Introduction

Ivan Goncharov for the first time in his novel “Oblomov” introduces a new concept for Russian literature “Oblomovism”, which denoted a special social tendency, characteristic, first of all, of the Russian people, concluded in complete lack of will, apathy, constant laziness and excessive daydreaming, when illusions are replaced real life, and the person degrades. The very word “Oblomovshchina” comes from the name of the main character of the work - Oblomov and the name of his native village - Oblomovka, which was the focus of everything that led to the gradual decline of Ilya Ilyich as a person, his complete isolation from the world and final escapism. The depiction of Oblomov and “Oblomovism” in Goncharov’s novel is a reflection of the process of gradual change, the “breaking” of a person who is instilled with unnatural values ​​and desires, which ultimately leads to tragic consequences - the acquisition of a false meaning of life, fear of the real world and the early death of the hero.

Oblomovka and “Oblomovism”

The roots of the appearance of “Oblomovism” in Oblomov lie in the childhood of the hero - Ilya Ilyich grew up in a distant village, literally cut off from the real world and the center of Russia - Oblomovka. The Oblomov estate is located in a picturesque, quiet, peaceful area, where the climate pleased with its moderation and tranquility, where there were no heavy rains, hurricanes or winds, a raging sea or majestic mountains, instead of which there were gentle hills, even the sky “huddles closer to the ground”, “to hug her tighter, with love: it spread out so low above her head, like a parent’s reliable roof, to protect, it seems, the chosen corner from all adversity.”

Everything here promised “a calm, long-term life until the hair turns yellow and an imperceptible, sleep-like death.” Even the seasons followed each other according to the calendar, without destroying the crops with spring snows - everything in Oblomovka went according to its usual way, without changing for decades. In such a semblance of paradise on earth, Oblomov and the Oblomovites developed, protected even by nature from all sorts of hardships, experiences and losses.

People in Oblomovka lived from rite to rite - from birth to wedding and from wedding to funeral. The pacifying nature pacified their disposition, making them quiet, harmless and indifferent to everything: the most terrible atrocities in the village were associated with the theft of peas or carrots, and having once found a dead man from a neighboring village, they decided to forget about it, since the life of other communities did not concern them touched, which means the dead man is not their problem. A similar situation occurred with a letter from a neighboring estate, which described a recipe for beer, but the Oblomovites were afraid to open it right away, fearing bad news that could disturb the usual tranquility of the village. People in Oblomovka did not like work, considering it a duty and trying to get the job done as quickly as possible or even shift it onto the shoulders of someone else. On the estate, all the work was done by the servants, who, as can be seen from the example of Zakhar, were also not the most responsible and hardworking people, but at the same time remained devoted servants of their bar.

The days of the Oblomovka residents passed in calmness and idleness, and the most important event was the choice of dishes for dinner, when everyone offered their own options, and then everyone consulted, approaching the menu with particular seriousness: “caring for food was the first and main concern in life in Oblomovka. After the meal, everyone fell into a sleepy state, sometimes they carried on lazy, meaningless conversations, but more often they were completely silent, gradually falling asleep: “it was some kind of all-consuming, invincible sleep, a true likeness of death,” which little Ilya observed from year to year, gradually adopting parental behavior model and values.

Oblomov's childhood in Oblomovka

As a child, Ilya was an inquisitive, active child who tried in every possible way to understand the world around him. He wanted, like other children, to run through the fields, climb trees, walk where it was forbidden, or, climbing into the hayloft, admire the river and magnificent landscapes from above. Oblomov liked to watch animals and explore the surrounding area. However, overly protective parents, who from infancy surrounded Ilya with constant care and control, forbade the boy to actively interact with the world and study it, instilling in him completely different, “Oblomov” values ​​and behavior patterns: constant laziness, unwillingness to work and study, lack of will and fear of the real. peace.

