Humanity is one of the most important and at the same time complex concepts. It is impossible to give it an unambiguous definition, because it manifests itself in a variety of human qualities. This is the desire for justice, honesty, and respect. Someone who can be called humane is capable of caring for others, helping and patronizing. He can see the good in people and emphasize their main advantages. All this can be confidently attributed to the main manifestations of this quality.
What is humanity?
There are a large number of examples of humanity from life. These are the heroic actions of people in wartime, and very insignificant, seemingly insignificant actions in everyday life. Humanity and kindness are manifestations of compassion for one's neighbor. Motherhood is also synonymous with this quality. After all, every mother actually sacrifices the most precious thing she has - her own life - as a sacrifice to her baby. The brutal cruelty of the fascists can be called a quality opposite to humanity. A person only has the right to be called a person if he is capable of doing good.
Dog rescue
An example of humanity from life is the act of a man who saved a dog in the subway. Once upon a time, a stray dog found itself in the lobby of the Kurskaya station of the Moscow metro. She ran along the platform. Maybe she was looking for someone, or maybe she was just chasing a departing train. But it so happened that the animal fell on the rails.
There were many passengers at the station then. People were scared - after all, there was less than a minute left before the next train arrived. The situation was saved by a brave police officer. He jumped onto the tracks, picked up the unlucky dog under his paws and carried him to the station. This story is a good example of humanity from life.
Action of a teenager from New York
This quality is not complete without compassion and goodwill. There is a lot of evil in real life these days and people need to show each other compassion. An indicative example from life on the topic of humanity is the action of a 13-year-old New Yorker named Nach Elpstein. For his bar mitzvah (or coming of age in Judaism), he received a gift of 300 thousand shekels. The boy decided to donate all this money to Israeli children. It's not every day that you hear about such an act, which is a true example of humanity from life. The amount went towards the construction of a new generation bus for the work of young scientists on the periphery of Israel. This vehicle is a mobile classroom that will help young students become real scientists in the future.
An example of humanity from life: donation
There is no nobler act than giving your blood to someone else. This is real charity, and everyone who takes this step can be called a real citizen and a person with a capital “P.” Donors are strong-willed people who have a kind heart. An example of the manifestation of humanity in life is Australian resident James Harrison. He donates blood plasma almost every week. For a very long time he was awarded a unique nickname - “The Man with the Golden Arm”. After all, blood was taken from Harrison's right hand more than a thousand times. And in all the years that he has been donating, Harrison has managed to save more than 2 million people.
In his youth, the hero donor underwent a complex operation, as a result of which he had to have his lung removed. His life was saved only thanks to donors who donated 6.5 liters of blood. Harrison never knew the saviors, but decided that he would donate blood for the rest of his life. After talking with doctors, James learned that his blood type was unusual and could be used to save the lives of newborn babies. His blood contained very rare antibodies that can solve the problem of incompatibility of the Rh factor of the mother’s blood and the embryo. Because Harrison donated blood every week, doctors were able to constantly produce new batches of the vaccine for such cases.
An example of humanity from life, from literature: Professor Preobrazhensky
One of the most striking literary examples of possessing this quality is Professor Preobrazhensky from Bulgakov’s work “The Heart of a Dog.” He dared to challenge the forces of nature and turn a street dog into a man. His attempts failed. However, Preobrazhensky feels responsible for his actions, and tries with all his might to turn Sharikov into a worthy member of society. This shows the highest qualities of the professor, his humanity.
Source: fb.ruCurrent
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
1. "The Tale of Igor's Campaign."
Prince Igor, his brother Vsevolod, Yaroslavna, the Kiev prince Svyatoslav and his “golden word” about the need to unite the Russian principalities for protection against external enemies.
Issues: the valor and courage of Russian soldiers, the defense of their land, the tragic consequences of civil strife between Russian princes, loyalty, tenderness of Russian women, the predetermination of events (an eclipse of the sun), the help of nature to the Russian people.
2. Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov
Ode "On the day of Elizabeth Petrovna's accession to the throne", 1747
Issues: science, comprehension of the secrets of nature by the mind, human ability to creatively transform the world.
3. Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin
"To Rulers and Judges"
Issues: satirical denunciation of vicious nobles, creation of an image of a worthy citizen, affirmation of the ideal of a wise, enlightened ruler.
4. Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin
"Undergrown"
Mrs. Prostakova, her husband, son Mitrofan, brother Skotinin, teachers, nurse, tailor Trishka, Sophia, Milon, Starodum, Pravdin.
Issues: serfdom, the confrontation between progressive-minded nobles and reactionary serf-owning nobles, the upbringing and education of children, service to their Fatherland, ignorance, inhumanity, the ability to commit a vile, dishonorable act, the wisdom and justice of the ruler.
5. Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov
Comedy "Woe from Wit"
Famusov, Chatsky, Sofya, Molchalin, Skalozub, Lisa, Gorichi, Tugoukhovsky, Khryumin, Khlestova, Zagoretsky, Repetilov.
