Roman A.S. Pushkin's "" is filled with many interesting characters. One of them is Alexey Shvabrin. And if among the list of heroes there are characters who are likable and sweet to the reader, then Alexey Shvabrin was completely different. And all because of their actions and deeds.
Arriving at the Belgorod fortress, he treats all its inhabitants arrogantly. He neglects everything around him. The only person Shvabrin wanted to meet was. But their friendship did not last long. Both young men fell in love with the same girl - Masha Mironova. Shvabrin is trying to disgrace and slander Masha in the eyes of Peter. And all because she refused to marry Alexei. Because of such a base act, Pyotr Grinev challenges Shvabrin to a duel. The events of this scene once again confirm Alexei's dishonor. He takes advantage of Peter's inattention and wounds him.
Further events of the novel reveal to us the identity of Shvabrin, a traitor who easily went over to the side of the enemy when he realized that he and his comrades could not win in the battle with Pugachev. After a short period of time, he finds himself in the circle of rebel elders under Pugachev. How vile is his action! He broke his oath, which he took during the military oath. He disgraced the officer's honor by joining the ranks of villains and bandits. He betrayed his homeland, fatherland, native land and began to serve the false king.
Being in a new status, he captures and starves the girl so that she agrees to his marriage proposal. How can a man behave this way towards a woman who is also his beloved?
Such low, inhumane actions lower and disgrace the image of Alexei Shvabrin in the eyes of the reader. After the defeat of Pugachev’s army, such traitors were brutally dealt with. How could he live after such actions? Wasn’t his conscience and self-esteem tormenting him? We will never know about this. But, looking at the behavior of Alexey Shvabrin, you need to draw a conclusion for yourself. Betrayal is the most base act a person can commit.
Pontius Pilate is a cowardly man. And it was for cowardice that he was punished. The procurator could have saved Yeshua Ha-Nozri from execution, but signed the death warrant. Pontius Pilate feared for the inviolability of his power. He did not go against the Sanhedrin, ensuring his peace at the cost of the life of another person. And all this despite the fact that Yeshua was sympathetic to the procurator. Cowardice prevented the man from being saved. Cowardice is one of the most serious sins (according to the novel "The Master and Margarita").
A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin"
Vladimir Lensky challenged Evgeny Onegin to a duel. He could have called off the fight, but he chickened out. Cowardice manifested itself in the fact that the hero took into account the opinion of society. Evgeny Onegin thought only about what people would say about him. The result was sad: Vladimir Lensky died. If his friend had not been cowardly, but preferred moral principles to public opinion, the tragic consequences could have been avoided.
A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"
The siege of the Belogorsk fortress by the troops of the impostor Pugachev showed who is considered a hero and who is a coward. Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin, saving his life, betrayed his homeland at the first opportunity and went over to the side of the enemy. In this case, cowardice is a synonym
How to distinguish cowardice from prudence, and courage from recklessness?
An example of a final essay in the direction: Courage and Cowardice, 2017-2018 (according to FIPI).
Courage and cowardice are opposite concepts in meaning, yet they are full of nuances, multifaceted, and cornerstone.
It seems that there is nothing simpler than to explain the concepts of “courage” and “cowardice”? One who is capable of risking his life, of course, is a daredevil, a person who is not timid. And if a person retreats in case of danger, most likely he is cowardly and cowardly.
However, not everything is so obvious. Is it courage or stupidity that drives those who ride on the roofs of speeding trains in search of strong emotions? Should we see indecision or prudence in the actions of a doctor who sends a patient for examination before surgery? It seems to me that courage and cowardice are qualities that can only be defined in the light of the ultimate goal of an action.
Literature has given us many heroes, whose courage or cowardice is interesting to speculate about. Let's look at the characters in A.S. Pushkin's wonderful novel “The Captain's Daughter”. It is difficult to argue with the fact that Shvabrin, who saves his miserable life by betrayal, is a coward. The courage of Pyotr Grinev, who is ready to give his life for what is dear to him, is also understandable.
And Masha Mironova? Is she a “coward”, as her mother calls her? Or is she a sensible girl, as her lover thinks she is? To answer this question, you need to read the work to the end. We remember that the timidity of the captain's daughter disappears when Peter faces the death penalty: Masha boldly goes to the empress herself for mercy.