Deprived of the need to fight for his desires, receiving everything he wants at the first request, Oblomov became accustomed to idleness. He did not need to decide or do anything on his own - there were always parents nearby who “knew better” what their son needed, or servants who were ready to bring him any food, help him get dressed or clean his chambers. Ilya was raised as an exotic “indoor flower,” protected with all their might from the outside world and hidden in Oblomovka’s peaceful nest. His parents did not even demand academic success from their son, since they did not consider science to be something truly important and useful; they often left him at home on holidays or in bad weather. That is why studying at school, and then at the institute, became for Oblomov something like an instruction from his parents, and not the implementation of his own will. During the classes, Ilya Ilyich was bored; he did not understand how the knowledge gained could be applied in later life, in particular, in Oblomovka.

The destructive influence of fairy tales on Oblomov’s life

In the novel, Ilya Ilyich appears as a very sensitive, dreamy person who knows how to see beauty and subtly experience any manifestations of the outside world. In many ways, the formation of these qualities in the hero was influenced by Oblomov’s picturesque nature and fairy tales that his nanny told the boy. Myths and legends carried Oblomov into a completely different world - a fantastic, beautiful and full of miracles: “He involuntarily dreams of Militris Kirbityevna; everything pulls him in that direction, where they only know that they are walking, where there are no worries and sorrows; he always has the disposition to lie on the stove, walk around in a ready-made, unearned dress and eat at the expense of the good sorceress.” Even in adulthood, realizing that “rivers of milk” do not exist, Ilya Ilyich “is sometimes unconsciously sad, why is a fairy tale not life, and why is life not a fairy tale.” That is why in Oblomov, that sense of abandonment of a person in a terrifying and frightening world, instilled with fairy tales, continued to live in Oblomov, where you need to blindly make your way forward, neither seeing a goal nor a road, from which only a true miracle can save you.

The fabulous, magical world of legends and myths becomes an alternative reality for Oblomov, and already in adulthood he invents for himself a fairy tale about a future life in the paradise Oblomovka, about endless calm family happiness, prosperity and tranquility. However, the tragedy of Ilya Ilyich does not even lie in total escapism, fear of society, unwillingness to do anything and fight for his happiness, and not the understanding that he has already replaced real life with an illusory one. Before his death, for Oblomov, his dreams are more real and important than his son, wife, friend and people around him, even more important than himself, because in his dreams everything is in order with his health, he is full of strength and energy. However, Goncharov himself in the novel briefly gives the reader one of the explanations for this substitution: “or maybe sleep, the eternal silence of a sluggish life and the absence of movement and any real fears, adventures and dangers forced a person to create another, unrealizable one among the natural world, and to look for revelry and fun for the idle imagination or the solution to ordinary combinations of circumstances and causes of a phenomenon outside the phenomenon itself,” emphasizing that life itself should be a continuous striving forward, and not an endless sleep in the “comfort zone.”

Conclusion

The concept of “Oblomovism” in the novel “Oblomov” is introduced by Goncharov not as a single characteristic of the life motives and characteristics of the protagonist’s nature, but as a typical and especially attractive phenomenon for Russian society - the archetype of Emelya the Fool, lying on the stove and waiting for his finest hour. According to the author himself, this is “an evil and insidious satire on our great-grandfathers, and maybe even on ourselves” - a fairy tale that everyone wants to believe in, but which has nothing to do with reality, where in order to achieve heights it is necessary to rise from ovens and work, work on yourself. Using Oblomov as an example, Goncharov showed how a sensitive, dreamy person can be detrimentally affected by excessive care and guardianship, protection from stress and loss, leading to complete disappointment in real life and its replacement with illusions.

The characteristics of the concept of “Oblomovism”, the history of its appearance and the connection with the main character of the novel will be useful to 10th graders while preparing an essay on the topic “Oblomov and “Oblomovism” in the novel “Oblomov”.

Work test

Essay on the topic “Oblomovism as a phenomenon of Russian life”

The story of how the good-natured sloth Oblomov lies and sleeps and how neither friendship nor love can awaken and raise him is not God knows what an important story. But it reflected Russian life; in it a living, modern Russian type appears before us, minted with merciless severity and correctness; it expressed a new word for our social development, pronounced clearly and firmly, without despair and without childish hopes, but with a full consciousness of the truth. This word is Oblomovism... N. A. Dobrolyubov. What is Oblomovism?

“In Gorokhovaya Street, in one of the large houses, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov was lying in bed in his apartment in the morning.” This is how I. A. Goncharov’s novel begins, bearing the name of the main character - actually a story about this hero.

