a brief description of
Mrs. Prostakova is one of the main characters of the comedy. She lives with her husband and son on her estate. The woman is very proud of her origin and current position, but everything is not enough for her. Money is Prostakova’s main concern.
For the sake of material well-being, she is ready to rob her serfs completely and fawn over everyone from whom the subtle “aroma of money” emanates. Rumors about the atrocities of this family reached government circles, so it was decided to take their lands and estate under state guardianship.
Mrs. Prostakova, having committed a rash act, finds herself deprived of power and her beloved son, who refuses her.
Detailed image and characteristics of Prostakova
Representatives of Russian literature admitted that Fonvizin was very familiar with Russian reality. In Mrs. Prostakova, anyone could recognize their aunt, grandmother, relative, or just an acquaintance.
This image had so many manners typical of ladies of “Catherine’s era” that K. Ryleev saw the empress herself in it, conventionally designating her Zmeikina:
“...and Zmeikin, recognizing herself in Prostakova, promised the author a boring life as his lot in a harsh and distant country.”
Mistress's appearance
The play differs from works of the prose genre in that it rarely gives descriptive characteristics of the characters. One can only guess about the appearance of some characters.
Mrs. Prostakova is a woman between 40 and 50 years old. Not a fragile build - this is evidenced by her habit of eating deliciously, but not too fat - her clumsiness would not allow her to start fights with her husband or servants.
Her face expresses eternal discontent, which is only occasionally replaced by a flattering smile.
Surname symbolism
Like a doctor, having determined the diagnosis of each hero, Fonvizin awarded the landowners names that later became household names. The surname Prostakova is derived from the word “simplicity”.
The concept “simple” has several lexical meanings:
- an ordinary person comes from the people;
- someone of simplicity of soul;
- not a very smart, narrow-minded person, characterizing whom they say “simplicity is worse than theft.”
Mrs. Prostakova belonged to the noble family of the Skotinins. Remembering Fonvizin’s diagnoses, we can safely say that she was not a woman of spiritual simplicity from birth. This means that the latter definition suits her best. The Prostakov couple are simpletons who had no life principles and values. For them such concepts did not exist. Dahl said about such people: “...stupidity will do more harm than a thief.”
Character
Mrs. Prostakova is endowed with only negative character traits:
- Aggression - the owner can flare up over any little thing;
- Greed - the desire to own everything and everyone is too great;
- Mediocrity is that rare case when God did not send a single talent to a person;
- Inhumanity - the lady forgets that she lives among people;
- Perfidy - Prostakova makes promises and immediately forgets about them;
- Deceit - the desire to provide a good future for her son forces the mother to act basely with the guest;
- Flattery flows from the viceroy’s lips at the sight of a potential benefactor;
- Hypocrisy goes hand in hand with flattery;
- Cowardice - “mother” does not care about the troubles and illnesses of her subordinates;
- Ignorance is already manifested in the very word “heorgaphy”;
- Intolerance - whatever the mistress thinks must be carried out immediately;
- Irritability - the lady is irritated by everyone who is against her will;
- Vanity - Prostakova loves to talk about her own merits;
- Stubbornness - the landowner does everything in her own way, considering only her own opinion to be correct;
- Selfishness - the interests of the hostess always come first.
Life story
Prostakova, née Skotinina, grew up in a family of 18 children. Almost all of them died in childhood due to parental neglect. Only two survived: Prostakova herself and her brother.
Their father served as a governor. His main treasure was an iron chest, into which he only put something, but never took anything out. He died of hunger, lying on a chest with money.
Having got married, the mistress first subjugated her husband, and then the whole house. The marriage produced a son, Mitrofan.
Problems of education
Mitrofanushka was the only love and joy of the mistress. Her hungry childhood without parental supervision played a big role in the perception of her maternal origin. Having spoiled her son completely, the mother did not see anything wrong with this. He wants to eat the sixth loaf of bread - it’s good for him, he doesn’t want to study - he already knows a lot, he wants to get married - he already has a bride nearby. For her, he is always small, even though he has grown up a long time ago.
