“The Captain's Daughter” is the pinnacle prose work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The author himself called his story historical, since it was based on the true events of the peasant uprising led by Emelyan Pugachev. The author recreates the atmosphere of those times, depicts characters typical of that era. The story is a memoir, “family notes”, narrated on behalf of Pyotr Grinev, a witness and participant in the events described. The main characters in the work are: the Grinev family, Savelich, the Mironov family, Pugachev and the rebellious peasants, as well as Shvabrin. It is on this that I want to dwell in more detail. This hero in the story is the direct opposite of Grinev. The latter “preserves honor from a young age”, embodies the best traits of a Russian person: breadth of soul, resourcefulness, courage, readiness to help. Shvabrin, on the contrary, is petty and selfish, cowardly and vile. Only one thing unites them - love for Masha Mironova. Shvabrin is an aristocrat who previously served in the guard. He is smart, educated, eloquent, witty, resourceful. He has been serving in the Belogorsk fortress for five years, transferred to it for murder - he stabbed a lieutenant in a duel. Shvabrin once wooed Masha Mironova, was refused, and therefore often used insulting language towards the girl. This is precisely what served as the reason for his duel with Grinev. But a fair fight is not for Shvabrin. Having cheated, he wounds Peter when he looks back at the unexpected call of the servant. Shvabrin is deeply indifferent to everything that does not concern his personal interests. The concepts of honor and official duty are alien to the hero. As soon as the Belogorsk fortress was captured by Pugachev, Shvarin went over to the side of the rebels and became one of their commanders. He went over to Pugachev’s side not for high ideological reasons, but to reprisal Grinev and marry Masha, who lived under the guise of a niece with a local priest. A morally devastated person, Shvabrin evokes a sharply negative attitude from Pushkin. The author's assessment of this character is sharply negative; in the story he is called by his last name, or only his initials are indicated: A.I. How does neglect of male and official honor ultimately turn out for the hero? Pugachev, who learned from Grinev that Shvabrin is holding the girl, is angry. The traitor aristocrat literally lies at the feet of the fugitive Cossack in search of mercy and forgiveness. Meanness, thus, turns into shame, which, unfortunately, did not teach the hero anything. Having fallen into the hands of government troops, Shvabrin points to Grinev as a traitorous Pugachevite. Probably, we should not condemn this hero, but feel sorry and sympathize with him. Personally, he doesn’t evoke any feelings in me other than pity. A person who cannot overcome his fears, who cannot see beyond his own nose, is weak and insignificant. It's not even a matter of aristocratic origin and brilliant education, but a lack of spiritual qualities. What could be worse than constantly being dependent on someone because of the fear of directly expressing your thoughts and desires, because of the habit of going with the flow? Why fight Pugachev when it is easier to take his side? Why do you need to wait until someone loves you, when you can force a girl to marry!.. Why fight an honest duel when it’s easier to deceive your opponent?! What kind of honor can we talk about if a person thinks this way? Unfortunately, there are a lot of people like Shvabrin around us. Because of them, others suffer, similar in spiritual qualities to Grineva and Masha. But, as a rule, committed meanness and betrayal turn against the mops. This is their problem: fear gives rise to lies and hypocrisy, and these, in turn, are the causes of failure. Why did I like the image of Shvabrin? Perhaps because in his example one can clearly see what meanness and submission to circumstances lead to. Each of our actions has a consequence, so the epigraph to the story “Take care of honor from a young age” after analyzing the image of Shvabrin takes on a new meaning. Having sacrificed honor once, a person dooms himself to lifelong failures.
Fate will point to the enemy.
War brings pain and loss. In dire life circumstances, it becomes clear who your friends and loved ones really are.
The image and characterization of Shvabrin in the story “The Captain's Daughter” will reveal to the reader the cruel truth about how easily a person betrays those around him and his own homeland. Life punishes traitors, and so will the hero of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
Appearance of Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin
He was no longer young. Judging by his figure and short stature, one could not say that he had a military bearing. The dark face was not at all attractive, but rather repulsive. When he was already standing among the rebels, Peter noticed his changes. “Cut in a circle, wearing a Cossack caftan”
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In the service of Pugachev, he turned into a thin and pale old man, his hair turned grey. Only grief and experiences could change a person’s appearance so quickly. But there is no turning back now.