You can also refer to the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace". Let us remember the cold-blooded and cruel Dolokhov, capable of challenging a person to a duel for no reason. Fedor risks his life, but the purpose of this risk is self-affirmation, not self-sacrifice. In my opinion, this is not courage, but the reckless pranks of an egoist who thinks nothing of killing a person.
What can be said about Kutuzov’s decision to retreat the Russian army? Can this be called cowardice? No, the great commander showed wisdom and prudence by giving devastated Moscow to the French. While Napoleon's soldiers turned into marauders, the Russian troops replenished supplies and became stronger, which decided the outcome of the war.
Arguments for an essay on the topic “Courage and Cowardice.”
When justifying the choice of direction for the final essay, it is important to understand the essence concepts of courage and cowardice.
Courage and cowardice coexist in the context of the perception of the concept of “fear”.
Courage is not the absence of fear, courage is the ability to cope with fear.
Cowardice is the inability to cope with the fear of something or someone.
Courage without fear is stupidity and unjustified risk.
Cowardice is not always just fear; sometimes this property is based on deeper personality characteristics, such as indecision, selfishness and simply indifference to the problems of others.
- Betrayal of the Motherland is shameful and knows no forgiveness
- A traitor is a cowardly person who adapts to the current situation by making concessions
- A man who abandoned an innocent girl who loves him madly can be called a traitor
- You can betray not a person, but your own beliefs and moral principles
- Betrayal of one's country is a serious crime
- A man who betrays himself cannot be happy
Arguments
A.S. Pushkin “The Captain's Daughter”. Alexey Shvabrin, one of the defenders of the Belogorsk fortress, turns out to be a coward and a traitor. At the first opportunity, he goes over to the side of the impostor Pugachev in order to save his life. Shvabrin is ready to kill those whom until recently he could consider friends and allies. Completely opposite to him is Pyotr Grinev, a man of honor with unshakable moral principles. Even under the threat of death, he does not agree to recognize Pugachev as the sovereign, because he is loyal to the Motherland and military duty. Difficult life circumstances allow us to see the main character traits of the heroes: Shvabrin turns out to be a traitor, and Pyotr Grinev remains loyal to his country.
N.V. Gogol “Taras Bulba”. The love of Taras Bulba and other Cossacks for their native land deserves respect. Warriors are ready to give their lives defending their homeland. Betrayal in the ranks of the Cossacks is unacceptable. Andriy, the youngest son of Taras Bulba, turns out to be a traitor: he goes over to the side of the enemy, because his love for a Polish woman is higher than his love for his father and his native country. Taras Bulba kills Andriy, despite the fact that this is still his son. For Taras, loyalty to the Motherland is much more important than love for his son; he cannot survive and forgive betrayal.
N.M. Karamzin “Poor Liza”. Love for Erast becomes tragic for Lisa. At first, the young man sees his future in Lisa, but after the girl gives herself to him, her feelings begin to cool. Erast loses money at cards. He has no choice but to marry a rich widow. Erast betrays Lisa: he tells her that he is going to war. And when the deception is revealed, he tries to pay off the unfortunate girl with money. Lisa cannot stand Erast's betrayal. She thinks she is better off dead and throws herself into the pond. The traitor will be punished: he will forever reproach himself for Lisa’s death.
M. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man.” Traitor Kryzhnev, in order to save his own life, is ready to hand over his colleagues to the Germans. He says that “his shirt is closer to his body,” which means he can sacrifice the lives of others for the sake of his well-being. Andrei Sokolov decides to strangle the traitor and thereby save several lives. The hero fulfills his military duty without feeling shame or pity, because the traitor Kryzhnev deserves such a shameful death. Betrayal is always unacceptable, but during war it is a terrible crime.
George Orwell "Animal Farm". Fighter Horse worked for the good of the Animal Farm with all his might, promising to “work even harder” with each failure. His contribution to the life of the farm cannot be overestimated. However, when the misfortune happened, Napoleon, the head of the Animal Farm, simply decided to turn him into meat, telling all the animals that he was sending the Fighter for treatment. This is a real betrayal: Napoleon turned his back on the one who was so devoted to him, who did everything for Animal Farm.
