Give a brief description of Oblomov’s acquaintances: Tarantiev, Volkov, Alekseev, etc. Artistic features The attitude of the main characters towards their Oblomov guests

The role of minor characters in I. I. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov”

With the novel “Oblomov,” I. A. Goncharov showed how the conditions of landowner life give rise to lack of will, apathy, and inaction in the main character. The author himself defined the ideological direction of his work as follows: “I tried to show in Oblomov how and why our people turn before their time into... jelly - the climate, the environment of the outback, the drowsy life and even private, Each circumstance is individual.”

In the first part of the work there is practically no plot movement: the reader sees the main character lying on the sofa throughout the day. Some variety in the sleepy atmosphere of Oblomov’s apartment is brought by Ilya Ilyich’s guests, who replace each other in a strict order. It is no coincidence that the author introduced such characters as Volkov, Sudbinsky and Penkin into the novel. Their activities are familiar to Oblomov, and his reasoning about the fate of each of them characterizes the main character even more fully. We know that Ilya Ilyich began to serve as a collegiate secretary, went out into the world, was fond of poetry, but his government activities ended with resignation, “he said goodbye to the crowd of friends even more coldly,” and he gradually got tired of reading books. As a result, “he lazily waved his hand at all the youthful hopes that had been deceived or deceived by him...” and plunged into the mental drawing up of a plan for the arrangement of the estate, which he had not been able to complete for several years. The appearance of guests expands the space-time framework of the novel and allows the author to imagine various spheres of St. Petersburg.

Secular Petersburg is represented by Volkov. This is “a young man of about twenty-five, sparkling with health, with laughing cheeks, lips and eyes... He was combed and dressed impeccably, dazzling with the freshness of his face, linen, gloves and tailcoat. Along the vest lay an elegant chain with many tiny charms.” He is in demand in secular society, enjoys success with women - and in this he finds the joy of life. Oblomov does not see anything attractive for himself in this way of life. ""In ten places in one day - unfortunate! ... she's cute! In the village, picking flowers with her, riding with her - it's good; but in ten places in one day - unfortunate! " - he concluded, turning over on his back and rejoicing that he did not have such empty desires and thoughts, that he did not rush around, but lay here, maintaining his human dignity and his peace.

The next hero, Sudbinsky, is a former co-worker of Ilya Ilyich. It symbolizes bureaucratic Petersburg - clerical and departmental. “It was a gentleman in a dark green tailcoat with coat of arms buttons, clean-shaven, with dark sideburns that evenly bordered his face, with a weary, but calmly conscious expression in his eyes, with a heavily worn face, with a thoughtful smile.” Sudbinsky has already achieved the position of head of the department, and is planning to marry favorably. And all this against the backdrop of Oblomov, who cowardly resigned for fear that his boss would reprimand him for sending documents incorrectly. Oblomov even sent a medical certificate, which stated that “the collegiate secretary Ilya Oblomov is obsessed with the thickening of the heart with the expansion of the left ventricle of it, ... as well as chronic pain in the liver ... threatening the health and life of the patient with dangerous development, which attacks occur , as one must assume, from the daily exercise of duty...” Regarding Sudbinsky, Oblomov also has his own opinion. “I'm stuck, dear friend, up to my ears... And blind, and deaf, and dumb for everything else in the world. And he will become a public figure, eventually manage his affairs and acquire ranks... We call this a career! And how little of a person is needed here: his mind, will, feelings - why is this? Luxury! And he will live out his life, and many, many things will not stir in him... And meanwhile he works from twelve to five in the office, from eight to twelve at home - unhappy! from nine to three, from eight to nine he can stay on his sofa, and he was proud that he did not have to go with a report, write papers, that there was room for his feelings and imagination.”

