Image of Peter Grinev
The central image of the novel “The Captain's Daughter” is the image of Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, although until recently the point of view was diligently asserted that this was the image of Pugachev. One could agree with such a statement if there were an addition: Pugachev is the central historical image of the work. We will talk about this further, but now we need to consider the image of Pyotr Grinev.
We need to start with the fact that Pyotr Andreevich is a fairly typical example of a young man of his time: a “minor” who lives without particularly thinking about what he lives for, who has not received a serious education, but does not suffer from it in the least; he is “enlisted” in the regiment, where his father sends him after another prank... At the beginning, it seems that “Petrusha” (as his mother calls him) is not distinguished by either a strong character or special moral qualities - which is worth only the episode when he “k “I got used to the service”... But already here the hero’s very good human qualities are manifested: he is able to experience remorse for being rude to Savelich, he rewards the “counselor” who helped him find shelter in a snowstorm, and even his awkward attempt to deceive his boss and old comrade his father looks like an innocent prank. Therefore, it cannot be said that love for Marya Ivanovna regenerates the hero, but it forces him to grow up and show the best traits of his character.
Feeling for Masha Mironova turns out to be a very serious test for Grinev, because he has to not only defend the honor of his beloved girl in a duel with Shvabrin, but also to defy circumstances when they are unfavorable to him and the person he loves. First, this is a protest against the will of his father, who does not want to hear about such “nonsense,” then, when, thanks to the mercy of Pugachev, he manages to escape, he exposes his life, without exaggeration, to mortal danger, rushing to the aid of Marya Ivanovna, and in the end works, while under investigation on charges of treason, courageously remains silent during interrogations that the reason for his “relations” with Pugachev was an ardent desire to save a loved one. In all these circumstances, a very young man shows amazing integrity of character, courage and, probably, even heroism.
The key moment for understanding the image of Grinev can be considered the capture of the Belogorsk fortress, when he refuses to “swear allegiance” to the “new sovereign” and kiss his hand in gratitude for saving him from death. His attitude towards Pugachev is based on self-esteem, and this evokes respect for him both on the part of the latter and on the part of the author, for whom self-esteem in characterizing a person means very, very much. At the end of the novel, we learn that Grinev has become humanly attached to the “robber,” whose captivity he regrets: “Emelya, Emelya! - I thought with annoyance, - why didn’t you stumble on a bayonet or turn under buckshot? You couldn’t think of anything better.” And the fact that, after all the trials, “he was present at the execution of Pugachev, who recognized him in the crowd and nodded his head to him,” also speaks of his affection for Pugachev and gratitude to him for the good that he did towards himself and Marya Ivanovna.
The image of Grinev can be called Pushkin’s true creative success: he managed to create the image of a positive hero who combines many attractive features, he is not an “ideal” hero who knows no doubts and hesitations, but the ability to love passionately and devotedly, to live for the sake of a loved one, the ability to remain faithful to duty and “preserve honor” in the most difficult circumstances, deep humanity and genuine democracy determine the attractiveness of this image, its moral strength and make it one of the most significant images in Russian literature.
System of characters in the story “The Captain's Daughter”
Since the 20s of the 19th century, A.S. Pushkin showed deep interest in the historical past of his country (“Boris Godunov”, “Poltava”, etc.). This interest intensified in the 30s, when the number of peasant unrest increased in Russia. According to contemporaries, the entire spirit of the people was “directed towards one goal - liberation.” At this time, Pushkin began collecting archival materials about the uprising of E. Pugachev, which resulted in the work “The History of the Pugachev Rebellion.” The poet also visited places affected by rebellion and recorded oral and poetic folk works related to the peasant war of the 70s of the 18th century. As a result of the work, the story “The Captain's Daughter” appeared, which superbly combines the work of a historian and a poet.
In the artistic images and paintings of the story, Pushkin showed the inevitability and truly popular character of the Pugachev uprising. But “The Captain's Daughter” tells not only about a popular revolt. V.G. Belinsky called this story “Onegin in prose,” considering it a kind of “encyclopedia of Russian life” of the 18th century. Here Pushkin raises the themes of human happiness, love, and true nobility.