George Orwell "1984". Julia and Winston understand that they are thought criminals, which means they can be caught at any time. Winston says that if they are discovered, the betrayal will be a loss of feelings, and not a confession of what they have done. In the end, they are caught, but not killed or tried, but forced to learn to think differently. Winston betrays Julia: when a cage with rats is brought to him, where they want to place his face, the hero asks to give Julia to the rats. This is real betrayal, because if a person says something, he wants it. Winston really wanted Julia to be in his place. She later admits that she also betrayed Winston. It is difficult to judge the heroes, because it is impossible to imagine what they had to endure before they committed betrayal.
Oh, this great Shvabrin Schelm.
A. Pushkin. Captain's daughter
In his historical story “The Captain's Daughter,” A. S. Pushkin creates a whole gallery of images distinguished by honesty, nobility, and loyalty to civic and public duty. We remember Alexey Shvabrin, the main negative character of the story, a vile and dishonest person, capable of treason and betrayal, with completely different qualities.
We first meet Shvabrin in the Belogorsk fortress, where he was transferred to service for “death-murder.” Before us is “a young officer of short stature, with a dark and distinctly ugly face, but extremely lively.” Shvabrin is “very not stupid,” and his conversation is always “sharp and entertaining.” However, his jokes and remarks are cynical, sarcastic and often groundless, as Pyotr Grinev, the main character of the story, soon notices.
Shvabrin was once in love with Masha Mironova, the daughter of the commandant of the fortress, but his proposal was refused. The favor with which Marya Ivanovna now greets the first timid signs of attention from Grinev arouses anger and rage in Shvabrin. He tries in every possible way to tarnish the name of the girl and her family, as a result of which young Grinev challenges Shvabrin to a duel. And here Shvabrin behaves unworthy of an officer: with a dishonorable blow he insidiously wounds the enemy, who was distracted by the call of a servant.
Grinev’s wound did not bring relief to Shvabrin, because while caring for the patient, Masha’s feelings for him also grew stronger.
However, the quiet and measured life of the inhabitants of the fortress was destroyed by the arrival of rebel detachments led by Pugachev. More than anything else, Shvabrin fears for his own life, so he without hesitation recognizes the “impostor” as the king, dresses in Cossack clothes, and cuts his hair. He has no sense of duty or self-worth; he is ready to do anything for personal gain, which is why he humiliates himself in front of Pugachev, trying to please him. “Agile, nothing to say!” - the priest says about him. Pugachev, not having time to recognize this man, leaves the fortress, leaving him in charge. Grinev is also forced to leave, and Shvabrin sees him off “with an expression of sincere anger and feigned mockery,” because after his betrayal he really wanted Grinev to be punished by Pugachev for his loyalty to the empress and the duty of a nobleman.
However, remaining in the fortress, Shvabrin does not stop his vile atrocities. Masha Mironova, a defenseless girl, remained in his power, and he locked her up on bread and water, trying to force her into marriage. Shvabrin’s gross harassment does not at all indicate his love for the daughter of the murdered commandant. On the contrary, with his actions he thus tries to annoy and take revenge on his enemy - Pyotr Grinev, who at that time was looking for ways to free his beloved girl from cruel captivity. When Grinev, under the protection of Pugachev, arrived at the fortress, Shvabrin, out of unbearable fear for his life, falls to his knees before the “tsar”, forgetting about pride and self-esteem. Grinev is disgusted by the sight of “a nobleman lying at the feet of a runaway Cossack.” When Peter left, taking Marya Ivanovna away from the fortress, Shvabrin’s face “portrayed gloomy malice.” Even now, destroyed by his own meanness and unscrupulous actions, Shvabrin does not lose hope of taking revenge on Grinev. Material from the site
After the suppression of the uprising, Shvabrin fell into the hands of the imperial court. The events that happened during this time greatly changed his appearance: “He was terribly thin and pale. His hair, recently jet black, was completely grey; his long beard was disheveled.” His appearance evokes hostility, but Shvabrin has enough strength to commit the last, most unexpected meanness. He gives false testimony, accusing Grinev of treason and espionage. Shvabrin has nothing to lose, because he has long lost the remnants of his conscience and human dignity.
It is scary to meet in life a person like Shvabrin - treacherous, cruel, unprincipled. However, Grinev’s victory turned into the defeat of Shvabrin, who was so afraid of losing his priceless life that he failed to understand that in fact he was originally a dead person.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Use the search
On this page there is material on the following topics:
- Shvabrin Nikolay Fedorovich
- characteristic mop quotes
- epigraph about baseness
- Shvabrin: quotes
- Shvabrin quotes from the captain's daughter
