Brief description of Onegin. Quoted description of Evgeny Onegin (by chapters). Attachment to fashion trends in clothing
One of the most famous works of A. S. Pushkin both in Russia and abroad is his novel in verse “Eugene Onegin”, written between 1823 and 1830 of the 19th century. Much of the novel's enduring popularity is due to its status as an integral part of the compulsory school curriculum. To write a high-quality essay on a work, we advise you to read the novel, perhaps not at first in one gulp, in excerpts, but to use quotes from “Eugene Onegin” to show that you really know the material.
Eugene Onegin
Eugene Onegin. Explanation with Tatyana in the villageThe narration is told on behalf of the friend of the main character of the novel, who is Evgeny Onegin, a native of St. Petersburg, 26 years old:
“...Onegin, my good friend, was born on the banks of the Neva...”
“... having lived without a goal, without work, until the age of twenty-six...”
Onegin was born into a noble family, which gradually went bankrupt due to the fault of the head of the family, who sought to live beyond his means, but provided his son with a decent upbringing, by the standards of that time:
“...His father lived in debt, gave three balls every year, and finally squandered it.”
“... at first Madame followed him, then Monsieur replaced her”
"...fun and luxury child..."
The result of Eugene’s upbringing and training was his knowledge of languages (French, Latin, Greek), history, the foundations of philosophy and economics, rules of good manners, and the ability to dance:
“He could express himself and write in French perfectly, danced the mazurka easily and bowed at ease.”
“...a philosopher at eighteen years old...”
“He knew enough Latin to parse epigraphs, talk about Juvenal, put vale at the end of a letter, and he remembered, although not without sin, two verses from the Aeneid.”
“...he kept in his memory the anecdotes of days gone by from Romulus to the present day”
“...read Adam Smith and was a deep economist...”
Eugene does not like or understand poetry; on occasion, he can easily compose an epigram on the topic of the day:
“...He could not distinguish iambic from trochee, no matter how hard we fought. Scolded Homer, Theocritus..."
“...He had the lucky talent...to arouse ladies’ smiles with the fire of unexpected epigrams.”
Onegin is distinguished by restlessness; in principle, he cannot do anything for a long time:
“... he was sick of persistent work...”
“...He has his hair cut in the latest fashion, like a London dandy is dressed...”
“...In his clothes there was a pedant, and what we called a dandy. He spent at least three hours in front of mirrors..."
All these qualities of a character become the key to a favorable attitude towards him in the light of:
“Onegin was, in the opinion of many... a learned fellow, but a pedant...”
“The world decided that he was smart and very nice”
A life full of entertainment quickly gets boring for the main character; for a while, Eugene’s only passion remains love adventures, but they gradually bore him:
“But what was his true genius, what he knew more firmly than all the sciences, what was for him from childhood and labor, and torment, and joy, what occupied his melancholy laziness all day - was the science of tender passion...”
“...Beauties were not the subject of his habitual thoughts for long, they managed to tire of betrayals...”
“...He no longer fell in love with beauties, but was somehow attracted ...”
“Similar to the English spleen, in short: the Russian melancholy took possession of him little by little...”
Despite the fact that society as a whole is boring to the main character, he takes into account its rules, which ultimately costs Lensky his life, because even realizing the meaninglessness and uselessness of the duel, Onegin cannot refuse it:
“...but wildly secular enmity is afraid of false shame...”
“...but the whispers, the laughter of fools... And here is public opinion! Spring of honor, our idol!
At the time of the story, the young man is the last heir of the family, whose representatives include himself and his uncle:
“...Heir to all his relatives...”
Despite the fact that his father squandered his fortune, the material assets remaining in the family are apparently enough to provide the main character with a comfortable existence without the need to serve or lead a secular lifestyle:
“languishing in idle leisure, without service, without a wife, without business, I did not know how to do anything...”
“...three houses are calling for the evening...”
"...honorary citizen of the scenes..."
Onegin is quite calculating. Having learned about his uncle’s imminent death, Onegin does not feel sympathy for him, but is quite ready to pretend to be so in order to receive an inheritance:
“Having read the sad message, Evgeny immediately galloped headlong to the post office date and was already yawning in advance, preparing himself for the sake of money, for sighs, boredom and deception.”
His behavior in society becomes more and more distant and discourteous:
“...when he wanted to destroy his rivals, how he sarcastically slandered...”
