Genre nature of the novel what to do. "Genre and composition of the novel" What to do

Unconventional and unusual for Russian prose XIX century, the plot of the work, more characteristic of French adventure novels - the mysterious suicide described in the 1st chapter of the novel What Is to Be Done? - was, according to the generally accepted opinion of all researchers, a kind of intriguing device designed to confuse the commission of inquiry and tsarist censorship. The melodramatic tone of the story about family drama in the 2nd chapter, and the unexpected title of the 3rd - “Foreword”, - which begins with the words: “The content of the story is love, the main person is a woman, this is good, even if the story itself was bad ...” Moreover , in this chapter, the author, addressing the public in a half-joking, half-mocking tone, admits that he quite deliberately “began the story with spectacular scenes torn from the middle or end of it, covered them with fog.” After that, the author, having laughed a lot at his readers, says: “I have not a shadow of artistic talent.

I don't even speak the language well. But it's still nothing Truth is a good thing: it rewards the shortcomings of the writer who serves her. The reader is puzzled: on the one hand, the author clearly despises him, ranking him among the majority with whom he is “impudent”, on the other hand, as if he is ready to show all his cards in front of him and, moreover, intrigues him by the fact that his narrative also contains hidden meaning! The reader is left with one thing - to read, and in the process of reading to gain patience, and the deeper he plunges into the work, the more tests his patience is subjected to ... The fact that the author really has a poor command of the language, the reader is convinced literally from the first pages. So, for example, Chernyshevsky has a weakness for stringing verbal chains: “Mother stopped daring to enter her room”; loves repetition: “This is strange to others, but you don’t know that it’s strange, but I know that it’s not strange”; the author's speech is careless and vulgar, and sometimes one gets the feeling that this is a bad translation from a foreign language: “The master has broken into ambition”; “For a long time they felt the sides of one of themselves”; “He answered with exquisite tolerance”; “People fall into two main departments”; "The end of this beginning was when they passed by the old man." The author's digressions are dark, clumsy and wordy: “They didn't even think that they think it; and this is the best thing, that they did not even notice that they were thinking this ”; “Vera Pavlovna began to think, not everything, but several, no, not several, but almost completely thinking that there was nothing important, that she took for a strong passion just a dream that would dissipate in a few days, or she thought no, she didn’t think this, what feels like it's wrong? Yes, this is not so, no, so, so, more and more firmly she thought that she was thinking this. At times, the tone of the narration seems to parody the intonations of the Russian everyday fairy tale: “After tea ... she came to her room and lay down.

So she reads in her bed, only the book falls from her eyes, and Vera Pavlovna thinks: what is this, Lately, did I get a little bored sometimes?” Alas, such examples can be cited indefinitely ... The mixing of styles is no less annoying: over the course of one semantic episode, the same faces continually stray from a pathetically sublime style to an everyday, frivolous or vulgar one. Why did the Russian public accept this novel?

The critic Skabichevsky recalled: “We read the novel almost on our knees, with such piety that does not allow the slightest smile on our lips, with which liturgical books are read.” Even Herzen, admitting that the novel was "vilely written," immediately made the reservation: "On the other hand, there are many good things." What is the "other side"? Obviously, from the side of Truth, the service of which should remove all accusations of mediocrity from the author! And the advanced minds of that era identified Truth with Benefit, Benefit - with Happiness, Happiness - with serving the same Truth.

Perhaps this will interest you:

It is believed that the work of Chernyshevsky “What is to be done?” belongs to the type of utopian novels. However, this is too conditional characterization, since the adventurous plot of the plot gives it the features of a detective story, ...

Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita" was published in 1966-1967 and immediately brought the writer world fame. The author himself defines the genre of the work as a novel, but genre ...

“The Rakhmetovs are a different breed,” says Vera Pavlovna, “they merge with the common cause so that it is now a necessity for them, filling their lives; ...

The power of thought (according to Belinsky's terminology), characteristic of the entire structure of Chernyshevsky's novel, determines both the features of the genre and new character plot based on total clarity and predictability...

The novel by F. M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment” was published in 1866. Its author most He lived his life in rather cramped material conditions, caused by the need ...

