1. Why do you think the comedy begins with a scene with the tailor Trishka? What do we learn about life in the Prostakovs' house by carefully reading the first act?
The scene with the tailor Trishka shows what kind of order is established in the house of the Prostakov landowners. The reader sees from the first lines that Prostakova is an evil, ignorant woman who does not love or respect anyone, and does not take anyone’s opinion into account. She treats simple peasants, her serfs, like cattle. She has one measure of influence on others - insults and assault. Moreover, she behaves the same way with her loved ones, except for her son Mirofan. She adores Prostakov’s son. She is ready to do anything for him. From the first act it becomes clear that in the Prostakovs’ house the hostess herself is in charge of everything. Everyone is afraid of her and never contradicts her.
2. What are the relationships between the people in this house? How are the characters of the comedy characterized in scene VIII of the fourth act? What means (humor, irony, sarcasm, etc.) does the author use for this characterization? It is said about Mitrofan’s “exam” that in this scene there is a clash of true enlightenment and militant ignorance. Do you agree with this? Why?
Everyone in the house is afraid of Mrs. Prostakova and tries to please her in everything. Otherwise, they will face inevitable punishment in the form of beatings. Mr. Prostakov will never contradict her, he is afraid to express his opinion, relying on his wife in everything. Only Mitrofan is not afraid of his mother. He flatters her, realizing that she is the main one in the house and his well-being, or rather the fulfillment of all his whims, depends on her. All people in the Prostakovs' house are characterized by deep ignorance. It was especially clearly manifested in the scene of Mitrofan’s examination (VIII phenomenon of the fourth act). At the same time, Mrs. Prostakova believes that she herself and her son are very smart and will be able to adapt to this life. But they don’t need literacy, the main thing is more money. She admires her son, pleased with his answers. I agree with the view that true enlightenment and militant ignorance collided in this scene. After all, Prostakova is sure that a person in her circle does not need education at all. The coachman will take you wherever they order. There is nothing particularly special to stand out in society, etc. According to Prostakova, this is how it should be in the world, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool not worthy of her attention.
Fonvizin uses satire to characterize the characters. He ridicules the ignorance of the feudal landowners and shows all the ugliness of serfdom.
3. In the poster with the listing characters indicated: Prostakova, his wife (Mr. Prostakov). Meanwhile, in the comedy, its characters characterize themselves differently: “It’s me, my sister’s brother,” “I’m my wife’s husband,” “And I’m my mother’s son.” How do you explain this? Why do you think the full owner of Fonvizin’s estate is not the landowner, but the landowner? Is this connected with the time when the comedy “The Minor” was created?
Since Prostakova is the main one in the house, everyone recognizes themselves as subordinate to her. After all, absolutely everything depends on her decision: the fate of the serfs, son, husband, brother, Sophia, etc. I think that Fonvizin made the landowner the mistress of the estate for a reason. This is directly related to the time when the comedy was created. Then Catherine the Great ruled Russia. The comedy “The Minor,” in my opinion, is a direct appeal to it. Fonvizin believed that it was possible to restore order in the country, to bring ignorant landowners and dishonest officials to justice under the authority of the empress. Starodum talks about this. This is evidenced by the fact that Prostakova’s power was deprived by order of higher authorities.
4. Observe how the conflict develops between the positive and negative characters of the comedy. How the idea of comedy is revealed in this conflict (“It is unlawful to oppress your own kind through slavery”)
The conflict between positive and negative characters reaches its climax in the scene of Sophia's theft. The outcome of the conflict is the order received by Pravdin. Based on this order, Mrs. Prostakova is deprived of the right to manage her estate, because impunity has turned her into a despot who is capable of causing enormous harm to society by raising a son like herself. And she is deprived of her power precisely because she cruelly treated the serfs.
5. Which of the characters in the comedy, in your opinion, was Fonvizin more successful than others? Why?
In my opinion, the most successful were D.I. Fonvizin negative characters, especially Mrs. Prostakova. Her image is depicted so clearly and vividly that it is impossible not to admire the skill of the comedy author. But positive images are not so expressive. They are more the spokespersons for Fonvizin’s thoughts.
