The evolution of the theme of the “little man” in Russian literature. The theme of the “little man” in Soviet literature The little man in Russian literature of the 20th century

26.06.2020

The image of the “little man” in Russian literature

The very concept of “little man” appears in literature before the type of hero itself takes shape. At first, this was a designation for people of the third estate, which became of interest to writers due to the democratization of literature.

In the 19th century, the image of the “little man” became one of the cross-cutting themes of literature. The concept of “little man” was introduced by V.G. Belinsky in his 1840 article “Woe from Wit.” Originally it meant a “simple” person. With the development of psychologism in Russian literature, this image acquires a more complex psychological portrait and becomes the most popular character in democratic works of the second half XIX century.

Literary Encyclopedia:

“Little Man” is a number of diverse characters in Russian literature of the 19th century, united by common characteristics: low position in the social hierarchy, poverty, insecurity, which determines the peculiarities of their psychology and the plot role - victims of social injustice and a soulless state mechanism, often personified in the image "significant person" They are characterized by fear of life, humility, meekness, which, however, can be combined with a feeling of injustice of the existing order of things, with wounded pride and even a short-term rebellious impulse, which, as a rule, does not lead to a change in the current situation. The type of “little man”, discovered by A. S. Pushkin (“The Bronze Horseman”, “The Station Agent”) and N. V. Gogol (“The Overcoat”, “Notes of a Madman”), is creative and sometimes polemical in relation to tradition , rethought by F. M. Dostoevsky (Makar Devushkin, Golyadkin, Marmeladov), A. N. Ostrovsky (Balzaminov, Kuligin), A. P. Chekhov (Chervyakov from “The Death of an Official,” the hero of “Thick and Thin”), M. A. Bulgakov (Korotkov from “The Diaboliad”), M. M. Zoshchenko and other Russian writers of the 19-20 centuries.

“The little man” is a type of hero in literature, most often he is a poor, inconspicuous official occupying a small position, whose fate is tragic.

The theme of the “little man” is a “cross-cutting theme” of Russian literature. The appearance of this image is due to the Russian career ladder of fourteen steps, at the bottom of which petty officials, poorly educated, often single or burdened with families, worthy of human understanding, worked and suffered from poverty, lack of rights and insults, each with their own misfortune.

Little people are not rich, invisible, their fate is tragic, they are defenseless.

Pushkin "Station Warden". Samson Vyrin.

Hard worker. Weak person. He loses his daughter and is taken away by the rich hussar Minsky. Social conflict. Humiliated. Can't stand up for himself. Got drunk. Samson was lost in life.

One of the first to put forward the democratic theme of the “little man” in literature was Pushkin. In “Belkin’s Tales,” completed in 1830, the writer paints not only pictures of the life of the nobility (“The Young Lady-Peasant”), but also draws the readers’ attention to the fate of the “little man.”

The fate of the “little man” is shown here realistically for the first time, without sentimental tearfulness, without romantic exaggeration, shown as a result of certain historical conditions, the injustice of social relations.

The plot of “The Station Agent” itself conveys a typical social conflict and expresses a broad generalization of reality, revealed in the individual case of the tragic fate of an ordinary person, Samson Vyrin.

There is a small postal station somewhere at the crossroads of roads. Here live 14th grade official Samson Vyrin and his daughter Dunya - the only joy that brightens up the difficult life of a caretaker, full of shouts and curses from passers-by. But the hero of the story, Samson Vyrin, is quite happy and calm, he has long adapted to the conditions of service, his beautiful daughter Dunya helps him run a simple household. He dreams of simple human happiness, hoping to babysit his grandchildren and spend his old age with his family. But fate is preparing a difficult test for him. A passing hussar, Minsky, takes Dunya away without thinking about the consequences of his action.

The worst thing is that Dunya left with the hussar of her own free will. Having crossed the threshold of a new, rich life, she abandoned her father. Samson Vyrin goes to St. Petersburg to “return the lost sheep,” but he is kicked out of Dunya’s house. The hussar "grabbed the old man by the collar with a strong hand and pushed him onto the stairs." Unhappy father! How can he compete with a rich hussar! In the end, he receives several banknotes for his daughter. “Tears welled up in his eyes again, tears of indignation! He squeezed the pieces of paper into a ball, threw them on the ground, stamped them with his heel and walked ... "

Vyrin was no longer able to fight. He “thought, waved his hand and decided to retreat.” Samson, after the loss of his beloved daughter, became lost in life, drank himself to death and died in longing for his daughter, grieving over her possible pitiful fate.

About people like him, Pushkin writes at the beginning of the story: “We will, however, be fair, we will try to enter into their position and, perhaps, we will begin to judge them much more leniently.”

The truth of life, sympathy for the “little man”, insulted at every step by bosses higher in rank and position - this is what we feel when reading the story. Pushkin cares about this “little man” who lives in grief and need. The story, which so realistically depicts the “little man,” is imbued with democracy and humanity.

Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman". Eugene

Evgeniy is a “little man.” The city played a fatal role in fate. Loses his fiancée during a flood. All his dreams and hopes for happiness were lost. Lost my mind. In sick madness, the Nightmare challenges the “idol on a bronze horse”: the threat of death under the bronze hooves.

The image of Evgeniy embodies the idea of confrontation between the common man and the state.

“The poor man was not afraid for himself.” "The blood boiled." “A flame ran through my heart,” “It’s for you!” Evgeny’s protest is an instant impulse, but stronger than Samson Vyrin’s.

The image of a shining, lively, lush city is replaced in the first part of the poem by a picture of a terrible, destructive flood, expressive images of a raging element over which man has no control. Among those whose lives were destroyed by the flood is Eugene, whose peaceful concerns the author speaks of at the beginning of the first part of the poem. Evgeny is an “ordinary man” (“little” man): he has neither money nor rank, “serves somewhere” and dreams of setting up a “humble and simple shelter” for himself in order to marry the girl he loves and go through life’s journey with her.

…Our hero

Lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere,

Avoids nobles...

He does not make great plans for the future; he is satisfied with a quiet, inconspicuous life.

What was he thinking about? About,

That he was poor, that he worked hard

He had to deliver to himself

Both independence and honor;

What could God add to him?

Mind and money.

The poem does not indicate the hero's surname or his age; nothing is said about Eugene's past, his appearance, or character traits. Having deprived Evgeny of individual characteristics, the author turns him into an ordinary, typical person from the crowd. However, in an extreme, critical situation, Eugene seems to awaken from a dream, and throws off the guise of a “nonentity” and opposes the “brass idol”. In a state of madness, he threatens the Bronze Horseman, considering the man who built the city on this ruinous place to be the culprit of his misfortune.

Pushkin looks at his heroes from the outside. They do not stand out for their intelligence or their position in society, but they are kind and decent people, and therefore worthy of respect and sympathy.

Conflict

Pushkin for the first time in Russian literature showed all the tragedy and intractability of the conflict between the state and state interests and the interests of the private individual.

Plot-wise, the poem is completed, the hero died, but the central conflict remained and was conveyed to the readers, unresolved and in reality itself, the antagonism of the “upper” and “lower”, the autocratic government and the dispossessed people remained. The symbolic victory of the Bronze Horseman over Eugene is a victory of strength, but not of justice.