Both of these sides of the story form a single whole, connected by the image of Pugachev. It is the leader of the peasant rebellion who is the main character, although outwardly he is Grinev, on whose behalf the story is told. But it is Pugachev who decides the fate of the characters, all the storylines are connected with him.
In the work, Grinev, a nobleman and an officer, tells the story of his meetings with Pugachev; the author’s position is evident in his attitude towards the leader. If noble publicists described Pugachev as “a monster, born outside the laws of nature,” then in “The Captain’s Daughter” he became the embodiment of breadth, integrity and prowess of nature, talent - those traits of the people that Pushkin so admired. Already the first acquaintance with the hero evokes a feeling of sympathy. He appears when Grinev got lost in the steppe, around “everything was darkness and whirlwind.” “His sharpness and subtlety of instinct amazed me,” the narrator admits. In the snowy darkness, a man appears who does not feel lost, who feels like a master. The author, through the mouth of Grinev, calls him a “counselor,” and in the future Pugachev will really become a counselor, and not only for Grinev. Portrait characteristics allow us to judge Pugachev as a passionate, ardent, courageous person: “two sparkling eyes”, “living big eyes were running”, “with an amazing expression of trickery and mockery”, “... he frowned gloomily and smeared with a white handkerchief.”
Pugachev is fair, noble, cordial. He generously paid for a glass of wine and a rabbit sheepskin coat: Grinev and Masha owe their happiness to him.
The image of Pugachev is revealed in his relationship with Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, the main character of the family and everyday part of the story. This is the son of a landowner, who received a home education and says about himself: “I grew up as a teenager, chasing pigeons and playing leapfrog with the yard boys.” Sending him to military service, his father, a powerful but honest man, bequeathed: “Serve faithfully to whom you swear allegiance... take care of your dress again, and honor from a young age.” Peter strives to fulfill his father's wishes. During the defense of the Belogorsk fortress, he behaves like a brave officer, honestly performing his duty: “My head is in your power - if you let me go, thank you; If you execute, God will be your judge.” Pugachev's straightforwardness and openness endear him to him and attract the reader. The image of Grinev is given in development. His character traits develop and are gradually revealed to the reader. Of the representatives of the nobility depicted in the story, he is the only positive person, although in his judgments and principles he remains the son of his time and his class.
The image of Peter is contrasted with the image of Shvabrin - an aristocrat who served in the guard, exiled to the fortress for a duel. He is the embodiment of dishonor and unscrupulousness. Grinev does not like him: “with a very ugly face,” “... his conversation became less pleasant for me.” Shvabrin slanderes Maria Mironova, denounces Grinev, betrays the officer’s honor by going over to Pugachev’s side. The main motive is personal revenge. 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.
The family of the commandant of the fortress, Ivan Kuzmich Mironov, are “old people”, close to the people. Morally, the Mironovs are sharply opposed to the aristocratic nobility. A sense of duty and officer's honor lives in the soul of the commandant. “Exhausted from the wound, having gathered his last strength,” he does not recognize Pugachev as the sovereign and dies without tarnishing his honor. Vasilisa Egorovna experienced the influence of serfdom; she runs the fortress “like her own little house.” The image of Masha, the “captain’s daughter,” is fully revealed in the story. In the chapters dedicated to her, epigraphs are taken from lines from folk songs: “... if you find me better, you will remember”, “there is no one to equip her.” This emphasizes both the integrity of the heroine’s nature and her closeness to the people. The heroine’s rustic appearance, at the same time, captivates and evokes sympathy: “chubby, ruddy, with light brown hair.” Grinev sees in her a “prudent and sensitive” girl and admits that “I liked Marya Ivanovna more than usual.” The story reveals the hidden strength of her character: “Masha the Coward” resolutely fights to save Grinev, she “walked up the stairs with trepidation” in order to meet the empress. The image of the machine is the embodiment of purity and selflessness.
