Introduction
Ivan Goncharov for the first time in his novel “Oblomov” introduces a new concept for Russian literature “Oblomovism”, which denoted a special social tendency, characteristic, first of all, of the Russian people, concluded in complete lack of will, apathy, constant laziness and excessive daydreaming, when illusions are replaced real life, and the person degrades. The very word “Oblomovshchina” comes from the name of the main character of the work - Oblomov and the name of his native village - Oblomovka, which was the focus of everything that led to the gradual decline of Ilya Ilyich as a person, his complete isolation from the world and final escapism. The depiction of Oblomov and “Oblomovism” in Goncharov’s novel is a reflection of the process of gradual change, the “breaking” of a person who is instilled with unnatural values and desires, which ultimately leads to tragic consequences - the acquisition of a false meaning of life, fear of the real world and the early death of the hero.
We have a new characteristic of Oblomov.
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Oblomovka and “Oblomovism”
The roots of the appearance of “Oblomovism” in Oblomov lie in the childhood of the hero - Ilya Ilyich grew up in a distant village, literally cut off from the real world and the center of Russia - Oblomovka. The Oblomov estate is located in a picturesque, quiet, peaceful area, where the climate pleased with its moderation and tranquility, where there were no heavy rains, hurricanes or winds, a raging sea or majestic mountains, instead of which there were gentle hills, even the sky “huddles closer to the ground”, “to hug her tighter, with love: it spread out so low above her head, like a parent’s reliable roof, to protect, it seems, the chosen corner from all adversity.”
Everything here promised “a calm, long-term life until the hair turns yellow and an imperceptible, sleep-like death.” Even the seasons followed each other according to the calendar, without destroying the crops with spring snows - everything in Oblomovka went according to its usual way, without changing for decades. In such a semblance of paradise on earth, Oblomov and the Oblomovites developed, protected even by nature from all sorts of hardships, experiences and losses.
People in Oblomovka lived from rite to rite - from birth to wedding and from wedding to funeral. The pacifying nature pacified their disposition, making them quiet, harmless and indifferent to everything: the worst atrocities in the village were associated with the theft of peas or carrots, and having once found a dead man from a neighboring village, they decided to forget about it, since the life of other communities did not concern them touched, which means the dead man is not their problem. A similar situation occurred with a letter from a neighboring estate, which described a recipe for beer, but the Oblomovites were afraid to open it right away, fearing bad news that could disturb the usual tranquility of the village. People in Oblomovka did not like work, considering it a duty and trying to get the job done as quickly as possible or even shift it onto the shoulders of someone else. On the estate, all the work was done by the servants, who, as can be seen from the example of Zakhar, were also not the most responsible and hardworking people, but at the same time remained devoted servants of their bar.
The days of the Oblomovka residents passed in calmness and idleness, and the most important event was the choice of dishes for dinner, when everyone offered their own options, and then everyone consulted, approaching the menu with particular seriousness: “caring for food was the first and main concern in life in Oblomovka. After the meal, everyone fell into a sleepy state, sometimes they carried on lazy, meaningless conversations, but more often they were completely silent, gradually falling asleep: “it was some kind of all-consuming, invincible sleep, a true likeness of death,” which little Ilya observed from year to year, gradually adopting parental behavior model and values.
Critic Dobrolyubov about Oblomovism
In 1859, the famous Russian critic Nikolai Aleksandrovich Dobrolyubov wrote an article “What is Oblomovism”, characterizing the hero of the work and the phenomenon named after the name of Ilya Ilyich. In the article, the critic exposes the reasons for the occurrence of this harmful phenomenon.
Oblomovism in the novel is a typification of the image of Russian life of the mid-19th century, the vegetation of Russian people without a goal, in inaction, apathy and laziness. Oblomov is not a stupid person, understanding, kind in character, but “superfluous”. The hero's thoughts and words are at odds with his deeds and actions. Oblomovism destroys the best personality traits, the ability to act, achieve goals, and move forward in development.
Goncharov’s novel touches on a very global theme of that time - the problems of the Russian nobility against the backdrop of the country’s reconstruction.
