In what family was Shvabrin born? Characteristics of the hero Shvabrin, Captain's daughter, Pushkin

Aleksey Ivanovich Shvabrin is a supporting character in the novel (story) by A. S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter". Its task is to help the author to reveal the images of Grinev and Masha, to make them lifelike, not “bookish and fabulous”, as positive heroes often seem to us.

Shvabrin has a real prototype. During the Pugachev uprising, the nobleman Mikhail Shvanvich, who served in the company of Lieutenant Kartashov, took part in the suppression of the rebellion. The company surrendered to Pugachev, and Shvanvich swore allegiance to him with a kiss on his hand and served faithfully first as chieftain, then as secretary of the Military Collegium.

There was no story with the "captain's daughter" in Shvanvich's life, but for Pushkin the very fact of breaking the oath and going over to the side of the rebels was important.

Characteristics of the hero

Shvabrin acts as the antagonist of the main character - Grinev. And in everything. Grinev is poorly educated - Shvabrin is well educated. Grinev is conscientious and rather modest, Shvabrin seeks profit in everything and is impudent. Grinev, without a drop of doubt, is true to this word and oath, even at the cost of his life. Shvabrin, on the other hand, thinks only of himself and is ready to sell or buy at least his homeland, at least love, and for the sake of his own life he will commit any meanness and crime.

You can judge Shvabrin by his first words, said to Grinev at the meeting: “Yesterday I learned about your arrival; desire to finally see human face took possession of me so much that I could not stand it ... ”Alexey Ivanovich expresses his attitude towards the inhabitants of the Belogorsk fortress in two words and at the same time characterizes himself: a noble, strong person with a really deep mind will never call everyone around animals, but himself a man. He is possessed by a petty demon of pride, but his pride is very cheap, it is a vulgar fake for honor and aristocracy.

Which is further confirmed when Shvabrin takes revenge on Masha Mironova for refusing to marry and denigrates her in the eyes of Grinev: "... if you want Masha Mironova to come to you at dusk, then instead of gentle rhymes, give her a pair of earrings." His lies are monstrously disgusting, because Masha is a model of modesty, purity and fidelity.

In the course of the story, the character of the hero does not change, only aggravating the properties already known to us. Shvabrin wounds Grinev in a duel at the moment when Pyotr turns to Savelich's cry. Then he informs Grinev's father about the duel, for which Peter falls into the most severe disfavor with his parent: the father is determined to transfer Peter to even more wilderness. Further, Shvabrin swears allegiance to Pugachev and it turns out that he was in a preliminary correspondence with the "robber" in order to save his life in the event of the capture of the fortress.

Shvabrin tries to seize Masha by force, locks her in a closet "for bread and water." When this attempt fails, Shvabrin tells Pugachev that Masha is in fact the daughter of Captain Mironov and should either be executed or sent to prison.

Such a desperate "parade of meanness" and dishonor may seem far-fetched. Does not realism teach us that there is both good and bad in everyone? But Pushkin, as if to spite reality, completes the fate of Shvabrin with the main betrayal: Shvabrin writes a denunciation to the government about Grinev.

The image of the hero in the work

However, the image of Shvabrin in the novel is still realistic. Such "heroes" in life are far from uncommon and have met many. It’s just that in the work the image is brought to completion, to typicality, and the form of “a story about the past” helps us to immediately see the nature of actions.

Shvabrin is conceived as the antipode of Grinev and as an example of what true betrayal, dishonor is. After all, formally - "according to the law" - Grinev is also a traitor: he receives help from a rebel, a criminal, drops the honor of an officer.

Pushkin, by comparing Grinev and Shvabrin, shows us that acting according to conscience, in the name of justice and salvation, is honest, noble, this is the Law. And to lie, to slander people, to force them, to betray, to denounce - this is dishonor.

For the state law, for the Empress, Shvabrin and Grinev are equally to blame. For the reader and life, they are completely opposite. Such is the law of conscience and Christian morality. And, according to Pushkin's plan, following only him, you can change life, build it justly and wisely.

