For example, in a duel with Shvabrin, the young man fought honestly and bravely, unlike his opponent. Next we see an ardent and passionate lover in his face, and after some time he is ready to risk his life for the sake of honor, refusing to swear allegiance to Pugachev. This act reveals him as a highly moral person who is firm in his convictions. Later, he will show valor more than once while fighting the enemy, but when the fate of his beloved is at stake, he will disregard caution and set out to save her. This reveals the depth of feeling in him. Even in captivity, Peter does not blame the woman and is ready to accept unfair punishment, as long as everything is fine with her. In addition, one cannot help but note the self-criticism and maturity of judgment inherent in Grinev in old age.
- Marya Mironova– daughter of the captain of the fortress, the main character. She is 18 years old. Masha’s appearance is described in detail: “...Then a girl of about eighteen came in, chubby, ruddy, with light brown hair, smoothly combed behind her ears, which were on fire...”. In addition, it is mentioned that she has an “angelic” voice and kind heart. Her family is poor, owns only one serf, so she cannot possibly qualify for marriage with Peter (who has 300 souls). But the young charmer is distinguished by prudence, sensitivity and generosity, because she sincerely worries about the fate of her lover. Naturalness and gullibility make the heroine an easy prey for the wicked Shvabrin, who is trying to gain her favor through meanness. But Marya is careful and not stupid, so she easily recognizes the falseness and depravity in Alexei and avoids him. She is also characterized by loyalty and courage: the girl does not betray her beloved and bravely travels to an unfamiliar city to achieve an audience with the empress herself.
- Pugachev in the novel “The Captain's Daughter” appears before readers in two guises: a brave and noble person who is able to appreciate loyalty and honor, and a cruel tyrant who carries out executions and massacres without restraint. We understand that the rebel’s message is noble, he wants to defend rights ordinary people. However, the way he fights lawlessness does not justify it in any way. Although we sympathize with Pugachev - decisive, brave, intelligent - his cruelty makes us doubt the correctness of his path. In the episode of the first meeting, we see a smart and cunning governor, in a dialogue with Grinev - an unhappy man who knows that he is doomed. The Kalmyk fairy tale told by Pugachev reveals his attitude towards life: he wants to live it freely, albeit fleetingly. It is impossible not to mention him personal qualities: He is a leader, first among equals. They obey him unconditionally, and this corrupts his nature. For example, the scenes of the capture of the fortress demonstrate the cruelty of Pugachev’s power; such despotism is unlikely to lead to freedom (the death of the Mironovs, the kidnapping of Masha, destruction). Idea of the image: Pugachev is naturally endowed with a heightened sense of justice, intelligence and talent, but he does not pass the test of war and unlimited power: the people's choice has become as much a tyrant as the empress against whom he rebelled.
- Catherine II. A sweet woman in a house dress turns into an unyielding ruler when she listens to a request for a state traitor. Masha Mironova, at Catherine’s reception, tries to talk about Peter’s mitigating circumstances, but the Empress does not want to hear reasonable arguments and evidence, she is only interested in her own opinion. She condemned the “traitor” without trial, which is very indicative of an autocratic government. That is, its monarchy is hardly better than Pugachevism.
- Alexey Shvabrin- Officer. Peter and Alexey seem to be similar in their own way social status and age, but circumstances put them on opposite sides of the barricades. After the very first test, Shvabrin, unlike Grinev, commits a moral decline, and the more rapidly the plot develops, the more obvious it is that Alexey is vile and cowardly man who achieves everything in life through cunning and meanness. The peculiarities of his character are revealed during love conflict: He wins Masha's favor through hypocrisy, secretly slandering her and her family. The capture of the fortress finally puts everything in its place: he was ready for betrayal (he found a peasant dress, cut his hair), and Grinev would rather prefer death to breaking the oath. The final disappointment in him comes when the hero tries to force the girl to marry him by force and blackmail.
- Savelich (Arkhip Savelyev)- an elderly servant. He is kind, caring and devoted to the young master. It is his resourcefulness that helps Peter avoid reprisals. Risking his life, the peasant stands up for the master and speaks with Pugachev himself. He is distinguished by thriftiness, a sober lifestyle, stubbornness and a tendency to read notations. He is distrustful, loves to grumble, argue and bargain. Knows the value of money and saves it for the owner.