He was about thirty years old, and, thanks to his lazy lifestyle, he already looked unhealthy. He moved little and was rarely in the fresh air. And in order to strengthen the image of Oblomov, Goncharov describes his life and daily routine in great detail. The author devoted an entire chapter to just one of his days. His lack of interest in everything that happens is clearly reflected in the chapter describing his personal account.
The nobleman has a faithful servant - Zakhar. But he has lived in Oblomov’s close company for so long that he himself has become like him. The author reveals this by describing the dressing gowns: one is often greasy (Oblomov), and the other has a hole under the arm, through which the undershirt is always visible. Zakhar is just as lazy as the master and is not bad at speculating on this. He always has an excuse for everything he doesn't do.
In general, the master’s house is a complete reflection of him - not well-groomed, not washed for a long time, with dirty spots on the floor and furniture, as well as cobwebs on the walls and large layers of dust around.
No matter how lazy Oblomov is, he still has positive qualities such as kindness, openness and honesty. His close friend Stolz talks about this, comparing him to a crystal transparent soul.
Only sometimes did Ilya Ilyich feel sad about the moments when he could have done something and changed his life. He wonders why he is like this. Goncharov will answer this question for the reader by telling about Oblomov’s dream, which shows the origins of the formation of his character. It also talks about a phenomenon called “Oblomovism.”
In the village of Oblomovka, all the people lived as if in a dream, obeying natural phenomena and the change of seasons. No passions or storms could disturb the calm and measured routine of life. This largely influenced the development of the protagonist’s lifestyle. Everything was presented ready-made, and any initiative of Ilyusha was suppressed under the pretext that the servants could do it for him. As a result, this led to the fact that without Zakhar he is not even able to get dressed.
Oblomov's childhood in Oblomovka
As a child, Ilya was an inquisitive, active child who tried in every possible way to understand the world around him. He wanted, like other children, to run through the fields, climb trees, walk where it was forbidden, or, climbing into the hayloft, admire the river and magnificent landscapes from above. Oblomov liked to watch animals and explore the surrounding area. However, overly protective parents, who from infancy surrounded Ilya with constant care and control, forbade the boy to actively interact with the world and study it, instilling in him completely different, “Oblomov” values and behavior patterns: constant laziness, unwillingness to work and study, lack of will and fear of the real. peace.
Deprived of the need to fight for his desires, receiving everything he wants at the first request, Oblomov became accustomed to idleness. He did not need to decide or do anything on his own - there were always parents nearby who “knew better” what their son needed, or servants who were ready to bring him any food, help him get dressed or clean his chambers. Ilya was raised as an exotic “indoor flower,” protected with all their might from the outside world and hidden in Oblomovka’s peaceful nest. His parents did not even demand academic success from their son, since they did not consider science to be something truly important and useful; they often left him at home on holidays or in bad weather. That is why studying at school, and then at the institute, became for Oblomov something like an instruction from his parents, and not the implementation of his own will. During the classes, Ilya Ilyich was bored; he did not understand how the knowledge gained could be applied in later life, in particular, in Oblomovka.
Essay: Oblomov and Oblomovshchina in Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov”
(438 words) “Oblomov” is one of the most popular and significant novels of the nineteenth century. Goncharov brilliantly showed the image of the era, the face of his generation. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the personification of a Russian nobleman who was faced with the demands of new times and became an “extra person”, lost in life. Goncharov’s hero laid the foundation for the common noun for people of their type and the lifestyle they lead. What is the meaning of the concept of “Oblomovism” and why is the character of the hero so interesting?
Ilya Ilyich is a Russian nobleman raised in a traditional patriarchal family. As a boy, Oblomov got used to care and constant attention and a comfortable life. Oblomov's day was filled with numerous and plentiful meals and games in nature. The family watched every step of the boy, gentle and a little spoiled. Having lived to the age of thirty-two, Ilya Ilyich remained a child in his habits. The servant Zakhar, grumpy but faithful, replaced his nanny.