Negative or positive hero Shvabrin? To answer this question, let's look at Shvabrin's characterization from Pushkin's The Captain's Daughter. In fact, in short, Alexei Ivanovich Shvabrin is the opposite of Pyotr Grinev and combines a set of qualities that are alien to decent people. Nevertheless, this is the key character of the story, and it is extremely important to discuss his characterization if we want to fully understand Pushkin's main idea.

What do we know about Shvabrin's appearance?

Let's start characterizing Shvabrin with his appearance. If the appearance of some literary heroes in certain works is not intentionally described, because the author pursues certain goals, then as for Shvabrin, Pushkin introduces him to us.

Grinev heard about Shvabrin when he dined with the Mironovs. Shvabrin himself has been serving here for several years, and was sent to the fortress after a duel. His stature is short, he is dark and ugly. However, this is a person with a lively face, very witty, far from stupid, and besides, he can present himself in a favorable light when necessary. Shvabrin happily told Grinev about the people who live in the fortress, in particular, about the commandant and his family. Described Shvabrin and features of the local way of life.

Shvabrin - who is he?

For example, in the very first days of their acquaintance, Shvabrin exposes Masha in a conversation with Grinev in such a light that one gets the impression that she is just a fool. And Grinev naively believes the words of his new friend, since he initially aroused his sympathy. However, Grinev eventually figured out and realized that Masha was not like that at all, and his friend was just trying to denigrate the girl. This case says a lot about what kind of characterization of Shvabrin can be safely given. It is interesting that Masha previously refused Shvabrin, feeling the vile essence of this person.

But Shvabrin was gossiping not only about Masha. He managed to tell Petrusha, who still did not really know the Mironovs, a lot of half-truths about their family and people close to them. For example, about the garrison lieutenant Ivan Ignatich, he said that he had an inadmissible relationship with the captain's wife.

These facts indicate that Shvabrin's characterization is very negative. Yes, Grinev was forced to see Shvabrin every day, but soon communication with Alexei Ivanovich became more and more unpleasant for him, and he simply could not stand his indecent jokes.

Quarrel between Grinev and Shvabrin

So, the negative of Peter Grinev on Shvabrin accumulated more and more. It must be understood that Peter was imbued with sympathy for the commandant's family, and, of course, he was very disposed towards Masha. Therefore, it is not surprising that Shvabrin's barbs about Masha caused irritation. Finally, an incident occurred that led to a quarrel between young people. Let's consider it below.

Peter liked to write poetry and often composed in his spare time. Once he wrote lines that someone wanted to read, and Grinev read the poem to Shvabrin. However, he reacted very unexpectedly: taking the sheets with the essay, Shvabrin began to criticize the poet and gloat. This started a quarrel and then led to a duel. In fact, Grinev dedicated the poem to Masha Mironova, which Shvabrin could not bear. Moreover, he made a gross accusation against her. It should be noted that although Shvabrin vilely struck Grinev with a blow, he later recovered and forgave Alexei. But Shvabrin did not appreciate the nobility of Peter, and inside him the desire to avenge everything remained.

Conclusions on the characterization of Shvabrin in the story "The Captain's Daughter"

From the cases cited above, it is clear that Shvabrin is a vile person, envious and spiteful. Remember what an unsightly act he committed while Grinev was recovering from a wound: Shvabrin sent a letter to Peter's father without a signature to do another nasty thing.

In addition, Shvabrin turned out to be a coward and a traitor, which follows from further events, when Pugachev appeared. Thanks to such a character as Shvabrin, the reader can not only see the nobility and courage of Pyotr Grinev in contrast, but also draw certain conclusions about what qualities a person should not have and what, on the contrary, is worth learning.

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The characteristic of Shvabrin from The Captain's Daughter is a combination of qualities that are alien to a decent person. It is no coincidence that this hero is present in the narrative, however, like other images of Pushkin's story. He is the opposite of Grinev - a hero who symbolizes the honor and dignity of a Russian officer.

Appearance

The characterization of Shvabrin from The Captain's Daughter should be sought in the text of the work itself. What does the author say about his character? Shvabrin's characterization from The Captain's Daughter begins with a description of his appearance.