Ranked Posts
- - 15 565 views
- - 11 062 views
- - 10 650 views
- - 9 827 views
- - 8 733 views

News

Essay text:

Artistic features novel What to do.
Chernyshevsky's novel is one of the most special works of Russian literature, both in style and in terms of the conditions of creation. This novel was published in 1863, and was written by Chernyshevsky in Peter and Paul Fortress. It is clear what kind of censorship a novel written by a condemned revolutionary had to go through. This is how such a complex style of the work is determined. The author was forced to carefully veil his thoughts, not to say a lot, to talk about many things only in hints. And Chernyshevsky solved this problem. The novel was passed by the censorship, which did not see its socialist orientation. But what was not understood by the censorship was understood by the advanced part of Russian society, and the novel became table book youth. In terms of its artistic features, the work differs from everything that was created before and after it. First of all, it should be noted that the novel is revolutionary both in form and in content. The theme of struggle, the theme of liberation runs like a red thread through the whole novel, finding its conclusion in last chapter: the triumph of the revolution. In this work we find an amazing combination of critical realism and revolutionary romanticism. No one, either before Chernyshevsky or after him, developed this genre. How much of a genius Chernyshevsky must have been in order to guess the great and bright future of his people in the years of the terrible domination of reaction, to predict the revolution. The revolutionary nature of the novel is primarily reflected in the images of the characters. His heroes are creative people who have moved from words to deeds. They build the first workshop, where the income goes to the benefit of the workers themselves, among them the professional revolutionary Rakhmetov grew up and grew stronger, who devoted his whole life to the cause of serving the people. The heroes of Chernyshevsky are living people, but at the same time they show everything best qualities advanced youth, which should be developed and improved.
Rakhmetov's biography helps us to better understand the main idea of the author, that representatives of the nobility began to go over to the side of the people, and hence the age of oppression is not long. The portrait plays very small role. For example, the portrait of Lopukhov is not large, but it also emphasizes the courage and originality of the hero's character. He was a man with beautiful features, with a proud and bold look. But, along with these usual methods of depicting heroes, dialogues, disputes, theoretical reasoning, letters of heroes reach great importance. An example is Lopukhov's conversations with Vera Pavlovna about religion, about the actions of people. Numerous dialogues about the rational egoism of Lopukhov and Kirsanov. Many more examples could be cited, since in most cases, in all conversations, the deep thoughts of the author are felt. The characters' letters played the same role. Correspondence between Lopukhov and Vera Pavlovna helps to better understand the relationship between them. Katya Polozova's letter gives a vivid idea of Vera Pavlovna's workshop. But not only the images of the characters make up the peculiarity of the play. Peculiar-on also the composition. The novel is divided into six large chapters, which in turn are divided into small subchapters. Each chapter has a title that represents the topic of the chapter. A special chapter is the last page of the novel, called The Change of Scenery. This was done because Chernyshevsky gave her a very great importance, as it shows the triumph of revolutionary ideas, the victory of the revolution. The digressions to which the author resorts are also very characteristic of the novel. The most important of these are conversations with an astute reader. In his guise, Chernyshevsky ridicules the philistine and stupid public, for which only sharp scenes are important, and not the essence of the book. He shows this boastful crowd, which smugly talks about literary or learned things, in which they have no idea. At the same time, the author encourages to study literature, carefully and thoughtfully analyze the novel. The composition corresponds to the language of the novel. Basically, it is a complex language, with a large number all kinds of turns subordinate clauses. An example is the following phrase about Lopukhov and Kirsanov: But they argue differently: you see, medicine is now in such an infantile state that it is necessary not to treat yet, but only to prepare materials for future doctors to be able to treat. The use of such words, as you see, emphasizes the relationship of the author to the speaker. And the use of such, similar to Old Russian, words, as in infancy, without stuffing, and gives the language a heaviness and nationality. But the heroes of the novel are also characterized by apt short aphorisms: Give people bread, they will learn to read themselves, Zheru-va - soft-boiled boots, We have no time to be bored: we have too much to do, I don’t hate my homeland, because I love it. What is to be done differs from other novels in its political character, in its journalistic orientation. The novel is the opposite in relation to the Oҭtsam and the children of Turgenev. This opposition is visible in everything. So, if Bazarov is a gloomy, vicious person, then Chernyshevsky's heroes are cheerful people, confident in their actions. If Turgenev's novel shows the inconsistency of Bazarov's views and his death, then in the work What to do revolutionary ideas triumphed, and the novel of the carnival of the revolution ends. Chernyshevsky's novel played a huge role in Russian literature and public life. The novel became a textbook for the life of all progressive youth. It was perceived as a program of activity in public and private life. No matter how hard the reactionaries tried to reduce the significance of the work, nevertheless they were forced to admit that the novel had become the most popular work of Russian literature.

