What Ermil Girin denies in the peasant way of life. Quotes

Among the images of Russian peasants created by Nekrasov, the image of Ermila Girin especially stands out. He, as they say in the work, “is not a prince, not an illustrious count, but a simple peasant,” but, nevertheless, enjoys great respect among the peasants. Using the example of the image of Ermila Girin in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” by Nekrasov, we can analyze what character traits were considered important for the Russian people, how the people saw their heroes.

“Both young and smart” - with these words the description of Yermil Girin begins in the poem. Then the peasant, who started talking about Ermil, tells the peasant wanderers a story that testifies to the boundless trust of the people in him. Yermil owned a mill, which the merchant Altynnikov was going to buy for his debts. Yermil won the trial, but the attorneys rigged the case in such a way that he did not have money with him to pay. Then he rushed to the square, to the people, and told them his misfortune. Yermil’s request: “If you know Yermil, / If you believe Yermil, / So help out, or something!..” is the best evidence of his love and trust in his compatriots. In this episode, Nekrasov perfectly noted the psychology of the Russian peasant, who prefers to experience troubles and make decisions “with the whole world”

Yermil opens up to the crowd - and receives help; everyone who was in the square brought him at least a nickel. This was enough to buy out the mill.

The main feature of Yermil is his incorruptible honesty and love of truth. He served as a clerk for seven years, and during all this time “he did not squeeze a worldly penny under his fingernail.” Everyone could turn to Yermil for advice, knowing that he would never demand money or offend an innocent person. When Yermil left his post, it was difficult to get used to the new unscrupulous clerk. “It is necessary to have a bad conscience - / A peasant should extort a penny from a peasant /” - this is the verdict the people pass on “grabber officials.”

With his decency, Yermil earned the faith of the peasants, and they repaid him with kindness: they unanimously elected Yermil as mayor. Now he is Girin Ermil Ilyich, honestly reigning over the entire estate. But Yermil does not stand the test of power. This is the only time he renounces his conscience, sending another person to become a soldier instead of his brother. And although he soon repents and makes amends for the harm he caused, the peasants remember this act. It is difficult to restore one’s good name, which is considered the highest value among the people - this is the idea Nekrasov conveys in the image of Yermil.

Yermil Girin in N.A. Nekrasov’s poem is hidden among the minor characters. The author deliberately created difficulty for the reader. He himself needs to comprehend the entire plan of the brilliant poet.

The image and characterization of Yermil Girin in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” combines the traits that Nekrasov considered the most important; in him he saw one of the contenders for the title of a happy person.

Features of happiness

Ermil (Ermilo) Ilyich Girin is young and smart beyond his years. By social status, the hero is a simple man. He has neither princely nor count roots. His decisive character allowed him to become a respected person. An estate of 6 thousand souls unanimously chose him as mayor. It is difficult to gain trust from the peasants, but Yermil was able to do so. What did Girin do to deserve such an attitude:

“...the strict truth”;

“intelligence and kindness”;

responsiveness and selflessness.

Yermil knew how to give advice and found out the necessary information for ordinary people. He did not demand gratitude and did not take money for help. According to the people, a man had everything to be happy: peace, honor, money.

Character of the hero

To understand a character's happiness, you need to consider his character traits. What is so special about a man, how does he differ from others? What character can claim to be truly lucky?

Smartness. The Russian man saw hidden cunning and knew how to quickly discern dishonest intentions. He assessed a person by his looks and behavior. Silently brought out honesty, did not create scandals, but walked away, leaving the cunning people with nothing.

Not the ability to flatter and bow down. Yermil did not succumb to the tricks of clerks and other rich merchants. He did not take sweet, deceitful speeches personally, and did not pay for flattery and pleasant lies.

Honesty. The peasant serves as mayor for seven years and does not take a single “worldly penny” into his own hands.

Justice. Yermil did not offend the weak, he defended the poor. On the other hand, if a person was guilty, he “did not allow” sin and bad deeds.

Respect. Girin treats all classes equally. He respects peasants, landowners, and merchants. The main thing for him is not status, rank, but the person himself.

Working at the mill, Yermil accepted strictly in turns and for the same price. The poorest people, managers, clerks did not argue with the miller, seeing a fair approach to everyone.

Sincerity. Having committed a bad deed, Yermil repents before all the people. He asks for a fair trial for himself; even the forgiveness of his fellow countrymen does not allow him to remain in the service. He finds his own punishment.

The fate of Girin

Ermila is chosen as mayor. He has served the people honestly and devotedly for seven years. When the time has come for the younger brother to join the recruits, the mayor from the people does not pass the test of his possession of power. He decides to take advantage of it. Instead of a relative, the son of a village peasant woman goes to serve. Girin's conscience begins to torment him, leading him to the point of deciding to hang himself, but the master corrects the situation. He returns the son to the offended mother. Yermil leaves his service and goes to the mill. The peasants never cease to respect the peasant. The proof is the episode with the collection of money to buy back the mill, which they decided to sell. Girin collected a thousand rubles, a huge sum at that time, in half an hour. No one spared the last penny for him. The help from the peasants is surprising. Girin wins the lawsuit with the merchants, returns every penny to those who gave him money. He has an extra ruble left. All day, Girin walks around the square in the hope of finding the one whose ruble it is, but he doesn’t find it. This scene shows how great the trust in the hero is. Nekrasov shows how the Russian people know how to make decisions as a whole. How strong is the spirit of the common people. Yermil revealed his misfortune, and every good person answered him. The Russian people are strong in their selflessness, their ability to support and unite. But even he is not destined to be happy in Rus'. There was a riot in the village, Yermil refused to pacify the peasants. He is arrested and sent to hard labor. The story of fate ends with sad news:

“...he is sitting in prison...”

A person with such a bright character could not become truly happy.