Issues : the struggle of the new with the old, the opposition of freedom-loving, progressive-minded nobles to the reactionary camp of the serf-owners, the attitude towards serfdom, careerism, admiration for public opinion, the assessment of personality depending on wealth, rank, position in society, adherence to external forms of life, despite their content, careerism, pettiness of interests, spiritual emptiness, the ideal of an idle life, attitude towards upbringing, education of youth, the meaning of life, a person’s moral choice.
6. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin
Novel "Eugene Onegin"
Onegin, Tatyana Larina, Lensky, Olga
Issues: upbringing, education of a person, social environment as the basis for the formation of character, the paths of the enlightened advanced noble intelligentsia, the contrast between the romantic and realistic perception of life, the external and internal beauty of a person, the depth, strength and sincerity of feelings, the idle life and spiritual emptiness of representatives of the local nobility, as well as the Moscow nobility, attitude to secular prejudices, human life and death, choice between love and duty, Russian national character..
"Belkin's Tales"
"The young lady-peasant" - Liza Muromskaya, Alexey Berestov, their fathers.
Issues: relationships between fathers and children, the love of heroes despite imaginary social barriers, deception ending in happiness.
"Station Warden" - Samson Vyrin, daughter of Dunya, hussar.
Issues: relationships between fathers and children, social inequality, the fate of the “little man,” repentance, forgiveness.
"Dubrovsky"
Andrei Gavrilovich Dubrovsky, son Vladimir, Kirilla Petrovich Troekurov, daughter Masha, Prince Vereisky.
Issues: peasant uprising, intra-estate conflict, arbitrariness of landowners, bureaucratic abuses of local authorities, love of a “noble” avenger robber.
"Queen of Spades"
Officer Hermann, old countess, pupil of Lizaveta Ivanovna.
Issues: an insatiable thirst for money, profit, enrichment as a desire for personal independence and power, the penetration of monetary relations into all spheres of social life, exposure of cruel, predatory egoism and extraordinary ambition.
"The Bronze Horseman"
Poor official Evgeny, St. Petersburg flood, monument to Peter I.
Issues: the tragedy of the relationship between state power and the “little man”, the ruthlessness of the elements, St. Petersburg as a “man-made” monument to Peter I, “Idol on a bronze horse” as the embodiment of inhuman power, punishing even timid protest.
"The Captain's Daughter"
Pyotr Grinev, Pugachev, captain Mironov, Masha, Shvabrin.
Issues: the Mironov and Grinev families as the embodiment of honesty, directness, simplicity in everyday life, self-esteem
“Take care of your dress again, and honor from your youth,” the contrast of the old “indigenous” nobility (Grinevs) with the “new nobility” (Shvabrin), national character traits in the image of Savelich, loyalty, devotion, love, mercy, forgiveness, causes, consequences of the people’s war under leadership of Pugachev.
7. Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov
"Song about Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, the young guardsman and the daring merchant Kalashnikov"
Tsar Ivan the Terrible, oprichnik Kiribeevich, Kalashnikov, Alena Dmitrievna.
Issues : conflict between justice, mother truth (Kalashnikov) and selfishness, unbridled passions (Kiribeevich), protection of honor, law, human dignity in conditions of autocratic power.
Poem "Mtsyri"
Issues : protest against the stuffy bondage that enslaves a person, poeticization of the struggle, a call for freedom, affirmation of love for the homeland and heroic service to it, a passionate thirst for life.
Novel "Hero of Our Time"
Pechorin, Maxim Maksimych, Bela, Kazbich, undine, Yanko, blind boy, old woman, Grushnitsky, Princess Mary, dragoon captain, Werner, Vulich.
Issues : hero and society, “an extra person”, “a portrait, but not of one person, but a portrait made up of the vices of an entire generation”, tragic attitude and philosophical quest of the individual, awareness of one’s place in the world, active or passive life position, successful or unsuccessful attempts to realize one's desires and talents, problems of being - death, good - evil, choosing the purpose of life, a person's attitude towards people around him, love and friendship, meanness and betrayal, a person's responsibility for his actions..
8. Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol
Collection "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka"
Issues : the beauty of the spiritual essence of the people, characters, spiritual properties, moral rules, morals, customs, way of life, beliefs of the Ukrainian peasantry, the victory of good over evil, generosity over greed, humanism over selfishness, courage over cowardice, energy over laziness and idleness, nobility over baseness and meanness, inspired by love over rough sensuality; the power of money is destructive, happiness is achieved not by crime, but by goodness, human, earthly forces defeat the devil, violation of natural, folk and moral laws, betrayal of the homeland deserves the heaviest punishment.
The story "Taras Bulba"
Taras, Ostap, Andriy, Zaporozhye Sich
Issues : the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people for their national liberation, the freedom-loving character of the Cossacks, the establishment of the democratic foundations of the Zaporozhye Sich, its glorification, feelings of camaraderie and collectivism, the desire of the Cossacks for will and freedom, their devotion to the fatherland, the moral choice of a person between duty and love.
