The age difference between the heroes is about eight years, since at the time of Lensky’s death Onegin is twenty-six, and Lensky’s age, mentioned shortly before, is eighteen.
Evgeny is a typical example of the “golden youth” of that time: a young man, tired of the noisy life of the big city, a series of entertainment events and social receptions. He is bored with his usual surroundings, he strives to find salvation from the everyday hustle and bustle, but it doesn’t work out very well.
In short: Russian blues
I mastered it little by little;
He will shoot himself, thank God,
I didn't want to try
But he completely lost interest in life.
…
And again, betrayed by idleness,
Languishing with spiritual emptiness,
He sat down - with a laudable purpose
Appropriating someone else's mind for yourself;
He lined the shelf with a group of books,
I read and read, but to no avail...
Vladimir Lensky, on the contrary, seems to be an extremely passionate young man and full of thirst for life.
He was a dear ignoramus at heart,
He was cherished by hope,
And the world has a new shine and noise
Still captivated the young mind.
He amused me with a sweet dream
Doubts of your heart;
The purpose of our life is for him
Was a tempting mystery...
At first glance, the young people have little in common. But, as you know, it is opposites that attract:
They got along. Water and stone
Poetry and prose, ice and fire
Not so different from each other.
First by mutual difference
They were boring to each other;
Then I liked it; Then
We came together every day on horseback
And soon they became inseparable.
So people (I am the first to repent)
There's nothing to do, friends.
So perhaps the duel was not a fatal accident. The author immediately emphasizes that there was no deep, sincere friendship between the characters initially.
Both Onegin and Lensky are new residents of the village in which the action takes place. The characters' relationships with others develop differently. Evgeny causes bewilderment with his, as they would say now, shocking actions: he ignores the accepted principles of that society, trying to live on his own, without looking back at anyone. Vladimir, on the contrary, evokes sympathy, giving the impression of an advantageous match for many girls of marriageable age. Rich, good-looking...
The poet's openness to the world is manifested not only in enthusiastic odes and captivating dreams. Filled with love for Olga (a naive, ardent youthful feeling...), he, dreaming about her day and night, without any hesitation, shares his love experiences with Evgeny, who at some point simply gets tired of it.
The scene in the Larins' house, in which Onegin pays increased attention to Lensky's bride, shows an obvious difference in the perception of life. Evgeniy seems to place himself above everything that is happening and easily enters into a kind of game, without particularly thinking about how serious the consequences may become. He is not inclined to take the torment of his neighbor seriously; for him, it is rather an opportunity to have a little fun, because Olga herself is not at all interesting to him (as, indeed, to the author, but this is not the point now). Vladimir flares up instantly.
His romantic mind draws some monstrous pictures from relatively innocent initial data. In this regard, it is difficult not to note that Onegin, after all, still has more natural sanity: when he was bored with everything in the world, and he seemed to have lost the meaning of life, he still did not try to part with it.
The young poet is not so reasonable... He sincerely believes in his fiery ideas and romantic ideals, which he sings in poetry... So sincerely that the possible loss of life does not particularly frighten him. The poet completely personified himself with one of the romantic heroes - for which, in fact, he paid...
The fatal duel, in essence, became an unfortunate misunderstanding. Onegin had no desire to kill, and Lensky even less so. Both, to some extent, became hostages of their romantic idea that according to the chosen rules one must play to the end. Nobody needed the duel. Onegin, with common sense, understood that he had gotten carried away, that there was no need to take the awkward situation so far... Lensky, even on the eve of the fight, saw Olga, whom he was about to hate, but one of her smiles was enough for the poet’s heart to thaw and the thirst for life returned with renewed vigor. But neither one nor the other was able to take a step back (or forward...).
So, in my opinion, the heroes, for all their external differences, are both hopeless romantics. It’s just that one of them is unsuccessfully trying to hide behind the cynical mask of an old skeptic, which, among other things, is also beyond his years...
My friends, you feel sorry for the poet...
To you. Not for me.
