Honoré de Balzac combines the accuracy and breadth of his depiction of French reality with a depth of insight into the internal laws of social life. It reveals the class conflicts of the era, exposes the bourgeois character social development France after the revolution of 1789. In the images of merchants, moneylenders, bankers and entrepreneurs, Balzac captured the appearance of the new master of life - the bourgeoisie. He showed people who were greedy and cruel, without honor or conscience, making their fortunes through open and secret crimes.
The pernicious power of capital penetrates into all spheres human life. The bourgeoisie subjugates the state (“Dark Affair”, “Deputy from Arsi”), rules the countryside (“Peasants”), and extends its pernicious influence on the spiritual activity of people - on science and art (“Lost Illusions”). Destructive action financial principle” also affects privacy of people. Under the poisonous effect of calculation, the human personality degrades, family ties and family disintegrate, love and friendship collapse. Selfishness, developing on the basis of monetary relations, becomes the cause of human suffering.
The harmful effects of money on human personality and human relations with great artistic expression shown in the story “Gobsek”.
At the center of the story is the wealthy moneylender Gobsek. Despite his million-dollar fortune, he lives very modestly and secluded. Gobsek rents a room reminiscent of a monastic cell in a gloomy, damp house that was formerly a monastery hotel. On interior decoration his home, his entire way of life bears the stamp of strict economy and moderation.
Gobsek is lonely. He has no family, no friends, he broke all ties with relatives, because he hated his heirs and “didn’t even think that anyone would take possession of his fortune, even after his death.” One single passion - the passion for accumulation - has absorbed all other feelings in his soul: he knows neither love, nor pity, nor compassion.
Balzac uses the details of the portrait to reveal the inner essence of his hero. In appearance Gobsek immobility, deadness, detachment from all earthly things, human passions combined with something predatory and sinister. Ash-yellow tones and comparisons with precious metals make it clear to the reader that it was the passion for gold that destroyed the human element in him, making him dead during his lifetime.
The story depicts the social environment in which Gobsek operates; the two opposite poles of his contemporary society are precisely outlined. On the one hand, the poor, honest workers, doomed to a dull existence (the seamstress Fanny Malvo, the lawyer Derville), on the other, a handful of rich people who spend their days in pursuit of luxury and pleasure (the young Comte de Tray, Countess de Resto), whose moral character presented in a sharply repulsive manner.
Possessing extensive practical experience and a penetrating mind, Gobsek deeply comprehended the inner essence of his contemporary society. He saw life in its nakedness, in its dramatic contrasts, and realized that in a society where there is a struggle between rich and poor, the real driving force of social life is money. Gobsek says: “What is life if not a machine that is set in motion by money,” “of all earthly goods there is only one, reliable enough for a person to chase after it. Is this gold". Gobsek's passion for hoarding is a natural product of the bourgeois system, a concentrated expression of its inner essence.
Using Gobsek as an example, Balzac shows that money not only kills the human personality, but also brings destruction to the life of the entire society. Gobsek, locked in his cell, is not at all as harmless as it might seem at first glance. His moral: “It’s better to push yourself than to let others push you.”
The destructive nature of Gobsek's hoarding is revealed with stunning force at the end of the story. Towards the end of his life, his greed turns into an insane mania. He becomes an insatiable “boa constrictor”, without a trace absorbing various gifts brought by clients. When, after Gobsek’s death, his storerooms were opened, it turned out that huge masses of goods lay rotting in them without any use.
The writer masterfully shows those destructive processes that take place both in the spiritual and in material spheres bourgeois society.
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Topic: Honore de Balzac. The story "Gobsek". Image destructive power money in O. de Balzac's story “Gobsek”
Goal: to help students deeply and consciously learn ideological content story, formulate the problems posed in it; improve the ability to characterize images of heroes, analyze artistic text, compare images; develop logical and abstract thinking, coherent speech; cultivate high moral qualities.
Equipment: portrait of Balzac, illustrations for the story, tables, epigraph on the board.