The Age of Enlightenment, proclaimed by Catherine II, forced all nobles to educate their offspring. Without this, young people were not allowed to serve in the army or government departments. In addition, education became a fashionable trend in the 18th century. Prostakova was sure that Mitrofan would get the position thanks to his connections, but she also wanted her son to be no worse than everyone else, so she hired teachers. The child complained about the hardships of school, and the mother felt sorry for him - thus the study was delayed.
Prostakova, indulging her son’s whims, thought that he appreciated her love. The mother's heart broke when Mitrofanushka rudely rejected her, because there was nothing more to take from her.
Attitude towards others
They say, “be simple, and people will be drawn to you.” They not only did not reach out to Mrs. Prostakova, but also tried to avoid communicating with her. A rude, uncouth woman could cause a scandal in the presence of unfamiliar people. Those who did not have ranks, titles or simply money were of no value to her.
“Mother” did not consider the servants to be people at all. She called the servants dirty names and beat the maids more than once, considering this a pattern allowed by the decree on the freedom of the nobility. As soon as the mistress understood who was in front of her, assessed his title or rank, his facial expression and manners were instantly replaced with positive ones. Knowing that Starodub is rich and has a certain weight in society, Prostakova manifests herself in the role of a complacent, hospitable hostess who has long dreamed of such a guest.
Personality Features
Prostakova's only positive quality is maternal instinct. She wants the best for her son Mitrofan: a wife, an estate, a position.
The landowner is illiterate, like the rest of the family. She doesn’t need to read, and she can count money even without education. Unlimited power allows her to feel self-sufficient. Despite belonging to the female gender, Prostakova is deprived of any manifestations of femininity and mercy. Brute force forces her to beat her husband and fight with her brother, which is completely unacceptable for a woman.
Speech characteristics
Any writer could envy the speech of the mistress of the estate. The lady then bursts into blissful greetings:
“Our guest is priceless! Dear father, on whom all hope...",
then she descends into dirty expressions when a servant is in front of her:
“...you are a dog’s daughter! cattle, thieving mug!
then he dishonors himself before Starodub:
“Oh, I’m an incredible fool!”
Prostakova has learned well for herself when, with whom and how to talk. “Mother” can support a conversation on any topic: be it the decrees of the empress or school science. Considering herself to be the most well-born noblewoman, she does not suspect that her speech is replete with colloquial words: maybe, somewhere, nowhere, little, looking. Book expressions sound ironic: amorous writing, a fair amount of fiction, my dear friend.
By including common words in Prostakova’s speech mixed with dialects, book and colloquial vocabulary, Fonvizin wanted to show the true speech of the provincial nobility.
Members of the Prostakov family
Mr. Prostakov is considered the head of the family, although he is not such. He does everything according to his wife’s orders, even thinks, listens and sees. He loves his son “as a parent should.” He does not take any part in the affairs of the estate.
Mrs. Prostakova is the sovereign queen in her house. She considers her husband “an empty place” and dotes on her son.
Mitrofan is the only heir and beloved son. A minor chasing pigeons with a stick. His improper upbringing turned him into a rude, spoiled teenager who sees marriage as an escape from his studies.
Sophia is the niece of the head of the family, and has been left an orphan for six months. The Prostakovs “treated Sofiushka as if she were an orphan,” took her into their home and until she came of age, manage the estate that the girl inherited. In order not to lose a tasty morsel from their hands, the Prostakovs decided to give Sophia in marriage to Taras Skotinin.
However, having learned that the girl has a dowry of 10,000 rubles, the lady tries to marry her to her Mitrofanushka .
Taras Skotinin is the owner’s brother. They don’t have any special kinship feelings with their sister—a lifestyle that fully matches their surname doesn’t allow it.
Essay 4
Known as the first socio-political comedy in history, this is “The Minor” by D.I. Fonvizin. This play shows all the vices of society, the life of different social strata of the population, and how ignorant the seemingly “higher” society can be.
