Brief image of Eugene Onegin. Characteristics of Eugene Onegin in chapters I and II of the novel

Eugene Onegin is a young nobleman and aristocrat, the protagonist of the greatest novel in verse by A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin", which was created by the Russian genius for eight years. In this work, named by the outstanding literary critic of the 19th century V.G. Belinsky "an encyclopedia of Russian life", Pushkin reflected all his thoughts, feelings, concepts and ideals, his life, soul and love.

In the image of the protagonist, the author embodied the type of modern man of his era, who throughout the novel, like Pushkin, grows up, grows wiser, gains experience, loses and gains friends, makes mistakes, suffers and is mistaken, makes decisions that radically change his life. The very title of the novel shows the central place of the hero in the work and Pushkin's special attitude towards him, and although he has no prototypes in real life, he is familiar with the author, has mutual friends with him and is really connected with the real life of that time.

Characteristics of the main character

(Eugene with Tatiana, meeting in the garden)

The personality of Eugene Onegin can be called quite complex, ambiguous and contradictory. His egoism, vanity and high demands both for the surrounding reality and for himself - on the one hand, a subtle and vulnerable mental organization, a rebellious spirit striving for freedom - on the other. The explosive mixture of these qualities makes him an outstanding person and immediately draws the attention of readers to his person. We meet the main character at the age of 26, he is described to us as a representative of the golden youth of St. Petersburg, indifferent and filled with anger and bilious irony, not seeing the point in anything, tired of luxury, idleness and other earthly entertainment. To show the origins of his disappointment in life, Pushkin tells us about his origins, childhood and adolescence.

Onegin was born into an aristocratic, wealthy, but later ruined family, received a rather superficial education, divorced from the realities of Russian life, but quite typical for that time, an education that allowed him to easily speak French, dance a mazurka, bow at ease and have pleasant manners for going out. .

Having plunged into a carefree secular life with its entertainment (visiting theaters, balls, restaurants), love affairs, a complete lack of duties and the need to earn a living, Onegin quickly becomes fed up and feels a real disgust for the empty and idle metropolitan tinsel. He falls into depression (or as it was then called the "Russian blues") and tries to distract himself by finding something to do. First, this is a literary attempt at writing, which ended in complete failure, then drunken reading of books, which quickly bored him, and finally flight and voluntary seclusion in the countryside. The pampered aristocratic upbringing, which did not instill in him a love of work and a lack of willpower, led to the fact that he could not bring any business to its logical conclusion, he spent too long time in idleness and laziness, and such a life ruined him completely.

Arriving in the village, Onegin avoids the society of neighbors, lives alone and apart. At first, he even tries in some way to make life easier for the peasants by replacing the corvée with "easy quitrents", but old habits affect and after a single reform, he becomes bored and despondent and gives up everything.

(Painting by I. E. Repin "Duel of Onegin with Lensky" 1899)

The real gifts of fate (onegin selfishly did not appreciate them and carelessly discarded them) were sincere friendship with Lensky, whom Eugene killed in a duel, and the sublime, bright love of the beautiful girl Tatyana Larina (also rejected). Having become a hostage of public opinion, which he really despised so much, Onegin agrees to a duel with Lensky, who has become a truly congenial person to him, and mortally wounds him in a duel.

Egoism, indifference, indifference to life and spiritual callousness did not allow him to appreciate the great gift of love offered by fate, and he remains a lonely and restless seeker of the meaning of life for the rest of his life. Having matured and wised up, he meets Tatyana again in St. Petersburg and falls madly in love with that luxurious and brilliant secular lady that she has become. But it's too late to change anything, his love is rejected out of a sense of duty and Onegin is left with nothing.

The image of the hero in the work

(Painting by Yu. M. Ignatiev based on the novel "Eugene Onegin")

The image of Onegin in Russian literature opens up a whole galaxy of heroes, the so-called "superfluous people" (Pechorin, Oblomov, Rudin, Laevsky), who suffer in the reality around them, are in search of new moral and spiritual values. But they are too weak, lazy or selfish to take any real action that can change their lives for the better. The finale of the work is ambiguous, Onegin remains at a crossroads and can still find himself and perform actions and deeds that will benefit society.

