"New people" in the novel by N.G. Chernyshevsky "What to do?" (2)

I wanted to portray ordinary decent people of the new generation.

The revolutionary democrat Chernyshevsky, a follower of Belinsky, is close and dear to everyone honest people earth with their faith in a better future for working people, with their historical optimism. Roman Chernyshevsky “What to do?” was a political testament addressed to the revolutionary youth. The strength of the novel lies in the fact that it convinces of the truth, beauty and grandeur of the new, advanced in life. He answers the most main question era: what to do for people who do not want to live in the old way, striving to bring closer the beautiful tomorrow of their homeland and all of humanity. The heroes of Chernyshevsky are the progressive people of Russia. They are staunch socialists final goal their activities - the people's revolution. They embody the character traits of revolutionaries born in Russia with their unbending will to fight, high moral nobility, boundless devotion to the people and the Motherland. The heroes of the novel contain the best features of Chernyshevsky himself and his friends.

Lopukhov and Kirsanov are typical raznochintsy democrats who, through their work, created an opportunity for themselves to get an education. They are atheists and materialists in outlook. The “new people” of Chernyshevsky not only destroy old world but they themselves are building a new society. They recognize art, the aesthetic impact on a person of the beauty of nature, they firmly believe in friendship and show a comradely attitude towards a woman. They give their whole life to the people, work for its good, sparing no effort, and find great satisfaction in this. The heroes of Chernyshevsky are even ready for people to condemn their behavior, if this is necessary for the common good.

Heroes Chernyshevsky passionately defend their right to self-respect. This is their "profit", their "selfishness". Like real revolutionaries, Lopukhov and Kirsanov want happiness, equality, brotherhood for all peoples. So Lopukhov, once in America, is actively involved in the struggle for the liberation of blacks.

Chernyshevsky gave in his novel the image of “ new woman”, Vera Pavlovna, whom Lopukhov saved from the “basement of petty-bourgeois life”. Vera Pavlovna harmonically developed person. She actively helps her comrades in all their endeavors. The desire to improve is especially remarkable in her - she decides to become a doctor in order to bring even greater benefit to people.

We see that all the activities of Lopukhov, Kirsanov, Vera Pavlovna are inspired by faith in the onset of a brighter future. They are no longer alone, although the circle of their like-minded people is still narrow. But it was precisely such people as Kirsanov, Lopukhov, Vera Pavlovna and others that Russia needed at that time. Their images served as an example for the formation of the worldview of the revolutionary generation.

Chernyshevsky realized that the people depicted in the novel were his dream. But this dream turned out to be a prophecy at the same time. “Years will pass,” the author of the novel says about the type of new person, “and he will be reborn in more numerous people.”

The case of Chernyshevsky was continued by other people. In many ways they have gone ahead of him, but they proceeded from the foundations that he laid while living and working in feudal Russia.

Bibliography

For the preparation of this work, materials from the site http://ilib.ru/

Independent work No. 4.

Nikolay Gavrilovich CHERNYSHEVSKY (1828-1889)- one of the most prominent representatives of the cohort of "raznochintsy" - writers, scientists, public figures of the 60s of the XIX century, who came out either from the semi-peasant environment of the village clergy, or from the environment of ruined landlords, or from the lower ranks of the city bureaucracy. This generation was distinguished by a craving for knowledge, faith in their own strength, a desire to change social relations in Russia that did not suit them in any way, including by force, for the sake of future social harmony and equality.