The main character of this work is Mrs. Prostakova. She is the most important in the house, the entire household rests on her, she monitors the behavior of her subjects, husband and son. She loves her son very much, calls him “my dear friend,” while treating her servants inhumanely, calling them “thieves” and other vile words. Although the servants carry out all the orders of her and her son, she still remains dissatisfied and dissatisfied.
How can she be described as a character? In this person there is a combination of several qualities, such as: bad manners, lack of education, ignorance. Prostakova comes from an old noble family. She has a lot of complexes, the thirst for power led to this. She loves to be in charge, she loves to have her punishments listened to and carried out. Her word is law. As a person who has peasant souls, she is quite cruel and commits arbitrariness on her estate. The peasants on her estate live in devastation, hunger and poverty. Her speech is rather poor, not rich, judging from this, she is a stupid, childish woman.
While reading, one gets the feeling that there is not a single good quality in it, and this will probably turn out to be true. This is a ruthless and cruel aunt, a tyrant, who is quite pessimistic. She is cunning because she understands how she should behave with whom. Let's say, realizing that Samodur can oppose her, she immediately apologizes to him because she is cowardly.
Prostakova has strange life priorities. In every situation, she seeks benefit for herself, for which she is ready to do anything. She cannot have a normal conversation or communicate with anyone, because she does not know how to find a common language, read human feelings and souls. That is why many do not like her, even her own son, for whom she sacrificed her life, ultimately “betrayed” her, of course, in her understanding. Her attitude towards the peasants is like animals, slaves, so she is sincerely sorry for them in this play.
In the image of Prostakova one can find inhuman power, duplicity, endless cunning and ignorance. Unfortunately, she is not the only landowner of that historical period who had these qualities, this was the intent of the comedy. Show a full generation through one person.
Other works: ← The problem of education in Nedorosl↑ Fonvizin D.I. Image and characterization of Eremeevna in the comedy Nedorosl →
Quote characteristic
Mrs. Prostakova came from a noble family:
“The Skotinins family is great and ancient. You won’t find our ancestor in any heraldry.”
in the family, she recalls:
“There were eighteen children; Yes, except for me and my brother, everyone, according to the power of God, tried it on.”
Her “deceased father was a commander for fifteen years,” and then “lying on a chest of money, he died, so to speak, of hunger.”
The hostess communicates with her brother, but only strangers hint to him that
“Your sister plays with you like a ball.”
Taras objects:
“Yes, I’ll throw her away myself so that the whole village won’t find her in a week.”
Subordinate to the mistress of the house:
"sister's brother, wife's husband and mother's son."
A wife has a low opinion of her husband:
“This is the kind of hubby God gave me: he doesn’t know how to figure out what’s wide and what’s narrow.”
The reason for all the misfortunes of the estate is in him:
“That’s why everything in our house is spoiled.”
She admits that she pretty much ruined his life:
“I didn’t do anything with him; what he couldn’t put up with me!”
yes only after that
“If the tetanus goes away, it will come, my father, to such an extent that you ask God for tetanus again.”
Prostakov dotes on his son:
“Here, son, is my only consolation.”
All her efforts for her son:
“My only concern, my only joy is Mitrofanushka. My age is passing. I’m preparing him to become a people.”
For her, he is still a small child:
“Go and have some fun, Mitrofanushka. A little boy, really, even though he’s a groom.”
The lady considers herself a good mother:
“Let all good people see that mother and that mother is dear. I have a mother’s heart.”
Likes to highlight his strengths:
“I manage everything myself, father. From morning to evening, like someone hanged by the tongue, I don’t lay down my hands: I scold, I fight; This is how the house holds together.”
She doesn’t hide the fact that she’s illiterate:
“We weren’t taught anything.”
“I can receive letters, but I always tell someone else to read them.”
She regrets that her husband is also illiterate:
“And you, my father, apparently were raised like a pretty girl.”
Therefore he says:
“We don’t regret the last crumbs, just to teach our son everything.”
And at the same time contradicts itself:
“People live and have lived without science.”
