Anfisa Nilovna Khlestova is one of the minor characters in A.S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit.” It is interesting that the prototype of the Moscow lady depicted by the poet is the same famous Natalya Dmitrievna Ofrosimova, who under the name of Maria Dmitrievna Akhrosimova, depicted by L.N. Tolstoy in the novel “War and Peace”.

Unlike the original, the heroine of "Woe from Wit" is not so smart, but has the same absurd character, and also unceremoniously communicates with others. Griboedov in the image of Khlestova shows not only the features characteristic of the prototype: in her portrait there is also a lot from other old Moscow ladies - powerful, outspoken, and in many ways cruel. Khlestova does not mince words; her speech is lively and vivid. She does not always speak competently, but sincerely, without trying to please anyone, everything that comes to mind.

In Famusov’s house, Khlestova’s confidence is also explained by the fact that she is the owner’s sister-in-law. She has known Chatsky since he was still a child, nevertheless, it is she who supports and develops the rumor about his madness, first explaining its origins excessive consumption wine and champagne, and then for reasons related to education.

At the ball, she attracts attention because she knows everything, argues with everyone, is merciful with those who try to please her, and does not stand on ceremony with others. For her, a blackamoor and a dog are the same: everything serves as entertainment for her.

Khlestova is a typical Moscow lady who lives by rumors and gossip, suffers from idleness, and treats her loved ones. In the comedy "Woe from Wit" Khlestova is among those who represent the "past century", which Chatsky criticizes. Like other minor characters who form the moral-descriptive background of the plot, Khlestova is nevertheless endowed with individual characteristics. Despite the fact that Khlestova appears on the periphery of the play, she represents a certain character with certain traits, and not some role or type.

As in other characters, in the manifestations of Khlestova’s character there are both negative and positive features: Having so easily picked up the rumor about Chatsky’s madness, the lady immediately expresses hope that he will still be cured. Khlestova’s character was shaped by the Moscow nobility: Griboyedov exposes not her personal shortcomings and vices, but the society that contributes to the formation of such characters.

Option 2

Anfisa Khlestova is the most striking heroine of the secondary characters in the comedy “Woe from Wit.” For the first time, the heroine appears in 3 acts during dinner at Famusov’s house. This female image Griboedov based the film on the famous socialite Natalya Ofrosimova.

Anfisa Khlestova was not particularly intelligent, but had a quarrelsome disposition. In addition, the heroine did not have a good upbringing and could talk unceremoniously with people. Khlestova can express herself vividly and piercingly. There is cruelty, authority and revelation in it. At the same time, she can express herself illiterately and does not try to please anyone. Anfisa is Famusov's sister-in-law and therefore behaves confidently while living in his house. Anfisa was an elderly and rich lady of 65 years old. She was always angry and angry. According to Famusov, the heroine was never married and had no children.

When Khlestova appears at the ball, she attracts attention with unceremonious conversations. She began to argue with those who tried to please her. And she did not perceive those who simply wanted to talk to her as people. Anfisa was a typical city lady who loved to gossip, bully relatives and suffer from idleness. She had a dog and her own slave, a black girl, who is just a toy for a rich mistress. Despite her unceremoniousness and lack of education, the heroine always followed the fashion of secular women

Khlestova held high positions in society. The author indicated that Anfisa Nilovna was the first maid of honor of Empress Catherine. She also led the landowners and knew who was rich. The noblewoman's particular weakness was playing cards.

Anfisa Khlestova refers to the negative images of Griboyedov's comedy. With her behavior, Khlestova does not evoke any sympathy or sympathy from readers. Her characteristic features are rudeness, lack of education, excessive rudeness, unceremoniousness. She always followed fashion and had no preferences. At the same time, the heroine sympathized with Molchalin, who could flatter and pay special attention to every woman. The character and views of the heroine were formed in a noble family and in a society of rich people. Such negative qualities do not bring Khlestakova closer to Natalya Ofrosimova.

Essay on the topic Anfisa Nilovna Khlestova

When I read “Woe from Wit,” I remember most of all the secondary character - Anfisa Nilovna Khlestova. And I remember her, of course, not from the best side. She should have been an educated woman due to her rank and age, she was sixty-five years old, but what was my disappointment when she not only did not support Chatsky, did not hear his thoughts, but also agreed with Famusov that Chatsky probably , gone crazy. But first things first.

