In the play “Woe from Wit”, the only character who is at least somewhat close to Chatsky is the daughter of Famusov. This girl, according to the author himself, is not stupid, but prefers a fool to a clever one. In the image of a complex heroine, the author departed from his usual satirical look. How to write the work “Woe from Wit: the image of Sophia”? First of all, it is necessary to characterize this heroine and analyze her relationship with other comedy characters.
Bad image
The author endowed Sophia with a strong and deep character. However, critics for a long time treated this heroine rather unfavorably. Pushkin believed that this image is a great failure of Griboedov. The first who appreciated the heroine was Goncharov. In one of the critical studies, he expressed his view on her true role in the play by Griboedov. Before you start writing the essay “Woe from Wit: the Image of Sophia”, you should read Goncharov’s article “A Million of Torment”. It contains the best analysis of this heroine. Goncharov compared her with Tatyana Larina, whose image also contains both weakness and strength.
Dramatic image
Sophia, like Chatsky, is passionate. She is capable of strong and real feelings. But she is a dramatic person, not a character in social comedy. The lust of Famusov’s daughter is rather pathetic. He does not cause sympathy neither the main character, nor the audience. But love is blind ... She does not see the wretched spiritual world of Molchalin, a girl in love. The composition “Woe from Wit: Sophia’s Image” must necessarily include a description and analysis of the heroine’s attitude to the character, which creates an opposition to Chatsky, because it is precisely this that forms the line of her behavior.
Love
The world for Sophia in love is divided into two camps. In one - Molchalin. In the other, everyone else. During his absence, all the thoughts of the daughter of Famusov are directed to him. But her love is joyless. She is clouded by the realization that Molchalin will never be accepted by her father. Feelings overwhelm Sophia, she is ready to share with almost every of her experiences. She talks about this Lisa, then selects a completely inappropriate listener, namely Chatsky. Love and fear of the father deprive her of the ability to think sensibly.
Regarding Molchalin, Sophia is cruelly mistaken. She believes that she can look at her chosen one objectively, but this is only an illusion. The girl sees in him not those vices that are obvious to Chatsky. In Sophia’s view, her father’s secretary does not have a brilliant mind, but he is gentle and kind. This stupid and very penetrating girl is not able to see the true face of Molchalin. The work “Woe from Wit: Sophia's Image” is a difficult task, since its main goal is to characterize the dramatic heroine against the background of farce and satire.
At the end of the play, the heroine becomes a witness to the “courtship” of her chosen one for Lisa. This scene deals a severe blow to the emotional state of a girl in love. And exactly here comes one of the most dramatic moments in the work of Griboedov.
Misconceptions of Sophia
But why does the prudent Sophia prefer her childhood friend to an empty careerist? Why does she commit betrayal in relation to Chatsky? In order to write the work “Woe from Wit: the Image of Sofia Famusova”, you need to have a certain idea of what place a woman occupied in society at that time. There is a fragment in the comedy in which the author clearly expresses a critical view of the pedagogical process to which the girls were subjected at that time.
This is not to say that Sophia was not educated. She and her contemporaries knew not so little. But the entire education system was not aimed at developing the ability to think or form their own judgments, but at acquiring the necessary skills for a secular career and successful marriage. In such an atmosphere, Sophia unconsciously builds her life according to the generally accepted model. A reading of sentimental French novels even more rooted in her those errors that gave rise to the deceptive image of Molchalin.
The harmful effects of French literature
Secretary Famusova appears in the eyes of Sophia a kind of romantic hero. In their relationship, she sees a story of unequal love. She is a noble girl. He is an honest, but rootless young man. And, of course, having read French novels, Sophia is ready to make any sacrifices for her love.
In the school curriculum, an essay on "Woe from Wit." Pupils rarely choose the image of Sophia as the topic of this assignment. This is not surprising. Other characters, and especially Chatsky, are more vivid and interesting. The main character is also endowed with a sharp mind. The image of Sophia is not so interesting.
Other female images
Thanks to the variety of heroines, the viewer can see the whole life path prepared for Sofya. Griboedov introduced a whole palette of female characters into his work. “Woe from Wit: The Image of Sophia” is an essay that can be supplemented by a comparative description of the main character and Princess Tugoukhovsky, Natalya Dmitrievna Gorich, Natalya Alexandrovna Khlestova. Each of them has typical features of a woman belonging to the Sophia society. And the final link in this string of characters is Countess Khryumin. This lady is a miserable creature that almost crumbles on the go. And each of the young ladies, for some reason, seeks to overcome this "bright path", so that at the end of it she turns into a likeness of Khryumina, from whose appearance she becomes sad. Sophia is no exception. Given all these secular customs, the choice of Famusov’s daughter does not seem so strange. After all, Chatsky is an unsuitable companion to go this way. Much more suitable careerist Molchalin.
Consideration of the problem of educating girls in the XIX century - this is a short essay "Woe from Wit." The image of Sophia is complex and ambiguous. This girl is an extraordinary nature. However, the best traits of her character were ill-developed under the influence of morals and prejudices that prevail in secular society.