The story "The Overcoat"
Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin, Significant person
Issues: the life of a “little man”, spiritual and physical suppression, crushing of the human personality in an antagonistic society.
Comedy "The Inspector General"
The mayor, his wife, daughter, judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin, trustee of charitable institutions Zemlyanika, superintendent of schools Khlopov, postmaster, Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov.
Issues : the social essence, morals and life of the nobility, shown in the conditions of a county town: abuses of officials (bribery, embezzlement, gross tyranny), the idle life of landowners, oppression of merchants by the authorities and their own deception of buyers, the hard life of the townspeople, denunciation of idlers, gossips, liars, the comic nature of the love affair.
Poem "Dead Souls"
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, landowners Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich, Plyushkin, officials governor, prosecutor. Chairman of the chamber, chief of police, clerk of the office Ivan Antonovich Kuvshinnoe Rylo, “a pleasant lady” and “a pleasant lady in all respects.”
9. Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky
Drama "Thunderstorm"
Kabanova (Kabanikha), Tikhon, Katerina, Varvara, Boris, Dikoy, Kuligin, Kudryash.
Issues : contradictions between old social and everyday principles and progressive aspirations for equality, for the freedom of the human person, a world of tyranny based on family and property tyranny, wild tyranny and despotism, denunciation of the deadening conditions of the “dark kingdom”, awakening of an original, integral personality, moral purity , the spiritual beauty of a Russian woman.
Drama "Dowry"
Larisa Ogudalova, Paratov, Knurov, Vozhevatov
Issues : assertion of the power of a heartless purist, turning a poor person, dependent on him, into an object of purchase and sale, into a thing, and a possessor into one obsessed with an insatiable thirst for profit, enrichment, the tragedy of an exalted, spiritualized soul in a world of acquisitiveness and cold selfishness.
10. Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
Novel "Fathers and Sons"
Evgeny Bazarov, Pavel Petrovich, Nikolai Petrovich and Arkady Kirsanov, Odintsova and Katya, Sitnikov and Kukshina, Bazarov’s parents
Issues : relationships between “fathers” and “children”, disputes about the attitude towards cultural heritage, about art and science, about the system of human behavior, about moral principles, about education, public duty, the question of the fate of Russia, the Russian people, about the ways of its further development , the danger of a nihilistic attitude towards life, the progressiveness of scientific thinking, the desire for practical activity, etc.
11. Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov
Roman "Oblomov"
Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, Andrey Stolts, Olga Ilyinskaya
Issues : social inertia and inertia, apathy and lack of will as a result of the influence of landowner life, the extinction of the best qualities of character in a person: a lively mind, kindness, truthfulness, meekness, a tendency to introspection, true friendship and love, true happiness, equality of women, narrowness of practicality, aspiration to active happiness.
12. Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov. Lyrics
Issues: the homeland and the Russian people, the spiritual world of the peasant, his needs, aspirations, the share of the Russian woman, the height of her moral principles, spiritual simplicity, talent, the purpose of the poet and poetry, citizenship, national creativity, denunciation of those in power, the shame of serfdom,
the ideal of a public figure, faith in the mighty forces of the people..
13. Nikolai Semenovich Leskov
"The Enchanted Wanderer"
Ivan Severyanich Flyagin, prince, Grusha.
Issues : rebellious spirit, tirelessness in the search for truth, unique features of the Russian national character, wandering as an element of Russian self-awareness, faith in the mighty forces of the people.
14. Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin
"The Story of a City", "Fairy Tales"
Issues : a generalization of the vicious essence of representatives of state power, the imperfection of the system of monarchical rule, the ulcers of public life, a gallery of moral monsters (Intercept-Zalikhvatsky ": rode into the city on a white horse, burned the gymnasium, abolished the sciences", Major Pyshch - the owner of a stuffed head, campaigner Brudasty with “organ” instead of a head, playing only two phrases: “I’ll ruin you!” and “I won’t tolerate it!”).
15. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
Novel "Crime and Punishment"
Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, his mother, sister Dunya, old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna, her sister Lizaveta, Razumikhin, Luzhin, Marmeladov, Sonya, Katerina Ivanovna, Polenka, Porfiry Petrovich, Svidrigailov, Mikolka.
Issues: individualistic rebellion against the order of the surrounding life, the life of the “humiliated and insulted”, social injustice, hopelessness, the desire to become “superior”, “the mighty of this world”, to whom “everything is permitted”, pangs of conscience as punishment for a crime, the failure of the “Napoleonic theory”, suffering, mercy, faith in God as the main values, striving for goodness and humanity..
16. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy
Epic novel "War and Peace"
Rostovs: Natasha, Nikolai, Petya, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, Princess Marya, Pierre Bezukhov, Helen, Anatole, Vasily Kuragin, Kutuzov, Napoleon, Alexander I, Boris Drubetskoy, Anna Pavlovna Sherer, Lisa Bolkonskaya, Berg, Dolokhov, Vasily Denisov, captain Tushin, captain Timokhin, Tikhon Shcherbaty, merchant Ferapontov, Platon Karataev and others.
Issues: the image of war in hard work, blood, suffering, death, the justice of the Patriotic War of 1812, the Russian people as a single, indivisible whole, the readiness of the Russian people to defend their Motherland, the people’s love for their Fatherland, the contribution to the victory of the “club of the people’s war” - the partisan movement, the heroism of the participants in the Battle of Borodino, the unity of the Russian army, the feeling of "soldier's brotherhood", the moral victory of Russian soldiers, the spirit of the army as the main engine of war, the role of the people's commander Kutuzov in the incredibly difficult victory of the Russian army over a treacherous and strong enemy, the unity of different layers population in the face of a common danger, moral criteria for events in the private and historical life of society (goodness, selflessness, spiritual clarity, simplicity, spiritual connection with the people), Kutuzov and Napoleon as the psychological and moral-philosophical poles of the novel, love, work, beauty as the foundations of the family , the true beauty of a person, the ability to “love life in its countless, never-exhaustible manifestations”, moral categories: selflessness, fidelity to duty, pride, humanity, dignity, responsibility, patriotism, modesty, conscience, camaraderie, honor, courage, love, mercy , as well as posturing, rivalry, individualism, hatred, cowardice, vanity, hypocrisy, ambition, selfishness, arrogance, careerism, false patriotism, hypocrisy.
17. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Early stories
Issues: features of the image of the “little man”("Thin and Fat", "Death of an Official" - Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov), funny and serious in Chekhov's short stories("Chameleon", "Unter Prishibeev") - Chekhov's humor is based on the comedy of situations, but also on exposing the stupidity, lack of culture of people, and the vulgarity of the surrounding life.
The story "Ionych"
Dmitry Ionych Startsev, Ivan Petrovich Turkins, Vera Iosifovna, Ekaterina Ivanovna (Kotik)
Issues: spiritual degradation of the individual, the monotony of life of the Turkin family, the environment as a factor forcing the hero to live according to the laws of the county town, the terrible evil of the death of human souls, immersed in the mire of philistinism.
The story "The Man in the Case"
Greek teacher Belikov, storyteller Ivan Ivanovich Burkin, Varenka
Issues: “caseness” of the individual, fear “Whatever happens,” social consequences of “Belikovism.”
Story "Lady with a Dog"
Dmitry Gurov, Anna Sergeevna
Issues: true love (“What we experience when we are in love is perhaps the normal state of a person. Falling in love shows a person what he should be "), the collision of shy love with the world of intolerable vulgarity (" Sturgeon has some flavor ")
The story "The Jumper"
Olga, her husband, doctor Dymov, the heroine’s artistic entourage
Issues : true and false values of life, hard work, dedication of a man of action and idleness and spiritual degradation of a bored lady, belated repentance.
Story "The Bride"
Nadya Shumina, her fiance, Sasha
Issues: spiritual emptiness, insignificance of people's interests, the heroine's desire to escape from the stuffy world of philistinism.
Play "The Cherry Orchard"
Lyubov Andreevna Raevskaya, daughters Anya, Varya, her brother Gaev, merchant Lopakhin, Petya Trofimov, Epikhodov, Yasha, Firs.
Issues: the atmosphere of general trouble, the feeling of loneliness of the heroes, the drama of life, the alignment of social forces in Russian society: the departing nobility, the rising bourgeoisie and new revolutionary forces, the collapse of the old foundations of life, the expectation of an impending fatal end, a vague premonition of a better future for the young heroes.
18. Ivan Alekseevich Bunin
"Mr. from San Francisco"
Steamship Atlantis, sir.
Issues: Life and death, their relentless, great confrontation, the catastrophic nature of human existence, the model of the civilized capitalist world, the web of hypocrisy and lies, true and false values, a critical attitude towards the lack of spirituality of capitalist society, towards the exaltation of technical progress to the detriment of internal improvement.
19. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin
The story "Olesya"
Ivan Timofeevich, Olesya, grandmother
Issues: love and separation, happiness in unity with nature, the inevitability of the tragic end of the short happiness of the heroes, the consonance of nature with human feelings.
20. Maxim Gorky
The story "Makar Chudra"
Loiko Zobar, Rada
Issues: the maximalist desire for freedom, the highest, exclusive manifestation of pride, the conflict between love and pride.
The story "Old Woman Izergil"
Issues: the heroes of the legends embody a single trait: Larra - extreme individualism, Danko - an extreme degree of self-sacrifice for the sake of love for people. Izergil herself is a life for herself. Selfless service to people is contrasted with Larra’s individualism and expresses the ideal of the writer himself.
The play "At the Bottom"
Satin, Luka, Actor, nobleman, Baron, Kleshch, Anna, Bubnov, Nastya, Vaska Ash, Kostylev, Vasilisa, Natasha.