Literary Petersburg is represented by the image of Penkin. This is “a very thin, dark gentleman, covered with sideburns, a mustache and a goatee”, writing “about trade, about the emancipation of women, about beautiful April days,... about a newly invented composition against fires”, During his visit, he managed to touch some strings in Oblomov’s soul. Ilya Ilyich gets so excited in a dispute with the government about the subject of depiction in literature that he even gets up from the sofa. And the reader sees that the soul is still alive in him. “Depict a thief, a fallen woman, a pompous fool, and immediately forget the person. Where is humanity? You want to write with your head!.. Do you think that you don’t need a heart to think? No, it is fertilized by love. Extend your hand to a fallen man to lift him up, or weep bitterly over him if he dies, and do not mock him. Love him, remember yourself in him and treat him as yourself - then I will begin to read you and bow my head before you... They portray a thief, a fallen woman... but they somehow forget the person or not they know how to portray. What kind of art is there, what poetic colors have you found? Denounce debauchery, dirt, only, please, without pretense of poetry... Give me a man!.. love him...” But this impulse quickly passes, Oblomov “suddenly fell silent, stood for a minute, yawned and slowly lay down on sofa". Ilya Ilyich sincerely sympathizes with the writer. “Write at night,” thought Oblomov, “when can I sleep? Come on, he earns five thousand a year! This is bread! Yes, write everything, waste your thoughts, your soul on trifles, change beliefs, trade your mind and imagination, rape your nature, worry, seethe, burn, know no peace and keep moving somewhere... And that’s all write, write everything, like a wheel, like a car: write tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the holiday will come, summer will come - and he writes everything? When should you stop and take a breather? Unhappy!"

Of course, we can agree with Oblomov that working at night, the daily hustle and bustle, and moving up the career ladder are tiring activities. But still, each of the heroes: Sudbinsky, Volkov, and Penkin - found a job to their liking and have a goal in life. Even though these goals are sometimes purely personal and the heroes do not strive to “suffer” for the good of the Fatherland, they act, are upset, rejoice - in a word, they live. And Oblomov, “as soon as he gets out of bed in the morning, after tea he immediately lies down on the sofa, props his head on his hand and thinks, not sparing his strength, until, finally, his head is tired from hard work and when his conscience says: enough is done.” today for the common good." And the worst thing is that Oblomov considers such a life normal and those who cannot afford to live like him are unhappy. But sometimes “clear, conscious moments” still come when he becomes “sad and hurt... for his underdevelopment, a stop in the growth of moral forces, for the heaviness that interferes with everything.” He became scared when “a living and clear idea of ​​human destiny and purpose arose in his soul,... when... various life questions woke up in his head.” But despite the questions that sometimes torment him, Oblomov cannot and does not want to change anything.

It is difficult to overestimate the role of minor characters in the novel, because they are one of the means of characterizing the main character. Volkov, Sudbinsky, Penkin are peculiar “doubles” of Oblomov: each of them represents one or another version of the possible fate of Ilya Ilyich.

At the end of the first part of the novel, the author poses the question: what will win in the main character - the beginnings of life or the sleepy “Oblomovism”? After reading the novel, we see that “Oblomovism” ultimately wins and Oblomov quietly dies on the sofa, without having accomplished anything useful and necessary.

In the novel "Oblomov" the skill of Goncharov as a prose writer was fully demonstrated. Gorky, who called Goncharov “one of the giants of Russian literature,” noted his special, flexible language. Goncharov’s poetic language, his talent for figuratively reproducing life, the art of creating typical characters, compositional completeness and the enormous artistic power of the picture of Oblomovism and the image of Ilya Ilyich presented in the novel - all this contributed to the fact that the novel “Oblomov” took its rightful place among the masterpieces of the world classics.

The portrait characteristics of the characters play a huge role in the work, with the help of which the reader gets to know the characters and gets an idea about them and their character traits. The main character of the novel, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, is a man of thirty-two to thirty-three years old, of average height, pleasant appearance, with dark gray eyes in which there is no idea, with a pale complexion, plump hands and a pampered body. Already from this portrait characteristic we can get an idea of ​​the hero’s lifestyle and spiritual qualities: the details of his portrait speak of a lazy, immobile lifestyle, of his habit of aimlessly spending time. However, Goncharov emphasizes that Ilya Ilyich is a pleasant person, gentle, kind and sincere. The portrait description, as it were, prepares the reader for the collapse in life that inevitably awaited Oblomov.