Anfisa Nilovna is an elderly lady, a rich noblewoman, for whom everything that is in her property, be it people or things, is all just a reason for entertainment. She is Famusov’s sister-in-law because she is Sophia’s aunt. Khlestova herself probably has children. The author does not give exact information on this matter, but he says that some sister-in-law of Famusov has children, so we can conclude that the allusion is precisely to Anfisa Nilovna. By nature, she is very angry and constantly angry, but, like almost all of Famusov’s guests at the dinner party, she adheres to fashion, confirmation of this is her secular outfit and the small Spitz dog that she carries with her. At the same time, she also bought a blackamoor servant, as she calls the black girl, who is also partly amusement for Mrs. Khlestova.

We can say that Anfisa Nilovna’s rank and place in society were the highest at that time in Moscow, she was even the first maid of honor for the wife of Peter I, Catherine I, although this is questioned, because the comedy takes place in 1822, while Catherine died in 1727. One more important detail The image of Khlestova can be considered her omniscience in the affairs of other landowners, she knows who has how many serfs, who is how rich.

Anfisa Nilovna says that she sees no point in education, which really amazed me, because I thought that it was impossible to achieve such success in the hierarchy of society as she did without studying anything at all, but she refutes all my theories. Khlestova is also quite a gambling person, she constantly plays cards, and at the evening she beats Princess Tugoukhovskaya.

To summarize, we can say that Khlestova is one of the most negative characters in the comedy. A character who doesn't evoke any sympathy or sympathy. She is a rude, harsh, boorish and uneducated representative of the upper class of society, who, like many comedy characters, foolishly follows fashion, denies education and gives sympathy to Molchalin, who flatters her and everyone he sees. Khlestova is a typical representative of “ Famusov society».

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The street of my childhood will be remembered for the rest of my life. I still live on it, but I can say with confidence that even when I leave and live very far away, I will remember it as if I see it with my own eyes, right now.

All the heroes of Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” can be divided into two camps. One of them contains representatives of the “old order” - people who believe that it is necessary to live the way our parents lived, and any deviations from this norm are unforgivably destructive; the second is aimed at the development and transformation of society. The first camp is very numerous, in fact, we can say that the entire aristocratic society of Moscow and people close to it belong here, the most prominent representative of this group is Pyotr Famusov, his name is symbolically named for the totality of all the characters who support this same position. The second category is not so numerous and is represented by only one character - Alexander Chatsky.

Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov

Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov is an aristocrat by birth. He is in the civil service as a manager. Famusov is already an accomplished official - he surrounded himself with relatives in the affairs of the service, this state of affairs allows him to commit the necessary atrocities in the service and not be afraid to be punished for it. So, for example, he officially registers Molchalin as an archive worker, but this is just theoretically; in fact, Molchalin performs the duties of Famusov’s personal secretary.

Pavel Afanasyevich does not disdain bribes; he likes people who are ready to curry favor with their superiors.

Famusov’s family life also did not turn out in the worst way - he was married twice. From the first barque he has a daughter, Sonya. Famusov always took an active part in her upbringing, but he did this not because of his convictions, but because it was accepted in society.

At the time of the story, she is already an adult girl of marriageable age. However, Pavel Afanasyevich is in no hurry to marry off his daughter - he wants to find a worthy candidate for her. According to Famusov, this should be a person of significant financial security, who is in the service and strives to get a promotion.

A person’s financial situation becomes a measure of his importance in society and nobility in the eyes of Famusov. He rejects the importance of science and education. Famusov believes that education does not bring the desired positive results - it is just a waste of time. By the same principle, he determines the significance of art in human life.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the image of Famusov, the main character of A. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit.”

Famusov has a complex character, he is prone to conflicts and quarrels. His servants often suffer from unlawful attacks and abuse from their master. Famusov will always find something to complain about, so not a single day goes by without swearing.

Famusov is guided by the basic physiological needs of the body: satisfying hunger and thirst, the need for sleep and rest; based on this position, it is difficult for him to accept and understand achievements of an intellectual nature.

