The main characters of the novel what to do list. Analysis of Chernyshevsky's novel “What is to be done? The emergence of a new hero
1863, "Contemporary"
1867 (Geneva), 1906 (Russia)
"What to do?"- a novel by the Russian philosopher, journalist and literary critic Nikolai Chernyshevsky, written in December - April, while imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress of St. Petersburg. The novel was written partly in response to Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons.
History of creation and publication
Chernyshevsky wrote the novel while in solitary confinement of the Alekseevsky ravelin of the Peter and Paul Fortress, from December 14, 1862 to April 4, 1863. Since January 1863, the manuscript has been handed over in parts to the commission of inquiry on the Chernyshevsky case (the last part was handed over on April 6). The commission, and after it the censors, saw only a love line in the novel and gave permission for publication. The oversight of censorship was soon noticed, the responsible censor Beketov was removed from his post. However, the novel had already been published in The Contemporary (1863, No. 3-5). Despite the fact that the issues of Sovremennik, in which the novel What Is to Be Done? were published, were banned, the text of the novel in handwritten copies was distributed throughout the country and caused a lot of imitation.
“Chernyshevsky’s novel was not talked about in a whisper, not quietly, but at the top of his lungs in the halls, at the entrances, at the table of Mrs. Milbret and in the basement pub of the Shtenbokov passage. They shouted: “disgusting”, “charm”, “abomination”, etc. - all in different tones.
“For the Russian youth of that time, it [the book“ What is to be done? ”] was a kind of revelation and turned into a program, became a kind of banner.”
The emphatically entertaining, adventurous, melodramatic beginning of the novel was supposed not only to confuse censorship, but also to attract the broad masses of readers. The external plot of the novel is a love story, but it reflects the new economic, philosophical and social ideas of the time. The novel is riddled with allusions to the coming revolution.
- In the novel by N. G. Chernyshevsky “What to do?” aluminum is mentioned. In the "naive utopia" of Vera Pavlovna's fourth dream, it is called the metal of the future. And this great future to date (ser. XX - XXI century) aluminum has already reached.
- The "lady in mourning" that appears at the end of the work is Olga Sokratovna Chernyshevskaya, the writer's wife. At the end of the novel, we are talking about the release of Chernyshevsky from the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he was at the time of writing the novel. He did not wait for release: on February 7, 1864, he was sentenced to 14 years of hard labor, followed by a settlement in Siberia.
- The main characters with the surname Kirsanov are also found in Ivan Turgenev's novel Fathers and Sons.
Literature
- Nikolaev P. Revolutionary novel // Chernyshevsky N. G. What to do? M., 1985
Screen adaptations
- 1971: Three-part teleplay (directors: Nadezhda Marusalova, Pavel Reznikov)
Notes
see also
Links
Categories:
- Literary works alphabetically
- Nikolay Chernyshevsky
- political novels
- Novels of 1863
- Novels in Russian
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See what is "What to do? (novel)" in other dictionaries:
- "What to do?" the philosophical question of various thinkers, religious figures, prophets, as well as literary works with this title: "What to do?" novel by Nikolai Chernyshevsky, his main work. "What to do?" book ... ... Wikipedia
The name of the famous socio-political novel (1863) by Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky (1828 1889). The main question, which in the 60 70s. 19th century was discussed in youth circles, was, as the revolutionary P. N. Tkachev writes, “the question of what ... ... Dictionary of winged words and expressions
Date of birth: June 16, 1965 Place of birth: Makeevka, Ukrainian SSR, USSR ... Wikipedia
St. Petersburg. It was written partly in response to the work of Ivan Turgenev "Fathers and children".