Gogol “The Overcoat” Akaki Akikievich Bashmachkin

"The Eternal Titular Advisor." Resignedly endures the ridicule of his colleagues, timid and lonely. Poor spiritual life. The author's irony and compassion. The image of a city that is scary for the hero. Social conflict: “little man” and the soulless representative of power “significant person”. The element of fantasy (ghost) is the motive of rebellion and retribution.

Gogol opens to the reader the world of “little people”, officials in his “Petersburg Tales”. The story “The Overcoat” is especially significant for revealing this topic; Gogol had a great influence on the further movement of Russian literature, “echoing” Dostoevsky in the works of its most diverse figures and Shchedrin to Bulgakov and Sholokhov. “We all came out of Gogol’s overcoat,” wrote Dostoevsky.

Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin - “eternal titular adviser.” He meekly endures the ridicule of his colleagues, he is timid and lonely. The senseless clerical work killed every living thought in him. His spiritual life is meager. He finds his only pleasure in copying papers. He lovingly wrote out the letters in a clean, even handwriting and completely immersed himself in his work, forgetting the insults caused to him by his colleagues, and the need, and worries about food and comfort. Even at home, he only thought that “God will send something to rewrite tomorrow.”

But the man in this downtrodden official also woke up when the goal of life appeared - a new overcoat. The development of the image is observed in the story. “He somehow became more lively, even stronger in character. Doubt and indecision naturally disappeared from his face and from his actions...” Bashmachkin does not part with his dream for a single day. He thinks about it like another person thinks about love, about family. So he orders himself a new overcoat, “...his existence has somehow become fuller...” The description of the life of Akaki Akakievich is permeated with irony, but there is also pity and sadness in it. Introducing us into the spiritual world of the hero, describing his feelings, thoughts, dreams, joys and sorrows, the author makes it clear what happiness it was for Bashmachkin to acquire an overcoat and what a disaster its loss turns into.

There was no happier person than Akaki Akakievich when the tailor brought him an overcoat. But his joy was short-lived. When he was returning home at night, he was robbed. And none of those around him takes part in his fate. In vain did Bashmachkin seek help from a “significant person.” He was even accused of rebelling against his superiors and “higher ones.” The upset Akaki Akakievich catches a cold and dies.

In the finale, a small, timid person, driven to despair by the world of the powerful, protests against this world. Dying, he “blasphemes” and utters the most terrible words that follow the words “your excellency.” It was a riot, albeit in a dying delirium.

It is not because of the overcoat that the “little man” dies. He becomes a victim of bureaucratic “inhumanity” and “ferocious rudeness,” which, as Gogol argued, lurks under the guise of “refined, educated secularism.” This is the deepest meaning of the story.

The theme of rebellion finds expression in the fantastic image of a ghost that appears on the streets of St. Petersburg after the death of Akaki Akakievich and takes off the overcoats of the offenders.

N.V. Gogol, who in his story “The Overcoat” for the first time shows the spiritual stinginess and squalor of poor people, but also draws attention to the ability of the “little man” to rebel and for this purpose introduces elements of fantasy into his work.

N.V. Gogol deepens the social conflict: the writer showed not only the life of the “little man”, but also his protest against injustice. Even if this “rebellion” is timid, almost fantastic, the hero stands for his rights, against the foundations of the existing order.

Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment” Marmeladov

The writer himself noted: “We all came out of Gogol’s “Overcoat.”

Dostoevsky’s novel is imbued with the spirit of Gogol’s “The Overcoat” "Poor people And". This is a story about the fate of the same “little man”, crushed by grief, despair and social lack of rights. The correspondence of the poor official Makar Devushkin with Varenka, who has lost her parents and is being pursued by a pimp, reveals the deep drama of the lives of these people. Makar and Varenka are ready to endure any hardship for each other. Makar, living in extreme need, helps Varya. And Varya, having learned about Makar’s situation, comes to his aid. But the heroes of the novel are defenseless. Their rebellion is a “revolt on their knees.” Nobody can help them. Varya is taken away to certain death, and Makar is left alone with his grief. The lives of two beautiful people are broken, crippled, shattered by cruel reality.

Dostoevsky reveals the deep and strong experiences of “little people.”

It is interesting to note that Makar Devushkin reads “The Station Agent” by Pushkin and “The Overcoat” by Gogol. He is sympathetic to Samson Vyrin and hostile to Bashmachkin. Probably because he sees his future in him.

F.M. told about the fate of the “little man” Semyon Semyonovich Marmeladov. Dostoevsky on the pages of the novel "Crime and Punishment". One after another, the writer reveals to us pictures of hopeless poverty. Dostoevsky chose the dirtiest part of strictly St. Petersburg as the location for the action. Against the backdrop of this landscape, the life of the Marmeladov family unfolds before us.

If in Chekhov the characters are humiliated and do not realize their insignificance, then in Dostoevsky the drunken retired official fully understands his uselessness and uselessness. He is a drunkard, an insignificant person from his point of view, who wants to improve, but cannot. He understands that he has doomed his family, and especially his daughter, to suffering, he worries about this, despises himself, but cannot help himself. “To pity! Why pity me!” Marmeladov suddenly screamed, standing up with his hand outstretched... “Yes! There’s nothing to pity me for! Crucify me on the cross, not pity him! But crucify him, judge, crucify him, and, having crucified him, have pity on him!”

Dostoevsky creates the image of a real fallen man: Marmelad’s annoying sweetness, clumsy florid speech - the property of a beer tribune and a jester at the same time. Awareness of his baseness (“I am a born beast”) only strengthens his bravado. He is disgusting and pathetic at the same time, this drunkard Marmeladov with his florid speech and important bureaucratic bearing.

The mental state of this petty official is much more complex and subtle than that of his literary predecessors - Pushkin's Samson Vyrin and Gogol's Bashmachkin. They do not have the power of self-analysis that Dostoevsky's hero achieved. Marmeladov not only suffers, but also analyzes his state of mind; as a doctor, he makes a merciless diagnosis of the disease - the degradation of his own personality. This is how he confesses in his first meeting with Raskolnikov: “Dear sir, poverty is not a vice, it is the truth. But...poverty is a vice - p. In poverty you still retain all the nobility of your innate feelings, but in poverty no one ever does... for in poverty I am the first to be ready to insult myself.”

A person not only dies from poverty, but understands how spiritually he is becoming empty: he begins to despise himself, but does not see anything around him to cling to that would keep him from the disintegration of his personality. The ending of Marmeladov's life is tragic: on the street he was run over by a dandy gentleman's carriage drawn by a pair of horses. Throwing himself at their feet, this man himself found the outcome of his life.

Under the writer's pen, Marmeladov becomes a tragic figure. Marmeladov’s cry - “after all, it is necessary that every person can go somewhere at least” - expresses the final degree of despair of a dehumanized person and reflects the essence of his life drama: there is nowhere to go and no one to go to.