“...to his caustic argument, and to his joke, with bile in half, and the anger of gloomy epigrams...”
“... he pouted and, indignant, vowed to enrage Lensky and take revenge in order...”
Gradually, society’s opinion about Onegin is transformed:
“...a cold and lazy soul...”
“...this gloomy eccentric...”
“...a sad and dangerous eccentric...”
“Our neighbor is ignorant; crazy; he's a pharmacist..."
“He doesn’t suit ladies’ arms...”
He perceives himself as a gloomy and indifferent person, even trying to exaggerate when speaking about his own person:
“...always frowning, silent, angry and coldly jealous! That's how I am"
“...You will start crying: your tears will not touch my heart, but will only enrage it...”
“... No matter how much I love you, once I get used to it, I will immediately stop loving you...”
However, in this image there is a lot of ostentation and panache. Onegin knows how to understand people and appreciate them:
“...even though he knew people, of course, and generally despised them, but (there are no rules without exceptions) he distinguished others very much and respected the feelings of others...”
“... my Eugene, not respecting the heart in him, loved both the spirit of his judgments and his common sense about this and that”
“I would choose another if I were like you, a poet...”
Even his “rebuke” to young Tatyana is caused by his reluctance to cause her even greater suffering than the pain of rejection:
“...but he did not want to deceive the gullibility of an innocent soul...”
He tries to be delicate with her and tries to warn the girl against careless impulses in the future, although a share of panache and narcissism is still present in his words:
“Learn to control yourself; Not everyone will understand you like I do; inexperience leads to disaster..."
In fact, he is quite capable of experiencing compassion and tenderness:
“...her embarrassment and fatigue gave birth to pity in his soul”
“...the gaze of his eyes was wonderfully tender...”
In his relationship with Lensky, realizing that they are too different for true friendship, Onegin for the time being spares the poet’s feelings and does not try to ridicule his enthusiastic ideas about life:
“...He tried to keep the cooling word in his mouth...”
There is nobility and self-esteem in his character, and those around him recognize this:
“...I know: in your heart there is both pride and direct honor”
“How can your heart and mind be a petty slave to feelings?”
“...in that terrible hour you acted nobly...”
“...not for the first time here he showed the soul direct nobility...”
As the work progresses, it becomes obvious that Eugene knows how to love and suffer:
“...Eugene is in love with Tatiana like a child...”
“...Onegin is drying up - and almost suffering from consumption”
“... He drives up every day; he chases after her like a shadow..."
“...but he is stubborn, doesn’t want to fall behind, still hopes, works hard...”
Onegin can be truly strict with himself:
“...alone with my soul I was dissatisfied with myself...”
“...in a strict analysis, calling himself to a secret trial, he accused himself of many things...”
“In the anguish of heart remorse...”
Able to admit his mistakes:
“...how I made a mistake, how I was punished”
Tatyana Larina
Tatyana Larina. Explanation with Onegin in St. Petersburg A girl from a noble family living in the province:
“...in the wilderness of a forgotten village...”
Poor family:
“...we don’t shine with anything...”
“...a simple, Russian family...”
“...oh, my father, I don’t have enough income...”
“Neither her sister’s beauty, nor the freshness of her ruddy complexion would have attracted the eye.”
As a child, she was very different from her peers in behavior:
“Wild, sad, silent, like a timid forest deer, she seemed like a stranger in her own family.”
“She didn’t know how to caress...”
“The child herself, she didn’t want to play and jump in a crowd of children...”
“But even in these years Tatyana did not pick up dolls...”
“And children’s pranks were alien to her...”
In her youth she is dreamy and thoughtful:
“Thoughtfulness, her friend... the flow of rural leisure adorned her with dreams”
“...terrible stories in the winter in the dark of night captivated her heart more...”
“She liked novels early on...”
“She loved to warn the sunrise on the balcony...”
She acutely feels her difference:
“Imagine: I’m here alone, no one understands me...”
The girl is quite smart, although capricious:
“... Alive in mind and will...”
“...And a wayward head...”
Tatyana has very developed intuition, to the point that she has prophetic dreams:
“...suddenly Evgeniy grabs a long knife, and Lensky is instantly defeated...”
Romantic and enthusiastic, she fell in love with Onegin at first sight only because:
“It’s time, she fell in love”
“The soul was waiting for... someone”
Her letter to Eugene is written in French, in a very exalted tone, with pompous “bookish” turns:
“I know you were sent to me by God, you are my keeper until the grave...”