The fate of both heroes is unenviable. Probably, one can even assume that we are talking about a collapse romantic hero as such, about its insolvency in real life. The author initially did not particularly favor Lensky: a discussion is given about the possible development of his future life if not for the duel. Either fame in the literary field would await the poet, or, what is even more likely, over the years the entire romantic aura would fade away, and the young lover would join the countless number of well-fed and calm Russian landowners.
It seems to me that Onegin evokes great sympathy from the author, but his life also went downhill from that very fight. It becomes clear that all that skeptical disregard for life, which was explained by the “Russian blues,” means nothing in comparison with the monstrous spiritual devastation that engulfs Evgeny after the murder of Lensky. The “game” has gone too far... And then, so cruel in its simplicity, disappointment in one’s own past short-sightedness and frivolity when meeting Tatyana...
And then in real (not novel) life... Evil fate? The Irony of Fate? A discrepancy between noble romanticism and harsh reality? A few years later, Alexander Sergeevich himself repeated the path of his exalted poet almost exactly... Which was first noticed by the next victim of the insidious duel - young M.Yu. Lermontov.
Onegin and Lensky are one of the main characters of the work “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin. They represent new, advanced, modern noble society , which adheres to liberal views. Both heroes have both similarities and differences in their origin, education and way of fighting the current system, but they are united by a common ideal. Unlike many nobles of that time, they understand the meaninglessness of an idle existence. This is what caused their sad story. For Onegin, life turned into a drama, and for Lensky it completely ended in death. Vladimir Lensky, who received a foreign education, decided to get to know Onegin better: But Lensky, not having, of course, the desire to marry, wanted to make a short acquaintance with Onegin. social ideals equally humane and noble, but his high ideals were very vague and vague, embodied in his poetry. Onegin's cold mind, spiritual satiety and melancholy did not prevent him from admiring the sincerity of the young poet, the ardor of his feelings, and the fervor of his convictions. Evgeniy was not known for such sincerity. Perhaps Onegin was even slightly envious of his friend’s honesty, since he himself had already lost his ardor: He listened to Lensky with a smile. The poet's passionate conversation, And the mind, still unsteady in judgment, And the eternally inspired gaze - However, Vladimir soon fell in love with Olga, Tatyana Larina's sister. She seems perfect to him, but a stupid quarrel that broke out between friends led to a duel. Unfortunately, due to fear public opinion
were forced to shoot. Lensky was killed.
But what awaited them if the duel had not happened? It is quite possible that Lensky would have become a real poet, and even become one of the Decembrists. Onegin could not become a fighter for a just reorganization of society; the path of non-resistance to evil through violence awaited him, since the skepticism with which he was infected paralyzed his will and aspirations.
Onegin and Lensky are the two central characters of the work. To better represent the characters, understand their actions, understand the concept of personality, and gain insight into the author’s intentions, we will conduct a comparative description of them.
Raising the main characters Evgeniy comes from a noble family. He, a “young rake,” received an education appropriate for his time under the supervision of a tutor from France - education in the spirit of literature, not tied to any national stratum. Lensky is an attractive young man. Handsome (“black curls”), rich, emotional, full of high expectations from life. Paying
great attention
In describing the appearance and character of the hero, Alexander Sergeevich is silent about his upbringing.
Ideals of Evgeny and Vladimir
To correctly perceive Onegin’s ideals, it is first necessary to understand what “ideal” means. The concept of “ideal” implies our aspirations. What was Onegin’s soul drawn to? Towards harmony. How did he achieve this? He struggled between the eternal (national) and the temporary (what appeared in his character under the influence of society and outside views on life).
Lensky's ideals are devoted love and sincere friendship until the end of his days.
Onegin is lazy, full of pride and indifference. Hypocritical and flattering. He enjoys slandering and criticizing. At the celebration of life, most likely, an extra one. Noticeably different from his surroundings, trying to find the meaning of life. Reluctance to work, despondency, melancholy, lack of life goals, skeptical attitude - distinctive features « extra person", to which Onegin is included.
