I recently became acquainted with the story of L.N. Tolstoy " Prisoner of the Caucasus" He clearly demonstrated to me how people, when faced with the same difficult conditions, act differently.
The main characters of the work are Russian army officers Zhilin and Kostylin, who take part in the war with the highlanders.
The story is built on the contradiction between the characters depicted.
L.N. Tolstoy characterizes Zhilin as follows: “...even though he was small in stature, he was brave.” Describing Kostylin, the author notes: “... the man is overweight, fat, all red, and the sweat just pours from him.” This dissimilarity in appearance is aggravated by the meaning of the “speaking” surnames of the characters. Zilina's surname is associated with the word "vein", and he is indeed lean, strong and hardy. Kostylin’s surname brings to mind the image of a crutch: this man, indeed, is not capable of anything without anyone’s help.
Such dissimilarity in the appearance and characters of the heroes meant that their destinies turned out differently.
Faced with the mountaineers, Zhilin shouts: “Bring the gun!” But Kostylin runs cowardly, leaving his comrade in danger. And Zhilin decides: “Even though I am alone, I will fight to the last!” I won’t give in alive!”
While in captivity among the Tatars, Zhilin managed not only to survive, but also to win the respect of his opponents. He repaired the things of the mountaineers, made dolls and thought over an escape plan. Kostylin was asleep and idle.
Zhilin loves his elderly mother, feels sorry for her and does not demand to collect an unaffordable ransom. He relies only on himself, and tirelessly searches for a way out. Kostylin is a weak-willed egoist. He, having resigned himself to the circumstances, humbly waits for a ransom to be paid for him, considering this the sacred duty of his relatives.
The quick-witted and resourceful Zhilin managed to escape from captivity and, as a faithful comrade, did not leave Kostylin with the Tatars. Despite the fact that Zhilin’s legs are “bleeding and exhausted,” he stubbornly moves forward, and “Kostylin keeps falling behind and groaning.” But Zhilin does not leave him, but drags him on his back.
Once again finding himself in captivity among the Tatars, Zhilin still does not give up and makes a new escape. Kostylin indifferently awaits the ransom and does not strive for any other salvation. Thus, he remains not only in captivity of the Tatars, but also in captivity of his cowardice, lack of will and selfishness.
In the end, the main characters find themselves free. But Zhilin’s actions evoke deep respect in the reader, and Kostylin’s cowardly and cowardly behavior is worthy only of contempt and shame for the honor of a Russian officer.
Option 2
Story by L.N. Tolstoy's "Prisoner of the Caucasus" occupies a special place among masterpieces Russian literature. The work is distinguished by its simple style and conciseness, but at the same time it is written truthfully and meaningfully.
The plot is built around two main characters, who, by the will of fate, which sent misfortune to them, became close comrades. Zhilin and Kostyli, both have officer ranks and, directly fulfilling their official duty, are captured by the highlanders. This ends the list of common denominators that unite the two characters.
Next, the author sets out his own beliefs regarding friendships and issues of honor. Then there is a description of the appearance of each of the characters, character traits and social status. It is probably known that Zhilin is not a rich man, and besides, he has a sick mother on his hands. Based on his current and early actions, one can conclude about the endurance, ingenuity and dexterity of this person. Kostylin, on the contrary, is very overweight, clumsy, pampered, and weak. Zhilin's appearance indicates his simplicity, but does not deny the nobility of his origin. His soul is full of kindness and compassion. He is friendly even towards his enemies, who, in his personal opinion, do not seem at all hostile. In the same way, he is benevolent towards Kostylin. Despite such a soft, at first glance, character, Zhilin is essentially a man of a different breed - brave, with an iron will. His honesty and courage, manifested in the actions and deeds of the hero, cannot but arouse sympathy among other characters, the author and readers.
Kostylin is accustomed to a rich and carefree life, and his soul lacks such qualities as courage, tenacity of character, and willpower. The hero's cowardice manifested itself at the decisive moment when the escape was about to take place. He could not find the strength within himself to take responsibility for his own destiny. Instead, he waited without taking any action until his wealthy relatives paid a large ransom for his freedom.