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Chernyshevsky wrote the novel while in solitary confinement of the Alekseevsky ravelin of the Peter and Paul Fortress, from December 14, 1862 to April 4, 1863. Since January 1863, the manuscript has been handed over in parts to the commission of inquiry on the Chernyshevsky case (the last part was handed over on April 6). The commission, and after it the censors, saw only a love line in the novel and gave permission for publication. The oversight of censorship was soon noticed, the responsible censor Beketov was removed from his post. However, the novel had already been published in The Contemporary (1863, No. 3-5). Despite the fact that the issues of Sovremennik, in which the novel What Is to Be Done? were published, were banned, the text of the novel in handwritten copies was distributed throughout the country and caused a lot of imitation.
People talked about Chernyshevsky's novel not in a whisper, not quietly, but at the top of their lungs in the halls, at the doorways, at Madame Milbret's table and in the basement pub of the Shtenbokov Passage. They shouted: "disgusting", "charm", "abomination", etc. - all in different tones.
For the Russian youth of that time, it [the book What Is to Be Done?] was a kind of revelation and turned into a program, became a kind of banner.
The emphatically entertaining, adventurous, melodramatic beginning of the novel was supposed not only to confuse censorship, but also to attract the broad masses of readers. The external plot of the novel is a love story, but it reflects the new economic, philosophical and social ideas of the time. The novel is riddled with allusions to the coming revolution.
One of the books closest to him was What Is to Be Done? Chernyshevsky. He kept coming back to her. The life described in it echoed ours. Mayakovsky, as it were, consulted with Chernyshevsky about his personal affairs, found support in him. "What to do?" was the last book he read before he died.
- In the novel by N. G. Chernyshevsky “What to do?” aluminum is mentioned. In the "naive utopia" of Vera Pavlovna's fourth dream, it is called the metal of the future. Aluminum reached the "big future" by the middle of the 20th century. ”, However, the researchers refuse to connect the heroes of the novels of Chernyshevsky and Turgenev with each other.
- With the ideas of Chernyshevsky, in particular with his thoughts about the future of mankind, F. M. Dostoevsky argues in “Notes from the underground”, thanks to which the image of the “crystal palace” has become a common motif of world literature of the 20th century.
The main character of the novel. This is a beautiful, slender girl with a southern type of face. She has black hair and brown skin. Before meeting with Lopukhov, she lived with her mother, father and brother Fedya on Gorokhovaya Street in St. Petersburg. Vera's father was the manager of an apartment building, and her mother gave money at interest and dreamed of marrying her daughter to a rich man.
One of the main characters of the novel, a friend of Lopukhov, a commoner, later the husband of Vera Pavlovna. He is a tall, well-built man with dark blond hair and dark blue eyes. He has an oblong, strong-willed face of remarkable whiteness and a straight Greek nose. He worked from the age of 12, helped his father in everything.
One of the main characters of the novel, husband and friend of Vera Pavlovna, student of the Medical Academy, son of a Ryazan landowner. He enters the Rozalskys' house as Fedya's teacher. There he meets Verochka and sympathizes with her difficult situation in the family. Lopukhov's best friend is Kirsanov.
The character of the novel, who has an important purpose in the life of the main characters, according to the author, is a "special person", a friend of Lopukhov, a young man from a noble environment. He is an honest and selfless person. From an early age, he set himself the goal of strengthening his will and becoming physically strong. For the sake of this, for several hours a day, he became a laborer.
Polozova Katerina Vasilievna
An acquaintance of Vera Pavlovna, who was saved from death by her husband, Alexander Kirsanov. She was passionately in love with one rogue - Solovtsov. The father flatly refused to bless the marriage with him, and she fell ill. Kirsanov managed to convince her father to give her time to deal with Solovtsov, and she soon realized that he was a bad person. She went on the mend. At this time, her father goes bankrupt and sells the last plant. An American came to conclude the deal - Charles Beaumont, who turned out to have previously been Lopukhov and Vera Pavlovna's first husband. Katerina and Beaumont fall in love and soon get married. In the future, the Kirsanovs and the Beaumonts became close friends and began living in neighboring apartments.