Issues: social conflict between shelter owners and night shelter residents. Inhuman conditions cripple a person and even love does not save him, but leads to tragedy: death, injury, murder, hard labor. The relationship between truth and lies. The truth is the truth and the truth is a dream.
21. Evgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin
Novel "We"
Benefactor, Guardian Bureau, Green Wall,
D - 503, O - 90
Issues: the responsibility of science and scientists to society, human intervention in the structure of the individual, in the course of his creative activity, the subordination of the social sphere. What will happen to a person and humanity if he is forcibly driven into a happy future?
22. Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov
The story "Heart of a Dog"
Professor Preobrazhensky, Bormental, Klim Chugunkin, Shvonder.
Issues: the idea of creating a new person, the responsibility of science to society, the motive of transformation and the motive of werewolf. Intelligentsia and revolution.
Novel "The Master and Margarita"
Woland, Berlioz, Homeless, Azazello, Koroviev, Cat Behemoth, Pontius Pilate, Yeshua Ga - Notsri, Master, Margarita, Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoy, Aloisy Mogarych, Baron Maigel, Styopa Likhodeev.
Issues: the meaning of life, what is truth, the problem of conscience, the problem of power, love and devotion, the problem of creativity, good and evil, forgiveness, understanding, responsibility, true harmony, creativity.
23. Anna Andreevna Akhmatova
Poem "Requiem"
Issues: memory, the bitterness of oblivion, the unthinkability of life and the impossibility of death, the motif of the crucifixion, the gospel sacrifice, the cross. The idea of great intercession for people.
24. Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov
Epic novel "Quiet Don"
Grigory Melekhov, Aksinya, Natalya, Peter, Dunyasha, Daria, Ilyinichna and Panteley, Mikhail Koshevoy, Mitka Korshunov, Listnitsky, Podtelkov.
Issues: an epic novel, an epic embodiment of the life of the people, their culture, the Cossacks as a special class, distinguished by the desire for independence, isolation, discipline, hard work, reverence for elders, the depiction of the Civil War as a tragedy of the entire people, truthfully, without embellishment, in all its inhumanity, tragic search for truth, universal human values.
Man has always been and remains the center of almost any literary work. The hero of a story, novel, or novel is most often a person with his own problems and troubles. Humanity - adherence to universal moral principles - is an inseparable sign of a person. And if the hero of the work becomes inhuman, he turns into a negative character.The question of humanity as the ability to resist world injustice with the help of internal spiritual qualities has always interested writers. The creators put their heroes in the most acute, most unimaginable situations in order to clarify the “question of humanity,” about how much a person can remain himself when the whole world is against him.
I would like to consider the topic given in the title using the example of the story “Heart of a Dog” by Bulgakov. This work is considered one of the pinnacles of satirical fiction. In it, Bulgakov talks about the tragic discrepancy between the achievements of science - man’s desire to change the world - and his contradictory, imperfect essence, inability to foresee the future, here he embodies his conviction in the preference of normal evolution over a violent, revolutionary method of invading life, about the responsibility of a scientist and the terrible, the destructive power of self-righteous aggressive ignorance. These themes are eternal, and they have not lost their significance even now.
But one of the fundamental themes of Bulgakov’s work is the theme of man and humanity. “Heart of a Dog” expresses the idea that naked progress, devoid of morality, brings death to people.
At the heart of carry lies a great experiment. Everything that was happening around and what was called the construction of socialism, was perceived by Bulgakov precisely as an experiment - huge in scale and more than dangerous. The writer was extremely skeptical about attempts to create a new perfect society using revolutionary (not excluding violence) methods, and about educating a new, free person using the same methods. For him, this was an interference in the natural course of things, the consequences of which could be disastrous, including for the “experimenters” themselves. The author warns readers about this with his work.
The hero of the story, Professor Preobrazhensky, came to Bulgakov’s story from Prechistenka, where the hereditary Moscow intelligentsia had long settled. A recent Muscovite, Bulgakov knew and loved this area. He settled in Obukhovaya (Chisty) Lane, where “Fatal Eggs” and “Heart of a Dog” were written. People who were close to him in spirit and culture lived here. The prototype of Professor Philip Filippovich Preobrazhensky is considered to be Bulgakov's maternal relative, Professor N. M. Pokrovsky. But, in essence, it reflected the type of thinking and the best features of that layer of the Russian intelligentsia, which was called “Prechistenka” in Bulgakov’s circle.
Bulgakov considered it his duty to “persistently portray the Russian intelligentsia as the best layer in our country.” To some extent, Professor Preobrazhensky, the hero of Bulgakov’s story, is the embodiment of the outgoing Russian culture, the culture of the spirit, aristocracy. Professor Preobrazhensky, an elderly man, lives alone in a beautiful, comfortable apartment. The author admires the culture of his life, his appearance - Mikhail Afanasyevich himself loved aristocracy in everything, at one time he even wore a monocle.