In the novel, Raskolnikov has compassion for Marmeladov. The meeting with Marmeladov in the tavern, his feverish, delirious confession gave the main character of the novel, Raskolnikov, one of the last proofs of the correctness of the “Napoleonic idea.” But not only Raskolnikov has compassion for Marmeladov. “They have already felt sorry for me more than once,” Marmeladov says to Raskolnikov. The good general Ivan Afanasyevich took pity on him and accepted him into service again. But Marmeladov could not stand the test, started drinking again, drank away his entire salary, drank it all away and in return received a tattered tailcoat with a single button. Marmeladov in his behavior reached the point of losing his last human qualities. He is already so humiliated that he does not feel like a human being, but only dreams of being a human among people. Sonya Marmeladova understands this and forgives her father, who is able to help her neighbor and sympathize with someone who so needs compassion

Dostoevsky makes us feel sorry for those unworthy of pity, to feel compassion for those unworthy of compassion. “Compassion is the most important and, perhaps, the only law of human existence,” Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky believed.

Chekhov "Death of an Official", "Thick and Thin"

Later, Chekhov would draw a unique conclusion to the development of the theme; he doubted the virtues traditionally sung by Russian literature - the high moral virtues of the “little man” - a petty official. Voluntary groveling, self-abasement of the “little man” - this is the turn of the theme proposed by A.P. Chekhov. If Chekhov “exposed” something in people, then, first of all, their ability and willingness to be “small.” A person should not, does not dare, make himself “small” - this is Chekhov’s main idea in his interpretation of the theme of the “little man.” Summarizing all that has been said, we can conclude that the theme of the “little man” reveals the most important qualities of Russian literature XIX century - democracy and humanism.

Over time, the “little man,” deprived of his own dignity, “humiliated and insulted,” arouses not only compassion but also condemnation among progressive writers. “You live a boring life, gentlemen,” Chekhov said through his work to the “little man” who had come to terms with his situation. With subtle humor, the writer ridicules the death of Ivan Chervyakov, from whose lips the lackey “Yourness” has never left his lips.

In the same year as “The Death of an Official,” the story “Thick and Thin” appears. Chekhov again speaks out against philistinism, against servility. The collegiate servant Porfiry giggles, “like a Chinese,” bowing obsequiously, when he meets his former friend, who has a high rank. The feeling of friendship that connected these two people has been forgotten.

Kuprin “Garnet Bracelet”. Zheltkov

In A.I. Kuprin’s “Garnet Bracelet” Zheltkov is a “little man”. Once again the hero belongs to the lower class. But he loves, and he loves in a way that many in high society are not capable of. Zheltkov fell in love with the girl and throughout his entire life he loved only her alone. He understood that love is a sublime feeling, it is a chance given to him by fate, and it should not be missed. His love is his life, his hope. Zheltkov commits suicide. But after the death of the hero, the woman realizes that no one loved her as much as he did. Kuprin's hero is a man of an extraordinary soul, capable of self-sacrifice, able to truly love, and such a gift is rare. Therefore, the “little man” Zheltkov appears as a figure towering above those around him.

Thus, the theme of the “little man” underwent significant changes in the work of writers. Drawing images of “little people”, writers usually emphasized their weak protest, downtroddenness, which subsequently leads the “little man” to degradation. But each of these heroes has something in life that helps him endure existence: Samson Vyrin has a daughter, the joy of life, Akaky Akakievich has an overcoat, Makar Devushkin and Varenka have their love and care for each other. Having lost this goal, they die, unable to survive the loss.

In conclusion, I would like to say that a person should not be small. In one of his letters to his sister, Chekhov exclaimed: “My God, how rich Russia is in good people!”

In XX century, the theme was developed in the images of the heroes I. Bunin, A. Kuprin, M. Gorky and even at the end XX century, you can find its reflection in the works of V. Shukshin, V. Rasputin and other writers.

Bogachek A., Shiryaeva E.

Project "The image of the "little man" in the literature of the 19th-20th centuries."

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MBOU "Orangereininskaya Secondary School"

Project on the topic: “The image of the “little man” in the literature of the 19th – early 20th centuries”

Completed by students of grade 10 “B”

Bogachek Alexandra

Shiryaeva Ekaterina

Teacher

Mikhailova O.E.

2011-2012 academic year.

Plan:

“The Little Man” is a literary hero of the era of realism.

“Little Man” - a man from the people...became...a hero of Russian literature.

From Pushkin's Samson Vyrin to Gogol's Akaki Akakievich.

Contempt for the “little man” in the works of A.P. Chekhov.

The talented and selfless “little man” in the works of N.S. Leskova.

Conclusion.

Used Books.

Target : Show the diversity of ideas about the “little man” of writers of the 19th – early 20th centuries.

Tasks : 1) study the works of writers of the 19th – early 20th centuries;

3) draw conclusions.

The definition of “little man” is applied to the category of literary heroes of the era of realism, usually occupying a rather low place in the social hierarchy: a minor official, a tradesman, or even a poor nobleman. The image of the “little man” turned out to be all the more relevant the more democratic literature became. The very concept of “little man” was most likely introduced into use by Belinsky (1840 article “Woe from Wit”). The theme of the “little man” is raised by many writers. It has always been relevant because its task is to reflect the life of an ordinary person with all its experiences, problems, troubles and little joys. The writer takes on the hard work of showing and explaining the lives of ordinary people. “The little man is a representative of the entire people. And each writer represents him in his own way.

The image of a little man has been known for a long time - thanks, for example, to such mastodons as A.S. Pushkin and N.V. Gogol or A.P. Chekhov and N.S. Leskov - and inexhaustible.

N.V. Gogol was one of the first who spoke openly and loudly about the tragedy of the “little man,” oppressed, humiliated and therefore pitiful.

True, the palm in this still belongs to Pushkin; his Samson Vyrin from “The Station Agent” opens a gallery of “little people”. But Vyrin’s tragedy is reduced to a personal tragedy, its reasons lie in the relationship between the station superintendent’s family - father and daughter - and are in the nature of morality, or rather immorality on the part of Dunya, the superintendent’s daughter. She was the meaning of life for her father, the “sun” with whom the lonely, elderly man felt warm and comfortable.

Gogol, remaining faithful to the traditions of critical realism, introducing his own Gogolian motives into it, showed the tragedy of the “little man” in Russia much more widely; the writer “realized and showed the danger of degradation of society, in which cruelty and indifference of people to each other are increasing more and more.”

And the pinnacle of this villainy was Gogol’s Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin from the story “The Overcoat,” his name became a symbol of the “little man” who feels bad in this strange world of servitude, lies and “blatant” indifference.

