Article menu:
- Writing history and sources
- Characters
- Plot continuation of "The Minor"
- Themes and problems of "Minor"
- Symbolism of the name
- Features of classicism in comedy
The comedy “Minor” is considered Fonvizin’s best work. There is even a legend in which Prince Potemkin (according to another version it was Derzhavin) spoke of his admiration after staging a comedy in the theater in a very ironic way. After the premiere, he told Fonvizin that he might die, because he would not be able to write a better work.
Such a high rating was not isolated - most critics and contemporaries spoke laudably about “The Minor.”
Writing history and sources
Fonvizin’s idea of writing a comedy was formed in 1778. At that time, he spent a long time in Europe and returned home impressed by European comedies. However, it was not possible to write what was planned quickly - the work lasted for three years.
In his work, Fonvizin used many sources. The bulk of them were occupied by materials from satirical magazines. They were joined by the works of European masters, in particular Voltaire and Rousseau.
Fonvizin did not ignore the works of Russian contemporaries (Lukin, Emin), as well as comedies written by Empress Catherine II.
In 1881 the play was ready, but its path to the stage was not easy - censorship did not allow such a work to be shown. As a result, the empress gave permission for the production. The comedy was definitely a success with the audience and delighted even the most demanding of them.
Characters
- Mrs. Prostakova is the negative heroine of the comedy, an evil and cruel woman, a landowner. The only one who gets positive attention and attitude from Prostakova is her only child, son Mitrofanushka, whom she, despite his adult age, cares for and pampers in every possible way.
- Terenty Prostakov is a negative character in the comedy, the husband of Mrs. Prostakova and the father of Mitrofanushka. He is a timid and shy person who does not know how to stand up for himself and defend his interests. He constantly suffers humiliation from his wife.
- Mitrofaniy Prostakov is a negative character in the comedy, a 15-year-old boy. An uneducated teenager, although he has already been studying for three years. He is a selfish and stupid person.
- Taras Skotinin is a negative character in the comedy, Prostakova’s brother. A stupid and selfish person. He has a special love for breeding pigs. For the sake of enrichment, he wants to marry Sonya.
- Starodum is a positive comedy hero, Sonya's uncle. A noble man who ensured his financial position through honest work. Kind and good person.
- Sophia is a positive comedy character. A kind and sweet girl, an orphan. She lives with the Prostakovs, after the death of her parents, since she is a relative of Prostakov. The Prostakovs first want to marry her to Skotinin, and then to Mitrofanushka - the reason was Sophia’s money.
- Milon is a positive character, a young officer who has long been in love with Sophia. For the last six months, the lovers have not communicated, since the connection between them was lost, but by chance the young people met again.
- Pravdin is a positive hero of the comedy, an honest and respectable official, whose job is to control the relations between landowners and serfs and punish manifestations of cruelty and rudeness in these relations. He exposes the unlawful actions of the Prostakovs towards the peasants and takes control of the affairs of their estate.
We present to your attention a “summary of the comedy “The Minor,” which came from the pen of the talented author Denis Fonvizin.
- Pafnutich Tsyfirkin is a positive character in the comedy, Mitrofan’s teacher, teaching him arithmetic. Tsyfirkin used to be a military man and served with Milon. He is a good and honest person, but he made a bad teacher.
- Sidorich Kuteikin is a negative character in the comedy, a sexton, Mitrofan's literacy teacher - a cowardly person, a bad, illiterate person.
- Vralman is a negative character in the comedy, Starodub’s former coachman, and Mitrofan’s French teacher. He does not teach the teenager French, but only creates the appearance of learning. A hypocritical deceiver and rogue.
- Eremeevna is a negative character in the comedy. A peasant by birth, Mitrofan's nanny, who has been working for the Prostakovs for more than 40 years for pennies.
- Trishka is the positive hero of the comedy, the Prostakovs’ tailor. A kind and sincere person who is not afraid to fight back or enter into an argument with Prostakova.