Charles Beaumont
An American who came as an agent for the London firm of Hodchson, Loter and Co. to buy the Polozov plant. He told everyone that he was born in Russia, but at the age of 20 his American father took him to New York. Now Charles has grown up and decided to return to Russia, getting a job in a London firm. At dinners with Polozov, he met his daughter, Katerina. He was keenly interested in her acquaintances - the Kirsanovs. We soon learn that Charles Beaumont is actually Dmitry Lopukhov. Beaumont and Katerina fall in love and then get married. Beaumont is put in charge of Polozov's former factory with a good salary. The Kirsanovs and the Beaumonts live together in neighboring apartments.
Mertsalov
Priest and friend of Lopukhov, who married them to Vera Pavlovna. Later, together with his wife, he became a close friend of Vera Pavlovna.
Mertsalova
The wife of the priest Mertsalov and a close friend of Vera Pavlovna. Over time, she became the head of one of her sewing workshops.
Julie
Frenchwoman, former Parisian prostitute, Serge's girlfriend. Having learned about the bet between Storeshnikov and Jean Solovtsov about Vera Pavlovna, she went and warned her. In the future, she helped her to promote a sewing workshop.
Solovtsov (Jean)
One of the creepiest characters in the novel. First, he made a bet on Vera Pavlovna with Storeshnikov. And then he got married to Katerina Polozova, so much so that she turned her head. He did not love her at all, but Katya's father was still a millionaire, so he wanted his money. In the future, she figured out who he was and canceled the wedding.
Polozov
Katerina's father, a retired captain or staff captain, a former millionaire. Once he married a merchant, successfully disposed of her dowry, and earned 3-4 million. At the age of 60, he quarreled with one right person and lost almost all the money.
Storeshnikov
The fiance of Vera Pavlovna, whom her mother wanted to marry. He did not love her, even argued with her as if he were his mistress.
Marya Aleksevna
Mother of Vera Pavlovna. She did not love her daughter very much, she constantly shouted at her and dreamed of passing everything off as a rich fiancé. Because of her, Vera Pavlovna had to run away from home, marrying Lopukhov.
Vera's father
A minor character who does not have his own opinion is the father of Vera Pavlovna. Lives under the heel of his wife.
His novel "What to do?" the famous Russian writer Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky created during the period when he was imprisoned in one of the cells of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The time of writing the novel is from December 14, 1862 to April 4, 1863, that is, the work, which became a masterpiece of Russian literature, was created in just three and a half months. Starting from January 1863 and until the moment of the author's final stay in custody, he handed over the manuscript in parts to the commission that dealt with the writer's case. Here the work was censored, which was approved. Soon the novel was published in the 3rd, as well as 4th and 5th issues of the Sovremennik magazine for 1863. For such an oversight, the censor Beketov lost his position. This was followed by bans on all three issues of the magazine. However, it was already too late. Chernyshevsky's work was distributed throughout the country with the help of "samizdat".
And only in 1905, during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, the ban was lifted. Already in 1906, the book "What to do?" published in a separate edition.
Who are the new heroes?
The reaction to Chernyshevsky's work was mixed. Readers, based on their opinion, were divided into two opposing camps. Some of them believed that the novel is devoid of artistry. The latter fully supported the author.
However, it is worth remembering that before Chernyshevsky, writers created images of “superfluous people”. A striking example of such heroes are Pechorin, Oblomov and Onegin, who, despite their differences, are similar in their "smart uselessness". These people, "pygmies of deed and titans of words", were bifurcated natures, suffering from a constant discord between will and consciousness, deed and thought. In addition, their characteristic feature was moral exhaustion.
This is not how Chernyshevsky presents his heroes. He created images of "new people" who know what they need to desire, and are also able to carry out their own plans. Their thought goes along with the deed. Their consciousness and will are not at odds with each other. Heroes of Chernyshevsky's novel "What to do?" presented as bearers of new morality and creators of new interpersonal relations. They deserve the main attention of the author. No wonder even a summary of the chapters of "What to do?" allows us to see that by the end of the second of them, the author "lets go of the stage" such representatives of the old world - Marya Alekseevna, Storeshnikova, Serge, Julie and some others.