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Biography, life story of Eugene Onegin

Eugene Onegin is the protagonist of the novel of the same name in verse.

character prototype

Many critics and writers have tried to identify who wrote the image of Onegin. There were many assumptions - Chaadaev himself ... However, the writer assured that Eugene Onegin was a collective image of noble youth.

Origin and early years

Eugene Onegin was born in St. Petersburg. He was the last representative of a noble noble family and the heir to all his relatives.

Eugene was brought up at home, he tried to get a versatile education, but in the end he received a superficial one. He knew a little Latin, a few facts from world history. However, studies did not attract him as much as "science of tender passion". He preferred to lead an idle and cheerful life, enjoying every minute. He regularly attended secular receptions, theaters and balls, and also engaged in the conquest of women's hearts and minds.

The development and disclosure of Onegin's character according to the novel

In the first chapter, Eugene appears to the reader as a spoiled and narcissistic young man, completely devoid of moral principles and the ability to show compassion. When Onegin receives a letter that speaks of his uncle's illness, he reluctantly goes to him, regretting only that he will have to leave secular life for a while. In the second chapter, Eugene Onegin becomes a wealthy heir to his deceased uncle. He is still a merry fellow and a lover of festivities, however, thanks to the scenes of Onegin's communication with serfs, he shows the reader that understanding and sympathy are not at all alien to the hero.

The appearance of Vladimir Lensky, Onegin's new neighbor, helps the reader to see the dark sides of Eugene - envy, rivalry for the sake of rivalry, and not to achieve some goal.

In the third chapter of the novel, the writer begins a love line. Eugene Onegin visits the Larins' house and conquers one of the master's daughters, Tatyana. Tatyana, in love, writes touching letters to Eugene with declarations of love, but does not receive an answer. In the fourth chapter, Tatyana and Evgeny still meet. Onegin assures Tatyana that if he dreamed of creating a strong family, he would certainly take her as his wife, but such a life is not for him. Eugene advises Tatyana to come to terms with her fate and overcome her feelings. Tatyana is left alone with her painful love.

CONTINUED BELOW

A few years later, Eugene Onegin again arrives at the Larins' house. Out of boredom and for fun, he begins courting Olga, his sister Tatyana, and the fiancee of his friend Vladimir Lensky. Lensky challenges Onegin to a duel. As a result of the duel, Vladimir is killed. Shocked by the involuntary murder of his, perhaps, only friend and unable to understand himself and his motives, Evgeny sets off on a trip to Russia.

Three years later, Eugene Onegin meets Tatyana Larina in St. Petersburg. From an awkward girl, Tatyana turned into a beautiful woman, charming and incredibly attractive. Eugene falls in love with the one who many years ago could save him from himself and from the evil that lives inside him. However, now Tatyana is the wife of a noble general. Eugene confesses his love to Tatyana and bombards her with romantic letters. At the end of the novel, Tatyana admits that she also has tender feelings for Eugene, but her heart is given to another. Eugene Onegin remains completely alone and confused. At the same time, it gives Onegin a clear understanding that no one is to blame for her current position and condition, except for himself. The realization of mistakes comes, but - alas! - too late.

The novel ends with a dialogue between Tatyana and Onegin. But the reader can understand that the future life of Eugene is unlikely to be radically different from how he lived throughout the novel. Eugene Onegin is a contradictory person, he is smart, but at the same time he is devoid of complacency, does not like people, but at the same time suffers without approval. In the first chapter of the novel, Pushkin speaks of his hero as follows: "Hard work made him sick". It is precisely because of this peculiarity of his that dreams of another life will remain only dreams for Onegin.

>Characteristics of heroes Eugene Onegin

Characteristics of the hero Eugene Onegin

Eugene Onegin - the main character of the novel of the same name by A. S. Pushkin, a young nobleman, a man with a complex and controversial character. Onegin was born and raised in St. Petersburg. He did not have a mother, and his father was a man, though rich, but frivolous and quickly squandered his fortune. After his death, all property went to creditors. Eugene was brought up by French tutors, who did not devote much time to the sciences. In return, they taught him to speak French, understand Latin, dance the mazurka, and recite epigrams. Well and quickly he mastered the "science of tender passion."