The first opinion turns out to be deceptive
Officer Shvabrin ended up in the Belogorsk fortress because he stabbed a familiar lieutenant with his sword. He has been living here for five years now. Being with people for so long, he can easily betray them, slander them, insult them. His deceit manifests itself in many ways. As soon as he meets Grinev, he immediately begins to tell him unpleasant things about Ivan Kuzmich’s daughter. “He described Masha as a complete fool.” Before this, a new acquaintance made a good impression on Peter. “Shvabrin was not very stupid. His conversation was interesting"
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He wooed Masha and was refused. The young lady intelligently described the reason why she could not become his wife. She simply could not imagine life with someone for whom she had no feelings.
Comparative characteristics of Grinev and Shvabrin
Every story must have an antagonist to the main character. If Pushkin had not created the image of Shvabrin, then Grinev’s spiritual growth would not have been so noticeable, and besides, the development of the love line between Maria and Peter would have been impossible. The writer contrasts two young officers of noble origin in everything. A brief description of Shvabrin and Grinev shows that they even ended up serving in the fortress for different reasons. Peter was sent here to serve by his father so that his son could smell real gunpowder and serve in the army. Alexei was exiled to the Belogorsk fortress for the murder of a lieutenant.
Each of the heroes understands the expression “military duty” differently. Shvabrin doesn’t care who he serves, as long as he feels good. During Pugachev's uprising, Alexei immediately went over to the rebels, forgetting about the oath and honor. Grinev, under pain of death, refuses to swear allegiance to the rebels, but his natural kindness saved him. The fact is that he once gave Pugachev a hare sheepskin coat and a glass of wine, and he in return pays with gratitude and saves Peter’s life.
The captain's daughter became the bone of contention for the heroes. Grinev and Shvabrin fell in love with Masha, but their love is very different. Peter composes poems for the girl, and Alexey criticizes them, tearing them to smithereens. This is understandable, because he himself likes Maria, but how could a sincerely loving person put his beloved in a bad light and recommend that his rival give her earrings instead of poems so that she would come to him at dusk.
The honor of the beloved is hurt. Duel
When Peter read poems to Shvabrin dedicated to the daughter of Commandant Mironov, the officer advised him to give her expensive gifts so that she would come to him at night. It was a cruel, groundless insult, and the young man in love challenged the offender to a duel.
In the duel the officer performed poorly. Grinev recalls that the enemy overtook him at the moment when he was distracted.
“I looked back and saw Savelich running down the path. At this time I was hit hard in the chest, I fell and lost consciousness.”
It was dishonest and unmanly.
Deceit and duplicity
Shvabrin cannot come to terms with the fact that Masha chose his opponent. He understands that the lovers are planning to get married. Then the liar decides to stop them once again. He reports to Peter's parents about everything that happened in the fortress: the duel, Grinev's wound, his upcoming wedding with the daughter of the impoverished commandant. Before committing this act, he pretended to be an honest, sincere friend who regretted what he had done.
“He expressed deep regret about what happened, admitted that he was to blame, and asked to forget about the past.”
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Gossip
Shvabrin slandered not only Masha. He told Grinev, a man unfamiliar with the commandant’s family, tales, not at all worried about the fact that there was not a shadow of plausibility in them. So, he told Peter that the garrison lieutenant, Ivan Ignatich, allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with the captain’s wife.
Grinev had to communicate with Shvabrin every day. But over time, conversations with this man became more and more unpleasant for him. Indecent jokes addressed to the commandant’s family offended Peter. He had already gotten to know them, and the Mironov couple evoked nothing but sympathy. He was especially sensitive to caustic remarks about Masha.
Enemy for one's own state
For Shvabrin, the concept of honor and duty to the homeland does not exist. When Pugachev captured the fortress, he went over to the side of the rebels. The traitor looks at all the atrocities committed by Pugachev’s gang without a drop of regret.
Shvabrin occupies the place that belonged to the father of Maria Mironova. He keeps Masha locked up on bread and water and threatens her with violence. When the leader of the peasant war demands to release the girl, Shvabrin will tell whose daughter she is, putting at great risk the one to whom he recently declared his love. This proves that sincere feelings are alien to him.