Plot continuation of "The Minor"
Despite the fact that the second part of “The Minor” was not published, some materials suggest that Fonvizin was thinking about continuing his comedy.
The editors of the magazine “Friend of Honest People, or Starodum” kept two letters confirming this fact - the first of them contains information about Sophia’s life after her marriage to Milo.
For the girl, her married life did not turn out in the best way and was overshadowed by the fact of Milon’s betrayal. The second letter contains information about Starodum's reaction to this news and his consolation for his niece.
“The problem of education in D.I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor.” The main conflict and issues"
Lesson summary:
“
The problem of education in D.I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor.”
The main conflict and issues."
Teacher:
Nesterenko Tatyana Mikhailovna, teacher of Russian language and literature.
Item:
Literature.
Class:
8
Lesson type:
mastering new knowledge.
Lesson objectives:
· Educational
— familiarity with the comedy genre; identifying the conflict on which the action in the play is based, its causes, connections with the era; consideration of comedy from the standpoint of the canons of classicism and deviations from them.
· Developmental
— creating conditions for the formation of analytical skills; express your point of view in a monologue and solve a problematic situation.
· Educational
- fostering the desire to be a truly moral, well-mannered, educated person who knows how to see and appreciate the personality in another person; formation of the need to live according to the law.
Lesson type:
lesson in the formation of new knowledge.
Basic method:
problem method with analytical conversation.
Forms
: collective, individual, group.
Technologies
: teacher-teacher cooperation.
Equipment:
Portrait of D. I. Fonvizin, texts of the comedy “The Minor”.
Board design:
recording the topic of the lesson, portrait of the writer, problems, vocabulary for the topic, conflicts of comedy.
Epigraph: Satire is “not the innocent mockery of cheerful wits,
but a thunderstorm of a spirit offended by the shame of society.” V. G. Belinsky.
1.Organizing time. Motivation (Self-determination for educational activities)
«I am glad, my dear friends, to see you today. You serve as an example of how you can educate yourself through diligence and hard work. I am pleased with the thought that you will show me the worthy qualities of your mind and the fruits of a noble upbringing.”
— Perhaps this is how the writer D.I. Fonvizin would greet you, the younger generation. D.I. Fonvizin is an amazing writer of the 18th century. A.S. Pushkin also called him “a brave ruler of satire.”
2. Checking homework
1) Brief information about D.I. Fonvizin
(student speech, assignment given in advance)
D.I. Fonvizin (1745-1792) was born into a wealthy noble family, received his education at Moscow University, studied at the university gymnasium, and in 1761-1762 .-at the Faculty of Philosophy. At first he wrote satirical works, then he began translations.
He became interested in theater early. I first attended a performance at the age of 14 and remembered it as a miracle: “The actions that the theater produced in me are almost impossible to describe.”
The future playwright early showed a vivid imagination, heartfelt responsiveness, irony, and humor: “My sharp words rushed around Moscow, as they were caustic for many, the offended denounced me as an evil and dangerous boy.”
In 1762, Fonvizin moved to St. Petersburg and entered the College of Foreign Affairs as a translator. From 1763 to 1769, he served under the Cabinet Minister I.P. Elagin, who was responsible for working with complaints, which allowed him to become closely acquainted with the court of Catherine the Second.
The first original work was the satirical fable “The Fox the Executor,” then the first comedy, which enjoyed great success.
The comedy "The Minor" was completed in 1782. “...the theater was filled, and the audience applauded the play by throwing purses.”
2) Student’s presentation (assignment given in advance) - notes in notebooks.
Satire
- accusatory, flagellating irony.
Drama
- a type of literary work constructed in the form of dialogue without authorial speech and intended for performance on stage, works of this kind, serious, but not heroic content (as opposed to comedy and tragedy).
Remarque
- an explanation by the author in the text of the play (usually in parentheses), related to the setting of the action, the actions of the characters, intonation, facial expressions, etc.
Comedy
is a genre of drama in which human vices are ridiculed.