For Famusov, a person’s moral character is not important. He himself often deviates from the norms of humanity and morality and does not consider this something terrible; it is more correct to say that he does not even think about the moral side of his actions; for Famusov it is important to achieve his goal, no matter what way.

He cares little about how things are going in the service - the necessity and schedule of his visits to other nobles is of great importance to Famusov. This state of affairs is primarily due to his service to officials, and not to business - in other words, the quality and productivity of his work is not important to Famusov - he believes that the ability to please a higher official is more important than a job well done.

Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin

Alexey Stepanovich Molchalin is a simple man by birth, he acquires the title of nobleman with the help of Famusov.

Alexey Stepanovich is a poor man, but his wealth lies in his ability to curry favor and please his boss. It is thanks to these skills that Molchalin puts Famusov in a favorable mood towards himself. According to the papers, Alexey Stepanovich is listed as an archive worker government agency, in which Famusov serves as manager. However, in fact this is not the case. Molchalin performs the duties of Famusov’s personal secretary, but has nothing to do with the work in the archive - this arrangement was a strategically important move - Famusov saves on his secretary’s salary (he is paid for this by the state). Molchalin does not oppose this state of affairs, thanks to the fictitious design

Molchalin makes career progress and even received the rank of nobility. More than anything else, Alexey Stepanovich wants to become a full member of Famus’s, and therefore aristocratic, society.

He is ready to pay any price for it. To do this, Molchalin always tries to please Famusov, “plays love” with his daughter Sonya, and even walks around Famusov’s house on tiptoe so as not to disturb the household.

No matter how hard Molchalin tries, his true desires break through from time to time. So, for example, he cares for Sonya Famusova, but at the same time he has a real feeling for the maid Lisa.

For Molchalin, the choice between Sonya and Lisa automatically means a choice between the aristocracy and abandonment of it. His feelings for Lisa are real, so Molchalin plays a double game, courting both girls.

Sofya Pavlovna Famusova

Sofya Pavlovna Famusova is the daughter of Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov, an important official and nobleman. Sonya lost her mother early; she was raised by her father and then by a French governess. Sophia received her basic education at home; she also knew how to dance and play the piano well. musical instruments- piano and flute. At the time of the story, she is 17 years old - she is a girl of marriageable age.

Dear schoolchildren! On our website you can familiarize yourself with materials for essays on A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”

Her father hopes that her future husband will be Skalozub, but Sophia herself has no predisposition towards this rude and ignorant man.

According to Chatsky, Sonya has the potential to develop a humanistic beginning, but the influence of her father and his erroneous views on her daughter is gradually reducing it.

Sophia does not value her gentlemen - she plays with them like living dolls. The girl likes it when people please her and praise her in every possible way. Since Molchalin copes best with this task, then, accordingly, he enjoys the girl’s favor the most. Despite the fact that Famusov considers Molchalin a promising young man, he still financial situation unsatisfactory - Sonya is a rich heiress and her husband must correspond to her position - both social and financial. Therefore, when Famusov finds out about the love of young people, it causes a storm of indignation in him. Sophia is naive and trusting - she believes that Molchalin’s relationship towards her is sincere and the young man is really in love with her, until the last moment she does not want to believe the obvious - Molchalin simply uses her to achieve his own goal and only after she Having witnessed a scene exposing the two-facedness of her lover, the girl admitted her mistake.

Sergey Sergeevich Skalozub

Sergei Sergeevich Skalozub is a wealthy military man with the rank of colonel. In society, his name is automatically considered synonymous with a bag of gold - his financial security is so great. The colonel is a typical representative of the aristocracy, leading an active social life, he is a regular guest at balls and dinner parties, and can often be seen at the theater or at the card table.

He has a noticeable appearance - his height is great, and his face is not devoid of attractiveness. However, the entire appearance of a noble man of Moscow society is spoiled by his lack of education and stupidity. Skalozub’s goal in life is to rise to the rank of general, which he successfully achieves, not through valiant service, but through money and connections. However, one cannot ignore the fact that Skalozub took part in military campaigns, for example, in a company against Napoleonic troops, and even has several military awards. Skalozub, like Famusov, does not like reading books and considers them just a piece of furniture.