Zhilin and Kostylin personify two completely different approaches to understanding life. The actions of the first expressed true friendship, while the second adhered to friendly relations “on occasion” - when circumstances force us to establish a connection with a person. Zhilin understands what honor is and strictly adheres to its principles - but not because it is necessary, but because his heart tells him to do so. Kostylin does not have such qualities.
The author emphasizes the negative side of contemporary society, which consists in the immense love of money and nobility. After all, life often turns out in such a way that sometimes a poor and unknown person turns out to be much kinder, more noble and generous than a noble nobleman. This problem is relevant to this day, and therefore the story of L.N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus” plays an important role in our modern life.
Essay Comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin
L. N. Tolstoy’s work “Prisoner of the Caucasus” touches on the behavior of people who find themselves in the same life story.
Zhilin and Kostylin are two officers who served in the same Caucasian regiment. At the same time they are going on vacation.
From the very first moment, the difference in their characters is clear. By chance, the officers run into the Tatars, and Kostylin, having a gun with him, without hesitation, turns his horse and rushes to the Russian fortress. Maybe he is brave, somehow he served until that time, but his courage was probably only surrounded by the entire regiment, where among a large crowd of people the cowardice of one person was not noticeable.
Zhilin and “one warrior in the field.” Despite the numerical advantage of the Tatars, he did not chicken out. Left with one saber, Zhilin rushes into battle, deciding not to surrender alive. But the Tatars shot at the horse, and the crowd piled onto Zhilin’s horse, which was pinned by the carcass, and tied him up.
So the heroes of the story were captured by the Tatars. And here they have a difference in behavior.
The cowardly Kostylin immediately gives up, he writes a letter home without resistance, asks for money, he fears for his life.
Zhilin behaves like a real Russian officer here too; he writes the wrong address so as not to cause grief to his poor mother. Zhilin relies on his own strength, he is confident that he will be able to escape from the hands of the Tatars.
Kostylin sleeps all the time and counts the days until his release with the help of a ransom.
Zhilin, a jack of all trades, leads in captivity active image life. He treats the inhabitants of the village, repairs various things, makes toys for children, and in between times looks for a way to escape.
For a whole month, Zhilin has been digging out of the barn, and at the first opportunity he is going to escape, taking Kostylin along with him.
Due to Kostylin’s fault, their escape was unsuccessful; pampered and weak, he could not stand the road, and the officers were again captured by the Tatars.
After an unsuccessful escape, they were again forced to write home and put in a deep hole.
Kostylin has become completely soft and ill, and Zhilin is looking for a way to get out of the hole. In the end, with the help of the girl Dina, he managed to crawl out of the hole and escape. His tenacity and fortitude helped him survive imprisonment and return to his fortress.
Zhilin – a real hero, brave and decisive, a person you can rely on. Kostylin was eventually bought out after some time. He is a coward and a weakling; all he cares about is his own life.
Tolstoy's story compares two different characters. One of them is worthy of all respect, while the second evokes a feeling of contempt and shame for the Russian officer who has lost his honor.
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Comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin - the heroes of L. N. Tolstoy’s story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”
In the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy introduces us to two Russian officers - Zhilin and Kostylin. The author builds his work on the opposition of these heroes. By showing us how they behave in the same situations, Tolstoy expresses his idea of what a person should be.
At the beginning of the story, the writer brings these characters together. We learn that Zhilin decides to take a dangerous act because he is in a hurry to see his mother, and Kostylin only because “he’s hungry and it’s hot.” The author describes Zilina as follows: “...even though he was short in stature, he was brave.” “And Kostylin is a heavy, fat man, all red, and the sweat just pours from him.” Such a difference in external description is further enhanced by the meaning of the characters' surnames. After all, the surname Zhilin echoes the word “vein,” and the hero can be called a wiry person, that is, strong, strong and resilient. And the surname Kostylin contains the word “crutch”: and indeed, he needs support and support, but he himself cannot do anything.
The writer portrays Zilina as a decisive, but at the same time very prudent person: “We need to go to the mountain, have a look...”. He knows how to assess danger and calculate his strength. In contrast, Kostylin is very frivolous: “What to watch? Let's go forward." Frightened by the Tatars, he behaved like a coward.
