Zhilin and Kostylin are two different fates. Comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin


In the center of the work of Leo Tolstoy " Prisoner of the Caucasus» two main characters - Zhilin and Kostylin. In the plot of the story, the relationship of the characters, the comparison of their characters and the comparison of the characters with each other.

The difference in the characters of the characters led to the fact that their fates developed differently. Zhilin is a horseman, and Kostylin behaves calmly in the scene of the ransom agreement. This difference is already evident in the scene of the attack of the Tatars and the arrest of the heroes. And further, their behavior in captivity also shows the physical and spiritual weakness of Kostylin and concern for a comrade, Zhilin's stamina.

The best qualities of Zhilin, his love of life and the worst qualities of Kostylin are described in the escape scene. Zhilin walks looking out, thinking how to escape, he dug a hole, got out, climbed the mountain, crawls to the road and, at the same time, carries Kostylin. And how Kostylin behaves - he is indifferent, bored, sleeping, and during the escape he caught a stone with his foot, lags behind, groans, fell from fear. For Zhilin, the concept of mutual assistance is important, and Kostylin does not want to be a burden.

If we briefly describe the characters of the heroes, then Zhilin can be described as a decisive, resourceful hero who knows how to forgive, courageous; Kostylin, on the contrary, is meek, weak, betrays, resigns himself, is a coward, forcibly hobbled home. In a word, Zhilin is a daredevil, and Kostylin is a deck.

Zhilin overcomes trials in captivity, he managed not only to survive, to take root in a hostile environment, but even to endear himself to his enemies. He solved his problems himself, without throwing them on the shoulders of others, he was strong. Kostylin, on the other hand, does not withstand the tests sent to him in captivity because of his weakness and selfishness.

Also, their portraits play an important role in comparing characters. The portrait of Kostylin is described with the words: "... the man is overweight, fat, all red, and sweat is pouring from him." Immediately there is contempt, hostility from the description of appearance. The image of the pitiful is created, insignificant person, he is weak, ready for a vile act.

Zhilin: "small in stature, but he was daring." Outwardly, the person is ordinary, but strength and courage are felt in him.

Comparing the actions, motives of actions and the relationship of the characters, one can also notice the opposite in the characters.

Zhilin loves his old mother, takes care of her, does not disturb her, does not demand excessive things from her, he relies only on his own strength, actively looking for a way out. He says this: "I was not afraid, and I will not be afraid of you dogs." He knew that his letter would not reach, but he did not write another.

Kostylin is an egoist, he is sure that his relatives are obliged to redeem him, but he himself does not want to do anything for this, does not fight, passively submits to circumstances. He sits in the barn all day counting the days when the letter arrives or sleeps.

I consider Zhilin a real hero who does not obey circumstances, strives for liberation. In his character stands out strong will, courage, bravery, nobility and resourcefulness. But Kostylin cares only about himself, about his well-being, he does not know what duty, loyalty to friendship is. He is weak-willed, irresponsible, capable of meanness. He does not commit an act, does not run away from captivity. Kostylin is not a hero, he is not capable of a great deed.

But our heroes have something in common. Both characters served in the Caucasus. Zhilin and Kostylin are nobles, both officers of the Russian army, both going on vacation, and are captured. And how different they are! One is a hero, the other is a weak person in body and spirit. Two dissimilar person in the same situation.

I think that the author, by comparing the characters of the characters, tried to convey to us the idea of ​​​​a person, what he should be. How much depends on the person. In the same circumstances, one turns out to be a hero, and the other does not deserve to be called a man.

The brightest are those works in which the main characters are completely different. It is these characters that are the basis of Leo Tolstoy's story "Prisoner of the Caucasus". Characters - Zhilin and Kostylin. These men have different fates and characters. The true story tells about their life in captivity of the Tatars and an attempt to escape. But the path to freedom is thorny, and in particular because these two officers are the complete opposite of each other.

First meeting of friends

The events take place during the war for Officer Zhilin received a letter from his mother. She asks her son to return. Ivan, that's the man's name, considers the proposal and agrees. Traveling alone was dangerous, so the soldiers walked in a column. The group dragged on slowly, and the thought came to his mind that it would be better to go alone. As if having heard his thoughts, another officer, Kostylin, invites him to continue the journey together.

The first Zhilina and Kostylin is very important for further development events. The author does not talk about what it looks like main character, but gives a description of Kostylin. It's rough. Sweat drips from it because of the heat. After making sure that he has a loaded weapon, and taking the word to stick together, Zhilin agrees to the invitation.