It often happens in life that cruel and heartless people who humiliate and insult the dignity of other people often look more pathetic and insignificant than their victims. The same impression of spiritual meagerness and fragility from the offenders of the petty official Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin remains with us after reading Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”. Akaki Akakievich is a real “little man”. Why? Firstly, he stands on one of the lowest steps of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is not noticeable at all. Secondly, the world of his spiritual life and human interests is extremely narrowed, impoverished, and limited. Gogol himself characterized his hero as poor, mediocre, insignificant and unnoticed. In life, he was assigned an insignificant role as a copyist of documents for one of the departments. Brought up in an atmosphere of unquestioning submission and execution of orders from his superiors, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin was not used to reflecting on the content and meaning of his work. Therefore, when he is offered tasks that require the manifestation of elementary intelligence, he begins to worry, worry, and ultimately comes to the conclusion: “No, it’s better to let me rewrite something.” Bashmachkin's spiritual life is also limited. Collecting money for a new overcoat becomes for him the meaning of his whole life, filling it with happiness in anticipation of the fulfillment of his cherished desire. The theft of a new overcoat, acquired through such hardships and suffering, becomes truly a disaster for him. Those around him laughed at his misfortune, and no one helped him. The “significant person” shouted at him so much that poor Akaki Akakievich lost consciousness. Almost no one noticed his death. Despite the uniqueness of the image created by the writer, he, Bashmachkin, does not look lonely in the minds of readers, and we imagine that there were a great many of the same humiliated people who shared the lot of Akaki Akakievich. Gogol was the first to talk about the tragedy of the “little man,” respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer compassionately showed the injustice and oppressiveness of society in relation to the “little man” and for the first time called on this society to pay attention to the inconspicuous, pitiful and funny people, as it seemed at first glance. It’s not their fault that they are not very smart, and sometimes not smart at all. But they don’t harm anyone, and this is very important. So why then laugh at them? Maybe you can't treat them with more respect, but you can't offend them. They, like everyone else, have the right to a decent life, to the opportunity to feel like full-fledged people.

“The Little Man” is constantly found on the pages of A.A. Chekhov’s works. This is the main character of his work. Chekhov's attitude towards such people is especially clear in his satirical stories. And this attitude is unambiguous. In the story “The Death of an Official,” the “little man” Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov constantly and obsessively apologizes to General Brizzhalov for accidentally spraying him when he sneezed. “I sprayed him!” thought Chervyakov. “Not my boss, a stranger, but still awkward. I need to apologize.” The key word in this thought is “boss”. Chervyakov probably wouldn’t endlessly apologize to an ordinary person. Ivan Dmitrievich has a fear of his superiors, and this fear turns into flattery and deprives him of self-respect. A person has already reached the point where he allows himself to be trampled into the dirt; moreover, he himself helps to do this. We must give the general his due; he treats our hero very politely. But the common man was not accustomed to such treatment. Therefore, Ivan Dmitrievich thinks that he was ignored and comes to ask for forgiveness several days in a row. Brizzhalov gets fed up with this and finally yells at Chervyakov. “Get out!” the general, suddenly blue and shaking, barked.

“What, sir?” Chervyakov asked in a whisper, dying of horror.

Go away!! - the general repeated, stamping his feet.

Something came off in Chervyakov’s stomach. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed away to the door, went out into the street and trudged... Arriving mechanically home, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died." This is what fear of higher ranks, eternal admiration and humiliation before them. To more fully reveal the image of his hero, Chekhov used a “speaking" surname. Yes, Ivan Dmitrievich is small, pitiful, like a worm, he can be crushed without effort, and most importantly, he is just as unpleasant.

In the story “The Triumph of the Winner,” Chekhov presents us with a story in which a father and son humiliate themselves before their boss so that the son can get a position.

“The boss was telling the story and, apparently, wanted to seem witty. I don’t know if he said anything funny, but I just remember that my dad pushed me in the side every minute and said:

Laugh!…

... - Yes, yes! - Dad whispered. - Well done! He looks at you and laughs... This is good; Maybe he’ll actually give you a job as an assistant clerk!”

And again we are faced with admiration for superiors. And again this is self-deprecation and flattery. People are ready to please the boss to achieve their insignificant goal. It doesn’t even occur to them to remember that there is simple human dignity that cannot be lost under any circumstances. A.P. Chekhov wanted all people to be beautiful and free. “Everything in a person should be beautiful: face, clothes, soul, and thoughts.” Anton Pavlovich thought so, therefore, ridiculing primitive man in his stories, he called for self-improvement. Chekhov hated self-humiliation, eternal servility and admiration for officials. Gorky said about Chekhov: “His enemy was vulgarity, and he fought against it all his life.” Yes, he fought against it with his works, he bequeathed to us to “squeeze the slave out of ourselves drop by drop.” Perhaps such a vile lifestyle of his “little people”, their low thoughts and unworthy behavior are the result of not only personal character traits, but also their social position and the order of the existing political system. After all, Chervyakov would not have apologized so zealously and lived in eternal fear of officials if he had not been afraid of the consequences. The characters in the stories “Chameleon”, “Thick and Thin”, “Man in a Case” and many others have the same unpleasant character traits.

Anton Pavlovich believed that a person should have a goal, the fulfillment of which he will strive, and if there is none or it is completely small and insignificant, then the person becomes just as small and insignificant. A person must work and love - these are two things that play a major role in the life of any person: small and not small.

Nikolai Semenovich Leskov’s “little man” is a completely different person than his predecessors... In order to understand this, let’s compare the heroes of three works by this writer: Lefty, Ivan Severyanovich Flyagin and Katerina Izmailova. All three of these characters are strong personalities, and each is talented in their own way. But all the energy of Katerina Izmailova is aimed at creating personal happiness by any means. To achieve her goals, she resorts to crime. And therefore this type of character is rejected by Leskov. He sympathizes with her only when she turns out to be cruelly betrayed by her lovers.

Lefty is a talented man from the people who cares about his homeland more than the king and courtiers. But he is ruined by a vice that is so familiar to the Russian people - drunkenness and the reluctance of the state to help its subjects. He could have done without this help if he had been a strong man. But a drinking person cannot be a strong person. Therefore, for Leskov, this is not the hero who should be given preference.

Among the heroes belonging to the category of “little people,” Leskov singles out Ivan Severyanovich Flyagin. Leskov's hero is a hero in appearance and spirit. “He was a man of enormous stature, with a dark, open face and thick, wavy, lead-colored hair: his gray hair was so strangely cast... This new companion of ours, who later turned out to be a very interesting person, looked like he was in his mid-fifties; but he was in in the full sense of the word, a hero, and, moreover, a typical, simple-minded, kind Russian hero, reminiscent of grandfather Ilya Muromets... But with all this kind simplicity, it did not take much observation to see in him a person who has seen a lot and, as they say, “experienced.” He He behaved boldly, self-confidently, although without unpleasant abandon, and spoke in a pleasant bass voice with a demeanor." He is strong not only physically, but also spiritually. Flyagin's life is an endless test. He is strong in spirit, and this allows him to overcome such difficult life vicissitudes. He was on the verge of death, saved people, and fled for his life. But in all these trials he improved. Flyagin, at first vaguely, and then more and more consciously, strives for heroic service to the Motherland; this becomes the spiritual need of the hero. In this he sees the meaning of life. The kindness inherent in Flyagin initially, the desire to help the suffering, ultimately becomes a conscious need to love his neighbor as himself. This is a simple person with his own merits and demerits, gradually eradicating these shortcomings and coming to an understanding of God. Leskov portrays his hero as a strong and brave man with a huge heart and a big soul. Flyagin does not complain about fate, does not cry. Leskov, describing Ivan Severyanovich, makes the reader proud of his people, of his country. Flyagin does not humiliate himself before the powers that be, like Chekhov’s heroes, does not become an alcoholic because of his insolvency, like Dostoevsky’s Marmeladov, does not sink to the bottom of life, like Gorky’s characters, does not wish harm to anyone, does not want to humiliate anyone, does not wait for help from others, does not sit idly by. This is a person who recognizes himself as a human being, a real person, who is ready to defend his rights and the rights of other people, who does not lose self-esteem and is confident that a person can do anything.

III.