At the same time, he is an unpretentious person; he pays little attention to symbolism and attribution. Famusov hopes that Sergei Sergeevich will become his son-in-law. Skalozub himself is not averse to getting married, but the situation is complicated by Sonya’s hostility and her love for Molchalin.

Anfisa Nilovna Khlestova

Anfisa Nilovna Khlestova is Famusov’s sister-in-law, and therefore Sonya Famusova’s aunt. She also belongs to the hereditary nobility. At the time of the story she is a woman old age- she is 65 years old. Question about family life Khlestovoy is controversial. On the one hand, there are hints in the text that she has a family and children, on the other hand, Chatsky calls her a girl, in the sense of an old maid. It is likely that Alexander uses sarcasm in this situation and in fact Khlestova - married woman.

Anfisa Nilovna is a woman of complex character, she is rarely in a good mood, in most cases Khlestova is angry and dissatisfied. Out of boredom, Khlestova takes care of her students and dogs. There are many of both in her house. Anfisa Nilovna, like all members of the “Famus society,” denies the benefits of education and science in general. Khlestova’s special passion is the card game - in which the old woman is quite successful and from time to time remains with a decent winning in her hands.

Platon Mikhailovich Gorich

Platon Mikhailovich Gorich is a nobleman by birth, a good friend of Famusov. He devoted his entire life to a military career and retired as an officer. Until recently, he was a strong and active person, but after retiring he began to lead a measured and lazy way of life, which negatively affected his health.

He is a married man. His wife was a young woman, Natalya Dmitrievna. However, Gorich’s marriage did not bring happiness; on the contrary, he feels like an unhappy person and sincerely regrets the time when he was free and independent from family life. Gorich is henpecked, he always obeys his wife’s wishes and is afraid to contradict her. Natalya Dmitrievna constantly controls and takes care of her husband, which irritates Platon Mikhailovich, but he silently suppresses his indignation.

Gorich very much regrets his retirement; he really misses the carefree military life. Bored, he sometimes plays the flute. Gorich is a frequent guest at balls and dinner parties. He himself hates social life, but fulfills his wife’s wishes and appears with her in high society. Platon Mikhailovich has an extraordinary mind and life wisdom. Alexander Chatsky notes that he is positive and good man and has friendly feelings towards him.

Anton Antonovich Zagoretsky

Anton Antonovich Zagoretsky is a regular at balls and dinner parties. He leads an active social life. Nothing is known about his occupation. However, the fact that Zagoretsky allows himself to linger at social events all the time until victory and return home at dawn makes it possible to make assumptions that Anton Antonovich is neither in the military nor in the civil service. Anton Antonovich is a rogue and a cheater. Without exaggeration, all of Moscow knows about his card frauds and dishonest winnings. Zagoretsky is the bearer of all kinds of gossip. It is he who spreads the news about the madness of Alexander Chatsky. Zagoretsky is a stupid person, he believes that the fables are seriously written about animals and does not see an allegory and denunciation in them human vices.

Prince and Princess Tugoukhovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tugoukhovsky is an elderly man. He and his wife are raising six daughters.
Pyotr Ilyich fully lives up to his surname - he is very hard of hearing and uses a special horn to enhance the perception of sounds, but this measure does not help him much - since he is very hard of hearing, he does not take part in the conversation - his speech is limited to exclamations.

Princess Tugoukhovskaya actively commands her husband, who unquestioningly fulfills all her demands and orders.

Princes Tugoukhovsky often go out into the world to find a worthy husband for their daughters. The prince and princess believe that only a very wealthy person can suit them as a son-in-law, so they invite only very rich people to visit them.

Princess Tugoukhovskaya, in unison with the entire Famus society, supports the opinion about the absurdity of education and science. Her measure of the importance of a person, as in the case of Famusov, becomes the ranks and material support of a person, and not the morality and honesty of his actions. Like many aristocrats, the princess loves to play cards, but she is not always able to play to her advantage - losses are not an isolated phenomenon in the life of the princess.

Maxim Petrovich

Maxim Petrovich is the uncle of Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov. At the time of the story he is no longer alive. However, his ingenuity and resourcefulness allowed this man to gain a permanent foothold in the memories of the aristocracy and become a subject to be imitated.