Ambush and unexpected betrayal of a friend

Comrades are leaving. The whole path lies through the steppe, where the enemy is clearly visible. But further the road runs between two mountains. At this point there is a conflict of views. In the scene, Zhilin and Kostylin are compared in terms of a sense of danger.

Two excellent warriors perceive the gorge of the mountains in different ways. Zhilin sees a potential threat and is sure that the Turks can ambush behind the rock. Kostylin is ready to move forward, despite the possible risk. Leaving his friend below, Ivan climbs the mountain and sees a group of riders. Enemies notice the officer and jump towards him. Zhilin shouts to Kostylin to pull out a gun. But he, seeing the Tatars, rushes into the fortress.

Comparative characteristics Zhilin and Kostylin will be incomplete if this situation is not considered in more detail. The first took care of the safety of both, while the second, under difficult circumstances, thought only of own life. Kostylin left his comrade unarmed. Ivan fought back for a long time, but the forces were unequal. He was taken prisoner. But already from the Tatars, he learns that his unfortunate friend was also ambushed.

The second and unexpected meeting of former friends

For some time the man spent in a closed barn. Then he was taken to the house of the Tatars. There he was explained that the man who had taken the soldier prisoner had sold him to another Tatar. And he, in turn, wants to receive a ransom for Ivan in the amount of 3,000 rubles. The officer, without hesitation for a long time, refused and said that he could not afford such an amount. The most he can offer is 500 gold. The last word was firm and unshakable. His friend is brought into the room.

And the appearance of Zhilin and Kostylin is very different. The second officer is fat, barefoot, exhausted, ragged, with a block on his feet. Zhilina is no better, but the thirst for struggle has not yet died out in him. new owner puts Kostylin as an example and reports that he will be accepted for a ransom of 5,000 rubles.

The author shows how humbly he accepts an offer at such a high price. Ivan, on the other hand, achieved that the payment for his soul would be But nevertheless he understands that the mother, who lives on the money that he himself sends to her, would have to sell everything in order to free her son. Therefore, the officer writes the wrong address so that the letter does not reach. The comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin when establishing the amount of the ransom indicate that the first officer takes care of his mother, even if he is threatened with death. Kostylin is not worried about how money is being collected for his release.

Attempt to escape from the enemy

Time passes. Leo Tolstoy vividly describes the everyday life of Zhilin. A man wins the heart of the owner's daughter when he sculpts clay dolls for her. Gains respect in the village as a master, and even through cunning - as a doctor. But every night, when the shackles are removed, he digs a passage under the wall. He works during the day, thinking about which way he should run. The characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin in captivity are absolutely opposite. Zhilin does not sit still, unlike his friend. And he sleeps or gets sick all the time, waiting for the storm associated with the death of one of the Tatar warriors to pass.

One night, Zhilin decides to run away. He offers this to his comrade in the "camera". Kostylin is skeptical about this. He states that they don't know the way and will get lost at night. But the argument that because of the death of a Tatar, they, as Russians, can be avenged, finally convinces him.

Struggling with your own abilities

The prisoners are active. Trying to get out, the clumsy Kostylin raises a fuss. The dogs growled. But prudent Ivan fed the dogs for a long time. Therefore, the commotion quickly calmed them down. They get out of the village, but the fat man is out of breath and falls behind. Very quickly gives up and asks to leave it.

A comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin is a competition of cowardice with strength. Both are tired. The night is impenetrable, they are forced to walk almost to the touch. Bad boots rub your feet until they bleed. Kostylin stops and rests over and over again. Subsequently, he is exhausted and says that he is unable to continue his journey.

Then the comrade pulls him on his back. Because of Kostylin's scream of pain, they are noticed and hunted down. Before dawn, the comrades were caught and this time thrown into the pit. And there the portrait of Zhilin and Kostylin is opposite. An officer, thirsting for freedom, is trying to dig, but there is nowhere to put the earth and stones.

Increasingly, one hears talk from enemies that the Russians need to be killed.

Final and will

The owner's daughter comes to the rescue. She lowers a pole into the pit, along which, not without the help of a friend, Zhilin climbs the mountain. Weak Kostylin remains with the Tatars. He runs away with his feet bound, but nevertheless gets to his army.

After some time, money is also paid for Kostylin. He comes back barely alive. This is where the piece ends. The author does not report what further awaits the characters with the names Zhilin and Kostylin. The heroes have different fates, the first relied only on their own abilities, the second was waiting for manna from heaven. They are two poles that are guided by different principles and rules. If Zhilin is stubborn, courageous and freedom-loving, then his partner in misfortune is weak, lazy and cowardly.