For the first time, Pyotr Grinev hears about this man at dinner in the Mironovs' house. Shvabrin has been in the fortress for the fifth year. Here he was sent for the murder, which led to a duel. The young officer learns about this from Vasilisa Egorovna, one of the heroines of the story "The Captain's Daughter". In the characterization of Shvabrin, such a detail from his biography plays an important role.

He is not tall, swarthy, remarkably ugly. Aleksey Ivanovich Shvabrin has a lively face, he is witty and knows how to create a pleasant impression. He is by no means stupid, which the protagonist is convinced of on the day he meets the officer. Shvabrin gladly tells Grinev about the inhabitants of the fortress, he describes the family of the commandant, local traditions. A more complete characterization of Shvabrin in the story "The Captain's Daughter" is in the description of the climactic events, namely during the capture of the fortress. But before talking about how Shvabrin took Pugachev's attack, it is worth mentioning Masha. Or rather, about the attitude of the hero to the captain's daughter. A brief description of Shvabrin is given by the author already in the third chapter. He is a slanderer, an intriguer, an envious person.

Masha Mironova

At first glance, Peter did not like her. He looked at her with some prejudice. Why didn’t Masha like the protagonist of The Captain’s Daughter? Shvabrin, in whose characterization there is such an unpleasant trait as a love of gossip, at the first meeting told Grinev about the inhabitants of the fortress. He presented Masha as a complete fool. Since the young officer was glad to meet Shvabrin (as we remember, he ended up in the outback against his will), he initially believed every word of this man.

Later, Grinev met Masha and found that this girl is reasonable, smart. Shvabrin denigrated Masha because he was in love with her. Thus, he wanted to protect her from other suitors. It is noteworthy that the captain's daughter, as Grinev later learned, once rejected Shvabrin. Despite her young age, she felt the rotten soul of this man, who had no right to bear the rank of Russian officer.

Gossip

Shvabrin slandered not only Masha. He told Grinev, a man unfamiliar with the commandant's family, fables, not at all worrying that there was not a shadow of credibility in them. So, he told Peter that the garrison lieutenant, Ivan Ignatich, allegedly was in an impermissible relationship with the captain's wife.

Grinev had to communicate with Shvabrin every day. But over time, conversations with this person became more and more unpleasant for him. Indecent jokes about the commandant's family jarred Peter. He had already managed to get to know them, and the Mironov couple did not evoke anything but sympathy. Especially painfully he perceived caustic remarks about Masha.

squabbler

The reason for the duel, of course, is not a harsh criticism of the protagonist's poetic abilities. The fact is that the poem was dedicated to Masha. Shvabrin, having guessed to whom this work was addressed, demonstrated an unprecedented even for himself acrimony. First, he criticized the poem. And then the girl to whom it was dedicated. Moreover, Alexei Ivanovich accused Masha of venality. Grinev could not stand this and called his opponent a scoundrel. He, being confident in Grinev's inability to fight with swords, challenged him to a duel.

Sneaky man

The lessons of the frivolous French tutor were not in vain. Grinev knew how to fence well. Shvabrin did not know about this, otherwise he would not have challenged Peter to a duel. The duel could end with the victory of the protagonist. However, Savelich suddenly appeared and distracted Peter. Shvabrin, taking advantage of the situation, struck his opponent with a blow that could have been fatal.

After recovering, Grinev forgave Shvabrin, who had slandered Masha. However, he held his anger. A characteristic feature of Shvabrin is meanness. He often acted on the sly. While Grinev was in a fever, he wrote an anonymous letter to his father.

Traitor

The culmination of the story is the appearance of Pugachev. This event is discussed in the sixth chapter of The Captain's Daughter. Pushkin characterized Shvabrin in this part of the work. He, or rather, the main character, acting as a narrator, here thinks little about Shvabrin. There are events much more terrible than the betrayal of an officer.

In the previous chapters, Shvabrin is shown as a gossip, just an unpleasant person. But a squabbler is not yet a traitor. As soon as Pugachev appears, Shvabrin goes over to his side. He commits a crime against officer duty, honor, morality. This is no longer just a petty dirty trick, spreading gossip. Shvabrin is a traitor, and a power-hungry one. Using his privileges, he tries to force Masha to marry him.