Shvabrin Alexey Ivanovich
THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER Novel (1836)
“Shvabrin Alexey Ivanovich is a nobleman, the antagonist of the main character of Grinev’s story. Having conceived a novel (story) from the era of the Pugachev rebellion, connected by the genre tradition with the “Scottish novels” of W. Scott, where the hero finds himself between two camps, “rebels” and “conquerors,” Pushkin at first hesitated who to put at the center of the narrative. Or, as was the case in Dubrovsky, a nobleman who went over to the side of the peasants (here the prototype could be the Pugachevo nobleman Shvanvich). Or a Pugachev prisoner who managed to escape. In the end, Pushkin seemed to “divide” the historical hero in two, distributing him into two plot roles. One of them went to Grinev, the other to Sh.
Sh. is dark, ugly, animated; serves in the Belogorsk fortress for the fifth year; transferred here for “murder” (stabbed a lieutenant to death in a duel). In itself, this biographical detail does not mean anything; just as Sh.’s contempt does not mean anything (during the first meeting with Grinev, he describes the Belogorsk people very mockingly). All these are typical features of the novel's image of a young officer; for the time being, Sh. does not fall out of the traditional scheme; What is unusual for this type of literary hero is only his “intellectuality” (Sh. is undoubtedly more educated than Grinev; he was even familiar with V.K. Tredyakovsky). When he speaks caustically about the poems of the lover Grinev, this still corresponds to the stereotype and does not make the reader wary. Only when he, with a “hellish grin,” invites Grinev to give his beloved, the daughter of the local commandant Marya Ivanovna, earrings instead of a love song (“I know her character and customs from experience”) - does this suggest his spiritual dishonor. It soon becomes known that Sh. once wooed Marya Ivanovna and was refused (which means that his reviews of her as a complete fool are revenge; a nobleman who takes revenge on a woman is a scoundrel).
During a night duel, to which Grinev challenges him, offended by the review of Masha, Sh. strikes with a sword at the moment when the enemy looks back at the unexpected call of the servant. Formally, this is a blow to the chest, but essentially it is a blow to the back of an opponent who is not going to run. Then the reader has the most serious reasons to suspect Sh. of secretly denouncing Grinev’s parents about the fight (due to which the father forbids his son to even think about marriage with Marya Ivanovna). The complete loss of ideas about honor also predetermines the social betrayal of Sh. As soon as the fortress goes to Pugachev, he goes over to the side of the rebels, becomes one of their commanders and by force tries to persuade Masha, who lives under the guise of a niece with the local priest, to an alliance. The climax of the “Shvabrin” plot line is the scene when an angry Pugachev appears in the fortress, having learned from Grinev that Sh. is holding the girl: the nobleman is lying at the feet of the fugitive Cossack. Meanness turns into shame.
Sh. ends by saying that, having fallen into the hands of government troops, he points to Grinev as a traitorous Pugachevite; Only the innocence of the protagonist prevents us from guessing that Sh. is silent during the interrogation about Marya Ivanovna only because he is afraid of her testimony in favor of Grinev, and not because he wants to protect her from trouble. (Nothing prevented Sh., in a moment of personal danger, from revealing her secret to Pugachev and putting both the daughter of the hanged commandant and the priest who hid the noblewoman under mortal blow.)
Portraying such a “motionless” hero (despite the importance of his figure, shading and balancing the image of Grinev) is uninteresting. Therefore, Pushkin often resorts to the technique of indirect narration: Sh. himself remains outside the scope of the story, the reader learns about him from the conversations of other characters.
All characteristics in alphabetical order:
Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin is a supporting character in the novel (story) by A. S. Pushkin “The Captain's Daughter”. His task is to help the author reveal the images of Grinev and Masha, to make them realistic, not “bookish and fairy-tale-like,” as positive heroes often seem to us.
Shvabrin has a real prototype. During the Pugachev uprising, nobleman Mikhail Shvanvich, who served in the company of Lieutenant Kartashov, took part in suppressing the rebellion. The company surrendered to Pugachev, and Shvanvich swore allegiance to him with a kiss on his hand and served faithfully first as an ataman, then as secretary of the Military Collegium.
There was no story with the “captain’s daughter” in Shvanvich’s life, but for Pushkin the very fact of violating the oath and going over to the side of the rebels was important.