The main problem of the essay
Even the very brief content of “What to do?” gives an idea of the issues that the author raises in his book. And they are the following:
- The need for a socio-political renewal of society, which is possible through a revolution. Due to censorship, Chernyshevsky did not expand on this topic in more detail. He gave it in the form of half-hints when describing the life of one of the main characters - Rakhmetov, as well as in the 6th chapter.
- Psychological and moral problems. Chernyshevsky argues that a person, using the power of his mind, is able to create in himself new moral qualities set by him. At the same time, the author develops this process, describing it from the smallest, in the form of a struggle against despotism in the family, to the most ambitious, which found expression in the revolution.
- Problems of family morality and women's emancipation. The author reveals this topic in the first three dreams of Vera, in the history of her family, as well as in the relations of young people and the imaginary suicide of Lopukhov.
- Dreams of a bright and beautiful life that will come with the creation of a socialist society in the future. Chernyshevsky illuminates this topic thanks to the fourth dream of Vera Pavlovna. The reader sees here also the facilitated work, which became possible thanks to the development of technical means.
The main pathos of the novel is the propaganda of the idea of transforming the world by making a revolution, as well as its expectation and preparation of the best minds for this event. At the same time, the idea is expressed of active participation in the upcoming events.
What was Chernyshevsky's main goal? He dreamed of developing and implementing the latest methodology that would allow for the revolutionary education of the masses. His work was supposed to be a kind of textbook, with the help of which every thinking person would begin to form a new worldview.
The entire content of the novel "What to do?" Chernyshevsky is divided into six chapters. Moreover, each of them, except for the last one, is further subdivided into small chapters. In order to emphasize the particular importance of the final events, the author speaks of them separately. To do this, in the content of the novel "What to do?" Chernyshevsky included a one-page chapter titled "Change of scenery".
The beginning of the story
Consider the summary of Chernyshevsky's novel "What is to be done?". Its plot begins with a found note, which was left in one of the rooms of the hotel in St. Petersburg by a strange guest. It happened in 1823, on July 11. The note says that soon its author will be heard on one of the bridges of St. Petersburg - Liteiny. At the same time, the man asked not to look for the guilty. The incident happened the same night. A man shot himself on Liteiny Bridge. The perforated cap that belonged to him was fished out of the water.
The following is a summary of the novel "What to do?" introduces us to a young lady. On the morning when the event described above happened, she is in a dacha located on Kamenny Island. The lady is sewing, singing a bold and lively French ditty, which speaks of a working people whose liberation will require a change of consciousness. This woman's name is Vera Pavlovna. At this moment, the maid brings the lady a letter, after reading which she begins to sob, covering her face with her hands. The young man who entered the room makes attempts to calm her down. However, the woman is inconsolable. She pushes the young man away. At the same time, she says: “His blood is on you! You are in the blood! I'm the only one to blame..."
What was said in the letter that Vera Pavlovna received? We can learn about this from the presented brief content "What to do?". In his message, the writer indicated that he was leaving the stage.
The appearance of Lopukhov
What further do we learn from the summary of Chernyshevsky's novel What Is to Be Done? After the events described, a story follows, telling about Vera Pavlovna, about her life, as well as about the reasons that led to such a sad outcome.
The author says that his heroine was born in St. Petersburg. This is where she grew up. The lady's father - Pavel Konstantinovich Vozalsky - was the manager of the house. The mother was engaged in the fact that she gave money on bail. The main goal of Marya Alekseevna (mother of Vera Pavlovna) was the profitable marriage of her daughter. And she did her best to resolve this issue. The evil and narrow-minded Marya Alekseevna invites a music teacher to her daughter. Buys Vera beautiful clothes, goes to the theater with her. Soon, the son of the owner, officer Storeshnikov, pays attention to the swarthy beautiful girl. The young man decides to seduce Vera.