The idea of the “little man” changed throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each writer also had his own personal views on this hero.

You can find commonality in the views of different writers. For example, writers of the first half of the 19th century (Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol) treat the “little man” with sympathy. Griboyedov stands apart, he looks at this hero differently, which brings his views closer to the views of Chekhov and partly Ostrovsky. Here the concept of vulgarity and self-humiliation comes to the fore. In the minds of L. Tolstoy, N. Leskov, A. Kuprin, a “little man” is a talented, selfless person. Such a variety of views of writers depends on the characteristics of their worldview and on the diversity of human types that surrounds us in real life.

Used Books:

1. Gogol N.V. Collected works in 4 volumes. Publishing house "Prosveshcheniye", M. 1979

2. Pushkin A.S. “Stories by I.P. Belkina. Dubrovsky, Queen of Spades. Publishing house "Astrel, AST" 2004

3. Chekhov A.P. Stories. Publishing house "AST". 2010

4. Leskov N.S. All works by Nikolai Leskov. 2011

5. Gukovsky G.A. Gogol's realism - M., 1959

Introduction

little man ostrovsky literature

The concept of “little man” was introduced by Belinsky (1840 article “Woe from Wit”).

"Little Man" - who is this? This concept refers to the literary hero of the era of realism, who usually occupies a fairly low place in the social hierarchy. A "little man" could be anyone from a minor official to a tradesman or even a poor nobleman. The more democratic literature became, the more relevant the “little man” became.

Appealing to the image of the “little man” was very important even at that time. More than that, this image was relevant because its task is to show the life of a simple person with all his problems, experiences, failures, troubles and even small joys. It is very hard work to explain, to show the life of ordinary people. To convey to the reader all the subtleties of his life, all the depths of his soul. This is difficult, because the “little man” is a representative of the entire people.

This topic is still relevant today, because even in our time there are people who have such a shallow soul behind which you cannot hide either deception or a mask. It is these people who can be called “little people.” And there are simply people who are small only in their status, but are great, showing us their pure soul, unspoiled by wealth and prosperity, who know how to rejoice, love, suffer, worry, dream, simply live and be happy. These are small birds in the endless sky, but they are big-hearted people.

The history of the image of the “little man” in world literature and its writers

Many writers raise the theme of the “little man.” And each of them does it in his own way. Some present him accurately and clearly, while others hide his inner world so that readers can think about his worldview and somewhere in depth, compare with your own. Ask yourself a question: Who am I? Am I a small person?

The first image of a little man was Samson Vyrin from the story “The Station Warden” by A.S. Pushkin. Pushkin, in the early stages of his work, as one of the first classics to describe the image of the “little man,” tried to show the high spirituality of the characters. Pushkin also considers the eternal relationship between the “little man” and unlimited power - “Arap of Peter the Great”, “Poltava”.

Pushkin was characterized by a deep penetration into the character of each hero - the “little man”.

The evolution of the little man in Pushkin himself is explained by constant social changes and the variability of life itself. Each era has its own “little man”.

But, since the beginning of the 20th century, the image of the “little man” in Russian literature has disappeared, giving way to other heroes.

Gogol continues the traditions of Pushkin in the story “The Overcoat”. A “little man” is a person of low social status and origin, without any abilities, not distinguished by strength of character, but at the same time kind, harmless and does no harm to the people around him. Both Pushkin and Gogol, creating the image of a little man, wanted to remind readers that the most ordinary person is also a person worthy of sympathy, attention and support.

The hero of “The Overcoat” Akaki Akakievich is an official of the lowest class - a person who is constantly made fun of and mocked. He was so accustomed to his humiliated position that even his speech became defective - he could not fully finish his sentences. And this made him humiliated in front of everyone else, even his equals in class. Akaki Akakievich cannot even defend himself in front of people equal to him, despite opposing the state (as Evgeniy tried to do).

It was in this way that Gogol showed the circumstances that make people “small”!

Another writer who touched on the theme of the “little man” was F.M. Dostoevsky. He shows the “little man” as a personality more deeply than Pushkin and Gogol, but it is Dostoevsky who writes: we all came out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat.”

His main goal was to convey all the internal movements of his hero. He feels to experience everything with him, and concludes that “little people” are individuals, and their personal sense is valued much more than that of people with a position in society. Dostoevsky’s “little man” is vulnerable; one of the values of his life is that others can see in him a spiritually rich personality. And your own self-awareness plays a huge role.

In the work “Poor People” by F.M. Dostoevsky's main character, copyist Makar Devushkin, is also a minor official. He was also bullied at work, but he is a completely different person by nature. The ego is concerned with problems of human dignity, he reflects on his position in society. Makar, having read “The Overcoat,” was outraged that Gogol portrayed the official as an insignificant person, because he recognized himself in Akaki Akakievich. He differed from Akaki Akakievich in that he was capable of deeply loving and feeling, which means he was not insignificant. He is a person, although low in his position.

Dostoevsky strove for his character to realize that he was a person, a personality.

Makar is a person who knows how to empathize, feel, think and reason, and according to Dostoevsky, these are the best qualities of a “little man.”

F.M. Dostoevsky becomes the author of one of the leading themes - the theme of “humiliated and insulted”, “poor people”. Dostoevsky emphasizes that every person, no matter who he is, no matter how low he stands, always has the right to compassion and sympathy.

For a poor person, the basis in life is honor and respect, but for the heroes of the novel “Poor People” this is almost impossible to achieve: “And everyone knows, Varenka, that a poor person is worse than a rag and cannot receive any respect from anyone, so what?” do not write".

According to Dostoevsky, the “little man” himself is aware of himself as “small”: “I’m used to it, because I get used to everything, because I’m a humble person, because I’m a small person; but, however, what is this all for?...” “Little Man” is a so-called microworld, and in this world there are many protests, attempts to escape from a difficult situation. This world is rich in positive qualities and bright feelings, but it is subject to humiliation and oppression. The “little man” is thrown out onto the street by life itself. “Little people” according to Dostoevsky are small only in social status, and their inner world is rich and kind.

The main feature of Dostoevsky is his love of humanity, paying attention to the nature of a person, his soul, and not to the person’s position on the social ladder. It is the soul that is the main quality by which a person must be judged.

F.M. Dostoevsky wanted a better life for the poor, defenseless, “humiliated and insulted,” “little man.” But at the same time, pure, noble, kind, selfless, sincere, honest, thinking, sensitive, spiritually exalted and trying to protest against injustice.

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………….4

Main part…………………………………………………………………………………………4

Chapter 1. “Little Man” Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin……………………………………..4

Chapter 2. “Little Man” in the works “The Station Warden”, “The Bronze Horseman”, “The Captain’s Daughter”……………………………………………………………..4

Chapter 3. . "Death of an Official" "Man in a Case." "The triumph of the winner."

"Chameleon". "Thick and thin"…………………………………………………………………………………6

Chapter 4. . "Poor people." "Crime and Punishment". ……………………..7

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Used literature…………………………………………………………………………………...8

Applications……………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

Hypothesis: Man - does that sound proud?

Target: Identify the features of the depiction of this type of heroes in literature and understand the reasons for the appearance of such people in society

Objectives: read works of Russian literature of the 19th century: the story "The Overcoat", the story "The Station Warden", "The Bronze Horseman", "The Captain's Daughter"; study critical literature on the story; familiarize yourself with Internet resources on this issue.

