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Break the author. Ivan Goncharov "break". Other retellings and reviews for the reader's diary

"Cliff" is the author's creative growth, his smooth entry into the genre of psychological realism. It is curious that Goncharov prefers to express the conflict posed in the work through a deep and detailed depiction of the hero's inner world. External events serve as a kind of frame for the internal storm that is going on in the soul of the hero.

Analysis of the work

Introduction. General characteristics of the novel, the main idea.

At the heart of the idea, Goncharov lays the deepest conflict between the old and the new way of life in society. The personality of a person is held hostage by public opinion and imposed stereotypes, but at the same time, he desperately seeks to break the boundaries of what is permitted, since a truly great personality and a deeply thinking person are incredibly close to being within these limits. Each hero has his own truth and his own limits of what is permitted, so Goncharov shows the inner level of development of the hero, the degree of his spiritual maturity and readiness to move forward, in step with the changing times.

The policy of double standards in society terribly annoyed Goncharov all his life, and in this novel, more than ever, he expressed his deepest sense of contempt for this faint-hearted phenomenon. Almost all the heroes of the novel, whom others consider to be respectable and sinless people, in fact turn out to be much worse than those whom they themselves constantly condemn. So Tychkov, known for all his thoughtful sayings and constant reading of morality, closed his niece in a madhouse and deceived her estate.

The history of the creation of the work

For the first time, the idea of ​​creating a novel came to Goncharov in 1849, but only 20 years later he was able to bring it to life. He could not decide what his new creation would be called: "Artist", "Paradise Artist", "Paradise", "Faith", but in the end he refused each option. In parallel, he is working on "Oblomov", constantly, then interrupted, then again starts writing. So in 1869, on the pages of the journal Vestnik, the novel was published under the title The Precipice.

Images of the main characters

Raisky is an exalted person, with a fine mental organization, endowed with all sorts of talents and no less laziness. His favorite pastime is to while away the time watching, he loves to contemplate everything that surrounds him, especially admiring the beauty of the female body and face. He loves to act and strive much less than to think about lofty matters. He cannot complete anything, he does not succeed anywhere. In general, it is worth noting that Raisky is a direct development of the images of Oblomov and Aduev Jr., which appeared in the rest of the Goncharov trilogy. Raisky is another typical representative of the superfluous person in Russian literature.

Its prototype is Mark Volokhov, a young man full of revolutionary ideas with burning eyes. Despite many positive human qualities, Goncharov condemns Mark and people like him. He was afraid of such nihilists, selflessly devoted to their ideas, not respecting the traditions and boundaries of other people's opinions and personal space. Volokhov is a united image of all the youth of the 60s, as the author saw it.

Grandmother, as everyone calls the heroine Berezhkov, is a typical representation of the old class, conservative and patriarchal Russia. She is a surprisingly harmonious person, knowing exactly what she wants from life. It combines the noble pride inherent in her family, some despotism, and a sense of deep respect for the opinions of other people. While she is overly strict towards others, demanding unquestioning compliance with all rules and norms, she literally idolizes her granddaughters, loves them tenderly and tenderly. Goncharov clearly identifies the image of the grandmother with the image of the old patriarchal Russia, which has already become obsolete.

Vera has a rather complex personality type, Raisky says of her that she is a "mystery". She does not share the views of her grandmother, having her own opinion on everything around. She is passionate about reading, over time developing for herself an unattainable and not fully understandable ideal of life for herself. It is not surprising that she is so quickly carried away by the bold ideas of Mark, his contempt for ideals and trampling on all sorts of values ​​​​of the existing way of life. It is a pity that Mark cannot appreciate her love and does not meet her high moral requirements. Faith is left to endure only bitter disappointment. She is disappointed in her former views, and in the end she even seems to come to terms with the existing system and the reality surrounding her, recognizes it, although not ideal, but true.

Features of the plot and composition

The plot is based on the search for materials for a novel written by Raisky. It is dedicated to women, whom he sings like an artist, bowing before their unearthly beauty. However, he fails to complete any of the plots to the end, the women one after another reject him and he switches his attention to a new object. The story is constantly interrupted in the middle and the whole work does not work like that. In this regard, the reader begins to understand the meaning inherent in the title of the novel "Cliff".