The proud and majestic Professor Preobrazhensky, who spouts ancient aphorisms, is a luminary of Moscow genetics, a brilliant surgeon engaged in profitable operations for the rejuvenation of aging ladies and lively old men: the author's irony is merciless - sarcasm in relation to the prosperous Nepmen.
But the professor plans to improve nature itself, he decides to compete with Life itself and create a new person by transplanting part of the human brain into a dog.
The professor who transforms the dog into a human bears the name Preobrazhensky. And the action itself takes place on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, by all possible means the writer points out the unnaturalness of what is happening, that this is an anti-creation, a parody of Christmas. The relationship between the scientist and the street dog Sharik-Sharikov forms the basis of the plot outline of the story.
The basis of the story is the internal monologue of Sharik, an eternally hungry, miserable street dog. He is not very stupid, in his own way he evaluates the life of the street, life, customs, characters of Moscow during the NEP with its numerous shops, teahouses, taverns on Myasnitskaya “with sawdust on the floor, evil clerks who hate dogs”, “where they played the accordion and it smelled like sausages.”
The completely chilled, hungry dog, also scalded, observes the life of the street and draws conclusions: “Out of all proletarians, street cleaners are the most vile scum.” “The chef comes across different people. For example, the late Vlas from Prechistenka. How many lives have you saved? “He sympathizes with the poor young lady-typist, frozen, “running into the gateway in her lover’s assistant’s stockings.” “She doesn’t even have enough for cinema, they deducted money from her at work, fed her rotten meat in the canteen, and the caretaker stole half of her canteen forty kopecks.” In his thoughts and ideas, Sharik contrasts the poor girl with the image of a triumphant boor - the new master of life: “I am now the chairman, and no matter how much I steal, it’s all on a woman’s body, on cancerous necks, on Abrau-Durso.” “I feel sorry for her, sorry. And I feel even more sorry for myself,” complains Sharik.
Sharik is, in essence, a good dog. And his “dog” behavior ultimately turns out to be better than “human” behavior. Professor Preobrazhensky transplants the pituitary gland into the dog Sharik from a man who died a few hours before the operation. This man is Klim Petrovich Chugunkin, twenty-eight years old, convicted three times. “Profession is playing the balalaika in taverns. Small in stature, poorly built. The liver is dilated (alcohol). The cause of death was a stab in the heart in a pub.”
As a result of a most complex operation, an ugly, primitive creature appeared, completely inheriting the “proletarian” essence of its “ancestor”. The first words he uttered were swearing, the first distinct word was “bourgeois.” And then the words from the street: “don’t push! ““scoundrel”, “get off the bandwagon”, etc. The result of the experiment was “a man of short stature and unattractive appearance. The hair on his head grew coarse... His forehead was striking in its small height. Almost directly above the black threads of the eyebrows, a thick head brush began.” He “dressed up” in the same ugly and vulgar way.
The monstrous homunculus, a man with a dog's right, the “basis” of which was the lumpen-proletarian Klim Chugunkin, feels like the master of life, he is arrogant, swaggering, and aggressive. The conflict between Professor Preobrazhensky, Bormenthal and the humanoid lumpen is absolutely inevitable. The life of the professor and the inhabitants of his apartment becomes a living hell. “The man at the door looked at the professor with dull eyes and smoked a cigarette, sprinkling ashes on his shirtfront.”
“- Don’t throw cigarette butts on the floor - I ask you for the hundredth time. So that I never hear a single curse word again. Don't spit in the apartment! Stop all conversations with Zina. She complains that you are stalking her in the dark. Look! - the professor is indignant. “For some reason, dad, you’re painfully oppressing me,” he (Sharikov) suddenly said tearfully... Why aren’t you letting me live? “Despite the dissatisfaction of the owner of the house. Sharikov lives in his own way, primitively parasitic: during the day he mostly sleeps in the kitchen, sits around, does all sorts of outrages, confident that “nowadays everyone has their right.” The smile of life is that, as soon as he stands up on his hind legs, Sharikov is ready to oppress, drive into a corner the “father” who gave birth to him - the professor.
And this humanoid creature demands from the professor a document on residence, confident that the house committee, which “protects interests,” will help him with this:
- Whose interests, may I ask?
- It is known whose - labor element. Philip Philipovich rolled his eyes.
- Why are you a hard worker?
- Yes, we know, not a NEPman. : From this verbal duel, taking advantage of the professor’s confusion about his origin (“you are, so to speak, an unexpectedly appeared creature, a laboratory one”), the homunculus emerges victorious and demands that he be given the “hereditary” surname Sharikov, and he chooses the name Poligraf Poligrafovich for himself. He organizes wild pogroms in the apartment, chases (in his canine nature) cats, causes a flood... All the inhabitants of the professor's apartment are demoralized, there can be no talk of any reception of patients.