In the portrait of Oblomov's antipode, Andrei Stolts, the author used different colors. Stolz is the same age as Oblomov, he is already over thirty. He is in motion, all made up of bones and muscles. Getting acquainted with the portrait characteristics of this hero, we understand that Stolz is a strong, energetic, purposeful person who is alien to daydreaming. But this almost ideal personality resembles a mechanism, not a living person, and this repels the reader.

In the portrait of Olga Ilyinskaya, other features predominate. She “was not a beauty in the strict sense of the word: she had neither whiteness nor bright color of her cheeks and lips, and her eyes did not glow with rays of inner fire, there were no pearls in her mouth and corals on her lips, there were no miniature hands with fingers in the form of grapes." The somewhat tall stature was strictly consistent with the size of the head and the oval and size of the face; all this, in turn, was in harmony with the shoulders, the shoulders with the figure... The nose formed a slightly noticeable graceful line. Lips that are thin and compressed are a sign of a searching thought directed at something. This portrait indicates that before us is a proud, intelligent, slightly vain woman.

In the portrait of Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna, such traits as gentleness, kindness and lack of will appear. She is about thirty years old. She had almost no eyebrows, her eyes were “grayish-obedient,” like her entire facial expression. The hands are white, but hard, with knots of blue veins protruding outward. Oblomov accepts her for who she is and gives her an apt assessment: “How... simple she is.” It was this woman who was next to Ilya Ilyich until his last minute, his last breath, and gave birth to his son.

The description of the interior is equally important for characterizing the character. In this, Goncharov is a talented continuer of Gogol’s traditions. Thanks to the abundance of everyday details in the first part of the novel, the reader can get an idea of ​​the hero’s characteristics: “How Oblomov’s home suit suited his deceased facial features... He was wearing a robe made of Persian fabric, a real oriental robe... He had shoes on long, soft and wide, when, without looking, he lowered his legs from the bed to the floor, he certainly fell into them right away...” Describing in detail the objects surrounding Oblomov in everyday life, Goncharov draws attention to the hero’s indifference to these things. But Oblomov, indifferent to everyday life, remains his captive throughout the novel.

The image of a robe is deeply symbolic, repeatedly appearing in the novel and indicating a certain state of Oblomov. At the beginning of the story, a comfortable robe is an integral part of the hero's personality. During the period of Ilya Ilyich’s love, he disappears and returns to the owner’s shoulders on the evening when the hero’s breakup with Olga occurred.

The lilac branch picked by Olga during her walk with Oblomov is also symbolic. For Olga and Oblomov, this branch was a symbol of the beginning of their relationship and at the same time foreshadowed the end. Another important detail is the raising of bridges on the Neva. The bridges were opened at a time when in the soul of Oblomov, who lived on the Vyborg side, there was a turning point towards the widow Pshenitsyna, when he fully realized the consequences of life with Olga, was afraid of this life and again began to plunge into apathy. The thread connecting Olga and Oblomov broke, and it cannot be forced to grow together, therefore, when the bridges were built, the connection between Olga and Oblomov was not restored. The snow falling in flakes is also symbolic, which marks the end of the hero’s love and at the same time the decline of his life.

It is no coincidence that the author describes in such detail the house in Crimea in which Olga and Stolz settled. The decoration of the house “bears the stamp of thought and personal taste of the owners,” there were many engravings, statues, and books, which speaks of the education and high culture of Olga and Andrey.

An integral part of the artistic images created by Goncharov and the ideological content of the work as a whole are the proper names of the characters. The surnames of the characters in the novel “Oblomov” carry a great meaning. The main character of the novel, according to the primordial Russian tradition, received his surname from the Oblomovka family estate, the name of which goes back to the word “fragment”: a fragment of the old way of life, patriarchal Rus'. Reflecting on Russian life and its typical representatives of his time, Goncharov was one of the first to notice a failure of internal national traits, fraught with a cliff, or a bummer. Ivan Aleksandrovich foresaw the terrible state into which Russian society began to fall in the 19th century and which by the 20th century had become a mass phenomenon. Laziness, the lack of a specific goal in life, passion and desire to work has become a distinctive national feature. There is another explanation for the origin of the main character’s surname: in folk tales the concept of “dream-oblomon” is often found, which enchants a person, as if crushing him with a gravestone, dooming him to slow, gradual extinction.