The rights to the essay "Artistic features of the novel What to do.
" belong to its author. When quoting material, it is necessary to indicate a hyperlink to

Nikolay Chernyshevsky's novel “What is to be done?” contemporaries perceived ambiguously. Some considered it "an abomination", others - "charm". This is due to a complex composition, attempts to hide the main idea behind dreams. main character and a love triangle and, finally, with the peculiarities of language design. However, the novel had a major impact on Russian society XIX century. Schoolchildren study it in the 10th grade. We offer brief analysis works “What to do?”, which will help to prepare well for the lessons and for the exam.

Brief analysis

History of creation- N. Chernyshevsky created the novel when he was in the Peter and Paul Fortress. The writer was arrested for radical ideas. The work was conceived as a response to Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons", so there is a certain similarity between the images of Yevgeny Bazarov and Rakhmetov.

Subject- Two main themes can be distinguished in the work - love and life in a new society built on the basis of the laws of labor and equality.

Composition- The structure of the work has features. The through lines of the novel are the life of Vera Pavlovna, the fate of Lopukhov and Kirsanov. The main role in these storylines is played by love vicissitudes. The dreams of Vera Pavlovna are closely intertwined with reality. With the help of them, the author encrypted socio-political motives.

Genre- A novel in which one can notice the features of several genre varieties - a utopian novel, socio-political, love and philosophical novels.

Direction- Realism.

History of creation

The writer worked on the analyzed work for several months: from December 1862 to April 1863. At that time he was under arrest in the Peter and Paul Fortress. They imprisoned him for his radical views. The novel was conceived as a response to Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons", so there is a certain similarity between the images of Yevgeny Bazarov and Rakhmetov.

While working on the novel, N. Chernyshevsky understood that censorship would not allow it to be published if it noticed a sharp political subtext. To deceive the regulatory authorities, the writer resorted to artistic techniques: framed social motives with a love context, introduced dreams into the plot. He managed to publish his work in Sovremennik, but soon the authorities forbade not only to distribute the novel, but even to imitate it. Permission was granted to publish the work of Chernyshevsky “What is to be done?” only in 1905

Subject

The novel displayed motifs characteristic of the Russian literature XIX century. The writer realized them in an extraordinary, intricate plot. He gave situations that should push the reader to independent conclusions.

N. Chernyshevsky revealed multiple topics, among which the following stand out: love, which feeds on common interests, mutual respect; dreams of a new life. These topics are closely intertwined and define Problems“What to do?”: marriage without love, friendship, equality of men and women, the role of labor in human life.

A significant part of the novel is devoted to the life of Vera Pavlovna. The mother of the heroine wanted to marry her to a rich man. She considered the master's son to be a profitable party. The mother did not even think that this was a womanizer, with whom her daughter would not find happiness. From an unsuccessful marriage, Verochka was saved by medical student Dmitry Lopukhov. A tender feeling arose between the young people, and they got married. Vera became the owner of a sewing workshop. However, she did not use hired labor. The heroine made the girls who worked for her co-owners, they shared the income equally. In the story about the workshop of Vera Pavlovna, the author embodied the idea of equal work.

The marriage with Lopukhov soon fell apart: Verochka fell in love with her husband's friend, Kirsanov. To untie the love knot, Lopukhov decided to shoot himself. It turns out that he left the note that was discussed at the beginning of the novel. In the message, he stated that no one was to blame for his death, and Vera Pavlovna calmly married Kirsanov.