“It’s destined in the highest council... Then it’s the will of heaven: I’m yours...”
“Your wonderful gaze tormented me...”
“Who are you, my guardian angel, or an insidious tempter...”
In fact, she writes not to a living person, but to an invented image, and deep down in her soul she understands this:
“Perhaps this is all empty, a deception of an inexperienced soul!”
“But your honor guarantees me...”
However, one should pay tribute to her courage. She writes, despite the fact that she is endlessly scared:
“I’m frozen with shame and fear...”
Over time, it turns out that the love that Tatyana feels for Evgeniy is not an easy, quickly passing love:
“...Tatiana loves seriously...”
She not only cherishes unhappy love in her soul, but tries to understand Onegin’s character, comes to his abandoned village house, reads his books:
“Is it possible to see the manor’s house?”
“Then I started reading books”
“...their choice seemed strange to her”
“And little by little my Tatyana begins to understand... the one for whom she was condemned to sigh by the imperious fate.”
They woo her, but all the suitors are refused:
“Buyanov wooed: refusal. Ivan Petushkov too. Hussar Pykhtin visited us..."
At the family council, it was decided to go to Moscow, to the “bride fair,” but Tatyana remains indifferent to social life there:
“...Tanya, just like in a dream, hears their speeches without sympathy...”
“...Tatyana looks and doesn’t see, she hates the excitement of the light; she feels stuffy here...
Not everyone thinks she herself is an attractive bride:
“...they find her somewhat strange, provincial and cutesy, and somehow pale and thin, but, by the way, very pretty...”
“A crowd of young men look at Tanya primly and speak unfavorably about her among themselves.”
The girl doesn’t strive for everyone’s attention at all, but she gets noticed:
“Some sad jester finds her ideal...”
“... somehow Vyazemsky sat down with her...”
“...the old man inquires about her, straightening his wig.”
“Meanwhile, some important general keeps his eyes on her.”
She gets married at the insistence of her family, without love, to a man she doesn’t like very much:
"Who? Is this general fat?”
Since her marriage, the social manners of the already reserved Tatyana acquire a shade of even friendliness towards everyone, which is impossible to look behind:
“...She was leisurely, not cold, not talkative...”
“... sweet with carefree charm...”
Not participating in any intrigues, not competing with anyone, Tatyana commands the respect of society, her husband is very proud of her:
“The ladies moved closer to her; the old women smiled at her; the men bowed lower..."
“...and the general who entered with her raised everyone’s nose and shoulders higher...”
In the time that has passed since her first meeting with Onegin, Tatyana has learned, on his advice, to control herself:
“And no matter what troubled her soul, no matter how much she was surprised and amazed, nothing changed her: she retained the same tone, her bow was just as quiet.”
“...she sits calm and free”
Her true feelings will appear only in the final scene, when she, suffering, expresses her painful feelings to Onegin, reproaching him for the past and pointing out to him the real motives of his current feelings for her:
“The princess is in front of him, alone, sitting, not dressed, pale, reading some letter and quietly shedding tears like a river.”
“Why do you have me in mind? Is it not because I must now appear in high society; that I am rich and noble?... Is it because my shame would now be noticed by everyone, and could bring you a tempting honor in society?”
Now she is showing nobility of character. Admitting that she continues to love Onegin, Tatiana reminds both him and herself that she must remain faithful to her husband:
“I love you (why lie?), but I am given to someone else; I will be faithful to him forever"
Vladimir Lensky
Vladimir Lensky A young nobleman, 18 years old, attractive in appearance, rich:
“...Almost eighteen years old...”
“...Handsome, in full bloom...”
“...And shoulder-length black curls...”
“...rich, good-looking...”
Parents died:
“...and there, with the inscription of a sad father and mother, in tears, he honored the patriarchal ashes...”
Philosopher and poet:
“...an admirer of Kant and a poet...”
An enthusiastic nature, even to the point of exaltation, not fully formed:
“...and a mind still unsteady in judgment, and an eternally inspired gaze...”
“...freedom-loving dreams, an ardent and rather strange spirit, always an enthusiastic speech...”
He came from Germany straight to the village, because he does not accept the rules by which high society exists:
“...he brought the fruits of learning from foggy Germany...”
“...I hate your fashionable world, I prefer the home circle...”