Pushkin in the novel “The Captain's Daughter” gives detailed description heroes, giving the reader the opportunity to figure out their likes and dislikes for themselves. There is no author's assessment of what is happening in the book, because one of the characters is the memoirist.
Theme of the story
- Themes come to the fore in the work moral choice, decency, dignity. Grinev demonstrates high moral values, and Shvabrin demonstrates their absence, and we see the influence of these circumstances on their destinies. Thus, Pushkin shows that moral superiority always gives a person an advantage, even though he disdains cunning that would lead him to his goal faster. Despite the fact that Alesey used all his resourcefulness, the victory still remained with Peter: Maria remained with him as a good name.
- Honor and dishonor. Each hero faced a choice between honor and dishonor, and everyone made it differently: Maria chose devotion over a profitable marriage (Peter’s father initially did not consent to the marriage, so she risked remaining an old maid, driving Alexei away), Grinev more than once decided in favor of moral duty, even when it came to life and death, but Shvabrin always chose benefit, shame was not scary for him. We examined this question in detail in the essay “”.
- Theme of education. The example of the main character will help you understand what good means family education, that is, what dishonest people lack, and how this affects their lives. Shvabrin's childhood passed us by, but we can say with confidence that he did not receive the most important spiritual foundations on which nobility is built.
- The main themes include love: the union of Peter and Mary is an ideal for loving hearts. Throughout the novel, the hero and heroine defended their right to life together, even against parental will. They were able to prove that they were worthy of each other: Grinev repeatedly stood up for the girl, and she saved him from execution. The theme of love is revealed with the sensitivity characteristic of Pushkin: young people vow to each other eternal devotion, even if fate never brings them together again. And they fulfill their obligations.
- Examples from “The Captain’s Daughter” will be useful for the topics “man and state”, “power and man”. They illustrate the violent nature of power, which cannot but be cruel by definition.
Main problems
- The problem of power. Pushkin discusses which government is better and why: anarchic, spontaneous Pugachevism or Catherine’s monarchy? It is obvious that the peasants chose the first over the second, risking their own lives. The nobles, on the contrary, defended the order that was convenient for them. Social contradictions have divided the united people into two opposing camps, and each, it turns out, has its own truth and its own charter. Historical issues includes questions about the justice of the rebellion, the moral assessment of its leader, the legality of the empress’s actions, etc.
- The problem of man and history. What role do historical events play in the fate of a person? Obviously, the rebellion put Peter in a difficult position: he was forced to test his character to the limit. Surrounded by enemies, he did not change his convictions and risked openly not taking their side. He was threatened with certain death, but he chose honor over life, and retained both. Pugachevism is dark side stories with the help of which Pushkin shaded the fate of the characters. Even the title of the novel “The Captain's Daughter” speaks about this: the author named it after a fictional heroine, and not Pugachev or Catherine.
- The problem of growing up and raising a person. What must a person go through to become an adult? Thanks to Pugachev's rebellion, the young man matured early and became a real warrior, but the price of such an evolution can be called too expensive.
- The problem of moral choice. The work has antagonistic heroes Shvabrin and Grinev, who behave differently. One chooses betrayal for his own good, the other puts honor above personal interests. Why is their behavior so different? What influenced them moral formation? The author comes to the conclusion that the problem of immorality can only be solved individually: if morality is respected in a family, then all its representatives will follow duty, and if not, then the person will not stand the test and will only grovel and cheat, and not take care of honor.
- The problem of honor and duty. The hero sees his destiny in serving the empress, but in reality it turns out that she is not worth much in the eyes of Catherine. And the duty, if you look at it, is very doubtful: while the people were rebelling against tyranny, the army helped to suppress it, and the question of the honor of participating in this violent act is very doubtful.
- One of the main problems of the work “The Captain’s Daughter” is social inequality. It was this that stood between the citizens of one country and directed them at each other. Pugachev rebelled against him and, seeing Grinev’s friendly gesture, spared him: he didn’t hate the nobles, but their arrogance towards the people who fed the entire state.
