Arguments from life and literature on the topic “What is envy”

Arguments

1. Envy is a negative quality of human character.
2. Envy often pushes a person to rash actions, which the person may later regret.
3. Envy is a dangerous feeling: it corrodes a person’s soul, poisons life, and dooms him to suffering and torment.
4. Envy is characteristic of spiritually poor people who are unable to achieve something important, more in life and appreciate what they have.
5. Envy also gives rise to other negative feelings: hatred, pettiness, greed.
6. Envy is one of the deadly sins, along with despondency, anger, gluttony, fornication and love of money.
7. Envy has a long history, as it appeared with the advent of man.
8. Envy is immortal, so it remains one of the pressing problems at all times.

Essay on what envy is

What is envy? Everyone initially knows such a feeling as envy; it appears when we have the feeling that someone has everything better than us, both materially and spiritually. Despite the fact that there are “white” and “black” envy, they are both based on feelings of irritation and dissatisfaction, and a person under the influence of this feeling only strives to possess something that another has.

Every person has this impression, we envy other people’s achievements, things, style, work, etc., from childhood we are taught to be better than other people. From an early age, we were given other children as examples, saying that they were more correct and that a child who grew up on such statements would only look up to others in the future, leaving self-development far behind. Then we are made to envy by advertisers and the media, who instill in us the opinion that we should have everything new, bright, beautiful and push us to feel indignation towards those who have what we want. However, someone who is constantly exposed to such influence will always believe that the people who have what he desires did not deserve it, and will always experience anger and self-pity.

Despite the fact that most of our society declares that envy is a negative trait, it is precisely this that motivates people to develop. Humanity, experiencing this feeling, wants to be superior to others, looking for a way to surpass its potential rival, as well as to bypass it in all respects. Well, based on this, can we say that envy helps development? Yes, because it is she who makes people look up to others and strive to become better than them.

From the above information, everyone can understand that envy is a dual emotion that stimulates us to move forward and improve ourselves, however, it is dangerous, since this is what makes people aggressive and moves our society to rash actions, which later lead to terrible consequences. Ultimately, we can say that this is better classified as a negative trait, since it is what encourages us to be jealous of other people's achievements and prevents us from adequately assessing our own capabilities.