So, on the pages of the story, two warring camps are compared: the people's, led by E. Pugachev, and the nobles', headed by Empress Catherine II. By the will of the author, everything truly human was given to the people's world. Grinev and Masha, as the plot progresses, encounter both camps, but remain faithful to the world of the nobility. However, they remain positive characters, because they have such important qualities as sincerity and honesty. These heroes follow the principle “take care of your honor from a young age.”
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Shvabrin's image
To show how moral Grinev is, Pushkin creates a contrasting image to him, the antipode image is Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin. They are united by the fact that they are both officers, both are in love, both took an oath of allegiance to the Empress. However, Shvabrin’s love forces him to resort to meanness and forcefully seek the favor of Marya Ivanovna, which cannot, probably, be recognized as a real, selfless feeling; it is enough to recall the conditions in which the “commandant” of the Bslogorsk fortress, who received his position, kept his supposedly “loved” girl at the price of betrayal... Probably, the defining character trait of Shvabrin can be called meanness, because even at the moment of the duel with Grinev, he took advantage of the situation and almost killed his chivalrously behaving opponent. And the pinnacle of Shvabrin’s meanness is his almost successful attempt to slander Grinev and then take revenge on him for everything. It seems that the image of Shvabrin in the novel “The Captain's Daughter” is far from the image of a “romantic villain”; it is an image whose behavior and actions are psychologically very precisely motivated, which makes him highly realistic. Thanks to the image of Shvabrin, Grinev’s human virtues are painted with a new light, the reader becomes clear how difficult it was for the main character to behave the way he behaved.
Image of Marya Ivanovna Mironova
The image of Marya Ivanovna continues the gallery of the best female images of Pushkin. He, like his other “favorite heroines,” embodies the best features of folk morality; he captivates with his integrity and purity. Having fallen in love with Pyotr Andreevich, the heroine thinks first of all about his happiness, she courageously meets the news of Grinev’s father’s refusal to bless their marriage: “Apparently, it’s not my destiny... There’s nothing to do, Pyotr Andreevich; at least be happy..." Having lost her parents, being left alone in the world, she just as courageously rejects Shvabrin’s vile advances, because she loves another person and cannot force herself to become Shvabrin’s wife: “And it’s easier for me to die than to become the wife of such a person as Alexei Ivanovich”... Finally, Having learned about the mortal danger that loomed over Grinev, who saved her, she, without hesitation, poisoned herself - alone! - to St. Petersburg to save a loved one not from death, but from what is worse for him than death - from shame. “Marya Ivanovna answered that her entire future fate depended on this journey, that she was going to seek protection and help from strong people...” - and this was when even Pyotr Andreevich’s father “was inconsolable”, believing the news and his son’s guilt... Selflessness in love, fidelity to word and feeling, willingness to suffer, but not to change oneself, gentleness of character and unyielding firmness when necessary, charming femininity and kindness - these are the main character traits of Marya Ivanovna Mironova, making him an integral, deep and sincere embodiment of the Russian folk feminine character.
Essay System of Characters in the Story “The Captain’s Daughter”
Since the 20s of the 19th century, A.S. Pushkin showed deep interest in the historical past of his country (“Boris Godunov”, “Poltava”, etc.). This interest intensified in the 30s, when the number of peasant unrest increased in Russia. According to contemporaries, the entire spirit of the people was “directed towards one goal - liberation.” At this time, Pushkin began collecting archival materials about the uprising of E. Pugachev, which resulted in the work “The History of the Pugachev Rebellion.” The poet also visited places affected by rebellion and recorded oral and poetic folk works related to the peasant war of the 70s of the 18th century. As a result of the work, the story “The Captain's Daughter” appeared, which superbly combines the work of a historian and a poet. In the artistic images and paintings of the story, Pushkin showed the inevitability and truly popular character of the Pugachev uprising. But “The Captain's Daughter” tells not only about a popular revolt. V.G. Belinsky called this story “Onegin in prose,” considering it a kind of “encyclopedia of Russian life” of the 18th century. Here Pushkin raises the themes of human happiness, love, and true nobility. Both of these sides of the story form a single whole, connected by the image of Pugachev. It is the leader