Analyzing his contemporary life, Goncharov looked for the antipode of Oblomov among the Alekseevs, Petrovs, Mikhailovs and other people. As a result of these searches, a hero with a German surname emerged Stolz(translated from German - “proud, full of self-esteem, aware of his superiority”).

Ilya Ilyich spent his entire adult life striving for an existence “that would be both full of content and flow quietly, day after day, drop by drop, in silent contemplation of nature and the quiet, barely creeping phenomena of a peaceful, busy family life.” He found such an existence in Pshenitsyna’s house. “She was very white and full in the face, so that the color did not seem to be able to break through her cheeks (like a “wheat bun”). The name of this heroine is Agafya- translated from Greek means “kind, good.” Agafya Matveevna is a type of modest and meek housewife, an example of female kindness and tenderness, whose life interests were limited only to family concerns. Oblomov's maid Anisya(translated from Greek - “fulfillment, benefit, completion”) is close in spirit to Agafya Matveevna, and that is why they quickly became friends and became inseparable.

But if Agafya Matveevna loved Oblomov thoughtlessly and selflessly, then Olga Ilyinskaya literally “fought” for him. For the sake of his awakening, she was ready to sacrifice her life. Olga loved Ilya for his own sake (hence the surname Ilyinskaya).

Last name of “friend” Oblomov, Tarantieva, carries a hint of the word ram. In Mikhei Andreevich's relationships with people, such qualities as rudeness, arrogance, persistence and unprincipledness are revealed. Isai Fomich Worn out, to whom Oblomov gave power of attorney to manage the estate, turned out to be a fraudster, grated roll. In collusion with Tarantyev and brother Pshenitsyna, he skillfully robbed Oblomov and erased your tracks.

Speaking about the artistic features of the novel, one cannot ignore the landscape sketches: for Olga, walking in the garden, a lilac branch, flowering fields - all this is associated with love and feelings. Oblomov also realizes that he is connected with nature, although he does not understand why Olga constantly drags him out for walks, enjoying the surrounding nature, spring, and happiness. The landscape creates the psychological background of the entire narrative.

To reveal the feelings and thoughts of the characters, the author uses a technique such as an internal monologue. This technique is most clearly revealed in the description of Oblomov’s feelings for Olga Ilyinskaya. The author constantly shows the thoughts, remarks, and internal reasoning of the characters.

Throughout the entire novel, Goncharov subtly jokes and sneers at his characters. This irony is especially noticeable in the dialogues between Oblomov and Zakhar. This is how the scene of placing the robe on the owner’s shoulders is described. “Ilya Ilyich almost did not notice how Zakhar undressed him, pulled off his boots and threw a robe over him.

What is this? - he asked only, looking at the robe.

The hostess brought it in today: they washed and repaired the robe,” said Zakhar.

Oblomov sat down and remained in the chair.”

The main compositional device of the novel is antithesis. The author contrasts images (Oblomov - Stolz, Olga Ilyinskaya - Agafya Pshenitsyna), feelings (Olga’s love, selfish, proud, and Agafya Matveevna’s love, selfless, forgiving), lifestyle, portrait characteristics, character traits, events and concepts, details (branch lilac, symbolizing hope for a bright future, and a robe as a quagmire of laziness and apathy). Antithesis makes it possible to more clearly identify the individual character traits of the heroes, to see and understand two incomparable poles (for example, Oblomov’s two colliding states - stormy temporary activity and laziness, apathy), and also helps to penetrate into the hero’s inner world, to show the contrast that is present not only in the external , but also in the spiritual world.