Even the characters treat the horse differently. Zhilin calls her “mother”, and Kostylin mercilessly “fries” her with a whip. But the difference in the characters’ characters manifests itself most clearly when they both find themselves in Tatar captivity.
Having been captured, Zhilin immediately shows himself to be brave, strong man, refusing to pay “three thousand coins”: “... being timid with them is worse.” Moreover, feeling sorry for his mother, he deliberately writes the address “wrong” so that the letter does not arrive. Kostylin, on the contrary, writes home several times and asks to send money for ransom.
Zhilin set himself a goal: “I will leave.” He does not waste time, observing the life, everyday life and habits of the Tatars. The hero learned to “understand in their own way”, began to do needlework, make toys, and heal people. With this, he managed to win them over and even won the love of the owner. It is especially touching to read about Zhilin’s friendship with Dina, who saved him in the end. Using the example of this friendship, Tolstoy shows us his rejection of self-interest and enmity between peoples.
And Kostylin “sits in the barn all day long and counts the days until the letter arrives, or sleeps.” Thanks to his intelligence and ingenuity, Zhilin was able to organize an escape and, as a friend, took Kostylin with him. We see that Zhilin bravely endures pain, and “Kostylin keeps falling behind and groaning.” But Zhilin does not abandon him, but carries him on himself.
Finding himself in captivity for the second time, Zhilin still does not give up and runs. And Kostylin is passively waiting for money and is not looking for a way out at all.
At the end of the story, both heroes were saved. But Kostylin’s actions, his cowardice, weakness, and betrayal towards Zhilin cause condemnation. Only Zhilin deserves respect, because he got out of captivity thanks to his human qualities. Tolstoy has a special sympathy for him, admires his perseverance, fearlessness and sense of humor: “So I went home and got married!” We can say that the writer dedicated his story specifically to Zhilin, because he called it “Caucasian Prisoner” and not “Caucasian Prisoners”.
Zhilin and Kostylin are the main characters of the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” by L. N. Tolstoy.
Theme of the story
During the war in the Caucasus (Russians are fighting with the highlanders for territory), two Russian officers, Zhilin and Kostylin, go home on vacation. Along the way, the heroes are captured by the Tatars; They ask for a ransom for them. Zhilin, not wanting to ask his old mother for money, plans to escape, but due to Kostylin’s slowness the idea fails. Then the officer tries to escape again, and this time luck smiles on him - he escapes. And Kostylin is rescued from captivity by ransom only a month later.
How officers Zhilin and Kostylin behave in captivity
Kostylin is a plump and obese man. Throughout the entire time he is in captivity, all he does is sleep and count the time until the ransom. At the same time, Kostylin does not hesitate to ask the family for a huge ransom (5,000 rubles). The main thing for him is that he be rescued as quickly as possible and that he finds himself again in convenient and comfortable conditions.
Zhilin behaves exactly the opposite. He refuses to write a letter to his mother asking for a ransom, because he doesn’t want her to worry about him and give away the last thing she has. When the Tatars force Zhilin to write this letter, he writes, but the address is obviously incorrect. The officer decides for himself: either he gets out of captivity on his own, or he will have to die or remain there for the rest of his life. In order to escape, Zhilin begins to dig.
In addition, while in captivity, Zhilin is engaged in various useful activities, thereby earning the attention and respect of the local Tatars.
For example, it differs in that:
- makes clay dolls for local children;
- repairs his Tatar owner's stopped watch;
- repairs guns and other paraphernalia of local residents.
And even during the escape, Zhilin stands until the last, holds on with all his might, and does not abandon Kostylin, although he lets his comrade down several times and does not want to pull himself together for the sake of their common salvation.
Thanks to durability and strong-willed qualities, Zhilin still manages to escape from captivity.
Zhilin and Kostylin are the complete opposite of each other.
1). So, when captured, Kostylin did not help Zhilin fire at the Tatars, did not wait for him, but quickly fled to the fortress.
Zhilin, even seeing the superiority of the Tatars, left without weapons, undertakes various maneuvers to get away from them. Realizing that he is not succeeding, he firmly decides that he will not surrender and points his horse at one of the Tatars, determined to kill him.