Lesson form: lesson – press conference
Two creatures live in it:
miser and philosopher, vile
being and sublime
O. Balzac
During the classes
I. Org. moment.
II. Greeting from the teacher.
Hello students, hello teachers and guests. I'm glad to see everyone in our lesson. And today’s lesson will not be easy, its topic is ________________________________________________________________. Our lesson will be held in the form of a press conference, so now I invite you to take your seats characters our conference is ahead of the class, and the rest today are not just students, they are correspondents of various well-known Ukrainian and foreign publishing houses. They will express their opinions, ask our heroes various tricky problematic questions, and also show their knowledge and skills.
ІІІ. introduction teachers.
Great writers, like Columbus, perfecting their immortal feat, open new worlds to us. Balzac amazed his contemporaries with his discovery in society. An abyss appeared before the artist’s astonished gaze. He looked into it and realized that no work, even a perfect one, is capable of containing drama. modern life. He dedicated all his work to her.
Let's imagine that the writer Balzac is present in our lesson, some of his literary heroes, literary critic. They will tell us about themselves, about the era in which they lived.
Question for Balzac.
What can you tell us about yourself?
Balzac: Born in Tours, France, in 1799. I am the son of a rich peasant named Balse, which upset me extremely, so I changed the name to “Balzac” and added a “de” in front - a sign of noble origin.
Question for Balzac.
Tell us about your years of study and creative activity.
Balzac: Studied at college, then at law school. He worked as a scribe in a notary's office, but without interest. I asked my father for a two-year term to become a writer. Received meager allowance.
Literary critic: (adds and reads quickly)
“The attic walls let in the winter cold. It blows from all the cracks. The young man tangles himself in an old shawl that his sister sent him, tucks his cold feet under him, warms his reddened fingers with his breath and writes, writes. While working, he even forgets that he is hungry, and he is always hungry this winter. His parents send him very little money. He was free to take up the dubious craft of literature, abandoning the honorable career of a lawyer! But neither the father nor the strict and wayward mother managed to break the rebellious one. The young man is firm in his decision. He didn’t yet know what and how he would write about, but he was convinced that he was creating something great and significant.”
Question for Balzac.
What was characteristic, in your opinion, of the era in which you lived?
Balzac: The 20-30s were a time of rapid development of natural sciences and philosophical thought in Europe. In France, this is the period of the Restoration and the June Monarchy. I'm the first in Western European literature tried to start artistic research structures of modern society, their daily life, their struggle for power and gold, their intrigues and secrets. It seemed that I was able to penetrate into the most hidden corners of the human heart, depicting the prose of life.
Question for Balzac.
When did fame come to you?
Balzac: The first novel from which one can consider me an accomplished writer is “The Chouans” (1979), then in 1830 I wrote the stories “The House of the Cat Playing Ball”, “Matrimonial Consent”, “Gobsek”, “Silhouette” women" and many others, which are combined into the cycle "Human Comedies".
Question for Balzac.
Have you conceived a work about modern society, but did you find this task too difficult?
Balzac: Yes, if I undertook to write only one novel and in it to say everything about my time, it would be impossible. But I decided to write 144 novels, uniting them under the general title “Human Comedies.” I managed to write 95.
Question for Balzac.
Where did you find strength and source of inspiration?
(tell us a little about Balzac’s acquaintance with Evelina Ganskaya).
Question for Balzac.
How do you connect your life with Ukraine?
IV. Teacher's message about the history of the story.
The story “Gobsek” became one of the pinnacles of Balzac’s work and all world literature. It has three editions. The first version was created in 1830 (I wrote an essay for Fashion magazine, which was called “The Moneylender”). In 1835 appears new edition“Papa Gobsek”, third - “Gobsek”.
In terms of genre and composition, this is a complex work. Genre of the work: short story epic work with a plot, often an unexpected ending). Almost all elements of this genre are present in the work.
V. Questions from the teacher to all correspondents.
What can you say about the composition of the story? What makes it special?