Coward

Shvabrin is arrested. Perhaps another criminal in his place would have repented. But nothing of the kind happens to the former officer Alexei Ivanovich. He testifies against Grinev, and, of course, there is not a word of truth in them. Masha saves Peter. She, like the main character, follows a simple, old truth that honor must be preserved from a young age. For Shvabrin, such concepts as duty and honor do not exist.

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Without the image of Shvabrin, Pushkin's novel The Captain's Daughter would have been deprived of confidence in the triumph of justice. It is thanks to this hero that we can fully appreciate the nobility of Grinev and the truth of Masha's love.

Origin and occupation of Shvabrin

Alexei Ivanovich Shvabrin is a man of aristocratic origin. His family was rich and influential in aristocratic circles.

Alexey Ivanovich, like all nobles, received a good education, he knew several foreign languages ​​​​and was distinguished by an extraordinary mind.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the poem by A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin"

Like most young people, Shvabrin chose a military career. Alexei Ivanovich began his military path in the elite troops - in the guard. At first, his service was not difficult, but the recklessness of Alexei Ivanovich ruined everything.

Despite the ban on duels, Shvabrin still defies the official ban. The duel ended quite successfully for him, which cannot be said about his opponent, the lieutenant. The wound he received led to his death. The fact of the duel became known and Shvabrin, as a punishment, was sent to the Belogorodsk fortress, where he had served for about five years: “God knows what sin beguiled him; he, if you please, went out of town with one lieutenant, and they took swords with them, and, well, they stab each other; and Alexey Ivanovich stabbed the lieutenant to death, and even with two witnesses.

Appearance of Shvabrin

Alexey Ivanovich did not have a pleasant appearance - he was not tall, his face was absolutely ugly, it was difficult to single out at least any pleasant facial features, his face was distinguished by mimic liveliness, which was even more repulsive. His skin was dark, to match his hair. Hair - this is perhaps one of the few things that were attractive in Shvabrin - they were deep black and beautifully framed his face.

After the capture of the fortress by Pugachev, Shvabrin's appearance changed significantly - he changed his usual suit to Cossack clothes, let go of his beard.

The arrest by the official authorities also affected his appearance - the once beautiful hair turned gray, and his beard went astray and lost its attractiveness. “He was terribly thin and pale. His hair, which had recently been jet black, had turned completely gray; long beard was disheveled.

In general, his appearance corresponded to a man awaiting a sentence - he was depressed and discouraged.

Characteristics of personal qualities

Alexei Ivanovich had an extremely hot-tempered character, which repeatedly became the cause of his misfortunes. Intemperance towards the lieutenant deprived him of the opportunity to carelessly serve in the elite troops. Hot temper towards Grinev became the reason for the transition to the side of the rebels and, as a result, hard labor.

In general, Shvabrin is not a stupid person, he is endowed with quick wit and ingenuity, but in moments of emotional instability, his mental abilities fade into the background - emotions decide everything. “Shvabrin was not very stupid. His conversation was sharp and entertaining.

Alexei Ivanovich is a dishonest person. His habits include deceit and slander. Sometimes he does it out of boredom, sometimes to get some personal benefit.

One way or another, this repels others from Shvabrin - no one wants to communicate with a daring and treacherous person.

Shvabrin and Grinev

The appearance of Grinev in the fortress brought some revival to her sleepy and boring life. There were not so many employees here, so there were no problems with choosing a company to spend time with. Grinev says about Shvabrin: “I really didn’t like his constant jokes about the commandant’s family, especially his caustic remarks about Marya Ivanovna. There was no other society in the fortress, but I didn’t want another.” The noble and kind Grinev managed to win over everyone in the fortress, in particular the daughter of the commandant - Masha. Eaten by jealousy, Shvabrin challenges the young opponent to a duel. Shvabrin was practically convinced of his victory - he believed that a person of such an age as Grinev could not have exceptional fencing abilities, but it turned out to be the opposite - chance decided the course of the duel -

Not getting rid of the enemy in a duel, Shvabrin resorts to deceit. He writes an anonymous letter to Grinev's father about the events. Alexei Ivanovich hopes that the angry father will take his son from the fortress and the path to his beloved Masha will again be free, but this does not happen. Shvabrin had to lie low and wait for a more suitable opportunity.

