Communication of the life of the local nobility. What is the similarity and difference between the metropolitan and local nobility in the novel "Eugene Onegin"? Sample essay text
In the novel "Eugene Onegin", Pushkin outlined the nobility with light strokes - the people in whose society Eugene Onegin revolved, and with whom, in addition to the main characters, he had to maintain relations and communicate. The metropolitan nobility was strikingly different from the provincial landowners who lived in the outback. This gap was all the more noticeable the less often the landowners traveled to the capital. The interests, level of culture, education of both were often at different levels.
The images of the landowners and the high-society nobility were only partly fictitious. Pushkin himself revolved in their environment, and most of the paintings depicted in the work were peeped at social events, balls, and dinners. The poet communicated with the provincial society during his forced exile in Mikhailovsky and during his stay in Boldino. Therefore, the life of the nobility, in the countryside, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, is depicted by poets with knowledge of the matter.
Provincial landed nobility
Along with the Larin family, other landowners also lived in the province. The reader gets acquainted with most of them at name days. But some touches-sketches to the portraits of neighbors-landlords can be seen in the second chapter, when Onegin settled in the village. Simple in their mental disposition, even somewhat primitive people tried to make friends with the new neighbor, but as soon as he saw the droshky approaching, he mounted his horse and left the back porch so as not to be noticed. The maneuver of the newly-minted landowner was noticed, and the neighbors, offended in their best intentions, stopped their attempts to make friendship with Onegin. Pushkin interestingly describes the reaction to the replacement of corvée with dues:
But in his corner pouted,
Seeing in this terrible harm,
His prudent neighbor;
The other smiled slyly,
And in a voice everyone decided so,
That he is the most dangerous eccentric.
The attitude of the nobles towards Onegin became hostile. Sharp-tongued gossip began to talk about him:
“Our neighbor is ignorant; crazy;
He is a pharmacist; he drinks one
A glass of red wine;
He does not fit the ladies' hands;
All Yes Yes No; won't say yes, sir
ile no with". That was the general voice.
Invented stories are able to show the level of intelligence and education of people. And since he left much to be desired, Lensky was also not enthusiastic about his neighbors, although out of courtesy he paid them visits. Although
Lords of neighboring villages
He didn't like feasts;
Some landowners, whose daughters were growing up, dreamed of getting a "rich neighbor" to be their son-in-law. And since Lensky did not seek to fall into someone's skillfully placed networks, he also began to visit his neighbors less and less:
He ran their noisy conversation.
Their conversation is prudent
About haymaking, about wine,
About the kennel, about your family.
In addition, Lensky was in love with Olga Larina and spent almost all his evenings in their family.
Almost all the neighbors came to Tatyana's name day:
With his stout wife
The fat Trifle has arrived;
Gvozdin, an excellent host,
Owner of poor men;
Here Pushkin is clearly being ironic. But, unfortunately, among the landowners there were many such Gvozdins, who ripped off their peasants like sticky.
Skotinins, gray-haired couple,
With children of all ages, counting
Thirty to two years;
County dandy Petushkov,
My cousin, Buyanov,
In down, in a cap with a visor
(As you, of course, know him),
And retired adviser Flyanov,
Heavy gossip, old rogue,
A glutton, a bribe taker and a jester.XXVII
With the family of Panfil Kharlikov
Monsieur Triquet also arrived,
Wit, recently from Tambov,
With glasses and a red wig.
Pushkin does not need to spend long stanzas on characterizing the guests-landlords. The names spoke for themselves.
The celebration was attended not only by landlords representing several generations. The older generation was represented by the Skotinins, the gray-haired couple, they were clearly over 50, the retired adviser Flyanov, he was also well over 40. In each family there were children who made up the younger generation, who were happy with the regimental orchestra and dancing.
The provincial nobility tries to imitate the capital by arranging balls and holidays, but here everything is much more modest. If in St. Petersburg dishes prepared by French chefs from overseas products are offered, then in the provinces their own stocks are put on the table. The oversalted fatty pie was prepared by yard cooks, tinctures and liqueurs were made from berries and fruits picked in their own garden.