The married couple lived happily ever after. Vera Pavlovna was passionate about her favorite business - sewing workshops, began to study medicine, and her husband helped her in every possible way. In descriptions family life these people manifest the idea of equality between men and women. At the end of the novel, we learn that Lopukhov is alive. Now he took the name of Beaumont and married Ekaterina Vasilievna Polozova. The Kirsanov and Beumont families begin to make friends and spread the ideas of a “new” life.

Composition

In "What to do?" the analysis should be supplemented with a characterization of the composition. The peculiarities of the formal and semantic organization of the text allow the author to reveal several topics, to disguise forbidden motives. At first sight, leading role love twists and turns play in the novel. In fact, they are a mask that hides socio-political problems. For disclosure recent author used the description of Vera Pavlovna's dreams.

The components of the plot are placed inconsistently: the author presents an event from the development of actions before the exposition, and only then plot elements line up in logical chain. Both at the beginning and at the end of the novel, the image of Lopukhov appears. So, a kind of frame is created.

Main characters

Genre

The genre of the work is a novel, as it contains several storylines, A central problem remains open. The work is characterized by genre syncretism: the features of love, philosophical, socio-political novels and utopia are intertwined in it. The direction of the work is realism.

The novel was written from the end of 1862 to April 1863, that is, it was written in 3.5 months in the 35th year of the author's life. The novel divided readers into two opposing camps. Supporters of the book were Pisarev, Shchedrin, Plekhanov, Lenin. But such artists as Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Leskov believed that the novel was devoid of true artistry. To answer the question "What to do?" Chernyshevsky raises and resolves from a revolutionary and socialist position the following burning problems:

1. The socio-political problem of the reorganization of society in a revolutionary way, that is, through the physical collision of two worlds. This problem is hinted at in the story of Rakhmetov's life and in the last, 6th chapter, "A Change of Scenery". Because of censorship, Chernyshevsky was unable to develop this problem in detail.

2. Moral and psychological. This is a question about the internal restructuring of a person who, in the process of fighting the old with the power of his mind, can bring up new moral character. The author traces this process from its initial forms (the struggle against family despotism) to preparations for a change of scenery, i.e., for a revolution. This problem is revealed in relation to Lopukhov and Kirsanov, in the theory of rational egoism, as well as in the author's conversations with readers and characters. This problem also includes a detailed story about sewing workshops, that is, about the significance of labor in people's lives.

3. The problem of the emancipation of women, as well as the norms of the new family morality. This moral problem is revealed in the life story of Vera Pavlovna, in the relations of the participants love triangle(Lopukhov, Vera Pavlovna, Kirsanov), as well as in the first 3 dreams of Vera Pavlovna.

4. Socio-utopian. The problem of the future socialist society. It is developed in the 4th dream of Vera Pavlovna as a dream of a beautiful and bright life. This also includes the theme of the liberation of labor, that is, the technical machinery of production.

The main pathos of the book is passionate enthusiastic propaganda of the idea of revolutionary transformation of the world.

The main desire of the author was the desire to convince the reader that everyone, subject to work on himself, can become a “new person”, the desire to expand the circle of his like-minded people. The main task was to develop a new methodology for educating revolutionary consciousness and "honest feelings". The novel was intended to become a textbook of life for everyone. thinking person. The main mood of the book is an acute joyful expectation of a revolutionary upheaval and a thirst to take part in it.

What reader is the novel addressed to?

Chernyshevsky was an educator who believed in the struggle of the masses themselves, so the novel is addressed to the broad strata of the diverse-democratic intelligentsia, which in the 60s became the leading force in the liberation movement in Russia.

Artistic techniques with which the author conveys his thoughts to the reader:

1 reception: the title of each chapter is given a family-household character with a predominant interest in love affair, which accurately conveys plot plot, but hides the true content. For example, chapter one “Vera Pavlovna’s life in the parental family”, chapter two “First love and legal marriage”, chapter three “Marriage and second love”, chapter four “Second marriage”, etc. From these names it breathes traditional and imperceptibly what is really new, namely the new character of human relations.