Some time later, such an opportunity arose - after the arrests of the participants in the uprising, to which Alexei Ivanovich belonged, legal proceedings began. It is here that Shvabrin recalls his long-standing grudge against Grinev and attributes to him a game on two fronts. However, this time Shvabrin's hopes did not come true: thanks to Masha, Grinev was pardoned by the Empress.

Shvabrin and Marya Ivanovna Mironova

Aleksey Ivanovich Shvabrin was by nature an amorous person. Once in the fortress, he immediately spotted a pretty girl - the daughter of the commandant of the fortress. Marya Ivanovna was not distinguished by exceptional beauty, she could hardly compete with the first beauties, but still she had pleasant features. Over time, Alexei Ivanovich begins to show interest in the girl. It seems to him that if he does not arouse Marya's sympathy, then her parents will convince the girl to reciprocate - the Shvabrin family is provided, and the Mironovs drag out a miserable existence on the verge of poverty.

Most likely, Shvabrin does not feel true love for the girl - for him this is a game, entertainment. Marya is aware of this and therefore eschews a dishonest and unattractive person, which causes indignation and irritation in Shvabrin. The appearance of Grinev in the fortress further inflamed relations between Alexei Ivanovich and Maria Ivanovna. Mironova falls in love with a sweet and kind young man, and Shvabrin is unable to rejoice at their mutual feeling, but all the time tries to find a way to defend his illusory right to love a girl. Shvabrin's attempts do not lead to anything good: Masha is only more convinced of his dishonesty and hypocrisy.

After the capture of the fortress by the rebels, Shvabrin locks the girl and starves her - he hopes that in this way he can break her and get what he wants, but Marya is helped to escape, and Alexei Ivanovich is left with nothing.

Shvabrin and Pugachev

Shvabrin's move to the side of the rebels seems illogical and absurd. For him, as a representative of the aristocracy, a rich and wealthy person, supporting the rebellion is an absolutely unnecessary and unjustifiably risky business.

The first objective thought that explains such an act is fear for one's life. Pugachev and the rebels are very categorical with people who do not want to serve them, but, as the further development of events shows, Shvabrin was not only guided by the desire to stay alive. Shvabrin was disdainful of other people's lives, but he was in no hurry to part with his own. Seeing how resolutely the rebels crack down on the recalcitrant, Shvabrin takes an oath to faithfully serve Pugachev.

He faithfully serves him and his cause - he cuts his hair in the manner of the Cossacks and dresses in Cossack clothes. Shvabrin behaves freely and not constrained in company with the rebels, he has become so accustomed to the role that it is difficult to recognize him as an aristocrat.

It is likely that such behavior of Shvabrin was just a game for the public - it is unlikely that such a person as Alexei Ivanovich truly shared the views and desires of Pugachev.

On our website you can find in the poem "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin.

The image of Shvabrin did not inspire much confidence in Pugachev - Alexei Ivanovich was a traitor who went over to his side. The fact of betrayal should have alerted Pugachev and cast doubt on the sincerity of his intentions, but, in spite of everything, Pugachev makes Shvabrin the new head of the fortress, it is likely that this choice was influenced by Shvabrin's military past.

Thus, the negative image of Shvabrin becomes the background for displaying the actions and characteristics of other characters. A.S. Pushkin, with the help of opposition, achieves a vivid image of the importance of morality and integrity. Aleksey Ivanovich Shvabrin was always a dishonorable, greedy person and as a result suffered for his temper, anger and self-interest - he was sent to hard labor for his involvement in the activities of the rebels.