6. What are the difficulties in reading this old comedy? Why is “Nedorosl” interesting to us today?
The language of comedy is not entirely clear to the modern reader. It is difficult to understand some of the reasoning of Starodum and Pravdin, since they are directly related to the time of creation of the work, to the problems that existed in society during the time of Fonvizin. The comedy is relevant to the problems of education and upbringing that Fonvizin raises in the comedy. And today you can meet Mitrofanushki who “don’t want to study, but want to get married,” and marry profitably, who look for benefits in absolutely everything and achieve their goal at any cost; Mr. Prostakov, for whom money is the most important thing in life, and they are ready to do anything for the sake of profit.
Phenomenon I
Starodum and Pravdin
Pravdin. This was the package that the local landlady herself notified me about yesterday in front of you. Starodum. So, do you now have a way to stop the inhumanity of the evil landowner? Pravdin. I have been instructed to take charge of the house and villages at the first rabies from which the people under her control could suffer. Starodum. Thank God that humanity can find protection! Believe me, my friend, where the sovereign thinks, where he knows what his true glory is, there his rights cannot but return to humanity. There everyone will soon feel that everyone must seek their happiness and benefits in the one thing that is legal... and that it is unlawful to oppress their own kind with slavery. Pravdin. I agree with you on this; Yes, how tricky it is to destroy inveterate prejudices in which low souls find their benefits! Starodum. Listen, my friend! A great sovereign is a wise sovereign. His job is to show people their direct good. The glory of his wisdom is to rule over people, because there is no wisdom to rule over idols. The peasant, who is worse than everyone else in the village, usually chooses to shepherd the flock, because it takes a little intelligence to graze the cattle. A sovereign worthy of the throne strives to elevate the souls of his subjects. We see this with our own eyes. Pravdin. The pleasure that princes enjoy in possessing free souls must be so great that I do not understand what motives could distract... Starodum. A! How great a soul must be in a sovereign in order to take the path of truth and never stray from it! How many nets are laid to catch the soul of a person who has the fate of his own kind in his hands! And firstly, a crowd of stingy flatterers... Pravdin. Without spiritual contempt it is impossible to imagine what a flatterer is. Starodum. A flatterer is a creature who is not only about others, but also about himself good opinion does not have. All his desire is to first blind a person’s mind, and then make of him what he needs. He is a night thief who will first put out the candle and then begin to steal. Pravdin. Human misfortunes, of course, are caused by their own corruption; but ways to make people kind... Starodum. They are in the hands of the sovereign. How soon everyone sees that without good behavior no one can become a person; that no vile length of service and no amount of money can buy what merit is rewarded with; that people are chosen for places, and not places are stolen by people - then everyone finds his advantage in being well-behaved and everyone becomes good. Pravdin. Fair. The great sovereign gives... Starodum. Grace and friendship to those whom he pleases; bridge and rank to those who are worthy. Pravdin. So that in worthy people there was no shortage, special efforts are now being made to educate... Starodum. It should be the key to the well-being of the state. We see all the unfortunate consequences of bad education. Well, what can come of Mitrofanushka for the fatherland, for whom ignorant parents also pay money to ignorant teachers? How many noble fathers who moral education they entrust their son to their serf slave! Fifteen years later, instead of one slave, two come out, an old guy and a young master. Pravdin. But the special highest state enlighten their children... Starodum. So, my friend; yes, I would like it not to be forgotten in front of all the spiders the main objective all human knowledge, good behavior. Believe me, science in a depraved person is a fierce weapon to do evil. Enlightenment elevates one virtuous soul. I would like, for example, that when raising the son of a noble gentleman, his mentor would unfold History to him every day and show him two places in it: in one, how great people contributed to the good of their fatherland; in another, as an unworthy nobleman, who used his trust and power for evil, from the height of his magnificent nobility fell into the abyss of contempt and reproach. Pravdin. It is really necessary that every state of people should have a decent upbringing; then you can be sure... What's that noise? Starodum. What happened?Phenomenon II
The same, Milon, Sofya, Eremeevna.