Minor
- young people
who
did not receive sufficient education and could not be admitted (not mature enough) to serve. After the advent of comedy, careless teenagers and young men began to be called.
Teacher's word:
In terms of plot and title, “The Minor” is a play about how poorly and incorrectly a young nobleman was taught, raising him as a “minor.” The problem of education is central to the works of the Enlightenment. But Fonvizin greatly expanded the formulation of this problem: we are talking about education in the broadest sense of the word. Mitrofan is the same undergrowth that the title of the play refers to. The story of his upbringing explains where the terrible world of the Skotinins and Prostakovs comes from.
3. Stage of posing a problematic question.
Updating. Working on the problems of the play.
— Watch a short video clip
(excerpt from the comedy “The Minor”)
— Why did I show the video clip? Do you know such heroes? Are there any descendants of Mitrofan and his mother among us?
—
The work “Undergrowth” by Fonvizin was written in the 18th century. More than two hundred years have passed since the first performance of “The Minor,” but Fonvizin’s comedy is successfully performed on the stage of the modern theater.
— What is the secret of the immortality of comedy?
Problematic question:
— Can Mitrofan and his mother, Skotinin, be entrusted with the future of Russia? (I hope we can answer this question at the end of the lesson)
Setting the lesson goal.
- Let's get back to the topic
our lesson.
What keywords
are in the title of our lesson? (education, citizen)
- Choose words that are related to these concepts.
"Upbringing":
child, parents, family, teachers, growing up, human formation, development...
"Citizen":
fatherland, homeland, honor, good of the homeland...
—
How do you understand
the word
education ?
Upbringing -
systematic influence on the mental and physical development of children, the formation of their moral character by instilling in them the necessary rules of behavior.
- What's the problem?
touched upon in the comedy Minor?
( The problem of raising a worthy citizen of the Fatherland
)
- Re-read the topic of our lesson and think about what questions you would like to get answers to today?
What are the goals of our lesson?
- Let's think about what education is.
— How to educate a person so that he becomes a real citizen.
-Who is a real citizen?
4. The main stage of the lesson. Learning new knowledge
1)
Let's start our work, as one of the comedy heroes says, “from the backside,” that is, with repetition.
XVIII century had special significance for Russia. The beginning of a new era was marked by the transformations of Peter I.
The achievements of this time in the field of science, education, and art were great, putting Russia on a par with European states:
1) in 1721 the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences was established;
2) in 1755, Moscow University was opened with two gymnasiums.
3) in 1757 the Academy of Arts was founded.
This is the era of the establishment of autocracy, the power of one person - a monarch, a strong and enlightened monarch, like Peter the Great and Catherine the Second. At this time, a new direction arose in art, including literature - classicism,
came to Russia from France.
The concept of “classicism” translated from Latin means “exemplary”. Artists of classicism found a model in the art of Ancient Greece and Rome.
The art of classicism preached the ideas of citizenship and the ideas of enlightenment.
Principles of classicism:
1. The basis of everything is reason. Only what is reasonable is beautiful.
2. The main task is to strengthen the absolute monarchy, the monarch is the embodiment of reason.
3. The highest dignity of a person is fulfillment of duty, service to the state.
4. Inheritance of antiquity as a model.
Comedy " Undergrown"
"is
a classic
comedy:
– heroes are divided into positive and negative;
– the heroes are endowed with “speaking” surnames;
– positive heroes are the embodiment of the idea of civil service to the state;
Comedy " Undergrown"
"is a brilliant satirical work for stage production. After all, theater is a place where human vices are corrected.
—
Let us once again turn to the concepts of satire and comedy.
—
What is
satire
?
Comedy
?
Satire
(from Latin
sature
- mixture, mishmash) - a type of comic; sharp condemnation and ridicule of human vices or imperfections in human life.
Comedy
is a genre of drama in which human vices are ridiculed.
- Let's go back 200 years.
and remember
the heroes
of the comedy and see
the vices
of the negative characters.
2) Conversation on issues. Primary perception.
— Why is the comedy called that? "Undergrown"? Did you like her?