2nd technique: the use of plot inversion - the movement of 2 introductory chapters from the center to the beginning of the book. The scene of the mysterious, almost detective disappearance of Lopukhov diverted the attention of censors from the true ideological orientation of the novel, that is, from what the author's main attention was later paid to.

3rd technique: the use of numerous hints and allegories, called Aesopian speech.

Examples: "golden age", " new order"is socialism; "deed" is revolutionary work; " special person"- this is a man of revolutionary convictions; "scene" is life; "change of scenery" - new life after the victory of the revolution; "bride" is a revolution; "bright beauty" is freedom. All these techniques are designed for the intuition and intelligence of the reader.

Turning to reflections on the topics of this direction, first of all, remember all our lessons in which we talked about the problem of "fathers and children." This problem is multifaceted. 1. Perhaps the topic will be formulated in such a way as to make you talk about family values. Then you must remember the works in which fathers and children are blood relatives. In this case, it is necessary to consider the psychological and moral foundations family relationships, role family traditions, controversy and […]
The Thunderstorm by A. N. Ostrovsky made a strong and deep impression on his contemporaries. Many critics were inspired by this work. However, in our time it has not ceased to be interesting and topical. Raised to the category of classical drama, it still arouses interest. The arbitrariness of the "older" generation lasts for many years, but some event must occur that could break the patriarchal tyranny. Such an event is the protest and death of Katerina, which awakened other […]
After the peasant reform of 1861, when unrest began in Russian villages caused by the predatory nature of the reform, the proclamation “To the lordly peasants” became circulated. The authorities decided to attribute its authorship to Chernyshevsky. However, it was not so easy to deal with the famous literary critic, whose articles were skipped by the tsarist censorship and widely published in Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski. Everyone knew about his revolutionary sympathies, about his closeness with Herzen and other big […]
How I wash the floors In order to wash the floors cleanly, and not pour water and smear the dirt, I do this: I take a bucket from the closet, which my mother uses for this, as well as a mop. I pour into the basin hot water, I add a tablespoon of salt to it (to exterminate microbes). I rinse the mop in the basin and wring it out well. I clean the floors in every room, starting from the far wall towards the door. I look into all corners, under beds and tables, where most of the crumbs, dust and other evil spirits accumulate. Domyv every […]
Plan 1. Introduction 2. “There is only one counter-revolution ...” ( hard fate Bulgakov's stories) 3. "That does not yet mean being a man" (Sharikov's transformation into a "new" proletarian) 4. What is the danger of Sharikovism? Often referred to in criticism social phenomena or types according to the works depicting them. This is how the "Manilovshchina", "Oblomovshchina", "Belikovshchina" and "Sharikovshchina" appeared. The latter is taken from the work of M. Bulgakov " dog's heart”, which served as a source of aphorisms and quotations and remains one of the most famous […]
At the ball After the ball Feelings of the hero He is "very strongly" in love; admired by the girl, life, ball, beauty and elegance of the surrounding world (including interiors); notices all the details on a wave of joy and love, ready to be touched and shed tears from any trifle. Without wine - drunk - with love. He admires Varya, hopes, trembles, is happy to be chosen by her. Light, does not feel own body, "floats". Delight and gratitude (for a feather from a fan), "cheerful and contented", happy, "blessed", kind, "an unearthly being." WITH […]
Greatest Writer, who worked in the era of classicism, was Jean-Baptiste Moliere, the creator of French comedy, one of the founders of the French national theater. In the comedy "The Philistine in the Nobility" Moliere reflected the complex processes of decomposition of the old aristocratic layer of French society. At that time, in France, under a weak king, the Duke-Cardinal Richelieu actually ruled for more than 35 years. His goal was to strengthen the royal power. Many hereditary aristocrats disobeyed the king, saying that […]
Personally, I read the novel "The Master and Margarita" 3 times. The debut reading, like most readers, probably caused bewilderment and questions, not too impressed. It was not clear: what is it that many generations of inhabitants of the entire planet find in this little book? In places religious, somewhere fantastic, some pages are complete nonsense ... After some time, I was again drawn to M. A. Bulgakov, his fantasies and insinuations, controversial historical descriptions and the vague conclusions he provided […]
I have never had my own dog. We live in the city, the apartment is small, the budget is limited and we are too lazy to change our habits, adapting to the dog's "walking" mode ... As a child, I dreamed of a dog. She asked to buy a puppy or take at least from the street, anyone. She was ready to take care, give love and time. Parents all promised: "Here you grow up ...", "Here you go to the fifth grade ...". Passed the 5th and 6th, then I grew up and realized that no one would ever let a dog into the house. Agreed on cats. Since then […]