Trusting and simple-minded:
“...he innocently exposed his trusting conscience...”
Believes in friendship and loyalty:
“...he believed that his friends were ready to accept his chains for honor...”
“...there are sacred friends chosen by the destinies of people...”
Rural society perceives him as an eligible bachelor:
“...Lensky was accepted everywhere as a groom...”
However, since childhood, Vladimir was engaged to the youngest daughter of the Larins’ neighbors, Olga, and at the time of the story he was in love with her and was going to marry her:
“And the children were destined for crowns by their friends and neighbors, their fathers...”
“...the admirer Olga has arrived...”
“Oh, he loved, as in our years people don’t love anymore...”
“...he believed that his dear soul should unite with him, that, languishing joylessly, she was waiting for him every day...”
“...in two weeks the happy date was appointed”
His love is platonic in nature:
“...he was a dear ignoramus at heart...”
“... in the confusion of tender shame, he only sometimes dares, encouraged by Olga’s smile, to play with his developed curl or kiss the hem of his clothes...”
“... and meanwhile, two, three pages... he skips, blushing...”
After the challenge to a duel, seeing Olga and realizing that she doesn’t even understand what happened, Lensky forgives her and no longer takes revenge on Onegin, but only wants to protect the bride from the corrupting influence:
“...I will be her savior. I will not tolerate the corrupter tempting a young heart with fire and sighs and praises...”
Olga Larina
Vladimir Lensky and Olga Larina Tatiana's younger sister:
“Are you really in love with the smaller one?”
Charming chubby, ruddy blonde with doll-like appearance:
"...full of innocent charm..."
“...flax curls...”
“...Eyes as blue as the sky...”
“She’s round and red in the face...”
“Oh, darling, how prettier Olga’s shoulders are, what a chest!”
According to Onegin, she is beautiful, but absolutely uninteresting:
“Olga has no life in her features. Exactly like Vandice's Madonna"
The younger Larina’s mind is not particularly developed; she is simple-minded, to the point of stupidity:
“...how the life of a poet is simple-minded...”
“Before this clarity of vision, before this tender simplicity, before this playful soul!”
Because of this, the girl cannot appreciate Lensky’s nature and his attitude towards her:
“Vladimir would have written odes, but Olga would not have read them”
Olga is the fiancée of Vladimir Lensky, willingly spends time with him and encourages his advances, but is unlikely to be capable of strong feelings, which she says quite directly
“In her chamber they sit in the dark, the two of them...”
“They are in the garden, hand in hand, walking in the morning...”
“...Encouraged by Olga’s smile...”
“He was loved... or so he thought...”
Vetrena, does not know how to behave in society, compromises both herself and her fiancé by flirting with another:
“...and the blush in her proud face glowed brighter”
“Coquette, flighty child!”
“She knows cunning, she’s already learned to change!”
Sincerely does not understand the problematic situation:
“Olenka jumped from the porch to meet the poor singer, like a windy hope, playful, carefree, cheerful, well, exactly the same as she was.”
“Why did you disappear so early tonight?” There was Olenka’s first question.”
In the farewell scene before the duel, Olga, looking into the face of Lensky, whose heart is breaking with melancholy, simply asks, “What’s the matter with you?” and having received the answer “Yes,” he releases him without further questions.
After the death of the groom in a duel, the girl quickly falls in love with another and marries him:
“She didn’t cry for long...”
“Ulan knew how to captivate her, we love her with our souls...”
Based on the novel in verse by A. S. Pushkin, several films were made, P. I. Tchaikovsky wrote an opera, which is staged on many stages around the world, and a musical was also created. Of course, it is difficult to compare them with the original, but they will also be interesting for getting to know the great work.
The characterization of Eugene Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin” gives reason to consider him a very controversial character. The hero has a soul, but his lifestyle excludes its necessity.
Childhood, education
From childhood, he was handed over to be raised by strangers: nannies, a tutor, he did not know his father's love, his mother's affection. Money and luxury replaced his family. At an early age he was handed over to “Madame”, a little later she was “replaced by Monsieur”. The French tutor taught the boy mediocrely, without rigor or consistency; he pitied the child and spoiled him. The character of Eugene Onegin was formed in such contradictory conditions: a well-fed, luxurious life and the complete absence of relatives. Nothing is known about Eugene’s mother, but his father squandered his entire fortune in favor of social feasts and went bankrupt, leaving his son only debts after his death. Soon a rich relative, Evgeniy’s uncle, dies, and leaves his nephew a good inheritance. From this moment the story begins the plot of the most fateful events in the life of the main character.
