The problem of life values

arguments for an essay

What is the meaning of life? Why is a person born, lives and dies? Is it really just to eat, sleep, just go to work, give birth to children? Almost all world literature strives to answer two interrelated philosophical questions: “What is the meaning of life?” and “What values ​​should a person be guided by in order to live a life worth living?”
Life values They call those ideas and ideas that become the main ones that determine the life of a particular person. It is customary to distinguish between material and spiritual values. Based on them, a person builds his life, his relationships with people.

So,

The life values ​​of the representatives of the “Famus society” were money, connections with higher ranks, power and everything connected with these concepts. In pursuit of them, these people stop at nothing: meanness, hypocrisy, deception, currying favor with their superiors - all these are the favorite methods of Famusov and others like him to achieve their goal. That’s why they hate Chatsky’s freedom-loving and independent ideals so much. His desire to be useful to society, his desire to bring enlightenment to the masses, his desire to achieve success in life only thanks to his knowledge and skills cause misunderstanding and irritation in them. The misunderstanding is to such an extent that it is easier for them to declare him crazy than to at least try to understand his thoughts.
Natasha Rostova

The meaning of life is seen in family, love for family and friends. After her wedding to Pierre, she almost never appears in society, devoting herself entirely to her husband and children. But Natasha’s love and mercy extend not only to her family. Yes, she definitely chooses helping wounded soldiers , temporarily in Moscow after the Battle of Borodino. She understands that they do not have enough strength to get out of the city, where Napoleonic troops are about to enter. Therefore, the girl, without regret, forces her parents to give the wounded carts designed to transport numerous things from their home. The son-in-law of the Rostov family, Berg, makes a completely different choice. The main thing for him now is to make money, to buy things profitably that the owners are happy to sell for next to nothing. He comes to the Rostovs with one single request - to give him men and a cart to load the cabinet and wardrobe that he likes.

Before us is a certain rich man, whose goal in life is similar to the goals of a great many people: to earn capital, get married, have children and die at a respectable age. His existence is monotonous, without emotional outbursts, without doubts and mental anguish. Death overtakes him unexpectedly, but it, like a litmus test, reveals the full value of the Master’s life. It is symbolic that if at the beginning of his sea voyage the hero travels first class in luxurious cabins, then back he, forgotten by everyone, floats in a dirty hold, next to shellfish and shrimp. Bunin thus seems to equate the value of this person with creatures who spend their entire lives only eating plankton. Thus, according to Bunin, the fate of the Master from San Francisco and others like him symbolizes the meaninglessness of human life, its emptiness. A life lived without emotional turmoil, doubt, ups and downs, lived with the sole purpose of satisfying personal interests and material needs, is insignificant. Quick oblivion is the logical conclusion of such a life.

L.N. Tolstoy was a writer of enormous global scale, since the subject of his research was man, his soul. For Tolstoy, man is part of the Universe. He is interested in the path a person’s soul takes in its quest for the high, the ideal, in its quest to know itself. It is no coincidence that, recalling the works of Tolstoy, we also recall the term first introduced into literary use by N.G. Chernyshevsky "dialectics of the soul". N.G. Chernyshevsky wrote: " Psychological analysis can accept various directions: one poet is most interested in the outlines of characters; another - influence public relations and clashes on characters, the third - the connection of feelings with actions... Count Tolstoy, most of all, the mental process itself, its forms, its laws, the dialectics of the soul..." Let's take a closer look at how this process is shown in the immortal epic novel Count L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace". The main problem that the writer poses in his novel is the problem of human happiness, the problem of searching for the meaning of life. His favorite heroes are Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov, Natasha and Nikolai Rostov, heroes who are searching, tormented, suffering. They are characterized by a restless soul, a desire to be useful, needed, loved. I would like to dwell in more detail on the personality of the most beloved and close to the writer - the personality of Pierre Bezukhov. Like Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre is honest and highly educated. - a rationalist (for him, reason prevails over feelings), then Bezukhov is “a spontaneous nature, capable of acutely feeling, and is easily excited.” Pierre is characterized by deep thoughts and doubts in the search for the meaning of life. His life path is complex and tortuous. At first, under the influence of youth and the environment, he makes many mistakes: he leads the reckless life of a social reveler and slacker, allows Prince Kuragin to rob himself and marry the frivolous beauty Helen. Pierre fights in a duel with Dolokhov, breaks up with his wife, and becomes disillusioned with life. He hates everyone's admitted lies. secular society, and he understands the need to fight. At this critical moment, Bezukhov falls into the hands of the freemason Bazdeev. This “preacher” deftly places in front of the gullible count the networks of a religious-mystical society that called for the moral improvement of people and their unification on the basis of brotherly love. Pierre understood Freemasonry as a teaching about equality, brotherhood and love, and this helps him direct his efforts to the improvement of the serfs. He was going to free the peasants, establish hospitals, shelters, and schools. The War of 1812 forces Pierre to get down to business again, but his passionate appeal to help the Motherland causes general discontent among the Moscow nobility. He fails again. However, overwhelmed by a patriotic feeling, Pierre, with his own money, equips a thousand militia and himself remains in Moscow to kill Napoleon: “Either die, or stop the misfortunes of all of Europe, which, in Pierre’s opinion, originated from Napoleon alone.” An important stage in Pierre’s quest is his visit to the Borodino field at the time of the famous battle. He realized here that history is created by the most powerful force in the world - the people. Bezukhov approves words of wisdom soldier: “They want to attack all the people, one word - Moscow. They want to make one end.” The sight of animated and sweaty militia men, working in the field with loud talk and laughter, “affected Pierre more than anything that he had seen and heard so far about the solemnity and significance of the present moment.” Pierre's even closer rapprochement with ordinary people occurs after a meeting with a soldier, a former peasant, Platon Karataev, who, according to Tolstoy, is a part of the masses. From Karataev, Pierre gains peasant wisdom, in communication with him “he finds that calmness and self-satisfaction for which he had vainly strived before.” The life path of Pierre Bezukhov is typical of the best part of the noble youth of that time. It was from such people that the iron cohort of the Decembrists was made up. They have much in common with the author of the epic, who was faithful to the oath given to them in his youth: “To live honestly, you have to struggle, get confused, fight, make mistakes, start and give up again, and start again and give up again, and forever fight and lose, And peace - mental meanness." Other heroes of Tolstoy’s novel are also mentally restless: Andrei Bolkonsky, who achieves harmony with himself only on the Borodino field, Natasha, when he becomes a wife and mother, Nikolai, who has made a military career. By showing the fates of his heroes, Tolstoy confirmed his thought: “Man is everything, all possibilities, he is a fluid substance.” Tolstoy managed to fulfill the main task - to show and capture the moment of fluidity of life.

Many writers and poets in their works touched on the topic of truth and the meaning of life. But, just as in life, it is very difficult for the heroes of their works to find this meaning, to discover at least a piece of this divine secret. Reading such works, you involuntarily gather together all the views and worldviews, both positive and negative heroes. And a general picture of your own worldview emerges, your vision of the world, your attitude to this or that event takes shape. The hero of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” finds the truth in a particularly unusual, scary and contradictory way. From the very beginning, Rodion Raskolnikov, a hero of the times, a former student, rushes through the streets of St. Petersburg in some kind of inexpressible melancholy and frenzy. He is driven by the thought of some business, which arose in him a month ago and does not give him peace. He is so close to realizing this idea now. This idea is to kill the old pawnbroker, from whom he was forced to pawn a ring - a gift from his sister. But what was the reason for such a terrible thought? If we analyze the situation, it turns out that he is rushing about in search of the meaning of life, in search of justice and truth. Raskolnikov at this time is no longer a student, but an “idle, wandering personality.” Out of idleness, he embarks on a search, creates his own theory, and so far it remains only a theory. What happens next when Raskolnikov is already plotting murder? An accidentally overheard conversation between an officer and a student in a tavern about how the old woman is profiting from someone else’s grief and tears strengthens Raskolnikov’s confidence that “the old woman is harmful.” But he does not understand that by killing the old woman, he will not save himself and others from suffering, because, indeed, her life means “on the general scale... No more than the life of a louse.” He believes that by committing this murder, he will do a good deed for many people, which will bring the world closer to truth and justice through his act. But he forgets about many things, loses sight of the fact that such old women were, are and will be, and you cannot kill all the bad people in the name of the good - by destroying the bad, you will also lose the good. Six months ago, when Raskolnikov was forced to leave the university, he, a former law student, wrote an article “On Crime,” where he considered “ psychological condition criminal throughout the entire course of the crime.” He says in the article that people, according to the law of nature, are divided “into two categories”: lower and higher, that in the name of ideas and justice, the highest category of people can commit a crime. Here it is, his terrifying theory of justice, which will be followed by testing it in practice... but it will refute the theory. Raskolnikov himself is a very controversial person. No wonder Dostoevsky gave him such a surname. Indeed, Raskolnikov’s soul is, as it were, “split” into two parts. One of them is cold-blooded, indifferent, she makes herself known constantly. It is she who creates the theory. But there is another, full of compassion and kindness. This other half does good deeds: he gives the last money to Marmeladov’s family, helps the old father of a deceased comrade, pulls children out of a burning house. These two very different properties of his soul constantly contradict each other. Because of this, Raskolnikov suffers, until the last moment not knowing exactly what is the best thing to do. But poverty, hunger, debts, a letter from his mother, general need and grief push Raskolnikov to commit a crime, but this is not just the murder of the old woman and Elizabeth. “I killed myself,” he will say to Sonya Marmeladova. Which Raskolnikov did he kill? The one who created the theory and committed the murder, or the one who helped the Marmeladovs? Raskolnikov spends the month from the murder to the confession in an intense struggle with himself. And yet he confesses. Sonya tells him that only a sincere confession will atone for his guilt, she awakens him to life, melts the ice in his soul. What after the confession? Did Raskolnikov find answers to his questions? Has a piece of truth been revealed to him? At first glance, Raskolnikov changed, began to read the Gospel, calmly contemplate the world with Sonya. Of course, one cannot forget what happened to him, but... the question immediately arises: has Raskolnikov resigned himself to his fate? Perhaps he gave up the search for truth, was tired of life, realized that the truth would not be found... And came to the conclusion that it is precisely such a “humble” life that provides answers to all questions?

The meaning of life is in religion.