The novel is divided into 5 parts, starting from part 3, we can see the emerging conflict, while the first two are an epilogue, anticipating the main events. The fourth part is the apotheosis and climax, we see the fall of the Faith. The fifth part symbolizes her spiritual rebirth and the denouement of the plot. Goncharov creates an artificial ending, it is not closed from an ideological point of view. The fate of Raisky and Vera remains uncertain.

Conclusion

The novel is an integral part of the trilogy, revealing a single problem of the unsettled way of life in Russia, the collapse of old ideals and the absence of new ones, undecided in their views and unsettled in life youth. "Cliff" is a major work over which Goncharov pondered for 20 years. He very clearly managed to show the socio-political situation of that time and to identify the social problems that were acute for society. He appeals to the consciousness and feelings of the reader, helping to rethink his own life.

Boris Pavlovich Raisky occupies the main role in the novel by Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov. He lives a quiet and trouble-free life. On the one hand, it does everything and then nothing. He is trying to find himself in art, wanting to be an artist, a poet, and a sculptor. But due to his intolerance and lack of desire to work and work, he fails to succeed, not in one area.

Then Boris decides to take a breath and relax in his country estate in Malinovka, which is looked after by his relative Tatyana Markovna. She lives there with her two grandnieces Vera and Marfenka, who are left without parents.

Boris immediately becomes interested in Marfenka, tells her about art, trying to instill beauty in her. But Vera, who was visiting her friend, returns to the estate, and immediately turns Raisky's attention to herself. But unfortunately for Boris, he learns that the girl is attracted to a very difficult guy, who is also under the control of the police. Raisky catches the lovers in him, a strong disgust for Vera immediately wakes up. And the girl herself is very worried, and very sick because of what happened.

After Tatyana Markovna finds out what happened to Vera, she becomes very upset and blames herself for this. Tatyana Markovna says that in her youth she also committed a very deplorable offense thanks to which she still has to repent.

Boris, on the other hand, is seized by the feeling that he has finally found his way and he decides to go to Europe for his dream. Marfenka, on the other hand, marries her neighbor Vikenty and lives a calm and carefree life. Faith remains with Tatyana Markovna, and both of them together try to come to the atonement for their sins. As a result, the essence of the novel remains that you should not look for your break in life, but rather go the right and conscientious way, working on yourself and your ideals.

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Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov

Part one

Two gentlemen were sitting in a carelessly furnished apartment in Petersburg, on one of the big streets. One was about thirty-five and the other about forty-five.

The first was Boris Pavlovich Raysky, the second - Ivan Ivanovich Ayanov.

Boris Pavlovich had a lively, extremely mobile physiognomy. At first glance, he seemed younger than his years: his large white forehead shone with freshness, his eyes changed, now lit up with thought, feeling, gaiety, now thought dreamily, and then seemed young, almost youthful. Sometimes they looked mature, tired, bored and denounced the age of their master. Even two or three slight wrinkles gathered around the eyes, those indelible signs of time and experience. Smooth black hair fell on the back of the head and on the ears, and a few white hairs silvered at the temples. The cheeks, as well as the forehead, near the eyes and mouth, still retained their youthful colors, but at the temples and near the chin the color was yellowish-swarthy.

In general, it was easy to guess from the face that period of life when the struggle between youth and maturity had already taken place, when a person passed on to the second half of life, when every experience, feeling, illness lived left a trace. Only his mouth retained, in the elusive play of thin lips and in a smile, a young, fresh, sometimes almost childish expression.

Raisky was dressed in a homely gray overcoat, sitting with his feet on the sofa.

Ivan Ivanovich, on the contrary, was in a black tailcoat. White gloves and a hat lay beside him on the table. His face was distinguished by calmness, or rather indifferent expectation of everything that might happen around him.

An intelligent look, intelligent lips, a swarthy yellowish complexion, beautifully cut, with strong gray hair, hair on his head and sideburns, moderate movements, restrained speech and impeccable costume - this is his outdoor portrait.

On his face one could read the calm self-confidence and understanding of others, looking out of his eyes. “A man has lived, knows life and people,” the observer will say about him, and if he does not classify him as special, higher natures, then even less so as naive natures.