While still a student at St. Petersburg University, Chernyshevsky sets the goal of his life to fight poverty, dreaming of the time when all people will live “at least the way people live who receive 15–20,000 rubles a year. income". At first he assumed that the path to this material well-being lay through technical progress, even at one time was fond of creating a perpetual motion machine. But then, largely under the influence of the well-known public figure Petrashevsky, he was inclined to think about the need for the violent overthrow of the autocracy. He is credited with the authorship of the proclamation "Bow to the lordly peasants from their well-wishers", the purpose of which was to call Russia "to the ax." He dreamed of "disturbing the people", organizing peasant unrest, "which can be suppressed everywhere and, perhaps, make many unhappy for a while, but ... this will give broad support to all uprisings." "For intent to overthrow the existing order, for taking measures to indignation and for composing an outrageous appeal" Chernyshevsky is arrested and sentenced "deprive all the rights of the state and exile in hard labor in the mines for fourteen years and then settle in Siberia forever".

But even in hard labor, he did not stop active revolutionary and social activities, thanks to which a generation of raznochintsy of the 70s and 80s was formed, even more radical and irreconcilable towards the autocracy, even more resolutely making bloody revolutionary sacrifices - these are revolutionary terrorists, infamous in the case of Nechaev, Vera Figner, Alexander Ulyanov, the elder brother of the future leader of the Bolsheviks.

Only a few months before his death, in 1889, Chernyshevsky was able to return home to Saratov, where he managed to work for some time as a teacher in a gymnasium.

The novel "What to do?"- most famous work N.G. Chernyshevsky, written in solitary confinement in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he was placed after his arrest, in fact, for four and a half months. The novel was published in 1863, as the censorship did not immediately understand the revolutionary meaning of the work. It is a didactic and utopian novel. Chernyshevsky dreamed that already in the process of reading an ordinary person would become a new person in the sense in which the author himself understands this word, and some of the readers would decide to take the path of special people, about whom the author himself said: “They are few, but life flourishes with them. They are engines of engines, the salt of the salt of the earth."

Artistic originality novel, among other things, lies in the double understanding goodie through which the author's ideals are expressed.

The focus is on the heroes whom Chernyshevsky calls "new" because of their unconventional attitude to social and moral values society in which they live. These are Lopukhov, Kirsanov, Vera Pavlovna, Katya Polozova, girls from the workshop of Vera Pavlovna, whom she managed to attach to the views that she herself held. These are people for whom the main thing is honesty and decency in relation to each other, an indifferent attitude to wealth not earned by their own honest work, and at the same time the desire to live with dignity, not denying themselves the small joys of being such as soft trestle shoes and coffee with cream.

Coming from among the raznochintsy, studying for "copper pennies", they consider the most important thing in life decent work and desire for the good of others. They form the so-called "theory of reasonable egoism", the essence of which is that a person can feel good only when others feel good. Doing a good deed to others, even infringing on their own rights and opportunities, a person becomes happy because loved ones are happy. The characters test this theory with their lives. When Lopukhov saw that Verochka Rozalskaya needed to be saved from her own mother, who intended to marry her to the rich and immoral Storeshnikov, he decided to marry her, although for this he had to quit his studies and look for a job. He transfers the data of his scientific research completely disinterestedly to his friend Kirsanov, facilitating his path to obtaining a diploma. Vera Pavlovna starts workshops for poor girls, saving them from the panel and consumption, and divides the profits equally. In the case of marriage, he gives a solid dowry to the girl. When Vera Pavlovna fell in love with Kirsanov, she informs her husband about this, trusting him infinitely, and he fakes his own suicide, freeing Vera from marriage ties.

As a result, this universal dedication leads to universal happiness: Lopukhov, having become rich in an honest way somewhere in America, finds love and understanding with Vera Pavlovna's friend Katya Polozova.

The rationalism and normativity of such a construction of the plot are obvious, and the author does not hide this, passing off wishful thinking. The morality of the new people is not based on religion. To present new way relations, the writer schematizes human nature.

This remark is in more concerns a "special person" - the nobleman Rakhmetov, who renounced all the rights and benefits of his estate and even personal happiness for the sake of the happiness of all people. Rakhmetov tempers himself in anticipation of future trials and suffering, strengthens himself physically and spiritually: he works as a barge hauler on the Volga, having received the nickname Nikitushki Lomov, limits himself in food, not allowing any delicacies, even if financial situation allows (and this trifle distinguishes him from the “new people!”), sleeps on felt, studded with nails, or does not sleep at all for three days, tempering his will, spending time reading books. The “cause” Rakhmetov serves is not specifically shown for censorship reasons, but general atmosphere The 60s of the XIX century made it possible to draw the correct conclusion: he is a revolutionary, like the author himself, and his associates.