The Christian understanding of the meaning of life, death and immortality comes from the Old Testament provision: “The day of death better than the day birth” (Ecclesiastes) and the New Testament commandment of Christ: “I have the keys of hell and death.” The divine-human essence of Christianity is manifested in the fact that the immortality of the individual as an integral being is conceivable only through resurrection. The path to it is opened by the atoning sacrifice of Christ through the cross and resurrection. This is the sphere of mystery and miracle, for man is taken out of the sphere of action of natural-cosmic forces and elements and is placed as a person face to face with God, who is also a person. Thus, the goal of human life is deification, movement towards eternal life. Without realizing this, earthly life turns into a dream, an empty and idle dream, a soap bubble. In essence, it is only a preparation for eternal life, which is just around the corner for everyone. That is why it is said in the Gospel: “Be prepared: for at an hour you do not think the Son of Man will come.” To prevent life from turning, in the words of M. Yu. Lermontov, “into an empty and stupid joke,” one must always remember the hour of death. This is not a tragedy, but a transition to another world, where myriads of souls, good and evil, already live, and where each new one enters for joy or torment. In the figurative expression of one of the Orthodox hierarchs: “A dying person is a setting star, the dawn of which is already shining over another world.” Death does not destroy the body, but its corruption, and therefore it is not the end, but the beginning of eternal life. Christianity associated a different understanding of immortality with the image of the “Eternal Jew” Ahasferus. When Jesus, exhausted under the weight of the cross, walked to Golgotha ​​and wanted to rest, Ahasferus, standing among others, said: “Go, go,” for which he was punished - he was forever denied rest graves. From century to century he is doomed to wander the world, waiting for the second coming of Christ, who alone can deprive him of his hateful immortality. The image of “mountainous” Jerusalem is associated with the absence of disease, death, hunger, cold, poverty, enmity, hatred, malice and other evils there. There is life without labor and joy without sorrow, health without weakness and honor without danger. All in blooming youth and the age of Christ are comforted by bliss, tasting the fruits of peace, love, joy and fun, and “they love each other as themselves.” Evangelist Luke defined the essence of the Christian approach to life and death this way: “God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Because everyone is alive with him.” Christianity categorically condemns suicide, since a person does not belong to himself, his life and death are “in the will of God.” Other world religion- Islam is based on the fact that man was created by the will of almighty Allah, who is above all merciful. To a person’s question: “Will I be killed alive when I die?” Allah gives the answer: “Won’t man remember that we created him before, and he was nothing?” Unlike Christianity, earthly life in Islam is highly regarded. However, on the Last Day, everything will be destroyed and the dead will be resurrected and appear before Allah for final judgment. belief afterlife is necessary, because in this case a person will evaluate his actions and actions not from the point of view of personal interest, but in the sense of an eternal perspective. The destruction of the entire Universe on the day of the Just Judgment presupposes the creation of a new perfect world. A “record” of deeds and thoughts, even the most secret ones, will be presented about each person, and an appropriate sentence will be passed. Thus, the principle of the supremacy of the laws of morality and reason over physical laws will triumph. A morally pure person cannot be in a humiliated position, as is the case in real world. Islam strictly prohibits suicide. The descriptions of heaven and hell in the Koran are full of vivid details, so that the righteous can be fully satisfied and the sinners can get what they deserve. Paradise is the beautiful “gardens of eternity, below which flow rivers of water, milk and wine”; there are also “pure spouses”, “full-breasted peers”, as well as “black-eyed and big-eyed, decorated with bracelets of gold and pearls”. Those sitting on carpets and leaning on green pillows are walked around by “forever young boys” offering “bird meat” on golden dishes. Hell for sinners is fire and boiling water, pus and slop, the fruits of the “Zakkum” tree, similar to the head of the devil, and their destiny is “screams and roars.” It is impossible to ask Allah about the hour of death, since only he has knowledge about this, and “what has been given to you to know, Maybe the hour is already close.” The attitude towards death and immortality in Buddhism differs significantly from Christian and Muslim ones. Buddha himself refused to answer the questions: is he who knows the truth immortal or is he mortal?, and also: can he who knows be mortal and immortal at the same time? In essence, only one type of “wonderful immortality” is recognized - nirvana, as the embodiment of the transcendental Superbeing, the Absolute Beginning, which has no attributes. Since personality is understood as the sum of dharmas that are in a constant flow of reincarnation, then the absurdity and meaninglessness of the Chain of natural births follows. The Dhammapada states that “birth again and again is sorrowful.” The way out is the path of finding nirvana, breaking through the chain of endless rebirths and achieving enlightenment, the blissful “island” located in the depths of the human heart, where “they own nothing” and “covet nothing.” The well-known symbol of nirvana - the extinguishing of the ever-quivering fire of life well expresses the essence of Buddhist understanding of death and immortality. As the Buddha said: “One day in the life of a person who has seen the immortal path is better than a hundred years of existence of a person who has not seen higher life" A calm and peaceful attitude towards life, death and immortality, the desire for enlightenment and liberation from evil is also characteristic of other Eastern religions and cults. In this regard, attitudes towards suicide are changing; it is considered not so sinful as senseless, for it does not free a person from the circle of births and deaths (samsara), but only leads to birth in a lower incarnation. One must overcome such attachment to one's personality, for, in the words of the Buddha, “the nature of personality is continuous death.” One of the wisest poets of the 20th century. W. Whitman expressed this idea this way: you need to live “calmly smiling at Death.” Getting rid of the sources of suffering, “darkened actions and defilements” (selfishness, anger, pride, false views, etc.) and the power of one’s “I” during life is the best way to achieve immortality. In the history of the spiritual life of mankind there have been many concepts of life, death and immortality, based on a non-religious and atheistic approach to the world and man. Irreligious people and atheists are often reproached for the fact that for them earthly life is everything, and death is an insurmountable tragedy, which, in essence, makes life meaningless. L.N. Tolstoy, in his famous confession, painfully tried to find the meaning in life that would not be destroyed by the death that inevitably awaits every person. For a believer, everything is clear here, but for an unbeliever, an alternative of three arises. possible ways solutions to this problem. The first way is to accept the idea, which is confirmed by science and simply common sense, that complete destruction of even an elementary particle is not possible in the world, but conservation laws apply. Matter, energy and, it is believed, information and organization of complex systems are conserved. Consequently, particles of our “I” after death will enter into the eternal cycle of existence and in this sense will be immortal. True, they will not have consciousness, the soul with which our “I” is connected. Moreover, this type of immortality is acquired by a person throughout his life. You can even say in the form of a paradox: we are alive only because we die every second. Every day, red blood cells in the blood, epithelial cells on our mucous membranes die, hair falls out, etc. Therefore, it is in principle impossible to fix life and death as absolute opposites, either in reality or in thought. These are two sides of the same coin. In the face of death, people are in the full sense of the word equal to each other, as well as to any living creature, which erases the inequality on which earthly life is based. Therefore, calm perception of the thought of absence eternal life my “I” and understanding the inevitability of merging with the “indifferent” nature is one of the ways of a non-religious approach to the problem of immortality. True, in this case the problem of the Absolute arises, on which you can base your moral decisions. A.P. Chekhov wrote: “You need to believe in God, and if there is no faith, then do not take its place with hype, but search, search, search alone, alone with your conscience.”

Unified State Examination essay:

Probably, each of us will someday think about why we were born and try to determine our purpose. For example, your neighbor sees the meaning of his life in a holiday abroad, a car of a certain brand, a model spouse... Does this mean that your priorities should be set in this way? How to live, in the words of the author of the text proposed for discussion, “the time allotted by nature”? Looking for an answer to this question famous writer B.L. Vasiliev, raising the problem of the meaning of life.

Analyzing this issue, the author compares the life of an animal and a person and finds out that if the “sum of embedded energy” is correlated with the life span of the animal, then the time allotted to a person “does not fit into the dates on gravestone" It is important for B. Vasiliev to show that a person, unlike an animal, lives not only the “time allotted by nature” - absolute time, but also relative time, when seconds can drag on like hours, and days can fly by like moments. In the central part of the text, the writer deduces the dependence of the time allotted to a person on his spiritual culture. Indeed, the higher the culture, the more opportunities. This, from the author's point of view, explains why everyone's relative time is different. The key, from my point of view, is the final part of the text, in which the hero-narrator refers to his childhood memories: it was then that he heard from his father important words about the role of labor, which “became the main commandment, the alpha and omega” of the worldview.

I would like to substantiate my point of view by referring to the work of F.M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment”. Before us is the main character - former student Rodion Raskolnikov. Analyzing the article in which his idea of ​​​​dividing people into two groups is outlined, you understand that the meaning of life for Rodion was the desire to make sure whether he could step over blood for the sake of a great goal. Dostoevsky convincingly shows that the goals of the protagonist turn out to be destructive not only for himself. Alienated from people, Raskolnikov, his unhappy mother and sister, Sonya Marmeladova, who followed him to hard labor - these heroes became hostages of the immoral idea that Raskolnikov accepted as the meaning of life.

I would like to substantiate my position by referring to the work of Khaled Hosseini “The Kite Runner”. One of the main characters is the son of an influential aristocrat, Amir. Using his example, the author shows that the path to correct understanding The meaning of life can go through mistakes. The main character sacrifices a measured family life, a successful career as a writer, tranquility, and fame in order to fulfill his duty as a brother and friend, to wash away the stain of shame - this is where Amir sees the meaning of his life. The story of the main character leaves no room for doubt: it is important that moral values ​​occupy the main place in life.

When you search a search engine for the question “what is the meaning of life?”, you will receive thousands of different answers. Appeal to the texts of B.L. Vasilyeva, F.M. Dostoevsky, H. Hosseini helped me understand: no matter how we define the purpose of our life, it is important to remember the laws of morality and not cross them.

Text by F. M. Dostoevsky

(1) Man was created to last for centuries, judging by the enormous, incomparable waste of energy. (2) The lion, having killed the antelope, rests for a day in a well-fed sleep. (3) After an hour-long battle with an opponent, a powerful elk stands in the thicket for half a day, frantically moving its sunken sides. (4) Aitmatov’s Karanar accumulated strength for a year to rage, rage and triumph for half a month. (5) For a person, such feats are the brilliance of a moment, for which he pays with such a small fraction of his reserves that he does not need rest at all.