In the next chapter, which describes the preparation for the duel, the reader will meet another landowner
Zaretsky, once a brawler,
Ataman of the gambling gang,
The head of the rake, the tribune of the tavern,
Now kind and simple
The father of the family is single,
Reliable friend, peaceful landowner
And even an honest person.
This is him, Onegin is afraid, not daring to offer Lensky reconciliation. He knew that Zaretsky could
Friends quarrel young
And put them on the barrier
Or make them reconcile,
To have breakfast together
And then secretly defame
A funny joke, a lie.
Moscow noble society
Tatyana came to Moscow not by chance. She came with her mother to the bride fair. Close relatives of the Larins lived in Moscow, and Tatyana and her mother stayed with them. In Moscow, Tatyana came into close contact with the society of the nobility, which was more archaic and frozen than in St. Petersburg or the provinces.
In Moscow, Tanya was received warmly and sincerely by her relatives. The old women scattered in their memories, the “young graces of Moscow”, looking closely at the new relative and friend, found a common language with her, shared the secrets of beauty and fashion, talked about their heartfelt victories and tried to extort her secrets from Tatiana. But
the secret of your heart,
Treasured treasure and tears and happiness,
Keeps silent meanwhile
And they don't share it with anyone.
Guests came to Aunt Alina's mansion. In order not to appear overly distracted or arrogant,
Tatyana wants to listen
In conversations, in general conversation;
But everyone in the living room takes
Such incoherent, vulgar nonsense;
Everything in them is so pale, indifferent;
They slander even boringly.
All this was not interesting to a romantically inclined girl, who, deep down, might have been waiting for some kind of miracle. She often stood somewhere on the sidelines, and only
Archival young men in a crowd
They stare at Tanya
And about her among themselves
They speak unfavorably.
Of course, such "archival young men" could not interest the young lady. Here Pushkin used the Old Slavic form of the adjective to emphasize the belonging of "young men" to the "last century". Late marriages were not uncommon in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Men were forced to serve in order to make a certain fortune, and only then did they get married. But they chose young girls as brides. So marriages of unequal age were not uncommon at that time. They looked down on the provincial young lady.
Together with her mother or cousins, Tatyana visited theaters, she was taken to Moscow balls.
There is tightness, excitement, heat,
The roar of music, the sparkle of candles,
Flashing, whirlwind of fast couples,
Beauties light dresses,
People full of choirs,
Brides a vast semicircle,
All the senses strike suddenly.
Here they seem dandies note
Your impudence, your vest
And an inattentive lorgnette.
Holiday hussars come here
They rush to appear, to thunder,
Shine, captivate and fly away.
At one of the balls, her future husband drew attention to Tatyana.
Nobles of St. Petersburg
In the first part of the poetic novel, the secular society of St. Petersburg was described in light sketches, a look from the outside. About Onegin's father, Pushkin writes that
Serving excellently nobly,
His father lived in debt
Gave three balls annually,
And finally screwed up.
Not one Onegin Sr. lived in this way. For many nobles, this was the norm. Another stroke of the secular society of St. Petersburg:
Here is my Onegin at large;
Shaved in the latest fashion
How dandy London dressed -
And finally saw the light.
He's completely French
Could speak and write;
Easily danced the mazurka
And bowed at ease;
What do you want more? The world decided
That he is smart and very nice.
Description, Pushkin shows what interests and worldviews aristocratic youth have.
No one is embarrassed that the young man does not serve anywhere. If a noble family has estates and serfs, then why serve? In the eyes of some mothers, perhaps Onegin was a good match for the marriage of their daughters. This is one of the reasons why young people are accepted and invited to balls and dinners in the world.
He used to be in bed:
They carry notes to him.
What? Invitations? Indeed,
Three houses for the evening call:
There will be a ball, there is a children's party.
But Onegin, as you know, did not seek to tie the knot. Although he was a connoisseur of the "science of tender passion."
Pushkin describes the ball to which Onegin arrived. This description also serves as a sketch to characterize Petersburg customs. At such balls, young people met, fell in love
I was crazy about balls:
There is no place for confessions
And for delivering a letter.