Milo (pushing away from Sofya Eremeevna, who was clinging to her, shouts to the people, having a naked sword in her hand). Don't anyone dare come near me! Sophia (rushing to Starodum). Ah, uncle! Protect me!Starodum. My friend! What's happened? Pravdin. What a crime! Sophia. My heart is trembling! Eremeevna. My little head is missing!
(Together.)
Milo. Villains! Walking here, I see a lot of people who, grabbing her by the arms, despite resistance and screaming, lead her from the porch to the carriage. Sophia. Here is my savior! Starodum (to Milo). My friend! Pravdin (Eremeevna). Now tell me where you wanted to take me, or what happened to the villain...Eremeevna. Get married, my father, get married!
Mrs. Prostakova (behind the scenes).
Rogues! The thieves! Fraudsters! I'll order everyone to be beaten to death! Scene III The same, Mrs. Prostakova, Prostakov, Mitrofan.Mrs. Prostakova. What a mistress I am in the house! (Pointing to Milo). A stranger threatens, my order means nothing.
Prostakov. Am I to blame?
Mitrofan. Take on people?Mrs. Prostakova. I don't want to be alive. (Together.) Pravdin. The crime, to which I myself am a witness, gives the right to you, as an uncle, and to you, as a groom...
Mrs. Prostakova. To the groom!
Prostakov. We are good! Mitrofan. To hell with everything! (Together.) Pravdin. Demand from the government that the insult done to her be punished to the fullest extent of the laws. Now I will present her before the court as a violator of civil peace. Ms. Prostakova(throwing himself on his knees). Fathers, it's my fault!
Pravdin. The husband and son could not help but take part in the crime...
Prostakov. Guilty without guilt!Mitrofan. It's your fault, uncle!
(Together, throwing themselves on their knees.)
Mrs. Prostakova. Oh me, the dog's daughter! What have I done! Mitrofan. To hell with everything! Phenomenon IV Same with Skotinin. Skotinin. Well, sister, it was a good joke... Bah! What is this? All of us are on our knees!(kneeling). Ah, my fathers, the sword does not cut off a guilty head. My sin! Don't ruin me. (To Sophia.) You are my dear mother, forgive me. Have mercy on me (pointing to husband and son) and over poor orphans. Skotinin. Sister! Are you talking about your mind? Mitrofan. To hell with everything! Pravdin. Shut up, Skotinin. Mrs. Prostakova. God will give you prosperity and with your dear groom, what do you want in my head? Sophia (to Starodum). Uncle! I forget my insult. (raising his hands to Starodum). Father! Forgive me too, a sinner. I am a man, not an angel.Starodum. I know, I know that a person cannot be an angel. And you don’t even have to be a devil.
Mrs. Prostakova. Forgive me! Ah, father!.. Well! Now I will give the dawn to my people. Now I'll go through everyone one by one. Now I’ll find out who let her go. No, scammers! No, thieves! I will not forgive a century, I will not forgive this ridicule. Pravdin. Why do you want to punish your people? Mrs. Prostakova. Oh, father, what kind of question is this? Am I not powerful in my people too? Pravdin. Do you consider yourself to have the right to fight whenever you want? Skotinin. Isn't a nobleman free to beat a servant whenever he wants? Pravdin. Whenever he wants! What kind of hunt is this? You are straight Skotinin. No, madam, no one is free to tyrannize. Mrs. Prostakova. Not free! A nobleman is not free to flog his servants when he wants; But why have we been given a decree on the freedom of the nobility? Starodum. A master at interpreting decrees! Mrs. Prostakova. If you please, mock me, but now I’m going to turn everyone on their head... (Tries to go.) Pravdin (stopping her). Stop, madam. (Taking out the paper and speaking in an important voice to Prostakov.) In the name of the government, I order you this very hour to gather your people and peasants to announce to them a decree that for the inhumanity of your wife, to which your extreme weakness of mind allowed her, the government commands me to take custody of your house and villages. Prostakov. A! What have we come to? Mrs. Prostakova. How! New trouble! For what? For what, father? That I am the mistress in my house... Pravdin. An inhuman lady, who cannot tolerate evil in a well-established state. (To Prostakov.) Come on. Prostakov (walks away, clasping his hands). Who is this from, mother? Mrs. Prostakova (sad). Oh, grief has taken over! Oh, sad! Skotinin. Bah! bah! bah! Yes, that’s how they’ll get to me. Yes, and any Skotinin can fall under guardianship... I’ll get out of here as quickly as possible. Mrs. Prostakova. I'm losing everything! I'm completely dying! Skotinin (to Starodum). I was coming to you to get some sense. Groom... Starodum (pointing to Milo). Here he is. Skotinin. Yeah! so I have nothing to do here. Harness the wagon, and... Pravdin. Yes, go to your pigs. Don’t forget, however, to tell all the Skotinins what they are exposed to. Skotinin. How not to warn your friends! I'll tell them that they people... Pravdin. Loved more, or at least... Skotinin. Well?..Pravdin. At least they didn't touch it.
