Comparative characteristics of Lensky and Onegin. The reason for the duel of Lensky and Onegin

"Eugene Onegin" - a great work of Pushkin, which still does not lose relevance. VG Belinsky believed that this novel allows you to learn all the subtleties of Russian reality, and this is true. After all, the work perfectly reflects the nineteenth century and the people who lived then. But what were the contemporaries of the poet? This can be considered by the example of Eugene and Vladimir, whom Pushkin sincerely loved. The comparative characteristic of Lensky and Onegin interests many schoolchildren and even the readers of the novel. They have quite a lot of similarities and differences, they are like two sides of one person ... As soon as youth comes to an end, how experience comes to replace it, and along with it conformism, so death must inevitably overtake the young dreamer.

Characteristics of Onegin

Eugene Onegin, from childhood, was brought up as a typical representative of a high society. It can not be said that he was loaded with studies, but he mastered the fundamentals of the sciences, which the aristocrat must certainly understand.

From a young age, Eugene was much smarter than other children. He was a little versed in classical literature, loved Byron, read Adam Smith at his leisure, but he had no dreaminess or emotionality. This is what distinguishes him from Lensky. Maybe then it looks like Chatsky? Also not, because the hero Griboedov was interested in politics, unlike him.

Eugene was exceptionally cold and sober mind, and he could not enjoy anything, because he had long been all bored. As a result, as was to be expected, he was completely disgusted with life, and he fell into depression. To many, the friendship between Lensky and Onegin may seem surprising and strange, which, it seems, is true.

The search for the meaning of life, the negative qualities of Onegin

Yearning pushed Eugene to search for some sense, he wondered what to do with himself. He devoted much time to reading, also tried to write his own work, but he did not succeed.

Aristocratic lifestyle developed in Eugene are not the best qualities - hostility to work, laziness, unwillingness to take on any obligations and a pronounced, even can be said, ostentatious egocentrism.

Characteristics of Lenskiy

Vladimir - the opposite of Onegin, he represents another aristocratic type. It's amazing, but reading about it, it's easier for us to understand the nuances of Evgeny's personality. Vladimir - a nobleman, he is 18 years old, and Onegin - 24. Lensky for some time he studied in Germany. In which city - is not specified. Comparative characteristics of Lensky and Onegin will be useful to those who want to better understand the work.

Vladimir is particularly romantic and dreamy, he loves Kant and writes poetry. He lives not with the mind, but with the heart: he believes in sincere feelings, in friendship, in humanity. It seems that in the whole world there is not another such idealist. He takes his spare time with dreams and fantasies. Vladimir looks at the world through rose-colored glasses, soon he falls in love with Olga and for some reason believes that she is close to him, like no other, although this girl is not at all distinguished by the wealth of inner peace and spirituality.

Similarities and differences of main characters

What unites Lensky and Onegin? Probably only that they are both aristocrats, have received a good education, are distinguished by the mind and, undoubtedly, stand out from the surrounding crowd. Vladimir everywhere sees the beautiful. And for Eugene this is a passed stage, he understands that people are far from perfect, inclined to hypocrisy and deeply flawed. The author writes that Vladimir was somewhat naive, always hoping for the best, he was attracted to life in his variegated colors. His friend Yevgeny Onegin was condescending towards him. Characteristics of Lensky, perhaps, causes a smile in some readers. Eugene listened to Vladimir's outpouring, ironically grinning, but at the same time he tried not to show his slight contempt, believing that he should not be persuaded in anything, still sooner or later he would understand that he was wrong. In the meantime, let this mad romantic enjoy the imaginary perfection of the surrounding reality, because such a world view is typical for many young people.

For Vladimir, friendship is of great importance, and Eugene communicates with him only because he is bored, although he has some sympathy for him. Lensky, who does not understand anything in life, is a typical representative of aristocratic youth, although there were many such as Onegin. Perhaps some recognize themselves in the heroes of Pushkin. The comparative characteristics of Lensky and Onegin are indispensable for reading such people, perhaps they will take something new for themselves from it.

The author, noting the differentness of the two friends, at the same time, emphasizes that they have some common personal qualities. He writes that fire and ice, prose and poetry, stone and water have not so many differences. How to understand this proposal? Most likely, Pushkin means that Eugene and Vladimir are united by selfishness, complacency and self-admiration. This phrase of the writer, perhaps, will make for some the image of Onegin and Lensky more understandable.

What do Pushkin and Onegin have in common?

Yet Onegin is much more interesting and intelligent than his friend. His sober mind causes much more sympathy than Vladimir's naive dreaminess, which soon would not have left a trace, as happens with flowers in the fall. Discontent with the surrounding reality is most often characteristic of deep personalities. In addition, the author is closer to Eugene, and he compares himself with him. He writes that he was angry, and his hero is grim, that once they were happy about life, but soon everything got bored with them, and they became depressed. The comparative characteristic of Lensky and Onegin is, of course, interesting, but it is also curious to know the similarities and differences between the characters of Pushkin and Eugene.

Yearning

The author openly says that he likes the personality of the protagonist, one way or another he notes it throughout the whole novel. The torture of Onegin is strong enough. He even regrets that he is still alive and young, because he does not get any pleasure from this, but only suffers. How much longer will he have to suffer, how long will his heart be beating? Nothing seduces him, he just misses ...

The writer awarded Eugene with many qualities that will later appear in the characters of Lermontov, Herzen, Turgenev, Goncharov and other authors. And such dreamers, like Vladimir, are absolutely not adapted to life: some are reconciled with it, and others die.

The absurd conflict

How insignificant and even strange is the conflict between Lensky and Onegin. And the reader wants to hope: everything will end well, comrades will forget about this insignificant quarrel, Vladimir marries his beloved ... But the duel will still happen, someone must die. But who? Even the most inattentive reader understands: Vladimir will die. The author unobtrusively prepared us for this result. Comparison of Onegin and Lensky is of interest to many, but the duel raises many more questions.

The real reason for the fight

An absurd conflict is just an excuse for a duel, and the reason for it is not at all on the surface. To this quarrel a harmful force is mixed, which no one can oppose - public opinion.

Eugene could go to Vladimir, talk to him heart to heart, make up - there is still time ... But no, it's impossible!

Pushkin calls public opinion our idol and writes that the world is held on it. This is the reason for the duel of Lensky and Onegin.

Eugene had to kill Vladimir. He looks down on society, but still he does not care what people think of him, he is afraid of ridicule and contempt. He values his honor and therefore has to kill his friend. Who knows what would happen to Vladimir later if he did not die ... Maybe he would participate in the December uprising, and perhaps lead a simple, unremarkable life.

A harmless trick turned into a tragedy

What really happened? Eugene simply decided to take revenge on Vladimir for having persuaded him to go to the ball, where everyone he met despised. For Onegin, this is just an innocuous trick, but Lensky takes it quite differently. His pink dreams are destroyed - he considered it a betrayal, although, naturally, this is a wild exaggeration. And Vladimir decided that a duel in this situation is mandatory, there is no other way out. Lensky in the novel "Eugene Onegin" sometimes may seem not entirely reasonable person, and that's the tragedy that led to his excessive emotionality. If Vladimir was at least a bit more reserved, nothing like this would happen. This should be a lesson for all readers: you need to listen to the voice of the mind, and not act under the influence of emotions.