He was a representative of the majority of the natives of the universal St. Petersburg and at the same time what is called a secular person. He belonged to St. Petersburg and the world, and it would be difficult to imagine him anywhere in another city, except for St. Petersburg, and in another sphere, except for the world, that is, the well-known upper stratum of the St. Petersburg population; although he has both a service and his own affairs, you most often meet him in most of the living rooms, in the morning - with visits, at dinners, in the evenings: at the latter he is always at cards. He is so-so: no character, no spinelessness, no knowledge, no ignorance, no conviction, no skepticism.

Ignorance or lack of conviction is clothed in him in the form of some kind of light, superficial all-denial: he treated everything casually, sincerely not bowing to anything, not deeply believing in anything and not particularly addicted to anything. A little mocking, skeptical, indifferent and equal in relations with everyone, not giving anyone permanent and deep friendship, but also not pursuing anyone with persistent enmity.

He was born, studied, grew up and lived to old age in St. Petersburg, without leaving Lakhta and Oranienbaum on one side, Toksovo and Srednyaya Rogatka on the other. From this he reflected, like the sun in a drop, the whole Petersburg world, all Petersburg practicality, customs, tone, nature, service - this second Petersburg nature, and nothing more.

He had no outlook on any other life, no concepts, except those given by his own and foreign newspapers. St. Petersburg passions, St. Petersburg glance, St. Petersburg annual routine of vices and virtues, thoughts, deeds, politics, and even, perhaps, poetry - this is where his life revolved, and he did not break from this circle, finding in it full satisfaction to his nature.

He watched with indifference for forty years in a row, as every spring packed steamships sailed abroad, stagecoaches, later wagons, went into Russia; how crowds of people "with a naive mood" moved to breathe different air, freshen up, look for impressions and entertainment.

He never felt such a need, and he did not recognize it in others either, but looked at them, at these others, calmly, indifferently, with a very decent expression on his face and a look that said: “Let them be for myself, but I won’t go ".

He spoke simply, freely moving from subject to subject, always knew about everything that was happening in the world, in society and in the city; he followed the details of the war, if there was a war, learned with indifference about a change in the British or French ministry, read the last speech in parliament and in the French Chamber of Deputies, always knew about a new play and about who was stabbed to death at night on the Vyborg side. He knew the genealogy, the state of affairs and estates, and the scandalous chronicle of every large house in the capital; he knew at every moment what was going on in the administration, about changes, promotions, awards - he knew the gossip of the city - in a word, he knew his world well.

His mornings were spent wandering around the world, that is, around the living rooms, partly for business and service, he often began the evening with a performance, and always ended with cards in the English Club or with acquaintances, and everyone was familiar to him.

He played cards without error and had a reputation as a pleasant player, because he was indulgent towards the mistakes of others, never got angry, but looked at a mistake with the same decency as at a great move. Then he played both big and small, and with big players, and with capricious ladies.

He went through military service well, having rubbed his webbing for about fifteen years in the offices, in the positions of an executor of other people's projects. He subtly guessed the boss's thought, shared his view of the matter and deftly set out various projects on paper. The boss changed, and with him both the look and the project: Ayanov worked just as smartly and deftly with the new boss, on a new project - and all the ministers under whom he served liked his memos.

Now he was with one of them on special assignments. In the mornings he came to his office, then to his wife in the living room, and actually carried out some of her instructions, and in the evenings on the appointed days he would certainly make up a party with whom they would ask. He had a fairly large rank and salary - and no business.

If it is allowed to penetrate into someone else's soul, then in the soul of Ivan Ivanovich there was no darkness, no secrets, nothing mysterious ahead, and the Macbeth witches themselves would have found it difficult to seduce him with some more brilliant lot or take away from him the one to which he marched so consciously. and worthy. To rise from civilian to actual civilian, and in the end, for long-term and useful service and "vigilant labors", both in service and in cards, to privy councilors and anchor in the port, in some imperishable commission or committee , with the preservation of salaries - and there, worry yourself the human ocean, the century changes, fly into the abyss the fate of peoples, kingdoms - everything will fly past him until an apoplectic or other blow stops the course of his life.