Chernyshevsky's utopian views were most fully expressed in Vera Pavlovna's fourth dream. With the help of this conditional device, which does not constrain the freedom of fantasy, Chernyshevsky tries to look into the future. His ideas about the future are optimistic, and this is the most important thing. Mankind, according to Chernyshevsky, will exercise its right to freedom, work, creativity and personal happiness. Another thing is that Chernyshevsky's very understanding of happiness is naive and limited. In the future of Chernyshevsky there is no place for personal feelings and qualities, or rather, they are regarded as an exception to the rule. Community members are provided free of charge with all the conditions for a normal, or rather, normative life, but if the needs of the individual go beyond the norm (you want something tasty or especially beautiful outfits), then you have to pay for it. The forms of payment for labor in the future society are not stipulated. There is no family as a cell of society, as the strongest human community, which includes both personal and altruistic relationships.

Some of what Chernyshevsky predicted, having barely begun to come true, turned into its opposite, for example, an active change in nature, the transfer of northern rivers to the desert, the construction of canals, etc. led to irreparable losses of the ecological balance of the planet; aluminum as a material of the future is outdated, humanity is increasingly appreciating natural, natural materials. People are increasingly concentrated in metropolitan areas, rather than in settlements in the bosom of nature. Predicting the future is a difficult and thankless task, and Chernyshevsky is not alone in his mistakes and delusions.

In the society of the future, there is no fear of want or grief, but no memories. These are people without a past. Chernyshevsky's idea of a harmonious person is illustrated, in whose life easy, pleasant work is combined with songs, development creativity person (choir, theater), relaxation, fun (dances and songs), love and procreation, health care, respect for the elderly. But this rationality and harmony turn out to be unconvincing, since the problems of the individual in his relation to other members of society are not singled out; in their striving for an easy and carefree life, people of the future are deprived of the past, historical memory, bypass the complexity of life. call “Love the future, bring it closer, transfer from it to the present everything that you can transfer” turns out to be too publicistic, unfounded and declarative.

N. G. Chernyshevsky wrote his novel What Is to Be Done?, being imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In this novel, he wrote about the "new people" who had just appeared in the country.

In the novel "What is to be done?", in all its figurative system Chernyshevsky tried to present in living heroes, in life situations those standards, which, as he believed, should be the main measure of public morality. In their affirmation, Chernyshevsky saw the lofty purpose of art.

Heroes "What to do?" - " special people”,“ new people ”: Lopukhov, Kirsanov, Vera Pavlovna. Their so-called rational egoism is the result of a conscious purposefulness, a conviction that an individual can be completely fine only in a rationally arranged society, among people who are also well. These rules, as we know, were adhered to in life by Chernyshevsky himself, they are followed by the "new people" - the heroes of his novel.

The "new people" do not sin and do not repent. They are always thinking and therefore only make errors in calculation, and then correct these errors and avoid them in subsequent calculations. In the "new people" goodness and truth, honesty and knowledge, character and intelligence turn out to be identical concepts; the smarter a person is, the more honest he is, because he makes fewer mistakes. "New people" never demand anything from others, they themselves need complete freedom of feelings, thoughts and actions, and therefore they deeply respect this freedom in others. They accept from each other what is given - I do not say voluntarily, this is not enough, but with joy, with full and lively enjoyment.