In essence, all of Sharikov’s aspirations to get a last name, to protect his interests, that is, in essence, natural human desires, are just a parody of a person. An essentially good dog turns into a creepy guy.
The scary thing is that the bureaucratic system does not need the science of a professor. It costs her nothing to appoint anyone as a person. Any insignificance, even an empty place, can be taken and assigned. Having formalized this “appointment” accordingly and reflected it in the documents. And Sharikov is such a “designated” person: an artificially created hybrid of a good dog and a bad citizen, he receives human features in appearance and the habits of an animal.
The finest hour for Poligraf Poligrafovich was his “service”. Having disappeared from the house, he appears before the astonished professor and Bormenthal as a sort of young man, full of dignity and self-respect, “in a leather jacket from someone else’s shoulder, in worn leather pants and high English boots. The terrible, incredible smell of cats immediately spread throughout the entire hallway. He presents the stunned professor with a paper stating that Comrade Sharikov is the head of the department for clearing the city of stray animals. Of course, Shvonder got him there. When asked why he smells so disgusting, the monster replies: “Well, well, it smells... well known: in his specialty. Yesterday cats were strangled and strangled...”
So, Bulgakov’s Sharik made a dizzying leap: from stray dogs to orderlies to cleanse the city of stray dogs and cats.
The last, final chord of Sharikov’s activity is a denunciation-libel against Professor Preobrazhensky.
It should be noted that it was then, in the thirties, that denunciation became one of the foundations of a “socialist” society, which would be more correctly called totalitarian. Because only a totalitarian regime can be based on denunciation.
Sharikov is alien to conscience, shame, and morality. He lacks all human qualities except meanness, hatred, malice...
And Bulgakov concludes: wearing pants, having a name, surname and a job is not enough to be called a person. Professor Preobrazhensky is a thinking person, he has achieved a lot in this life, but he made a mistake with his experiment, interfering with nature.
In the story “The Captain's Daughter” Pushkin gives an example of humanity. Young Grinev, trying to thank the guide who saved them during a snowstorm, gives him a hare sheepskin coat. The sheepskin coat is bursting at the seams on the counselor, but this is not important for Grinev. He returns good for good. The counselor later turns out to be the leader of the uprising, Pugachev. During their last meeting, when Pugachev releases Grinev with Masha, Grinev tells Pugachev that he will pray for his sinful soul. And this is also an example of humanity. Grinev knows that Pugachev is doomed, and humanly worries about him.
Taras Bulba in the story of the same name by N.V. Gogol denies his son Andriy humanity. Andriy betrayed his brothers, his homeland and went over to the side of the enemy. The father treats him as justice requires. And even Ostap Taras does not allow his brother’s body to be buried, since he is sure that a traitor is not worthy of humane treatment even after death.
Pechorin’s actions in the novel by M.Yu. are inhumane. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time". Pechorin steals Bela only out of pride, to annoy Kazbich. He plays with the feelings of Princess Mary and Vera, he is driven by vanity and selfishness. He unceremoniously interferes in the lives of honest smugglers, after which they are forced to leave their homes. Lermontov creates a selfish and cynical character who does not know humanity and respect for the individual. At the end of the work we learn about the death of Pechorin, who dies in battle. But there is no one to even mourn him, because no one is waiting for him.
The Second World War has ended. Throughout its territory there are graves of soldiers who fought on both sides. It is customary to look after the graves of the dead, paying tribute to the courage and heroism of the defenders. In Holland there is a cemetery where German soldiers are buried. They were the ones who came to conquer the world. Every year, schoolchildren come from Germany to care for the graves. For what? After all, these are modern children, they grew up in the post-war period, they understand that those buried in Holland are not victors. Not liberators, but invaders. By caring for the graves, these children learn to understand that war is terrible, first of all, because of the meaninglessness of the victims; this is a crime against humanity. Children who come to Holland every year are an example of humanity and respect for the memory of the past, even if it is so terrible.
Nowadays, it is not so difficult to find an example of humanity and kind attitude towards people. There is a real war going on in the southeast of Ukraine. With bombings, casualties, hunger and refugees. Russia helps the residents of Donbass. Humanitarian convoys are constantly sent with medical supplies, food and everything necessary. It would seem that the state does everything necessary for us. But the media constantly talks about people volunteering to help. Everyone helps in different ways. Some give shelter to entire families of refugees, some take in an orphaned child, and others send a whole truckload of heating devices.
1. The concept of humanism.
2. Pushkin as a herald of humanity.
3. Examples of humanistic works.
4. The writer’s works teach you to be human.
...By reading his works, you can perfectly educate the person within you...
V. G. Belinsky
In the dictionary of literary terms, you can find the following definition of the term “humanism”: “humanism, humanity - love for a person, humanity, compassion for a person in trouble, in oppression, the desire to help him.”
Humanism arose as a certain trend of advanced social thought, which raised the struggle for the rights of the human person, against church ideology, the oppression of scholasticism, in the Renaissance in the struggle of the bourgeoisie against feudalism and became one of the main features of advanced bourgeois literature and art.