The novel was first published in the Vestnik Evropy magazine in 1869. It was conceived in 1849 under the title The Artist. The work went in parallel with work on Oblomov. She was stopped during Goncharov's round-the-world trip. In 1858, the writer again turned to the idea of ​​the novel. Some excerpts have been published. The name of the novel changed along with the idea: "Artist", "Paradise Artist", "Paradise", "Faith" and "Cliff".

Literary direction

From the anti-romantic realism of the 1940s in Ordinary History, Goncharov moved on to psychological realism in Oblomov and The Cliff. All conflicts are revealed through the image of the inner world of the individual. External everyday events are just a frame for depicting tragic or dramatic experiences. This is how Raisky himself describes the idea of ​​his novel: the city is a frame for describing Marfinka, and only passion is missing.

Genre

"Cliff" is a psychological novel that describes the inner world and its changes under the influence of current events and against the background of external circumstances. Raisky is changing, but the main features of his personality: admiration for beauty, talent, inconstancy, laziness - remain the same. Heroes change the more the greater the tragedy or drama they experienced (Vera, grandmother).

Issues and conflict

The main conflict of the novel is the conflict of the old with the new. Heroes are forced to reckon with the traditions of antiquity, with what people say. Meanwhile, the greatness of the individual is manifested precisely in the violation of generally accepted traditions for the sake of "common sense". For each, the internal rules (morality) dictate different things, in contrast to the external rules (morality). For Raysky, love for a noblewoman is connected primarily with marriage, Mark does not want to get married for anything, because this is a restriction of his freedom. Marfinka considers it a sin that Vikentiev declared his love to her without first asking permission from her grandmother, for Vera a sin is a love relationship outside of marriage. And for Marina or Ulyana, love justifies adultery.

Goncharov is outraged by the double public morality. Chairman Tychkov is a well-known moralizer, but the whole society knows that he took away the estate from his niece and put her in a madhouse. Grandmother finds the strength to forgive the fall of Vera, not least because she herself experienced a similar drama in her youth. Society, even her own grandchildren, consider her a model of integrity, a saint. An interesting image of the widow Kritskaya, who in words seems to be cheeky and lascivious, but in fact is chaste. Public morality does not blame her for talking.

The problematic of the novel is connected with changes in the private and public life of Russia. Landowners manage their estates in different ways. Raisky wants to let all the peasants go, does not care about the economy. Grandma rules the old fashioned way.

Main characters

Goncharov admitted that there are three main characters in the novel - Raisky, grandmother and Vera. As the action progresses, the focus shifts from Paradise to Grandma and Vera in the last two parts.

Raisky is a person endowed with excellent spiritual qualities, talented, but lazy. Most of all, he appreciates beauty, especially female, observes life in all its manifestations. The image of Raisky develops the images of the main characters of the two previous novels - Aduev Jr. and Oblomov.

His antipode is Mark Volokhov. This is a young man under police supervision, distributing forbidden literature to young people, breaking the law and protesting against traditional morality. He is the representative of the "new people", the nihilists. Goncharov was accused of tendentiousness, the hero turned out to be very unsympathetic, it is not even clear (to Raisky and the reader) why Vera fell in love with him.

The landowner Ivan Ivanovich Tushin is a harmonious person. He is a continuation of the ideas of Aduev Sr. from Ordinary History and Stolz from Oblomov. Tushin is a man of action, while he has a noble heart. His marriage to Vera is the way out and the way for her.

Female images are the main achievement of Goncharov. Vera had a prototype - E. Maykova, who was carried away by the ideas of "new people" and left her husband. Goncharov, like Raisky, tried to influence her. He endowed his heroine Vera with high moral qualities that did not allow her to commit a rash act.

Grandmother Tatyana Markovna is the keeper of the Paradise estate and all the traditions of antiquity. On the one hand, she does not allow a departure from the way of her ancestors even in everyday life (matchmaking, a traditional bonnet with guests), on the other hand, the grandmother, who experienced a love drama in her youth, understands and forgives Vera's mistakes.

Marfinka is a happy child under the protection of her grandmother. She has no doubt that it is necessary to live according to the traditions of antiquity, and is happy with this way of life.