— Why is Mitrofan called an undergrowth?
Undergrowth
then they called all noble teenagers under 15-16 years old.
The law of 1736 extended the right to remain underage until 20 years, so that during this time young nobles would complete the necessary course of science at home to enter the service.
— What qualities of the hero made this neutral word a household word?
Let's watch the heroes of the comedy and answer this question.
— How do you imagine Mitrofan?
(Mitrofan
- comic character. Complete ignorance of the basics of grammar, history, geography, but intelligence and intelligence are developed).
— How was the hero raised by his mother?
— What influence did his mother have on Mitrofan?
?
3) Group work
(problem solving)
Task on the card.
1 group.
- Let's see in which family
Mitrofan is being brought up.
- Turning to the text, show with examples how Prostakova behaves with her loved ones: with her husband, brother, with Mitrofanushka’s teachers, with servants.
-What kind of woman is this?
To Trishka: swindler, thief, cattle, thief's mug, blockhead. ( house 1, appearance 2, 4 )
To Eremeevna: the beast, she was dumbfounded, but you didn’t dig into your brother’s mug, and you didn’t tear his snout over his ears...
You, old witch, burst into tears...
Eremeevna about herself: I have been serving for forty years, but the mercy is still the same. Five rubles a year, and five slaps a day (D. 3, Yav. 6);
To my husband:
I don’t intend to indulge the slaves.
Go, sir, and punish now (D.1, 3) I manage everything myself, father: now I fight, now I scold; This is what the house rests on. (house 2, room 5)
.To brother : ...
Let him go!
Let me go, father! Give me a face, a face... (d.Z, yav.Z - fights with Skotinin). It took my heart, let me fight! (Milon separated them). ...Rogues! The thieves! Fraudsters! I'll order everyone to be beaten to death! (d.5, yav.2) To the teachers (
d.3 yev. 7th lesson of Mitrofan)
Conclusion: Prostakova is the sovereign mistress of the estate. No one in the house can say a word or take a step without her consent. She treats everyone with authority and rudeness. She is especially nasty to servants. Calls them names, scolds them, insults them, beats them.
Her husband is under her thumb, she pushes him around. He tries to outwit his brother after learning about Sophia's inheritance. He treats teachers with disrespect and feeds him poorly.
2nd group.
- But how does this “despicable fury” relate to her son, Mitrofan? Does she love him? Find the answers in the comedy text. However, what kind of love is this?
? Demanding? Or blind, reckless, animal?
(Stands up for his son, scolds the teachers, Eremeevna. (“Oh, my Lord God! Don’t you dare elect Pafnutich!” “Are you sorry for the sixth bun/, you beast?”)
(The way she admires him... “We did everything so that he would become with us the way you would like to see him. Wouldn’t you like... to see how he was trained with us.”)
- What does she see as goodness, happiness?
for your son?
What is her ideal?
(Her ideal is the priest, who “did not know how to read and write, but knew how to make enough money and keep it,” for this he wants to marry Mitrofan to Sophia.
—
How does Prostakova feel about
education?
Why does she
hire teachers
?
“People live and have lived without science,” says the landowner.
She is present at lessons and supports her son in everything: “It’s very nice to me that Mitrofanushka doesn’t like to step forward...” she says to Tsyfirkin.
When solving a problem about money, she advises her son: “...He is lying, my dear friend. I found the money and didn’t share it with anyone. Take it all for yourself, Mitrofanushka. (D.Z, appearance 7)
Prostakova about geography: “...What are cab drivers for? It's their business. This is not a noble science either.. (d.4, yav.8)
- Why didn’t Mitrofan learn anything?
?
Who does he look like
?
Conclusions: Prostakova is an ignorant, uneducated woman, very domineering, despotic, cruel to people, a merciless serfdom, blindly loving her son.
She disfigures his character, fosters in him arrogance, laziness, meanness and cruelty. And he really becomes like his mother.