Marya Alekseevna hopes to force Storeshnikov to marry her daughter. To do this, she requires Faith to favor the young man. However, the girl perfectly understands the true intentions of her boyfriend and in every possible way refuses signs of attention. Somehow she even manages to mislead her mother. She pretends to be supportive of the womanizer. But sooner or later the deception will be revealed. This makes the position of Vera Pavlovna in the house simply unbearable. However, everything suddenly resolved, and at the same time in the most unexpected way.
Dmitry Sergeevich Lopukhov appeared in the house. This graduate medical student was invited by Vera's parents to join her brother Fedya as a teacher. At first, young people were very wary of each other. However, then their communication began to flow in conversations about music and books, as well as about a fair direction of thought.
Time has passed. Vera and Dmitry felt sympathy for each other. Lopukhov learns about the plight of the girl and makes attempts to help her. He is looking for a governess job for Verochka. Such work would allow the girl to live separately from her parents.
However, all Lopukhov's efforts were unsuccessful. He could not find such owners who would agree to take in a girl who had run away from home. Then the young man in love takes another step. He leaves his studies and starts translating a textbook and private lessons. This allows him to start getting sufficient funds. At the same time, Dmitry makes an offer to Vera.
First dream
Vera has her first dream. In it, she sees herself emerging from a dark and damp basement and meeting an amazing beauty who calls herself love for people. Vera talks to her and promises to let girls out of such basements who are locked in them, as she was locked.
family well-being
Young people live in a rented apartment, and everything is going well for them. However, the landlady notices oddities in their relationship. Verochka and Dmitry only call each other "darling" and "darling", they sleep in separate rooms, entering them only after knocking, etc. All this is surprising to an outsider. Vera tries to explain to the woman that this is a completely normal relationship between spouses. After all, this is the only way to not get bored with each other.
The young wife runs the household, gives private lessons, reads books. Soon she opens her own sewing workshop, in which the girls are self-employed, but receive part of the income as co-owners.
Second dream
What else do we learn from the summary of Chernyshevsky's novel What Is to Be Done? In the course of the plot, the author introduces us to the second dream of Vera Pavlovna. In it, she sees a field with ears of corn growing on it. There is also dirt here. And one of them is fantastic, and the second is real.
Real dirt means taking care of what is most needed in life. It was precisely this that Marya Alekseevna was constantly burdened with. On this, ears can be grown. Fantastic dirt is a concern for the unnecessary and superfluous. On such soil, ears of corn will never grow.
The emergence of a new hero
The author shows Kirsanov as a strong-willed and courageous person, capable not only of a decisive act, but also of subtle feelings. Alexander spends time with Vera when Dmitry is busy. Together with his friend's wife, he goes to the opera. However, soon, without explaining any reasons, Kirsanov stops coming to the Lopukhovs, which greatly offends them. What was the real reason for this? Kirsanov's falling in love with a friend's wife.
The young man reappeared in the house when Dmitry fell ill to cure him and help Vera with care. And here the woman realizes that she is in love with Alexander, which is why she is completely confused.
third dream
From the summary of the work "What to do?" we learn that Vera Pavlovna is having a third dream. In it, she reads the pages of her diary with the help of some unknown woman. From it, she learns that she feels only gratitude for her husband. However, at the same time, Vera needs a gentle and quiet feeling, which she does not have for Dmitry.
Solution
The situation in which three decent and intelligent people found themselves, at first glance, seems insoluble. But Lopukhov finds a way out. He shoots himself on the Liteiny Bridge. On the day that Vera Pavlovna received this news, Rakhmetov came to see her. This old acquaintance of Lopukhov and Kirsanov, who is called "a special person."
Acquaintance with Rakhmetov
In the summary of the novel “What to do”, the “special person” Rakhmetov is presented by the author as a “higher nature”, which Kirsanov helped to awaken in his time by familiarizing himself with the necessary books. The young man comes from a wealthy family. He sold his estate, and distributed the money he received for it to fellows. Now Rakhmetov adheres to a harsh lifestyle. In part, he was prompted by the reluctance to possess what the common man does not have. In addition, Rakhmetov set as his goal the education of his own character. For example, to test his physical abilities, he decides to sleep on nails. In addition, he does not drink wine and does not make acquaintances with women. In order to get closer to the people, Rakhmetov even walked with barge haulers along the Volga.