Maxim Petrovich was at the court of Catherine II. His material base was so large that it allowed him to maintain about a hundred servants.

One day, during a reception with the Empress, Maxim Petrovich stumbled and fell. The Empress was very amused by this incident, so Maxim Petrovich, noticing this, deliberately falls several more times. Thanks to this trick, Maxim Petrovich received favor in the service and a quick promotion up the career ladder.

Repetilov

Mr. Repetilov is an old acquaintance of Chatsky. He has a lot of shortcomings, but at the same time he is a kind and positive person.

Repetilov has no talents - he a common person, at one time he began to realize himself as a civil official, but nothing meaningful came of it and Repetilov left the service. He is a very superstitious person. Repetilov constantly deceives people and lies. People around you know about this tendency young man and ridicule this quality of his.

Repetilov knows no limits when it comes to drinking and often gets drunk to the point of death. He loves balls and dinner parties. Repetilov is aware of his vices and negative character traits, but is in no hurry to change. He considers himself a stupid and clumsy person, this is true. Repetilov has an aversion to reading books. Repetilov is a married man, but he was not successful as a husband and father - he often deceived his wife and neglected his children. Repetilov - has a weakness for card games, but at the same time he is very unlucky at cards - he constantly loses.

Thus, Famus society is a symbiosis of old conservative views and lack of education. Representatives of this category are all poorly educated - they believe that science does not bring benefit to society and therefore the level of personal education and the education of those around them is of little interest to them. In relation to other people, they are rarely restrained and tolerant (unless this concerns people of equal status with them in the social and financial sphere or those who are one level or slightly higher). All representatives of Famus society revere rank, but not all of them are careerists - laziness becomes a frequent reason for the lack of desire among these aristocrats to begin service or to do their work well.

Apr 22 2010

The prototype of Khlestova is the powerful and influential Nastasya Dmitrievna Ofrosimova, who belonged to the highest Moscow circle. Leo Tolstoy also described it in War and Peace. Mentioning “Nestor of the noble scoundrels,” who exchanged his serfs for dogs, Griboyedov probably had in mind General Izmailov, a serf-owning landowner, a libertine, who, according to contemporaries, “4 servants who served him for 30 years, exchanged the landowner Shibyakin for 4 greyhounds." Contemporaries and researchers tried to establish prototypes of Chatsky. When it was written, a rumor spread that Chaadaev was depicted in it. This rumor even reached Pushkin, who was in Mikhailovsky, and in one of his letters he asked about its justice.

Chaadaev was close to Griboyedov, and there is no doubt that he, a man of outstanding intelligence and strong character, rose up in Griboyedov’s creative imagination when he drew the appearance of his Chatsky. There is also no doubt that Chaadaev’s features appear in Griboyedovsky’s appearance. Chatsky also captured the features of another friend of Griboedov, the passionate and honest Kuchelbecker, a knight of the Decembrist movement, one of those “young people” in whose souls “the fervor for the creative, high and beautiful arts” was aroused.

But fleshing out the characters did not remove their typicality. One of his contemporaries notes:

“When Woe from Wit appeared, everyone immediately gave it justice, but including many who characters they imagined and even recognized the depiction of living Moscow personalities and found the main advantage of this beautiful dramatic satire in the fidelity of the portraits. The view is completely wrong. Griboyedov did not even think about painting portraits; if this were so, then the meaning of “Woe from Wit” would be very short-lived; it would have been lost along with the death of those who served as originals for the essays. And in the continuation of their lives, the dignity of the essay would be much lower than the true one. Griboyedov superbly captured and depicted not individual personalities, but types, of which the work will be very long lasting, and the merit and glory of his masterful work will be just as long lasting.” On this occasion, in our time, A.V. Lunacharsky rightly remarked about the characters of the comedy: “These people are taken synthetically. With Griboyedov, everything corresponds to reality, everything is pure artistic realism, the product is given without any mixture. A real, authentic portrait begins only where it synthesizes the whole person in his most characteristic features and into broad types. The truthful type is a portrait, and the wider it captures, the more artistic and social significance it acquires.”