The meaning of the work
Any power is hostile towards to the common man, be it the imperial crown or military leaders. It always involves the suppression of the individual and a harsh regime that is contrary to human nature. “God forbid we see a Russian rebellion, senseless and merciless,” sums up Pushkin. This is the main idea of the work. Therefore, serving the fatherland and the tsar are not the same thing. Grinev honestly fulfilled his duty, but he could not leave his beloved in the hands of a scoundrel, and his essentially heroic actions were regarded by the empress as betrayal. If Peter had not done this, he would have already served, become a weak-willed slave of a system to which human life is alien. Therefore, mere mortals, who are not given the opportunity to change the course of history, must maneuver between orders and their own moral principles, otherwise the mistake will be too costly.
Beliefs determine a person’s actions: Grinev was raised as a decent nobleman and behaved accordingly, but Shvabrin did not pass the test, his life values were limited to the desire to remain a winner at any cost. This is also Pushkin’s idea - to show how to preserve honor if temptations are frolicking on all sides. According to the author, it is necessary from childhood to instill in boys and girls an understanding of morality and true nobility, expressed not in the panache of a dress, but in worthy behavior.
A person’s growing up is inevitably associated with trials that determine his moral maturity. There is no need to be afraid of them; they must be overcome with courage and dignity. This is also the main idea of the novel “The Captain's Daughter”. If Peter had remained an “expert in greyhound cables” and an official in St. Petersburg, then his life would have turned out ordinary and, most likely, he would never have understood anything about it. But the adventures that his stern father pushed him on quickly raised the young man to be a man who understood military affairs, love and the people around him.
What does it teach?
The novel has a pronounced edifying tone. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin calls on people to take care of their honor from a young age and not to succumb to temptations to turn from an honest path onto a crooked path. A minute advantage is not worth the loss of a good name, this statement is illustrated love triangle, where the main character chooses the worthy and virtuous Peter, rather than the cunning and inventive Alexei. One sin inevitably leads to another, and a series of falls ends in complete collapse.
Also in “The Captain's Daughter” there is a message to love faithfully and not give up on your dreams, no matter what happens. Marya is a homeless woman, and any marriage proposal should have been in her case great luck. However, she rejects Alexei over and over again, although she risks being left with nothing. Peter was denied an engagement, and he would hardly have gone against his parents' blessing. But the girl rejected all rational arguments and remained faithful to Grinev, even when there was no reason for hope. Her lover was the same. For their constancy, both heroes were rewarded by fate.
Criticism
V. F. Odoevsky in a letter to Pushkin expressed his admiration for the story, he especially liked Savelich and Pugachev - they were “masterfully drawn.” However, he considered the image of Shvabrin unviable: he was not passionate and stupid enough to take the side of the rebels and believe in their success. In addition, he demanded marriage from the girl, although he could have used her at any moment, since she was only a captive: “Masha has been in his power for so long, but he does not take advantage of these minutes.”
P. A. Katerinin calls the historical novel “natural, alluring and intelligent,” noting its similarities with “Eugene Onegin.”
V. A. Sollogub highly valued the restraint and logic of the narrative, rejoicing that Pushkin “overcame himself” and did not indulge in lengthy descriptions and “impulses.” He spoke about the style of the work as follows: “calmly distributed all parts of his story in due proportion, established his style with the dignity, calm and laconicism of history and conveyed the historical episode in a simple but harmonious language.” The critic believes that the writer has never been so elevated in the value of his books.
N.V. Gogol said that “The Captain’s Daughter” is much better than anything that was previously published in the world of prose. He said that reality itself seems like a caricature compared to what the writer depicted.
V. G. Belinsky was more restrained in his praise and singled out only minor characters, whose description is “a miracle of perfection.” The main characters did not make any impression on him: “The insignificant, colorless character of the hero of the story and his beloved Marya Ivanovna and the melodramatic character of Shvabrin, although they belong to the sharp shortcomings of the story, do not prevent it from being one of the remarkable works of Russian literature.” P.I. Tchaikovsky also spoke out about the spinelessness of Masha Mironova, who refused to write an opera based on this novel.
A. M. Skabichevsky also analyzed the work, speaking about the book with unwavering respect: “... you see historical impartiality, the complete absence of any patriotic praise and sober realism ... in Pushkin’s “The Captain's Daughter.” He, unlike Bellinsky, praised the image of the main character and noted his exceptional truthfulness and typical features for the era depicted.