What else is said about this hero in Chernyshevsky's novel What Is to Be Done? The summary makes it clear that Rakhmetov's whole life consists of sacraments that are clearly revolutionary. A young man has many things to do, but they are not all personal. He travels around Europe, but at the same time in three years he is going to Russia, where he will certainly need to be.
It was Rakhmetov who came to Vera Pavlovna after receiving a note from Lopukhov. After his persuasion, she calmed down and even became cheerful. Rakhmetov explains that Vera Pavlovna and Lopukhov had very different personalities. That is why the woman reached out to Kirsanov. Soon Vera Pavlovna left for Novgorod. There she married Kirsanov.
The dissimilarity between the characters of Verochka and Lopukhov is also mentioned in a letter that soon arrived from Berlin. In this message, a medical student who allegedly knew Lopukhov well conveyed Dmitry's words that he began to feel much better after the separation of the spouses, as he always sought solitude. Namely, the sociable Vera Pavlovna did not allow him to do this.
The life of the Kirsanovs
What does the novel What to Do next tell its reader about? Nikolai Chernyshevsky? The summary of the work makes it possible to understand that the love affairs of the young couple settled well to the common pleasure. The lifestyle of the Kirsanovs is not much different from that of the Lopukhov family.
Alexander works hard. As for Vera Pavlovna, she takes baths, eats cream and is already engaged in two sewing workshops. The house, as before, has neutral and common rooms. However, the woman notices that her new husband does not just allow her to lead a lifestyle she likes. He is interested in her affairs and is ready to help in difficult times. In addition, the husband perfectly understands her desire to master some urgent occupation and begins to help her in the study of medicine.
fourth dream
Getting acquainted briefly with Chernyshevsky's novel What Is to Be Done?, we proceed to continue the plot. It tells us about the fourth dream of Vera Pavlovna, in which she sees amazing nature and pictures from the life of women of different millennia.
At first, the image of a slave appears before her. This woman obeys her master. After that, in a dream, Vera sees the Athenians. They begin to bow to the woman, but at the same time they do not recognize her as their equal. Then the following image appears. This is a beautiful lady, for whom the knight is ready to fight in the tournament. However, his love immediately passes after the lady becomes his wife. Then, instead of the face of the goddess, Vera Pavlovna sees her own. It does not differ in perfect features, but at the same time it is illuminated by the radiance of love. And here comes the woman who was in the first dream. She explains to Vera the meaning of equality and shows pictures of the citizens of the future Russia. They all live in a house built of crystal, cast iron and aluminium. In the morning these people work, and in the evening they begin to have fun. The woman explains that this future must be loved and should be strived for.
Completion of the story
How does the novel by N. G. Chernyshevsky “What is to be done?” End with. The author tells his reader that guests often come to the Kirsanovs' house. The Beaumont family soon appears among them. When meeting with Charles Beaumont, Kirsanov recognizes him as Lopukhov. The two families become so close to each other that they decide to continue living in the same house.
Nikolay Chernyshevsky's novel “What is to be done?” contemporaries perceived ambiguously. Some considered it "an abomination", others - "charm". This is due to a complex composition, attempts to hide the main idea behind the dreams of the main character and a love triangle, and, finally, with the peculiarities of the language design. Nevertheless, the novel had a serious impact on Russian society in the 19th century. Schoolchildren study it in the 10th grade. We offer a brief analysis of the work “What to do?”, Which will help you prepare well for the lessons and for the exam.
Brief analysis
History of creation- N. Chernyshevsky created the novel when he was in the Peter and Paul Fortress. The writer was arrested for radical ideas. The work was conceived as a response to Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons", so there is a certain similarity between the images of Yevgeny Bazarov and Rakhmetov.
