Problems and arguments about Tolstoy's Russian character. The inner beauty of a person - the arguments of the Unified State Exam. Mercy and indifference in an atmosphere of hostilities

Essay based on the text:

The mystery of the Russian soul is the subject of philosophical speculation by most Russian cultural and artistic figures, and society as a whole. Disputes about this mysterious identity of character have not subsided for many centuries. Russian history, and, of course, a conversation about national character cannot be conducted in isolation from nature and the riches that our country has endowed those living on its vast territory. So the philosopher Ivan Ilyin in his text touches on the problem of Russian national character.

The author talks about the inexhaustible natural resources that Russia has given us, and positive qualities Russian people who managed to develop on this generous land: he is “compassionate, easy-going and gifted.” Moral principles, not imposed on us from the outside, but naturally present in the psyche of the Russian person, are inextricably linked with the history of Russia and Orthodox faith. Ilyin gives the example of monastic meals, during which everyone “glorifies God,” and the prayers with which we get down to business. He emphasizes that life according to God's laws has instilled in our people generosity and mercy, love for the poor and forgiveness. However, listing these spiritual qualities Ilyin is associated with bitter reflections that we do not know how to properly manage the blessings that life has given us: “the Russian person does not value his gift.” The deceptive ease with which we manage to create and work leads to laziness and idleness - another integral features of the national character: the Russian “seeks ease and does not like tension.” Unfortunately, as Ilyin notes, the “careless child of inspiration” does not realize that “talent without work is a temptation and danger,” and in our character there is trust in God and a reluctance to act on our own. This is where many troubles come from: recklessness and lack of understanding of the threat leads to inconsistency and waste of the talent of the Russian soul (“to cut down one tree, he will destroy five,” “he cannot economically cope with the burden of natural generosity”).

The philosopher and writer does not give a clear answer on how a Russian person can overcome these destructive character traits, but his words contain an instruction to each of us: we must think and finally understand that “the temptation of mismanagement, carelessness and laziness” can lead the country to collapse , because natural resources do not come easy; they must be wisely and patiently extracted “from under the bush.” This is hampered by false confidence in the boundlessness of Russian nature and our innate talent, because of which we commit thoughtless actions and do not fully realize the potential inherent in us. According to Ilyin, everyone should work on themselves and overcome their weak character. Discipline and will are traits that a Russian person has yet to learn.

I cannot but agree with the author's position. The Russian man had the great fortune to be born on this land and, without the slightest effort, to receive at his disposal both the vastness of Russian territory and its generous gifts, as well as the endless mental strength, a special, contradictory mentality that has no analogues in other parts of the planet. But this has also placed on us a burden of responsibility that we often cannot cope with.

The problem of the duality of the Russian character was considered most fully and thoughtfully in classical literature, for example, in the novel by I.A. Goncharov "Oblomov". This work creates an image of a Russian man with his multifaceted character, in which the most destructive and noblest traits collide, preventing the hero from realizing his potential. Oblomov strangely combined generosity and kindness, depth of thoughts and at the same time laziness, inactivity, aimless daydreaming. “Oblomovism” is a state of society that, due to the patriarchal structure and upbringing in an atmosphere of peace and serenity, has lost the ability to act and live independently. But in the Russian character, the desire for knowledge, spiritual improvement and life for the benefit of others does not disappear.

Another example is the poem by N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls", in which one of the main themes is the special Russian path and national character, which has yet to be fully realized. According to the writer, the living Russian soul did not die in the peasants, although they, being under the yoke of serfdom, are not able to fully demonstrate their spiritual strength, their good impulses gradually fade away. Glorifying the breadth and generosity of the Russian soul, the accuracy of the Russian word, the talent of craftsmen from the people, Gogol does not idealize the peasants. He points out the vices inherent in Russian people: the inability to complete a task (“the goal will be wonderful, but nothing will come of it”), idle profundity, carelessness. Beautiful impulses folk character turn into their opposite in conditions of captivity and miserable life.