Literary and critical remarks about the "Captain's Daughter"

Reading "The Captain's Daughter", condemning the behavior of Shvabrin, the reader - for sure - does not think about the fact that this work is unique in its own way in Russian literature. The problem of artistic psychologism is one of the most complex and least studied. This problem arose, in fact, together with the literature and, consequently, went through a number of stages in its development. In the 20-30s of the 19th century, Russian literature had already acquired real maturity. First of all, in the work of Pushkin, who thus became the founder of Russian literature. Artistry has found the most complete expression in the creation of characters - as the most stable, multifaceted and dynamic psychological structures, embodying the uniqueness of individuality. It was on this basis that the formation of psychologism as one of the leading principles of reflection was completed. This happened in close interaction with romanticism and critical realism. After all, their pathos consisted primarily in displaying human individuality, in asserting its independence, in showing its heyday and, at the same time, the injuries caused by the socio-historical conditions of life.

So, it must be assumed that in the Russian literature of the first half of the 19th century there were at least three forms of psychologism. First of all, this is the psychologism that arose when the subject of literature was considered a person in general, and the dogmas of normative poetics still weighed on writers to one degree or another. However, here it was no longer "high" and "low" that were opposed, but "sensitivity" and "coldness" ...

Pushkin's words in the context of psychologism

The main form was psychologism, which arose with the recognition of the value of human individuality. This contributed to the fact that psychologism finally turned into one of the leading principles of literature (and culture, perhaps), along with humanism. At that time, fundamental changes were taking place in social psychology in connection with the awakening of self-consciousness in society, with the advent of an analytical approach to the existing way of life. More and more writers of the 20s and especially of the 30s came to this form of psychologism.

"The Captain's Daughter" is the last word of the author. Our writer began his creative path, when the process of awakening public self-consciousness was directly reproduced in literature, and with this, the recognition of the value of individual uniqueness. Thus, “domestic free-thinking” was reflected, according to Yuri Lotman, which was clearly manifested in “violence”, as well as “hussarism”, “Epicureism”, romantic attitude, etc. All these are different manifestations of self-affirmation of the individual. And it is from this point of view that the hero of Pushkin's work interprets such forms of the psyche as "character" and "passion".

Thus, psychologism finally took shape as a principle of reflection in connection with the reproduction of a special state of social psychology: the awakening of the self-consciousness of the individual and the recognition of the value of individual uniqueness. Thus arose the form that reached its highest development in the works of Pushkin and Gogol. Of course, these authors realized this form in different ways, because Pushkin and Gogol adhered to far from the same concepts of humanism and, moreover, they dealt with different life material. With the spread of reflection, in particular skepticism, a transition began to a new form of psychologism, which Lermontov had already discovered. The next step is the psychologism of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy... And, as we see, everything begins in many ways with Pushkin.

Modern receptions of The Captain's Daughter and the image of Shvabrin

Above, we analyzed the image of Shvabrin in isolation. However, one cannot but recognize the fact that literature is a series of receptions and reincarnations. So, we offer an original look at how the image of Shvabrin migrated to modern literature. In particular, we are talking about the work of Viktor Pelevin. In his novel, Pelevin uses the plot of Pushkin's The Captain's Daughter, namely, Grinev's duel with Shvabrin. This duel takes place through a heartfelt verse to Masha, written by the enamored Grinev and the ridiculed Shvabrin. In Pelevin's "Empire B" the duel actually takes place in poems of different genres. Mitra writes a sycophantic madrigal, Roma-Rama writes an invective of a socio-political sound.

Pushkin and Pelevin carefully describe the rules of the duel as a knightly code of honor ("The Captain's Daughter") and as its verbal imitation ("Empire B"). The duel (the struggle between the characters for Masha's heart in The Captain's Daughter) and the dispute for Hera's commitment (in Empire B) becomes the reason for further self-characterization of the characters. Shvabrin, like Mitra, reveals meanness and sycophancy. Grinev, like Roma-Rama, reveals, in turn, historical insight, wisdom, honesty, and patriotism. Pelevin's hero's historical insight continues Pushkin's reflections on the causes of Russian national-historical "non-identity", inconsistency with oneself at various stages of social development. Thoughts about the tragic consequences of the Russian historical chaos, which is based on "violent upheavals", are continued by the hero of the postmodern era, Roma-Rama, for almost two centuries. So, the "eternal youth of Russia" is provided by the previous history torn to the ground.