Methodology:

1. At the stage of determining the needs of students, the following methods will be effective:

A) studying a student questionnaire that determines the level of their knowledge on the topic;

B) the use of an analytical table that reveals the degree of understanding of the essence of the proposed study.

This stage is extremely important, as it allows the teacher to adjust the work on the project, and the students to assess their own abilities and correlate them with the objectives of the project.

2. During the students’ work on the project, it is possible to use a wide variety of methods:

a) drawing up a map plan for the upcoming work, which will allow students to feel

responsibility for one’s own learning, as well as to introduce assessment criteria for each stage of work;

b) “brainstorming” - in order to concentrate ideas about the upcoming work;

c) informal observations of the teacher, which will support the adjustment of the study and provide grounds for objective assessment;

d) feedback from peers, helping the student evaluate the quality of his work and relate it to the needs of the general study in the group;

e) self-assessment and reflection, giving the student the opportunity to evaluate his own work and think about methods for improving it;

f) reports on the implementation of key stages of the project, presented in the form of rough sketches, plans, diagrams, informal questionnaires in which students express their thoughts on the progress of the research. These methods will allow the teacher and students to constantly evaluate the progress of work on the project and will contribute to the development of high-level thinking skills.

3. After completing the project, it is expected to evaluate the following final works of students:

a) reports - presentations on the research conducted;

b) speeches at the final student conference;

c) creative works in the form of essays and wiki articles;

d) dramatization of fragments of Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”

e) student portfolio with research materials.

When assessing at each stage of work on the project, the depth and completeness of the research, the use of various educational resources, a creative approach, the ability to connect the problem with other areas of science and see the prospects for its development will be taken into account.

What do I know: The spiritual world of the “little man” is meager and uninteresting.

What else needs to be found: to reveal the true face, the spiritual potential of the “little man” using the example of the image of Bashmachkin from Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”, Samson Vyrin from the story “The Station Warden” and heroes of other works.

Introduction

The project is dedicated to a cross-cutting theme in Russian literature - the evolution of the image of the "little man". This topic is quite capacious; it reflected many literary and social processes that took place in Russia throughout the 19th century. The works contain rich material for the development of this topic, for the development of analytical abilities, thinking, and general intelligence of students. The project method will allow us to consider this topic comprehensively, in integration with psychology, sociology, and the realities of the modern world.

Main part

Chapter 1. “Little Man” Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin

Chapter 2. “Little Man" in works"The Station Agent", "The Bronze Horseman", "The Captain's Daughter"

The greatest poet of the 19th century also did not leave the theme of the “little man” unnoticed, only he turned his gaze not to the image of the kneeling man, but to the fate of the unfortunate man, showing us his pure soul, unspoiled by wealth and prosperity, who knows how to rejoice, love, and suffer. This is the story "The Station Agent", part of the cycle of "Belkin's Tales". Pushkin sympathizes with his hero. Initially, his life is not easy. “Who hasn’t cursed the stationmasters, who hasn’t scolded them? Who, in a moment of anger, hasn’t demanded from them a fatal book in order to write into it their useless complaint about oppression, rudeness and malfunction? Who doesn’t consider them monsters of the human race, equal to the deceased clerks, or at least the Murom robbers? Let us, however, be fair, we will try to enter into their position and, perhaps, we will begin to judge them much more leniently. What is a stationmaster? A real martyr of the fourteenth class, protected by his rank only from beatings, and then not always... I have peace neither day nor night. The traveler takes out all the frustration accumulated during a boring ride on the caretaker. The weather is unbearable, the road is bad, the driver is stubborn, the horses don’t carry - and the caretaker is to blame. Entering his poor home, the traveler looks at him as an enemy; it would be good if he soon managed to get rid of the uninvited guest; but if the horses didn’t happen? God! what curses, what threats would rain down on his head! In the rain and slush, he is forced to run around the yards; in a storm, in the Epiphany frost, he goes into the hallway, just to rest for a minute from the screams and pushes of an irritated guest... Let's look into all this thoroughly, and instead of indignation, our hearts will be filled with sincere compassion." This is Pushkin's text, but behind it we hear Radishchev's voices and Karamzin. But the hero of the story - Samson Vyrin - is quite happy and calm, he has long adapted to the conditions of service, his beautiful daughter Dunya helps him run a simple household. He dreams of simple human happiness, hoping to nurse his grandchildren, to spend his old age with his family. But fate is preparing a difficult test for him. The passing hussar Minsky takes Dunya away, without thinking about the consequences of his action. The unfortunate father hopes to return his daughter, but how can he compete with the rich hussar! After an unsuccessful attempt to return his daughter, when the hussar “with a strong hand, grabbed the old man by the collar, pushed him onto the stairs,” Vyrin was no longer able to fight. He “thought, waved his hand and decided to retreat.” Samson died in longing for his daughter, grieving over her possible deplorable fate. Evgeny, the hero of The Bronze Horseman, looks like Samson Vyrin.

…Our hero
Lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere,
Avoids nobles...

He does not make great plans for the future; he is satisfied with a quiet, inconspicuous life.

What was he thinking about? About,
That he was poor, that he worked hard
He had to deliver to himself
Both independence and honor;
What could God add to him?
Mind and money.

He also hopes for his personal, albeit small, but much-needed family happiness.

Marry? To me? Why not?
It's hard, of course.
But well I'm young and healthy
Ready to work day and night;
I’ll arrange something for myself
Shelter humble and simple
And in it I will calm Parasha.
Perhaps a couple of weeks will pass -
I’ll get a place, Parashe
I will entrust our family
And raising children.
And we will live, and so on until the grave
We'll both get there hand in hand
And our grandchildren will bury us.

But all his dreams are in vain, because evil fate bursts into his life: the elements destroy his beloved. Evgeniy cannot resist fate; he quietly experiences his loss. And only in a state of madness does he threaten the Bronze Horseman, considering the man who built the city on this ruined place to be the culprit of his misfortune. Pushkin looks at his heroes from the outside. They do not stand out for their intelligence or their position in society, but they are kind and decent people, and therefore worthy of respect and sympathy. In the novel "The Captain's Daughter" the category of "little people" includes Pyotr Andreevich Grinev and Captain Mironov. They are distinguished by the same qualities: kindness, justice, decency, the ability to love and respect people. But they have one more very good quality - to remain faithful to their word. Pushkin included the saying in the epigraph: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” They saved their honor. And just as dear as the heroes of his previously mentioned works.

Chapter 3.. "Death of an Official" "Man in a Case." "The triumph of the winner." "Chameleon". "Thick and thin".