Onegin without embellishment
A young nobleman, fashionable, rich, smart, he stopped feeling the taste of life, lost interest in everything, “feelings cooled down.”
The author describes Onegin's daily worries carefully, in detail, so that the reader can imagine how his spiritual numbness occurs. Every day is similar to the previous one: luxury, receptions, dancing, wine, sleeping until noon. The lack of need to conduct business and engage in education leads to the fact that laziness becomes Onegin’s way of life. He gathers for hours in front of the mirror, despises those around him, does not appreciate the life that is given to him: free, well-fed, comfortable. In society he is considered “smart and nice,” despite his superficial knowledge and outright laziness. For fun, Eugene learned to portray feelings, drive young ladies crazy, seduce beauties - he is a “genius of the science of tender passion,” the hero has mastered this art to perfection. A fairly typical character of that era in Pushkin turned into a completely unique image.
Naturally, neither in his youth, nor in his more mature age, Evgeniy did not see himself as a father and husband, realizing that any woman next to him would be unhappy. His cold mind and, to some extent, brutal honesty still do the hero credit: responding to Tatyana’s confession, he very correctly describes their expected future; this stern wisdom of Onegin saved the girl from a big mistake.
Incapable of serious, deep feelings, Evgeniy was a loner, in a sense a strange person. Only Lensky maintained the spark of love of life, humanity, and spirituality in his soul. Evgeniy treated him condescendingly, respecting him for his education, activity, and liveliness of mind. Friendship did not stop Onegin from playing a joke on his comrade and becoming the culprit of the duel in which Lensky died. This incident can characterize Evgeniy more eloquently than any words - he is a soulless, cold, arrogant type who does not respect other people's feelings and does not value true friendship.
Spiritual revival of Onegin
Life decreed in such a way that Evgeniy left his uncle’s estate, disappeared for some time and stopped appearing in society. Having returned to his hometown after some time, one day in the theater he meets the girl whom he so coldly rejected many years ago. Tatyana became even more beautiful, luxury and social life changed her. Onegin falls in love, his soul turns out to be capable of high feelings. The hero suffers, languishes, turns into someone whom he once quietly despised. The author skillfully constructed the scene of Onegin’s explanations with Tatyana: the girl, with dignity and just as coldly as he once did, denies him her affection. The only difference is that she admits that she still loves Eugene: “but I was given to someone else... and I will be faithful to him forever.” It is this sincerity and directness, as well as an unshakable sense of self-worth, that finally breaks the hero’s heart.
The main character of the novel is the young landowner Evgeny Onegin, a man with a complex, contradictory character. The upbringing that Onegin received was disastrous. He grew up without a mother. The father, a frivolous St. Petersburg gentleman, did not pay attention to his son, entrusting him to “poor” tutors. As a result of this, Onegin grew up to be an egoist, a person who cares only about himself, about his desires and who does not know how to pay attention to the feelings, interests, and suffering of other people. He is capable of offending, offending a person without even noticing it. Everything beautiful that was in the young man’s soul remained undeveloped. Onegin's life is boredom and laziness, monotonous satisfaction in the absence of real, living work.
The image of Onegin is not invented. In it, the poet summarized the features typical of young people of that time. These are people who are provided for through work and serfs who received a disorderly upbringing. But unlike most representatives of the ruling class, these young men are smarter, more sensitive, more conscientious, more noble. They are dissatisfied with themselves, their environment, and the social order.
In his views and requirements for life, Onegin is superior not only to his rural landowner neighbors, but also to representatives of St. Petersburg high society. Having met Lensky, who received a higher education at the best university in Germany, Onegin could argue with him on any topic, as with an equal. Friendship with Lensky reveals in Onegin’s soul the possibilities of faithful, friendly relationships between people hidden behind a mask of cold egoism and indifference.
Seeing Tatyana for the first time, without even talking to her, without hearing her voice, he immediately felt the poetry of this girl’s soul. In his attitude towards Tatyana, as well as towards Lensky, such a trait as goodwill was revealed. Under the influence of the events depicted in the novel, an evolution takes place in Eugene’s soul, and in the last chapter of the novel, Onegin is no longer the same as we saw him before. He fell in love with Tatiana. But his love does not bring happiness, neither to him nor to her.