(6) The goal of the beast is to live out the time allotted by nature. (7) The amount of energy embedded in it is correlated with this period, and a living creature spends not as much as it wants, but as much as it needs, as if some kind of dosing device is provided in it: the beast does not know desire, it exists according to the law of necessity. (8) Isn’t that why animals don’t suspect that life is finite?

(9) The life of animals is the time from birth to death: animals live in absolute time, not knowing that there is also relative time; in this relative time only man can exist. (10) His life never fits into the dates on the gravestone. (11) It is larger, it contains seconds known only to him, which dragged on like hours, and days that flew by like moments. (12) And the higher a person’s spiritual structure, the more opportunities he has to live not only in absolute, but also in relative time. (13) For me, the global super task of art is its ability to prolong human life, imbue it with meaning, teach people to actively exist in relative time, that is, to doubt, feel and suffer.

(14) This is about spirituality, but also in the ordinary, physical life a person is obviously given more “fuel” than is needed in order to live according to the laws of nature. (15) Why? (16) For what purpose? (17) After all, in nature everything is reasonable, everything has been verified, tested over millions of years, and even the appendix, as it turned out, is still needed for something. (18) Why was a huge supply of energy many times greater than needed given to man?

(19) I asked this question in the fifth or sixth grade, when I got to elementary physics, and decided that it explained everything. (20) And she really explained everything to me then. (21) Except for humans. (22) But I couldn’t explain it. (23) It was here that the straightforward logic of knowledge ended and the frighteningly multivariate logic of understanding began.
(24) At that time, of course, I didn’t imagine this, but the energy balance did not converge, and I asked my father why a person was given so much.

− (25) For work.

“(26) I see,” I said, not understanding anything, but did not ask questions.

(27) This property - to agree with the interlocutor not when I have understood everything, but when I have not understood anything - is apparently inherent in me by nature. (28) In everyday life, it always bothered me, because I couldn’t get out of my troubles, writing my own theories, hypotheses, and often laws. (29) But there was still one beneficial side to this strangeness: I remembered without understanding, and got to the bottom of the answers myself; now it’s not so important that most often the answer was wrong. (30) Life requires from a person not answers, but desires
look for them.

(31) I am writing about this only for the sake of two words from my father, which determined the whole meaning of existence for me. (32) This became the main commandment, the alpha and omega of my worldview. (33) And I became a writer, probably not at all because I was born with such brilliance in my eyes, but only because I sacredly believed in the need for persistent, daily, frantic work.

(According to B.L. Vasiliev*)

The problem of finding the meaning of life

Life is a movement along an endless road. Some travel along it “for official reasons,” asking questions: why did I live, for what purpose was I born? ("Hero of our time"). Others are frightened by this road, running to their wide sofa, because “life touches you everywhere, it gets you” (“Oblomov”). But there are also those who, making mistakes, doubting, suffering, rise to the heights of truth, finding their spiritual self. One of them - Pierre Bezukhov - the hero of the epic novel L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" .

At the beginning of his journey, Pierre is far from the truth: he admires Napoleon, is involved in the company of the “golden youth”, participates in hooligan antics along with Dolokhov and Kuragin, and too easily succumbs to rude flattery, the reason for which is his enormous fortune. One stupidity is followed by another: marriage to Helen, a duel with Dolokhov... And as a result - a complete loss of the meaning of life. “What's wrong? What well? What should you love and what should you hate? Why live and what am I?” - these questions scroll through your head countless times until a sober understanding of life sets in. On the way to him, there is the experience of Freemasonry, and observation of ordinary soldiers in the Battle of Borodino, and a meeting in captivity with the folk philosopher Platon Karataev. Only love moves the world and man lives - Pierre Bezukhov comes to this thought, finding his spiritual self.

The problem of freedom of choice (choice of path)

We all know the painting by V. Vasnetsov “The Knight at the Crossroads”. He stands in front of the Prophetic Stone, where it is inscribed: “If you go to the right, you will lose your horse, you will save yourself; If you go to the left, you will lose yourself, but you will save your horse; If you go straight, you’ll lose both yourself and your horse.” The knight hung his head: it’s hard for him, he has to choose a path, and that choice is fraught with temptation, struggle, deprivation and loss. The mystery of the eternal human soul, however, is hidden in folk wisdom. To go to the right means to follow the path of truth, the false path of deceit is to the left, and straight is the path of ascent “through thorns to the stars.” And each of us chooses our own path...

The writer has Ivan Shmeleva amazing story "Inexhaustible Chalice" about the talented serf artist Ilya Sharonov. This story is about spiritual joy, about overcoming sin with light.

Master Lyapunov found out about the talent of his slave and sent him to study in the monastery of painters - the Eternal City of Rome. Ilya learned many new names in that city: Titian and Rubens, Raphael and Tintoretto - the great artists of the Renaissance. He learned a lot at the Vatican Terminelli workshop. Commissioned by the cardinal, he painted a church painting - the face of St. Cecilia - no worse than the eminent Vatican masters. The time has come to return, the master persuades him to stay: “Great is your talent, become free in a free country.” Ilya could not accept the teacher’s offer, because he promised his people to return to their native places and serve them faithfully. When he returned, he painted two portraits: one of Anastasia Lyapunova as earthly woman, the other - in the image of the Most Pure Virgin with a halo on her head. The monastery accepted an icon called the “Inexhaustible Chalice”, and it had miraculous power - it healed the sick and poor. The parting words of the Russian draftsman Ivan Mikhailov came true: “Remember, Ilya: the people gave birth to you, and you must serve the people!” This was the free choice of the “unfree” talented artist, the serf Ilya Sharonov.

The problem of relating to the past, loss of memory, roots

“Disrespect for ancestors is the first sign of immorality” (A.S. Pushkin). A man who does not remember his kinship, who has lost his memory, Chingiz Aitmatov called mankurt ( "Stormy Station" ). Mankurt is a man forcibly deprived of memory. This is a slave who has no past. He does not know who he is, where he comes from, does not know his name, does not remember his childhood, father and mother - in a word, he does not recognize himself as a human being. Such a subhuman is dangerous to society, the writer warns.

Quite recently, on the eve of the great Victory Day, young people were asked on the streets of our city whether they knew about the beginning and end of the Great Patriotic War, about who we fought with, who G. Zhukov was... The answers were depressing: the younger generation does not know dates of the start of the war, names of commanders, many have not heard about Battle of Stalingrad, about the Kursk Bulge...

The problem of forgetting the past is very serious. A person who does not respect history and does not honor his ancestors is the same mankurt. I just want to remind these young people of the piercing cry from the legend of Ch. Aitmatov: “Remember, whose are you? What is your name? Your father is Donenby!”

The problem of losing (gaining) purpose in life

“A person needs not three arshins of land, not an estate, but the entire globe. All of nature, where in the open space he could demonstrate all the properties of a free spirit,” wrote A.P. Chekhov. Life without a goal is a meaningless existence. But the goals are different, such as, for example, in the story "Gooseberry". Its hero, Nikolai Ivanovich Chimsha-Himalayan, dreams of purchasing his own estate and planting gooseberries there. This goal consumes him entirely. In the end, he reaches her, but at the same time almost loses his human appearance (“he has become plump, flabby... - just behold, he will grunt into the blanket”). A false goal, an obsession with the material, narrow, and limited, disfigures a person. He needs constant movement, development, excitement, improvement for life...

The problem of meanness, betrayal and moral fortitude

Honor and dishonor, courage, heroism and betrayal, choice of life path - these problems became the main ones in the novel V. Kaverina “Two Captains” . More than one generation of Soviet boys was brought up using the example of the main character of the novel, Sanya Grigoriev. This hero “made” himself. Left orphaned, he runs away from home with a friend, ends up in an orphanage in Moscow, meets the Tatarinov family and learns about the lost expedition of “St. Mary”. Then he decides to unravel her secret. He persistently searches for evidence that his cousin, Nikolai Antonovich Tatarinov, is related to the death of Captain Tatarinov.

On the path of life, Sanya more than once encountered the baseness and meanness of his classmate Romashka. During the war, he leaves the seriously wounded Sanya in the forest, taking his documents and weapons. Having met Katya Tatarinova, Romashov deceives her, saying that Grigoriev has gone missing. But the truth about betrayal put everything in its place: Romashov is arrested, Sanya unites with Katya and after the war continues the search for the expedition.

“Fight and search, find and not give up” - the life principle of Sanya Grigoriev helps him to survive in the fight against hypocrites, slanderers, traitors, helps him maintain love, faith in people, and finally tell the whole truth about the missing expedition of Captain Tatarinov.

The problem of indifference, moral callousness

Winter evening. Highway. Comfortable car. It is warm and cozy, with music playing, occasionally interrupted by the announcer's voice. Two happy, intelligent couples are going to the theater - a meeting with the beautiful lies ahead. Don't let this wonderful moment of life get away! And suddenly the headlights pick out in the darkness, right on the road, the figure of a woman “with a child wrapped in a blanket.” “Not normal!” - the driver screams. And that's it - darkness! There is no former feeling of happiness from the fact that your loved one is sitting next to you, that very soon you will find yourself in a soft chair in the stalls and will be spellbound to watch the performance.

It would seem a trivial situation: they refused to give a ride to a woman with a child. Where? For what? And there is no space in the car. However, the evening is hopelessly ruined. The situation is “déjà vu,” as if it had already happened, the heroine of A. Mass’s story flashes through her mind. Of course, it happened - and more than once. Indifference to the misfortune of others, detachment, isolation from everyone and everything - phenomena are not so rare in our society. This is exactly the problem in one of his stories in the cycle "Vakhtangov Children" the writer raises Anna Mass. In this situation, she is an eyewitness to what happened on the road. After all, that woman needed help, otherwise she would not have thrown herself under the wheels of the car. Most likely, she had a sick child; he had to be taken to the nearest hospital. But their own interests turned out to be higher than the manifestation of mercy. And how disgusting it is to feel powerless in such a situation, you can only imagine yourself in the place of this woman, when “people happy with themselves in comfortable cars rush past.” I think the pangs of conscience will torment the soul of the heroine of this story for a long time: “I was silent and hated myself for this silence.”