O you venerable spouses!
I will offer you my services;
I ask you to notice my speech:
I want to warn you.
You also, mothers, are stricter
Look after your daughters:
Keep your lorgnette straight!
At the end of the novel, St. Petersburg secular society is no longer as faceless as at the beginning.
Through the close row of aristocrats,
Military dandies, diplomats
And proud ladies she glides;
Here she sat quietly and looked,
Admiring the noisy crampedness,
Flashing dresses and speeches,
Apparition of slow guests
In front of the young mistress ...
The author introduces the reader to Nina Voronskaya, a dazzling beauty. Pushkin gives a detailed portrait of the secular society of the capital in the description of dinner at Tatyana's house. Here gathered, as they said then, all the cream of society. Describing the people present at the dinner, Pushkin shows how high Tatyana rose in the hierarchical ladder, marrying a prince, a military officer and a veteran of the Patriotic War of 1812.
capital color,
And to know, and fashion samples,
Everywhere you meet faces
Necessary fools;
There were old ladies
In caps and roses, they look evil;
There were a few girls
Not smiling faces;
There was a messenger who said
About state affairs;
There he was in fragrant gray hair
The old man, joking in the old way:
Superbly subtle and smart
Which is kind of funny these days.Here he was greedy for epigrams,
Angry sir to everything:
But, along with representatives of high society, the dinner was attended by several random people who came here for various reasons.
There was Prolasov, who deserved
Known for the meanness of the soul,
In all albums blunted,
St.-Priest, your pencils;
At the door another ballroom dictator
He stood like a magazine picture,
Blush, like a willow cherub,
Tightened, dumb and immovable,
And the vagrant traveler,
Overstarched impudent.
Noble status made very high demands on its representatives. And in Russia there were many truly worthy nobles. But in the novel "Eugene Onegin" Pushkin shows, along with brilliance and luxury, vices, emptiness and vulgarity. The propensity to spend, living beyond one's means, and the desire for imitation, unwillingness to serve and benefit society, the impracticality and carelessness of secular society are shown in full in the novel. These lines were intended to make readers think, most of whom represented this very nobility, to reconsider their way of life. It is not surprising that "Eugene Onegin" was received by the reading public ambiguously, and not always favorably.
V. G. Belinsky called the novel "Eugene Onegin" "an encyclopedia of Russian life", it "poetically reproduced the picture of Russian life", Pushkin depicted the noble society of the 20s of the XIX century, and showed in detail both the life of the provincial nobility and the capital society .
The main motif that accompanies the description of St. Petersburg society is vanity ("it's no wonder to be in time everywhere"), tinsel. On the example of Onegin's daily routine, the reader can judge the pastime of a secular person. For a secular lion, the day began in the afternoon (“it used to be that he was still in bed: / They carry notes to him”) - this is a feature of aristocracy. A typical place for walks of the nobility is Nevsky Prospekt, Angliskaya Embankment, Admiralteysky Boulevard. As soon as the “watchful breguet” finishes dinner, the dandy rushes to the most fashionable restaurant, to Talon. Afternoon is theater and the highlight of the day is a ball. It was considered good form to arrive after midnight, and in the morning, when working Petersburg woke up, go home to sleep.
When describing secular society, there is a motif of masquerade: the main feature of St. Petersburg life is boredom (in the theater, Onegin yawns (“I saw everything: with faces, attire / He is terribly dissatisfied”). The author, describing the mores of society, uses irony, sometimes satire:
Here was, however, the color of the capital,
And to know, and fashion samples,
Everywhere you meet faces
Necessary fools.
Fashion is of great importance in St. Petersburg: “Onegin in the latest fashion, / Like a London dandy dressed”; dandyism is fashionable as a way of life and, of course, blues as a Byronic mask of a secular person and, as a result, a special type of behavior (“But wildly secular enmity / Afraid of false shame”).