Thus, Ivan Ilyin convinces us that Russian people have been given a lot from above, but in order to take advantage of this blessing and use it correctly, you need to make an effort, cultivate the will in yourself and overcome the internal tendency to laziness and idleness.

Text by I.L. Ilyina:

(1) Russia has endowed us with enormous natural resources, both external and internal; they are inexhaustible. (2) True, they are not always given to us in a ready-made form: a lot is hidden under a bushel; a lot needs to be extracted from under this bushel. (3) But we all know, we know too well, that our depths, both external and internal, are abundant and generous. (4) We are born in this confidence, we breathe it, we live with this feeling that “there are many of us, and we have a lot of everything,” that “there is enough for everyone, and there will still be left”; and often we do not notice either the goodness of this feeling or the dangers associated with it...

(5) From this feeling, a certain spiritual kindness is poured into us, a certain organic, affectionate good nature, calmness, openness of soul, sociability. (6) The Russian soul is light, fluid and melodious, generous and poor-loving - “there is enough for everyone and the Lord will send more”... (7) Here they are - our monastery meals, where everyone comes, drinks and eats, and glorifies God. (8) This is our wide hospitality. (9) Here is this wonderful prayer during sowing, in which the sower prays for his future thief: “God! Establish, and multiply, and grow to every share of the hungry and the orphan man, the willing, the asking and the willful, the blessing and the ungrateful." There was a place for Rus'” and where was the source of love, justice and mercy for all “orphans” without exception?...

(11) Yes, the Russian man is good-natured, easy-going and gifted: he will create wonderful things out of nothing; with a rough ax - a fine pattern of hut decoration; from one string it will extract both sadness and daring. (12) And it’s not he who will do it; but somehow “it will come out on its own,” unexpectedly and without tension; and then suddenly he rushes and is forgotten. (13) The Russian person does not value his gift; does not know how to get it out of hiding, a careless child of inspiration; does not understand that talent without work is a temptation and danger. (14) He lives out his gifts, squanders his wealth, drinks away his goods, and rolls down the line of least resistance. (15) Looks for ease and does not like tension: he will have fun and forget; he will plow up the earth and throw it away; To cut down one tree will destroy five. (16) And his land is “God’s”, and his forest is “God’s”; and “God’s” means “nobody’s”; and therefore what is foreign to him is not forbidden. (17) He cannot economically cope with the burden of natural generosity. (18) And how should we deal with this temptation of mismanagement, carelessness and laziness in the future - all our thoughts should now be about this...

(According to I.L. Ilyin)

Russian character. What is he like? What features does it include? These are the questions that A. N. Tolstoy asks in his text, raising the problem of the Russian character. This problem is still relevant today.

The author focuses our attention on the moral foundations of the character of the Russian person: “... he had strict behavior, he extremely respected and loved his mother...” A. N. Tolstoy is amazed by the Russian character: “... a simple man, but severe misfortune will come.. . and great power rises in him - human beauty."

To confirm our opinion, let us turn to the work of M. A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”. Main character- Sokolov shows the true qualities of the Russian character. He did not break before the German enemy and retained his honor. Despite all the cruel conditions of the war, he remained human, did not become bitter, and loved life.

Let us recall the work of V.V. Bykov “The Crane Cry”. Glechik, left alone with the entire German Wehrmacht, did not get lost, did not miss the Russian spirit. Even in this difficult situation he was able to see the beauty of nature - a flock of cranes. Despite strong desire to live, Glechik sacrificed himself for his Motherland and for his honor.

After reading the text, I came to the conclusion that Russian character includes the strongest traits a person can have. And we all know that he is very difficult to break.