2). When talking with the Tatars about the ransom, Zhilin is adamant; he understands well that he has nothing to lose except his life. He is daring, bold, and even tries to dictate terms. Zhilin already knows for sure that he will run away. That's why he writes the wrong address on his letter home. He relies only on himself and does not want to burden his mother.
Kostylin is a coward. He does not contradict the Tatars, he agrees with everything. He writes a letter, as long as he is fed and treated well. The Tatars even set him up as an example to Zhilin, saying: “...you keep getting angry, but your comrade is meek! »
3). While in captivity, Kostylin is waiting for an answer and money from home. He resists nothing, humbly awaiting his fate. Sometimes it seems as if he is no longer alive. A good confirmation of this are the lines: “Kostylin once again wrote a letter home, he was still waiting for the money to be sent and was bored. He sits in the barn all day long and counts the days until the letter arrives, or sleeps.”
Zhilin is the complete opposite of him. Everything he does in captivity is a step towards his release. He, taken captive by the Tatars, in blood, with a broken head, tries to remember the way. In the village, he examines the surroundings, looking for a way to his people. He gains the trust of the Tatars by making toys and repairing various items. He even “heals”, although he knows that he is risking, because he does not know how to do this. He creates a tunnel, adopts a dog, hoards cakes. He, unlike Kostylin, has no time to be bored.
4).When Zhilin suggested running away, Kostylin got scared, became timid, he didn’t even think about it. He has some questions. The entire escape Kostylin is a burden: he climbed under the wall - got caught, rattled; I hurt my legs on the stones, I was tired, I was scared of a deer; whines all the way. And again they are captured only because of him.
And Zhilin already has a plan ready. He is Kostylin’s guide throughout the escape. He looks for the way and helps him walk, and when he can no longer move, he carries him on himself. He should have left him long ago and gone alone, but he doesn’t even think about it. He knows for sure that “it’s not good to abandon a comrade.”
5). After an unsuccessful escape, Zhilin, although depressed, is still looking for a way out of the current situation. He tries to dig in again. Failed, he tries to ask Dina for help.
And Kostylin completely lost heart. He got sick, he kept moaning or sleeping.
The behavior and actions of these heroes indicate that Zhilin is a brave, daring, wise, courageous, purposeful, devoted person.
And Kostylin is cowardly, clumsy, timid. In general, he looks like a person, just
- a story by Tolstoy, who introduces us to a Russian officer who was captured by the highlanders. This happens during the Caucasian War. While reading the story, we meet the two main characters - officers, whose comparative characteristics we were asked to do at home.
As we have already said, the main characters of the story are two officers of the Russian army, Zhilin and Kostylin. They have both common and distinctive human characteristics. Perhaps it should be said about them general outline, which makes the heroes similar. This is their common service in the Caucasus. Both of them noble origin, serve as officers, go on leave at the same time, and are captured at the same time. And then the reader sees how different people, different not only in appearance, but also in behavior. One of them is a hero, and the second is weak person, which only causes disgust. Let us dwell on the heroes of Zhilin and Kostylin in more detail.
Characteristics of Zilina
Zhilin is a person who deserves respect. No matter what, he always remains human. Although Zhilin was small in stature, he was a daredevil in everything. This is an officer whose courage and strength are immediately visible, yet he never sought to appear as a hero. Even in difficult times, Zhilin thinks not about how to save his own skin, but about how to protect his mother from the news that he was captured. Zhilin is independently trying to find a way to solve the problem. He organizes an escape, which fails the first time because of Kostylin. But this did not break the hero. Zhilin does not give up and finds salvation. This hero strong in spirit and even his enemies respect him. Zhilin is brave and decisive and it is impossible not to admire this.
Characteristics of Kostylin
But Kostylin is the complete opposite. Outwardly, he is an overweight, fat man, pitiful and insignificant. Its very description evokes hostility. And when you get to know this hero of the story further, you completely begin to despise him. Kostylin is an egoist by nature, it is important for him to save his own skin, so he immediately rushed to write to his relatives so that they would prepare a ransom for him. Kostylin is a vile person who does not know the concept of friendship and certainly cannot be called a hero.