Oblomov seems to live in an illusory world, sleepy and dusty, and he himself is the same as his untidy apartment and worn out old-fashioned robe. He is lazy, does not want to learn new things, looking at everything unfamiliar with contempt and caution. He almost completely cut himself off from the outside world, warily greeting those who came from the street, “out of the cold.”
However, the half-dead life of Oblomov’s house does not reflect the inner state of Ilya Ilyich, the impulses of his soul. Oblomov has a sensitive heart, full of sympathy and love for people. He subtly feels the beauty of nature and art, human warmth. He is capable of deep feelings of affection and love; Oblomov is a wonderful friend.
The hero is also smart and perceptive. Understanding his position perfectly, Oblomov continues to suffer from lack of will and lack of initiative, submitting to the inertia of his usual existence.
The author asserts the harmfulness of such a lifestyle, which is expressed in the playfully bitter name given by Oblomov to his “disease” - Oblomovism. People like Oblomov have no future; all of noble Russia, raised on serf labor, is no longer able to keep up with the times and meet its requirements. But can the hero change his position? Is Oblomov able to stop being Oblomov? Are Russian landed nobles capable of turning into active and progressive capitalists, and will they remain nobles or become something else?
Unfortunately, in modern language the concept of “Oblomovism” has lost part of its content. Now calling someone Oblomov, we do not take into account the tragedy of the hero’s position and the deep historical conditioning of the hero’s character. Despite everything, Oblomov cannot be recklessly called a lazy person and a sybarite, incapable of anything meaningful and interesting. Oblomov was given a living soul, sympathetic and kind. That is why the sad fate of the hero evokes compassion. Goncharov invested in the hero a sincere desire for purity, an open soul like an infant, without which, according to the author, a truly spiritual person cannot exist. However, Oblomovism is “the other side of the coin”; this is what lulls and deadens the human soul, hinders its development and enrichment, getting in the way of the hero’s happy life and dooming him to a slow death, similar to falling asleep.
Author: Ekaterina Ozarovskaya
The destructive influence of fairy tales on Oblomov’s life
In the novel, Ilya Ilyich appears as a very sensitive, dreamy person who knows how to see beauty and subtly experience any manifestations of the outside world. In many ways, the formation of these qualities in the hero was influenced by Oblomov’s picturesque nature and fairy tales that his nanny told the boy. Myths and legends carried Oblomov into a completely different world - a fantastic, beautiful and full of miracles: “He involuntarily dreams of Militris Kirbityevna; he is constantly drawn in the direction where they only know that they are walking, where there are no worries and sorrows; he always has the disposition to lie on the stove, walk around in a ready-made, unearned dress and eat at the expense of the good sorceress.” Even in adulthood, realizing that “rivers of milk” do not exist, Ilya Ilyich “is sometimes unconsciously sad, why is a fairy tale not life, and why is life not a fairy tale.” That is why in Oblomov, that feeling, instilled with fairy tales, continued to live, the feeling of a person’s abandonment in a terrifying and frightening world, where you need to blindly make your way forward, neither seeing a goal nor a road, from which only a true miracle can save you.
The fabulous, magical world of legends and myths becomes an alternative reality for Oblomov, and already in adulthood he invents for himself a fairy tale about a future life in the paradise Oblomovka, about endless calm family happiness, prosperity and tranquility. However, the tragedy of Ilya Ilyich does not even lie in total escapism, fear of society, unwillingness to do anything and fight for his happiness, and not the understanding that he has already replaced real life with an illusory one. Before his death, for Oblomov, his dreams are more real and important than his son, wife, friend and people around him, even more important than himself, because in his dreams everything is in order with his health, he is full of strength and energy. However, Goncharov himself in the novel briefly gives the reader one of the explanations for this substitution: “or maybe sleep, the eternal silence of a sluggish life and the absence of movement and any real fears, adventures and dangers forced a person to create another, unrealizable one among the natural world, and to look for revelry and fun for the idle imagination or the solution to ordinary combinations of circumstances and causes of a phenomenon outside the phenomenon itself,” emphasizing that life itself should be a continuous striving forward, and not an endless sleep in the “comfort zone.”