In the novel “Eugene Onegin,” Pushkin portrayed a frivolous young man who, even in love, cannot give himself advice. Running away from the world, Onegin could not escape from himself. By the time he realized this, it was already too late. Tatyana doesn't believe him now. And this opens Onegin’s eyes to himself, but nothing can change.
The image of Lensky in the novel "Eugene Onegin"
Another path followed by the noble intelligentsia of the 20s of the 19th century is revealed in the image of Lensky. This is the path of fascination with philosophical teachings that were fashionable at that time and dreamy romantic poetry, divorced from life:
Lenskoye has many excellent qualities. Pushkin points to Lensky’s inherent “noble aspirations and feelings and thoughts of the young, tall, gentle, daring,” “thirst for knowledge and labor and fear of vice and shame.”
But Lensky lacks knowledge and understanding of reality. “A dear ignoramus at heart,” he perceives people and life as a romantic dreamer. Like Onegin, the society of the provincial nobility with its narrow interests is alien to him, but he idealizes Olga, an ordinary girl. Lack of understanding of people, enthusiastic daydreaming lead Lensky to a tragic end at his first encounter with reality.
Lensky is an educated, cultured person. His conversations with Onegin touch on philosophical, social, and scientific issues. Pushkin notes his “freedom-loving dreams.” Lensky is a poet, a sentimental romantic. In stanza X of the second chapter, Pushkin lists the main motives of Lensky’s poetry, and in stanzas XXI and XXII of the sixth chapter he cites his elegy as an example of romantic poetry.
The motives that Pushkin notes in Lensky’s poetry are close to Zhukovsky and other sentimental romantic poets of that time. The motifs of “love, sadness, separation”, a mysterious “something”, glorification of the “faded color of life”, “foggy distance” and “romantic roses” are typical of Zhukovsky’s poetry.
Romantics like Lensky cannot withstand the blows of life: they either reconcile themselves with the reigning way of life, or die at the first collision with reality. Lensky died. But if he had remained alive, he most likely would have turned into an ordinary landowner. He would hardly have become a major poet: Lensky’s “languid and sluggish” poetry did not promise this.
Tatiana is the embodiment of everything Russian and national. This is a discreet and pure, but deep nature. She is not like all the secular girls. Her characterization is given as if from the opposite, Pushkin says what is not in her - there is no coquetry, affectation, or insincerity in her. Pushkin explains how such two dissimilar sisters were born in the same family. It turns out that Tatyana has been different from her peers since childhood. She preferred solitude to games, reading to dolls, and she also amazingly feels and understands nature. This sensitivity makes Tatyana closer to the common people than to secular society. The basis of her world is folk culture. The episode with Tatiana's fortune telling and dream shows how much is intuitive in her. At the same time, Tatyana is somewhat similar to Onegin - the desire for loneliness, the desire to understand herself and understand life. But she also has Lensky’s traits - belief in ideal happiness, love, creating a sweet image.
The central character of "Eugene Onegin", a novel in verse, after which the work is named, is a native of St. Petersburg, a young nobleman, spoiled by social evenings and receptions. He is single and is capable of making a worthy match for any of the “elite” brides. Evgeniy’s manners are not just good, they are polished to shine. And it costs him nothing to turn the head of even the most selective lady.
Onegin is handsome, courteous, educated, dressed in the latest fashion and carefully monitors his appearance. Despite the fact that the hero has lived in the world for a little more than a quarter of a century and is constantly among noisy friends, his existence is poisoned by a depressive state. This “noble” blues is associated with the uncertainty in which Eugene lives. He gravitates toward a free, unencumbered life, but among the idle crowd he feels lonely. Pushkin’s hero does not yet know what he would like to devote his life to. Inconstancy in relationships, parties, small talk, where the hero has no equal, he was pretty tired of. But in order to devote himself to hard work, Onegin is too lazy. Perhaps this is how the “crisis of 30 years” crept up on the young master.
Finding himself at a crossroads, he comes to the deep province to take over the inheritance left to him by his dying uncle. Evgeniy stops at a new estate. And from the leisurely village life he begins to feel even more depressed. In order to somehow unwind, he makes friends with his neighbor, local romantic and poet Vladimir Lensky, who introduces him to the Larin family. Lensky wooes their youngest daughter Olga. Onegin immediately notes that her older sister is much more interesting. Tatyana falls in love with the city guest literally from the first minutes of their acquaintance. Brought up on French novels, the girl writes a letter to the chosen one of her heart in French, where she confesses her love to him. But Evgeny rejects the girl’s ardor, since he understands that a party like Tatyana Larina was created exclusively for married relationships. The hero is not ready to get married yet.