It depicts such features of life and human relationships that went far beyond early XIX V. Chatsky became a symbol of nobility and love of freedom for the next generation. Silence, Famusism, Skalozubovism have become common names to denote everything low and vulgar, bureaucracy, rude martinetry, etc. It is important to note that in his comedy Griboedov strives to reveal in the particular, individual, the general that is inherent in a given era and a given environment. The principle of generalization” through the image of the individual is consistently carried through the entire comedy. Scenes and episodes from the private life of one noble family reveal typical features and paint a social portrait of an entire social circle at a time of intensification of the struggle between two opposing camps in Russian society of the Decembrist era. The fate of one progressive, thinking young man reflects the fate of an entire generation of freedom-loving, Decembrist-minded youth.

Griboyedov was able to give not only a picture of enormous general significance, to reveal the essential, typical aspects of Russian reality of his time, but also to identify the main conflict of the era. The conflict that formed the basis of the comedy amazed contemporaries with its vital truthfulness and historical fidelity. It flowed from the socio-political situation of that time, revealing the very essence of the socio-political struggle of the Decembrist era, the struggle of two public camps that formed after the Patriotic War. This conflict permeates the entire course of the comedy, the entire set of relationships between its characters, giving the content of “Woe from Wit” unity and solidity. The conflict between the serf-owners' camp and the young free-lovers, from among whom the Decembrists emerged, is expressed in the comedy in the clash of two worldviews, two belief systems, opposing moral principles, in the differences in the characters' behavior in everyday life, and finally, in personal intimate relationships that undergo changes in the course of development conflict of the play. The comedy would never have acquired the vitality with which it still amazes us if the conflict depicted in it were not connected with the fate of specific individuals - with intimate relationships its main characters. That is why the conflict in “Woe from Wit,” deeply historical in its core, has universal significance and meaning: there is a struggle between an intelligent, honest, freedom-loving person and vices embodied in specific images. It should be noted that the conflict developing in “Woe from Wit” manifests itself in sharp clashes, in an ever-increasing struggle between opposing sides.

The conflict of the comedy also determines its composition. It is built according to a very clear and simple plan. He himself points out this in a letter to Katenin, revealing Griboyedov’s compositional comedy and dramatic principles. “You find the main flaw in the plan,” the playwright wrote, “it seems to me that it is simple and clear in purpose and execution; a girl who is not stupid herself prefers a fool smart person(not because our sinners have an ordinary mind, no! and in my comedy there are 25 fools for one sane person); and this man, of course, is contrary to the society around him, no one understands him, no one wants to forgive him, why is he a little higher than others. Out of anger, someone made up an idea about him that he was crazy, no one checked and everyone repeated it, the voice of general hostility reaches him, moreover, the dislike of the girl for whom he came to Moscow alone is completely explained to him, he and he didn’t give a damn in everyone’s eyes and was like that. The queen is also disappointed about her honey sugar. What could be more complete than this?..”

Need a cheat sheet? Then save - "Characteristics of the image of Khlestova in the work of Griboedov. Literary essays!

The prototype of Khlestova is the powerful and influential Nastasya Dmitrievna Ofrosimova, who belonged to the highest Moscow circle. Leo Tolstoy also described it in War and Peace. Mentioning “Nestor of the noble scoundrels”, who exchanged his serfs for dogs, Griboyedov probably had in mind General Izmailov, a serf-owning landowner, a libertine, who, according to contemporaries, “4 servants who served him for 30 years, exchanged the landowner Shibyakin for 4 greyhounds." Contemporaries and researchers tried to establish prototypes of Chatsky. When the comedy was written, a rumor spread that Chaadaev was featured in it. This rumor even reached Pushkin, who was in Mikhailovsky, and in one of his letters he asked about its justice.

Chaadaev was close to Griboyedov, and there is no doubt that the image of him, a man of outstanding intelligence and strong character, arose in Griboyedov’s creative imagination when he painted the appearance of his Chatsky. There is also no doubt that Chaadaev’s features appear in the appearance of Griboyedov’s hero. Chatsky also captured the features of another friend of Griboedov, the passionate and honest Kuchelbecker, a knight of the Decembrist movement, one of those “young people” in whose souls “the fervor for the creative, high and beautiful arts” was aroused.