Style, plot and composition

The plot of the novel is built around Raisky's search for material for his novel. This is the novel that he writes, and novels with different women. The passion of Paradise fades away as soon as the woman rejects him. Raisky's literary novel is also dedicated to women, whose beauty the artist bows to. He abandons each plot at the moment when he switches to a new object of passion, so the whole story never comes out. All of Raisky's works are imperfect or incomplete. The cliff is the most important symbol of the novel.

The novel consists of 5 parts. The first part tells about the personality of Raisky. Time in this part flows slowly, it plays the role of an extended epilogue with a flashback (narration about studying at the gymnasium and university, the first visit to Malinovka).

The second part describes Raisky's life in Malinovka, his infatuation with both sisters in turn. There are many intertwining storylines in the novel, but they are all united by the theme of love or family relationships. The narrative of this part is slow.

In the third part, conflicts are outlined: the grandmother kicks out Tychkov, with whom she was friends for 40 years, Raisky is jealous of Vera for the author of the letter, enters into a love affair with Kozlov's wife. The part ends with the fact that the reader (but not Raisky) finds out that Vera loves Mark.

From this moment on, events begin to develop rapidly. The fourth part is a story about the fall of the Faith, which is the culmination of the main storyline, and the fifth part is about her repentance and a kind of spiritual rebirth. In this part, a special role is played by the grandmother, who has forgiven everything and is ready to reveal her secret.

The day in St. Petersburg is drawing to a close, and the “secular people”, accustomed to spending evenings visiting each other for cards, begin to prepare for their next visits. Two friends, Ivan Ayanov and Boris Raisky, also plan to spend the upcoming evening at the Pakhotins, where, in addition to the owner himself, his unmarried sisters live, as well as his daughter Sophia, an attractive widow, who interests Raisky most of all.

At the same time, Ivan Ayanov is not used to burdening himself with special thoughts, for him everything is usually simple, and he pays visits only for the sake of an extra game of cards. But for Boris Pavlovich Raisky, the situation is completely different, he seeks to captivate and stir up Sophia, who is his distant relative, wanting to make a real, living woman with feelings and passions out of the “ice statue”.

Raisky himself has many hobbies, he does a little painting and music, he also tries himself in literary work, and he really puts his whole soul into his studies. But this is not enough for Boris, he strives to ensure that life around him is in full swing in the same way, in which he dreams of actively participating. However, he is already over 30 years old, but Raisky has not yet managed to create, sow, or reap anything, he just continues to make plans for the future. Arriving in the capital from the estate of his parents, Boris Pavlovich studied various activities, but he could not see his true calling in anything, concluding only that art was still in the first place for him.

In a state of complete uncertainty about the future and his own place in life, Raisky goes for the summer to the estate, which is managed by Boris' great-aunt Tatiana Markovna Berezhkova. Once in her youth, she failed to marry her lover Titus Vatutin, and Tatyana Markovna was left alone. Tit Nikonovich also did not marry a single woman and continues to visit his old friend, constantly bringing gifts to her and the orphan girls who are in her upbringing, Marfenka and Verochka.

Upon arrival in Malinovka, as Raisky's property is called, Boris feels that he is in a real blessed place, everything here really pleases him. The local residents are only afraid of the nearby cliff, according to one of the legends, it was at its bottom that a terrible tragedy once occurred.

Tatyana Markovna greets her grandson very kindly, she tries to teach him the basics of housekeeping, but Raisky remains completely indifferent to these issues. The people with whom his grandmother wants to introduce him also do not arouse Boris Pavlovich's interest, because they in no way correspond to his poetic and idealized ideas about life.

At the end of the holidays, the young man returns to St. Petersburg again and begins his studies. At the university, he makes a new friend, a certain Leonty Kozlov, a timid young man from a poor family. Between them, it would seem, there is nothing in common, but the students become the closest comrades.

Finally, for Raisky, his student time is completely over. His friend Leonty immediately leaves for the provinces, while Boris is still unable to find a real job for himself, making only amateurish attempts to create something in various forms of art. Cousin Sophia, who is still reserved and distant with him, remains in the eyes of Raisky the main goal, the young man does not stop dreaming of “waking up” in her a real craving for life. He spends evening after evening in her father's house, but the situation does not change at all, Sophia is still absolutely indifferent to him.