Arguments from literature

1. A.S. Pushkin "Mozart and Salieri". The little tragedy by A.S. Pushkin “Mozart and Salieri” also touches on the theme of envy. Talent envies genius. And this terrible feeling leads to murder. The main characters of the work are Mozart and Salieri, two great composers so different from each other. Mozart is a poor young nobleman, a chosen one, endowed with a wonderful gift from above, marked by fate. In one night he can easily compose a beautiful piece of music in which he conveys the harmony of life. Mozart serves art. He composes music not for the needs of a “despicable life”, not for the sake of fame and other benefits, but for the sake of art itself. He lives by music, all in a wonderful world of harmony and sounds. This is his world, his life. Considering Salieri his friend, Mozart openly shares with him his creative ideas and plans, without expecting meanness or a stab in the back from his friend. Salieri is a hard worker. For him, music is a certain sum of rules, formulas, a riddle that you just need to learn and solve. He works hard, wanting with his perseverance and dedication to earn the reward of becoming a genius. But it is not the music to which he is devoted that gives genius, but God. Without understanding, Salieri makes art a craft through which one can achieve fame and prosperity. But he understands that his fame is too insignificant compared to Mozart's. And the composer cannot come to terms with the genius of his rival. He believes that genius was given to an insignificant person who does not value his precious gift. A terrible, destructive envy, similar to obsession, clouded his brain, and the composer decided to restore “justice” - to poison Mozart. But having committed this crime, he realizes that envy has not disappeared, but still lives in him. But in addition to envy, his conscience also awakens, which torments him for the fact that Salieri ruined the great genius. And Mozart, even after death, remains alive in his creations. Thus, A.S. Pushkin showed in his work how envy can become the cause of a terrible crime and the moral decline of an individual.
2. N.V. Gogol “Portrait”. Envy leads to tragedy, poisons life, kills any talent. N.V. talks about this. Gogol in the story “Portrait”. The main character of the work is the aspiring artist Chartkov. He is young and talented. His teacher predicts a brilliant future for him, but warns him against the temptation to become a fashionable artist, because the teacher has already noticed more than once that the world is beginning to pull Chartkov. The teacher warns that writing for money is tempting, but this ruins talent rather than developing it. Chartkov knew how to restrain his weaknesses and did not give in to them, although he secretly envied those artists who easily painted sketches and portraits for sale. One day, in a shop, Chartkov buys a portrait of an old man with piercing eyes. The young artist’s “misfortunes” begin with this purchase. Money fell out of the frame of the purchased portrait at the right moment. There were many of them, and they gave a chance to get out of poverty, lead a high life, enjoy prosperity and fame. But along with the increase in prosperity in Chartkov, the artist gradually dies. He paints paintings and portraits to order, depicting not real faces, but custom-made masks. And the more money he has, the more he wants. People who knew him before are surprised how his talent could disappear before it even had time to gain full strength. But in Chartkov, not only talent dies, but also the best human qualities: kindness, sincerity, selflessness, and their place is taken by envy, anger and greed. But one day Chartkov saw the light. At an exhibition at the Academy of Arts, he saw a painting by his former friend. This brilliant creation was so beautiful that the hero, who had already prepared to criticize the work, as usual, could not say a word and ran out of the hall. At home he tries to regain his lost talent, but nothing works. Then terrible envy overwhelmed his heart, and he began to buy up all the talented paintings and destroy them, enjoying their destruction. The author says about him that not a single ignorant monster has destroyed as many beautiful works as this envious avenger. Envy turns a once talented artist into a sick person, and then even leads to death.
3. D.S. Likhachev “Letters about the good and the beautiful.” Jean-Baptiste Moliere, the great French writer, said back in the 17th century: “Envious people die, but envy never does.” He turned out to be right, since this property of human nature is immortal, therefore the problem of envy was, is and will be one of the main problems relevant at all times and for all peoples. Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, an outstanding scientist of our time, in his “Letters on the Good and the Beautiful,” addressed to young people who “still have to learn life and follow its difficult paths,” also touches on this problem. The fifteenth letter is called “About envy.” Likhachev begins the letter with questions to readers, inviting them to answer them and thus examine their lives, determine whether there is room in it for “soul-burning envy.” The scientist believes that the one who envies first of all suffers from envy. He gives sincere advice on how to get rid of this painful feeling. Firstly, you need to develop your own, individual inclinations, your uniqueness. Secondly, try to be yourself, not play other people's roles. Likhachev points out that envy grows where a person is a stranger to himself or where he is no different from others. If someone is jealous, it means they haven’t found themselves. Reading the letter from D.S. Likhachev, you catch yourself thinking that the addressee is not addressing all young people, but personally to you, as if he wants to protect you from envy that poisons your soul. His lessons and advice are sincere, come from the heart and are dictated by wisdom, so you should listen to them and follow them.

PRO envy

Is envy a bad feeling?

Society certainly condemns envy. They even came up with “white envy” in order to somehow justify themselves (in their own eyes, first of all). With a forced smile, congratulating others on their successes, we mentally chase away the waking toad. But the toad needs to be “fed”, otherwise it will penetrate the subconscious and control your thoughts and actions. Many live like this, constantly proving to themselves and others that they are better in some way.

Purely physiologically, envy is unpleasant: frustration, irritation, anger at another person, righteous anger, a sense of injustice... Like, it’s easy for you to reason, with your beauty, youth and millions, if they suffered like mine, they would say differently!

My experience in psychological counseling allows me to say that absolutely everyone is envious, whether they realize it or not. Comparing yourself to others is certainly related to self-esteem. This is especially clearly visible if the child was given a brother or sister as an example in childhood. Even in adulthood, such people achieve something “out of spite”, trying to prove to society that they are better, more worthy. Moreover, the element of such comparison is visible not only among those who were set as an example, but also among those who were given an example. When a child grows up with the subconscious belief that he is the best, the desire to be envied becomes one of his favorite pastimes.

Competition, rivalry, struggle for power and place in the sun - any manifestation of the ego either attracts envy or gives rise to it.

Much more interesting from a psychological point of view is the other side of the coin - modesty.

A good, “correct” and socially approved property of a person is modesty. I like the saying: “False modesty is worse than arrogance.” The same can be said about envy. Indeed, many suppress and repress their envy as a “bad feeling.” And at the same time, they vehemently condemn envy in others, as if this feeling was unfamiliar and unusual to them. Don't be fooled! We see in others only what is in ourselves, whether we realize it or not, otherwise it would not touch us at all.