Lopukhov, Kirsanov and Vera Pavlovna, appearing in the novel What Is to Be Done? the main representatives of people of a new type, do not do anything that would exceed ordinary human capabilities. They are ordinary people, and the author himself recognizes them as such people; this circumstance is extremely important, and it gives the whole novel a particularly deep meaning. Describing Lopukhov, Kirsanov and Vera Pavlov, well, the author claims: these can be ordinary people, and they must be like that if they want to find a lot of happiness and pleasure in life. Wishing

to prove to readers that they are really ordinary people, the author brings to the stage the titanic figure of Rakhmetov, whom he himself recognizes as extraordinary and calls him "special". Rakhmetov does not participate in the action of the novel, and he has nothing to do in it. People like him are needed only when and where they can be historical figures. Neither science nor family happiness satisfies them. They love all people, suffer from every injustice that occurs, experience in their own souls the great grief of millions and give everything they can to heal this grief. Chernyshevsky's attempt to introduce a special person to readers can be called successful. Before him, Turgenev undertook this business, but completely unsuccessfully.

Chernyshevsky's "new people" are the children of city officials and philistines. They work, are engaged in natural sciences and early began to make their way in life. Therefore, they understand the people of labor and go on the path of transforming life. They are engaged in a business that is necessary for the people, refusing all the benefits that private practice could give them. Before us is a whole group of like-minded people. The basis of their activities is propaganda. Kirsanov's student circle is one of the most effective. Young revolutionaries are brought up here, the personality of a “special person”, a professional revolutionary, is formed here.

Chernyshevsky also touches upon the problem of the emancipation of women. Escaping from her parents' house, Vera Pavlovna also frees other women. She creates a workshop where she helps poor girls find their place in life. Chernyshevsky thus wants to show what needs to be transferred from the future to the present. This and new labor Relations, and fair wages, yes, and the combination of mental work with physical.

Thus, Russian literature as a mirror reflected the emergence of "new people", new trends in the development of society. In the same time literary heroes became models for worship, for imitation. And the social literary utopia “What is to be done?” in the part that talks about the fair organization of labor and remuneration for work, became guiding star for several generations of Russian revolutionaries.

Chernyshevsky's famous novel What Is To Be Done? was consciously oriented towards the tradition of world utopian literature. The author consistently expounds his point of view on the socialist ideal. The utopia created by the author acts as a model. Before us, as it were, already done experience, giving positive results. Among the well-known utopian works The novel is distinguished by the fact that the author paints not only a picture of a bright future, but also the ways of its approach. People who have reached the ideal are also depicted. The very subtitle of the novel "From stories about new people" indicates their exceptional role.

Chernyshevsky constantly emphasizes the typology of "new people", talks about the whole group. "These people are among others, as if among the Chinese there are several Europeans who cannot be distinguished from one another by the Chinese." Each hero has common features for the group - courage, ability to get down to business, honesty.

It is extremely important for a writer to show the development of "new people", their difference from total mass. The only hero whose past is considered in great detail is Verochka. What allows her to free herself from the environment of "vulgar people"? According to Chernyshevsky - work and education. "We are poor, but we are working people, we have healthy hands. If we study, knowledge will set us free, if we work, labor will enrich us." Vera is fluent in French and German which gives her unlimited opportunities for self-education.

Such heroes as Kirsanov, Lopukhov and Mertsalov enter the novel as already established people. Characteristically, physicians appear in the novel at the time of writing their dissertation. Thus, work and education merge into one. In addition, the author makes it clear that if both Lopukhov and Kirsanov come from poor and noble families, then they probably have poverty and work behind them, without which education is impossible. This early acquaintance hardly gives the "new man" an advantage over other people.

The marriage of Vera Pavlovna is not an epilogue, but only the beginning of a novel. And this is very important. It is emphasized that in addition to the family, Verochka is able to create a wider association of people. Here comes the old utopian idea of the commune - the phalanstere.

Labor gives the "new people" first of all personal independence, but in addition it is also an active help to other people. Any deviation from selfless service to labor is condemned by the author. Suffice it to recall the moment when Verochka is about to go after Lopukhov, leaving the workshop. Once upon a time, labor was necessary for "new people" to get an education, but now the heroes are trying to educate people in the process of labor. Related to this is another important philosophical idea the author in the image of "new people" - their educational activities.

