Literary device
The author creates his hero using certain technical means, which are called literary techniques. One of these techniques is a telling surname. It consists in the fact that the author characterizes his character with the help of associations that the reader associates with a certain word. In this case, even the most ordinary surname can be the speaker if it accurately characterizes the hero. An example of this is Molchalin in the play by A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit". He agrees with everything, never says an extra word and is the complete opposite of the vain Famusov. By the way, Famusov is also a telling surname, since it comes from the Latin word meaning “glory”, “fame”.
Speaking surnames in Russian literature
A comprehensive, deep knowledge of a work of art is impossible without understanding the system of proper names used by the author. One of the most powerful artistic means in literature is the use of “speaking” names and surnames.
For example, it is known that in Rus' until the 17th and 18th centuries there were names that resembled modern nicknames. Such names simultaneously served as a characteristic of a person, the main qualities of his character: Biryuk, Balui, Gryaznin, Balamut, Krykun, Zhadenka, Greedy, Fierce, Malice, Nesmeyan, Silent, Shumilo, Crybaby, Bad, etc.
Are you an expert in this subject area? We invite you to become the author of the Directory Working Conditions
Until the mid-20th century, the use of “speaking” surnames in literature was very popular. The character's name suggested his character and became a kind of epigraph to the image. The name also determined the author’s attitude towards the hero and set the reader in a certain mood.
Note 1
The technique of semantization of surnames in Russian literature became widespread in the era of classicism.
The classicists composed expressive names and characteristics. For example, reading the list of characters in the play “Minor” by D.I. Fonvizin or “Woe from Wit” by A.S. Griboedova gives a complete picture of the characters, their character, inclinations, habits, etc.
In addition, the surnames of the heroes of classic works provided for the division of characters into negative and positive.
For example, the positive heroes were called Milon, Pravdin, Pravdolyubov, the negative ones - Vzyatkin, Skotinin, Bezrashud.
Writers of the 19th century joined the gallery of negative heroes endowed with “talking” surnames:
Finished works on a similar topic
Course work Bird surnames in literature 490 ₽ Abstract Bird surnames in literature 260 ₽ Test work Bird surnames in literature 200 ₽
Receive completed work or specialist advice on your educational project Find out the cost
- Derzhimorda (N.V. Gogol);
- Grosh, Altynnikov (N. Nekrasov);
- Boa constrictor, Pimple (Saltykov-Shchedrin), etc.
Writers of the 20th century also turned to “speaking” surnames. For example, Ilf and Petrov’s funny surnames do not directly speak about the character of the hero, but serve to create a general flavor of absurdity and absurdity. Here you can also notice the discrepancy between the book name Vasisualiy and such a simple surname as Lokhankin. Also interesting are surnames formed from clerical words (for example, Oblastyuk), and from abstract words (Svyatotatsky, Gigienishvili, Ukhudshansky), as well as a surname based on the paronymy - Semi-finished products. This surname combines the word “semi-finished product” - a product half-finished, in need of processing, and “manufacturer” - the owner of the factory. This all creates a comic effect and helps the authors paint a picture of an absurd world.
Masters of speaking surnames
An unsurpassed master who masterfully mastered this difficult technique was N.V. Gogol. It is enough to remember Korobochka, who intensively accumulates goods, the rude Sobakevich, or Manilov, who constantly dreams of the impossible. But they characterized their heroes in this way even before Gogol. For example, the names of the characters in the play by D.V. Fonvizin “Undergrown” - Prostakovs, Skotinin, Pravdin. In fact, there is no need to say anything more about these characters; the reader or viewer already understands everything about them.
“Talking” surnames in Russian literature. Speaking surnames in the works of writers of the 19th century
In the process of research work on literature “Talking surnames in the works of Russian writers of the 18th-19th centuries,” a 9th grade student set the goal of proving that “speaking” surnames are an active artistic device in the works of writers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
More details about the work:
In the proposed literature project ““Speaking surnames” in the works of Russian writers of the 18th-19th centuries,” the author studies the history of the appearance of surnames in the Russian language, defines the word “surname” according to Russian language dictionaries, and determines the meaning of the artistic technique of using “speaking” surnames in works Russian literature.