Life in Moscow is slow, static, unchanging. There are many reminiscences of "Woe from Wit" in the novel. The spirit of family reigns here - this is the main motive in the depiction of Moscow society - patriarchy, everyone calls each other by their first names: Pelageya Nikolaevna, Lukerya Lvovna, Lyubov Petrovna; hospitality:
Relatives, who arrived from afar,
Sweet meeting everywhere
And exclamations, and bread and salt.
Moscow gossip, unlike St. Petersburg gossip, looks at home, like talking about each other in a large family, where we will tell all the secrets:
Everything in them is so pale, indifferent;
They slander even boringly.
In depicting the life of the provincial nobility, Pushkin follows Fonvizin: he gives an idea of the characters with the help of the names of Fonvizin's heroes. Here reigns the "past century" and the past literary tradition with its "talking" surnames:
...fat Trivia.
Gvozdin, an excellent host,
Owner of poor men;
Skotinins, gray-haired couple,
With children of all ages.
thirty to two years old.
The main feature of the provincial nobility is patriarchy, fidelity to antiquity (“They kept in a peaceful life / The habits of sweet old times”), in the relationship at the table, the features of the Catherine era were preserved (“And at their table guests / They wore dishes according to their ranks”). Village entertainment - hunting, guests and a special place is occupied by a ball, where ancient trends still dominate (“the mazurka still retained / The original beauty”). The villagers are one big family, they love to gossip about each other, gossip:
Everyone began to interpret furtively,
Joking, judging is not without sin,
Tatyana read the groom ...
The fate of the provincial nobles is traditional (the fate of Tatyana's mother, the alleged fate of Lensky). The provincial nobility appears in the novel as a caricature of the high society, but at the same time, it is in the provinces that Tatiana's appearance is possible.
In this novel, the author openly and without embellishment shows both sides of the nobility. All old school representatives of high society, seasoned, noble, have a sharp inquisitive mind. For them, there are no vivid emotions and vulgarity, if an aristocrat feels contempt or surprise, he does not show it, conversations are conducted on highly spiritual topics.
The local nobility is a part of people who belong to a noble family, but do not have the proper education, their manners do not radiate sophistication. All actions are hypocritical, aimed at satisfying their base needs. Such cream of society often receive training at home.
Accordingly, all sciences have been studied superficially, the necessary knowledge has not been obtained, therefore, the conversations of such nobles are empty, cutesy with excessive arrogance, which they justify with their attitude towards the nobility.
In this work, the local nobility is expressed in the Larin family and their neighbors, Onegin did not go to visit them, so as not to constantly hear stories about peasants, about how to pickle mushrooms or feed pigs properly.
Tatyana's mother was from a noble family, when she got married and came to live in the village, at first she resisted circumstances for a long time, wore beautiful outfits, and spoke French. But soon this life broke her, she got used to the society of peasants, began to manage the economy.
An example of the fact that Tatyana also became close to the peasants, she can wash herself with snow, is friends with her nanny, the way of life brings its own adjustments even to the most refined and highly spiritual natures. Onegin, in order to go out for dinner, changes clothes, puts himself in order, while Larins can sit down at the table in dressing gowns, a cap and everyday clothes.
Many habits of the local nobility are relics of the past, but on the other hand, it is the preservation of the traditions of our ancestors. Onegin himself is a representative of the metropolitan aristocracy, educated, cultured, but spends all his time at balls in restaurants. He spends a lot of time in his office, where he takes care of himself, then reads books. That's why this monotony made him depressed, he was tired of everything.
He himself is very smart, his mind is comprehensively developed, his views on life are progressive, he understands and perceives everything beautiful in this world. And the rest of the circle of aristocrats is empty, hypocritical, selfish. Their apparent employment and activity, in fact, does not produce anything and does not bring any benefit. Only an endless waste of time, huge amounts of money for balls and entertainment.
Onegin does not find a place for himself in the capital's aristocratic circles, he is bored and not interested there. At the same time, Tatyana is in her estate in a circle of peasants, who have gathered on the next day to dine with their neighbors and talk about how the day went.