A fine hearted officer

The main characters of Leo Tolstoy are Zhilin and Kostylin. This story is about two officers. The first fought bravely, the second accepted with humility everything that life had prepared for him. Zhilin has such a trait as care. He thinks about the old mother when they asked for a ransom, he worries about the fate of his friend, so he does not leave him in the village of enemies, for the girl who helped get out of the pit.

She is ordered to hide the pole she brought so that Zhilin can get up. His heart is full of kindness and love. The officer fell in love with the simple, peaceful people of the Tatars. So it makes their life easier. He is a symbol of everything bright and sincere in the work.

Kostylin - a hero or an anti-hero?

Kostylin is often considered a negative hero. He left a comrade in trouble, distinguished himself by laziness and weakness, brought danger to both. There is nothing to say about the cowardice of a man, because every now and then helplessness is manifested in his actions.


But is Kostylin really as weak in his soul as he is outside? Somewhere deep in his heart he is brave and strong. Although in part it borders on unreasonableness. It was he who suggested that his friend separate from the group and jump first. I was also ready to go between the mountains without even making sure it was safe there. No less courage was needed to decide on an escape, which he did not plan and for which he was not ready either physically or mentally.

The characterization of Zhilin and Kostylin is an analysis of two opposite types of courage. But Kostylin showed more courage when he refused to repeat the escape attempt. Moreover, as best he could, he helped a friend get out of the pit. He understood all his weakness and did not dare to set up his comrade again. It is in such actions that the secret of his essence lies.

In the story "The Prisoner of the Caucasus", which serves in part as an autobiography of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, there are two main characters. These are colleagues: Zhilin and Kostylin. Lev Nikolaevich himself became the prototype of Zhilin, and the hero of Kostylin was invented by him as an opposition to Zhilin.

Zhilin is described by Tolstoy as a strong-willed character, with strong spirit, and unwilling to lay down his head before the trials that fall on him. His colleague, on the other hand, is cowardly and lazy person, patiently waiting for the verdict of fate, and not wanting to decide it himself.

An attentive reader will immediately notice that, despite the presence of two main characters, the story is called "Prisoner of the Caucasus". Think: why? The fact is that Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, as a writer who knows how to convey the mood and essence of the story in a few words, called the work so, due to the fact that he did not consider Kostylin a man, worthy to be mentioned in history.

After being captured, Kostylin immediately, unconditionally, agrees to write a letter to his relatives. This means that he does not have his own goals, but hopes for his relatives, and that they will redeem him. Zhilin, realizing that his mother will not collect a sufficient amount, indicates the wrong address in the letter, hoping to subsequently get out, which he succeeds later. Zhilin does not just run away, he provides for everything possible outcomes, planning an escape to the smallest detail. And, being already ready, he also takes Kostylin, who at that time was not doing anything, but only eating and sleeping. Zhilin is a purposeful person, ready to make sacrifices for the sake of friends and colleagues. Kostylin is a pampered egoist, incapable of anything. After the first failed attempt, which failed because of Kostylin, Zhilin nevertheless ran away, demonstrating his love of life and vitality, but Kostylin did not succeed because of his laziness.

The story ends with Lev Nikolaevich talking about the fate of Zhilin. Zhilin remained to serve in the Caucasus, as befits a brave officer. Pro further fate Kostylin, apart from the fact that he was bought out, nothing is known.

It is noteworthy that Lev Nikolaevich uses the names of the characters to describe their characters. Zhilin is associated with a strong man, a strong soul, and not a body, which is visible to the readers of the "Prisoner of the Caucasus" from the beginning of the story to the end. The surname Kostylin, so similar to a crutch, indicates the laziness and cowardice of the character.

Thus, Lev Nikolaevich fit two opposite characters in one story. This was done by him for the education of future generations. So that there would not be people like Kostylin in the future, but only people like Zhilin.

At the lessons of literature, we got acquainted with the story of L.N. Tolstoy "Prisoner of the Caucasus". The main character of this work is the Russian officer Zhilin, who was accidentally captured by the Tatars.

There is another hero in the story, also an officer of the Russian army, Kostylin. Tolstoy narrates about the captivity of these people in his work. Zhilin and Kostylin are completely different in character. Their fates are different. They also differ externally. Kostylin is overweight, fat. He was sweating all over as the convoy moved towards the fortress. And I imagine Zhilin to be slender, very mobile.

From the very first events, Tolstoy shows how different his characters are from each other. When they drove ahead of the convoy, Kostylin had a loaded gun. But as soon as he saw the Tatars, he immediately forgot about him. He rushed to his heels and did not at all think that Zhilin was in great danger and that he could help him with a gun. Zhilin, on the contrary, when he realized that he could not get away from the chase, he decided to hack at least one Tatar with a saber.