But fleshing out the characters did not remove their typicality. One of his contemporaries notes:

“When “Woe from Wit” appeared, everyone immediately gave it justice, but there were many who imagined and even recognized the image of living Moscow personalities in the characters and found the main advantage of this beautiful dramatic satire in the fidelity of the portraits. The view is completely wrong. Griboyedov did not even think about painting portraits; if this were so, then the meaning of “Woe from Wit” would be very short-lived; it would have been lost along with the death of those who served as originals for the essays. And in the continuation of their lives, the dignity of the essay would be much lower than the true one. Griboedov superbly captured and portrayed not individual personalities, but types whose lives are very long, and the merit and glory of his masterful work will be just as long-lasting." On this occasion, in our time, A. V. Lunacharsky rightly remarked about the characters of the comedy: "These people are taken synthetically. In Griboedov everything corresponds to reality, everything is pure artistic realism, the product is given without any mixture. A real, authentic portrait begins only where it synthesizes the whole person in his most characteristic features and into broad types. portrait, and the wider it captures, the more artistic and social significance it acquires.”

The comedy depicts features of life and human relationships that went far beyond the early 19th century. Chatsky became a symbol of nobility and love of freedom for the next generation. Silence, Famusism, Skalozubovism have become common names to denote everything low and vulgar, bureaucracy, rude martinetry, etc. It is important to note that in his comedy Griboedov strives to reveal in the particular, individual, the general that is inherent in a given era and a given environment. The principle of generalization" through the depiction of the individual is consistently carried through the entire comedy. In the scenes and episodes of the private life of one noble family, typical features are revealed, a social portrait of an entire social circle is drawn at the moment of intensification of the struggle of two opposing camps in Russian society of the Decembrist era. In the fate of one advanced thinking young man reflects the fate of an entire generation of freedom-loving, Decembrist-minded youth.

Griboyedov was able to give not only a picture of enormous general significance, to reveal the essential, typical aspects of Russian reality of his time, but also to identify the main conflict of the era. The conflict that formed the basis of the comedy amazed contemporaries with its vital truthfulness and historical fidelity. It flowed from the socio-political situation of that time, revealing the very essence of the socio-political struggle of the Decembrist era, the struggle of two public camps that formed after Patriotic War. This conflict permeates the entire course of the comedy, the entire set of relationships between its characters, giving the content of “Woe from Wit” unity and solidity. The conflict between the serf-owners' camp and the young free-lovers, from among whom the Decembrists emerged, is expressed in the comedy in the clash of two worldviews, two belief systems, opposing moral principles, in the differences in the characters' behavior in everyday life, and finally, in personal intimate relationships that undergo changes in the course of development conflict of the play. The comedy would never have acquired the vitality with which it still amazes today if the conflict depicted in it were not connected with the fate of specific individuals - with the intimate relationships of its main characters. That is why the conflict in “Woe from Wit,” deeply historical in its core, has universal significance and meaning: there is a struggle between an intelligent, honest, freedom-loving person and vices embodied in specific images. It should be noted that the conflict developing in “Woe from Wit” manifests itself in sharp clashes, in an ever-increasing struggle between opposing sides.

The conflict of the comedy also determines its composition. It is built according to a very clear and simple plan. The author himself points to this in a letter to Katenin, revealing the compositional plan of the comedy and Griboyedov’s dramatic principles. “You find the main flaw in the plan,” the playwright wrote, “it seems to me that it is simple and clear in purpose and execution; a girl who is not stupid herself prefers a fool to an intelligent person (not because our sinners have an ordinary mind, no! and in my comedy there are 25 fools for one sane person); and this man, of course, is contrary to the society around him, no one understands him, no one wants to forgive him, why is he a little higher than others. Out of anger, someone made up an idea about him that he was crazy, no one checked and everyone repeated it, the voice of general hostility reaches him, moreover, the dislike of the girl for whom he came to Moscow alone is completely explained to him, he and he didn’t give a damn in everyone’s eyes and was like that. The queen is also disappointed about her honey sugar. What could be more complete than this?..”