Updated: 2017-03-10

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And if this is so, then what is beauty?
And why do people deify her?
She is a vessel in which there is emptiness,
Or a fire flickering in a vessel?
N.A. Zabolotsky

“Russian Character” is the last (May 7, 1944) significant work of A.N. Tolstoy - included in the cycle “Stories of Ivan Sudarev”. The cycle consists of seven short stories, united by one theme (image of the Great Patriotic War), one idea (description of heroism Soviet people), one narrator (experienced cavalryman Ivan Sudarev). Each story has its own main characters: Red Army soldiers who found themselves behind German lines and created partisan detachment(“How it began”); a repressed kulak who agreed to become a burgomaster under the Germans and reported the most important information about the invaders to the partisans (“Strange Story”), etc.

In each story there is a discussion about the Russian character, which manifests itself especially clearly at critical moments in history: “The Russian man is a cunningly conceived person, and not the flat German limited mind compete with the sober, inspired, sharp Russian mind, which often does not even know the limits of its capabilities” (“Strange History”). The blacksmith Hussar, who before the war was considered a lone craftsman and a quitter, in a primitive rural forge made excellent tools for repairing tanks, and to the surprise of the tankers reacted vehemently: “Your opinion about the Russian person is antithetical... A lone craftsman, a drunkard... No, comrades, you were too hasty in judging a Russian man” (“Seven Dirty People”). The school director, Vasily Vasilyevich, talks about Russian culture, which, by retreating, the Russians allow the Nazis to destroy: “We are all to blame for not caring for it enough, not taking care of it enough... The Russian character is wasteful... Nothing... Russia is great, heavy, hardy ..." ("How it began"). The neat SS man, who received the order to establish German “order” in the occupied territory, also expresses his opinion about the Russians: “The Russians do not know how to work; We Germans don’t like this - a person must work from morning to night, all his life, otherwise death awaits him...” (“Strange Story”). This fascist simply cannot understand why hungry Russians, even for bread, do not want to diligently bend their backs to the occupiers.

The story “Russian Character” completes the cycle “Stories of Ivan Sudarev” and sums up the discussions about the Russian person. The theme of “Russian character” is indicated by the author at the very beginning: “I just want to talk to you about the Russian character.” The idea of ​​the story is clarified thanks to the ring composition: both at the beginning and at the end of the work there are discussions about beauty human character, which the author sees in the actions of each hero: Yegor Dremov, his parents, his bride, the tank driver Chuvilev, the narrator Ivan Sudarev.

Although the story takes place in the wartime spring of 1944, this is a story not so much about war as about love. The story consists of two main and two or three side episodes, and involves a minimum number of characters. So Tolstoy avoided the fragmentation of the plot and achieved a strong dramatic effect.

The exhibition provides meager information about Yegor Dremov (his family and military exploits), gives his portrait and indicates such traits of his character as restraint and modesty. Although Ivan Sudarev recognized Yegor after being wounded and undergoing plastic surgery, he never mentions his comrade’s physical deformity, but, on the contrary, admires the beauty of the protagonist: “He jumps from the armor to the ground, pulls the helmet off his wet curls, wipes his grimy face with a rag and inevitably smiles.” out of spiritual affection." The plot begins with Yegor being wounded in the battle near the Kursk Bulge. The climax scene is his arrival home after the hospital. It is clear that after a serious injury and several plastic surgeries that saved his life, but disfigured his face and voice beyond recognition, Yegor went home to his closest people. But pity and true filial love for his old parents did not allow him to open up right away: “Yegor Dremov, looking through the window at his mother, realized that it was impossible to frighten her. It’s impossible for her old face to tremble desperately.” In addition, he hoped that the father and mother would guess without explanation that their son had come to them. The mother's behavior at dinner seems to confirm Yegor's expectations. Noticing the smallest details, Maria Polikarpovna seemed to begin to suspect the truth: the guest, without an invitation, sat down in exactly the place where her son had been sitting all his life, and his movements during meals seemed to be familiar: “And only at dinner did Senior Lieutenant Dremov notice that his mother especially closely watches his hand with the spoon. He grinned, the mother raised her eyes, her face trembled painfully.”