Gobsek's story is a story within a story. The extraordinary figure of the moneylender Gobsek is told not by the author-narrator, but by the narrator, the lawyer Derville. (The composition is circular, retrospective, it was intended for a more complete and profound disclosure of the image of the main character of the work).
Question to Derville:
What is your social status, profession? How does the author treat you?
Derville: I come from a democratic environment, a lawyer, a lawyer, a man of high integrity, knowledgeable, modest, with good manners, I became a friend of the Granlier family. With his behavior towards Madame de Granlier, he achieved honor and clientele in best houses Saint-Germain suburb"
(10 years of dating)
Derville: Firstly, I am his friend, and secondly, we are people of the same profession. This may be immodest, but I am an experienced lawyer with excellent knowledge of the “kitchen” of entrepreneurship and the sphere of hoarding. Thirdly, Balzac himself sympathizes with me.
Question to Derville:
Who was the first to hear your story about Gobsek?
Derville: Members of the de Granlier family.
Question to Gobsek:
What is your background? What does your last name mean?
Gobsek: Translated from English as “guzzler”.
Tell us about your youth and youth.
Gobsek: Mother is Jewish, father is Dutch, full name Jean Esther van Gobseck. At the age of 10, my mother gave me a job as a cabin boy on a ship (sailed from the East Indies, where I wandered for 12 years. I tried everything to get rich: I was looking for treasure, had a relationship with the ups and downs of the American War of Independence, was a corsair, etc.)
Question to Gobsek:
Which moral lessons, did you carry away ideals from your turbulent youth and maturity?
Gobsek: Often, saving my life, I was forced to sacrifice moral principles. “Of all earthly goods, there is only one that is reliable enough for a person to pursue it. Is this gold. All the forces of humanity are concentrated in gold... Man is the same everywhere: everywhere there is a struggle between the poor and the rich, everywhere. And it is inevitable. It’s better to push yourself than to let others push you.”
Question to Gobsek:
Why did you choose to become a moneylender? Who are your clients?
Gobsek: I got rich from criminal operations and now I don’t need to risk my life for the sake of wealth. My position is strong and stable in society. Under my control are the golden youth, actors and artists, socialites, players - the most entertaining part of Parisian society.
Question to Gobsek:
What is your life credo? What do you believe?
Gobsek: Money is a commodity that can be sold and bought at a profit. I believe in the limitless power and authority of gold. “Gold is the spiritual value current society" Only gold can give a person absolute, real power over the world.
Question to Fanny Malvo:
How is your destiny connected with dad Gobsek? How are yours and Derville getting along?
Why does Balzac mercilessly criticize in his story not at Gobseck, but at representatives of high society: Countess de Resto and Maxime de Tray?
In the character of Maxime de Tray we will not find any positive trait. The narrator calls him an "elegant scoundrel." “Fear him like the devil,” Derville whispered in the old man’s ear. “This is a real killer.”
Question to Derville:
What is the power of Maxime de Tray’s influence on people?
He knows how to cleverly manipulate people. He is able to find the innermost strings in every person and play the right melody on them.
Question for a literary critic:
Who is Maxime de Tray? What relationship does he have with Countess de Resto?
How has Countess de Resto stained herself?
What episode did Derville see that horrified him?
Do you think that Maxim de Tray is a kind of double of Gobsek in the story?
Yes, because the hero himself says about it: “You and I are necessary for each other, like soul and body.”
Gobsek is a shrewd man, he knows very well the low and insidious nature of people like Maxime de Tray, so he refuses to accept his challenge to a duel, ending his speech with very precise words: “To shed your blood, you must have it, my dear, but you have instead of blood there is dirt.” The author says: “In this major situation, Gobsek was an insatiable boa constrictor.” What kind are we talking about?
He received a fidelkomiss, i.e. the legal right to use someone else's property for the purpose of transferring it to a third party in the future.
How does Gobsek behave in this situation?
(He behaves with dignity, he did not take advantage of the advantageous situation and did not “warm his hands” on the count’s inheritance, but, on the contrary, increased it).