I don’t know of another work where one single day of the hero is told in such detail as here - throughout the entire first part. The hero's main activity during the day is lying in bed. The author immediately dots the i’s, telling us: “Ilya Ilyich’s lying down was neither a necessity, like that of a sick person or a person who wants to sleep, nor an accident, like that of someone who is tired, nor a pleasure, like that of a lazy person.” : this was his normal state.”

We see before us a young, healthy man who cannot be taken out either for a joyful walk or on a visit, for whom the service is so burdensome that he abandoned it. Moving to another apartment seems to him an insoluble problem; any business or movement gives way to the need to take off his robe, get dressed, and decide something. Just as his apartment is covered in cobwebs, mired in dust, he himself freezes in the web of doing nothing, life is replaced by existence, half-asleep, the absence of all desires and impulses, except for one and only one, to be left alone. “You’re too lazy to live!” - his childhood friend Stolz will tell him. Even dreams of family life come down to breakfast together, nice conversations and preparations for lunch and dinner. And memories of childhood are reminiscent of a fairy tale about a kingdom plunged into sleep, and even they come to the hero in a dream. Somewhere there, in distant childhood, among the eternal breakfast-lunch-dinner, conversations about food and rest before and after meals, he may have wanted to run, he was drawn to something, but the strict prohibitions of his mother and nanny, greenhouse life did their job. Education passed him by - “He had a whole abyss between science and life, which he did not try to cross.” “His head represented a complex archive of dead affairs, persons, eras, figures, religions, unrelated, political-economic, mathematical or other truths, tasks, provisions, etc. It was a library consisting of only scattered volumes on all parts of knowledge.”

Oblomov left the service not only because he did not want to spend any effort on his career - he simply did not find a place for himself in society, did not feel part of all these Alekseevs, Tarantievs, Stoltzes. He “discovered that the horizon of his activity and life lies within himself.” Of course, it’s easy to delve into yourself without thinking about your career and your daily bread when Oblomovka exists, even with a thief-elder and an ever-decreasing income, but it still exists! Without busying himself with business concerns, he loved to go into dreams, performing one feat after another in his dreams and not paying attention to the fact that Zakhar, a sleepyhead like him, put different stockings on him and touched his handkerchief somewhere . “Master” is an accurate and succinct answer to the question of what Oblomov is. “Oblomovism” - this is how Stolz characterizes his way of life, or rather, his worldview. And Oblomov is not the only one like this; he himself claims: “Our name is legion.” It's contagious, like an epidemic. This is convenient and pleasing to the government, because such people do not rebel.

Thinking about his life, the hero comes to the conclusion: “For twelve years a light was locked inside me, which was looking for a way out, but only burned its prison, did not break free and died out.” But there was this fire! After all, the eyes lit up in the dream of a feat! After all, there was something of his own, not borrowed from others, in his judgment about people! (By the way, the very word “different” as applied to him, the need to be like everyone else, to do what is accepted, only because it is so accepted, offends him!)

Oblomov, fearing to be insincere, will not be able to say a routine compliment to the girl he likes, which many would calmly say. But he also does not want to be a burden to her, an obstacle on her life’s path, and will write a sincere letter explaining his action. In his place, someone else would have tried to change his lifestyle or - most likely - would have promised his beloved to change, and then, God willing, he, thinking and caring more about her, told the truth. “He painfully felt that some good, bright beginning was buried in him, as if in a grave, perhaps now dead, or it lay like gold in the depths of a mountain, and it was high time for this gold to be a walking coin. But the treasure is deeply and heavily littered with rubbish and alluvial debris. It was as if someone had stolen and buried in his own soul the treasures brought to him as a gift of peace and life.” Oblomov truly has an “honest, faithful heart,” it will not lie, it will not betray the person who has trusted him, but it is silent when he himself is offended and robbed. You can’t “hide your head under your wing and want nothing more” all your life. You cannot condemn society and not try to confront at least some of its members. You cannot rely all your life on guaranteed daily bread from the estate (by the way, without thinking at all about those who produce it!) and on Zakhar for every trifling matter. You have to go through life yourself, and it’s not at all necessary to apply yourself to it or be like Stolz.