The beginning of the work is built on the collision of the bustling world of St. Petersburg and the isolated inner world of Oblomov. All visitors (Volkov, Sudbinsky, Alekseev, Penkin, Tarantiev) who visit Oblomov are prominent representatives of a society living according to the laws of falsehood. The main character seeks to isolate himself from them, from the dirt that his friends bring in the form of invitations and news: “Don’t come, don’t come! You're coming out of the cold!

The whole system of images in the novel is built on the device of antithesis: Oblomov - Stolz, Olga - Agafya Matveevna. The portrait characteristics of the heroes are also given in contrast. So, Oblomov is plump, plump, “with the absence of any definite idea, any concentration in his facial features”; Stolz consists entirely of bones and muscles, “he is constantly in motion.” Two completely different types of character, and it’s hard to believe that there could be anything in common between them. And yet it is so. Andrey, despite his categorical rejection of Ilya’s lifestyle, was able to discern in him traits that are difficult to maintain in the turbulent flow of life: naivety, gullibility and openness. Olga Ilyinskaya fell in love with him for his kind heart, “dovelike tenderness and inner purity.” Oblomov is not only inactive, lazy and apathetic, he is open to the world, but some invisible film prevents him from merging with it, walking the same path with Stolz, living an active, full life.

Two key female characters of the novel - Olga Ilyinskaya and Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna - are also presented in opposition. These two women symbolize two life paths that are given to Oblomov as a choice. Olga is a strong, proud and purposeful person, while Agafya Matveevna is kind, simple and thrifty. Ilya would only have to take one step towards Olga, and he would be able to immerse himself in the dream that was depicted in “The Dream...”. But communication with Ilyinskaya became the last test for Oblomov’s personality. His nature is not able to merge with the cruel outside world. He abandons the eternal search for happiness and chooses the second path - he plunges into apathy and finds peace in the cozy house of Agafya Matveevna.

Tarantiev- fellow countryman of Oblomov. About 40 years old, belonging to a large breed, tall, bulky in the shoulders and throughout the body, with large facial features, a large head, a strong, short neck, large protruding eyes, thick lips. A quick glance at this man gave rise to the idea of ​​something rough and unkempt. Rude, bribe-taking official. Hated Stolz.

Volkov- secular dandy. His every day consists of endless visits and all kinds of entertainment. Such a life seems empty and insignificant to Oblomov. Oblomov prefers not to pour out his soul at social events, but to stay at home.

Sudbinsky- a successful official. An official career also attracts little to Oblomov. Here’s what Oblomov thinks about Sudbinsky: “I’m stuck, dear friend, I’m stuck up to my ears. We also call it a career. And how little of a person is needed here... And he will live out his life, and many, many things will not move in it... Unhappy... "The spiritless life of an official, according to Oblomov, kills the human soul just as much as the empty secular life life. The main character protects his soul from this path: the point here, as we see, is not only Oblomov’s laziness.

Penkin- fashionable writer. In this image, Goncharov showed a representative of accusatory, but superficial literature. Oblomov is convinced that when denouncing, one must not forget about a person, about his dignity: “Depict a thief, a fallen woman, an inflated fool, and don’t forget the person right away.” Accusatory literature, according to Oblomov, is aimed at condemning one’s neighbor, which harms the soul and the accuser himself.

Alekseev- a minor official, unremarkable, but a very friendly person. Goncharov describes him this way: “Nature did not give him any sharp, noticeable feature, neither bad nor good.” This man is so invisible that no one ever remembers his first or last name. “His presence does not add anything to society, just as his absence does not take anything away from him,” notes Goncharov. There are no peculiarities in him, he is not distinguished by either wit or originality. He doesn't even have an opinion. But he can love all people without judging them, and this makes his character attractive to Oblomov. During the protagonist’s stay on the Vyborg side, Alekseev becomes his desired and necessary interlocutor.

Stolz- friend of Oblomov. Its opposite. He is constantly on the move. Very active. His mother was Russian, his father was German. He is afraid to dream; his happiness was in constancy. In the novel he became an ideal. He made a home for himself, traveled a lot, and eventually raised his son Oblomov.