Believes that
“Whoever is smarter will be immediately elected by his brothers to some other position.”
She unexpectedly found a rich bride for her son and thinks:
“There would be somewhere to put Sophia’s money.”
Prostakova keeps everyone in a black body:
“I love that strangers listen to me.”
She believes that everything should be subordinate to her will:
“What a beast gives you letters without my asking!”
I sincerely don't understand:
“So is it really necessary to be a tailor to be able to sew a caftan well?”
He complains to his brother about his main problem:
“Since we took away everything the peasants had, we can’t take anything back. Such a disaster!
The landowner does not consider servants to be people:
“Are you a girl, are you a dog’s daughter?”
“He's delirious, you beast! As if noble!”
Gives them:
“Five rubles a year, and five slaps a day.”
Surprised:
“A nobleman is not free to whip his servants when he wants; But why have we been given a decree on the freedom of the nobility?
Likes to scold himself openly:
“Oh me, the dog’s daughter! What have I done!"
but he thinks something completely different:
“Let God pay the one who offends me, poor thing.”
People around me have a different opinion about Mrs. Prostakova:
“Even in three o’clock she can do so much mischief that you can’t help it with a century.”
“I found a landowner who is a countless fool, and a wife who is a despicable fury, whose hellish disposition brings misfortune to their entire house.”
“from being rude and scolding, she became affectionate to the very base”
“Master of interpreting decrees!”
“An inhuman lady, whose evil in a well-established state cannot be tolerated.”
Prostakova tries to justify herself:
"I'm a man, not an angel"
but realizing that it’s all over, he exclaims:
“I’m completely lost! My power has been taken away! You can’t show your eyes anywhere out of shame! I don’t have a son!”
The wise Starodum regrets:
“These are the fruits worthy of evil!”
Character and way of thinking
Mrs. Prostakova is a cruel and despotic woman who can hit not only a serf, but even her husband. She very often gets angry, demanding complete obedience from those around her (“I scold, then I fight; that’s how the house holds together”).
The highest value for Prostakova is money, which she treats with great stinginess, although she knows how to count with sin in half. She is completely illiterate, but considers this not a disadvantage, but an advantage: “I can receive letters, but I always tell someone else to read them.” At the beginning of the comedy, she utters a very characteristic phrase: “Is it really necessary... to be a tailor in order to be able to sew a caftan...”.
Prostakova is proud of her noble origins, which give her unlimited power. She is ready at any moment to punish the “cattle” under her control, even if they are not guilty of anything.
Essays about Prostakova
Using the above material, you can easily write an essay about the image of a lady.
Prostakova as a landowner
The internal politics of Russia at the end of the 18th century left much to be desired: poor serfs, brutal landowners, the brilliantly decorated courtyard of Catherine II.
According to the decree on freedom of 1762, issued by Peter III, the nobles received the right to study, serve, work and live where they want. Many of the noble class remained in their homes with strong connections and the opportunity to move higher, to the court. P
landlords left the cities and moved to their villages. Greedily, they began to accumulate so much land that the serfs were unable to cultivate it. The masters of life strangled their subordinates with all kinds of taxes and fines, not caring at all about their well-being.
The Prostakov landowners are one of those who “having complete power over their people, use it for evil inhumanly.” They have “sufficient wealth, albeit small,” but they want more, but they can’t.
The sister complains to brother Skotinin: “Since we took away everything the peasants had, we can’t take anything back. Such a disaster!
They ask to be taught how to properly collect tribute. Rumors about Taras Skotinin as a cruel rent collector circulated throughout the area. Serfs are subordinates. You can judge how the landowner treated her serfs by how she treated her household servants. Her servants had no right to be sick - they were not noble!
“A dog’s daughter, a thief’s mug, cattle” are affectionate epithets for the workforce. Mrs. Prostakova did not like to pay: she gave Mitrofan’s nanny, who raised him from the cradle, “five rubles a year, and five slaps a day.”
The landowner understood the laws in her own way: “A nobleman is not free to flog his servants when he wants; But why have we been given a decree on the freedom of the nobility?