The image of a poor official is traditional for Russians writers of the 19th century century. However, this topic was explored by writers in different ways, and this image underwent significant changes. To reveal the image of a poor official, the most important are two completely different aspects: voluntary resignation to the position of a powerless person (“little man”), the thought of the impossibility of changing anything (Evgeniy in “ Bronze Horseman» A.S. Pushkin, Bashmachkin from the story by N.V. Gogol's "The Overcoat", some heroes of F.M. Dostoevsky) and the completely opposite desire to achieve “known degrees”, not disdaining any means. This image of a poor official (Molchalin) is presented in A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit.” Molchalin is modest and helpful, because “in ranks... small”, he cannot do without “patrons”, even if he has to depend entirely on their will, he is in love “by position”, “with the pleasure of the daughter of such a person” as Famusov , “who feeds and waters, // And sometimes gives rank...”. Khlestakov is a kind of “successor” to Molchalin. Like Molchalin, Khlestakov has extraordinary adaptability. He easily assumes the role of an important person: he gets acquainted with officials, accepts petitions, and begins, as befits a “significant person,” to “scold” the owners for nothing, making them “shake with fear.” Talking about his studies in St. Petersburg, Khlestakov involuntarily betrays a “desire for honors beyond merit,” which is similar to Molchalin’s attitude towards service: he wants to “win awards and have fun.” However, Khlestakov, unlike Molchalin, is much more carefree and flighty; his “lightness” “in thoughts... extraordinary” is created with the help of a large number of exclamations, while the hero of Griboyedov’s play is more cautious.

Part 2

What is “Khlestakovism”?

The concept of Khlestakovism came to us from the immortal comedy of N.V. Gogol's "The Inspector General", which was written in 1835. The author himself spoke about his comedy this way: “In The Inspector General, I decided to put everything bad in Russia into one pile... and laugh at everything at once.” Central character plays by N.V. Gogol called Khlestakov. So who is he, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, and why did his last name begin to be used as a common noun?

N.V. Gogol managed to create a collective and somewhat exaggerated image of a vulgar and worthless little man. Finding himself passing through a county town, Khlestakov loses at cards and is left penniless. City officials mistake him for an auditor from St. Petersburg. At first, Khlestakov is surprised by their behavior, but then, having entered into the role, he begins to consider himself a “significant person.” Under the influence of circumstances, he grows in his own eyes, so he lies more and more boldly (the author uses the grotesque technique when creating the image of the hero). From a collegiate registrar who simply rewrites papers, in a matter of minutes he grows almost to a “field marshal” who “goes to the palace every day” and “is on friendly terms with Pushkin.” At the mayor’s reception, his boasting takes on truly fantastic proportions: “thirty-five thousand couriers alone” are looking for him in the streets, because there is no one else to manage the department, “soup in a saucepan arrived from Paris directly on the ship,” and in his hall “ Counts and princes are milling around." Khlestakov speaks and acts without any consideration. His speech is intermittent and vulgar. It seems that the words come out of his mouth completely unexpectedly. This is one of those people who are called empty, a soap bubble that inflates to incredible sizes, and then suddenly bursts, as if it had never existed. (This is how the author himself characterizes Khlestakov “for gentlemen actors”).

Since then, arrogant, unrestrained, deceitfully frivolous boasting has come to be disparagingly called Khlestakovism. The Khlestakovs have always been there, at all times. But only after the release of “The Inspector General” this phenomenon received a name and entered the dictionaries. In the Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language, edited by Ozhegov, we read: “Khlestakovism is shameless, unbridled boasting.” So what is the essence of this vice? This phenomenon is tenacious and has many faces. Khlestakovism is stupidity, spiritual emptiness, primitiveness, opportunism. Such people like to show off, they want to seem more significant than they really are. These are braggarts, boasters and fanfare. Probably, we all sometimes become Khlestakovs, because we so want to seem more significant, to grow in our own eyes. Gogol wrote: “Everyone, at least for a minute... has become or is becoming a Khlestakov... In a word, it is rare that someone will not be one at least once in their life...”

Comedy N.V. Gogol's "The Inspector General" had a huge influence on Russian society of that time. More than a century and a half has passed since then, and Khlestakovs still exist today; this concept has not become archaic, which means that the comedy of the great writer is still relevant today.