Essay Characteristics of Masha Mironova and Grinev
The novel is written in the form of memoirs of Pyotr Andreich Grinev, where he recalls his youth and meetings with the “robber Pugachev”. Grinev’s childhood and youth were no different from the lives of other underage bards, so this is mentioned in passing in the novel, but Grinev talks in detail about his upcoming service in the army, because he dreamed of serving in St. Petersburg, in the guard, and hoped for a fun and carefree life. His father gave him something else: “What will he learn in St. Petersburg? Wander and hang out? No, let him serve in the army, let him pull the strap, let him smell gunpowder, let him be a soldier, not a shamaton.” It was not customary to argue with the father; he decides what “Petrusha” should do; in his parting words to his son there is a serious order, which the son did not even try to challenge in his thoughts. The authority of the father is the foundation of the family. For Pyotr Grinev, this is a kind of oath of allegiance to the family, which he will never betray. The father instructs: “Farewell, Peter. Serve faithfully to whom you pledge allegiance; obey your superiors; Don’t chase their affection; don’t ask for service; do not dissuade yourself from serving; and remember the proverb: “Take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age.” Grinev learned his father's lesson well. He understands perfectly well that a lost debt must be paid for. Pyotr Andreich responds to Savelich’s objections with insolence, but returns the money to Zurina. He presents the counselor with a hare's sheepskin coat, that is, according to Savelich, he behaves “like a foolish child,” but, in our opinion, nobly. Service in the fortress is not burdensome for Grinev, and after he became interested in the captain’s daughter, it is even pleasant. The duel with Shvabrin adds positive traits to Grinev. He is not some kind of incompetent, but a man who has an idea of how to handle a sword. And, don’t be mean to Shvabrin, it is still unknown how the duel would have ended. His love for Masha Mironova played an important role in the formation of Grinev’s character. In love, a person opens up to the end. We see that Grinev is not just in love, he is ready to take responsibility for his beloved. And when Masha remains a defenseless orphan, Pyotr Andreevich risks not only his life, but also his honor, which is more important to him. He proved this during the capture of the Belogorsk fortress, when, without swearing allegiance to the “villain,” he awaited reprisals. “Pugachev waved his handkerchief, and the good lieutenant hung next to his old boss. The line was behind me. I boldly looked at Pugachev, preparing to repeat the answer of my generous comrades.” Grinev never deviated from his father’s order, and when the turn came to answer for Shvabrin’s slander, Pyotr Andreich did not even think of justifying himself in Masha’s name. From the beginning to the end of the novel we see a mature, gradually maturing hero who sacredly observes his father’s oath and covenant. This character, sometimes youthfully dissolute, but kind and persistent, arouses the sympathy of readers. We are filled with pride in the knowledge that our ancestors were like this, having won many glorious victories. Masha Mironova is the daughter of Captain Mironov. At first, it seems that this is not the main character and the title of the story is puzzling, but this is not so. Masha is not only the main reason for most of the events that occur in the story, she is the true heroine. Her image can be completely accurately imagined thanks to Pushkin’s description. Every action, every word, everything helps the reader understand the character of any hero. I remember Masha most of all, she fought for her right to be with her loved one, which means that she was faithful and capable of sincere love. The first meeting of Masha and Grinev took place in the commandant’s house. An ordinary Russian girl of eighteen years old - “chubby, ruddy, with light brown hair, combed smoothly behind the ears.” Poor, timid, sensitive “girl of marriageable age”, she was afraid even of a shot from a gun. My father was a captain and looked after the fortress. Mother - Vasilisa Egorovna “looked at the affairs of the service as if they were her master’s, and ruled the fortress as accurately as she ruled her house.” There were few women in the fortress, and there were no girls at all. She lived rather secluded and lonely, which influenced the development of her character. Peter’s first impression of her was not the best due to Shvabrin’s slander. When Peter met Masha, he realized that she was a “prudent and sensitive girl,” and soon fell in love with her. Shvabrin continued to slander Marya Ivanovna, but Grinev no longer shared his friend’s thoughts. Soon it went too far, and the friends quarreled, deciding to fight a duel. In a conversation with Marya Ivanovna, Peter learned the reason for Shvabrin’s attacks on her, and that she was extremely worried about the upcoming duel. And the reason for the attacks was Masha’s refusal to marry Alexei Ivanovich. Despite the fact that she is a “girl of marriageable age” without a dowry, as Vasilisa Yegorovna said: “What is her dowry? a fine comb, a broom, and an altyn of money... something to go to