She herself is an ignorant, illiterate woman. Prostakova is forced to invite teachers to her son, although she does not consider education a necessity, and looks at teaching as a heavy duty.
3rd group.
The heroes are the antipodes of Mitrofan.
Who are they? Read Starodum's statements and explain them. Do you agree with them?
• Riches are no help to a foolish son.
• Have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times.
• An ignoramus without a soul is a beast.
• The golden dummy is still a dummy.
• Cash is not cash denominations..
—
Who is
Milo by occupation
?
What kind of officer is he
? What do we learn about him?
— What qualities does he value in a person? Can he be considered a true citizen of his Fatherland (act. 4 yav. 6 ).
Conclusion: Milon loves his homeland, he is honest, fair, smart, thinks about the good of the state, he is a brave and noble officer. He is an example of a true citizen of the Fatherland.
4.
Summing up.
Reflection. Fonvizin appeals to you, the young generation of the country: you must definitely study, get an education, serve your Fatherland faithfully and truly, and be full members of society.
— What questions did you get answers to during our lesson?
—Who can be called a true citizen of his Fatherland?
— Continue the line: “Today in class I thought…”
— Let's return to the problem that we voiced at the beginning of the lesson, can Mitrofan be entrusted with the future of Russia? Why?
Conclusions: Mitrofan, raised by his mother, becomes “a worthy fruit of evil.”
If he does not respect and love his mother, he cannot respect and love his Fatherland, therefore, he cannot do anything useful for it, and therefore cannot be a true citizen.
5. Homework
Write a mini-essay “What is the true education of a person”? (based on the reader’s experience: the comedy “The Minor” by Fonvizin).
We use the phrases: “speaking of raising a worthy person, let’s turn to a literary example,” “in a comedy, the author talks about Mitrofan Prostakov, who...”, “it’s difficult to call this hero a worthy person, because...”
Grading
Themes and problems of "Minor"
The comedy raises several important topics and problems of modern society. First of all, the problem of the relationship between serfs and landowners clearly stands out - many landowners treat their peasants poorly, infringe on their rights, artificially lower pay for their work and often take their anger out on the peasants.
The next key theme of “Undergrowth” is the theme of upbringing and education. Fonvizin suggests that education is a privilege of the nobility and aristocracy, but not always and not all of them can receive a decent education - sometimes the reason for this is reluctance to learn, personal laziness and lack of motivation.
Sometimes the problem lies in the poor quality of training of the teachers themselves - some of them have too little knowledge, while others may be dishonest in their work.
We invite the reader to delve into the essence and meaning of the play “Minor,” written by Denis Fonvizin.
The problem of excessive care on the part of parents and blind love for children. Prostakova allows her son Mitrofan too much, she always spoiled him and overprotected him, and as a result he turned out to be a selfish, stupid and unfit teenager. Prostakova's love knows no boundaries, and therefore has a detrimental effect on the young man.
Symbolism of the name
The word “minor” means a person who has not received a proper document on the education received; in other words, a minor is a dropout. This name is associated with the main goal of Fonvizin’s comedy, which is to ridicule the contemporary principles of education and upbringing, which do not bring positive results, but, on the contrary, have a detrimental effect on the formation of personality and its development.
Features of classicism in comedy
Fonvizin's comedy is a classic work of the era of classicism. In the work, according to the laws of European classicism, the law of trinity is observed: the unity of time, place and action.
All comedy events take place within one day, which ensures unity of time. All comedy events take place in one place, which is typical for the requirement of unity of place. Also, all the minor events that occur in the comedy are centered around a more important event - Sophia’s marriage. In addition, all the names of the heroes and their surnames are symbolic in nature and in essence are a small but laconic characteristic of the character.
Thus, the comedy “The Minor” is the pinnacle of Fonvizin’s creativity. Thanks to a variety of sources for work, Fonvizin was able to realize his idea in the best possible way - all the characters in the play look realistic and alive, and the problems and themes raised in the work are relevant and significant.
4.7 / 5 ( 12 votes)
Author: Victoria Davydova