The feeling of being superfluous in society, unlike others, gave rise to the Onegins and Pechorins in Russia, who not only philosophized, but also tried to change something in their lives, to take risks, if only so that it would not be boring. Even with the brightest head and honest heart, without wishing harm to other people, you can live only for yourself. And the egoist, even the one suffering from this, withdraws into himself, creates a kind of cocoon, a wall that fences him off from the outside world. The dirt of worldly vanity, lies, and a wrong understanding of life’s values ​​can stick to this wall. It is this sticky layer that makes the wall stronger, making it impossible to go beyond its limits. And then the fire that burned inside a person consumes itself - and the light goes out. What remains is a shell - a grave.

We've known it since middle school. There we are told that “Oblomovism is moral decay, doing nothing, a parasitic pathological lazy person.” However, is this so? And how typical is this phenomenon for modern times, for

As a rule, it is said that Oblomovism is an echo of lordly, noble Russia in the worst version. But let us remember with what admiration the writer recreates the unhurried rhythm of life on the estate. How truly tenderly he describes his hero’s sleep, his dreams, his just beginning relationship with Olga Ilyinskaya. Maybe Oblomovism is, according to Goncharov, a characteristic feature of the Russian picture of the world? It is no coincidence that the enterprising Stolz in the novel is German, that is, as if a foreign body in the worldview of Slavophiles and traditionalists. The word “Oblomovism” in modern language has long become almost abusive, in any case, containing a negative assessment of the phenomenon. But the novel is not a libel, not a pamphlet. He recreates the struggle between two principles, Westernizing and Slavophile, progressive and traditional, active and passive. Modern critics interpret it in a broader philosophical context. According to some, Oblomovism is not so much a social as an ideological phenomenon.

This is an attraction to nature and beauty, a rejection of technological progress and the accelerating pace of life. loyalty to the foundations. It's a kind of Asian, almost Buddhist spirit. Is Ilya Ilyich lazy? Undoubtedly. Only his laziness is an organic continuation of his upbringing and lifestyle. He has no need to fight for his livelihood, he does not need to work, because he is a landowner. In criticism, it was customary to condemn his attitude towards Olga Ilyinskaya, his apathy and lack of will, his reluctance to take responsibility. But a modern family psychologist would most likely praise his decision and rejection of romantic feelings. Oblomov himself realized how different he and his bride were, and realized that any compromise would be a real break in personality.

But with Agafya Pshenitsyna he found happiness - quiet, homely, family. And Olga got what she wanted.

Therefore, is the concept of “Oblomovism” really so negative? It is associated with an eternal, threadbare robe, cobwebs, entropy, and decline. But, on the other hand, the author did not portray his hero as one-sided. The image of Oblomov is ambiguous, as is the worldview of which he is the embodiment. Don’t rush anywhere, don’t make plans, don’t rush in all directions, don’t fuss. Living, enjoying today, the beauty of the world around us, art - isn’t this the dream of a modern person? Driven by continuous progress and ever-increasing demands, we forget how little we actually need to feel harmony. But Ilya Ilyich found it intuitively. Oblomovism is a kind of escapism, a retreat into a fantasy world. Such people do not rebel against the way of life, do not remake reality, but reconcile with it. Can we clearly say that this is a defeatist position? Goncharov himself does not give a direct answer, but provides the reader with the opportunity to evaluate the hero and his world for himself.

I. A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” was published in 1859, at a time when the issue of abolition of serfdom was extremely acute in the country, when Russian society was already fully aware of the destructiveness of the existing order. A deep knowledge of life and the accuracy of social analysis of characters allowed the writer to find a surprisingly correct definition of the way of Russian life of that time - “Oblomovism”.

The author's main task in the novel is to show how a person gradually dies in a person, how unadapted a landowner is to life, not accustomed to doing anything. The main qualities of the kind, sweet Ilya Ilyich Oblomov are his inertia, apathy, and aversion to any activity. True to the traditions of realism, I. A. Goncharov shows that these qualities were the result of Oblomov’s upbringing; they were born from the confidence that any of his desires would be fulfilled and no effort needed to be made for this. Oblomov is a nobleman, he does not have to work for a piece of Bread - hundreds of Zakharov serfs work for him on the estate and completely ensure his existence. This means that he can lie on the couch all day long, not because he is tired, but because “this was his normal state.” He almost merged with his soft, comfortable robe and long, wide shoes, which he masterfully slipped into the first time, as soon as he dangled his feet from the sofa.