We know Lopukhov as an active propagandist of new ideas among young people, public figure. Students call him "one of the best goals in St. Petersburg." Lopukhov himself considered work in the office at the factory very important. "The conversation (with students) had a practical, useful goal - to promote the development of mental life, nobility and energy in my young friends," Lopukhov writes to his wife. Naturally, such a person could not confine himself to literacy. The author himself alludes to revolutionary work at the factory among the workers.

The mention of Sunday working schools meant a lot to readers of that time. The fact is that by a special decree of the government in the summer of 1862 they were closed. The government was afraid of the revolutionary work that was carried out in these schools for adults, workers, revolutionary democrats. Initially it was supposed to direct the work in these schools in a religious spirit. It was prescribed to study in them the Law of God, reading, writing and the beginning of arithmetic. Each school had to have a priest who watched over the good intentions of the teachers.

It was precisely such a priest in Vera Pavlovna's "lyceum of all kinds of knowledge" that Mertsalov was supposed to be, who, however, was preparing to read the forbidden Russian and general history. The literacy that Lopukhov and other "new people" were going to teach to worker listeners was also peculiar. There are examples when progressively minded students explained the meanings of the words "liberal", "revolution", "despotism" in class. Educational activities"new people" - a real approximation of the future.

I must say about the relationship between "new" and "vulgar" people. In Marya Alekveevna and Polozov, the author sees not only, in the words of Dobrolyubov, "tyrants", but also practically gifted, active people, capable of benefiting society under other circumstances. Therefore, you can find features of their similarity with children. Lopukhov very quickly gains confidence in Rozalskaya, she respects him business qualities(primarily the intention to marry a rich bride). However, the complete opposite of the aspirations, interests and views of the "new" and "vulgar" people is clearly visible. And the theory of reasonable egoism gives an indisputable advantage to the "new people".

The novel often talks about selfishness as an internal motivator of human actions. The author considers the egoism of Marya Alekseevna, who does no good to anyone without monetary settlement. The selfishness of wealthy people is much more terrible. It grows on "fantastic" soil - on the desire for excess and idleness. An example of such selfishness is Solovyov, who plays love for Katya Polozova because of her inheritance.

The selfishness of the "new people" is also based on the calculation and benefit of one person. "Everyone thinks most of all about himself," says Lopukhov to Vera Pavlovna. But this is a fundamentally new moral code. Its essence is. that the happiness of one person is inseparable from the happiness of other people. Benefit, happiness "reasonable egoist" depends on the state of his loved ones, society as a whole. Lopukhov frees Verochka from a forced marriage, and when he is convinced that she loves Kirsanov, he leaves the stage. Kirsanov helps Katya Polozova, Vera organizes a workshop. For the heroes to follow the theory of reasonable egoism means to take into account the interests of another person with each of their actions. Reason comes first for the hero, a person is forced to constantly turn to introspection, to give an objective assessment of his feelings and position.

As you can see, the "reasonable egoism" of Chernyshevsky's heroes has nothing to do with selfishness, self-interest. Why is it still a theory of "egoism"? The Latin root of this word "ego" - "I" indicates that Chernyshevsky puts a person at the center of his theory. In this case, the theory of rational egoism becomes the development of the anthropological principle that Chernyshevsky put at the basis of his philosophical idea.

In one of his conversations with Vera Pavlovna, the author says: "... I feel joy and happiness" - which means, "I want all people to be happy" - humanly, Vera, these two thoughts are one. "Thus, Chernyshevsky declares that the creation of favorable conditions for the life of an individual is inseparable from the improvement of the existence of all people, and this shows the undoubted revolutionary nature of Chernyshevsky's views.