Skotinin (leaving).
Mrs. Prostakova (to Pravdin). Father, don’t destroy me, what did you get? Is it possible to somehow cancel the decree? Are all decrees being implemented? Pravdin. I will not step down from my position in any way. Mrs. Prostakova. Give me at least three days. (Aside.) I would make myself known... Pravdin. Not for three hours. Starodum. Yes, my friend! Even in three hours she can do so many mischiefs that you can’t help it with a century. Mrs. Prostakova. How can you, father, get into the details yourself? Pravdin. It's my business. Someone else's property will be returned to its owners, and... Mrs. Prostakova. How about getting rid of debts?.. Teachers are underpaid... Pravdin. Teachers? (Eremeevna.) Are they here? Enter them here. Eremeevna. The tea that arrived. And what about the German, my father?..Pravdin. Call everyone.
Eremeevna leaves. Skotinin (to Starodum). Pravdin. Don't worry about anything, madam, I will please everyone.(seeing Mrs. Prostakova in anguish). Madam! You will feel better about yourself, having lost the power to do bad things to others.Mrs. Prostakova. Thankful for the mercy! Where am I good for when in my house my hands and will have no power!
Scene VI
The same ones, Eremeevna, Vralman, Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin. Eremeevna(introducing the teachers to Pravdin). That's all our bastard for you, my father. Vralman (to Pravdin). Fasche fisoko-i-plakhorotie. They fooled me to ask sepa?.. Skotinin (to Starodum). Kuteikin (to Pravdin). The call came and came. Tsyfirkin (to Pravdin). What will the order be, your honor?(when Vralman arrives he peers at him). Bah! Is that you, Vralman? Vralman (recognizing Starodum). Ay! ah! ah! ah! ah! It's you, my gracious master!(Kissing the floor of Starodum)
Are you an old lady, my dear fellow, are you going to cheat? Pravdin. How? Is he familiar to you? Starodum. How come I don’t know you? He was my coachman for three years. Everyone shows surprise. Pravdin. Quite a teacher! Starodum. Are you a teacher here? Vralman! I thought, really, that you were a kind person and would not take on anything that was not your own. Vralman. What are you saying, my father? I’m not the first one, I’m not the last one. For three months in Moscow, I was staggering around the place, kutsher nihte not nata. I got a lipo with a holot to measure, a lipo earplug... Pravdin (to the teachers). By the will of the government, having become the guardian of this house, I am letting you go. Tsyfirkin. Better not. Mrs. Prostakova. But if it's true, what did you teach Mitrofanushka? Kuteikin. It's his business. Not mine. Pravdin (to Kuteikin). Good good. (To Tsyfirkin.) Is it too much to pay you? Tsyfirkin. To me? Nothing. Mrs. Prostakova. For one year, father, he was given ten rubles, and for another year he was not paid a half ruble. Tsyfirkin. So: with those ten rubles I wore out my boots in two years. We're even. Pravdin. What about studying? Tsyfirkin. Nothing. Starodum. Like nothing? Tsyfirkin. I won't take anything. He didn't adopt anything. Starodum. However, you still have to pay less. Tsyfirkin. My pleasure. I served the sovereign for more than twenty years. I took money for service, I didn’t take it in vain, and I won’t take it.Starodum. What a good man!
