Starodum is one of the main characters in the comedy of a talented playwright of the 18th century Denis Fonvizin. This character has become for contemporaries an example of humanity and a symbol of enlightenment. His image is contrasted with ignorance and greed of other heroes of the play "Undergrowth." The characteristic of Starodum is the topic of this article.
Comedy
The play was staged for the first time in the theater in 1782. But it is interesting to the modern viewer. One of the most famous works in world drama is the comedy "Undergrowth". The characterization of Starodum is a key theme in the general artistic analysis of the play of Fonvizin. But before starting to study this image, a few words should be said about the relevance of the classic work, which causes a warm response even among representatives of the 21st century.
Meaning of the name
The consequences of an unspiritual and idle life are devoted to the work “Undergrowth”. The characteristics of Starodum are summarized below. The name of this character, like other heroes of the play, carries a semantic load. These are the norms of classic comedy. Starodum is a person with an old worldview. In this case, such a hint has a positive color. With his help, the author points out the desire of his hero to follow the principles of the reign of Peter I.
Starodum prototypes
Possessing a clear idea of what an honest man should be and what his actions should be, Fonvizin created the image of Starodum. It combined the best moral qualities sought by the advanced and enlightened people of the second half of the eighteenth century. But did there exist a living ideal example among the contemporaries of the author?
Some critics believe that the prototype of this character is Count I.I. Panin, one of the most advanced personalities of the time, who took an active part in the project to limit the autocracy. This man was also the mentor of Paul I. Is there any similarity between this man and the positive hero of the comedy "Undergrowth"? The characteristic of Starodum points to features characteristic of another, no less well-known public figure of the 18th century. There is an opinion that, introducing the image of Starodum in his works, the author referred to one of the largest figures of the Russian Enlightenment - Nikolai Novikov, a journalist, publisher and public figure. One way or another, the characterization of Starodum from the comedy "The Little Boy" allows us to say that this character is an embodiment of wisdom, kindness, honesty and respect for people.
Role in comedy
Starodum appears in the play quite late - at the end of the first appearance. He does not take active actions. Its function is to establish justice. By the time of its appearance, the conflict in the comedy has already been identified. His duty is to rid the niece of the stupid but cunning Prostakova. This heroine is a collective image of the worst representatives of the old nobility. She is completely ignorant, extremely mercantile. And in it there are such qualities as cowardice and a tendency to tyranny, which, combined, turn her into a vile and disgusting lady.
Her only positive quality is her boundless love for her son, which, however, has such monstrous forms that it turns, rather, into a terrible vice. The image of this heroine and the characterization of Starodum from the comedy "Undergrowth" in comparison allow us to conclude that these characters create an antithesis.
Thinker
Starodum does not take active action. Its function of “deliverer” is somewhat weakened. The main task is performed by Milon and Pravdin. However, Uncle Sophia appears in the work as a kind of thinker. He expresses political views, formulates a moral position. With his speeches, he seems to give the reader the opportunity to understand why, after all, justice triumphed and evil was punished.
One of the difficult topics in the history of Russian literature is the characterization of Starodum from the comedy "Undergrowth". Representatives of the older generation are a little familiar with the quotes of this character. For modern schoolchildren, this work (as well as the system of images in it) is a difficult topic. In order to master it, you must have an idea of the socio-political situation in Russia in the second half of the eighteenth century.
Satire
The limited and meager spiritual world of the nobility was ridiculed in a harsh manner by later authors. Both Gogol and Saltykov-Shchedrin spoke of the idleness and ignorance of the representatives of this social stratum. One of the first to condemn in his work the human insignificance and stupidity of the Russian nobleman Fonvizin - in the work "The Undergrowth".
The characteristic of Starodum, however, allows us to conclude that the satire on the representatives of this class does not have a general character. The author makes fun of a certain category of nobles. Starodum is a supporter of the Petrine era. He and others like him do not recognize the policies of Catherine II. The education program that she runs has, in his opinion, a distorted, irregular form. And its main drawback is that the empress departed from the principles that were fundamental to the management of Peter I. The playwright’s political position can be understood by considering the basic criteria that Starodum’s characterization from the comedy “Undergrowth” has at its disposal. See quotes from this character below. It is these statements that create a characteristic artistic image that embodies the author's worldview position:
- "The ranks begin - sincerity ceases ...".
- "An enlightened clever girl is a miserable creature without a soul."
- "Better to lead life at home than in someone else's front."
- “I know, I know that man cannot be an angel. Yes, there is no need to be a devil. "
- “Revered! One reverence should be flattering to a person - mental; and only those who are in the ranks not for money, but in the nobility not for ranks are worthy of spiritual reverence. ”
- "In human ignorance, it is very comforting to consider all as nonsense that you do not know."
- “Everyone must seek their happiness and benefits in that which is legal.”
Soul or mind
The time in which the comedy was created is permeated with the spirit of enlightenment. The need for education and the right education system - this is the idea of the comedy "Undergrowth". The characteristic of Starodum nevertheless does not boil down solely to qualities such as judgment and wisdom. It is also kindness and mercy. An enlightened person can be low and shallow. And a person is not sufficiently educated capable of pure noble deeds.
The classic character embodying the aspirations of the representatives of the Russian Enlightenment is Starodum ("Undergrowth"). The characterization, quotes and role of this character, presented in this article, recreate the picture of the time in which the Russian playwright lived, and allow us to understand how he saw the ideal Russian nobleman.