In his youth, Oblomov “was full of all sorts of aspirations, hopes, expected a lot from fate and himself, kept preparing for some field, for some role.” But time passed, and Ilya Ilyich kept getting ready, preparing to start a new life, but did not advance a single step towards any goal. In Moscow he received a good education, but his head “was like a library, consisting of only knowledge scattered in parts.” Entering the service, which had previously seemed to him in the form of some kind of family occupation, he did not even imagine that life would immediately be divided into two halves for him, one of which would consist of work and boredom, which for him were synonymous, and the other - from peace and peaceful fun. He realized that “it would take at least an earthquake to prevent a healthy person from coming to work,” and therefore he soon resigned, then stopped going out into the world and completely shut himself up in his room. If Oblomov recognizes some kind of work, it is only the work of the soul, since dozens of generations of his ancestors “endured labor as a punishment imposed on our forefathers, but they could not love, and where there was a chance, they always got rid of it, finding it possible and due."

There were moments in Oblomov’s life when he thought about the reasons that prompted him to lead such a life, when he asked himself the question: “Why am I like this?” In the climactic chapter of the novel “Oblomov’s Dream,” the writer answers this question. He creates a picture of provincial landowner life and shows how lazy hibernation gradually becomes the normal state of a person.

In a dream, Oblomov is transported to his parents’ estate Oblomovka, “to a blessed corner of the earth,” where there is “no sea, no high mountains, rocks, abysses, no dense forests - there is nothing grandiose, wild and gloomy.” An idyllic picture appears before us, a series of beautiful landscapes. “The annual circle is performed there correctly and calmly. Deep silence lies in the fields. Silence and peace of life also reign in the morals of the people in that region,” writes I. A. Goncharov. Oblomov sees himself as a little boy, striving to look into the unknown, ask more questions and get answers. But only caring for food becomes the first and main concern of life in Oblomovka. And the rest of the time is taken up by “some

an all-consuming, invincible dream,” which I. A. Goncharov makes a symbol that characterizes people like Oblomov, and which he calls “the true likeness of death.” From childhood, Ilya was accustomed to the fact that he did not have to do anything, that for any job there was “Vaska, Vanka, Zakharka,” and at some point he himself realized that it was “much calmer” this way. And therefore, all those “seeking manifestations of strength” in Ilyusha “turned inward and sank, withering away.” Such a life deprived the hero of the novel of any initiative and gradually turned him into a slave of his position, his habits, and even a slave of his servant Zakhar.

In his article “What is Oblomovism?” N.A. Dobrolyubov wrote “Oblomov is not a stupid apathetic figure without aspirations and feelings, but a person who is also looking for something in life, thinking about something.” He is endowed with many positive qualities, and he is not stupid. There is a sad truth in his judgments - also a consequence of Russian life. What are all these Sudbinskys, Volkins, Penkovs striving for? Indeed, is it worth getting up from the couch for the sake of the petty fuss that his former comrades are busy with?

In the spirit of the tradition created by Russian writers, I. A. Goncharov subjects his hero to the greatest test - the test of love. A feeling for Olga Ilyinskaya, a girl of enormous spiritual strength, could resurrect Oblomov. But I. A. Goncharov is a realist, and he cannot show a happy ending to the novel. “Why did everything die? Who cursed you, Ilya? What ruined you? - Olga bitterly tries to understand. And the writer gives the answer to these questions, absolutely precisely defining the name of this evil - Oblomovism. And Ilya Ilyich was not the only one to become her victim. “Our name is legion!” - he says to Stolz. And indeed, almost all the heroes of the novel were amazed by “Oblomovism” and became its victims: Zakhar, Agafya Pshenitsyna, Stolz, and Olga.

The greatest merit of I. A. Goncharov is that he surprisingly accurately depicted the disease that struck Russian society in the mid-19th century, which N. A. Dobrolyubov characterized as “the inability to actively want something,” and pointed out the social causes of this phenomenon.