“People satisfied with themselves”, accustomed to comfort, people with petty proprietary interests are the same heroes Chekhov, “people in cases.” This is Dr. Startsev in "Ionyche", and teacher Belikov in "Man in a Case" . Let us remember how plump, red Dmitry Ionych Startsev rides “in a troika with bells,” and his coachman Panteleimon, “also plump and red,” shouts: “Keep it right!” “Keep the law” - this is, after all, detachment from human troubles and problems. There should be no obstacles on their prosperous path of life. And in Belikov’s “no matter what happens,” we hear the sharp exclamation of Lyudmila Mikhailovna, a character in the same story by A. Mass: “What if this child is contagious? By the way, we also have children!” The spiritual impoverishment of these heroes is obvious. And they are not intellectuals, but simply philistines, ordinary people who imagine themselves to be “masters of life.”

The problem of the relationship between government and people

Problems of the relationship between the individual and the totalitarian state, the confrontation between moral and immoral value systems, slave psychology, freedom of choice are raised in the philosophical fairy tale-drama E. Shvarts “Dragon” .

Before us is the city of the Dragon, where on the main building there is an inscription: “People are definitely not allowed to enter!” Let us pay attention to the fact that the word “unconditionally” here is not introductory, but serves as a categorical imperative. And in this city live “armless souls, legless souls, cop souls, chained souls, damned souls, holey souls, corrupt souls, burnt souls, dead souls.” In the dragon city, everyone thinks alike, speaks in unison, holds rallies on especially important days, and discusses previously decided issues. Everyone regularly chants: “Hail the Dragon!” The main virtues in the city are obedience and discipline. Unanimity, according to the playwright, gives rise to dead souls. “Unanimity is even worse than thoughtlessness. This is a minus thought, this is the shadow of a thought, its otherworldly state” (M. Lipovetsky). Here everything is bought and sold, persecuted, killed.

A person who is inside the system does not notice any of its deformations: he has become accustomed to it, has become accustomed to the system, and is tightly tied to it. That’s why it’s not at all easy to “kill the dragon in everyone.” It is not the mass, according to E. Schwartz, that opposes the system, but the individual. The main character of the drama, Lancelot, managed, through the power of spiritual resistance to the built system, to restore faith in personal freedom, in the moral law - in these simple and unshakable human values ​​of existence.

The problem of the artist and power

The problem of the artist and power in Russian literature is perhaps one of the most painful. It is marked with particular tragedy in the history of twentieth-century literature. A. Akhmatova, M. Tsvetaeva, O. Mandelstam, M. Bulgakov, B. Pasternak, M. Zoshchenko, A. Solzhenitsyn (the list goes on) - each of them felt the “care” of the state, and each reflected it in their work. One Zhdanov decree of August 14, 1946 could have crossed out writer's biography A. Akhmatova and M. Zoshchenko. B. Pasternak created the novel “Doctor Zhivago” during a period of brutal government pressure on the writer, during the period of struggle against cosmopolitanism. The persecution of the writer resumed with particular force after he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his novel. The Writers' Union excluded Pasternak from its ranks, presenting him as an internal emigrant, a person discrediting the worthy title of a Soviet writer. And this is because the poet told the people the truth about tragic fate Russian intellectual, doctor, poet Yuri Zhivago.

Creativity is the only way for the creator to become immortal. “For the power, for the livery, do not bend your conscience, your thoughts, your neck” - this is a testament A.S. Pushkin (“From Pindemonti”) became decisive in the choice creative path true artists.

Emigration problem

There is a feeling of bitterness when people leave their homeland. Some are expelled by force, others leave on their own due to some circumstances, but not one of them forgets their Fatherland, the house where they were born, their native land. There is, for example, I.A. Bunina story "Mowers", written in 1921. This story is about a seemingly insignificant event: Ryazan mowers who came to the Oryol region are walking in a birch forest, mowing and singing. But it was precisely in this insignificant moment that Bunin was able to discern something immeasurable and distant, connected with all of Russia. The small space of the story is filled with radiant light, wonderful sounds and viscous smells, and the result is not a story, but a bright lake, some kind of Svetloyar, in which all of Russia is reflected. It is not for nothing that during the reading of “Kostsov” by Bunin in Paris at a literary evening (there were two hundred people), according to the recollections of the writer’s wife, many cried. It was a cry for lost Russia, a nostalgic feeling for the Motherland. Bunin lived in exile for most of his life, but wrote only about Russia.

Third wave emigrant S. Dovlatov, leaving the USSR, he took with him a single suitcase, “an old, plywood, covered with cloth, tied with a clothesline,” - he went with it to the pioneer camp. There were no treasures in it: a double-breasted suit lay on top, a poplin shirt underneath, then in turn a winter hat, Finnish crepe socks, driver's gloves and an officer's belt. These things became the basis for short stories-memories about the homeland. They have no material value, they are signs of priceless, absurd in their own way, but only life. Eight things - eight stories, and each is a kind of report on past Soviet life. A life that will remain forever with the emigrant Dovlatov.

The problem of the intelligentsia

According to academician D.S. Likhachev, “the basic principle of intelligence is intellectual freedom, freedom as a moral category.” An intelligent person is not free only from his conscience. The title of intellectual in Russian literature is deservedly held by heroes B. Pasternak (“Doctor Zhivago”) And Y. Dombrovsky (“Faculty of Unnecessary Things”) . Neither Zhivago nor Zybin compromised with their own conscience. They do not accept violence in any form, be it Civil War or Stalinist repressions. There is another type of Russian intellectual who betrays this high title. One of them is the hero of the story Y. Trifonova “Exchange” Dmitriev. His mother is seriously ill, his wife offers to exchange two rooms for a separate apartment, although the relationship between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law was not the best. At first, Dmitriev is indignant, criticizes his wife for lack of spirituality and philistinism, but then agrees with her, believing that she is right. There are more and more things in the apartment, food, expensive furniture: the density of life is increasing, things are replacing spiritual life. In this regard, another work comes to mind - “Suitcase” by S. Dovlatov . Most likely, the “suitcase” with rags taken by journalist S. Dovlatov to America would only cause Dmitriev and his wife a feeling of disgust. At the same time, for Dovlatov’s hero, things have no material value, they are a reminder of his past youth, friends, and creative searches.

• True and false patriotism- one of the central problems of the novel. Tolstoy’s favorite heroes do not speak high words about love for their homeland, they commit actions in its name. Natasha Rostova persuades her mother to give carts to the wounded at Borodino; Prince Bolkonsky was mortally wounded on the Borodino field. True patriotism, according to Tolstoy, lies in ordinary Russian people, soldiers who, in a moment of mortal danger, give their lives for their Motherland.
• In the novel L.N. In Tolstoy's War and Peace, some heroes consider themselves patriots and shout loudly about love for the fatherland. Others give their lives in the name of common victory. These are simple Russian men in soldier's overcoats, soldiers from Tushin's battery, who fought without cover. True patriots do not think about their own benefits. They feel the need to simply defend the land from enemy invasion. They have in their souls a genuine holy feeling of love for their homeland.

N.S. Leskov "The Enchanted Wanderer"

According to N.S.’s definition, a Russian person belongs. Leskova, “racial”, patriotic, consciousness. All the actions of the hero of the story “The Enchanted Wanderer,” Ivan Flyagin, are imbued with it. While being captured by the Tatars, he does not forget for a minute that he is Russian, and with all his soul strives to return to his homeland. Taking pity on the unfortunate old people, Ivan voluntarily joins the recruits. The hero's soul is inexhaustible, indestructible. He comes out of all life's trials with honor.

V.P. Astafiev
In one of his journalistic articles, writer V.P. Astafiev spoke about how he vacationed in a southern sanatorium. Plants collected from all over the world grew in the seaside park. But suddenly he saw three birch trees that miraculously took root in a foreign land. The author looked at these trees and remembered his village street. Love for your small homeland- a manifestation of true patriotism.

The legend of Pandora's box.
A woman discovered a strange box in her husband's house. She knew that this item was fraught with terrible danger, but her curiosity was so strong that she could not stand it and opened the lid. All sorts of troubles flew out of the box and scattered around the world. This myth sounds a warning to all of humanity: rash actions on the path of knowledge can lead to a disastrous ending.

M. Bulgakov "Heart of a Dog"
In M. Bulgakov's story, Professor Preobrazhensky turns a dog into a man. Scientists are driven by a thirst for knowledge, a desire to change nature. But sometimes progress turns into terrible consequences: a two-legged creature with a “dog’s heart” is not yet a person, because there is no soul in it, no love, honor, nobility.

N. Tolstoy. "War and Peace".
The problem is revealed through the example of the images of Kutuzov, Napoleon, Alexander I. A person who is aware of his responsibility to his homeland, people, and who knows how to understand them at the right moment is truly great. Such is Kutuzov, such are simple people in the novel, who fulfill their duty without high-sounding phrases.

A. Kuprin. "Wonderful doctor."
A man, exhausted by poverty, is ready to commit suicide in despair, but the famous doctor Pirogov, who happens to be nearby, speaks to him. He helps the unfortunate man, and from that moment the life of the hero and his family changes in the most happy way. This story eloquently shows that the actions of one person can affect the destinies of other people.

And S. Turgenev. "Fathers and Sons".
A classic work that shows the problem of misunderstanding between the older and younger generations. Evgeny Bazarov feels like a stranger to both the elder Kirsanov and his parents. And, although by his own admission he loves them, his attitude brings them grief.

L. N. Tolstoy. Trilogy “Childhood”, “Adolescence”, "Youth".
Striving to understand the world, to become an adult, Nikolenka Irtenev gradually gets to know the world, understands that much in it is imperfect, faces misunderstandings from her elders, and sometimes offends them (chapters “Classes”, “Natalya Savishna”)

K. G. Paustovsky “Telegram”.
The girl Nastya, living in Leningrad, receives a telegram that her mother is sick, but matters that seem important to her do not allow her to go to her mother. When she, realizing the magnitude of the possible loss, comes to the village, it turns out to be too late: her mother is no longer there...

V. G. Rasputin “French Lessons.”
The teacher Lydia Mikhailovna from the story by V. G. Rasputin taught the hero not only French lessons, but also lessons of kindness, empathy, and compassion. She showed the hero how important it is to be able to share someone else’s pain with a person, how important it is to understand another.

An example from history.

The teacher of the great Emperor Alexander II was famous poet V. Zhukovsky. It was he who instilled in the future ruler a sense of justice, a desire to benefit his people, and a desire to carry out the reforms necessary for the state.