eminent fabulist, legendary person, great sage. It's all about Aesop, who lived in Ancient Greece in the 6th century BC. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, he, being a slave from birth, had an ugly appearance, but beautiful soul, sharp tongue and great wisdom using the method of allegory to talk about human vices in his many fables. It must be said that in the time of Aesop, the fable existed mainly in oral form. But the power and wisdom of the Aesopian word was so great that it was transmitted […]
TO mid-nineteenth V. under the influence of the realistic school of Pushkin and Gogol, a new remarkable generation of Russian writers grew up and formed. Already in the 1940s, the brilliant critic Belinsky noted the emergence of a whole group of talented young authors: Turgenev, Ostrovsky, Nekrasov, Herzen, Dostoevsky, Grigorovich, Ogaryov, and others. Among these promising writers was Goncharov, the future author of Oblomov, the first novel which " ordinary story"caused Belinsky's high praise. LIFE AND CREATIVITY I. […]
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a wonderful master short story and an outstanding playwright. He was called "an intelligent native of the people." He was not ashamed of his origin and always said that “peasant blood flows” in him. Chekhov lived in an era when, after the assassination of Tsar Alexander II by the Narodnaya Volya, persecution of literature began. This period of Russian history, which lasted until the mid-90s, was called "twilight and gloomy." IN literary works Chekhov, as a doctor by profession, appreciated the authenticity of […]
Introduction Love lyrics occupies one of the main places in the work of poets, but the degree of its study is small. There are no monographic works on this topic; it is partially disclosed in the works of V. Sakharov, Yu.N. Tynyanov, D.E. Maksimov, they talk about it as a necessary component of creativity. Some authors (D.D. Blagoy and others) compare love theme in the work of several poets at once, describing some common features. A. Lukyanov considers the love theme in the lyrics of A.S. Pushkin through the prism of […]
Starodum is Sophia's uncle. His last name means that the hero follows the principles of the era of Peter I (the old era): "My father constantly told me the same thing: have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times." In the comedy, Starodum appears late (at the end of the apparition). He saves (together with Milon and Pravdin) Sophia from the tyranny of Prostakova, evaluates her and Mitrofan's upbringing. Starodum also proclaims the principles of reasonable state structure, moral education and enlightenment. Upbringing […]
Russia, 17th century. worldview, customs and mores, as well as religious beliefs in the state are conservative and unchanged. They seem to be frozen like a fly in amber. And they could have remained this fly for another five thousand years, if ... If an active and active, inquisitive and restless, interested in everything in the world and not afraid of work young man had not come to the helm. Whom we, descendants, call "Peter I". And abroad they call our sovereign none other than "Great". About "or". It seems to me that in […]
“How often surrounded by a motley crowd ...” is one of the most significant poems by Lermontov, in its accusatory pathos close to “The Death of a Poet”. creative history poems until now has been the subject of unceasing disputes by researchers. The poem has the epigraph "January 1st", indicating its connection with the New Year's ball. According to the traditional version of P. Viskovaty, it was a masquerade in the Nobility Assembly, where Lermontov, violating etiquette, insulted two sisters. Pay attention to the behavior of Lermontov in this […]
Essay-reasoning Plan: 1. Introduction 2. Main part a) the theme of love in the work b) the question of human happiness c) the problem of people's behavior in difficult life situations 3. Conclusion Alexander Kuprin's story "The Lilac Bush" was written in 1984, and refers to early work author. But it reveals the skill of the writer, his ability to subtly convey psychological condition heroes. A small-scale work carries a deep content, raises many important and […]
Plan 1. The history of writing the work 2. The plot of the work Sholokhov. Plot this work described from his own recollections. The author, in 1946, while hunting, met a man who told him this story. Sholokhov decided to write a story about this. The author tells us not only […]
1. Essay-reasoning Plan 1. About the author 2. Features of the story "About Love" a) How is the theme of love revealed in this work? 3. Relations between the characters a) What do the actions of the characters indicate? 4. Did Alekhine make the right decision? 5. Summary A.P. Chekhov always raised the theme of feelings in his works ordinary person who does not have a huge fortune or high position in society. Thus, he achieved the right result - almost everything he wrote is saturated with the atmosphere of the usual […]
The origins of the novel date back to the time of F.M. Dostoevsky. On October 9, 1859, he wrote to his brother from Tver: “In December I will start a novel ... Don’t you remember, I told you about one confession-novel that I wanted to write after all, saying that I still need to go through it myself. The other day I made up my mind to write it at once. All my heart with blood will rely on this novel. I conceived it in penal servitude, lying on the bunk, in a difficult moment of sadness and self-decomposition...” Initially, Dostoevsky conceived to write Crime and Punishment in […]