1. The personality of one person and a social phenomenon.
2. Oblomovism as a disaster for the Russian people.
3. Dobrolyubov’s opinion on Oblomovism.

The opinions and intentions of one person may be absolutely uninteresting to the majority. But if the actions and opinions of one can be interpreted as a social phenomenon, then they acquire a completely different assessment. Moral and mental turmoil can agitate and anger people. But this is clearly not enough. After all, only a real writer can express them in the precise and vivid form of a literary work. I would like to dedicate the essay to such a social phenomenon as Oblomovism. This phenomenon, in my opinion, can rightfully be attributed to moral and mental troubles.
Anyone who has read Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” involuntarily thinks about Oblomovism. What is the main character like? Who is he? Unhappy, not knowing how to manage his own life? Or, on the contrary, a lucky person who defends his own position all his life?

We, the readers, certainly feel very sorry for Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. After all, he denies himself such joys, without which life becomes uninteresting. But, on the other hand, he also managed to free himself from secular conventions. And they largely enslave people. Of course, the image of Ilya Oblomov deserves the closest attention. This man did not deny himself anything. He only did what he liked. He didn’t like the job and quickly and easily abandoned it. Of course, Oblomov was largely “lucky”. Or “bad luck”, opinions may differ here. After all, he didn’t need to earn his living. Who knows what Oblomov’s fate would have been like if he had been burdened with the need to take care of his daily bread...

The only activity that Oblomov did not have a negative attitude towards was daydreaming. He dreams with pleasure and taste. The adult Ilya Ilyich recalls with pleasure the children's fairy tales that his nanny told him. He understands that fairy tales will never come true. But they fully correspond to his position in life - refusal to act, intention to immerse himself in an imaginary world.
Oblomov refuses real life, as a result of which he impoverishes his own life, makes it empty and meaningless. In order to better understand the main character, it does not hurt to recall Dobrolyubov’s article “What is Oblomovism.”

The great critic Dobrolyubov, with his characteristic frankness, declares that such qualities as apathy, inertia, and laziness were typical of Russian life. And Dobrolyubov unites all these qualities with the word “Oblomovism.” Of course, not all representatives of the Russian nobility, as well as other social strata, were affected by this “disease,” the name of which is Oblomovism. But nevertheless, we cannot doubt Dobrolyubov’s words. Isn’t it typical for Russian people to want to dream, despite the fact that dreams do not correspond to reality? Or put off “until tomorrow” something that you really don’t want to do at the moment?

For example, Oblomov’s dreams are not only useless, they are very harmful. The main character of the novel gives all his energy to dreams, as a result he receives nothing in return. Dreams are useful only when they correspond to reality to at least some extent.

Dobrolyubov says in his article: “The life he (Goncharov) portrays serves for him not as a means to abstract philosophy, but as a direct goal in itself. He doesn’t care about the reader or the conclusions you draw from the novel: that’s your business. If you make a mistake, blame your myopia, and not the author. He presents you with a living image and vouches only for its resemblance to reality, and then it’s up to you to determine the degree of dignity of the depicted objects - he is completely indifferent to this.”

We see that Dobrolyubov fully approved of Goncharov’s plan. After all, the latter doesn’t invent anything. It shows real life as it is. Oblomov certainly deserves condemnation... If we assume that there are not too many people like Ilya Ilyich, then they do not look dangerous. But what will happen to a society where there are too many such Oblomovs? After all, they, that is, the Oblomovs, not only ruin their own lives. They influence those around them, even if not too noticeably. It is because of their daydreaming and inactivity that society is gradually degrading.

From Dobrolyubov’s point of view, Olga Il-inskaya deserves special praise in the novel. From the point of view of the critic, “in her, more than in Stolz, one can see a hint of a new Russian life; One can expect from her a word that will burn and dispel Oblomovism.”

The undoubted advantage of Goncharov is that he was able to portray an accurate and reliable portrait of Oblomov, while making it clear that we are not dealing with an individual person, but with an entire social phenomenon. Of course, any social or moral turmoil does not immediately attract attention. But the true skill of a great writer allows us to better understand and realize all the contradictions that interfere with our lives.