V. P. Astafiev. "A horse with a pink mane."
Difficult pre-war years of the Siberian village. The formation of the hero's personality under the influence of the kindness of his grandparents.

V. G. Rasputin “French Lessons”

• The formation of the personality of the main character during the difficult war years was influenced by the teacher. Her spiritual generosity is limitless. She instilled in him moral fortitude and self-esteem.

L.N. Tolstoy “Childhood”, “Adolescence”, “Youth”
IN autobiographical trilogy The main character, Nikolenka Irtenyev, comprehends the world of adults, tries to analyze her own and other people’s actions.

Fazil Iskander “The Thirteenth Labor of Hercules”

An intelligent and competent teacher has a huge influence on the formation of a child's character.

And A. Goncharov “Oblomov”
The atmosphere of laziness, unwillingness to learn, to think disfigures the soul of little Ilya. In adult life these shortcomings prevented him from finding the meaning of life.

The lack of a goal in life and the habit of working have formed a “superfluous person,” a “reluctant egoist.”

The lack of a goal in life and the habit of working have formed a “superfluous person,” a “reluctant egoist.” Pechorin admits that he brings misfortune to everyone. Wrong upbringing disfigures the human personality.

A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit"
Education and learning are fundamental aspects of human life. Chatsky expressed his attitude towards them in monologues, main character Comedy A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit". He criticized nobles who recruited “teachers of the regiment” for their children, but as a result of literacy, no one “knew or studied.” Chatsky himself had a mind “hungry for knowledge,” and therefore turned out to be unnecessary in the society of Moscow nobles. These are the flaws of improper upbringing.

B. Vasiliev “My horses are flying”
Dr. Jansen died saving children who had fallen into a sewer pit. The man, who was revered as a saint during his lifetime, was buried by the entire city.

Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"
Margarita's self-sacrifice for her beloved.

V.P. Astafiev "Lyudochka"
In the episode with the dying man, when everyone left him, only Lyudochka felt sorry for him. And after his death, everyone only pretended that they felt sorry for him, everyone except Lyudochka. A verdict on a society in which people are deprived of human warmth.

M. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”
The story tells about the tragic fate of a soldier who lost all his relatives during the war. One day he met an orphan boy and decided to call himself his father. This act suggests that love and the desire to do good give a person strength to live, strength to resist fate.

V. Hugo "Les Miserables"
The writer in the novel tells the story of a thief. After spending the night in the bishop's house, in the morning this thief stole silverware from him. But an hour later the police detained the criminal and took him to a house where he was given lodging for the night. The priest said that this man did not steal anything, that he took all the things with the owner’s permission. The thief, amazed by what he heard, experienced a true rebirth in one minute, and after that he became an honest man.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince"
There is an example of fair power: “But he was very kind, and therefore gave only reasonable orders. “If I order my general to turn into a sea gull,” he used to say, “and if the general does not carry out the order, it will not be his fault, but mine.” .

A. I. Kuprin. "Garnet bracelet"
The author claims that nothing is permanent, everything is temporary, everything passes and goes away. Only music and love affirm true values ​​on earth.

Fonvizin "Undergrowth"
They say that many noble children, having recognized themselves in the image of the slacker Mitrofanushka, experienced a true rebirth: they began to study diligently, read a lot and grew up as worthy sons of their homeland.

L. N. Tolstoy. "War and Peace"

• What is the greatness of a person? It is where goodness, simplicity and justice are. This is exactly how L.N. created it. Tolstoy's image of Kutuzov in the novel "War and Peace". The writer calls him a truly great man. Tolstoy takes his favorite heroes away from “Napoleonic” principles and puts them on the path of rapprochement with the people. “Greatness is not where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth,” the writer asserted. This famous phrase has a modern sound.
• One of the central problems of the novel is the role of personality in history. This problem is revealed in the images of Kutuzov and Napoleon. The writer believes that there is no greatness where there is no goodness and simplicity. According to Tolstoy, a person whose interests coincide with the interests of the people can influence the course of history. Kutuzov understood the moods and desires of the masses, therefore he was great. Napoleon thinks only about his greatness, therefore he is doomed to defeat.

I. Turgenev. "Notes of a Hunter"
People, having read bright, vivid stories about peasants, realized that it was immoral to own people like cattle. A broad movement for the abolition of serfdom began in the country.

Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”
After the war, many Soviet soldiers who were captured by the enemy were condemned as traitors to their homeland. M. Sholokhov's story “The Fate of a Man,” which shows the bitter fate of a soldier, forced society to take a different look at the tragic fate of prisoners of war. A law was passed on their rehabilitation.

A.S. Pushkin
Speaking about the role of the individual in history, we can recall the poetry of the great A. Pushkin. He influenced more than one generation with his gift. He saw and heard things that an ordinary person did not notice and did not understand. The poet spoke about the problems of spirituality in art and its high purpose in the poems “Prophet”, “Poet”, “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands”. Reading these works, you understand: talent is not only a gift, but also a heavy burden, a great responsibility. The poet himself was an example of civic behavior for subsequent generations.

V.M. Shukshin "Weird"
“Crank” is an absent-minded person who may seem ill-mannered. And what prompts him to do strange things are positive, selfish motives. The weirdo reflects on problems that concern humanity at all times: what is the meaning of life? What is good and evil? Who is “right, who is smarter” in this life? And with all his actions he proves that he is right, and not those who think

I. A. Goncharov "Oblomov"
This is the image of a person who only wanted. He wanted to change his life, he wanted to rebuild the life of the estate, he wanted to raise children... But he did not have the strength to make these desires come true, so his dreams remained dreams.

M. Gorky in the play “At the Lower Depths”.
Showed the drama of “former people” who have lost the strength to fight for themselves. They hope for something good, understand that they need to live better, but do nothing to change their fate. It is no coincidence that the play begins in a rooming house and ends there.

From the history

• Ancient historians say that one day a stranger came to the Roman emperor and brought him a gift of metal as shiny as silver, but extremely soft. The master said that he extracts this metal from clay soil. The emperor, fearing that the new metal would devalue his treasures, ordered the inventor’s head to be cut off.
• Archimedes, knowing that people were suffering from drought and hunger, proposed new methods of irrigating land. Thanks to his discovery, productivity increased sharply, people stopped being afraid of hunger.
• The outstanding scientist Fleming discovered penicillin. This drug has saved the lives of millions of people who previously died from blood poisoning.
• One English engineer in the mid-19th century proposed an improved cartridge. But officials from the military department arrogantly told him: “We are already strong, only the weak need to improve weapons.”
• The famous scientist Jenner, who defeated smallpox with the help of vaccinations, was inspired by the words of an ordinary peasant woman. The doctor told her that she had smallpox. To this the woman calmly replied: “It can’t be, because I already had cowpox.” The doctor did not consider these words to be the result of dark ignorance, but began to make observations, which led to a brilliant discovery.
• The early Middle Ages are usually called the “dark ages.” The raids of barbarians and the destruction of ancient civilization led to a deep decline in culture. It was difficult to find a literate person not only among common people, but also among people of the upper class. For example, the founder of the French state, Charlemagne, did not know how to write. However, the thirst for knowledge is inherently human. The same Charlemagne, during his campaigns, always carried with him wax tablets for writing, on which, under the guidance of teachers, he carefully wrote letters.
• For thousands of years, ripe apples fell from the trees, but no one attached any significance to this common phenomenon. The great Newton had to be born in order to look at a familiar fact with new, more penetrating eyes and discover the universal law of motion.
• It is impossible to calculate how many disasters their ignorance has brought to people. In the Middle Ages, every misfortune: the illness of a child, the death of livestock, rain, drought, crop failure, the loss of something - everything was explained by the machinations of evil spirits. A brutal witch hunt began and fires started burning. Instead of treating diseases, improving agriculture, helping each other, people enormous forces wasted on a meaningless struggle with the mythical “servants of Satan,” not realizing that with their blind fanaticism, their dark ignorance they serve the Devil.
• It is difficult to overestimate the role of a mentor in the development of a person. An interesting legend is about the meeting of Socrates with Xenophon, the future historian. Once, having talked with an unfamiliar young man, Socrates asked him where to go for flour and butter. Young Xenophon answered smartly: “To the market.” Socrates asked: “What about wisdom and virtue?” The young man was surprised. “Follow me, I’ll show you!” - Socrates promised. And the long-term path to the truth connected the famous teacher and his student with strong friendship.
• The desire to learn new things lives in each of us, and sometimes this feeling takes over a person so much that it forces him to change. life path. Today, few people know that Joule, who discovered the law of conservation of energy, was a cook. The brilliant Faraday began his career as a peddler in a shop. And Coulomb worked as an engineer on fortifications and devoted only his free time to physics. For these people, the search for something new has become the meaning of life.
• New ideas make their way in a difficult struggle with old views and established opinions. Thus, one of the professors, lecturing students on physics, called Einstein’s theory of relativity “an annoying scientific misunderstanding” -
• At one time, Joule used a voltaic battery to start an electric motor he had assembled from it. But the battery charge soon ran out, and a new one was very expensive. Joule decided that the horse would never be supplanted by the electric motor, since feeding a horse was much cheaper than changing the zinc in a battery. Today, when electricity is used everywhere, the opinion of an outstanding scientist seems naive to us. This example shows that it is very difficult to predict the future, it is difficult to survey the opportunities that will open up for a person.
• In the mid-17th century, Captain de Clieu carried a coffee cutting in a pot of soil from Paris to the island of Martinique. The voyage was very difficult: the ship survived a fierce battle with pirates, a terrible storm almost broke it against the rocks. On the ship, the masts were not broken, the rigging was broken. Fresh water supplies gradually began to dry up. It was given out in strictly measured portions. The captain, barely able to stand on his feet from thirst, last drops gave away precious moisture to the green sprout... Several years passed, and coffee trees covered the island of Martinique.

I. Bunin in the story “The Gentleman from San Francisco.”
Showed the fate of a man who served false values. Wealth was his god, and this god he worshiped. But when the American millionaire died, it turned out that true happiness passed the man by: he died without ever knowing what life was.

Yesenin. "Black man".
The poem “Black Man” is the cry of Yesenin’s dying soul, it is a requiem for the life left behind. Yesenin, like no one else, was able to tell what life does to a person.

Mayakovsky. "Listen."
Internal conviction in the correctness of his moral ideals separated Mayakovsky from other poets, from the usual flow of life. This isolation gave rise to a spiritual protest against the philistine environment, where there were no high spiritual ideals. The poem is a cry from the poet’s soul.