Some time later, Lensky brings Onegin to a party at the Larins’ house. Tatiana's name day is being celebrated. Evgeniy becomes bored, he gets angry with his young friend and, for the sake of “humorous” revenge, dances and flirts with his fiancee. Out of jealousy, Lensky challenges the city slicker to a duel. The joke turns into tragedy - the young poet dies during a duel. Onegin leaves the village and goes on a long journey.
Returning to St. Petersburg two years later, the hero meets Tatyana, now a married lady, at a ball. Continuing to love him, the girl agreed to marry a rich man, Prince N. Now she is cold and unapproachable to Onegin. Seeing her differently, Evgeniy realizes that he is in love. He writes and gives letters to Tatyana, but receives no answers. Having achieved a personal meeting, Onegin passionately confesses his love. But the “new” Tatyana firmly refuses him, explaining that he was late, and she will never break her oath of fidelity to her husband. The hero is left alone and hears the steps of Prince N approaching.
Onegin Quotes
We all learned a little bit
Something and somehow
So upbringing, thank God,
It's no wonder to shine here...
You can be a smart person
And think about the beauty of your nails...
He who lived and thought cannot
Don't despise people in your heart...
The less we love a woman,
The easier it is for her to like us
And the more likely we destroy her
Among seductive networks...
But pathetic is the one who foresees everything,
Whose head isn't spinning...
Dashing fashion, our tyrant,
The disease of the newest Russians...
And here is public opinion!
Spring of honor, our idol!
And this is what the world revolves on!...
Moscow... so much in this sound
For the Russian heart it has merged!
How much resonated in him!...
Talking too much
We are happy to accept...
Blessed is he who was young from his youth,
Blessed is he who matures in time...
Give me the forbidden fruit,
And without that, heaven is not heaven for you...
Love for all ages...
I thought: freedom and peace
Substitute for happiness.
My God! How wrong I was...
The character of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin” became the subject of scientific debate and research immediately after the publication of the work. To this day, Pushkin scholars cannot come to unambiguous conclusions. Who was Eugene - a lonely lost soul, an extra person, or a carefree prisoner of his own idle thoughts. His actions are contradictory, his thoughts are shrouded in the haze of “worldly sorrow.” Who is he?
Hero prototype
In the novel "Eugene Onegin", a brief summary of which is provided against the backdrop of the development of the hero's image, is the property of many literary scholars and Pushkin scholars. We will show you the development of the hero's character against the background of the events of the novel.
Pushkin was not only a brilliant poet, but also a subtle psychologist. The writer devoted seven years to his only novel, writing and editing it. This work marked Pushkin's transition from romanticism to realism. The novel in verse was planned to be a completely realistic work, but the influence of romanticism is still very strong and noticeable, which is not surprising considering that the idea arose after reading Byron’s “Don Juan.”
The character of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin” is the result of the poet’s creative quest. It cannot be said that the main character had his own clear prototype. The role of the prototype was assigned to Chaadaev and Griboyedov, Pushkin himself and his opponent Pyotr Katenin, with whom the poet exchanged veiled barbs in his works. However, Pushkin himself repeatedly said that Evgeny is a collective image of noble youth.
What was the character of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin”?
In the first lines of the novel we see a young man spoiled by the wealthy life of the nobility. He is handsome and not deprived of the attention of women. Therefore, the reader is not at all surprised by the title key line of Tatyana’s love for Onegin, and then Onegin’s unrequited love for Tatyana.
Throughout the novel, the character of the hero undergoes serious changes, which we will discuss in the following sections of the article. At first glance at him, one gets the impression that strong feelings are inaccessible to him; he is so fed up with the attention of the fair sex that he considers himself entitled to give advice. “The less we love a woman, the more she likes us” has become an aphorism. But in the novel, Onegin himself falls into his own trap.
Characteristics of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin”, chapter 1
The work was called “an encyclopedia of Russian life.” It describes in great detail the balls and outfits of ladies and gentlemen, dishes and cutlery, interiors and architecture of buildings. But most of all the author’s attention is directed to the atmosphere in which the poet himself lived and in which his heroes live.