Subject- Two main themes can be distinguished in the work - love and life in a new society built on the basis of the laws of labor and equality.
Composition- The structure of the work has features. The through lines of the novel are the life of Vera Pavlovna, the fate of Lopukhov and Kirsanov. The main role in these storylines is played by love vicissitudes. The dreams of Vera Pavlovna are closely intertwined with reality. With the help of them, the author encrypted socio-political motives.
Genre- A novel in which one can notice the features of several genre varieties - a utopian novel, socio-political, love and philosophical novels.
Direction- Realism.
History of creation
The writer worked on the analyzed work for several months: from December 1862 to April 1863. At that time he was under arrest in the Peter and Paul Fortress. They imprisoned him for his radical views. The novel was conceived as a response to Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons", so there is a certain similarity between the images of Yevgeny Bazarov and Rakhmetov.
While working on the novel, N. Chernyshevsky understood that censorship would not allow it to be published if it noticed a sharp political subtext. In order to deceive the regulatory authorities, the writer resorted to artistic techniques: he framed social motives with a love context, introduced dreams into the plot. He managed to publish his work in Sovremennik, but soon the authorities forbade not only to distribute the novel, but even to imitate it. Permission was granted to publish the work of Chernyshevsky “What is to be done?” only in 1905
Subject
The novel displayed motifs characteristic of Russian literature of the 19th century. The writer realized them in an extraordinary, intricate plot. He gave situations that should push the reader to independent conclusions.
N. Chernyshevsky revealed multiple topics, among which the following stand out: love, which feeds on common interests, mutual respect; dreams of a new life. These topics are closely intertwined and define Problems“What to do?”: marriage without love, friendship, equality of men and women, the role of labor in human life.
A significant part of the novel is devoted to the life of Vera Pavlovna. The mother of the heroine wanted to marry her to a rich man. She considered the master's son to be a profitable party. The mother did not even think that this was a womanizer, with whom her daughter would not find happiness. From an unsuccessful marriage, Verochka was saved by medical student Dmitry Lopukhov. A tender feeling arose between the young people, and they got married. Vera became the owner of a sewing workshop. However, she did not use hired labor. The heroine made the girls who worked for her co-owners, they shared the income equally. In the story about the workshop of Vera Pavlovna, the author embodied the idea of equal work.
The marriage with Lopukhov soon fell apart: Verochka fell in love with her husband's friend, Kirsanov. To untie the love knot, Lopukhov decided to shoot himself. It turns out that he left the note that was discussed at the beginning of the novel. In the message, he stated that no one was to blame for his death, and Vera Pavlovna calmly married Kirsanov.
The married couple lived happily ever after. Vera Pavlovna was passionate about her favorite business - sewing workshops, began to study medicine, and her husband helped her in every possible way. In the descriptions of the family life of these people, the idea of equality between men and women is manifested. At the end of the novel, we learn that Lopukhov is alive. Now he took the name of Beaumont and married Ekaterina Vasilievna Polozova. The Kirsanov and Beumont families begin to make friends and spread the ideas of a “new” life.
Composition
In "What to do?" the analysis should be supplemented with a characterization of the composition. The peculiarities of the formal and semantic organization of the text allow the author to reveal several topics, to disguise forbidden motives. At first glance, love vicissitudes play a major role in the novel. In fact, they are a mask that hides socio-political problems. To reveal the latter, the author used the description of Vera Pavlovna's dreams.
The components of the plot are placed inconsistently: the author presents an event from the development of actions before the exposition, and only then the plot elements line up in a logical chain. Both at the beginning and at the end of the novel, the image of Lopukhov appears. So, a kind of frame is created.
Main characters
Genre
The genre of the work is a novel, as it has several storylines, and the central problem remains open. The work is characterized by genre syncretism: the features of love, philosophical, socio-political novels and utopia are intertwined in it. The direction of the work is realism.
Artwork test
Analysis Rating
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