“Little Man” is constantly found on the pages of works. This is the main character of his work. Chekhov's attitude towards such people is especially clear in his satirical stories. And this attitude is unambiguous. In the story “The Death of an Official,” the “little man” Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov constantly and obsessively apologizes to General Brizzhalov for accidentally spraying him when he sneezed. “I sprayed him!” thought Chervyakov. “Not my boss, a stranger, but still awkward. I need to apologize.” The key word in this thought is “boss”. Chervyakov probably wouldn’t endlessly apologize to an ordinary person. Ivan Dmitrievich has a fear of his superiors, and this fear turns into flattery and deprives him of self-respect. A person has already reached the point where he allows himself to be trampled into the dirt; moreover, he himself helps to do this. We must give the general his due; he treats our hero very politely. But the common man was not accustomed to such treatment. thinks that he was ignored and comes to ask for forgiveness several days in a row. Brizzhalov gets fed up with this and finally yells at Chervyakov. “Get out!” the general, suddenly blue and shaking, barked.
“What, sir?” Chervyakov asked in a whisper, dying of horror.
-Go away!! - the general repeated, stamping his feet.
Something came off in Chervyakov’s stomach. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed away to the door, went out into the street and trudged... Arriving automatically home, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died." This is what fear of higher ranks, eternal admiration and humiliation before them leads to. To more fully reveal the image of his hero, Chekhov used a “speaking” surname. Yes, Ivan Dmitrievich is small, pitiful, like a worm, he can be crushed without effort, and most importantly, he is just as unpleasant.

In the story “The Triumph of the Winner,” Chekhov presents us with a story in which a father and son humiliate themselves before their boss so that the son can get a position.
“The boss was telling the story and, apparently, wanted to seem witty. I don’t know if he said anything funny, but I just remember that my dad pushed me in the side every minute and said:
-Laugh!...
... - Yes, yes! - Dad whispered. - Well done! He looks at you and laughs... This is good; Maybe he’ll actually give you a job as an assistant clerk!”
And again we are faced with admiration for superiors. And again this is self-deprecation and flattery. People are ready to please the boss to achieve their insignificant goal. It doesn’t even occur to them to remember that there is simple human dignity that cannot be lost under any circumstances. I wanted all people to be beautiful and free. “Everything in a person should be beautiful: face, clothes, soul, and thoughts.” Anton Pavlovich thought so, therefore, ridiculing primitive man in his stories, he called for self-improvement. Chekhov hated self-humiliation, eternal servility and admiration for officials. Gorky said about Chekhov: “His enemy was vulgarity, and he fought against it all his life.” Yes, he fought against it with his works, he bequeathed to us to “squeeze the slave out of ourselves drop by drop.” Perhaps such a vile lifestyle of his “little people”, their low thoughts and unworthy behavior are the result of not only personal character traits, but also their social position and the order of the existing political system. After all, Chervyakov would not have apologized so zealously and lived in eternal fear of officials if he had not been afraid of the consequences. The characters in the stories “Chameleon”, “Thick and Thin”, “Man in a Case” and many others have the same unpleasant character traits. Anton Pavlovich believed that a person should have a goal, the fulfillment of which he will strive, and if there is none or it is completely small and insignificant, then the person becomes just as small and insignificant. A person must work and love - these are two things that play a major role in the life of any person: small and not small.

Chapter 4. . "Poor people." "Crime and Punishment".

If Chekhov’s characters are humiliated and do not realize their insignificance, then Dostoevsky’s “little man” fully understands his uselessness, uselessness.

The novel "Poor People" is about "little people." Makar Devushkin and Varvara Alekseevna also belong to the lower class of society. They want to live well, work, hope for their happiness. Makar Devushkin loves Varenka very much, he is like a father to her: he buys her what she dreams of, although she does not ask him for it, and he himself remains virtually without food, becomes a debtor to the owner of the house in which he lives. Varenka, having learned about Makar Devushkin’s misfortune, tries to help him: she sends him money so that he can pay the hostess and buy something for himself. It should be noted that she gives away far from extra money earned by her painstaking work. Pity and kindness are characteristic of this gentle girl and her friend, Makar Devushkin, who once saved her from an evil relative. Mutual assistance is very important here, because this is the only thing these people can hope for. The author with his works wanted to point out the problems of the disadvantaged. They are forced to live in dark, dirty, nasty and smelly areas of the city. And what did many of them do to deserve this? What did Sonya Marmeladova do to deserve this? What did Makar Devushkin and Varvara Alekseevna deserve this? This is what Dostoevsky draws attention to. His “little man” knows how to reason. He is not only “humiliated and insulted”, realizing his insignificance, he is also a philosopher who poses questions of the greatest importance to society.

Conclusion

The idea of the “little man” changed throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each writer also had his own personal views on this hero. But already from the second third of the 20th century, this image disappears from the pages of literary works, because the method of socialist realism does not presuppose such a hero. In the process of studying the subject, we came to the conclusion that it was impossible to identify any system for changing the views of writers on these heroes. But you can find commonality in the views of different writers. For example, writers of the first half of the 19th century (Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol) treat the “little man” with sympathy. Griboyedov stands apart, he looks at this hero differently, which brings his views closer to the views of Chekhov and partly Ostrovsky. Here the concept of vulgarity and self-humiliation comes to the fore. In the minds of L. Tolstoy, N. Leskov, A. Kuprin, a “little man” is a talented, selfless person. Such a diversity of views of writers depends on the characteristics of their worldview and on the diversity of human types that surrounds us in real life.

conclusions

As a result of the work, we came to the conclusion that a person is not just a physiological and social being living among other people, but also a person endowed with his own rich inner world, feelings, thoughts, and rights. Gogol was the first to talk about the tragedy of the “little man,” respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer compassionately showed the injustice and despotism of society in relation to the “little man” and for the first time called on this society to pay attention to people who were invisible, pitiful and funny, as it seemed at first glance. It’s not their fault that they are not very smart, and sometimes not smart at all. But they don’t harm anyone, and this is very important. So why then laugh at them? Maybe you can't treat them with more respect, but you can't offend them. They, like everyone else, have the right to a decent life, to the opportunity to feel like full-fledged people.

References.

Textbooks, teaching aids, reading books, laboratory manuals, reference material, etc.

Printed materials Dictionaries, manuals, reference materials, etc.

1. Voropaev Vasilievich Gogol. Russian writers. 19th century. – M., 2000.

2. "Overcoat"

3. "Crime and Punishment"

4. "Inspector"

5. Esin and techniques for analyzing a literary work. – M., 2000.

6. Lotman space in Gogol’s prose. – M., 1978.

7. Mann by Gogol. – M., 1978.

8. Gogol’s Mashinsky world. – M., 1983.

9. “The Bronze Horseman.”

“Little Man” “Little Man” is a type of literary hero that arose in Russian literature with the advent of realism, that is, in the 20-30s of the 19th century. A little man is a person of low social status and origin, not gifted with outstanding abilities, not distinguished by strength of character, but at the same time kind, does no harm to anyone, and is harmless.

P. Weil correctly defined the power of the tragedy of little people: “The little man from great Russian literature is so small that he cannot be further reduced. Changes could only go upward. This is what the Western followers of our classical tradition did. Soviet culture threw off Bashmachkin’s overcoat - onto the shoulders of the living Little Man, who, of course, did not disappear anywhere, simply disappeared from the ideological surface, died in literature.” The first image of a little man was Samson Vyrin from the story by A.S. Pushkin "Station Warden". Pushkin’s traditions are continued by N.V. Gogol in the story “The Overcoat”. Both Pushkin and Gogol, creating the image of a little man, wanted to remind readers who were accustomed to admiring romantic heroes that the most ordinary person is also a person worthy of sympathy, attention, and support. Writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries also addressed the theme of the little man: A. Chekhov, M. Gorky, L. Andreev, F. Sologub, A. Averchenko, K. Trenev, I. Shmelev, S. Yushkevich. The first image of a little man was Samson Vyrin from the story by A.S. Pushkin "Station Warden". Pushkin’s traditions are continued by N.V. Gogol in the story “The Overcoat”. Both Pushkin and Gogol, creating the image of a little man, wanted to remind readers who were accustomed to admiring romantic heroes that the most ordinary person is also a person worthy of sympathy, attention, and support. Writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries also addressed the theme of the little man: A. Chekhov, M. Gorky, L. Andreev, F. Sologub, A. Averchenko, K. Trenev, I. Shmelev, S. Yushkevich.