Tell me, what emotion does a person want to evoke from his followers on Instagram when in winter he posts tanned photos against the backdrop of the ocean, snow-white beach and palm trees, while the streets of Moscow are filled with slush, chemicals and traffic jams? Shall we rejoice for him together? Do we sincerely admire it? Seriously?

Envy can also be a stimulus for achievement, a kind of guideline or a “kick.” He did it, and I can do it!

The main thing is not to get too carried away with it! Repeating to yourself constantly: “Am I worse?” or “I’m not a fool either!”, we actually remind our subconscious: “Yes, it’s worse” and “It’s a shame”! Motivation “in spite of”, although effective in the short term, constantly pushes us into childhood traumas; a mature person accepts his envy, but is not guided by it.

And a new iPhone, business class, a cool car, a beautiful wife - so that everyone would be jealous, how’s that?

One of my clients said with pride that when his model wife accompanies him to some social events, everyone around his neck curls with envious glances.

If he knew how to feel exactly what kind of attention he attracts with such demonstrative fashion shows and what kind of emotions “these suckers” - envious people in his direction and in the direction of his young wife - feel, perhaps instead of pride he would feel anxiety or fear. Paradoxically, this man came to counseling with depression and complained that there was no love and joy in his life. Unfortunately, our mental defenses do not work only “in one direction” and “protect” us not only from the envy of others, but also from our own feelings. You cannot simultaneously despise others and love yourself, just as the opposite is not possible.

I remember I liked the phrase of one client, the CEO of a large company. The consultants offered her one service - to assess the competencies of competitors, practically a kind of industrial espionage. To which she replied: “Why should I compare myself with someone? I know what I want, we are the best, tomorrow we want to be stronger than yesterday, let others compare themselves to me, I don’t need that!”

Narcissism? - you ask. Leadership - I will answer!

Two more non-obvious variations of envy: “to be happy” that someone is worse off or to be offended that something was easier for someone, but you tried so hard! The first is an absolute evil, since the contempt that a person actually feels for himself is repressed and transferred to others. Secondly, who told you that something was easier for someone else?

The measure of suffering is so subjective, some people who were beaten in childhood sometimes suffer no more and no longer in adulthood than those whom their loving parents forgot to pick up from kindergarten. This is not cynicism, but an empirical observation over many years of practice. Our subconscious is such a subtle and incomprehensible substance that the categories “good / bad” and “many / little” are simply not applicable to it.

I will write separately about logic and rationalization.

For some people, “envy” at the level of consciousness is a positive desire to become better, for others it is hatred of everyone who is superior to them in some way.

Experiencing envy is certainly unpleasant, but rejection of one’s own emotions brings much greater harm to the psyche. Therefore, it is better to envy than to consider oneself modest and condemn envious people.

Building your happiness by comparing yourself with others is a controversial and very roundabout path, because at the very top there will be no one to compare yourself with. It is much more difficult to build our own path based on our own feelings, desires, goals, but this is the only way we can live in relative harmony. At least until someone else comes along who understands this and implements it much earlier, faster and better.