Onegin grew up rather selfish, incapable of work, easily hurting the feelings of other people. Every day he attended theaters, balls and feasts. The next morning I basked in bed, and then again prepared to go out. Soon, from such monotony, the young man developed a blues. In order to somehow diversify his life, he tried to read books and engage in literary creativity. But this soon bored him too. Going to the village to the dying uncle, who bequeathed him a rich inheritance, he hoped to have a rest there from the bustle of the capital. The change of scenery pleased him, but here, too, he soon began to feel bored. Such was the nature of the young nobleman.

In the village, Onegin met Lensky, who later became his best friend, as well as the Larin family. The meeting with Lensky opened up in him the possibility of true friendship, hidden behind cold selfishness. And the meeting with the young Tatyana Larina touched something in his impoverished soul, but seeing the romantic nature of the girl, he did not dare to play with her feelings. In response to her letter of confession, he said that he could love her with the love of a brother and that family ties were not for him. Despite the fact that he was benevolent towards these two people, this did not bring him happiness. He accidentally killed Lensky in a duel, and Tatyana was married off to another and became a princess. At the end of the novel, he saw her in a different light and fell in love, but this time she refused him. This refusal entailed a revolution in all his thoughts and spiritual feelings.

From the first pages of the novel, the reader learns about Onegin that he is a "young rake" born on the banks of the Neva. He grew up as a carefree boy and studied in "hothouse" conditions, because his teacher "taught him everything in jest." When Eugene reached adolescence, his teachers were "driven out of the yard" and Onegin ceased to be burdened with any occupation at all:

Here is my Onegin at large;
Shaved in the latest fashion
How a London dandy is dressed -
And finally saw the light.

From these lines it is clear that Onegin follows fashion and looks attractive, besides, he speaks French well and knows how to dance, so the world decides "that he is smart and very nice."
But still, according to many "decisive and strict judges",

Onegin was "a small scientist, but a pedant." He only superficially touched on the topics under discussion, but at the same time he did it "with the learned look of an expert." Of all the knowledge of Onegin, Pushkin singles out the “science of tender passion”, thanks to which he easily drove beauties crazy. Excellent mastery of this science made him a favorite among women, so he always received many invitations from important people.

Onegin was a fashionista and was very meticulous about his appearance and the choice of his outfits. The idle life of Onegin bothers him, because it is "Monotonous and motley." Onegin is tired of betrayal, and "friends and friendship are tired" of him. Pushkin calls his condition "Russian melancholy".

Onegin tries himself as a writer, but "nothing came out of his pen", then he began to read, but the books did not captivate him either. At this time, Onegin's uncle dies, to whom he goes, "preparing, for the sake of money, for sighs, boredom and deceit", which characterizes Onegin as a hypocritical person pursuing his own benefit.

2. The uncle leaves a good inheritance to his nephew, and Onegin remains to live in the village, where he decided to “establish a new order”, and instead of corvee he introduced dues, because of these innovations he was known as “the most dangerous eccentric”. The general impression of the villagers about Onegin was as follows: “Our neighbor is an ignoramus; crazy; he is a pharmacist; he drinks one glass of red wine…”. At the same time, Lensky, a romantic and ardent young poet, returns to the neighboring estate from Germany, and soon becomes friends with Onegin. And although Lensky was, according to Onegin, a naive idealist, nevertheless “Eugene was more tolerable than many; although he knew people, of course, and generally despised them, - but (there are no rules without exceptions) he distinguished others very much and respected the feelings of others. That is, Onegin treated Lensky kindly, carefully listening to his reasoning, without inserting his “cooling word”.

3. Lensky and introduces Onegin to the Larin family, where the elder sister Tatyana falls in love with Onegin. In her eyes, he represents an image more invented by her than a real person, because she did not know him at all, and she "painted" her love on the pages of the novels she read, endowing Onegin with the qualities of book characters.