Until he came of age, Gobsek provided the son of Count de Resto, Ernest, with an extremely meager allowance. How does he explain this decision?
Gobsek (you can ask a question to the class):
"Misfortune - best teacher. In misfortune he will learn a lot, he will learn the value of money, the value of people - both men and women. Let him swim on the waves of the Parisian sea. And when he becomes a skilled pilot, we will promote him to captain.”
Question to Derville:
Have you solved Gobsek's riddle? What did you see in Gobsek’s office when the disabled person came for you? (p. 67-68, read out)
“Although I set myself the goal of studying it, I must, to my shame, admit that before last minute his soul remained a secret behind seven locks for me.”
“Does it really all come down to money?” - this question tormented Derville.
VII. Checking homework.
The author concludes his story about the life and death of a moneylender with a description of his wealth. The outcome of the hero’s life is deplorable; all the goods he acquired fell into disrepair and remained unclaimed. The profit and power that Gobsek possessed absorbed the best values of the world: friendship, the love of loved ones.
Let's listen to how the “sharks of the pen” answered this question.
(Students read out their miniature essays)
VIII. Final word teachers.
The image of the stingy appears in the poem “ Dead Souls"(Plyushkin). “The miser” is found in Moliere’s comedy, Alena Ivanovna (the old woman pawnbroker) in Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”, the moneylender from Gogol’s story “Portrait”. All these characters are negative; their authors denounce them for spiritual impoverishment and the desire to get rich at the expense of the weaknesses and misfortunes of other people.
The work of Honore de Balzac became the pinnacle of the development of Western European realism XIX century. Creative manner the writer has absorbed all the best from such masters artistic word, like Rabelais, Shakespeare, Scott and many others. At the same time, Balzac introduced a lot of new things into literature. One of the most significant monuments of this outstanding writer became the story "Gobsek".
The story reflected in concentrated form Balzac's understanding of the laws of the bourgeois world, which came to him during his work in a notary's office. The writer saw from the inside and therefore could dazzling depict the entire “oiled mechanism of any wealth.” And in his story he reveals the whole essence of bourgeois society, where robbery, betrayal, and dirty machinations are the law. With all the force of drama, the author demonstrates countless tragedies generated by the dominance of buying and selling relations in society, typical conflicts based on “omnipotence, omniscience, all the goodness of money.” Struggle for
The state no longer becomes an addition or detail, but the basis of the plot, the central idea of the entire narrative.
Main character story - millionaire usurer - one of the rulers new France. His image is very complex and contradictory. “Two creatures live in him: a miser and a philosopher, a vile creature and a sublime one,” says lawyer Derville about him. The hero's past is rather uncertain: perhaps he was a corsair and sailed all the seas and oceans, trading in people and state secrets. Full of mysteries as well real life. The origins of his untold wealth are unknown. But one thing is beyond doubt - this is an exceptional, strong personality, endowed with a deep philosophical mindset. Gobsek is able to notice small parts and judge the world, life and man with unique insight. In a sense, these qualities of the hero are even attractive to the author. However, unfortunately, Gobsek directs his mind and insight in the wrong direction. Exploring the laws of the world, he comes to the conclusion that “all the forces of humanity are concentrated in gold... what is life if not a machine that is set in motion by money? Gold is the spiritual essence of the whole society.” It's around finance the whole thing rotates public life, all thoughts of people are directed only towards gold. And having come to such an understanding of the laws of life, Gobsek makes such an ideology a guide to his own actions. Money completely enslaved his mind and thoughts. “This old man,” says Derville, “suddenly grew in my eyes, became a fantastic figure, the personification of gold.” Yes, Gobsek’s cult of gold is sanctified by philosophically meaningful power finance and causes some social activity of the hero. However, gold has already become for him assigned task and the content of his entire life, gradually displacing from his soul all the positive principles that, perhaps, could have manifested themselves under other circumstances. Giving finance V debt at incredibly high interest rates, the moneylender openly robbed people, unscrupulously taking advantage of their distress, extreme poverty and complete dependence on him. Callous, soulless, he no longer became even just a cruel person, but an “automatic man,” a “bill man.”