Arguments from life

1. Envy is one of the worst human qualities. It is capable of changing a person’s life, destiny, and destroying everything that has been built for a long time and with great difficulty. Life stories are clear proof of this. During our student years, there were two friends in our company - Marina and Tatyana. Marina was a bright, beautiful girl. She was distinguished not only by her bright appearance, but also by her lively, cheerful character and intelligence. Many guys looked at her, but she did not give preference to any of them, as if she was waiting for her prince. Tanya was quiet, modest, dreamy and smart. Almost like a Pushkin heroine. She was so kind that it seemed that she had not offended even a small insect in her life. And after the third year, Sergei appeared in our company, a charming young man who immediately became the soul of the company. It was obvious that Marina really liked him, but, as is often said in such cases, according to the classics of the genre, he chose Tatyana. The young people began dating and dreamed of getting married after university, but other people's envy destroyed their happiness. In their fifth year, the girls went to practice in the village, and when they returned, Tatyana did not recognize Sergei. She couldn’t understand why he stopped communicating with her and didn’t want to explain anything. Our attempts to find out from Sergei the reasons for this behavior were unsuccessful. The girl barely graduated from the university and went to Moscow to live with her sister, and Sergei went somewhere to a friend in the North. Only a few years later we learned that our friend then received an anonymous letter in which his beloved girlfriend was slandered, and he, without understanding it, decided to break off relations with her, destroying both her and his life. We conducted our “investigation” and found out that the letter was written by Marina, who was jealous of her friend’s happiness. “God will be her judge,” we decided. Only this did not bring her happiness.
2. I think each of us has heard about white envy. This is the same envy, but without negativity, based on reason. White envy sometimes works wonders, it aims a person at something good and positive. My mother has a neighbor who is a famous accordion player not only in the village, but also outside of it. He plays with talent, you can listen to him, and your legs ask to dance when he starts to dance. One day I couldn’t resist asking him where he learned to play so skillfully. And he told his story, which I will tell you. There was an accordion player in the village - Uncle Nikifor. Oh, and the boy was jealous of his skill. His childhood was hungry; he grew up without a father. And the accordion player has golden hands, worth their weight in gold in the village. Like some holiday, he is invited, a tasty morsel is presented to him on a plate for making the people happy. Envy haunted the boy. No, Uncle Nikifor did not want to spoil the instrument; on the contrary, the accordion seemed to him like some kind of fairy-tale creature, alive, understanding. All sorts of pictures were drawn in his head: that he could already play the harmonica no worse than Uncle Nikifor, and that everyone only invited him to the holidays, and that he had several harmonicas, and not just one, like Nikifor. Nikita really wanted to learn to play the harmonica. And I decided: to become an accordion player at all costs. He began to run across the road to Nikifor more and more often. He took a closer look at the boy, understood why he was running and created a miracle: he offered to teach him everything he could do. There is no time from spring to autumn: there is a lot of work in the village at this time, but in the winter there is time for study. So I learned to play in one winter. But I didn’t have my own instrument for a long time. And then I bought it. Not from his first salary, of course, as he wanted, but he still saved up in a short time. This is how envy pushed him to realize his dream, helped him achieve what he wanted, without offending anyone or doing anything bad.

How to get rid of envy: 7 proven methods

Let's immediately make a reservation that we will only get rid of destructive (black) envy. We won’t touch the white one, because it is a powerful motivational factor.

Admit to yourself that you are jealous

A problem can only be solved if you recognize it. The next time you experience strong negative emotions towards a person who has done nothing wrong to you, ask yourself: “Am I jealous?”

Admitting to yourself that you are jealous of someone who annoys you is very difficult. Therefore, first try to remove all emotions and include common sense.

Not in every case the answer will be affirmative. Our task is to learn to distinguish envy from other states and calmly acknowledge it. This will already be a huge step towards getting rid of the problem.

Stop devaluing other people's achievements

Devaluation is a psychological defense that always accompanies frustration.

– World domination?

- No thanks!

– Wealth and fame?

– I don’t need it, I’m above all this.

Devaluation greatly distorts self-esteem. A person begins to look down on those who have achieved more than him. After all, it was as if he deliberately refused the benefits for which the other worked hard and sacrificed something.

From the outside, such people look inadequate and arrogant. They consider themselves wiser, more aware, more enlightened and try their best to impose their vision of the world on others.

If you have reflected a desire to devalue other people’s merits, recognized and highly appreciated by other people, immediately get rid of it. This is a clear sign of envy that you are not aware of.

Learn from those you envy

By stopping to devalue the person you envy, you can reach the next level - start learning from him.

Pay attention to the qualities that helped him achieve success. Study his behavior strategy, the sequence of steps. Try to adopt some of this or at least take note of it. Just don’t blindly copy other people’s actions without taking into account your own characteristics and the existing context.

Set realistic goals

The consequence of inflated self-esteem is an inadequately high level of aspirations. A person cannot soberly assess his capabilities and sets exorbitant goals. As a result, he often experiences failures and disappointments. This breeds envy towards those who are more successful in realizing their ambitions.

When formulating goals and plans, try to be more modest. It is better to break the global goal into several smaller ones and focus on completing the closest one. This will help maintain a high level of motivation and not assign the result ahead of time.

Read about how to set goals correctly on our blog.

Turn envy into motivation

If you manage to recognize and accept your envy, you can easily turn it from black to white. To do this, you need to shift the focus of attention from the object of envy to active activity. For example, instead of sitting and cursing your slender friend, go to the gym and work up a good sweat.

Find your way

People who do not have a favorite activity and the goals and ambitions associated with it are more susceptible to envy than others.

I know firsthand this state when you don’t know where to put your strength and abilities, and you envy everyone. While I was searching for my calling, I was painfully jealous of my friends. One - because he draws coolly, another - because he plays on the volleyball team, the third - for his unique and extensive knowledge.