The novel by N. G. Chernyshevsky “What to do?” created by him in the chamber of the Peter and Paul Fortress in the period from 14/12/1862 to 4/04/1863. for three and a half months. From January to April 1863, parts of the manuscript were submitted to the commission on the writer's case for censorship. The censorship did not find anything reprehensible and allowed the publication. The oversight was soon discovered and the censor Beketov was removed from his post, but the novel had already been published in the journal Sovremennik (1863, No 3-5). The bans on the issues of the magazine did not lead to anything, and the book was distributed throughout the country in "samizdat".

In 1905, under Emperor Nicholas II, the ban on publication was lifted, and in 1906 the book was published in a separate edition. The reaction of readers to the novel is interesting, and their opinions were divided into two camps. Some supported the author, others considered the novel devoid of artistry.

Analysis of the work

1. Socio-political renewal of society through revolution. In the book, the author, due to censorship, could not expand on this topic in more detail. It is given in semi-hints in the description of Rakhmetov's life and in the 6th chapter of the novel.

2. Moral and psychological. That a person, by the power of his mind, is able to create in himself new predetermined moral qualities. The author describes the whole process from a small one (the struggle against despotism in the family) to a large-scale one, that is, a revolution.

3. Women's emancipation family moral standards. This topic is revealed in the history of Vera's family, in the relationship of three young people before Lopukhov's alleged suicide, in the first 3 dreams of Vera.

4. Future socialist society. This is a dream of a beautiful and bright life, which the author unfolds in the 4th dream of Vera Pavlovna. Here is the vision of lighter labor with the help of technical means, i.e. technogenic development of production.

(Chernyshevsky in the cell of the Peter and Paul Fortress writes a novel)

The pathos of the novel is the propaganda of the idea of transforming the world through revolution, the preparation of minds and the expectation of it. Moreover, the desire to actively participate in it. the main objective works - the development and implementation of a new method of revolutionary education, the creation of a textbook on the formation of a new worldview for every thinking person.

Story line

In the novel, it actually covers the main idea of the work. No wonder, at first, even the censors considered the novel nothing more than a love story. The beginning of the work, deliberately entertaining, in the spirit of French novels, aimed to confuse censorship and, along the way, attract the attention of the majority of the reading public. The plot is uncomplicated love story behind which social, philosophical and economic problems that time. Aesop's narrative language is permeated through and through with the ideas of the coming revolution.

The plot is this. There is an ordinary girl, Vera Pavlovna Rozalskaya, whom her mercenary mother tries in every possible way to pass off as a rich man. Trying to avoid this fate, the girl resorts to the help of her friend Dmitry Lopukhov and enters into a fictitious marriage with him. Thus, she gains freedom and leaves her parents' house. In search of a job, Vera opens a sewing workshop. This is no ordinary workshop. There is no hired labor here, the workers have their share in the profits, therefore they are interested in the prosperity of the enterprise.