Vladimir Lensky is the antipode of his neighbor. Not a rebel. Enthusiastic, freedom-loving, always in dreams. Romantic. His genuine sincerity, spiritual purity, honesty and directness are captivating, but Lensky is not an ideal. The meaning of life is a mystery. What functional load, according to the author of the novel, does this character in the work? The meaning of Vladimir is to emphasize the character of Evgeniy.
These two characters are different. But at the same time, their similarities are noticeable: the lack of prospects, a suitable occupation in life, indecisiveness of character.
Characters' attitude to poetry
“Yawning, I took up the pen and wanted to write...” I wonder which one literary genre does Evgeniy gravitate towards? It is unlikely that he was referring to poetry (“he could not distinguish iambic from trochee... to distinguish...”). But one cannot say that writing poetry was alien to him. I didn’t understand the real meaning of great poetry, but I still tried to occupy myself with the selection of rhymes.
Epigrams - that's what Onegin had enough imagination for. (Here we’ll make a small digression and explain that an epigram is a short poem whose purpose is to ridicule a person or event). Onegin loved to “excite the smiles of ladies” with epigrams.
In contrast to Onegin, Lensky respects poetry. After all, he is a poet. He dedicates his poems to his bride Olga.
Love in the lives of heroes
Evgeny, “considered disabled in love,” treats sublime feelings with skepticism, with some irony and pragmatism. At the end of the novel his attitude changes. Feelings, hitherto unknown, awaken in him for Tatyana.
Lensky was in a state of love (“sang love”).
Differences in perception of life
According to Onegin, existence is meaningless and empty. The days are filled with melancholy and despondency. There are no goals, no striving forward.
Lensky soars on the bustle. His romantic, emotional and naive nature is not characterized by a deep understanding of life.
Conclusion
Onegin and Lensky are clear opposites. They are distinguished by their character, ideals, attitude to life and love. Deep in Onegin’s soul lies a good beginning, but internal conflicts and disharmony are obvious to the reader.
Lensky appears as freedom-loving and dreamy, sincerely believing in his ideals. It is not tied to reality, it has no basis.
What is he like, a contemporary of Pushkin? When you read, or rather, enjoy reading Pushkin’s masterpiece, it seems that Alexander Sergeevich was writing about himself.
He calls his main character “my good friend,” among Onegin’s friends are friends of Pushkin himself, and Pushkin himself is invisibly present everywhere in the novel. However, it would be too primitive to say that Onegin is a self-portrait. Pushkin’s soul is too complex and incomprehensible, too multifaceted and contradictory to be reflected in one “typical representative” of the “golden age”. This is probably why he lived his short life in the novel. bright life the young idealist Lensky is also part of the poet’s soul. Onegin and Lensky, both beloved by the author, so similar and different, close and distant, like the poles of one planet, like two halves of one soul... How youth inevitably ends, how maturity of mind inevitably comes, and with it conformism, so inevitable for Pushkin in the novel the death of a young romantic.
Eugene Onegin receives a typical aristocratic upbringing. Pushkin writes: “At first Madame followed him, then Monsieur replaced her.” They taught him everything jokingly, but Onegin still received the minimum knowledge that was considered mandatory among the nobility. Pushkin, making sketches, seems to remember his youth:
*We all learned a little bit
* Something and somehow,
* So upbringing, thank God,
* It’s no wonder to shine here...
*He is completely French
* Could express himself and wrote;
* Danced the mazurka easily
* And he bowed casually;
*What do you want more?
* The light decided
* That he is smart and very nice.
In terms of intelligence, Onegin stands much higher than his peers. He knew a little classic literature, had an idea about Adam Smith, read Byron, but all this does not lead either to romantic, fiery feelings, like Lensky, or to a sharp political protest, like Griboyedov’s Chatsky. A sober, “chilled” mind and satiety with the pleasures of the world led to the fact that Onegin loses interest in life, he falls into a deep blues:
* Handra was waiting for him on guard,
* And she ran after him,
* Like a shadow or a faithful wife.