Trying to keep up with the city nobles, “mother” hires teachers for her son, without having the slightest idea what they should really be like.
With the image of the landowner Prostakova, the author showed how narrow-minded and cruel many of those who were classified as the noble class were. Shamelessly using their power, they mocked their serfs. Fonvizin himself did not believe that serfdom should be abolished. He proposed to moderate it in order to avoid “Pugachevism.”
Characteristics of the Prostakovs “Minor”
The comedy “The Minor” was written by D. I. Fonvizin during the reign of Catherine the Great. In literature then two concepts of satire arose: on people and vices. The empress herself preferred to laugh at human vices. The court nobility loved to find out who this or that image was based on. Fonvizin tried to satisfy the wishes of both parties. However, the morning after the premiere, the play was banned. What did Catherine II not like so much?
The action of the play takes place in one of the estates forgotten by God. Using the example of one family, the author shows us the life and customs of the landowners of that time.
The main character of the work is Mrs. Prostakova. This is a completely negative character. She is stupid, rude and ugly in her relationships with others. He doesn’t see the point in teaching, because he believes: “Whoever is smarter, his brothers will immediately elect him to some other position.” But, fearing that in St. Petersburg her son will stand out among other nobles for his illiteracy, the mother hires teachers to educate Mitrofan.
The Age of Enlightenment established new laws according to which each of the noble children was required to receive an education. Demand appeared, and supply also appeared. Everyone who was of no use in other services aspired to become a teacher: be it a coachman or a soldier. Unconditional preference was given to foreigners. Parents could not control the level of knowledge they received due to their own illiteracy, and false teachers multiplied like mushrooms after rain.
It was precisely these teachers that Prostakova recruited for her underage Mitrofanushka. A sixteen-year-old boy under the care of his caring mother could not get out of childhood. Chasing pigeons with a stick was the “children’s” favorite pastime. Eating delicious food, sleeping and sneaking around the servants is a young man’s daily to-do list. For four years, thanks to his mother’s indulgence, Mitrofan did not make much progress in his knowledge.
If Mr. Prostakov had not been in the play, no one would have noticed a significant difference in the list of characters. He was not the landowner who independently resolved the issues of his estate. Or rather, Prostakov had nothing to do with them at all, since his wife was in charge of everything. He is a “wife’s husband,” and this phrase says it all. Many recognized themselves or their relatives in the negative images of the “Minor.” Who knows, maybe the great empress dressed her family in them, and she felt uncomfortable.
Prostakova - madam inhuman
One of the conflicts that D. I. Fonvizin touches on in his work “The Minor” is the problem of philanthropy. Mrs. Prostakova can be considered the main person in this conflict, because she is “an inhuman lady, whom evil in a well-established state cannot be tolerated.”
In his revelations with Sophia, Starodum notes that there cannot be proper upbringing in a family where the father does not have the right to vote, and arrogance in the mother is like “a sign of vicious behavior.” What kind of virtue and good behavior can she teach her children if there are none in her?
Let's take Mrs. Prostakova. She grew up in a family where children were never given due attention: they grew up on their own, “like grass in a garden.” Who could instill moral principles in this woman?
Having hated her father, who slept on a chest of money while the children lived in hunger, she transfers her hatred to her husband. Seizes power in the family, firmly holds everyone under his thumb. The hostess solves all problems with rude exclamations, and if that doesn’t help, she uses her fists. Pravdin calls her a “despicable fury,” whose hellish disposition makes the whole house miserable.
Mrs. Prostakova is not used to taking into account the opinions of others. The news of Starodum’s arrival leaves her bewildered: how can a dead man come? She buried him in her thoughts, so that’s how it should be. The mother passes on her thoughts and views on life to her son, encouraging his boorish attitude towards people. She teaches him to divide people: to please the powerful and insult those of lower status.
The trouble with such people, as Starodub wisely notes, is not that they lack love for humanity, but that they, first of all, do not value themselves as a supreme rational being. Their life is subject to the instincts of a wild animal: I want! My! They are afraid of only one thing: losing influence over others.