To get away from this unsatisfying society, Onegin came to the village, Tatyana began to read novels. Tatyana is spiritually developed, she loves nature, well-mannered, smart and subtle personality. Soon this heroine will become a real secular lady with the necessary level of education. At the same time, she is simple and sincere, these best features of the Russian character, the author gave to our heroine.
It’s just that the nobles living in the outback are ill-mannered, have the habits of peasants, but have retained the customs of their ancestors. As a result, in each of these societies there is something positive and negative, these are two inseparable parts of society.
Composition Capital and local nobility
One of the main plot lines of the novel is the description of the Russian nobility. The work "Eugene Onegin" describes in detail the life and customs of society. When you read it, it's like you're in that time. A.S. Pushkin described secular and rural life from his own experience. The author's attitude is ambiguous towards different strata of society, he ridicules secular society, and writes with sympathy about the local nobility
The metropolitan nobility is expressed in the daily routine of Onegin - the morning begins in the afternoon, a short walk to the restaurant, after dinner a trip to the theater, and at night the main celebration is a ball. And in the morning, when working Petersburg wakes up, the nobles leave the ball. The metropolitan nobility can be described as fussy, idle, and their main feature is boredom. In their life there are only balls, gossip, everyone is afraid of the opinions of others. They are all chasing fashion so that the outfit is better than the other. People from high society are selfish and indifferent, they are artificial, everyone smiles sweetly in public, and gossips evilly behind their backs. Knowledge and feelings are superficial, in such a society such a person as Tatyana Larina could never grow up. In this society, life is filled with constant balls, card games, intrigues. Years go by, people grow old, but their life does not change.
The provincial nobility is a tribute to antiquity, patriarchy and family values rule here. Life in the village is slow, everything goes on as usual, nothing changes significantly. People are ignorant and not very smart, the main topics of conversation are haymaking and kennels, if something extraordinary happens, it will be discussed for a very long time. Gossip here goes like home, as they are all like a big family and everyone knows everything about each other. There is not much entertainment in the village - it's a hunting trip or a visit. The main celebration is a ball, where ancient traditions have been preserved. Pushkin through the names clearly depicts the characters of the landowners (Skotinins, Buyanov, Petushkov)
The provincial nobility is a caricature of the capital. To show his upbringing in high society, it was enough to know French perfectly, be able to dance and have the manners of a secular person. It is in the metropolitan society that people become hypocrites and hide their feelings. Pushkin, describing different strata of society, gives his preference to the landlords living in the countryside, who still retained folk traditions and life principles.
One of the most significant themes in Tolstoy's work is the honor and dignity of a Russian officer. Zherkov's characterization fully helped to understand why the Russian army was defeated in the war of 1805-1807.
In the novel "Eugene Onegin" Pushkin describes the various ways of Russian life: brilliant secular Petersburg, patriarchal Moscow, local nobles.
The poet presents the local nobility to us primarily in the description of the Larin family. This is a “simple, Russian family”, hospitable, hospitable, true to the “habits of dear old times”:
They kept in a peaceful life
Sweet old habits;
They have oily Shrovetide
There were Russian pancakes;
Twice a year they fasted;
Loved the round swing
Songs, round dance are observable;
On Trinity Day, when the people
Yawning, listening to a prayer,
Tenderly on a beam of dawn
They shed three tears...
In the life story of Tatyana's mother, the ingenuous fate of a county young lady is revealed to us. In her youth, she loved novels (although she did not read them), had "secular" manners, "sighed" about the guards sergeant, but marriage changed her habits and character. Her husband took her to the village, where she took care of the house and household, forever abandoning "the corset, the album, Princess Polina, Stishkov's sensitive notebook." Gradually, Larina got used to the new way of life and even became pleased with her fate:
She traveled to work
Salted mushrooms for the winter,
Conducted expenses, shaved foreheads,
I went to the bathhouse on Saturdays
She beat the maids in anger -
All this without asking the husband.
Olga also appears as a typical county young lady in the novel. “Always modest, always obedient, Always as cheerful as morning ...” is an ordinary, mediocre girl, simple-hearted and innocent both in her ignorance of life and in her feelings. She is not characterized by deep thoughts, strong feelings, any reflection. Having lost Lensky, she soon got married. As Belinsky noted, from a graceful and sweet girl, she "became a dozen mistress, repeating her mother herself, with minor changes that time required."