Conflicting characteristics were given by critic N.N. Strakhov and historian V.O. Klyuchevsky. The first criticized Pushkin for the fact that he historical story has nothing to do with history, but is a chronicle of the fictional Grinev family. The second, on the contrary, spoke about the exceptional historicism of the book and that even in the author’s research less is said about Pugachevism than in a historical work.
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The most famous brainchild of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, "The Captain's Daughter", was completed in 1836. Then he was assigned the genre of historical novel. But few people know that before writing such a great work, there was a long preparation ahead, which required patience and multiple efforts.
In connection with the work on the story, Pushkin had a very bold thought. He takes on the mission to write a historical research article on the topic of Pugachev's uprising. Having barely received the long-awaited permission, the writer deeply and for a very long time studies archival materials, trying not to lose sight of anything. To consolidate what he started, he also goes to the place where there once was an uprising. Long conversations with eyewitnesses and walks around the neighborhood are bearing fruit. Already in 1834, he finally managed to put an end to it and show the world his wonderful result. It was this long and painstaking work that became one of the main factors in writing The Captain's Daughter.
But as you know, the initial idea for the plot arose from Alexander Sergeevich before he began to study “The History of Pugachev.” This happens during the period when he was still working on Dubrovsky. Work on the story continues for several years. As the process progresses, both the names of the characters and the idea as a whole change. If initially the writer imagined a businesslike officer as the main character, then after a while the vision of such a turn of events did not seem the most successful to Pushkin.
To give the effect of realism to his characters, the author carefully studied numerous historical materials about Pugachev’s accomplices. It is not surprising that the heroes have prototypes that previously existed. The way the author’s train of thought rapidly changes indicates to us a difficult period in his life. Confrontation between two classes political sphere have a very negative impact on a person’s state of mind. At such moments it is very difficult to tune in to inspiration, but also to find it. But even the turbulent situation in the country did not bother the great writer. Skillful techniques by contrasting one character with another help the work successfully pass all stages of censorship testing. The talent and effort that the writer so diligently put into the process itself were appreciated.
Option 2
The idea for this work came to Alexander Sergeevich at the beginning of 1833. At that time, he was still working on “Dubrovsky” and the historical essay “The History of Pugachev.” To better understand what was happening during the uprising, Pushkin travels through the Urals and the Volga region. There he spends a lot of time talking with eyewitnesses of those events. And it was thanks to this evidence that he was able to reproduce this historical event in more detail in his works.
Nowadays, there are 5 editions of The Captain's Daughter. From this we can conclude that the writer worked very carefully on the novel and tried to ensure that his work met the strict requirements imposed by the censorship of those times.
Unfortunately, the first version of the novel, presumably written at the end of the summer of 1833, has not survived. Work on it did not stop for the next three years. It is generally accepted that the work was completely completed on October 19, 1836.
A little about the characters. There is an opinion that the prototype of the main character could be several real-life personalities at the same time. Among them are Shvanvich and Vasharin. After all, the author conceived him as a young man noble family, who, under the pressure of circumstances, would side with the rebels. And the first one actually went over to the rebels. While Vasharin, after escaping from Pugachev’s captivity, joined General Mikhelson, an ardent fighter with Pugachevism. The main character first received the surname Bulanin, and then was renamed Grinev. The choice of surname also carries meaning. It is known that such a person actually belonged to the gang. After the riot he was acquitted.
Pushkin came up with a very interesting literary move - to divide the originally conceived image between two characters. As a result, one hero (Grinev) is one hundred percent positive, and the second (Shvabrin) is his complete opposite - petty and evil. Despite the fact that both young men belong to the same social class, the author contrasts them with each other. This is what gave the work a certain political urgency and helped overcome the censorship restrictions of those years.
An interesting fact is that Alexander Sergeevich had to cut out an entire chapter from latest edition novel. Most likely, he took this step to please the censors. After all, in that chapter we were talking about the uprising in the settlement of Grinev. Fortunately, this part of “The Captain’s Daughter” was not lost; the poet carefully put the pages in a separate cover, wrote “Missed Chapter” on it and kept them in that form. It was published after the writer’s death on the pages of the Russian Archive magazine in 1880.
