Novel “Oblomov”, chapter 5 (chapter summary)

Novel “Oblomov”, chapter 5 (chapter summary)

Chapter 5 of the novel “Oblomov” (part 1) tells the backstory of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a nobleman by birth, a collegiate secretary by rank, who has been living continuously for the 12th year in St. Petersburg. This chapter describes his life in St. Petersburg.

During the life of his parents, only Zakhar was at his disposal, but after their death he became the owner of 350 souls in one remote province, almost in Asia. His income increased: instead of 5, he began to receive from 7 to 10 thousand rubles in banknotes. Ilya Ilyich rented a larger apartment, hired a cook and got a couple of horses.

At that time he was even young and livelier than now. Ilya Ilyich had various aspirations, he expected a lot from himself and from fate, he hoped for something. Oblomov wanted to serve and make a career, which is why he arrived in St. Petersburg. Then, already at the turn of adulthood, I thought about family happiness.

However, time passed, Oblomov grew old, became fat, and began to go bald. He is already 30 years old, but he has not shown himself in any field in all 10 years. Ilya Ilyich was raised in the provinces, where people were distinguished by warm and gentle morals, where they valued the customs of their homeland. This family atmosphere was so ingrained in him that Ilya Ilyich imagined his future service as some kind of family activity.

Therefore, when he became an official and realized that it was impossible not to go to a public place just like that, without a good reason, and when packages with the inscription “necessary” and “very necessary” flashed in front of him, when, having only finished one task, it was necessary to immediately take on another, he realized that service was not for him, and no more than two years later he resigned. This marked the end of Oblomov’s government activities.

In the first years of his stay in St. Petersburg, Ilya Ilyich, like all young people of his age, worried, hoped, rejoiced at trifles and suffered from them. But all this was a very long time ago, in early youth, when a person sees a sincere friend in another and falls in love, even ready to marry any pretty woman.

This happened with Oblomov too. But he never gave himself up to these charming creatures, because great troubles led to rapprochement, and this was beyond his strength. That is why his hobbies never turned into novels. Perhaps his virgin soul was waiting for her passionate love, and then, over the years, she stopped waiting and despaired.

Oblomov also parted with his friends. Nothing attracted him from home. Gradually, it became a burden for him to stay dressed all day. He was lazy to dine out. He was also tired of the evenings: he had to put on a tailcoat and shave every day.

But his friend Stolz still managed to get this homebody out into the public. Only Stolz often went to Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Crimea, and then abroad. Without him, Oblomov again plunged into his loneliness and solitude.

He was completely unaccustomed to movement, to life, to crowds and bustle.
This is what his role in society came down to. Summary of the chapters of the novel “Oblomov”

Essay “Philosophy of Peace” by Oblomov (based on the novel “Oblomov” by I.A. Goncharov)

I. A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” is one of the most popular works of Russian classics. The impression this novel made by its appearance in Russia cannot be described,” recalled Prince P. Kropotkin. “All of educated Russia read “Oblomov” and discussed “Oblomovism.” The main character of the novel, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, still causes numerous disputes and conflicting opinions. He is a hereditary nobleman, a smart, intelligent young man who received a good education and dreamed in his youth of selfless service to Russia. Goncharov gives the following description of his appearance: “He was a man of average height, pleasant appearance, with dark gray eyes, but with the absence of any definite idea.” By character, Ilya Ilyich is honest, kind and meek. His childhood friend, Andrei Stolts, says about him: “This is a crystal, transparent soul.” But all these positive character traits are contrasted with such qualities as lack of will and laziness. Oblomov’s apathy and lack of will arose in him since childhood, the reason for this is a special family and village way of life. Life in Oblomovka took place according to its own special laws. The Oblomov family had a cult of food: the whole family decided what dishes would be for lunch or dinner. After lunch there was a long nap, when the whole house fell asleep. This is how we passed day after day: sleep and food. When Oblomov grew up, he was sent to study at a gymnasium. Parents were not interested in Ilyusha’s knowledge. They dreamed of receiving a certificate proving that “Ilya passed all the sciences and arts.” Having matured, Oblomov turned into a kind, lazy gentleman, who was most concerned about his own peace. But his soul did not harden. “Oblomov loved to withdraw into himself and live in the world he created. The pleasures of lofty thoughts were available to him; he was no stranger to universal sorrows. He cried bitterly, in the depths of his soul, at another time over the misfortunes of mankind, experienced unknown, nameless suffering and melancholy,” this is how the author characterizes the already adult Oblomov. But did anyone know about this inner world of Ilya Ilyich? The author speaks about it this way: “No one knew or saw this inner life of Ilya Ilyich: everyone thought that Oblomov was so-so, lying and eating to his health, and there was nothing more to expect from him; that he hardly has any thoughts in his head.” Only his closest friend Andrei Stolts knew about his kind soul and sensitive heart. Oblomov became a couch potato, a man of good thoughts, but absolutely not ready to put them into practice. Any activity is a burden for him. He was even too lazy to get up from the sofa and leave his own room. The hero does nothing, is not interested in anything, he cannot bring himself to finish reading the book “Journey in Africa.” Happiness for Oblomov is complete peace of mind and good food. And he achieved this: he slept peacefully on the sofa and ate deliciously. Probably the main reason for such a transformation of the main character was his collision with the vain, false world of St. Petersburg. He became disillusioned with many life ideals, and, above all, with public service. According to Oblomov, all social life in St. Petersburg is careerism, servility, gossip. “Everything, the eternal running around, the eternal game of trashy passions, especially greed, interrupting each other’s paths, gossip, gossip, clicking each other, this looking from head to toe; If you listen to what they are talking about, your head will spin and you will become stupefied. Where is the man here? Where is his integrity? Where did he disappear, how did he exchange for all sorts of little things?” — with these words from Oblomov, the author shows us the whole essence of his hero, his history, the reasons for his life’s “ruin,” which he is unable to cope with. As the plot develops, you involuntarily think that Oblomov’s inaction can destroy his best qualities, destroy his personality, make him a lazy observer, indifferent to other people’s troubles. And although the author, in my opinion, treats Oblomov with some understanding, in general he does not accept his “philosophy of peace.” Even at the expense of one’s principles (protest against bureaucracy, secular vanity, hypocrisy, etc.), a person must take an active position in life. The new generation of Russia needs people with creative energy, a desire for something new, but with the spiritual kindness of Oblomov.