4. Tatyana's spiritual purity and inexperience touched Eugene, and he did not dare to mock the feelings of the girls, deciding to have a serious conversation with her. In this conversation, the character of Onegin is most revealed, because he, one might say, confesses to Tatyana, honestly telling her about himself and his lifestyle. Onegin admits that he is not ready to start a family, but if he decided to marry, he would certainly choose Tatyana, however, as Onegin himself says, he is “not created for bliss”, so he wishes Tatyana a more worthy spouse, arguing that his union with her will be unhappy: "Believe me (conscience is a guarantee), marriage will be torment for us," then Onegin declares: "No matter how much I love you, getting used to it, I will stop loving you immediately." Here, Eugene is honest with Tatyana, because he is spoiled and corrupted by the high society, a quiet family life and an obedient, timid wife are not interesting to him. Onegin also asks Tatyana to learn to be more restrained in her feelings, because her inexperience can lead to trouble. In relation to Tatyana, Eugene showed "a soul of direct nobility", which nevertheless characterizes him on the positive side.

5. In chapter five, Onegin ends up at Tatiana's name day, where Lensky invited Onegin, saying that they would be held in a close family circle. But, contrary to the words of Lensky, a lot of people gathered, and Tatyana was very worried, and since Eugene could not stand women's tears and tantrums, he takes anger at Lensky and begins to take revenge on him that same evening, flirting with his lover, inviting to dance it: “Onegin went with Olga; leads her, slipping carelessly, and, bending down, softly whispers some vulgar madrigal to her.

6. Of course, this hurt Lensky very much, so he challenges Onegin to a duel. Having accepted this challenge, Onegin feels guilty for the fact that “the evening so carelessly played a joke on timid, tender love”, and for not stopping Lensky, realizing that Vladimir can be forgiven for his temper at the age of 18, but for Onegin, with his life experience, no. All this characterizes Onegin as a quick-tempered and touchy, but still quick-witted person who knows how to admit his guilt. But his pride did not allow him to refuse the duel, besides, he did not want to hear the "laugh of fools" who could take his refusal to duel for cowardice. Onegin won the duel, but at the same time he experienced “anguish of heartfelt remorse”, he “departs with a shudder and calls people”, but it is impossible to return the life of a young poet.

7. In the seventh chapter, Tatyana gets acquainted with the books that Evgeny read, in them “modern man is depicted quite correctly with his immoral soul, selfish and dry”; the girl sees Onegin's notes on the pages and begins to understand him better, calling Onegin "an eccentric, sad and dangerous." But still, Tatyana cannot fully understand him: “What is he? Is it really an imitation ... ”,“ Interpretation of other people's whims, a complete lexicon of fashionable words? Isn't he a parody?"

8. In the eighth chapter, Onegin returns to Moscow, where he will meet with Tatyana. Onegin, as before, is lonely and careless, “having lived without a goal, without labors until the age of twenty-six, languishing in the inactivity of leisure without service, without a wife, without work, he did not know how to do anything.”

When he meets Tatyana, he is surprised by her transformation, because she has become different, inaccessible and indifferent. Of course, this meeting cannot pass without a trace for Onegin:

What about him? what a strange dream he is in!
What moved in the depths
Souls cold and lazy?

Eugene cannot find a place for himself, he constantly thinks about Tatyana and is waiting for a new meeting with her. But his heart was still touched not by that modest and timid Tatyana, whom he had known before, but by this “indifferent princess”, “impregnable goddess”, which Tatyana has become now. And so he writes a letter to her, in which he speaks of his love. Onegin is no longer that narcissistic "dandy", he is experiencing real torments of love, at least one woman was finally able to take possession of his heart. Onegin is now a devoted admirer of the princess and in front of her "to freeze in agony, turn pale and go out ... that's bliss." Onegin is like a humble slave in front of Tatyana, anxiously waiting for her answer, afraid of her "angry reproach":

…I'm on my own
Can't resist anymore;
Everything is decided: I'm in your will
And surrender to my destiny.

