The characteristic of Shvabrin from âThe Captain's Daughterâ is a combination of qualities that are alien to a decent person. This hero is not accidental in the story, however, like other images of the Pushkin story. He is the opposite of Grinev - a hero symbolizing the honor and dignity of a Russian officer.
Appearance
The characterization of Shvabrin from âThe Captain's Daughterâ should be sought in the text of the work itself. What does the author say about his character? The characterization of Shvabrin from âThe Captain's Daughterâ begins with a description of the appearance.
For the first time, Pyotr Grinev hears about this man at dinner in the Mironovâs house. Mop in the fortress for the fifth year. He was sent here for the killing that the duel led to. The young officer learns about this from Vasilisa Yegorovna, one of the heroines of the story "Captain's Daughter." In the characterization of Shvabrin, such a detail from his biography plays an important role.
He is short, dark, perfectly ugly. Alexei Ivanovich Shvabrin has a lively face, he is witty, knows how to create a pleasant impression. He is by no means stupid, as the main character is convinced already on the day he met the officer. Shvabrin gladly tells Grinev about the inhabitants of the fortress, he describes the commandant's family, local traditions. A more complete description of Shvabrin in the story "The Captain's Daughter" is in the description of climax events, namely, when the fortress was captured. But before telling how Shvabrin took Pugachevâs attack, it is worth mentioning Masha. Or rather, about the attitude of the hero to the captainâs daughter. A brief description of Shvabrin is given by the author in the third chapter. He is a slanderer, a schemer, an envious.
Masha Mironova
At first glance, Peter did not like her. He looked at her with some prejudice. What did Masha dislike about the main character of âCaptain's Daughterâ? Shvabrin, in whose characterization there is such an unpleasant trait, such a love of gossip, at the first meeting told Grinev about the inhabitants of the fortress. He presented Masha as a perfect fool. Since the young officer was glad to meet Shvabrin (as we recall, he was in the backwater against his will), initially believed every word of this person.
Later Grinev met with Masha and found that this girl is sensible, intelligent. Shvabrin denigrated Masha, because he was in love with her. Thus, he wanted to protect her from other suitors. It is noteworthy that the captain's daughter, as Grinev later found out, once rejected Shvabrin. Despite her young age, she felt the rotten soul of this man who did not have the right to wear the rank of Russian officer.
Gossip
Shvabrin not only stipulated Masha. He told Grinev, a man unfamiliar with the commandantâs family, a tale, not at all worried that there wasnât a trace of credibility in them. So, he told Peter that the garrison lieutenant, Ivan Ignatich, allegedly consists in impermissible communication with the captain's wife.
Grinev had to communicate with Shvabrin every day. But over time, conversations with this person became more and more unpleasant for him. Indecent jokes about the commandant's family hurt Peter. He had already managed to meet them, and didnât cause anything but sympathy for the Mironovs. Particularly painful, he perceived sharp remarks about Masha.
Sklochnik
Peter in his leisure was engaged in writing. Once he wrote a poem. Like any poet, he wanted to share his creation. He gave read the essay to Schwabrin. But he rudely criticized him: he took a notebook from Peter's hands and began mercilessly to sort each line. And then there was a quarrel between them, which led to a duel.
The reason for the fight, of course, is not a harsh criticism of the poetic abilities of the protagonist. The fact is that the poem was dedicated to Masha. Shvabrin, guessing to whom this work is addressed, showed unprecedented even bile for himself. At first he criticized the poem. And then the girl to whom it was dedicated. Moreover, Alexei Ivanovich accused Masha of corruption. This Grinev could not stand it and called his opponent a bastard. He, being confident in the inability of Grinev to fight on swords, challenged him to a duel.
Sneaky man
The lessons of the frivolous French tutor were not in vain. Grinev was good at fencing. Shvabrin did not know about this, otherwise he would not have challenged Peter to a duel. The duel could end with the victory of the protagonist. However, Savelich suddenly appeared and distracted Peter. Shvabrin, taking advantage of the situation, inflicted a blow to his opponent, which could prove fatal.
After recovering, Grinev forgave Shvabrin, who had slandered Masha. However, he harbored anger. A characteristic feature of Schwabrin is meanness. He often acted stealthily. While Grinev was in a fever, he wrote his father an anonymous letter.
Traitor
The climax of the story is the appearance of Pugachev. This event is discussed in the sixth chapter of âThe Captain's Daughterâ. Pushkin described Shvabrin precisely in this part of the work. He, or rather, the protagonist, acting as a narrator, ponders little about Shvabrin. Events take place much more terrible than the betrayal of the officer.
In previous chapters, Schwabrin is shown as a gossip, simply an unpleasant person. But the squabbler is not a traitor yet. As soon as Pugachev appears, Shvabrin goes over to his side. He commits a crime against officer duty, honor, morality. This is no longer just a petty dirty trick, spreading gossip. Shvabrin is a traitor, and he is power-hungry. Using his privileges, he is trying to force Masha to marry him.
Coward
Shvabrin is being arrested. Perhaps another criminal in his place would have repented. But nothing like this happens with former officer Alexei Ivanovich. He testifies against Grinev, and of course there is not a word of truth in them. Petra is saved by Masha. She, like the main character, follows the simple, old truth that honor must be protected from a young age. For Schwabrin, concepts such as duty and honor do not exist.