Out of boredom, Onegin tries to look for the meaning of life in some activity. He reads a lot, tries to write, but the first attempt did not lead to anything. Pushkin writes: “But nothing came of his pen.” In the village where Onegin goes to collect his inheritance, he makes another attempt at practical activity:
* He is the yoke of the ancient corvée
* Replaced quitrent with light one;
* And the slave blessed fate.
* But in his corner he sulked,
* Seeing terrible harm in this,
* His calculating neighbor...
But the lordly aversion to work, the habit of freedom and peace, lack of will and pronounced selfishness - this is the legacy that Onegin received from the “high society”.
In contrast to Onegin, in the image of Lensky a different type of noble youth is given. Lensky plays a significant role in understanding the character of Onegin. Lensky is a nobleman, younger than Onegin in age. He was educated in Germany: He brought the fruits of learning from foggy Germany, An ardent and rather strange spirit...
Lensky's spiritual world is associated with a romantic worldview; he is “an admirer of Kant and a poet.” His feelings dominate his mind, he believes in love, in friendship, in the decency of people, he is an irreparable idealist who lives in a world of beautiful dreams. Lensky looks at life through rose-colored glasses, he naively finds a kindred spirit in Olga, the most ordinary girl. The cause of Lensky’s death was indirectly Onegin, but in fact he dies from rough contact with cruel reality. What do Onegin and Lensky have in common? Both belong to a privileged circle, they are smart, educated, in their internal development, they stand above those who surround them, Lensky’s romantic soul looks for beauty everywhere. Onegin went through all this, tired of the hypocrisy and depravity of secular society. Pushkin writes about Lensky: “He was a dear ignoramus at heart, he was cherished by hope, and there was a new shine and noise in the world.” Onegin listened to Lensky’s passionate speeches with the elder’s smile; he tried to restrain his irony: “And I thought: it’s stupid for me to interfere with his momentary bliss; and without me the time will come; let him live for now and believe in the perfection of the world; forgive the fever youth and youthful heat and youthful delirium.” For Lensky, friendship is an urgent need of nature, while Onegin makes friends “for the sake of boredom,” although in his own way he is attached to Lensky. Lensky, who does not know life, embodies a no less common type of progressive noble youth, just like Onegin, who is disappointed in life.
Pushkin, contrasting two young people, nevertheless notes common character traits. He writes: “They got together. Wave and stone, poetry and prose, ice and fire are not so different from each other.” “Not so different from each other.” How to understand this phrase? In my opinion, what unites them is that they are both self-centered, this bright personalities who are focused only on their supposedly unique personality. “The habit of counting everyone as zeros and oneself as ones” was sooner or later bound to lead to a break. Onegin is forced to kill Lensky. Despising the world, he still values its opinion, fearing ridicule and reproach for cowardice. Because of a false concept of honor, he destroys an innocent soul. Who knows what Lensky’s fate would have been like if he had remained alive. Perhaps he would have become a Decembrist, or maybe just a common man. Belinsky, analyzing the novel, believed that Lensky was waiting for the second option. Pushkin writes: “He would have changed in many ways, would have parted with the muses, gotten married, been happy in the village and would have worn a quilted robe.”
I think Onegin was still internally deeper than Lensky. His “sharp, chilled mind” is much more pleasant than Lensky’s sublime romanticism, which would quickly disappear, like flowers disappear in late autumn. Only deep natures can experience dissatisfaction with life, Onegin is closer to Pushkin, he writes about himself and about him: L was embittered, he was gloomy, We both knew the game of passion, The life of both of us was tormented, The heat went out in both hearts.
Pushkin openly admits his sympathy for him; many lyrical digressions in the novel are devoted to this. Onegin suffers deeply. This can be understood from the lines: “Why wasn’t I wounded by a bullet in the chest? Why am I not a frail old man like this poor tax farmer? I am young, the life in me is strong; what should I expect? melancholy, melancholy!..” Pushkin embodied in Onegin many of those traits that would later appear in individual characters of Lermontov, Turgenev, Herzen, Goncharov and other writers. And romantics like Lensky cannot withstand the blows of life: they either reconcile with it or perish.