Heroes behave differently in captivity. Kostylin immediately writes a letter home to send a ransom. Zhilin is trading. He thinks about his mother, who will not be able to find not only three thousand, but also five hundred rubles. Therefore, he writes the address on the letter incorrectly. He only hopes for himself. Zhilin immediately decided to escape from captivity.

He is very active. Always making something or walking around the aul. But not just like that. Zhilin is looking for a way to escape. In the barn, he makes a hole. At the same time, Kostylit only sleeps or "sits in the barn for whole days and counts the days when the letter will arrive." He does not try to do something on his own to save himself. Just hope for others.

During the escape, Kostylin let down both himself and his comrade. He didn't think about caution. When his leg hurt, Kostylin screamed, although he knew that a Tatar had recently passed by them, and with his cry he could attract his attention. And so it happened. And Zhilin again thinks not only about himself but also about his friend. He does not escape from captivity alone, but calls Kostylin with him. When Kostylin can no longer walk from pain in his legs, Zhilin carries him on himself, because "it is not good to leave a comrade."

Despite any difficulties, Zhilin still escapes from captivity. He knows he has no one to rely on. Therefore, he must save himself. He is a strong person. He succeeds. And Kostylin is weak-willed. He hopes for others. Therefore, he almost dies in captivity. They bought him out alive. Like this different tempers affect the fate of each of the heroes.

And Kostylin are both in charge actors story by L. N. Tolstoy "Prisoner of the Caucasus". The author wrote this work during Caucasian war, more precisely in the most last years war, when one day he almost became the prey of the enemy. Tolstoy, along with his friend named Sado, barely managed to ride horses to the border, so as not to be captured by the Tatars. This incident prompted the writer to create the story "Prisoner of the Caucasus" (1872).

Zhilin and Kostylin became friends during the service, both were officers. It so happened that on the way to their native lands, they were both captured by the Tatars. And it happened through the fault of Kostylin. He was a man of weak character and undecided. When he saw the Tatars running at them, he immediately left his friend in trouble and began to run away. However, he didn't get anything. Both were captured and locked in shackles in a barn. All further actions seemed to reveal the character of the characters even more.

The author deliberately focuses on the difference between these heroes, as he wants to show what cowardice and weakness are fraught with. If you think about it, then he came up with the names “speaking”. One is made of a "vein", that is, of strength and will, and the other is associated with a "crutch", that is, with weakness and lack of an inner core. When the Tatars order each of them to write a letter home asking for a ransom, Zhilin, unlike his friend, writes the wrong address so as not to scare the old mother, who does not have that kind of money.

The next time the character of the heroes is shown when they plan to escape. They managed to escape in the dark, but in the forest, through the fault of Kostylin, they again ended up in the hands of the Tatars. Zhilin made his second escape attempt without a friend. They were put in a deep pit and put heavy stocks on their feet. Kostylin was unable to run. First, after the first unsuccessful attempt, he immediately gave up. Secondly, he did not have enough strength and will for this decisive step.

As a result, Zhilin fled alone. Thirteen-year-old Dina helped him, who brought a long stick to pull a friend out of the pit. She was always kind to him. She brought food and water at the request of the officer, and for this he made clay dolls for her. The second run was more successful. Despite the difficulties that Zhilin encountered along the way, he was able to reach the border, and in the end he was already crawling. There he was picked up by the Cossacks.

Zhilin changed his mind about going home, and remained to serve in the Caucasus. Kostylin had to stay in captivity for another month. He was released for a large ransom, barely alive. This is the result of his cowardice, weakness and unreliability. If he had been stronger in spirit, then they would have fled together long ago, and maybe they would not have been captured. So L. N. Tolstoy showed how people who find themselves in the same situation behave in completely different ways due to differences in character. What a character, such a fate.

Editor's Choice
Fish is a source of nutrients necessary for the life of the human body. It can be salted, smoked,...

Elements of Eastern symbolism, Mantras, mudras, what do mandalas do? How to work with a mandala? Skillful application of the sound codes of mantras can...

Modern tool Where to start Burning methods Instruction for beginners Decorative wood burning is an art, ...

The formula and algorithm for calculating the specific gravity in percent There is a set (whole), which includes several components (composite ...
Animal husbandry is a branch of agriculture that specializes in breeding domestic animals. The main purpose of the industry is...
Market share of a company How to calculate a company's market share in practice? This question is often asked by beginner marketers. However,...
The first mode (wave) The first wave (1785-1835) formed a technological mode based on new technologies in textile...
§one. General data Recall: sentences are divided into two-part, the grammatical basis of which consists of two main members - ...
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia gives the following definition of the concept of a dialect (from the Greek diblektos - conversation, dialect, dialect) - this is ...