From the multifaceted literary gallery of “little people”, heroes stand out: those striving to gain universal respect through changing their material status or appearance (“Luka Prokhorovich” - E. Grebenki; “The Overcoat” - N. Gogol); gripped by fear of life (“The Man in a Case” - A. Chekhov; “Our Man in a Case” - V. Pietsukha); who, in conditions of overwhelming bureaucratic reality, become ill with mental disorders ("The Double" - F. Dostoevsky; "Diaboliad" - M. Bulgakov); in whom an internal protest against social contradictions coexists with a painful desire to elevate oneself, to acquire wealth, which ultimately leads them to loss of reason (“Notes of a Madman” - N. Gogol; “The Double” by F. Dostoevsky); whose fear of superiors leads to madness or death (“A Weak Heart” by Dostoevsky, “The Death of an Official” by A. Chekhov); who, fearing to expose themselves to criticism, change their behavior and thoughts ("Chameleon" - A. Chekhov; "Jolly Oysters" - A. Averchenko); who can find happiness only in love for a woman ("Sin of old age" - A. Pisemsky; "Mountains" - E. Popova); who want to change their lives through the use of magical means ("The Right Medicine" - E. Grebenki; "Little Man" - F. Sologuba); who, due to failures in life, decide to commit suicide (“Senile Sin” - A. Pisemsky; “The Story of Sergei Petrovich” - L. Andreeva)

What is a little man? What is a little man? Small in what sense? This person is small precisely in social terms, since he occupies one of the lower steps of the hierarchical ladder. His place in society is little or not noticeable. This man is also small because the world of his spiritual life and human aspirations is also extremely narrowed, impoverished, surrounded by all kinds of prohibitions and taboos. For him, for example, there are no historical and philosophical problems. He remains in a narrow and closed circle of his life interests.

Gogol characterizes the main character of his story as a poor, mediocre, insignificant and unnoticed person. In life he was assigned an insignificant role as a copyist of departmental documents. Brought up in an atmosphere of unquestioning submission and execution of orders from his superiors, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin was not used to reflecting on the content and meaning of his work. That is why, when he is offered tasks that require the manifestation of elementary intelligence, he begins to worry, worry and ultimately comes to the conclusion: No, better let me rewrite something.

Bashmachkin's spiritual life is in tune with his inner aspirations. Collecting money to purchase an overcoat becomes for him the goal and meaning of life, filling it with happiness in anticipation of the fulfillment of his cherished desire. The theft of an overcoat, acquired through such great hardships and suffering, becomes truly a disaster for him. Those around him only laughed at his misfortune, but no one helped him. A significant person shouted at him so much that the poor fellow lost consciousness. Almost no one noticed the death of Akaki Akakievich, which followed shortly after his illness.

Despite the uniqueness of the image of Bashmachkin created by Gogol, he does not look lonely in the reader’s mind, and we imagine that there were a great many of the same small, humiliated people sharing the lot of Akaki Akakievich. This generalization of the image of a little man reflected the genius of the writer, who satirically presented society itself, which gives rise to arbitrariness and violence. In this environment, the cruelty and indifference of people to each other is increasing more and more.

Gogol was one of the first who spoke openly and loudly about the tragedy of the little man, respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on his education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer with compassion showed the injustice and despotism of society towards the little man and for the first time called on him to pay attention to these inconspicuous, pitiful and funny people, as it seemed at first glance. Gogol was one of the first who spoke openly and loudly about the tragedy of the little man, respect for whom depended not on his spiritual qualities, not on his education and intelligence, but on his position in society. The writer with compassion showed the injustice and despotism of society towards the little man and for the first time called on him to pay attention to these inconspicuous, pitiful and funny people, as it seemed at first glance. There can be no close relationship between us. Judging by the buttons on your uniform, you must serve in another department. This is how the attitude towards a person is determined immediately and forever by the buttons of a uniform and other external signs. This is how the human personality is trampled. She loses her dignity, because a person not only evaluates others by wealth and nobility, but also himself.

Gogol called on society to look at the little man with understanding and pity. Mother, save your poor son! the author will write. And indeed, some of Akaki Akakievich’s offenders suddenly realized this and began to experience pangs of conscience. One young employee, who, like everyone else, decided to make fun of Bashmachkin, stopped, amazed by his words: Leave me alone, why are you offending me? And the young man shuddered when he saw how much inhumanity there is in man, how much hidden ferocious rudeness.... Gogol called on society to look at the little man with understanding and pity. Mother, save your poor son! the author will write. And indeed, some of Akaki Akakievich’s offenders suddenly realized this and began to experience pangs of conscience. One young employee, who, like everyone else, decided to make fun of Bashmachkin, stopped, amazed by his words: Leave me alone, why are you offending me? And the young man shuddered when he saw how much inhumanity there was in man, how much hidden ferocious rudeness....

Calling for justice, the author raises the question of the need to punish the inhumanity of society. As revenge and compensation for the humiliations and insults suffered during his life, Akaki Akakievich, who rose from the grave in the epilogue, appears as a passer-by and takes away their overcoats and fur coats. He calms down only when he takes away the overcoat from a significant person who played a tragic role in the life of a little official.

The meaning of the fantastic episode of the resurrection of Akaki Akakievich and his meeting with a significant person is that even in the life of the most seemingly insignificant person there are moments when he can become a person in the highest sense of the word. Tearing off the greatcoat from a dignitary, Bashmachkin becomes, in his own eyes and in the eyes of millions of humiliated and insulted people like him, a hero, capable of standing up for himself and responding to the inhumanity and injustice of the world around him. In this form, the little man’s revenge on the bureaucratic Petersburg was expressed.

Talented depiction in poetry, literature, as well as in other forms of art, of the life of a little person revealed to a wide range of readers and viewers the simple but close truth that the life and twists of the souls of ordinary people are no less interesting than the lives of outstanding personalities . Penetrating into this life, Gogol and his followers, in turn, discovered new facets of human character and the spiritual world of man. The democratization of the artist’s approach to the depicted reality led to the fact that the heroes he created could become on a par with the most significant personalities at critical moments in their lives.

Emphasizing the typicality of the little man’s fate, Gogol says that his death did not change anything in the department; Bashmachkin’s place was simply taken by another official. In his story N.V. Gogol concentrated his main attention on the fate of the personality of the little man, but this was done with such skill and insight that, empathizing with Bashmachkin, the reader involuntarily thinks about his attitude towards the entire world around him, and, first of all, about the sense of dignity and respect that should to call upon every person, regardless of his social and financial status, but only taking into account his personal qualities and merits.