Zamyatin "Cave".
The hero comes into conflict with himself, a split occurs in his soul. His spiritual values ​​are dying. He violates the commandment “Thou shalt not steal.”

V. Astafiev “The Tsar is a Fish.”

• In V. Astafiev’s story “The Fish Tsar,” the main character, fisherman Utrobin, having caught a huge fish on a hook, is unable to cope with it. In order to avoid death, he is forced to release her. A meeting with a fish that symbolizes the moral principle in nature forces this poacher to reconsider his ideas about life. In moments of desperate struggle with the fish, he suddenly remembers his whole life, realizing how little he has done for other people. This meeting morally changes the hero.
• Nature is alive and spiritual, endowed with moral and punitive power, it is capable of not only defending itself, but also taking retribution. An illustration of punitive power is the fate of Gosha Gertsev, the hero of Astafiev’s story “The Tsar is a Fish.” This hero is not punished for his arrogant cynicism towards people and nature. Punishing power extends not only to individual heroes. An imbalance poses a threat to all of humanity if it does not come to its senses in its intentional or forced cruelty.

I. S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons."

• People forget that nature is their native and only home, which requires careful treatment, which is confirmed in the novel by I. S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons.” The main character, Evgeny Bazarov, is known for his categorical position: “Nature is not a temple, but a workshop, and man is a worker in it.” This is exactly how the Author sees a “new” person in him: he is indifferent to the values ​​accumulated by previous generations, lives in the present and uses everything he needs, without thinking about what consequences this may lead to.
• I. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” raises the current topic of the relationship between nature and man. Bazarov, rejecting any aesthetic pleasure in nature, perceives it as a workshop, and man as a worker. Arkady, Bazarov's friend, on the contrary, treats her with all the admiration inherent in a young soul. In the novel, each hero is tested by nature. For Arkady, communication with the outside world helps to heal mental wounds; for him this unity is natural and pleasant. Bazarov, on the contrary, does not seek contact with her - when Bazarov felt bad, he “went into the forest and broke branches.” She does not give him the desired peace of mind or peace of mind. Thus, Turgenev emphasizes the need for a fruitful and two-way dialogue with nature.

M. Bulgakov. "Dog's heart".
Professor Preobrazhensky transplants part of a human brain into the dog Sharik, turning a completely cute dog into the disgusting Polygraph Polygraphovich Sharikov. You cannot mindlessly interfere with nature!

A. Blok
The problem of thoughtless, cruel man towards the natural world is reflected in many literary works. To fight it, we need to realize and see the harmony and beauty that reigns around us. The works of A. Blok will help with this. With what love he describes Russian nature in his poems! Immense distances, endless roads, deep rivers, blizzards and gray huts. This is Blok’s Russia in the poems “Rus” and “Autumn Day”. The poet's true, filial love for his native nature is transmitted to the reader. You come to the idea that nature is original, beautiful and needs our protection.

B. Vasiliev “Don’t shoot white swans”

• Now, when nuclear power plants are exploding, when oil is flowing through rivers and seas, and entire forests are disappearing, people must stop and think about the question: what will remain on our planet? In B. Vasiliev’s novel “Don’t Shoot White Swans” the author’s idea about human responsibility for nature is also heard. The main character of the novel, Yegor Polushkin, is concerned about the behavior of visiting “tourists” and the lake that has become empty at the hands of poachers. The novel is perceived as a call to everyone to take care of our land and each other.
• The main character Yegor Polushkin loves nature infinitely, always works conscientiously, lives peacefully, but always turns out to be guilty. The reason for this is that Yegor could not disturb the harmony of nature, he was afraid to invade the living world. But people did not understand him; they considered him unsuited to life. He said that man is not the king of nature, but her eldest son. In the end, he dies at the hands of those who do not understand the beauty of nature, who are accustomed only to conquering it. But my son is growing up. Who can replace his father, will respect and take care of his native land.

V. Astafiev “Belogrudka”
In the story "Belogrudka" the children destroyed the brood of a white-breasted marten, and she, mad with grief, takes revenge on the entire world around her, exterminating poultry in two neighboring villages until she herself dies from a gunshot

Ch. Aitmatov “The Scaffold”
Man, with his own hands, destroys the colorful and populous world of nature. The writer warns that the senseless extermination of animals is a threat to earthly prosperity. The position of the “king” in relation to animals is fraught with tragedy.

A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin"

In the novel by A.S. Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” the main character could not find spiritual harmony, cope with the “Russian blues”, also because he was indifferent to nature. And the author’s “sweet ideal,” Tatyana, felt like a part of nature (“She loved to warn the sunrise on the balcony...”) and therefore manifested herself in complex life situation a spiritually strong person.

A.T. Tvardovsky “Forest in Autumn”
Reading Tvardovsky’s poem “Forest in Autumn”, you are imbued with the pristine beauty of the surrounding world and nature. You hear the noise of bright yellow foliage, the crack of a broken branch. You see the light jump of a squirrel. I would like not just to admire, but to try to preserve all this beauty for as long as possible.

L. N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"
Natasha Rostova, admiring the beauty of the night in Otradnoye, is ready to fly like a bird: she is inspired by what she sees. She enthusiastically tells Sonya about the wonderful night, about the feelings that overwhelm her soul. Andrei Bolkonsky also knows how to subtly sense the beauty of the surrounding nature. During a trip to Otradnoye, seeing an old oak tree, he compares himself with it, indulging in sad reflections that life has already ended for him. But the changes that subsequently occurred in the hero’s soul are associated with the beauty and grandeur of the mighty tree that blossomed under the rays of the sun.

V. I. Yurovskikh Vasily Ivanovich Yurovskikh
The writer Vasily Ivanovich Yurovskikh, in his stories, talks about the unique beauty and wealth of the Trans-Urals, about the natural connection of a village person with the natural world, which is why his story “Ivan’s Memory” is so touching. In that small work Yurovskikh raises an important problem: human influence on environment. Ivan, the main character of the story, planted several willow bushes in a swamp that scared people and animals. Many years later. The nature around has changed: all sorts of birds began to settle in the bushes, a magpie began to build a nest every year and hatch magpies. No one wandered through the forest anymore, because the trail became a guide on how to find the right way. Near the bush you can hide from the heat, drink some water, and just relax. Good memory Ivan left himself among people, and ennobled the surrounding nature.

M.Yu Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”
The close emotional connection between man and nature can be traced in Lermontov’s story “A Hero of Our Time.” The events in the life of the main character, Grigory Pechorin, are accompanied by changes in the state of nature in accordance with changes in his mood. Thus, considering the duel scene, the gradation of the states of the surrounding world and Pechorin’s feelings is obvious. If before the duel the sky seemed to him “fresh and blue” and the sun “brightly shining,” then after the duel, looking at Grushnitsky’s corpse, the heavenly body seemed “dim” to Grigory, and its rays “did not warm.” Nature is not only the experiences of the heroes, but is also one of the characters. The thunderstorm becomes the reason for a long meeting between Pechorin and Vera, and in one of the diary entries preceding the meeting with Princess Mary, Grigory notes that “the air of Kislovodsk is conducive to love.” With such an allegory, Lermontov not only more deeply and fully reflects the internal state of the heroes, but also denotes his own, the author’s presence by introducing nature as a character.

E. Zamyatina “We”
Addressing classical literature, I would like to give an example of E. Zamyatin’s dystopian novel “We”. Refusing the natural beginning, the inhabitants of the United State become numbers, whose lives are determined by the framework of the Tablet of Hours. The beauty of native nature is replaced by perfectly proportional glass structures, and love is only possible with a pink card. The main character, D-503, is doomed to mathematically verified happiness, which is found, however, after the removal of fantasy. It seems to me that with such an allegory Zamyatin was trying to express the inextricability of the connection between nature and man.

S. Yesenin “Go away, my dear Rus'”
One of the central themes of the lyrics of the brightest poet of the 20th century S. Yesenin is nature native land. In the poem “Go you, Rus', my dear,” the poet abandons paradise for the sake of his homeland, its flock is higher than eternal bliss, which, judging by other lyrics, he finds only on Russian soil. Thus, feelings of patriotism and love for nature are closely intertwined. The very awareness of their gradual weakening is the first step towards a natural, real peace that enriches the soul and body.

M. Prishvin “Ginseng”
This topic is brought to life by moral and ethical motives. Many writers and poets turned to her. In M. Prishvin’s story “Ginseng” the characters know how to remain silent and listen to silence. For the author, nature is life itself. Therefore, his rock cries, his stone has a heart. It is man who must do everything to ensure that nature exists and does not fall silent. Nowadays this is very important.

I.S. Turgenev "Notes of a Hunter"
Deep and tender love I. S. Turgenev spoke about nature in “Notes of a Hunter.” He did this with penetrating observation. The hero of the story “Kasyan” traveled halfway across the country from the Beautiful Mosque, happily learning and exploring new places. This man felt his inextricable connection with Mother Nature and dreamed that “every person” would live in contentment and justice. It wouldn't hurt us to learn from him.

M. Bulgakov. "Fatal Eggs"
Professor Persikov accidentally breeds giant reptiles instead of large chickens that threaten civilization. Thoughtless interference in the life of nature can lead to such consequences.

Ch. Aitmatov “The Scaffold”
Ch. Aitmatov in his novel “The Scaffold” showed that the destruction of the natural world leads to dangerous human deformation. And this happens everywhere. What is happening in the Moyunkum savannah is a global problem, not a local one.

The closed model of the world in the novel by E.I. Zamyatin "We".
1) The appearance and principles of the United State. 2) The narrator, number D - 503, and his spiritual illness. 3) “The resistance of human nature.” In dystopias, the world based on the same premises is presented through the eyes of its inhabitant, an ordinary citizen, from the inside, in order to trace and show the feelings of a person undergoing the laws of an ideal state. The conflict between the individual and the totalitarian system becomes the driving force of any dystopia, allowing one to recognize dystopian features in the most diverse works at first glance... The society depicted in the novel has achieved material perfection and stopped in its development, plunging into a state of spiritual and social entropy.

A.P. Chekhov in the story "The Death of an Official"

B. Vasiliev “Not on the lists”
The works make us think about the questions that everyone strives to answer for themselves: what is behind a high moral choice - what are the forces of the human mind, soul, destiny, what helps a person resist, show amazing, amazing vitality, helps to live and die “like a human being”?

M. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”
Despite the difficulties and trials that befell the protagonist Andrei Sokolov, he always remained true to himself and his homeland. Nothing broke his spiritual strength or eradicated his sense of duty.

A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter".

Pyotr Grinev is a man of honor, in any life situation he acts as his honor tells him. Even his ideological enemy, Pugachev, could appreciate the nobility of the hero. That is why he helped Grinev more than once.

L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”.

The Bolkonsky family is the personification of honor and nobility. Prince Andrei always put the laws of honor first and followed them, even if it required incredible effort, suffering, and pain.

Loss of spiritual values

B. Vasiliev "Wilderness"
The events of Boris Vasiliev’s story “Glukhoman” allow us to see how in today's life the so-called “new Russians” strive to enrich themselves at any cost. Spiritual values ​​have been lost because culture has disappeared from our lives. Society split, and the bank account became the measure of a person’s merit. Moral wilderness began to grow in the souls of people who had lost faith in goodness and justice.

A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"
Shvabrin Alexey Ivanovich, hero of the story by A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" is a nobleman, but he is dishonest: having wooed Masha Mironova and received a refusal, he takes revenge by speaking ill of her; During a duel with Grinev, he stabs him in the back. The complete loss of ideas about honor also predetermines social betrayal: as soon as Belogorsk fortress goes to Pugachev, Shvabrin goes over to the side of the rebels.

L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”.

Helen Kuragina deceives Pierre into marrying herself, then lies to him all the time, being his wife, disgraces him, makes him unhappy. The heroine uses lies to get rich and take a good position in society.

N.V. Gogol “The Inspector General”.

Khlestakov deceives officials, posing as an auditor. Trying to impress, he makes up many stories about his life in St. Petersburg. Moreover, he lies so delightfully that he himself begins to believe his stories, he feels important and significant.

D.S. Likhachev in “Letters about the good and the beautiful”
D.S. Likhachev in “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” tells how indignant he felt when he learned that on the Borodino field in 1932 the cast-iron monument on Bagration’s grave was blown up. At the same time, someone left a giant inscription on the wall of the monastery, built on the site of the death of another hero, Tuchkov: “It’s enough to preserve the remnants of the slave past!” At the end of the 60s in Leningrad they demolished Travel Palace, which even during the war our fighters tried to preserve and not destroy. Likhachev believes that “the loss of any cultural monument is irreparable: they are always individual.”

L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"

• In the Rostov family, everything was built on sincerity and kindness, respect for each other and understanding, which is why the children - Natasha, Nikolai, Petya - became for real good people They are responsive to the pain of others, able to understand the experiences and suffering of others. Suffice it to recall the episode when Natasha gives the order to release the carts loaded with them family values, To give them to the wounded soldiers.
• And in the Kuragin family, where career and money decided everything, both Helen and Anatole are immoral egoists. Both are looking for only benefits in life. They do not know what true love is and are ready to exchange their feelings for wealth.

A. S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"
In the story “The Captain's Daughter,” his father’s instructions helped Pyotr Grinev, even in the most critical moments, to remain an honest person, true to himself and duty. Therefore, the hero evokes respect by his behavior.

N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls"
Following his father’s behest to “save a penny,” Chichikov devoted his entire life to hoarding, turning into a man without shame and conscience. He's with school years valued only money, so in his life there were never true friends, the family that the hero dreamed of.

L. Ulitskaya “Daughter of Bukhara”
Bukhara, the heroine of L. Ulitskaya’s story “Bukhara’s Daughter,” accomplished a maternal feat, devoting herself entirely to raising her daughter Mila, who had Down syndrome. Even being terminally ill, the mother thought through her daughter’s entire future life: she got her a job, found her new family, husband, and only after that did she allow herself to leave this life.

Zakrutkin V. A. “Mother of Man”
Maria, the heroine of Zakrutkin’s story “Mother of Man,” during the war, having lost her son and husband, took responsibility for her newly born child and for other people’s children, saved them, and became their Mother. And when the first Soviet soldiers entered the burnt farm, it seemed to Maria that she had given birth not only to her son, but to all the war-dispossessed children of the world. That's why she is the Mother of Man.

K.I. Chukovsky “Alive as Life”
K.I. Chukovsky in his book “Alive as Life” analyzes the state of the Russian language, our speech and comes to disappointing conclusions: we ourselves are distorting and mutilating our great and powerful language.

I.S. Turgenev
- Take care of our language, our beautiful Russian language, this treasure, this heritage passed on to us by our predecessors, among whom Pushkin again shines! Treat this powerful instrument with respect: in the hands of skilled people it is capable of performing miracles... Take care of the purity of the language as if it were a shrine!

K.G. Paustovsky
- You can do wonders with the Russian language. There is nothing in life and in our consciousness that could not be conveyed in Russian words... There are no sounds, colors, images and thoughts - complex and simple - for which there would not be an exact expression in our language.

A. P. Chekhov “Death of an Official”
The official Chervyakov in A.P. Chekhov’s story “The Death of an Official” is infected to an incredible degree by the spirit of veneration: having sneezed and splashed the bald head of General Bryzzhalov, who was sitting in front of him (and he did not pay attention to it), the hero was so frightened that that after repeated humiliated requests to forgive him, he died of fear.

A. P. Chekhov “Thick and Thin”
The hero of Chekhov's story "Fat and Thin", the official Porfiry, met a school friend at the Nikolaevskaya railway station and learned that he was a privy councilor, i.e. moved up significantly higher in his career. In an instant, the “subtle” one turns into a servile creature, ready to humiliate himself and fawn.

A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit"
Molchalin, the negative character of the comedy, is sure that one should please not only “all people without exception,” but even “the janitor’s dog, so that it is affectionate.” The need to tirelessly please also gave birth to his romance with Sophia, the daughter of his master and benefactor Famusov. Maxim Petrovich, the “character” of the historical anecdote that Famusov tells for the edification of Chatsky, in order to earn the favor of the empress, turned into a jester, amusing her with absurd falls.

I. S. Turgenev. "Mu Mu"
The fate of the mute serf Gerasim and Tatiana is decided by the lady. A person has no rights. What could be more terrible?

I. S. Turgenev. "Notes of a Hunter"
In the story “Biryuk,” the main character, a forester nicknamed Biryuk, lives a miserable life, despite conscientiously fulfilling his duties. The social structure of life is unfair.

N. A. Nekrasov “Railway”
The poem talks about who built railway. These are workers who were subjected to merciless exploitation. The structure of life, where arbitrariness reigns, is worthy of condemnation. In the Poem “Reflections at the Front Entrance”: peasants came from distant villages with a petition to the nobleman, but they were not accepted and driven away. The authorities do not take into account the position of the people.

L. N. Tolstoy “After the Ball”
The division of Russia into two parts, rich and poor, is shown. The social world is unfair to the weak.

N. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”
There can be nothing holy or right in a world ruled by tyranny, wild and insane.

V.V. Mayakovsky

• In the play “The Bedbug,” Pierre Skripkin dreamed that his house would be “full.” Another hero, a former worker, states: “Whoever fought has the right to rest by a quiet river.” This position was alien to Mayakovsky. He dreamed of the spiritual growth of his contemporaries.

I. S. Turgenev “Notes of a Hunter”
Everyone’s personality is important for the development of the state, but not always talented people can develop their abilities for the benefit of society. For example, in “Notes of a Hunter” by I.S. Turgenev there are people whose talents the country does not need. Yakov (“The Singers”) gets drunk in a tavern. Truth-seeker Mitya (“Odnodvorets Ovsyannikov”) stands up for the serfs. Forester Biryuk carries out his service responsibly, but lives in poverty. Such people turned out to be unnecessary. They even laugh at them. It's not fair.

A.I. Solzhenitsyn "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich"
Despite the terrible details of camp life and the unjust structure of society, Solzhenitsyn's works are optimistic in spirit. The writer proved that even in the last degree of humiliation it is possible to preserve a person within oneself.

A. S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”
A person who is not accustomed to working does not find a worthy place in the life of society.

M. Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”
Pechorin says that he felt strength in his soul, but did not know what to apply it to. Society is such that there is no worthy place for an extraordinary person in it.

And A. Goncharov. "Oblomov"
Ilya Oblomov, a kind and talented person, was unable to overcome himself and reveal his best traits. The reason is the lack of high goals in the life of society.

A.M. Gorky
Many heroes of M. Gorky's stories talk about the meaning of life. The old gypsy Makar Chudra wondered why people worked. The heroes of the story “On the Salt” found themselves in the same dead end. There are wheelbarrows around them, salt dust that eats away their eyes. However, no one became embittered. In the souls of even such oppressed people there arise good feelings. The meaning of life, according to Gorky, is work. Everyone will start working conscientiously - you'll see, and together we will become richer and better. After all, “the wisdom of life is always deeper and more extensive than the wisdom of people.”

M. I. Weller “The Novel of Education”
The meaning of life is for those who themselves devote their activities for the sake of a cause that they consider necessary. The “Novel of Education” by M. I. Weller, one of the most published modern Russian writers. Indeed, there have always been many purposeful people, and now they live among us.

L. N. Tolstoy. "War and Peace"

• The best heroes of the novel, Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, saw the meaning of life in the desire for moral self-improvement. Each of them wanted “to be quite good, to bring good to people.”
• All of L.N. Tolstoy’s favorite heroes were engaged in an intense spiritual search. Reading the novel "War and Peace", it is difficult not to sympathize with Prince Bolkonsky, who thinks to a seeking person. He read a lot and had an idea about everything. The hero found the meaning of his own life in the defense of the Fatherland. Not for the sake of an ambitious desire for glory, but because of love for the homeland.
• In search of the meaning of life, a person must choose his own direction. In L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace,” the fate of Andrei Bolkonsky is a complex path of moral losses and discoveries. The important thing is that, while walking along this thorny road, he retained true human dignity. It is no coincidence that M.I. Kutuzov will tell the hero: “Your road is the road of honor.” I also like extraordinary people who try to live not in vain.

I. S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons”
Even the failures and disappointments of an exceptionally talented person are significant for society. For example, in the novel “Fathers and Sons,” Yevgeny Bazarov, a fighter for democracy, called himself an unnecessary person for Russia. However, his views anticipate the emergence of people capable of greater deeds and noble deeds.