Starodum and Milon take money out of their wallets. Pravdin. Aren't you ashamed, Kuteikin? Kuteikin (downing his head). Shame on you, damned one. Milo Starodum (to Tsyfirkin). Here's to you, my friend, for your kind soul. Tsyfirkin. Thank you, Your Highness. Thankful. You are free to give me. I myself, without deserving it, will not demand a century.(giving him money).
Here's more for you, my friend! Tsyfirkin. And thanks again. Pravdin also gives him money. Tsyfirkin. Why, your honor, are you complaining?Pravdin. Because you are not like Kuteikin.
Tsyfirkin. AND! Your Honor. I'm a soldier. Pravdin (to Tsyfirkin). Go ahead, my friend, with God. Tsyfirkin leaves. Pravdin. And you, Kuteikin, perhaps come here tomorrow and take the trouble to settle accounts with the lady herself.Kuteikin (running out).
With myself! I'm giving up on everything.
Vralman (to Starodum). Starofa hearing is not ostafte, fashe fysokorotie. Take me back to the sepa. Starodum. Yes, Vralman, I guess, have you fallen behind the horses?Vralman. Oh, no, my dad! Shiuchi with great hospotam, it concerned me that I was with horses.
Scene VII
The same goes for the valet.
Skotinin (to Starodum). Valet (to Starodum). Your carriage is ready. Vralman. Will you kill me now? Mitrofan. To hell with everything! Starodum. Go sit on the box. Vralman leaves. The last phenomenon Mrs. Prostakova, Starodum, Milon, Sofya, Pravdin, Mitrofan, Eremeevna. (to Pravdin, holding the hands of Sophia and Milon). Well, my friend! We go. Wish us... Pravdin. All the happiness to which honest hearts are entitled.(rushing to hug his son).
Pravdin (to Mitrofan). Scoundrel! Should you be rude to your mother? It was her crazy love for you that brought her the most misfortune. Mitrofan. It's like she doesn't know... Pravdin. Rude! The same ones, Eremeevna, Vralman, Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin. Starodum (Eremeevne). What is she now? What? (looking intently at Ms. Prostakova and clasping her hands). He will wake up, my father, he will wake up. Mitrofan. To hell with everything! Pravdin (to Mitrofan). With you, my friend, I know what to do. I went to serve... Skotinin (to Starodum). Mitrofan (waving his hand). For me, where they tell me to go.(waking up in despair).
I'm completely lost! My power has been taken away! You can’t show your eyes anywhere out of shame! I don't have a son!
(pointing to Ms. Prostakova).
These are the fruits worthy of evil! THE END OF COMEDY. This work has entered the public domain. The work was written by an author who died more than seventy years ago, and was published during his lifetime or posthumously, but more than seventy years have also passed since publication. It may be freely used by anyone without anyone's consent or permission and without payment of royalties.
It is unlawful to oppress one's own kind through slavery. It is known that Fonvizin did not choose names and surnames for his heroes by chance, but with the intention of showing their essence. Skotinin, for example, loved his pigs more than anything in the world. In contrast to people like him, heroes with euphonious names are shown: Starodum, Sophia, Milon, Pravdin. Special role allocated to Starodum, a sixty-year-old retired man, who with his speeches opens the eyes of those around him to the evil morals of the Prostakov family. This man served at the imperial court and adheres to the old principles. He believes that everyone needs to receive public education, and most importantly, maintain goodness in your soul. Because even the most
clever man
In a word, Prostakova was accustomed to humiliating the peasants, elevating herself, her klutz son and weak-willed husband against their background. However, everything is decided by the insight of Starodum and the awareness of government official Pravdin. For fraud and mistreatment of the peasants, he deprives the evil landowner of the village and her entire farm. At the end of the work, Prostakova is left with nothing and even her son turns away from her.