The description of the life of the Larin family, the girlhood of Tatiana's mother, her life in marriage, her power over her husband is thoroughly imbued with the author's irony, but in the irony of this "so much love." Laughing at his heroes, Pushkin recognizes the importance of those spiritual values that are present in their lives. Love, wisdom reign in the Larin family (“her husband loved her heartily”), the joy of friendly communication (“In the evening, the good family of neighbors sometimes met ...”).
As V. Nepomniachtchi notes, the culmination of the Larins' episode is the tombstone inscription: "A humble sinner, Dmitry Larin, the Lord's servant and foreman, Under this stone he eats the world." These lines focus on the worldview of Pushkin himself, the features of his nature, his scale of life values, where priority is given to a simple Orthodox life, love, marriage, family.
Pushkin enumerates the entertainments of the local nobles, depicting the village life of Onegin and Lensky.
Walking, reading, deep sleep,
Forest shadow, murmur of jets,
Sometimes black-eyed whites
A young and fresh kiss
Bridle obedient zealous horse,
Dinner is quite whimsical,
bottle of light wine,
Solitude, silence...
But, paying tribute to the simple spiritual relations in the Larin family and the delights of rural life, the poet also finds shortcomings in the "old times dear to the heart." So, Pushkin emphasizes the low intellectual level of the landowners, their low spiritual needs. Their interests do not go beyond household chores, household chores, the subject of conversation is "haymaking", "kennel", stories about "their relatives".
These heroes are most characteristically outlined in the scene of a ball arranged in the Larins' house on the occasion of Tatyana's name day:
With his stout wife
The fat Trifle has arrived;
Gvozdin, an excellent host,
Owner of poor men;
Skotinins, gray-haired couple,
With children of all ages, counting
Thirty to two years;
County dandy Petushkov,
My cousin, Buyanov,
In fluff, in a cap with a visor ...
And retired adviser Flyanov,
Heavy gossip, old rogue,
A glutton, a bribe taker and a jester.
Here Pushkin creates images in line with the literary tradition. He outlines human types already known to readers, and at the same time creates new, vivid, characteristic, memorable images.
So, the Skotinins, the "gray-haired couple", refer us to the heroes of Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth". Advisor Flyanov reminds us of Griboyedov's Zagoretsky: "Heavy gossip, old rogue, Glutton, bribe-taker and buffoon." The "county dandy" Petushkov then seems to be reincarnated as Manilov in Gogol's poem "Dead Souls". "Perky" Buyanov, "in fluff, in a cap with a visor" - a portrait of Nozdrev. Gvozdin, "an excellent host, Owner of poor peasants," seems to anticipate Plyushkin's "thrifty host."
This environment is deeply alien to Tatyana, not without reason all these people remind her of monsters. D. Blagoy believed that in the images of monsters that the heroine dreamed of in a dream, a caricature of the petty nobility was given. If we compare two passages from the novel, we really see a clear similarity in the descriptions. In a dream, Tatyana sees "guests" sitting at the table:
Lay, laugh, sing, whistle and clap,
People's talk and horse top!
Approximately the “same picture” appears before us in the description of the name day arranged in the Larins’ house:
Lay mosek, smacking girls,
Noise, laughter, crowd at the threshold,
Bows, shuffling guests,
Nurses scream and cry of children.
The poet also critically assesses the manners of the local nobles. So, Zaretsky, a well-known gossip, a duelist, “the father of a family is single”, knows how to “fool the clever gloriously”, “prudently keep silent”, “quarrel the young friends And put them on the barrier, Or force them to make peace, In order to have breakfast the three of us, And then secretly dishonor ... "Lies, intrigues, gossip, envy - all this abounds in a quiet county life.