The destructive principle contained in the accumulative passion, the passion for money, caused Balzac’s irreconcilable critical attitude towards the bourgeoisie, which sought to assert its dominance in society with the help of gold. The image of Gobsek became for its creator the living embodiment of that powerful predatory force that uncontrollably made its way to power, stopping at nothing, using any, even the most short and vile means to achieve his goal, and not for a second doubting himself. The author tried to understand the essence of this force, its origins, in order to dazzling and truthfully reveal all its foundations, expose it, show it to the world in all its meanness and baseness, awaken human consciousness, morality, morality in people. The writer strongly criticizes the material interests on which the policy was based, government, laws. And he does this so convincingly and truthfully that from his books, according to F. Engels, we learn more “than from the books of all specialists - historians, economists, statisticians of this period, combined.”
The work of Honoré de Balzac became the pinnacle of the development of Western European realism of the 19th century. The writer's creative style absorbed all the best from such masters of artistic expression as Rabelais, Shakespeare, Scott and many others. At the same time, Balzac introduced a lot of new things into literature. One of the most significant monuments of this outstanding writer was the story “Gobsek”.
The story reflected in concentrated form Balzac's understanding of the laws of the bourgeois world, which came to him during his work in a notary's office. The writer saw from the inside and therefore could so vividly depict the entire “oil-oiled mechanism of any wealth.” And in his story he reveals the whole essence of bourgeois society, where robbery, betrayal, and dirty machinations are the law. With all the force of drama, the author demonstrates countless tragedies generated by the dominance of buying and selling relations in society, typical conflicts based on “omnipotence, omniscience, all the goodness of money.” Struggle for
the state no longer becomes an addition or detail, but the basis of the plot, the central idea of the entire narrative.
The main character of the story is a millionaire usurer - one of the rulers of the new France. His image is very complex and contradictory. “Two creatures live in him: a miser and a philosopher, a vile creature and a sublime one,” says lawyer Derville about him. The hero's past is rather uncertain: perhaps he was a corsair and sailed all the seas and oceans, trading in people and state secrets. His real life is also full of mysteries. The origins of his untold wealth are unknown. But one thing is beyond doubt - this is an exceptional, strong personality, endowed with a deep philosophical mindset. Gobsek is able to notice small details and judge the world, life and people with unique insight. In a sense, these qualities of the hero are even attractive to the author. However, unfortunately, Gobsek directs his mind and insight in the wrong direction. Exploring the laws of the world, he comes to the conclusion that “all the forces of humanity are concentrated in gold... what is life if not a machine driven by money? Gold is the spiritual essence of the entire society.” It is around money that all social life revolves; all people’s thoughts are directed towards gold. And having come to such an understanding of the laws of life, Gobsek makes such an ideology a guide to his own actions. Money completely enslaved his mind and thoughts. “This old man,” says Derville, “suddenly grew in my eyes, became a fantastic figure, the personification of gold.” Yes, Gobsek’s cult of gold is sanctified by the philosophically meaningful power of money and evokes some social activity of the hero. However, gold had already become for him the very goal and content of his entire life, gradually displacing from his soul all the positive principles that, perhaps, could have manifested themselves under other circumstances. By lending money at incredibly high interest rates, the moneylender openly robbed people, unscrupulously taking advantage of their distress, extreme poverty and complete dependence on him. Callous, soulless, he no longer became even just a cruel person, but an “automatic man,” a “bill man.”
The destructive principle contained in the accumulative passion, the passion for money, caused Balzac’s irreconcilable critical attitude towards the bourgeoisie, which sought to assert its dominance in society with the help of gold. The image of Gobsek became for its creator the living embodiment of that powerful predatory force that uncontrollably made its way to power, stopping at nothing, using any, even the most base and vile means to achieve its goal, and not doubting itself for a second. The author tried to understand the essence of this force, its origins, in order to reveal all its foundations as clearly and truthfully as possible, to expose it, show it to the world in all its meanness and baseness, to awaken human consciousness, morality, morality in people. The writer strongly criticizes the material interests on which politics, state power, and laws were built. And he does this so convincingly and truthfully that from his books, according to F. Engels, we learn more “than from the books of all specialists - historians, economists, statisticians of this period, combined.”