Answer from Atmir F.C.D.M.[guru]
it seems that main character The novel is not Onegin, but Pushkin himself. He is present everywhere: at the ball, and in the theater - ironically watching his hero, and in the village, and in the squalid living rooms of small nobles, and in the garden by the bench on which Tatyana remained sitting after the rebuke given to her by her loved one. . The heroes of the novel are surrounded by Pushkin’s friends: either Chaadaev will rush by, then Vyazemsky’s glasses will sparkle, then the sound of the sea will be heard at the feet of the young Mashenka Raevskaya - the future princess Volkonskaya, then in the unpublished tenth chapter Yakushkin’s shadow will flash with a dark threat... And everywhere from behind you can see the smile of Alexander Pushkin himself. For the poet, the novel was, in his words, the fruit of “a mind of cold observations and a heart of sorrowful observations.”
We learn almost as much about the author as we do about Eugene Onegin. They are similar in many ways; it is not for nothing that Pushkin immediately said about Evgeniy that he is “my good friend.” Pushkin writes about himself and Onegin:
We both knew the game of passion:
Life tormented both of us;
The heat died down in both hearts...
The author, like his hero, tired of the bustle, cannot help but despise people of the world in his soul, tormented by memories of his youth, bright and carefree. Pushkin likes Onegin’s “sharp, chilled” mind, his dissatisfaction with himself and the anger of his gloomy epigrams.
The poet inevitably notes his difference from Onegin. About Onegin he writes that “no matter how hard we fought, he could not distinguish iambic from trochee.” Pushkin, unlike Onegin, takes poetry seriously, calling it a “high passion.” Onegin does not understand nature, but the author dreams of a quiet, calm life in a paradise where he could enjoy nature. Pushkin writes: “The village where Onegin was bored was a charming corner.” Pushkin and Onegin, for example, perceive theater differently. For Pushkin, the St. Petersburg theater is a magical land that he dreams of in exile. Onegin “enters, walks between the chairs along the legs, the double lorgnette, squinting, points at the boxes of unfamiliar ladies,” and then, barely glancing at the stage, with an absent-minded look, “turned away and yawned.” Pushkin knows how to rejoice in what Onegin is so bored and disgusted with.
For Onegin, love is “the science of tender passion”; Pushkin has a different attitude towards women; real passion and love are available to him. The world of Onegin and Pushkin is a world of social dinners, luxurious entertainment, drawing rooms, balls, this is the world of high-ranking persons, this is the world of high society, which is far from easy to get into. Reading the novel, we gradually understand Pushkin’s attitude towards secular society and the noble class, to which he himself belongs by birth.
It is not easy for Pushkin to live, much more difficult than for Onegin. Onegin is disappointed in life, he has no friends, no creativity, no love, no joy, Pushkin has all this, but no freedom - he is expelled from St. Petersburg, he does not belong to himself. Onegin is free, but why does he need freedom? He languishes both with her and without her, he is unhappy because he does not know how to live the life that Pushkin lives. Onegin doesn’t need anything, and that’s his tragedy. If Pushkin enjoys nature, then Onegin is not given this, because he clearly sees that “boredom is the same in the village”
Finishing the novel, Pushkin again turns his gaze to those whom he loved in his youth, to whom he remained faithful in heart. No matter how different Pushkin and Onegin may be, they are from the same camp; they are united by dissatisfaction with the way Russian reality works. The smart, mocking poet was a real citizen, a man who was not indifferent to the fate of his country. Many of Pushkin's friends believed that he transferred his features to Lensky and portrayed himself in him. But in lyrical digressions, Pushkin shows an ironic attitude towards Lensky. He writes about him: “He would have changed in many ways, would have parted with the muses, gotten married in the village, happy and horned, would have worn a quilted robe.” Pushkin dreamed of making Onegin a Decembrist, and this reflected all his respect for his hero