And only after finding my way, I calmed down and focused on my own development. The envy disappeared as if by hand. As well as excessive anxiety.

Apperciate things which you have

Often, in pursuit of new trophies, we stop appreciating what we have. From time to time, remind yourself of what a happy person you are. If you have a roof over your head, close and beloved people, true friends, a stable job, the opportunity to sleep and devote time to yourself, then this is already a lot. More than half of the world's population cannot boast of having these basic things.

Remember more often about your past achievements and victories. These are what are yours by right, and no one can take them away from you. Let them inspire and motivate you to new successes.

Arguments from folk wisdom

1. “Rust eats up iron, but the envious man withers with envy,” says a Russian proverb. She rightly notes that envy can eat a person from the inside, just as rust eats iron.
2. “The evil one cries from envy, and the good one from joy,” says the Russian proverb. It compares two types of people: kind and envious. Kind people are capable of crying with joy, but envious people only with envy, since they are haunted by other people’s happiness and well-being.
3. “To an envious person, even your neighbor’s hen seems like a goose,” they believed among the Russian people. Our ancestors noticed that an envious person always thinks that his neighbor has everything better than his, even a chicken seems like a goose.
4. “In the hands of others, the piece is big, but when we get it, it will seem small,” says a Russian proverb about envious people. In someone else's hands, even a slice seems huge to them, almost a whole pie, but when they get the same piece, it will seem tiny.
5. “The neighbor doesn’t let you sleep: he lives well,” our ancestors said about envy. They believed that other people's happiness does not allow them to sleep and torments them.
6. “There are always more fish in someone else’s boat,” as the Russian people say in their proverb about envy. Envious people think that other people's wealth is much greater than their own.
7. “If you had envy of color, the whole world would turn black,” says the Spanish proverb. It notes that if envy had a color, everything around would turn black.
8. “An envious person’s own bread is not sweet,” says the Russian proverb about envious people who even think their own bread is not as sweet as someone else’s.
9. “Envy was born before us,” our ancestors believed in the old days. They argued that envy is a feeling that precedes a person in birth.
10. “A father's son is smarter - joy, a brother's brother is smarter - envy,” says a Russian proverb. It means that if a son is smarter than his father, then the parent rejoices at this, but if a brother is smarter than another brother, then envy often appears.

Unified State Examination essay - The problem of luxury and envy based on the text by S. Soloveichik

An envious person is spiritually poor; he cannot be happy. Luxury consoles only poverty; luxury does not bring happiness in itself. The main value, the source of happiness, is life itself.

Modern society is a consumer society. A person strives to get the best house, an expensive car, to be fashionably and beautifully dressed, to allow himself to attend social events and amaze everyone with his luxury. But does luxury bring happiness? Does it make a person happy?

The moral problem raised by the publicist S. Soloveichik is very important and relevant in the modern world. You can spend your whole life chasing wealth, striving to surpass other people in luxury and missing out on something valuable in life that makes a person’s life spiritual and meaningful.

The author believes that luxury does not bring happiness in itself. The main value, the source of happiness, is life itself.

I cannot but agree with the opinion of the outstanding teacher and philosopher. Many people argue that happiness is wealth, money, luxury, because life is easier for the rich. But real happiness - true friendship, love - cannot be bought with money.

Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, hero of the novel “Hero of Our Time” by M.Yu. Lermontov is a person with an analytical mind, courage, a desire to find application for his remarkable powers, the ability to subtly sense the beauty of nature, charm, and a deep understanding of human psychology. He is rich, moves in the highest society of St. Petersburg, and bathes in luxury. But he is unhappy! Why? Apparently, wealth and even outstanding abilities given to a person cannot make him happy if his soul has died. V.G. Belinsky called Pechorin a “suffering egoist.”

My favorite literary heroine is Bulgakov’s famous Margarita. This woman won my admiration literally from the first chapters that described her life. A woman, of which there are few. Judge for yourself: a pretty young woman is married to a man who loved her madly and is able to give her a good, secure future. Margarita owned the entire floor with huge rooms with windows overlooking the garden. She did not know the horrors of living in a communal apartment, did not know what a shared kitchen and exhausting laundry were. Margarita had all the money brought by her husband at her disposal. And most importantly, he loved her madly. Actually, the main thing was only for him. But it has been proven again and again: love is the only value in a person’s life. Only she ennobles, inspires hope for the best, gives strength to live and wait. And what, oh God, are all these household amenities, this despicable money, this expensive furniture compared to real feeling! Margarita is the ideal woman. Find the strength in yourself to leave comfort and security, to exchange your comfortable, but gray and monotonous life for real feeling, for romance, for paradise in a hut, for the unknown, living only with love, feeding only with the expectation of happiness!