The work itself was first published on the pages of the Sovremennik magazine in 1836 in the fourth book. This issue of the publication was the last one published during Pushkin’s lifetime. According to censorship requirements, the work had to be published omitting some passages and without the writer’s signature.
Option 3
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin became known in Russian culture not only as a poet, but also as a magnificent prose writer, famous for his prose works. One of them is the work "The Captain's Daughter", which also contains a detailed historical aspect.
As soon as Pushkin takes up his pen, he first of all studies the available historical sources and archives, he carefully collects various information, and also visits two provinces, from which Pugachev’s uprising began, which later became a real peasant or even civil war. The author personally visits all the places and battlefields in order to accurately and reliably describe what is happening. He examines the fortresses, makes sketches and saves them in a single archive in order to use them when writing his own work.
He also communicates with elderly people who were eyewitnesses to the events taking place. He carefully collects all the collected information, which he then uses in the story; he does this quite professionally and scrupulously. Collected material was quite multifaceted and allowed to display different aspects personalities who develop against the background of what is happening.
The events of the work begin in 1770, namely when a brutal confrontation broke out under the leadership of Pugachev, who decided to take power in own hands and change the course of historical events. The author accurately describes the externally and internally of the steppe fortresses, which are built in order to protect the region from enemy attacks. He clearly describes the situation of the Cossacks, who are constantly dissatisfied with the authorities, which leads to the maturation of a rebellious spirit. One day he boils. And the real uprising begins.
The author describes with historical accuracy how the fortresses will be taken and how they will surrender during a fierce battle. The story about reality also becomes part of the story. existing people. It reveals their personalities, shows what motives drove them during the struggle against the existing state system, why did they go over to Pugachev’s side? What motivated them? They wanted better life for themselves and their loved ones, so they fought with all their might for happiness and the opportunity to live fully.
Pushkin Special attention draws attention to the appearance and portrait of Pugachev, who is a fugitive Don Cossack. He is ready to gather a large number of rebels around him. The author shows that a man is ready to charm people with his external charisma and fight for people’s attention so that they will follow him. His authoritarian character and desire to promote his own idea do their job.
Thanks to the author's ingenious approach, he was able to subtly interweave a real historical narrative with a fictional story. Not every author approached writing works that became cultural property with such precision and clarity the whole country, as well as world culture. "Captain's daughter" - historical work worthy of attention.
Prototypes of the heroes of the Captain's Daughter:
Peter Grinev. He constantly strives for self-improvement and tries to improve himself by any means. Despite the lack of a systematic approach to education, his parents gave him excellent moral education. As soon as he breaks free, he cannot control himself, he is rude to the servant, but then his conscience forces him to apologize. He was taught to be friends, to show best feelings and qualities, but at the same time, his father’s systematism forces him to constantly work and think only about his own interests.
Alexey Shvabrin. The main character is the direct opposite of Peter. He can show neither courage nor nobility. He even goes to serve Pugachev, because in this way he can satisfy his base motives. The author himself feels a certain contempt for him, which the reader sees between the lines.
Masha Mironova. Maria Mironova is the only girl and character who exactly follows the phrase “take care of your honor from a young age.” She is the boss's daughter Belgorod fortress. Her courage and courage help her to be a brave girl, ready to fight for her own feelings and go to the empress if necessary. She is ready to give even her life in order to achieve her goal or preserve her best qualities for further struggle.
One surprising feature of the hero prototypes is that the personalities of Peter and Alexei are taken from the personality of one person. Shvanvich became the prototype for both. But at the same time, they are completely different heroes. Initially, the author conceived him as a hero who, for the sake of the title of nobleman, became Pugachev’s henchman on a voluntary basis.
But after a series of studies, Pushkin fixes his gaze on another historical figure - Basharin. Basharin was captured by Pugachev. He became the main prototype of the main character, brave and courageous, capable of fighting for his own worldviews and promoting them to the masses. The surname of the main character changed periodically, and the final version was Grinev.
Shvabrin simply becomes the opposite of the main character. The author contrasts each of his positive quality to each negative quality of Shvabrin. Thus, it constitutes yin and yang, against the background of which readers were able to evaluate from the outside and generally compare. Thus, the reader understands who is truly good and who is the embodiment of evil. But is evil always such? Or is it such only against the backdrop of good? And what can be considered good? And can the actions of Shvabrin and Srinev always be divided into black and white, or can actions never be classified into one category or another, and can only be assessed in comparison with the morality of another person nearby.