The results of the research project on the topic “Talking surnames in the works of Russian writers of the 18th-19th centuries” can be used by students in literature lessons, in preparation for exams and tests, as well as to broaden their horizons in the field of literature.
Table of contents
Introduction 1. The appearance of surnames in the Russian language. 2. The concept of “surname” in explanatory dictionaries of the Russian language. 3. “Talking” surnames as an artistic device in works of Russian literature. 4. Practical studies of “talking” surnames in literature. 4.1. Talking names in the comedy “Minor” by D.I. Fonvizina. 4.2. Talking names in the comedy “Woe from Wit” by A.S. Griboedova. 4.3. Speaking surnames in the poem “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol. Conclusion List of references Appendix. Dictionary of “talking surnames”
Introduction
Proper names have long attracted the attention of scientists. Their origin, history, various transformations, distribution, and purpose are studied by historians, literary scholars, psychologists, ethnographers, geographers, and linguists. Proper names include names both real and created by human imagination, names and surnames of characters in folklore and fiction.
A deep and comprehensive knowledge of a work of art is impossible without understanding the author’s use of the system of proper names. Nothing happens by chance in any literary work. This means that the choice of the characters’ surnames, used as an artistic detail, is not accidental.
The relevance of the project is dictated by time: eras change, but “speaking” surnames are actively used by modern writers even now. Thanks to this technique, the reader can trace the author’s attitude towards a specific character, and most importantly, see the essence of the hero, his character.
Hypothesis: “speaking” surnames are an excellent technique for revealing both positive and negative images, with the help of which you can see the essence and character of the characters from the first pages of the work.
Object of study: “speaking” surnames in the works of Russian writers of the 18th-19th centuries.
The goal is to prove that “speaking” surnames are an active artistic device in the work of writers, having examined the use and revealing the meaning of “speaking” surnames in works of Russian literature: D. I. Fonvizin “Nedorosl”, A. S. Griboedov “Woe from Wit” , N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”
To achieve this goal, the following tasks are solved:
- determine the range of concepts necessary to solve the goal.
- find information about the history of surnames; about the functions of surnames in literature;
- analyze the use of “speaking” surnames in the works of D.I. Fonvizina, A.S. Griboyedova, N.V. Gogol;
- make your own classification of “talking surnames” from
- compile a dictionary of “speaking” surnames (Appendix 1).
Subtleties of translation
Speaking surnames are found not only in Russian, but also in foreign literature. This is a fairly common technique that is not always easy to convey in translation. The translator is required not only to convey the meaning, but also to imitate the sound of the original language. A good example of a translation that maintains a neutral tone is Priest Chetkins from Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall. But the translators of J.D.R. Tolkien has not yet been able to come up with an equivalent to the English surname Baggins - in some versions it is translated as Baggins or Sumnix, and this is in principle correct. But the word “Baggins” also means “the custom of drinking tea at a certain time,” which is very important for characterizing the character. In cases where it is not possible to come up with an adequate Russian version of a speaking foreign surname, a footnote is usually given.
II. Speaking surnames in the works of Russian writers
2.1 Speaking names in the works of D.I. Fonvizina
14 years before the appearance of Fonvizin’s “Nedoroslya”, in 1764, V.I. Lukin wrote the comedy “Mot, Corrected by Love,” in which he brought characters with very characteristic names to the Russian stage. One, bright, pole of this work consists of Dobroserdov and Pravdolyubov. Another, sharply opposed to these characters, is Zloradov, Dokukin, Bezotvyazny, Prolazin, who, by the way, is a solicitor. Heroes with the names Zhekhvat and Pasquin can also be found in the comedy by A.P. Sumarokov "Guardian".
So the two poles in “Minor” with Milon, Pravdin, Starodum and Sophia, whose name, by the way, is translated from Greek as “wisdom”, and Skotinin, Prostakovs and Vralman were not something very new for Fonvizin’s contemporaries.