of the peasant rebellion who is the main character, although outwardly he is Grinev, on whose behalf the story is told. But it is Pugachev who decides the fate of the characters, all the storylines are connected with him. In the work, Grinev, a nobleman and an officer, tells the story of his meetings with Pugachev; the author’s position is evident in his attitude towards the leader. If noble publicists described Pugachev as “a monster, born outside the laws of nature,” then in “The Captain’s Daughter” he became the embodiment of breadth, integrity and prowess of nature, talent - those traits of the people that Pushkin so admired. Already the first acquaintance with the hero evokes a feeling of sympathy. He appears when Grinev got lost in the steppe, around “everything was darkness and whirlwind.” “His sharpness and subtlety of instinct amazed me,” the narrator admits. In the snowy darkness, a man appears who does not feel lost, who feels like a master. The author, through the mouth of Grinev, calls him a “counselor,” and in the future Pugachev will really become a counselor, and not only for Grinev. Portrait characteristics allow us to judge Pugachev as a passionate, ardent, courageous person: “two sparkling eyes”, “living big eyes were running”, “with an amazing expression of trickery and mockery”, “... he frowned gloomily and smeared with a white handkerchief.” Pugachev is fair, noble, cordial. He generously paid for a glass of wine and a rabbit sheepskin coat: Grinev and Masha owe their happiness to him. The image of Pugachev is revealed in his relationship with Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, the main character of the family and everyday part of the story. This is the son of a landowner, who received a home education and says about himself: “I grew up as a teenager, chasing pigeons and playing leapfrog with the yard boys.” Sending him to military service, his father, a powerful but honest man, bequeathed: “Serve faithfully to whom you swear allegiance... take care of your dress again, and honor from a young age.” Peter strives to fulfill his father's wishes. During the defense of the Belogorsk fortress, he behaves like a brave officer, honestly performing his duty: “My head is in your power - if you let me go, thank you; If you execute, God will be your judge.” Pugachev's straightforwardness and openness endear him to him and attract the reader. The image of Grinev is given in development. His character traits develop and are gradually revealed to the reader. Of the representatives of the nobility depicted in the story, he is the only positive person, although in his judgments and principles he remains the son of his time and his class. The image of Peter is contrasted with the image of Shvabrin - an aristocrat who served in the guard, exiled to the fortress for a duel. He is the embodiment of dishonor and unscrupulousness. Grinev does not like him: “with a very ugly face,” “... his conversation became less pleasant for me.” Shvabrin slanderes Maria Mironova, denounces Grinev, betrays the officer’s honor by going over to Pugachev’s side. The main motive is personal revenge. 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. The family of the commandant of the fortress, Ivan Kuzmich Mironov, are “old people”, close to the people. Morally, the Mironovs are sharply opposed to the aristocratic nobility. A sense of duty and officer's honor lives in the soul of the commandant. “Exhausted from the wound, having gathered his last strength,” he does not recognize Pugachev as the sovereign and dies without tarnishing his honor. Vasilisa Egorovna experienced the influence of serfdom; she runs the fortress “like her own little house.” The image of Masha, the “captain’s daughter,” is fully revealed in the story. In the chapters dedicated to her, epigraphs are taken from lines from folk songs: “... if you find me better, you will remember”, “there is no one to equip her.” This emphasizes both the integrity of the heroine’s nature and her closeness to the people. The heroine’s rustic appearance, at the same time, captivates and evokes sympathy: “chubby, ruddy, with light brown hair.” Grinev sees in her a “prudent and sensitive” girl and admits that “I liked Marya Ivanovna more than usual.” The story reveals the hidden strength of her character: “Masha the Coward” resolutely fights to save Grinev, she “walked up the stairs with trepidation” in order to meet the empress. The image of the machine is the embodiment of purity and selflessness. So, on the pages of the story, two warring camps are compared: the people's, led by E. Pugachev, and the nobles', headed by Empress Catherine II. By the will of the author, everything truly human was given to the people's world. Grinev and Masha, as the plot progresses, encounter both camps, but remain faithful to the world of the nobility. However, they remain positive characters, because they have such important qualities as sincerity and honesty. These heroes follow the principle “take care of your honor from a young age.”