Masha Mironova is a mystery to the reader. Pushkin does not fully reveal where he got the image of a girl who is pleasant in appearance, but at the same time strong and courageous, ready to fight for her principles. On the one hand, some say that the prototype of her character is a Georgian guy who was captured.
He showed all the courage of character and dedication to get out of the situation in which he found himself. On the other hand, he talks about a girl he met at a ball. She was a rather modest and pleasant person; her appearance captivated the people around her, as did her charm.
Prototypes of heroes, Interesting Facts(writing history)
Several interesting essays
- Queen in the fairy tale 12 months of Marshak essay
One of the bright secondary characters of the fairy-tale play for young viewers is the Queen, presented by the writer in the form of a fourteen-year-old girl with an eccentric character.
- What are family relationships based on? composition
As I wrote famous classic, every family is unhappy in its own special way. If we develop this idea, then it is likely that relationships in families are to some extent built on unhappiness or unsettled existence.
- Essay Peter 1 and Charles 12 in the poem Poltava by Pushkin, grade 7
The work “Poltava” was written by Pushkin in the genre verse poem. Pushkin called it that, thereby indicating the feat of not just one person, but the feat of the entire Russian people
- What is “escapism”? Final essay
As a rule, escape from reality always begins with a feeling of lack, a feeling of lack of completeness, integrity. It is this emptiness that ensures the development, the growth of what is already present in us...
IN modern world Few people can imagine their life without a computer or the Internet. We are used to having 24/7 access to the Internet and being able to get an answer to our question at any time, but this was not always the case.
“The Captain's Daughter” is a historical novel (in some sources - a story) written by A.S. Pushkin. The author tells us about the origin and development of a great and strong feeling between a young noble officer and the daughter of the commandant of the fortress. All this happens against the backdrop of the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev and creates additional obstacles and threats to life for the lovers. The novel is written in the form of memoirs. This interweaving of historical and family chronicles gives it additional charm and charm, and also makes you believe in the reality of everything that is happening.
History of creation
In the mid-1830s, translated novels were gaining popularity in Russia. Society ladies were engrossed in Walter Scott. Domestic writers, and among them Alexander Sergeevich, could not stand aside and responded own works, among which were “The Captain’s Daughter”.
Researchers of Pushkin's creativity claim that he first worked on historical chronicles oh, wanting to tell readers about the course of the Pugachev rebellion. Approaching the matter responsibly and wanting to be truthful, the author met with direct participants in those events, leaving for the Southern Urals specifically for this purpose.
Pushkin doubted for a long time who to make the main character of his work. First, he settled on Mikhail Shvanvich, an officer who went over to Pugachev’s side during the uprising. What made Alexander Sergeevich abandon such a plan is unknown, but as a result he turned to the format of memoirs, and placed a noble officer at the center of the novel. At the same time, the main character had every chance to go over to Pugachev’s side, but his duty to the Fatherland turned out to be higher. Shvanvich turned from a positive character into a negative Shvabrin.
For the first time the novel appeared before the audience in the Sovremennik magazine in latest issue 1836, and Pushkin’s authorship was not mentioned there. It was said that these notes belong to the pen of the late Pyotr Grinev. However, for censorship reasons, this novel did not publish an article about the peasant revolt on Grinev’s own estate. The lack of authorship resulted in the absence of any printed reviews, but many noted the “universal effect” that The Captain’s Daughter had on those who read the novel. One month after publication real author Roman died in a duel.
Analysis
Description of the work
The work is written in the form of memoirs - landowner Pyotr Grinev talks about the times of his youth, when his father ordered him to be sent to serve in the army (although under the supervision of Uncle Savelich). On the way, they have one meeting that radically influenced their future fate and the fate of Russia - Pyotr Grinev meets Emelyan Pugachev.
Having reached the destination (and it turned out to be Belogorsk fortress), Grinev immediately falls in love with the commandant's daughter. However, he has a rival - officer Shvabrin. A duel occurs between the young people, as a result of which Grinev is wounded. His father, having learned about this, does not give his consent to marry the girl.