the bathhouse with. It’s good if there is a kind person; Otherwise you’ll be an eternal bride among the girls,” Masha still refuses Shvabrin. Although he “is, of course, a smart man, has a good family name, and has a fortune; but when I think that it will be necessary to kiss him under the aisle in front of everyone... No way! not for any well-being! Her pure, open soul cannot accept marriage to an unloved person. During the duel, Pyotr Andreevich was seriously wounded. Masha looked after her lover and did not leave his bed. She agreed to the marriage proposal. Masha no longer hid her feelings and “without any affectation she confessed to me her heartfelt inclination and said that her parents, of course, would be happy about her happiness.” However, she never agrees to get married without the blessing of the groom's parents. Having learned about Father Peter’s refusal to grant the blessing, Masha did not change her decision and decided to accept her fate, avoiding her beloved in every possible way. Masha’s bitter fate does not end there - after Pugachev arrives at their fortress, she becomes an orphan and is forced to hide in the priest’s house. But Shvabrin, having managed to go over to the side of the enemy, takes the girl and puts her under lock and key, preparing for his wedding with her. Masha preferred death to marriage with Alexei. Pyotr Andreevich and Pugachev freed the girl from captivity. Seeing the killer of her parents, the girl “covered her face with her hands and fell unconscious.” Pugachev released the lovers, and they went to the groom’s parents. Along the way, circumstances forced Grinev to remain in the garrison, and Masha continued on her way. Marya Ivanovna was received by Peter’s parents with “sincere cordiality.” “They soon became sincerely attached to her.” Upon learning of the arrest, “Marya Ivanovna was greatly alarmed, but remained silent, because she was extremely gifted with modesty and caution.” After receiving a letter saying that the Empress was sparing Peter from execution out of respect for his father. Masha begins to suffer more than anyone else, considering herself guilty, since she knew the real reason for the arrest. This becomes a turning point and we begin to learn another side of her character. “She hid her tears and suffering from everyone and meanwhile constantly thought about the means to save her beloved.” Having told Grinev’s parents that “her entire future fate depends on this journey, that she is going to seek protection and help from strong people, as the daughter of a man who suffered for his loyalty,” Masha goes to St. Petersburg. She is ready to fight for her love, for the liberation of Peter in all possible ways. Early in the morning, while walking through the garden, Masha met a lady in whom “everything involuntarily attracted the heart and inspired confidence.” The girl openly tells her her story and says that Grinev “for me alone was exposed to everything that befell him. And if he did not justify himself before the court, it was only because he did not want to confuse me.” Then the lady left our heroine. It was during this meeting that the other side of Masha is revealed - a girl who, having survived the death of her parents, imprisonment, and the arrest of her fiancé, found the strength and determination to prove her lover’s innocence and will see him again. Soon the Empress summoned her; she turned out to be the lady with whom Marya Ivanovna had spoken in the morning. Catherine the Second announced the release of Pyotr Andreevich. Marya Ivanovna Mironova is a true heroine. Throughout the novel, you can see how her character changes. From a timid, sensitive, cowardly girl, she grows into a brave and determined heroine, capable of defending her right to happiness. That is why the novel is named after her - “The Captain's Daughter”.
Characteristics of the hero
Shvabrin acts as the antagonist of the main character - Grinev. And in everything. Grinev is poorly educated - Shvabrin is well educated. Grinev is conscientious and rather modest, Shvabrin seeks profit in everything and is daring. Grinev, without a drop of doubt, is faithful to his word and oath, even at the cost of his life. Shvabrin thinks only about himself and is ready to sell or buy even his homeland, even love, and for the sake of his own life he will commit any meanness and crime.
You can judge Shvabrin by his first words spoken to Grinev at the meeting: “Yesterday I learned about your arrival; the desire to finally see a human face
took possession of me so much that I could not stand it...” In two words, Alexey Ivanovich expresses his attitude towards the inhabitants of the Belogorsk fortress and at the same time characterizes himself: a noble, strong man, with a really deep mind, will never call everyone around him animals, but himself a man. He is possessed by a petty demon of pride, but his pride is very cheap, it is a vulgar counterfeit of honor and aristocracy.
This is confirmed further when Shvabrin takes revenge on Masha Mironova for refusing matchmaking and denigrates her in the eyes of Grinev: “... if you want Masha Mironova to come to you at dusk, then instead of tender poems, give her a pair of earrings.” His lies are monstrously disgusting, because Masha is an example of modesty, purity and fidelity.