Zaretsky intervenes in the quarrel between Onegin and Lensky, and with his mere participation begins to "ignite passions." And a terrible drama is played out between friends, a duel takes place, the outcome of which is the death of Lensky:
Immersed in instant cold
Onegin hurries to the young man,
He looks, calls him ... in vain:
He no longer exists. Young singer
Found an untimely end!
The storm has died, the color of the beautiful
Withered at the dawn,
Extinguished the fire on the altar! ..
Thus, “the court of rumor”, “public opinion”, “laws of honor” are Pushkin’s eternal and unchanging categories for almost all ways of Russian life. And the local nobility is no exception here. Life in the estates, among the beauties of Russian nature, flows slowly and secluded, setting their inhabitants in a lyrical mood, but this life is full of drama. Here, too, their tragedies are played out and youthful dreams are crumbling.
In this article, we bring to your attention an essay about the nobility, as Pushkin shows it in the novel "Eugene Onegin".
Nobility (high society) in the novel "Eugene Onegin".
A.S. Pushkin in his novel "Eugene Onegin" depicted the life of the Russian nobility in the twenties of the XIX century. According to V. G. Belinsky, “ he decided to show us the inner life of this estate ».
The author of the novel pays special attention to the Petersburg nobility, a typical representative of which is Eugene Onegin. The poet describes in detail the day of his hero, and Onegin's day is a typical day of the capital's nobleman. Thus, Pushkin recreates a picture of the life of the entire St. Petersburg secular society.
Pushkin speaks of Petersburg high society with a fair amount of irony and without much sympathy, for life in the capital is “monotonous and motley”, and “the noise of the world” gets bored very quickly.
The local, provincial nobility is represented in the novel quite widely. This is Uncle Onegin, the Larin family, guests at Tatiana's name day, Zaretsky.
Bright representatives of the provincial nobility gather at Tatyana's for a name day: Grozdin, " excellent host, owner of poor men "; Petushkov, county dandy "; Flyanov, " heavy gossip, old rogue ". If Pushkin introduces real historical figures, for example, Kaverin, into the story about the capital’s nobility, then in this case the author uses the names of famous literary characters: Skotinins are the heroes of Fonvizin’s “Undergrowth”, Buyanov is the hero of V.L. Pushkin. The author also uses speaking surnames. For example, Trike means " caned ”- a hint that he cannot be accepted in high society, but in the province he is a welcome guest.
The world of the local nobility is far from perfect, because in it spiritual interests, needs are not decisive, just as their conversations do not differ in intelligence:
Their conversation is prudent
About haymaking, about wine,
About the kennel, about your family.
However, Pushkin writes about him with more sympathy than about St. Petersburg. In the provincial nobility, naturalness and immediacy are preserved as properties of human nature.
Good family of neighbors
Unceremonious friends.
Local nobles in the sense of attitude, life were quite close to the people. This is manifested in relation to nature and religion, in the observance of traditions. Pushkin pays less attention to the Moscow nobility than to the Petersburg nobility. Several years have passed since Pushkin wrote the 1st chapter of his novel, and A.S. Griboedov finished the comedy Woe from Wit, but Pushkin introduces Griboyedov's lines into the epigraph of the seventh chapter, thereby emphasizing that little has changed in Moscow since then. The second capital has always been patriarchal. So, for example, Tatyana is met by a gray-haired Kalmyk at her aunt's, and the fashion for Kalmyks was at the end of the 18th century.
The Moscow nobility is a collective image, in contrast to the Petersburg one, where Eugene Onegin is the main character. Pushkin, speaking of Moscow, seems to populate it with the heroes of Griboedov's comedy, which time has not changed:
But they don't see the change
Everything in them is on the old sample ...
A real historical person also appears in Moscow society:
Vyazemsky somehow sat down to her (Tatyana) ...
But in Moscow there is still the same fuss, " noise, laughter, running around, bows "which leave both Tatyana and the author indifferent
Pushkin managed to give in "Eugene Onegin" a detailed picture of the life of the nobility, and at the same time, according to Belinsky, the whole society "in the form in which it was in the era he chose, that is, in the twenties of the current XIX century."
Here is an essay-characteristic of high society in the novel "Eugene Onegin".