All this happens against the backdrop of the developing Pugachev rebellion. When it comes to the fortress, Pugachev’s accomplices first take the lives of Masha’s parents, after which they invite Shvabrin and Grinev to swear allegiance to Emelyan. Shvabrin agrees, but Grinev, for reasons of honor, does not. His life is saved by Savelich, who reminds Pugachev of their chance meeting.
Grinev fights against Pugachev, but this does not prevent him from calling the latter as an ally to save Masha, who turned out to be Shvabrin’s hostage. Following a denunciation from a rival, Grinev ends up in prison, and now Masha is doing everything to save him. A chance meeting with the empress helps the girl achieve the release of her lover. To the delight of all the ladies, the matter ends with the wedding of the newlyweds in parental home Grineva.
As already mentioned, the background for love story served as a great historical event - the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev.
Main characters
There are several main characters in the novel. Among them:
Emelyan Pugachev
Pugachev is, according to many critics, the most striking main figure in the work due to his coloring. Marina Tsvetaeva once argued that Pugachev overshadows the colorless and faded Grinev. In Pushkin, Pugachev looks like such a charming villain.
Pyotr Grinev, who at the time of the story had just turned 17 years old. According to literary critic Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky, this character was needed for an impartial assessment of the behavior of another character - Emelyan Pugachev.
Alexey Shvabrin is a young officer serving in the fortress. A freethinker, smart and educated (the story mentions that he knows French and understands literature). Literary critic Dmitry Mirsky called Shvabrin a “purely romantic scoundrel” because of his betrayal of the oath and defection to the side of the rebels. However, since the image is not written deeply, it is difficult to say about the reasons that prompted him to such an act. Obviously, Pushkin’s sympathies were not on Shvabrin’s side.
At the time of the story, Maria had just turned 18 years old. A real Russian beauty, at the same time simple and sweet. Capable of action - in order to save her beloved, she goes to the capital to meet with the empress. According to Vyazemsky, she decorates the novel in the same way as Tatyana Larina decorated “Eugene Onegin”. But Tchaikovsky, who at one time wanted to stage an opera based on this work, complained that it did not have enough character, but only kindness and honesty. Marina Tsvetaeva shared the same opinion.
From the age of five he was assigned to Grinev as an uncle, the Russian equivalent of a tutor. The only one who communicates with a 17-year-old officer like a small child. Pushkin calls him a “faithful serf,” but Savelich allows himself to express uncomfortable thoughts to both the master and his ward.
Analysis of the work
Colleagues of Alexander Sergeevich, to whom he personally read the novel, made small comments regarding non-compliance historical facts, while generally speaking positively about the novel. Prince V.F. Odoevsky, for example, noted that images of Savelich and Pugachev are written carefully and thought out to the smallest detail, but the image of Shvabrin is not finalized, and therefore it will be difficult for readers to understand the motives for his transition.
Literary critic Nikolai Strakhov noted that this combination of family (partially love) and historical chronicles is characteristic of the works of Walter Scott, the response to whose popularity among the Russian nobility, in fact, was Pushkin’s work.
Another Russian literary critic, Dmitry Mirsky, highly praised The Captain's Daughter, emphasizing the manner of narration - concise, precise, economical, yet spacious and leisurely. His opinion was that this work played one of the main roles in the development of the genre of realism in Russian literature.
The Russian writer and publisher Nikolai Grech, several years after the publication of the work, admired how the author managed to express the character and tone of the time about which he narrates. The story turned out to be so realistic that one could really think that the author was an eyewitness to these events. Fyodor Dostoevsky and Nikolai Gogol also periodically left rave reviews about this work.
conclusions
According to Dmitry Mirsky, “The Captain's Daughter” can be considered the only full-length novel written by Alexander Sergeevich and published during his lifetime. Let us agree with the critic - the novel contains everything to be successful: a romantic line that ends in marriage is a delight for beautiful ladies; a historical line that tells about such a complex and contradictory historical event as the Pugachev uprising will be more interesting to men; clearly defined main characters and set guidelines regarding the place of honor and dignity in the life of an officer. All this explains the popularity of the novel in the past and makes our contemporaries read it today.