In the very year when the fate of Panin’s party was decided, when Panin himself lost his strength, Fonvizin opened a battle in literature and fought to the end. Central moment This battle was “The Minor,” written somewhat earlier, around 1781, but staged in 1782. Government bodies did not allow the comedy to appear on stage for a long time, and only the efforts of N.I. Panin, through Pavel Petrovich, was led to its production. The comedy was a resounding success.
In "The Minor" Fonvizin, giving a sharp social satire on Russian landowners, also spoke out against the policies of the landowner government of his time. Noble "mass", landowners mediocre and the smaller, illiterate noble provinces, constituted the strength of the government. The struggle for influence over her was a struggle for power. Fonvizin paid a lot of attention to her in “Minor.” She was brought on stage live, shown in full. About the “yard”, i.e. the heroes of “The Minor” only talk about the government itself. Fonvizin, of course, did not have the opportunity to show the nobles to the public from the stage.
But still, “Nedorosl” talks about the court, about the government. Here Fonvizin instructed the Starodum to present his point of view; that's why Starodum is ideological hero comedies; and that is why Fonvizin subsequently wrote that he owed the success of “Nedoroslya” to Starodum. In lengthy conversations with Pravdin, Milon and Sofia, Starodum expresses thoughts clearly related to the system of views of Fonvizin and Panin. Starodum attacks with indignation the corrupt court of the modern despot, i.e. on a government led not the best people, but “favorites”, favorites, upstarts.
In the first appearance Act III Starodum gives a damning description of the court of Catherine II. And Pravdin draws a natural conclusion from this conversation: “With your rules, people should not be released from the court, but they must be called to the court.” - “Summon? What for?" - asks Starodum. - “Then why do they call a doctor to the sick?” But Fonvizin recognizes the Russian government in its current composition as incurable; Starodum replies: “My friend, you are mistaken. It is in vain to call a doctor to the sick without healing. The doctor won’t help here unless he gets infected himself.”
In the last act, Fonvizin expresses his cherished thoughts through the mouth of Starodum. First of all, he speaks out against the unlimited slavery of the peasants. “It is unlawful to oppress one’s own kind through slavery.” He demands from the monarch, as well as from the nobility, legality and freedom (at least not for everyone).
The question of the government's orientation towards the wild landowner reactionary masses is resolved by Fonvizin with the entire picture of the Prostakov-Skotinin family.
Fonvizin, with the greatest decisiveness, poses the question of whether it is possible to rely on the Skotinins and Mitrofanovs in running the country? No you can not. Making them a force in the state is criminal; Meanwhile, this is what the government of Catherine and Potemkin does. The dominance of the Mitrofans should lead the country to destruction; and why do Mitrofans receive the right to be masters of the state? They are not nobles in their lives, in their culture, in their actions. They do not want to study or serve the state, but only want to greedily tear bigger pieces for themselves. They should be deprived of the rights of the nobles to participate in governing the country, as well as the right to govern the peasants. This is what Fonvizin does at the end of the comedy - he deprives Prostakova of power over the serfs. So, willy-nilly, he takes a position of equality, enters into a struggle with the very basis of feudalism.
Raising questions of the politics of the noble state in his comedy, Fonvizin could not help but touch upon the question of the peasantry and serfdom. Ultimately, it was serfdom and the attitude towards it that resolved all issues of landowner life and landowner ideology. Fonvizin introduced this characteristic and extremely important feature into the characterization of the Prostakovs and Skotinins. They are monster landowners. The Prostakovs and Skotinins do not rule the peasants, but torment and shamelessly rob them, trying to squeeze more income out of them. They take serf exploitation to the extreme limit and ruin the peasants. And again here the policy of the government of Catherine and Potemkin comes into play; “You can’t give a lot of power to the Prostakovs,” Fonvizin insists, “you can’t let them manage uncontrollably even on their own estates; otherwise they will ruin the country, exhaust it, and undermine the basis of its well-being. Torment towards the serfs, the savage reprisals against them by the Prostakovs, their limitless exploitation were also dangerous on another level. Fonvizin could not help but remember the Pugachev uprising; they didn't talk about him; the government had difficulty allowing mention of him. But there was a peasant war. The pictures of landowner tyranny shown by Fonvizin in “The Minor”, of course, brought to mind all the nobles who gathered at the theater for the production of the new comedy, this most terrible danger - the danger of peasant revenge. They could sound like a warning - not to aggravate popular hatred.