The work of such Russian writers who reflected the liberation struggle of the people as A. S. Pushkin, M. Yu. Lermontov, I. S. Turgenev, N. V. Gogol, L. N. Tolstoy, A. P. Chekhov is imbued with humanism.
A. S. Pushkin is a humanist writer, but what does this mean in practice? This means that for Pushkin the principle of humanity is of great importance, that is, in his works the writer preaches truly Christian virtues: mercy, understanding, compassion. In each main character one can find traits of humanism, be it Onegin, Grinev or an unnamed Caucasian prisoner. However, for each hero the concept of humanism changes. The content of this term also changes depending on the periods of creativity of the great Russian writer.
At the very beginning of the writer’s creative career, the word “humanism” was often understood as a person’s internal freedom of choice. It is no coincidence that at a time when the poet himself was in southern exile, his work was enriched with a new type of hero, romantic, strong, but not free. Two Caucasian poems - “Prisoner of the Caucasus” and “Gypsies” - are clear confirmation of this. The nameless hero, captured and held captive, however, turns out to be freer than Aleko, choosing life with the nomadic people. The idea of individual freedom occupied the author’s thoughts during this period and received an original, non-standard interpretation. Thus, the defining character trait of Aleko - egoism - becomes a force that completely steals a person’s inner freedom, while the hero of “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” although limited in movement, is internally free. This is what helps him make a fateful but conscious choice. Aleko craves freedom only for himself. Therefore, the love story between him and the gypsy Zemfira, who is completely free spiritually, turns out to be sad - the main character kills his beloved, who has stopped loving him. The poem "Gypsies" shows the tragedy of modern individualism, and in the main character - the character of an extraordinary personality, which was first outlined in "Prisoner of the Caucasus" and finally recreated in "Eugene Onegin".
The next period of creativity gives a new interpretation of humanism and new heroes. “Boris Godunov” and “Eugene Onegin,” written between 1823 and 1831, give us new food for thought: what is philanthropy for a poet? This period of creativity is represented by more complex, but at the same time integral characters of the main characters. Both Boris and Evgeniy - each of them faces a certain moral choice, the acceptance or non-acceptance of which depends entirely on their character. Both individuals are tragic, each of them deserves pity and understanding.
The pinnacle of humanism in Pushkin’s works was the closing period of his work and such works as “Belkin’s Tales”, “Little Tragedies”, “The Captain’s Daughter”. Now humanism and humanity are becoming truly complex concepts and include many different characteristics. This includes the free will and personality of the hero, honor and conscience, the ability to sympathize and empathize and, most importantly, the ability to love. The hero must love not only man, but also the world around him, nature and art, in order to become truly interesting to Pushkin the humanist. These works are also characterized by the punishment of inhumanity, in which the author’s position is clearly visible. If previously the hero’s tragedy depended on external circumstances, now it is determined by the internal capacity for humanity. Anyone who meaningfully leaves the bright path of philanthropy is doomed to severe punishment. An antihero is a bearer of one of the types of passions. The Baron from “The Stingy Knight” is not just a stingy man, he is the bearer of the passion for enrichment and power. Salieri longs for fame; he is also oppressed by envy of his friend, who is luckier in talent. Don Guan, the hero of The Stone Guest, is the bearer of sensual passions, and the inhabitants of the city, destroyed by the plague, find themselves in the grip of the passion of intoxication. Each of them gets what he deserves, each of them is punished.
In this regard, the most significant works for revealing the concept of humanism are “Belkin’s Tales” and “The Captain’s Daughter”. “Belkin’s Tales” is a special phenomenon in the writer’s work, consisting of five prose works united by a single concept: “The Station Agent”, “The Shot”, “The Young Lady-Peasant Woman”, “The Blizzard”, “The Undertaker”. Each of the short stories is dedicated to the hardships and suffering that befell one of the main classes - the small landowner, peasant, official or artisan. Each of the stories teaches us compassion, understanding of universal human values and their acceptance. Indeed, despite the difference in the perception of happiness by each class, we understand the undertaker’s nightmare, the experiences of the loving daughter of a small landowner, and the recklessness of army officials.
The crowning achievement of Pushkin's humanistic works is The Captain's Daughter. Here we see the author’s already matured, formed thought concerning universal human passions and problems. Through compassion for the main character, the reader, together with him, goes through the path of becoming a strong, strong-willed personality who knows firsthand what honor is. Over and over again, the reader, together with the main character, makes a moral choice on which life, honor and freedom depend. Thanks to this, the reader grows with the hero and learns to be human.
V. G. Belinsky said about Pushkin: “...By reading his works, you can excellently educate a person within yourself...”. Indeed, Pushkin’s works are so full of humanism, love of humanity and attention to enduring universal human values: mercy, compassion and love, that from them, as from a textbook, you can learn to make important decisions, take care of honor, love and hate - learn to be human.