Volkov is a secular dandy, one of the guests in Oblomov’s house. This is a young man of about twenty-five, bursting with health with laughing eyes and lips. His life consists of endless visits to St. Petersburg houses, as well as all kinds of entertainment. Oblomov himself considers such a pastime empty and worthless. Spending his days at home, he prefers not to “waste” for the sake of social life. In addition to Volkov, Sudbinsky, Penkin, Alekseev, Tarantyev are in the main character’s house. All these people, one way or another, bring at least some diversity to Oblomovka.

If the first chapter of the novel is devoted mainly to the main character, lying on the sofa all day and night, then the second and third chapters are devoted to the visits of St. Petersburg friends. Volkov's conversations include stories about his constant visits to various houses, his falling in love, and boasting about new acquisitions, for example, a tailcoat or gloves. In Oblomov’s view, Volkov is an unhappy man who is trying to get into ten houses in one day, as if “splitting” his soul into pieces. Listening to his guest, he is once again convinced that he has chosen the right way of life.

Volkov is a minor character in the novel Oblomov. Volkov is a carefree, cheerful, and at the same time rich man. The hero was only 25 years old. Like the main character, Volkov had a weakness for his vices. He always attended social balls and holidays, where all the wealthy people gathered, and dressed only in expensive clothes. Because he loved it when others admired him. He was an official and went to work once every few weeks.

Volkov was as lazy as Oblomov. The difference is that Oblomov shows his laziness while lying on the sofa. But Volkov constantly has fun and doesn’t want to work. Other young people were jealous of Volkov's appearance. He always looked dazzling and neat. He always wore white gloves and a hat, which he bought directly in Paris. In addition to his appearance, he constantly boasted of new products, especially foreign things. He got joy from a little attention.

Oblomov perceives Volkov as a contemplative person prone to philosophical thinking. The main character believed that the young man was wasting his life and time. He considered his behavior appropriate and his life more reasonable.

With the image of Volkov, the author portrayed cheerful carelessness and stupidity in the novel. Volkov was constantly in a special euphoric state. Oblomov believed that the young guy was very unhappy. That's how he felt happy. Volkov attended events all days of the week and was always busy. Sometimes he could attend several social events in a day. Moreover, he did not feel any fatigue.

In addition to the ball, the hero managed to visit the theater. Volkov often watched performances, plays, ballet and listened to opera. Like other nobles, the guy knew French well and publicly demonstrated his knowledge during conversations. To know about the latest events in St. Petersburg, he constantly read the newspaper. If the hero did not attend social events, he always went on vacation in nature with friends. Moreover, he attended village balls, which were organized by landowners.

The hero was in love with the girl Lydia. In the work, Volkov is presented as a cheerful and carefree person, wasting his life in vain and bringing no benefit to society.

Image 2

Volkov is a man subject to vices no less than Oblomov himself, while he (Volkov) is also a lazy person, only he is lazy in his own way. Volkov is a kind of opposite of Oblomov, since he moves a lot and is an active socialite.

Through this image, Goncharov introduces us to the image of a secular dandy who is completely useless to society. Volkov is an official, but only appears on duty twice a week for appearances sake. On the rest of his free days, he visits many secular houses and participates in various events.

Oblomov talks about this man with his characteristic contemplation and penchant for philosophizing. He sees how Volkov scatters himself into many houses and thus, as it were, crushes his own soul into many particles and fragments, which ultimately become the opposite of integrity.

In fact, Volkov is the image from which Oblomov starts in order to make sure of his own correctness of choice. According to Oblomov, his way of existence is much more reasonable, since he does not waste himself like Volkov and does not consider such behavior appropriate. Volkov allows Oblomov to establish himself, although, perhaps, he still somehow worries Oblomov with his boasting and other enthusiastic stories.

Goncharov in the image of this hero describes a cheerful carefreeness that borders on stupidity. For Volkov, everything was “great!” every event is like that for him and he enjoys being in such infantility. Of course, he is quite young, he is only 25, and here we can see some similarities with representatives of modern youth, who often only care about looking for fun and joy and nothing more in this world.