(based on the comedy by D. I. Fonvizin “The Minor”)The name of D. I. Fonvizin rightfully belongs to the number of names that make up the pride of Russian national culture. His comedy “Nedorosl” - the ideological and artistic pinnacle of creativity - has become one of the classic examples of Russian dramatic art. It is written according to the rules of classicism: the unity of place and time is observed (the action takes place in Prostakova’s house over the course of one day), the characters are clearly divided into positive and negative.
The artistic originality of the comedy “The Minor” lies in a broad, generalizing depiction of serfdom, a sharp social satire on Russian landowners and the policies of the landowner government. Middle-class landowners and illiterate provincial nobles constituted the strength of the government. The struggle for influence on her was a struggle for power - Fonvizin showed this in the comedy with the help of the image of Starodum.
Before this play, there was no such skill in showing the characters, there was no such lively folk humor. The words of the virtuous Starodum: “It is unlawful to oppress one’s own kind through slavery” sound like a condemnation of the entire serfdom system.
“The Minor” is a play about the evil nature of the feudal landowners. It is not for nothing that it ends with Starodum’s edifying saying addressed to the audience: “Here are the fruits of evil!” In “Nedorosl”, Fonvizin showed the main evil of Russian life of that time - serfdom, and was the first of the Russian playwrights to correctly guess and embody in the negative images of his comedy the essence of the social force of serfdom, to draw the typical features of Russian serf-owners.
The entire household structure of the Prostakovs is based on the unlimited power of serfdom. The mistress of the house alternately scolds and fights: “that’s how the house holds together.” The pretender and tyrant Prostakova does not evoke any sympathy with her complaints about the power taken from her.
Like all enlighteners of the 18th century, Fonvizin attached great importance proper upbringing of children. And in the person of the rude ignoramus Mitrofanushka wanted to show “the unfortunate consequences of bad upbringing.” As soon as we pronounce the name of the comedy, the image of a quitter, an ignoramus and a mama’s boy immediately appears in our imagination, for whom the word “door” is an adjective, because
What's attached to the wall. Mitrofanushka is a lazy person, accustomed to being lazy and climbing into the dovecote. He is spoiled, poisoned not by the upbringing he is given, but, most likely, by the complete lack of upbringing and the harmful example of his mother.
We can expect that in the future the son will even outdo his mother. It seems that the worthy offspring of the Prostakovs and Skotinins can only inspire a feeling of disgust and indignation, but Mitrofan’s appearances on stage and his remarks often caused laughter in auditorium. This happens because Fonvizin endowed the image of the undergrowth with features of genuine comedy. As are the parents, so are the children. The dominance of Mitrofanushki, according to Fonvizin, will lead the country to destruction. Mitrofanushki do not want to study or serve the state, but only strive to snatch a bigger piece for themselves. The author believes that they should be deprived of the noble right to rule the peasants and the country, and at the end of the play he deprives Prostakova of power over the serfs.
But bad upbringing is not the cause, but the consequence of the way of life of evil landowners. The play about education develops into a sharp denunciation of serfdom, into a social comedy-satire.
Fonvizin's entire comedy evokes not cheerful, but bitter laughter. No matter how much the audience laughs at the characters in the play, there are moments when tears appear in their eyes. Kantemir said: “I laugh in poetry, but in my heart I cry for the evil ones.” Such laughter-irony is a trait national identity Russian comedy. Fonvizin looked at Russian social reality “through laughter visible to the world and invisible, unknown to him tears.”
N.V. Gogol in “The Minor” sees “no longer light ridicule of the funny aspects of society, but the wounds and illnesses of our society, severe internal abuses, which are exposed in stunning obviousness by the merciless power of irony.” This “stunning evidence” in the depiction of the social evil of Russian feudal reality allowed Gogol to call Fonvizin’s comedies “truly social comedies"and also see them in this global significance: “It seems to me that comedy has never taken such an expression among any of the nations.”