The moral principles of the "new people" are revealed in their attitude to the problem of love and marriage. For them, man, his freedom is the main life value. Love and humane friendship form the basis of the relationship between L pukhov and Vera Pavlovna. Even a declaration of love occurs during a discussion of Vera's position in her mother's family and the search for a path to liberation. Thus, the feeling of love only adapts to the situation that has arisen. It should be noted that such a statement entered into controversy with many works of XIX century.

The problem of women's emancipation is being solved in a peculiar way by the "new people". Although only church marriage is recognized, a woman must remain materially and spiritually independent of her husband in marriage.

The “new people”, about whom Chernyshevsky wrote in his novel, were representatives of a new phase in the development of society at that time. The world of these people was formed in the struggle with the old regime, which had become obsolete, but continued to dominate. The heroes of the novel at almost every step faced the difficulties and hardships of the old order and overcame them. "New people" in the work are commoners. They were determined, had a purpose in life, knew what they should do, were united by common ideas and aspirations. "Their main desire is for the people to be free, happy, to live in contentment." The "new people" believed in their people, saw them as resolute, powerful, capable of fighting. But in order for him to achieve his goal, he must be taught, inspired and united.

The raznochintsy, who are the heroes of Chernyshevsky's novel, have a developed sense of dignity, pride, and the ability to stand up for themselves. The author writes: “Each of them is a brave person, not hesitating, not yielding, who knows how to get down to business, and if he takes it, then he already firmly grasps it, so that it does not slip out of his hands. This is one side of their properties; on the other hand, each of them is a person of impeccable honesty, such that the question does not even come to mind, is it possible to rely on this person in everything, of course? It is as clear as the fact that he is breathing from his chest; while this chest breathes, it is hot and unchanging, feel free to put your head on it ... ”Chernyshevsky was able to show their common, typical features but also features of each of them.

Lopukhov and Kirsanov always relied only on themselves, worked together for the sake of a lofty goal - to develop and improve science, selfless, help those who need help, who deserve it. They did not look for benefits in the treatment of patients. But Dmitry Sergeevich is more calm, Alexander Matveevich is an emotional and artistic nature.

Vera Pavlovna found it difficult to live in her own house because of the constant harassment and reproaches of her mother, but she did not break under the yoke, did not surrender to the mercy of the old order. This heroine was strong by nature, with early age had her own views on life, she always wanted freedom and life without lies. It was not in her habit to prevaricate in front of people and, most importantly, in front of herself. She could not build her happiness on the misfortune of others, she could not stand it when she was treated like a thing. Vera Pavlovna tried to understand the rational structure of society, so she created a sewing workshop with fair procedures and conditions. She is not interested in money, she wants to see the process itself. Doing good for yourself does good for others. Vera Pavlovna, creating a workshop, aims to educate "new people". She thinks that good people many, but they need help, and they will help others, there will be more “new people”. Vera Pavlovna is a different character than Katerina Polozova.

Rakhmetov - special person, of all the others, he is the most active. Understands that the struggle for new world will not be for life, but for death. By all means he prepares himself for it. This hero is "the salt of the salt of the earth, the engine of engines." He renounced his personal interests for one purpose. It has great energy, endurance, clarity of thought and behavior. As Chernyshevsky writes: "Rakhmetov is an ebullient nature, he was a master of business, he was a great psychologist."

“And Lopukhov, and Kirsanov, and Vera Pavlovna, and Polozova, and Rakhmetov are people strong passions, great experiences, rich temperament. But at the same time, they can control their feelings, subordinate their behavior to the great tasks of the common cause. "New people" - people of high ideals. Activity for them was the realization of these ideals. All the "new people" lived according to the "theory of rational egoism." By doing things for themselves and for themselves, they also benefit others. According to Chernyshevsky, the “new people” behave in the same way in all situations: they remain people under any circumstances. The "new people" are not duplicitous. The heroes of Chernyshevsky's novel respect their loved one, do everything to make his life better, and treat each other as equals. That is why their love is pure and noble.