All Onegin’s words confirm that he is a controversial person who is interested in the “forbidden fruit”, he is able to love, but love an inaccessible, unattainable woman, perhaps in order to, having achieved her, once again flatter his pride, because Onegin is everything still a vain person, and to achieve the favor of the princess, who occupies a high position in society, is an honor for him.

Pushkin's works belong to the history of literature. In each of them there is an imprint of an original thought, an imprint worthy of attention for its novelty, clarity and beauty. The mind of the author, by nature unusually penetrating and sharp, was indicated in his writings in all its strength.

The novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" is an encyclopedia of the manners of Russian society, a work of a new type. Prior to Eugene Onegin, Russian society had never encountered novels in verse.

According to the apt remark of V. G. Belinsky, Pushkin took up a novel in verse, “when there was not a single decent novel in Russian in prose either.”

Let's get acquainted with the main character, Eugene Onegin. We first meet him in the first chapter of the novel:

"With the hero of my novel
Without preamble, at this very hour
Let me introduce you."

What is he, the hero of the novel by Alexander Pushkin?

With his character, disposition, thoughts and feelings, the author introduces us gradually, throughout the story.

Onegin is a young nobleman, an aristocrat. Brought up in the classical traditions of those times: French teachers, tutors. Learning "a little something and somehow", Onegin mastered a rather small baggage of true knowledge. In conversation, he could "touch everything lightly, with the learned air of an expert."

“The time of hope and gentle sadness” came pretty quickly. Eugene began to appear in the light. He was dressed appropriately, cut in the latest fashion. He easily spoke French, danced excellently, knew how to make ladies smile with “the fire of unexpected epigrams”, kept anecdotes in his memory, read Adam Smith ...

“What do you want more? The world decided
That he is smart and very nice."

But Onegin is a controversial type. Having studied early the "science of tender passion", he also cooled his feelings early, became indifferent to the big world, and he gradually began to take possession of the blues.

Under the influence of this spleen, Onegin locks himself in his office and takes up his pen. But nothing comes out of this scripture, because hard work is sickening to him. Then he starts reading, but reading also does not make any sense, and he is forced to give up books.

Onegin manages to become embittered against the world and begins to despise people. In such a spiritual mood, he finds himself in a village where his uncle fell ill. Here Onegin meets the romantic Lensky and, despite the contrast of characters, becomes close to him. Here, in the village, in the Larin family, Onegin meets the pensive and dreamy Tatyana, who soon falls in love with him, and, following the inclination of her heart, frankly confesses her love to him in a letter. Onegin responds to the girl's frank confession with the assurance that he has experienced the game of passions and ends his long sermon with a dry moralizing:

“Learn to rule yourself;
Not every one of you, as I understand ... "

After a quarrel, Onegin kills his friend Lensky in a duel.

Continuing to languish in the "inactivity of leisure", he leaves the village and begins "wandering without a goal." After two years of wandering, Onegin ends up in Moscow, where he meets the same Tatyana, but finds her already an indifferent princess, an impregnable lady. This change that happened to her so impressed Onegin that he "falls in love with Tatiana like a child" and begins to pursue her with his love. For his love confession, he receives the same sensitive lesson that he once taught Tatyana. She answers him that although she loves him, she is given to another and will remain faithful to him forever.

In Russian literature, such characters as Onegin are ranked among the "superfluous people." Onegin's path is long and thorny. On this path he finds no use for his powers anywhere. Onegin's inability to productive work, the real thing - this is the main reason for his spiritual discomfort, endless blues and incessant boredom.

Onegin is not able to look at life from the other side, to realize the principles of life on other spiritual principles.

Conclusion

Pushkin was ahead of his time. He created a completely unique novel. A novel in verse. In it, we follow the story and, at the same time, enjoy the crystal purity of Pushkin's verses.

The author introduced us to Onegin, a man with a complex and contradictory character. The image of this hero, according to A.I. Herzen, "is so national that it is found in all novels and poems that receive any recognition in Russia."