Yegor didn’t dare admit to his fiancée Katya either: “She came close to him. She looked, and as if she had been lightly hit in the chest, she leaned back and got scared.” This fright of the girl (Egor thought that she was horrified by his terrible face-mask) was the last straw; the hero firmly decided not to open up and leave as soon as possible. After leaving his home, Yegor felt resentment (even his mother did not feel the truth), despair (Katya said that she was waiting for him day and night, but she herself did not recognize the groom in the disfigured senior lieutenant) and bitter loneliness (he sacrificed his feelings so as not to frighten relatives, and unwittingly isolated himself from them). In the end, the hero decided this: “Let his mother not know about his misfortune for a longer time. As for Katya, he will tear this thorn out of his heart.”

Sacrificial love, so valued by Russians, is characteristic not only of Yegor Dremov, but also of his relatives, who with their actions unravel a complicated everyday situation. The mother still realizes that the visiting officer was her son. The father believes that the wounds received on the battlefield for the freedom of the Motherland only adorn the soldier. Katya Malysheva, together with Maria Polikarpovna, comes to the regiment to visit Yegor and by this act proves, without further ado, her love and loyalty to the groom. Such a happy ending to the plot affirms the idea of ​​the primacy of a person’s internal, rather than external, beauty.

To summarize, we can recall the famous aphorism of A.P. Chekhov: everything in a person should be beautiful: clothes, face, soul, and thoughts. No one will argue with the above statement, but if you have to choose, then the Russian will rather choose inner beauty (soul and thoughts), which is exactly what Ivan Sudarev and the author himself do. They both approve of Yegor Dremov’s action, his generosity towards his relatives. Lieutenant Dremov's heart was not hardened in the war, so he is afraid of his appearance upset relatives. In this spiritual subtlety and sensitivity, the narrator and the author see the beauty of the protagonist’s character.

The beauty of human (including Russian) character is manifested primarily not in physical attractiveness, but in spiritual generosity. Yegor, with his face disfigured by burns, does not disgust either his relatives or his comrades, who pay attention not to Dremov’s face, but to his smile, which glows with spiritual affection. In other words, through the deathly terrible face the human beauty of the hero shines through, captivating those around him.

The denouement in the story “Russian Character” is happy, life-affirming - it shows the wonderful characters of Soviet people. Relatives unraveled Yegor's involuntary deception and forgave him for doubting their love; her friends happily welcomed her to the regiment. The beauty of the soul of a mutilated soldier, ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of his loved ones, is not opposed, but is consistent with the spiritual beauty of the people around him, especially women, full of selfless love for the hero.

The problem of Russian national character in A. N. Tolstoy’s story “Russian Character”

At the center of A. N. Tolstoy’s story is the problem of the Russian national character, which was extremely relevant in those years. Legends were made about the “mysterious” and “enigmatic” Russian character in the West; many poets, writers, and journalists in our country and abroad wrote about the courage of the Russian people who managed to stop the hitherto invincible fascist hordes. A. N. Tolstoy turned to this problem not only because it was topical, but also because the problem of the Russian national character worried him throughout creative path. It should also be noted that not only Russian writers, but also great artists of the past wrote about the heroic character of the Russian people. As an example, we can cite works already well known to students: the poem by A. S. Pushkin “”, the story by N. V. Gogol “”.

A. N. Tolstoy never considered the Russian character to be fixed, given once and for all. He looked at him in historical development. The Russian character is the subject of the closest attention of A. N. Tolstoy both in the trilogy “” and in historical novel"", and in other works. The writer could not help but note that during the years of Soviet power, the Russian character underwent significant changes and was enriched with new features. During the Great Patriotic War, when the question arose about the existence of the world's first socialist state, Soviet people felt their deep responsibility for the fate of their Motherland. In the conditions of the most difficult trials that befell our country, the character Soviet man, as never before, courage, perseverance, love for the Motherland, will and energy were revealed.

This is what A.N. Tolstoy writes about in his story, which is called quite remarkably - “Russian Character”. It should be borne in mind that he interprets the very concept of “Russian character” primarily as the character of a Soviet person. The writer is interested in what specific features of the Soviet man were especially evident during the war years, which helped him not only survive, but also win. In his story, A. N. Tolstoy talks about the love of life of the Soviet man, about his strength and beauty, about his heroism, about how he can love and hate.