As the story progresses, the character of the hero does not change, only exacerbating the properties already known to us. Shvabrin wounds Grinev in a duel at the moment when Peter turns to Savelich’s cry. Then he informs Grinev’s father about the duel, for which Peter falls into severe disgrace with his parent: the priest is determined to transfer Peter to an even greater wilderness. Next, Shvabrin swears allegiance to Pugachev and it turns out that he was in preliminary correspondence with the “robber” in order to save his life in the event of the capture of the fortress.
Shvabrin tries to take possession of Masha by force, locks her in a closet “for bread and water.” When this attempt fails, Shvabrin tells Pugachev that Masha is actually the daughter of Captain Mironov and should either be executed or imprisoned.
Such a desperate “parade of baseness” and dishonor may seem far-fetched. Doesn't realism teach us that there is both good and bad in everyone? But Pushkin, as if in spite of reality, ends Shvabrin’s fate with the main betrayal: Shvabrin writes a denunciation to the government against Grinev.
“Characteristics of Masha Mironova and Grinev”
The novel is written in the form of memoirs of Pyotr Andreich Grinev, where he recalls his youth and meetings with the “robber Pugachev.” Grinev’s childhood and youth were no different from the lives of other underage bards, so this is mentioned in passing in the novel, but Grinev talks in detail about his upcoming service in the army, because he dreamed of serving in St. Petersburg, in the guard, and hoped for a fun and carefree life. His father gave him something else: “What will he learn in St. Petersburg? Wander and hang out? No, let him serve in the army, let him pull the strap, let him smell gunpowder, let him be a soldier, not a shamaton.” It was not customary to argue with the father; he decides what “Petrusha” should do; in his parting words to his son there is a serious order, which the son did not even try to challenge in his thoughts. The authority of the father is the foundation of the family. For Pyotr Grinev, this is a kind of oath of allegiance to the family, which he will never betray. The father instructs: “Farewell, Peter. Serve faithfully to whom you pledge allegiance; obey your superiors; Don’t chase their affection; don’t ask for service; do not dissuade yourself from serving; and remember the proverb: “Take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age.” Grinev learned his father's lesson well. He understands perfectly well that a lost debt must be paid for. Pyotr Andreich responds to Savelich’s objections with insolence, but returns the money to Zurina. He presents the counselor with a hare's sheepskin coat, that is, according to Savelich, he behaves “like a foolish child,” but, in our opinion, nobly. Service in the fortress is not burdensome for Grinev, and after he became interested in the captain’s daughter, it is even pleasant. The duel with Shvabrin adds positive traits to Grinev. He is not some kind of incompetent, but a man who has an idea of how to handle a sword. And, don’t be mean to Shvabrin, it is still unknown how the duel would have ended. His love for Masha Mironova played an important role in the formation of Grinev’s character. In love, a person opens up to the end. We see that Grinev is not just in love, he is ready to take responsibility for his beloved. And when Masha remains a defenseless orphan, Pyotr Andreevich risks not only his life, but also his honor, which is more important to him. He proved this during the capture of the Belogorsk fortress, when, without swearing allegiance to the “villain,” he awaited reprisals. “Pugachev waved his handkerchief, and the good lieutenant hung next to his old boss. The line was behind me. I boldly looked at Pugachev, preparing to repeat the answer of my generous comrades.” Grinev never deviated from his father’s order, and when the turn came to answer for Shvabrin’s slander, Pyotr Andreich did not even think of justifying himself in Masha’s name. From the beginning to the end of the novel we see a mature, gradually maturing hero who sacredly observes his father’s oath and covenant. This character, sometimes youthfully dissolute, but kind and persistent, arouses the sympathy of readers. We are filled with pride in the knowledge that our ancestors were like this, having won many glorious victories. Masha Mironova is the daughter of Captain Mironov. At first, it seems that this is not the main character and the title of the story is puzzling, but this is not so. Masha is not only the main reason for most of the events that occur in the story, she is the true heroine. Her image can be completely accurately imagined thanks to Pushkin’s description. Every action, every word, everything helps the reader understand the character of any hero. I remember Masha most of all, she fought for her right to be with her loved one, which means that she was faithful and capable of sincere love. The first meeting of Masha and Grinev took place in the commandant’s house. An ordinary Russian girl of eighteen years old - “chubby, ruddy, with