The first chapter of the novel is dedicated to Eugene. On behalf of the narrator, we learn that the hero is saddened by a letter about his uncle's illness. He is forced to go to him, but Onegin has no desire to do this. Here we see the hero somewhat indifferent. Having learned about the illness and imminent death of a relative, he would grieve and sympathize, but Evgeniy only cares about his own comfort and unwillingness to leave social life.
Image of Onegin
The characterization of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin” is quite deep. It begins with a description of the origin of the character, from which we learn that he is a nobleman, born in St. Petersburg. His father “finally squandered himself” on balls and gambling debts.
Eugene's upbringing was carried out by hired teachers - tutors, who did not care at all about the fruits of their studies. The author says that in his time almost all noble children received such an education.
Moral principles that were not instilled in time did their job: young Onegin became a thief of women's hearts. The attention of the ladies disgusted him, pushing him to “exploits of love.” Soon this way of life led him to satiety and boredom, disappointment and melancholy.
The characterization of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin,” a brief description of which we see in the first chapter, gains momentum as the plot develops. The author does not justify the actions of his hero, but the realistic border of the novel shows us that he simply cannot be different. The environment in which he grew up could not have brought any other fruit.
Development of Evgeniy's characteristics
The characterization of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin,” chapter by chapter, shows us completely opposite sides of the character’s personality. In the first chapter we see a young, headstrong rake, balls and the conquest of beautiful girls, clothes and self-care are his main concerns.
In the second chapter, Eugene is the young heir of his deceased uncle. He is still the same eccentric rake, but his behavior with the serfs tells the reader that he is capable of sympathy and understanding. Onegin relieves the peasants of an unaffordable tax, which displeases his neighbors. However, he simply ignores them. For this, he is considered an eccentric and an “ignorant”; his image is surrounded by rumors and speculation.
Friendship with Lensky
A new neighbor, Vladimir Lensky, settles next to Evgeniy. He had just arrived from Germany, where the world of romanticism and poetry captivated and enchanted him. At first the heroes do not find a common language; they are very different. But soon friendly relations begin between them.
The young poet Lensky, with his communication, temporarily relieves Evgeny of the insane boredom that overcomes him here too. He is interested in the poet, but in many ways he does not understand his romantic impulses.
The characterization of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin”, thanks to the image of Lensky, quickly introduces the reader to the dark shades of the hero’s soul. The spirit of competition and superiority throws Onegin at In the fifth chapter, the Larins have a feast on Tatyana's birthday. Frustrated by the boredom and hubbub, Evgeniy begins to flirt with Olga, Lensky’s fiancée. He does this to anger Vladimir, and does not expect a challenge from him to a duel. In this duel, he kills his friend and leaves the village. The poet does not say whether he grieves for his friend who died at his hand.
Evgeniy and Tatiana
In the third chapter of the novel, Evgeny appears in the Larins' house. Tatyana falls into the power partly of her girlish dreams, partly of the hero’s charm. She puts her feelings into the letter. But there is no answer to it. At the beginning of the fourth chapter, the heroes meet, and Onegin coldly tells Tatyana that if he wanted a quiet family life, he would not need anyone except Tatyana. However, now the family is not part of his plans, and marriage will only bring disappointment and pain to both. He takes on the role of a noble mentor and advises the girl to be careful with her impulses, because “not everyone will understand you, as I do.”
The characterization of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin”, a brief summary of which we are telling, is inseparable from the image of the main character. It is revealed precisely thanks to the love line. Tatyana is inconsolable in her non-reciprocal love, Evgeniy’s coldness wounds her to the very heart, deprives her of sleep and peace, and plunges her into half-nightmarish, half-visionary dreams.
Second meeting with Tatyana
When Evgeny meets a girl who was once in love with him in St. Petersburg, this becomes the climax of the novel.
The character of Onegin in the novel “Eugene Onegin” undergoes completely unexpected changes. The hero falls in love for the first time in his life. And so much so that he is ready for any extravagance just to win the girl he once pushed away.
He writes a letter to her, where he confesses his feelings, but does not receive an answer to it.
The answer will later be a conversation with Tatyana, where she admits that she also loves him, but loyalty to her husband, honor and responsibility do not allow her to reciprocate his feelings. The novel ends at this dialogue, the poet leaves Evgeniy to reap the fruits of his madness in Tatiana’s bedroom.