Pushkin's intertext in Pelevin's novel thus acts as a consolidating cultural factor that continues the original Russian literary tradition, creates a dialogue between modernity and the golden age of Russian literature, thereby embodying the saving continuity of eras.

Another accent: Shvabrin as a two-hearted person

Pushkin's system is a classic system of antitheses, when negative characters correspond to positive characters. Shvabrin, as we have seen from our analysis, embodies those characteristics that are associated with negative figures. Meanness, dishonesty, a tendency to treason and betrayal, cunning, cruelty, lack of principle - all this is about Shvabrin.

When the reader first meets this hero, he finds him in the fortress. Shvabrin is serving a sentence "for murder". Of course, negative characters are usually endowed with a powerful mind, wit, attractive appearance, liveliness of character, and entertaining speech. Pushkin collects in the image of Shvabrin all those features that are inherent in typical villains. The reader becomes a witness to the unfolding drama - not jealousy, but the triumph of a sense of ownership. Shvabrin is opposed to Grinev, a positive character. Grinev gets what Shvabrin could not get. That is the love of a girl. Dissatisfaction - almost in the Freudian sense - pushes Shvabrin to vile deeds: denigrating the name of Masha (the same girl, as we remember), wounding Grinev in a duel, finally recognizing the impostor-Pugachev as sovereign, disguising, betrayal ... Shvabrin captivates Masha, trying to force her to leave marry him. Of course, the story ended happily, and Masha was released from the fortress. However, Pushkin's logic unfolds in the vein of "misconduct - punishment", in a literary work justice has triumphed, but in life it would probably have happened differently. Shvabrin, after a series of losses, is still trying to console himself with revenge. However, he receives only devastation and the final loss of dignity - as a person.

The image of Shvabrin in the story is very convexly outlined, it leaves no white spots, no opportunities to “think out, finish writing” his biography. A detailed description of Shvabrin is given at the time Grinev arrives at the service. "An officer of short stature, with a swarthy face and remarkably ugly, but extremely lively." He seems to be happy with his new friend. “Yesterday I learned about your arrival; the desire to finally see a human face took possession of me so much that I could not stand it.

Alexey Ivanovich is an educated young man who knows languages, a freethinker, with a small track record as a lieutenant, with his own ideas about good and evil. It seems to him that he is not doing anything special, but, seeking Masha's favor, he crosses the line of decency and sanity. What, tell me, girl will marry a man who threatens to take her by force?

Shvabrin was exiled to a remote garrison for his quick temper and participation in duels. Very soon he will see in Grinev a rival for Masha's heart, he will decide to slander her. But he does not expect such a rebuff. The conflict is growing, it will end in a duel and severely wounded Peter.

The further behavior of the victim of a fiasco on a personal, love front does not go beyond the once set framework. At the most difficult, culminating moment of the story, Shvabrin betrays the commandant of the fortress, going over to the side of Pugachev. Thus, violates the oath. The traitor has been rewarded: now he is in charge of the Belogorsk fortress.

Subsequently, Shvabrin prevents the rescue of Masha, even later writes a denunciation to the investigating authorities about the cooperation of a colleague with the rebels. But the disorderly and chaotic actions to shield oneself and denigrate the eternal rival do not reach the goal: Grinev loves and is loved, he is justified by the empress, and hard labor awaits the intriguer and traitor.

To a large extent, the image of Shvabrin in the story The Captain's Daughter is written in bright, in many ways "stinging" colors, which directly indicates the author's attitude towards this type of people. The unworthy behavior of an officer and a man only emphasizes the nobility and infallibility of the protagonist of the story, rewarded for diligence, steadfastness, selflessness.

To agree to compromises where this cannot be done, to make a deal with one's conscience, to look for workarounds, to write anonymous letters, to weave intrigues, in other words, to destroy one's own soul - this is the choice of Alexei himself. This is the opinion of the author, and in his judgments he is quite straightforward. Only once, at the very end of the story, will we hear sympathetic notes in the speeches of Pyotr Grinev. He will pay tribute to the defendant in shackles, because during interrogations he never mentioned the name of Masha Mironova.

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