V. Bykov “Sotnikov”
The problem of moral choice: what is better - to save your life at the cost of betrayal (as the hero of the story Rybak does) or to die not as a hero (no one will know about Sotnikov’s heroic death), but to die with dignity. Sotnikov makes a difficult moral choice: he dies while maintaining his human appearance.

M. M. Prishvin “Pantry of the Sun”
During the Great Patriotic War, Mitrasha and Nastya were left without parents. But hard work helped young children not only survive, but also earn the respect of their fellow villagers.

A. P. Platonov “In a beautiful and furious world”
Machinist Maltsev is completely devoted to work, his favorite profession. During a thunderstorm, he became blind, but his friend’s devotion and love for his chosen profession performed a miracle: he, having boarded his favorite locomotive, regained his sight.

A. I. Solzhenitsyn “Matryonin’s Dvor”
The main character has been accustomed to working all her life, helping other people, and although she has not acquired any benefits, she remains a pure soul, a righteous woman.

Ch. Aitmatov Novel “Mother Field”
The leitmotif of the novel is the spiritual responsiveness of hardworking rural women. Aliman, no matter what happens, has been working since dawn on the farm, in the melon patch, in the greenhouse. She feeds the country, the people! And the writer does not see anything higher than this share, this honor.

A.P. Chekhov. The story "Ionych"

• Dmitry Ionych Startsev chose an excellent profession. He became a doctor. However, the lack of perseverance and perseverance turned the once good doctor into a simple man in the street, for whom the main thing in life was money-grubbing and his own well-being. So it's not enough to choose the right one future profession, you need to preserve yourself morally and morally in it.
• The time comes when each of us is faced with choosing a profession. The hero of the story, A.P., dreamed of honestly serving people. Chekhov “Ionych”, Dmitry Startsev. The profession he has chosen is the most humane. However, having settled in a city where the most educated people turned out to be small and limited, Startsev did not find the strength to resist stagnation and inertia. The doctor turned into a simple man in the street, thinking little about his patients. So, the most valuable condition for not living a boring life is honest creative work, no matter what profession a person chooses.

N. Tolstoy. "War and Peace"
A person who is aware of his responsibility to his homeland and people, and who knows how to understand them at the right moment, is truly great. Such is Kutuzov, such are the ordinary people in the novel who carry out their duty without lofty phrases.

F. M. Dostoevsky. "Crime and Punishment"
Rodion Raskolnikov creates his theory: the world is divided into those “who have the right” and “trembling creatures.” According to his theory, a person is capable of creating history, like Mohammed and Napoleon. They commit atrocities in the name of “great goals.” Raskolnikov's theory fails. In fact, true freedom lies in subordinating one's aspirations to the interests of society, in the ability to make the right moral choice.

V. Bykov “Obelisk”
The problem of freedom can be seen especially clearly in V. Bykov’s story “Obelisk”. Teacher Frost had a choice to stay alive or die along with his students. He always taught them goodness and justice. He had to choose death, but he remained a morally free person.

A.M. Gorky "At the Bottom"
Is there a way in the world to break free from the vicious circle of life's worries and desires? M. Gorky tried to answer this question in his play “At the Lower Depths.” In addition, the writer posed another pressing question: can one who has humbled himself be considered a free person? Thus, the contradiction between the slave's truth and individual freedom is an eternal problem.

A. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”
Resistance to evil and tyranny attracted Special attention Russian writers of the 19th century. The oppressive power of evil is shown in A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”. A young, gifted woman, Katerina, is a strong person. She found the strength to challenge tyranny. The conflict between the situation " dark kingdom” and a bright spiritual world, unfortunately, ended tragically.

A. I. Solzhenitsyn “Gulag Archipelago”
Pictures of abuse, cruel treatment of political prisoners.

A.A. Akhmatova's Poem "Requiem"
This work is about the repeated arrests of her husband and son; the poem was written under the influence of numerous meetings with mothers and relatives of prisoners in the Cross, a St. Petersburg prison.

N. Nekrasov “In the trenches of Stalingrad”
In Nekrasov’s story there is a terrible truth about the heroism of those people who in a totalitarian state were always considered “cogs” in the huge body of the state machine. The writer mercilessly condemned those who calmly sent people to their deaths, who shot people for a lost sapper shovel, who kept people in fear.

V. Soloukhin
The secret of comprehending beauty, according to the famous publicist V. Soloukhin, lies in admiring life and nature. The beauty scattered in the world will enrich us spiritually if we learn to contemplate it. The author is sure that you need to stop in front of her, “without thinking about time,” only then will she “invite you as an interlocutor.”

K. Paustovsky
The great Russian writer K. Paustovsky wrote that “you need to immerse yourself in nature, as if you plunged your face into a pile of rain-wet leaves and felt their luxurious coolness, their smell, their breath. Simply put, nature must be loved, and this love will find the right ways to express itself with the greatest strength.”

Yu. Gribov
The modern publicist and writer Yu. Gribov argued that “beauty lives in the heart of every person and it is very important to awaken it, not to let it die without waking up.”

V. Rasputin " Deadline»
Children who had come from the city gathered at the bedside of their dying mother. Before her death, the mother seems to go to the place of judgment. She sees that there is no previous mutual understanding between her and the children, the children are separated, they have forgotten about the moral lessons they received in childhood. Anna passes away from life, difficult and simple, with dignity, and her children still have time to live. The story ends tragically. Hurrying about some of their business, the children leave their mother to die alone. Unable to bear such a terrible blow, she dies that same night. Rasputin reproaches the children of the collective farmer for insincerity, moral coldness, forgetfulness and vanity.

K. G. Paustovsky “Telegram”
K. G. Paustovsky's story “Telegram” is not a banal story about a lonely old woman and an inattentive daughter. Paustovsky shows that Nastya is not soulless: she sympathizes with Timofeev, spends a lot of time organizing his exhibition. How could it happen that Nastya, who cares about others, shows inattention to her own mother? It turns out that it is one thing to be carried away by work, to do it with all your heart, to give it all your strength, physical and mental, and another thing to remember about your loved ones, about your mother - the most holy being in the world, not limited to money transfers And short notes. Nastya failed to achieve harmony between worries about those “distant” and love for the person closest to her. This is the tragedy of her situation, this is the reason for the feeling of irreparable guilt, the unbearable heaviness that visits her after the death of her mother and which will settle in her soul forever.

F. M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"
The main character of the work, Rodion Raskolnikov, did many good deeds. He is a kind person by nature who takes other people’s pain hard and always helps people. So Raskolnikov saves children from the fire, gives his last money to the Marmeladovs, tries to protect a drunken girl from men pestering her, worries about his sister Dunya, tries to prevent her marriage with Luzhin in order to protect her from humiliation, loves and pities his mother, tries not to bother her with his problems. But Raskolnikov’s trouble is that he chose a completely inappropriate means to achieve such global goals. Unlike Raskolnikov, Sonya does truly beautiful things. She sacrifices herself for the sake of her loved ones because she loves them. Yes, Sonya is a harlot, but she did not have the opportunity to quickly earn money honestly, and her family was dying of hunger. This woman destroys herself, but her soul remains pure, because she believes in God and tries to do good to everyone, loving and compassionate in a Christian way.
Sonya's most beautiful act is saving Raskolnikov...
Sonya Marmeladova's whole life is self-sacrifice. With the power of her love, she elevates Raskolnikov to herself, helps him overcome his sin and resurrect. The actions of Sonya Marmeladova express all the beauty of human action.

L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"
Pierre Bezukhov is one of the writer’s favorite heroes. Being at odds with his wife, feeling disgusted by the life in the world that they lead, worrying after his duel with Dolokhov, Pierre involuntarily asks eternal, but such important questions for him: “What is bad? What well? Why live, and what am I?” And when one of the smartest Masonic figures calls on him to change his life and purify himself by serving good, to benefit his neighbor, Pierre sincerely believed “in the possibility of the brotherhood of people united with the goal of supporting each other on the path of virtue.” And Pierre does everything to achieve this goal. what he considers necessary: ​​donates money to the brotherhood, establishes schools, hospitals and shelters, tries to make the life of peasant women with small children easier. His actions are always in harmony with his conscience, and the feeling of rightness gives him confidence in life.

Pontius Pilate sent the innocent Yeshua to execution. For the rest of his life, the procurator was tormented by his conscience; he could not forgive himself for his cowardice. The hero received peace only when Yeshua himself forgave him and said that there was no execution.

F. M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment.”

Raskolnikov killed the old pawnbroker to prove to himself that he was a “superior” being. But after the crime, his conscience torments him, a persecution mania develops, and the hero distances himself from his loved ones. At the end of the novel, he repents of the murder and takes the path of spiritual healing.

M. Sholokhov’s “The Fate of Man”
M. Sholokhov has a wonderful story “The Fate of a Man.” It tells about the tragic fate of a soldier who, during the war,
lost all my relatives. One day he met an orphan boy and decided to call himself his father. This act shows that love and desire
doing good gives a person strength to live, strength to resist fate.

L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”.

The Kuragin family are greedy, selfish, vile people. In pursuit of money and power, they are capable of any immoral acts. So, for example, Helen tricks Pierre into marrying her and takes advantage of his wealth, bringing him a lot of suffering and humiliation.

N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”.

Plyushkin subordinated his entire life to hoarding. And if at first this was dictated by frugality, then his desire to save crossed all boundaries, he saved on the essentials, lived, limiting himself in everything, and even broke off relations with his daughter, fearing that she would lay claim to his “riches.”

The role of flowers

I.A. Goncharov “Oblomov”.

Oblomov in love gave Olga Ilyinskaya a branch of lilac. Lilac became a symbol of the hero’s spiritual transformation: he became active, cheerful, and cheerful when he fell in love with Olga.

M. Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”.

Thanks to the bright yellow flowers in the hands of Margarita, the Master saw her in the gray crowd. The heroes fell in love with each other at first sight and carried their feeling through many trials.

M. Gorky.

The writer recalled that he learned a lot from books. He did not have the opportunity to receive an education, so it was in books that he gained knowledge, an understanding of the world, and knowledge about the laws of literature.

A.S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”.

Tatyana Larina grew up on romance novels. Books made her dreamy and romantic. She created for herself an ideal lover, the hero of her novel, whom she dreamed of meeting in real life.