Summer comes again, and Boris Pavlovich's grandmother again calls him to Malinovka. At the same time, a letter arrives from Leonty, who also lives near the Paradise estate. The young man, having decided that fate itself sends him to these parts, willingly leaves for the estate, because he is already simply tired of useless efforts in relation to Sophia.

In the family estate, Boris immediately meets a charming young girl Marfenka, who makes him much more sympathetic than the cold secular St. Petersburg beauties. Tatyana Markovna is still trying to captivate her grandson with cares about the estate, but Raisky is not at all interested in the economy now. Moreover, he is even inclined to give the village to Marfenka and Vera, which causes an extremely negative reaction from the grandmother.

Boris Pavlovich discovers that his old comrade Kozlov is successfully teaching local children, moreover, he even managed to marry a certain Ulenka. Tatyana Markovna proudly presents her grown-up and matured grandson to her acquaintances and friends, and from that day on, Raisky begins a peaceful and calm village life. True, Vera lingers on a visit to her friend, the wife of a priest, but at this time Boris is intensively talking with Marfenka about painting, music, and literature.

By coincidence, Raysky has a new acquaintance, Mark Volokhov, who is under police surveillance. Tatyana Markovna is horrified by only one name of this person, but Boris Pavlovich communicates with him with pleasure, he is interested in Volokhov's ideas about awakening people to the struggle for their own happiness. But it is at this moment that Vera finally arrives at the estate again.

The girl does not behave at all as Boris originally expected, she keeps herself closed and does not want to have any frank conversations that he was counting on. Raisky is constantly watching his cousin, trying to figure out what she is hiding from others, and trying to understand her.

Meanwhile, Tatyana Markovna has the idea to marry her grandson to the daughter of the local farmer, but Boris himself absolutely does not want such a turn of fate. One day, Vera asks quite sharply to stop his surveillance of her and leave her alone. From that day on, relations between young people become more even and friendly, they talk about books and outlooks on life, although this is not enough for Raisky himself.

During a dinner party, which is attended by all of Boris's grandmother's friends, the man is unable to contain his negative emotions and firmly expresses his true attitude to one of them. Tatyana Markovna unexpectedly takes his side, and Vera, who is impressed by Raisky's honesty and directness, finally decides to kiss him. Nevertheless, the real situation does not change from this, and Boris is already thinking about leaving for St. Petersburg.

But Raisky still lingers on the estate, while Vera again goes to visit her friend. In her absence, Boris tries to find out from his grandmother what kind of person this girl really is, and Tatyana Markovna reveals to him that she deeply and sincerely loves Vera and that there is a person nearby who has long dreamed of marrying her, but does not dare to take the appropriate step , we are talking about the forester Tushin.

There comes a moment when Marfenka becomes the official bride of her beloved Vikentiev, while Vera is in fact in love with Mark Volokhov and secretly meets him in a cliff. But Raisky is still unaware of who his cousin's chosen one is.

Leonty's wife runs away from him with a French teacher, Boris's friend falls into despair, and Raisky tries to help his comrade in some way. At the same time, he receives a letter from Ayanov, which says that Sophia had a not-too-pleasant story with one of the visitors to her father's house, but this news no longer makes any impression on Boris, he now thinks only of Vera.

On the eve of Marfenka's planned engagement, the girl again goes to the cliff, while Raisky is waiting for her on the edge, knowing to whom and why the girl went. Without hesitation, he throws a bouquet of flowers through Vera's window, intended for tomorrow's holiday.

The next morning, Vera feels completely ill, realizing that she needs to confess everything to her grandmother, but she does not have enough mental strength for this, because there are many guests in the house, today Marfenka must finally move in with her fiancé. But she still decides to speak frankly with Raisky, and he explains instead of her with Tatyana Markovna.

The elderly woman is really horrified by what she hears, but then she takes diligent care of Vera, who is in a state of fever. When the girl feels a little better, her grandmother tells her about what happened in her youth to herself. The unloved man saw her in the greenhouse with her beloved Titus and insisted that she give her word never to marry.