In addition, long before these works, folk theater heroes with no less telling names such as Zarez-Golovorez, Preklonsky and Bezobrazov appeared on the Russian stage.
What can we say about the fact that in foreign drama, characters with meaningful names have long been established on the stage. What are the heroes of Jean-Baptiste alone worth in the play “Love the Healer”! It was about the names that the characters in this comedy bear that Mikhail Bulgakov wrote in his book “The Life of Monsieur de Molière”: “They bore the names that Boileau came up with for Molière at a cheerful dinner, using the Greek language. The first doctor was called Defonandres, which means killer of people. The second is Bais, which means barking. The third is Mokroton, which means slow-speaking and, finally, the fourth is Tomes, a bloodletter.
However, in fairness, it must be said that not all of the characters in “The Minor,” based on their names, can be classified as positive or negative heroes. For example, Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin are lexically neutral and speak only about the occupation of Mitrofan’s mentors.
As for the name Mitrofan (literally translated from Greek it means “revealing his mother,” i.e., similar to his mother), then thanks to the Fonvizin comedy, a very interesting transformation occurred with him. For more than two centuries, a previously lexically neutral proper name has been considered almost a curse, and in any case, in Russia it is customary to call lazy people, dropouts and ignoramuses Mitrofanami.
By the way, about the names of the heroes of Russian drama of the 18th century in his article about the comedy A.S. Griboyedov's "Woe from Wit" Apollo Grigoriev remarked, not without causticism: "This is not at all a funny anecdote, translated into conversation, not the kind of comedy where the characters are called Dobryakovs, Plutovatins, Ripoffs."
However, with Fonvizin’s speaking names, everything is not so simple and unambiguous. Of course, there is no doubt that this is the heritage of classic theater. But not all heroes live up to their names. Pyotr Weil and Alexander Genis write about this: “Fonvizin is usually attributed to the tradition of classicism. This is true, this is evidenced by even the most superficial details at first glance: for example, the names of the characters. Milon is handsome, Pravdin is a sincere person, Skotinin is understandable. However, upon closer examination, we will be convinced that Fonvizin is a classic only when he deals with so-called positive characters. Here they are walking ideas, embodied treatises on moral topics.”
This phrase is paradoxical. For example, it contains positions that contradict each other, since Skotinin cannot in any way be classified as a positive hero. It is indisputable, however, that neither Fonvizin, nor his comedies, nor the characters of “The Minor” and “The Brigadier” fit into the Procrustean bed of the traditions of classicism.
And the surname of Adam Adamych - Vralman, partly Russian, partly German - gives rise to many such meaningful names among authors who inherited the classics of the era of Catherine the Great.
2.2 Speaking names in the works of A.S. Griboyedova
A.S. is of great interest on the problem that interests us. Griboyedova
.
As you know, the author of “Woe from Wit” wrote about ten dramatic works. Undoubtedly, student works, as well as comedies written in collaboration with A.A. Gendre and P.A. Vyazemsky, cannot be compared with the brilliant “Woe from Wit”. However, the speaking names in Griboyedov’s short work of 1818, “Test of Interlude,” cannot fail to attract attention. These names are extremely simple and almost exhaustively characterize their bearers-actors: Alegrin, Rezvushkov, Pripryzhkin, Svistalova, Diezina.
Feigned Infidelity” deserve special attention
which is a free translation of the comedy by French playwright N.T.
Bart, in which Griboyedov Russified the names of the characters
, giving the “old dandy” the surname Blyostov, and the other two characters - Roslavlev and Lensky. The author of a review of this comedy, published in the magazine “Son of the Fatherland” in 1881, among other things, following the example of other modern writers, gave almost all the acting names Russians, borrowed from the proper names of Russian cities and rivers (for example, Roslavlev and Lensky)". Needless to say, these names were subsequently transferred to the works of other writers - A.S. Pushkin and M.N. Zagoskina.
But the comedy “ Woe from
Wit” is of greatest interest in Griboyedov’s work in his use of speaking names.