And it’s a pity that in our time girls “jump out to get married” for an apartment, for a car, for money, and not for someone who could give them happiness and love. I am sure that the material side never worries those who love. I would like to say: remember Margarita. What benefits did the Master offer her? What did he have besides a basement room that smelled of mold? What did he have besides love? Let there be more “Margaritas” in our lives, let no one worry about everyday shortcomings - all this is nonsense. The enormous power of love will help you overcome these small difficulties. So be it!

Aphorisms

1. “Envy and jealousy are the shameful parts of the human soul,” said Friedrich Nietzsche, a famous German thinker. He argued that the most terrible qualities of human nature are envy and jealousy. They are the ones who poison life.
2. “When a person sees someone else’s wealth and pleasure, he feels his need and insufficiency more bitterly and painfully - this is natural and inevitable, as long as there is no hatred for the happier one: but this is precisely what envy consists of,” argued the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer . He does not see anything unnatural in the fact that one person experiences his own need and insufficiency more painfully at the sight of someone else’s wealth, but if at the same time hatred arises for another person, it means that envy has appeared, and this is already scary.
3. “Envy is nothing other than hatred itself, since someone else’s misfortune causes pleasure and, conversely, someone else’s happiness causes displeasure,” said the Dutch philosopher Benedict Spinoza. In his opinion, envy is always closely related to hatred. A person envies when someone else's misfortune brings him joy, and when someone else's happiness, on the contrary, deeply upsets him.
4. “We call envy that baseness of our nature that makes us grieve and yearn at the sight of what, in our opinion, constitutes the happiness of others,” wrote the English philosopher Bernard de Mandeville. He gives his own definition of the word envy. In his opinion, envy is a low feeling of human nature that makes a person grieve at the sight of the joys and happiness of other people.
5. “Of all passions, envy is the most disgusting. Hatred, betrayal and intrigue march under the banner of envy,” said the French writer and philosopher Claude Adrian Helvetius. He argued that envy is the lowest and most disgusting feeling that gives rise to hatred, intrigue and betrayal.
6. “Envy is poison for the heart,” said the French enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. He called envy poison for the heart, since this low feeling poisons all the positive qualities of a person.
7. “Envy is a restlessness (displeasure) of the soul arising from the fact that another person has a good we desire, whom we no longer consider worthy of owning it,” wrote the German philosopher, physicist and mathematician Gonfril Wilhelm Leibniz. He found the reasons for the emergence of envy in the fact that the desired benefits are possessed by another person whom we consider unworthy to possess these benefits.
8. “Envy is such a low and cowardly passion that no one dares to admit it,” said the French writer Francois de La Rochefoucauld. In his opinion, all people understand that envy is a low and negative feeling, so no one dares to admit it.
9. “Envy is the friend of empty souls,” said the ancient Greek poet Pindar. He argued that envy is characteristic of people who are immoral, limited, and unable to achieve anything in life.
10. “An envious person is his own enemy, because he is tormented by torment voluntarily chosen by him,” believed the ancient Greek comedian Menander. He argued that an envious person punishes himself, since envy torments a person and does not allow him to live in peace.

Arguments on the topic “ENVELOY” from the novel “OBLOMOV” by I.A. Goncharova

Example 1. OBLOMOV
Although there were no shocks and storms in Oblomov’s life, his fate was tragic. In his confession to Stoltz, he admits: “From the first minute, when I became aware of myself, I felt that I was already extinguishing!..” Clearly representing the fate of a person, his purpose, Oblomov compares the universal purpose with his own life. And he becomes sad and hurt “for his underdevelopment, the stop in the growth of moral forces, for the heaviness that interferes with everything.” He envies others who “live so fully and widely, but for him it’s as if a heavy stone was thrown on the narrow and miserable path of his existence.” In his timid soul, a painful realization develops that “many sides have not awakened at all, others have been slightly touched, and none has been fully developed.” Oblomov himself painfully feels “that some good, bright beginning is buried in him, as in a grave, perhaps now dead, or it lives like gold in the depths of a mountain, and it is high time for this gold to be a walking coin.”