A. N. Tolstoy's story continues the development of one of the main thematic lines outlined in the school curriculum - to show the inner beauty of the character of the Russian person, his spiritual generosity, modesty, combined with amazing perseverance and dedication. This was discussed when studying Russian folk tales and epics, and even more - in lessons in which they talked about the heroes of such works by Russian and Russian writers as “Taras Bulba” by N.V. Gogol, “Blizzard” by A.A. Fadeev, “The Artilleryman’s Son” by K.M. Simonova, “Son of the Regiment” by V. P. Kataev, “The Tale of a Real Man” by B. N. Polevoy. Therefore, while working on A. N. Tolstoy’s story, the Reader will help students remember these works and heroes, in which the greatness of the character of the Russian man was glorified.

Everyone knows the cheerful Pinocchio well, they have read “Nikita’s Childhood”, “Engineer Garin’s Hyperboloid”, “Aelita” and other works of the writer. However, very few of them are familiar with the facts of the biography of A. N. Tolstoy. Therefore, based on the material given in the textbook, the Reader will introduce us to some facts of the writer’s life and work. In 1942-1944. the writer created a cycle of works, combined common name- “Stories by Ivan Sudarev.” In the image of Ivan Sudarev, the writer embodied the best features of the Soviet man and often expressed his own thoughts through his lips.

Most of the “stories of Ivan Sudarev” are written based on specific facts and events. A.N. Tolstoy obtained material for his stories during his trips to the front and meetings with front-line soldiers. But from the many stories that the writer heard, from the mass of people with whom he had the opportunity to talk, he selected for his works only the most interesting episodes, the most expressive characters. The vitality and truthfulness of “Ivan Sudarev’s stories” were so great that many readers wrote letters to A.N. Tolstoy asking him to say hello to the heroes he wrote about and to tell them their addresses. Readers were seriously convinced that the writer was talking about people who really exist.

“Russian Character”, included in the cycle “Stories of Ivan Sudarev”, is also based on real facts and events. Here is not one or even two, but several stories heard by the writer in different times. And this made it possible to generalize, summarize and create a vivid work with memorable characters.

What are the features of the Russian character? In which life circumstances Do they appear particularly brightly? The author of the text proposed for analysis, A. N. Tolstoy, thinks about these questions, raising the problem of the Russian character.

This problem is relevant at all times. Many writers and thinkers have thought about the characteristics of our people. A. N. Tolstoy considers this problem using the example of the hero Yegor Dremov. During the Battle of Kursk, Yegor was so disfigured that even the nurse who handed him a mirror in the hospital turned away and began to cry.

However, the blow of fate did not break the hero. Contrary to the decision of the medical commission, Dremov asked to return to the front. “I’m a freak, but this won’t interfere with the matter, I’ll restore combat effectiveness completely,” he firmly told the general.

The author admires his hero. He is confident that a Russian person will not break even in the most difficult life situations. Perseverance, courage and inner beauty are traits of the Russian character: “It seems that a simple person, but a severe misfortune will come, in big or small ways, and a great strength rises in him - human beauty.”

- patriotism, courage, bravery. During critical periods, for example, during the difficult years of war, these traits are revealed with particular force. I can confirm my point of view with an example from the literature.

M. Sholokhov’s work “The Fate of a Man” describes the life story of Andrei Sokolov. The hero went through many trials: he was wounded, was captured, and lost his family. But he was able to overcome everything. I managed not to become embittered, not to despair, found the strength to live on and even adopted little boy, saved him from certain death.

In addition, I will give examples of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. In unbearable conditions they fought for the freedom of their Motherland, for peaceful life people. Many did not return from the war and stopped the enemy at the cost of their own lives.

Thus, the Russian people - great people. Inner beauty, consisting of fortitude, love for the Motherland, courage, - distinguishing feature national character.

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