Vera and Alexander Kirsanov are mutually in love. In order to free his imaginary wife from remorse, Lopukhov fakes suicide (it is from the description of it that the whole action begins) and leaves for America. There he acquires the new name Charles Beaumont, becomes an agent of an English company and, fulfilling her task, comes to Russia to purchase a stearin plant from the industrialist Polozov. Lopukhov meets his daughter Katya at Polozov's house. They fall in love with each other, the case ends with a wedding. Now Dmitry appears in front of the Kirsanov family. Friendship begins with families, they settle in the same house. A circle of “new people” is forming around them, who want to arrange their own and public life in a new way. Ekaterina Vasilievna, Lopukhov-Beaumont's wife, also joins the cause, setting up a new sewing workshop. This is the happy ending.

Main characters

The central character of the novel is Vera Rozalskaya. A sociable person, she belongs to the type of "honest girls" who are not ready to compromise for the sake of a profitable marriage without love. The girl is romantic, but, despite this, quite modern, with good administrative inclinations, as they would say today. Therefore, she was able to interest the girls and organize a sewing production and more.

Another character in the novel is Lopukhov Dmitry Sergeevich, a student at the Medical Academy. Somewhat closed, prefers loneliness. He is honest, decent and noble. It was these qualities that inspired him to help Vera in her difficult situation. For her sake, he quits his studies in his last year and begins to engage in private practice. Considered the official husband of Vera Pavlovna, he behaves towards her in the highest degree decent and noble. The apogee of his nobility is his decision to stage own death, To give loving friend friend Kirsanov and Vera to unite their destinies. Just like Vera, he refers to the formation of new people. Smart, enterprising. This can be judged, if only because the English company entrusted him with a very serious matter.

Kirsanov Alexander husband of Vera Pavlovna, best friend Lopukhov. Very impressed with his attitude towards his wife. He not only loves her dearly, but also looks for an occupation for her in which she could fulfill herself. The author feels deep sympathy for him and speaks of him as a brave man who knows how to carry out the work he has undertaken to the end. At the same time, the man is honest, deeply decent and noble. Not knowing about the true relationship between Vera and Lopukhov, having fallen in love with Vera Pavlovna, he disappears from their house for a long time, so as not to disturb the peace of the people he loves. Only Lopukhov's illness forces him to appear for the treatment of a friend. The fictitious husband, understanding the state of the lovers, imitates his death and makes room for Kirsanov next to Vera. Thus, lovers find happiness in family life.

(In the photo, the artist Karnovich-Valois in the role of Rakhmetov, the play "New People")

A close friend of Dmitry and Alexander, the revolutionary Rakhmetov is the most significant hero novel, although he is given little space in the novel. In the ideological outline of the story, he had a special role and is devoted to a separate digression in chapter 29. The man is extraordinary in every way. At the age of 16 he left the university for three years and wandered around Russia in search of adventure and education of character. This is a person with already formed principles in all spheres of life, in the material, physical and spiritual. At the same time, possessing an ebullient nature. He sees his later life in serving people and preparing for this, tempering his spirit and body. He even refused his beloved woman, because love can limit his actions. He would like to live like most people, but he cannot afford it.

In Russian literature, Rakhmetov became the first practical revolutionary. Opinions about him were completely opposite, from indignation to admiration. This - perfect image revolutionary hero. But today, from the standpoint of knowledge of history, such a person could only evoke sympathy, since we know how accurately history proved the correctness of the words of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France: “Revolutions are conceived by heroes, fools carry out, and scoundrels use its fruits.” Perhaps the voiced opinion does not quite fit into the framework of the image and characteristics of Rakhmetov formed over decades, but this is indeed so. The foregoing does not in the least detract from the qualities of Rakhmetov, because he is a hero of his time.

According to Chernyshevsky, using the example of Vera, Lopukhov and Kirsanov, he wanted to show ordinary people new generation, of which there are thousands. But without the image of Rakhmetov, the reader could have a misleading opinion about the main characters of the novel. According to the writer, all people should be like these three heroes, but the highest ideal, to which all people should strive, is the image of Rakhmetov. And with this I fully agree.

Genre nature of the novel what to do. "Genre and composition of the novel" What to do

Perhaps this will interest you:

Ranked Posts

News

Featured Essays

Exam Essays

Brief analysis

History of creation

Subject

Composition

Main characters

Genre

Analysis of the work

Story line

Main characters