light brown hair, smoothly combed behind the ears.” Poor, timid, sensitive “girl of marriageable age”, she was afraid even of a shot from a gun. My father was a captain and looked after the fortress. Mother - Vasilisa Egorovna “looked at the affairs of the service as if they were her master’s, and ruled the fortress as accurately as she ruled her house.” There were few women in the fortress, and there were no girls at all. She lived rather secluded and lonely, which influenced the development of her character. Peter’s first impression of her was not the best due to Shvabrin’s slander. When Peter met Masha, he realized that she was a “prudent and sensitive girl,” and soon fell in love with her. Shvabrin continued to slander Marya Ivanovna, but Grinev no longer shared his friend’s thoughts. Soon it went too far, and the friends quarreled, deciding to fight a duel. In a conversation with Marya Ivanovna, Peter learned the reason for Shvabrin’s attacks on her, and that she was extremely worried about the upcoming duel. And the reason for the attacks was Masha’s refusal to marry Alexei Ivanovich. Despite the fact that she is a “girl of marriageable age” without a dowry, as Vasilisa Yegorovna said: “What is her dowry? a fine comb, a broom, and an altyn of money... something to go to the bathhouse with. It’s good if there is a kind person; Otherwise you’ll be an eternal bride among the girls,” Masha still refuses Shvabrin. Although he “is, of course, a smart man, has a good family name, and has a fortune; but when I think that it will be necessary to kiss him under the aisle in front of everyone... No way! not for any well-being! Her pure, open soul cannot accept marriage to an unloved person. During the duel, Pyotr Andreevich was seriously wounded. Masha looked after her lover and did not leave his bed. She agreed to the marriage proposal. Masha no longer hid her feelings and “without any affectation she confessed to me her heartfelt inclination and said that her parents, of course, would be happy about her happiness.” However, she never agrees to get married without the blessing of the groom's parents. Having learned about Father Peter’s refusal to grant the blessing, Masha did not change her decision and decided to accept her fate, avoiding her beloved in every possible way. Masha’s bitter fate does not end there - after Pugachev arrives at their fortress, she becomes an orphan and is forced to hide in the priest’s house. But Shvabrin, having managed to go over to the side of the enemy, takes the girl and puts her under lock and key, preparing for his wedding with her. Masha preferred death to marriage with Alexei. Pyotr Andreevich and Pugachev freed the girl from captivity. Seeing the killer of her parents, the girl “covered her face with her hands and fell unconscious.” Pugachev released the lovers, and they went to the groom’s parents. Along the way, circumstances forced Grinev to remain in the garrison, and Masha continued on her way. Marya Ivanovna was received by Peter’s parents with “sincere cordiality.” “They soon became sincerely attached to her.” Upon learning of the arrest, “Marya Ivanovna was greatly alarmed, but remained silent, because she was extremely gifted with modesty and caution.” After receiving a letter saying that the Empress was sparing Peter from execution out of respect for his father. Masha begins to suffer more than anyone else, considering herself guilty, since she knew the real reason for the arrest. This becomes a turning point and we begin to learn another side of her character. “She hid her tears and suffering from everyone and meanwhile constantly thought about the means to save her beloved.” Having told Grinev’s parents that “her entire future fate depends on this journey, that she is going to seek protection and help from strong people, as the daughter of a man who suffered for his loyalty,” Masha goes to St. Petersburg. She is ready to fight for her love, for the liberation of Peter in all possible ways. Early in the morning, while walking through the garden, Masha met a lady in whom “everything involuntarily attracted the heart and inspired confidence.” The girl openly tells her her story and says that Grinev “for me alone was exposed to everything that befell him. And if he did not justify himself before the court, it was only because he did not want to confuse me.” Then the lady left our heroine. It was during this meeting that the other side of Masha is revealed - a girl who, having survived the death of her parents, imprisonment, and the arrest of her fiancé, found the strength and determination to prove her lover’s innocence and will see him again. Soon the Empress summoned her; she turned out to be the lady with whom Marya Ivanovna had spoken in the morning. Catherine the Second announced the release of Pyotr Andreevich. Marya Ivanovna Mironova is a true heroine. Throughout the novel, you can see how her character changes. From a timid, sensitive, cowardly girl, she grows into a brave and determined heroine, capable of defending her right to happiness. That is why the novel is named after her - “The Captain's Daughter”.