Volkov is, on the whole, doing something appropriate for a young man, but such a conscious choice is not the most worthy option. For example, Stolz at his age was actively building a career and developing his own personality, and did not waste priceless hours and days on empty entertainment.

Oblomov considers Volkov unhappy, but also for complacency, in order to feel happy, but in fact this hero is nothing more than a simple secular dandy, who is nothing special and is needed both in life and in the novel as a kind of background for the main characters. heroes.

Essay by Volkov in Oblomov

One of the minor characters in the novel is Volkov, who is a frequent guest in the house of the main character Oblomov. Mr. Volkov is a young man of twenty-five years old. He is rich and noble. Because his life is easy and carefree, he is always in a good mood. Everything he does boils down to the fact that this young man is in constant search of entertainment.

All the days of the week of this dapper dandy were occupied with visits. He clearly knew on what day of the week there would be a social reception in a particular house. Sometimes in one day he visits several rich St. Petersburg houses at once. But he doesn't feel tired from it. On the contrary, it gives him pleasure, amuses him and entertains him.

In order to shine in the world, Volkov carefully monitors his appearance. Everything about him was beautiful, from his hair to his patent leather boots. The hero dressed exquisitely and impeccably. His linen was fresh and sparkling white. He ordered fashionable hats and gloves directly from Paris. Not only did Volkov’s appearance catch the eye of everyone, he himself was not averse to showing off the new items in his wardrobe. And he did it with gusto. Any trifle, even the most insignificant at first glance, brought him joy.

Volkov also likes to go to theaters. He often and with pleasure goes to opera and ballet, attends performances in theaters in Russian and French. Like any nobleman who has received a good education, he inserts French words into his speech. In order to be aware of everything that is happening around, the hero of the novel looks through newspapers in the morning. To somehow diversify his entertainment, Volkov sometimes goes to visit friends in the village. There he enjoys hunting. But he also doesn’t miss balls organized by local landowners in nature.

Unencumbered by anything in everyday life, the hero is indifferent to public service. Considering that he does not have to appear there every day, he shows himself there from time to time. He pays much more attention to his love for a girl named Lydia. He can be occupied by anything that does not require physical and mental effort from him.

Mr. Volkov is a prominent representative of “Oblomovism” - a person who lives his life in vain and does not bring any benefit to society.

Option 4

Among the minor characters of the work, the hero represented by the writer in the image of Mr. Volkov, one of the friends of Ilya Oblomov, the main character of the novel, stands out.

Volkov is described in the novel as a twenty-five-year-old man, distinguished by a cheerful disposition, youthful carelessness and a very wealthy man. Outwardly, Volkov looks like an elegant dandy, dressing in accordance with the latest fashion trends, dazzling those around him with his fresh complexion and exquisite accessories in the form of the finest cambric scarves, precious chains, and fashionable gloves. The hero prefers to be a regular guest at all kinds of balls and social events, where he charms female representatives.

The young man is of bureaucratic rank, but attends services at most several times a week, creating the appearance of work, which he considers an unnecessary activity. At the same time, the hero tries to keep abreast of current events in society, so he spends every morning reading the latest newspaper press, which allows him to present himself to others as an interesting interlocutor.

Volkov belongs to a hereditary noble family and is a brilliantly educated person who speaks French, as well as a fan of theatrical performances, opera, and ballet.

The writer introduces the image of Volkov into the narrative in order to contrast the hero with Ilya Oblomov, who is the main character of the novel and personifies a lazy person who does not want to burden himself with work. In this, both heroes have similarities, however, Volkov, unlike his friend, leads an active lifestyle, constantly moving in social circles and attending various events. In addition, he strives to improve his appearance, striving to look flawless, dazzling and sophisticated.

The main character of Vasily Andreevich’s poem is a real Russian girl. Svetlana also has characteristic qualities: beauty, intelligence, modesty, respect for religion, humility, curiosity.