So our Lady Prostakova, feeling that power is leaving her hands, loses her appearance as a great and powerful mistress. Everyone turned away from her. Having turned into a pitiful creature, she expects support from her son, but she herself fostered evil in him, the fruits of which she is now forced to collect.
Is Mrs. Prostakova so simple?
In the comedy “The Minor,” Fonvizin gave his characters names that characterize their personalities. Pravdin is a man of truth, Starodum is a wise old man, Skotinin is an individual who cannot see beyond pigs’ tails. And Mrs. Prostakova, in this case, is a manifestation of simplicity.
But is our Prostakova really that simple?
Over the course of two and a half centuries, the word “simple” has undergone changes in its lexical meaning. Ozhegov’s dictionary gives definitions: 1) the most ordinary, not standing out among others; 2) belonging to a non-privileged society; 3) stupid, narrow-minded.
What meaning best suits the image of Mrs. Prostakova? When communicating with those who are of no interest to her, as well as with the servants, we see a narrow-minded “evil fury” who, as soon as she has an attack of hard-heartedness, “let her fight.” Aggression and foul language are the eternal companions of the landowner. Can such a woman be called smart?
But as soon as a person of rank or wealth appears on the horizon, a man of spiritual beauty is resurrected before us. Kindness itself, simplicity itself. Her speech immediately becomes approximately literary. Mrs. Prostakova restrains her violent impulses and wants to seem like a caring, hospitable hostess. She attributes the manifestations of her anger to the fact that she is a person and not an angel.
It turns out that the simplicity of the mistress is as changeable as the mistress herself. Only the desire to “appear” to be an ordinary woman with her weaknesses is much inferior to the habit of “being” a stupid, uneducated aunt. It is not for nothing that Pravdin does not fall for her tricks and sees in her the embodiment of evil and inhumanity. And the wise Starodum accuses him of evil behavior.
Spouse relationship
When analyzing the play in question, the characterization of the Prostakovs occupies an important place. “The Minor” is a work in which the author vividly and vividly depicted representatives of the noble class, as well as the emerging intelligentsia. The main character's parents are very recognizable by their relationship to each other, as well as to their son. Mrs. Prostakova does not respect her husband and does not perceive him as the owner of the estate. In turn, the latter puts up with the role assigned to him. At the same time, this character is interesting because he says everything he thinks. Thus, the characterization of Prostakov from the comedy “The Minor” allows us to better understand the image of his wife, who occupies the main place in the entire work.
He is frank in his statements, naive and simple-minded, which greatly irritates his wife, who prefers to use various tricks and tricks to get her way. Often the reader sees what is happening through his eyes. You want to believe him, because he is so good-natured that he is incapable of lying.
Criticism about the image
Some contemporaries were too pretentious in their statements about the play “Minor.” I. Bogdanovich spoke about its “unsuitability” - inconsistency with the canons.
“A woman gets into her face in an unbecoming way with her nails,” he described an incident from the work with hostility.
N.V. Gogol, who had to play Mrs. Prostakova in student performances, expressed the opinion: “Everything in this comedy, at first glance, is a caricature of Russian. But, looking closer, you notice that there is nothing caricatured about her.”
Decades later, I. Herzen, comprehending “The Minor,” will see in Fonvizin the pioneer of the concept of “sarcasm.”
Reviews and personal attitudes of readers towards the heroine
Maxim Sh. 8th grade “Mrs. Prostakova reminds me of my aunt, who first spoiled her son, and now she doesn’t know what to do with him. We should invite her to read “The Minor” so that she can see what pampering children can do.”
Egor K. 8th grade “I think that hardly anyone will like Prostakova for her evil disposition and terrible character.”
Olga L. 8th grade “As a mother, Prostakova can be understood. She wants the best for her only child. You just need to take into account the opinions of others, and not live up to your maiden name.”
Svetlana B. 8th grade “I didn’t like anything. I barely finished reading it because I was assigned to read it.”
What do you think about this character? Share in the comments!