Gold! Streams of gold. To implement our
whims, you need time, you need material
opportunity or effort. Well!
In gold everything is contained in the germ, and it gives everything
in fact.
O. Balzac
From 1830 to 1848, Balzac created three versions of the story, gradually tightening the image of the main character - the moneylender Gobsek, whose surname is not accidentally translated as “guzzler”. The usurer is a characteristic figure for the heyday of capitalist society, when the merchant needs to intercept a large sum, so as not to miss a profitable deal when a burnt-out aristocrat is ready to pawn his family jewels just to live in the usual luxury for which he no longer has enough money.
Gobsek - shining example of how the thirst for profit can distort human life. In his youth, he sailed as a cabin boy on a ship, visited India and America, was exposed to dangers, looked for treasures, fought, made and lost his fortune several times, and eventually ended up in Paris, where he lived modestly in a wretched room that looked like a monastery cell. But from this cell he, as if with tentacles, reached out to the most fashionable mansions of Paris. His whole life was subordinated to a single goal - the accumulation of money. Gold was for Gobsek a symbol of power over others. He didn’t just rob and ruin, no, he peered closely into the lives of those around him, soberly assessing not only wallets, but also souls. Tired cynicism in Gobsek's nature was combined with impeccable honesty (having received a diamond from Countess de Resto, the cost of which exceeded the payment on the bill, he returns two hundred francs at the first opportunity). A moneylender is a subtle psychologist who correctly and accurately judges people. Here are his remarks about Count de Resto, the deceived and almost ruined husband of the lovely countess: “The Count is dying. His soul is tender. Such people do not know how to cope with grief, and it kills them.” Gobsek is able to be touched by the crucifix over the maiden bed of Fanny Malvo, he does not remain indifferent to the bright charm of the countess, and at the same time the old man is ruthless and scrupulous in financial matters. Even to the lawyer Derville, who enjoyed his favor, Gobsek gives loans only at interest, explaining this in a very unique way: “My son, I saved you from gratitude, I gave you the right to believe that you do not owe me anything. And that’s why you and I are the best friends in the world.” In the end, his stinginess becomes manic: after the death of the old man, Derville finds in the neighboring rooms rotting mountains of food, covered with mold, stale goods that Gobsek was unable to part with. The power of money leads to the fact that this intelligent, strong-willed and in his own way fair man dies a miserable death without even enjoying the fruits of his efforts.
No less than Gobsek, those characters who at first seem to be victims of the usurer suffer from the power of money. In fact, both the Countess de Resto, who is ready to do anything for the sake of her lover, and the brilliant socialite Marquis de Tray, who takes advantage of her weakness and forces her to pay her debts for him, are more dishonest people than Father Gobsec. The Countess not only ruins her children, she is ready for any blasphemy in order to destroy the will, which, as it seems to her, dooms her to poverty. Material from the site
But they are not the only ones. The action of the novella begins in the mansion of the Viscountess de Granlier, whose daughter is in love with the eldest son of the Countess de Resto. The countess's scandalous reputation makes marriage between them impossible. But the lawyer Derville tells the story of the life and death of Gobsek, who managed to save and increase the fortune of the late count. Now Erast de Resto is a rich heir. And this dramatically changes the Viscountess’s attitude towards him. She is not interested in the mind and soul young man, since he is rich. And now you can reconcile with his mother: money and an ancient coat of arms will replace virtue. Derville understands this very well, who, although he is an integral part of the hectic business world, has retained his responsiveness and desire to help people.
This is Balzac’s humanity: he neither extols anyone nor completely condemns anyone. He harshly judges only the foundations of bourgeois society, where the power of money entails crime and vices.
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