The image of the "little man" in the poem "The Bronze Horseman" (AS Pushkin). The image of a "little man" in Russian literature ...

Some somehow believe that the year when the poem "The Bronze Horseman" was written is 1830. Analysis of the biographical information makes it possible to state unambiguously that Pushkin created it in 1833. This is one of the most perfect and vivid works of Alexander Sergeevich. The author in this poem has convincingly shown all the inconsistency and complexity of the turning-point in the history of our country. It should be emphasized that the poem "The Bronze Horseman" occupies a special place in the work of Alexander Sergeevich. The poet tried to solve the problem of the relationship between the state and the individual at all times. This theme has always been at the center of the author's spiritual quest.

Features of the genre

According to the tradition that has developed for a long time, the poem is a work that has a lyric or narrative character. If initially it was rather a historical creation, then for some time the poems began to acquire an increasingly romantic coloration. This was due to the tradition of the knightly novel, popular in the Middle Ages. Even later, the moral and philosophical, personal issues are brought to the forefront. The lyrical and dramatic aspects begin to intensify. In the poem, however, central heroes or one character (this is characteristic of the work of romantic writers) are drawn as independent personalities. They cease to be seized by the author from the historical stream. Now these are not just vague figures, as before.

The image of a small man in Russian literature

A small man in Russian literature is one of the cross-cutting themes. Many writers and poets of the 19th century addressed her. AS Pushkin touched upon it one of the first in his story "Stationmaster." Gogol, Chekhov, Dostoevsky and many others have become followers of this topic.

What is the image of a little man in Russian literature? This person is small socially. He is at one of the lowest levels of the social hierarchy. In addition, the world of his claims and spiritual life is extremely poor, narrow, full of prohibitions. Philosophical and historical problems do not exist for this hero. He is in the closed and narrow world of his vital interests.

Eugene - the little man

Consider now the image of a little man in the poem "The Bronze Horseman." Eugene, her hero, is a product of the so-called St. Petersburg period of Russian history. He can be called a small man, since the meaning of Evgeny's life consists in acquiring philistine well-being: a family, a good place, a home. The existence of this hero is limited around family worries. It is characteristic of him not to take part in his past, since he does not yearn for the forgotten old times, or about the resting relatives. These features of Eugene for Pushkin are unacceptable. It is thanks to them that this character represents the image of a little man in the poem "The Bronze Horseman". Alexander Sergeevich deliberately does not give a detailed description of this hero. He does not even have a surname, which means that you can put any other person in his place. In the figure of Eugene reflected the fate of many such people, whose life fell on the St. Petersburg period of history. However, the image of the little man in the poem "The Bronze Horseman" is not static, it is transformed in the course of the narrative. We'll talk about this below.

The view of Peter and Eugene

Eugene in the flood scene sits, clasping his hands cross (as seen by the parallel with Napoleon), but without a hat. Behind him is the Bronze Horseman. These two figures look in one direction. Nevertheless, Peter's view differs from that of Eugene. At the tsar he directed into the depths of centuries. Peter does not care about the destinies of ordinary people, because he solves mostly historical problems. Eugene, who represents the image of a little man in the poem "The Bronze Horseman", looks at the house of his beloved.

The main difference between Peter and Eugene

You can identify the following main difference, comparing the bronze Peter with this hero. The image of Eugene in Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman" is characterized by the fact that this character has a heart and soul, he has the ability to feel, knows how to worry about the fate of the person whom he loves. It can be called the antipode of Peter, this idol on a bronze horse. Eugene can suffer, dream, be sad. That is, despite the fact that Peter reflects on the destinies of the whole state, that is, is concerned with the improvement of the life of all people, in an abstract sense (including Eugene, who in the future should become a resident of St. Petersburg), in the eyes of the reader Eugene, and not the king becomes more attractive . It is he who awakens a living participation in us.

Flood in the fate of Eugene

For Yevgeny, the flood in St. Petersburg turns into a tragedy. It makes this plain man of this Hero. Eugene is going crazy. This, of course, brings him closer to the characters of romantic works, as madness is a popular feature of a romantic hero. Eugene wanders through the streets of the city, hostile to him, but in his ears there is a rebellious noise of the winds and the Neva. It is this noise, together with the noise in his own soul, that awakens in Eugene what was the main sign of man for Pushkin-memory. The hero brings the memory of the flood to the Senate Square. Here he meets with the bronze Peter for the second time. Pushkin wonderfully described what a tragically beautiful moment in the life of a humble poor official. He suddenly cleared his mind. The hero understood the reason for both his own misfortunes and all the troubles of the city. Eugene found out the culprit of them, the man, the fatal will of which the city was founded. Suddenly, hatred for this half-world master was born. Eugene passionately wanted to take revenge. The hero raises a riot. He threatens Peter, coming up to him: "You're already here!" We will make a brief analysis of the riot scene in the poem "The Bronze Horseman", which will allow us to discover new features in the image of Eugene.

Protest

The inevitability and naturalness of the protest is born from the spiritual evolution of the hero. His transfiguration is shown artistically convincingly. The protest raises Eugene to a new life, tragic, high, which conceals an imminent near death. He threatens the king with future retribution. This threat is terrible to the autocrat, as he realizes the immense power hidden in this little man protesting, revolting.

At the moment when Evgeny suddenly sees, he turns into a Man in his connection with the clan. It should be noted that in this passage the hero has never been named by name. This makes it to a certain degree faceless, one of many. Pushkin describes the confrontation of the personifying autocratic power of the terrible king and the person who is endowed with memory has a heart. The promise of retribution and the direct threat are heard in the whisper of the enlightened hero. For them an animated statue, "kindled" with anger, punishes this "madman of the poor."

The Madness of Eugene

The reader can understand that Yevgeny's protest is individual, and he utters it in a whisper. Nevertheless, the hero must be punished. It is also symbolic that Evgeny is defined as a madman. According to Pushkin, madness is an unequal dispute. From the standpoint of common sense, the appearance of one person against powerful state power is a very insane. But it is "holy", since silent humility carries death.

"The Bronze Horseman" is a philosophical and social poem. Pushkin shows that only protest can save a person from a moral fall in the conditions of violence. Alexander Sergeyevich stresses that resistance, an attempt to resent, voice will always be a better way than submitting to cruel fate.