Reality of the image

Literary scholars have found evidence that Girin has a real prototype. This is the manager of the Orlovs' count estates - A.D. Potanin. He came from the lower peasantry. Potanin is known in history for his unselfishness towards the residents of the estates, honesty of behavior and fairness of government. The poet introduces into the character’s speech thoughts close to facts from Potanin’s biography:

“You must...have a bad conscience in order...to extort a penny from a peasant”;

“...He became more loved than ever by all the people...”

Ermil and Grigory Dobrosklonov are two close characters. It can be assumed that Yermil Ilyich could become in the future a revolutionary, a fighter, a man whom Russia is waiting for. But hard labor, prisons and jails will break many similar men, deprive them of health and faith in the future. The wanderers are looking for the happy, but they pass by Yermil, although he is closest to their understanding of happiness.

Yermil opens up to the crowd - and receives help; everyone who was in the square brought him at least a nickel. This was enough to buy out the mill.

“Who lives well in Rus'.” The poem talks about how seven peasant men went to wander around Rus' to find at least one happy person. Yermil Girin is one of the minor characters, a peasant whose story is told in the chapter called “Happy”.

History of creation

Nekrasov wrote the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” over ten years, from 1866 to 1876, and possibly longer. The author spent a lot of time collecting material, and the first sketches could have been made as early as 1863. An excerpt of the poem first appeared in print in 1866, in the January issue of the literary magazine Sovremennik. At this point, Nekrasov had just finished working on the first part. The publication of finished materials lasted for four long years, and all this time Nekrasov was persecuted and attacked by censors.

In the 70s of the 19th century, Nekrasov resumed work on the poem and began writing a sequel. From 1872 to 1876, parts appeared entitled by the author “The Last One,” “Peasant Woman” and “Feast for the Whole World.” The author intended to continue working and stretch the poem into three or four more parts, but his health did not allow Nekrasov to carry out these plans. As a result, the author limited himself to trying to give a finished look to the last of the written parts of the poem and stopped there.

“Who lives well in Rus'”

Ermil Ilyich Girin is a simple peasant man, but a proud and determined man. The hero runs a mill, where he works honestly, without deceiving anyone. The peasants trust Girin, and the landowner treats the hero with respect. The surname “Girin” probably refers the reader to the physical and mental strength of the hero.

Girin is young, but smart and trained to read and write, thanks to which he served as a clerk in the office for five years. When it comes to choosing a mayor, the peasants unanimously choose Girin for this position. The hero remained in this post for seven years and proved himself to be a fair and honest person, earning the respect of the people.

The hero is well off for a peasant, but those around him value Girin not for his wealth, but for his kindness to people, his intelligence and truthfulness. When peasants turn to Girin for help, he invariably helps with advice or action, acting as a kind of people's intercessor. At the same time, the hero does not demand gratitude from people and refuses to accept payment for his own good deeds.

Girin does not appropriate someone else's property. One day the hero has an “extra ruble” left, with which Girin goes around everyone to return the money to the owner, but never finds the owner. At the same time, the hero himself is not naive and sees when another person is trying to play around and deceive, and does not buy the flattery.

Girin is conscientious and truthful, he is indignant towards peasants who “extort a penny” from other similar men, and judges those around him by the conscience. A heightened sense of justice does not allow Girin to let the guilty go or offend the right. The hero is also very self-critical and is ready to call himself a villain when he acts against his conscience.

There was only one case in which the hero betrayed his soul in Girin’s life. Girin “shielded” his own younger brother from the “recruit” (helped to avoid the army). The hero himself considers this act dishonest and suffers from the fact that he committed it, almost committing suicide as a result. Ultimately, the hero gives up his own brother as a soldier, and the other peasant son returns home from the army.

Not feeling that his guilt has been atoned for, Girin resigns from the position of “burgist”, rents a mill and begins to work there. The hero works honestly and takes the grind according to his conscience. Girin believes that people are equal, and therefore releases the flour in order, without looking at who is in front of him - a poor man or a manager. The hero is respected in the area, so those who approach him honestly, regardless of status, adhere to the queue established by Girin.

Later, a certain merchant Altynnikov begins to “take over” the mill. They decide to sell the mill, and the lively Girin participates in the auction, which he wins. However, the hero does not have the money on hand that is needed to post bail. Here the love of the common people for Girin was manifested, because the peasants present at the bazaar collected a thousand rubles for Girin in just half an hour - a huge amount for those times.

The hero has everything he needs to be happy, but Girin harbors a grudge against those who tried to take the mill away from him. Resentment pushes the hero to abandon his happy fate and quiet life and support the popular uprising that broke out in the estate. The hero refuses to pacify the peasants and eventually ends up in prison. Girin's further biography is unknown.

There are other notable characters in the poem, for example, Yakim Nagoy - the antipode of Girin. This is a man who drinks half to death with a sunken chest and a brown neck, the hero’s skin looks like tree bark, and his face looks like a brick. Nekrasov portrays an exhausted man whose drunkenness and exhausting work have deprived him of health and strength.

Yakim drinks because he finds nothing good in life. The hero once lived in St. Petersburg, but went broke, ended up in prison and was forced to return to the village, where Yakim had no alternatives except the exhausting work of a plowman. The image of Yakim embodies the tragic side of the peasant way of life.

The image of a “governor” and a “good-witted” woman, about whom those around her think that her life is fun and at ease, is also interesting. The heroine herself has a different opinion and believes that “the keys to women’s happiness” have been lost in Rus'.

The image of a priest’s son and poet, who dreams of raising the common people from their knees, is also vivid. Grisha grew up in extreme poverty and almost died of hunger, so he sees the meaning of his own life in serving the peasants and in alleviating the plight of the common people, whose life is full of troubles and hardships.