Sentimentalism of the story "Poor Lisa". Features of sentimentalism in N. Karamzin's story "Poor Liza Poor Liza Karamzin as a work of sentimentalism

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin became the most prominent representative in Russian literature of a new literary trend - sentimentalism, popular in Western Europe at the end of the 18th century. In the story "Poor Lisa" created in 1792, the main features of this trend appeared. Sentimentalism proclaimed a priority attention to the private life of people, to their feelings, equally characteristic of people from all classes. Karamzin tells us the story of the unhappy love of a simple peasant girl, Lisa, and a nobleman, Erast, in order to prove that "peasant women know how to love." Liza is the ideal of the "natural man" advocated by the sentimentalists. She is not only “beautiful in soul and body,” but is also able to sincerely love a person who is not quite worthy of her love. Erast, although he surpasses his beloved in education, nobility and wealth, turns out to be spiritually smaller than her. He is not able to rise above class prejudices and marry Lisa. Erast has a "fair mind" and a "kind heart", but at the same time he is "weak and windy." After losing at cards, he is forced to marry a rich widow and leave Lisa, which is why she committed suicide. However, sincere human feelings did not die in Erast and, as the author assures us, “Erast was unhappy until the end of his life. Having learned about the fate of Lizina, he could not be consoled and considered himself a murderer.

For Karamzin, the village becomes a hotbed of natural moral purity, and the city becomes a source of debauchery, a source of temptations that can destroy this purity. The heroes of the writer, in full accordance with the precepts of sentimentalism, suffer almost all the time, constantly expressing their feelings with abundantly shed tears. As the author himself admitted: "I love those objects that make me shed tears of tender sorrow." Karamzin is not ashamed of tears and encourages readers to do the same. As he describes in detail the experiences of Lisa, left by Erast, who had gone into the army: “From now on, her days were days

longing and sorrow, which had to be hidden from a tender mother: the more her heart suffered! Then it was only relieved when Liza, secluded in the dense forest, could freely shed tears and moan about separation from her beloved. Often the sad dove combined her mournful voice with her groaning. Karamzin forces Liza to hide her suffering from her old mother, but at the same time he is deeply convinced that it is very important to give a person the opportunity to openly express his grief, in plenty, in order to ease his soul. The author examines the essentially social conflict of the story through a philosophical and ethical prism. Erast sincerely would like to overcome class barriers on the way of their idyllic love with Lisa. However, the heroine looks at the state of affairs much more soberly, realizing that Erast "cannot be her husband." The narrator already quite sincerely worries about his characters, worries in the sense that he seems to live with them. It is no coincidence that at the moment when Erast leaves Lisa, a penetrating author's confession follows: “My heart bleeds at this moment. I forget a man in Erast - I'm ready to curse him - but my tongue does not move - I look at the sky, and a tear rolls down my face. Not only the author himself got along with Erast and Lisa, but also thousands of his contemporaries - readers of the story. This was facilitated by the good recognition not only of the circumstances, but also of the place of action. Karamzin quite accurately depicted in "Poor Lisa" the surroundings of the Moscow Simonov Monastery, and the name "Lizin's Pond" was firmly entrenched behind the pond located there. Moreover: some unfortunate young ladies even drowned themselves here, following the example of the main character of the story. Lisa herself became a model that they sought to imitate in love, however, not peasant women who did not read the Karamzin story, but girls from the nobility and other wealthy classes. The hitherto rare name Erast became very popular in noble families. Very much "Poor Lisa" and sentimentalism corresponded to the spirit of the times.

It is characteristic that Karamzin's Liza and her mother, although declared to be peasant women, speak the same language as the nobleman Erast and the author himself. The writer, like the Western European sentimentalists, did not yet know the speech distinction of the heroes, representing classes of society that were opposite in terms of the conditions of existence. All the heroes of the story speak Russian literary language, close to the real spoken language of that circle of educated noble youth to which Karamzin belonged. Also, the peasant life in the story is far from the true folk life. Rather, it was inspired by the notions of the “natural man” characteristic of sentimentalist literature, the symbols of which were shepherds and shepherds. Therefore, for example, the writer introduces an episode of Lisa's meeting with a young shepherd who "drives a flock along the river bank, playing the flute." This meeting makes the heroine dream that her beloved Erast would be "a simple peasant, a shepherd", which would make their happy union possible. The writer, nevertheless, was mainly occupied with truthfulness in the depiction of feelings, and not with the details of the folk life unfamiliar to him.

Having affirmed sentimentalism in Russian literature with his story, Karamzin took a significant step in terms of its democratization, abandoning the strict, but far from real life schemes of classicism. The author of "Poor Liza" not only sought to write "as they say", freeing the literary language from Church Slavonic archaisms and boldly introducing new words borrowed from European languages ​​into it. For the first time, he refused to divide heroes into purely positive and purely negative, showing a complex combination of good and bad traits in Erast's character. Thus, Karamzin took a step in the direction in which realism, which replaced sentimentalism and romanticism, moved the development of literature in the middle of the 19th century.

In the story of N.M. Karamzin "Poor Liza" tells the story of a peasant girl who knows how to love deeply and selflessly. Why did the writer portray such a heroine in his work? This is explained by Karamzin's belonging to sentimentalism, a literary trend then popular in Europe. In the literature of sentimentalists, it was argued that not nobility and wealth, but spiritual qualities, the ability to deeply feel, are the main human virtues. Therefore, first of all, sentimentalist writers paid attention to the inner world of a person, his innermost experiences.

The hero of sentimentalism does not strive for exploits. He believes that all people living in the world are connected by an invisible thread and there are no barriers for a loving heart. Such is Erast, a young man of the nobility, who became Lisa's hearty chosen one. It seemed to Erast that he had found in Lisa what his heart had been looking for for a long time. He was not embarrassed that Lisa was a simple peasant girl. He assured her that for him "the most important thing is the soul, the innocent soul." Erast sincerely believed that over time he would make Lisa happy, "take her to him and live with her inseparably, in the village and in the dense forests, as in paradise."

However, reality cruelly destroys the illusions of lovers. Still, there are barriers. Burdened with debts, Erast is forced to marry an elderly rich widow. Upon learning of Lisa's suicide, "he could not console himself and considered himself a murderer."

Karamzin created a touching work about offended innocence and trampled justice, about how in a world where people's relationships are based on self-interest, the natural rights of the individual are violated. After all, the right to love and be loved is given to a person from the very beginning.

In the character of Lisa, resignation and defenselessness attract attention. In my opinion, her death can be regarded as a quiet protest against the inhumanity of our world. At the same time, Karamzin’s “Poor Liza” is an amazingly bright story about love, imbued with soft, gentle, meek sadness, turning into tenderness: “When we see each other there, in a new life, I will recognize you, gentle Liza!”.

“And peasant women know how to love!” - with this statement, Karamzin made society think about the moral foundations of life, called for sensitivity and condescension towards people who remain defenseless before fate.

The influence of "Poor Lisa" on the reader was so great that the name of Karamzin's heroine became a household name, received the meaning of a symbol. The ingenuous story of a girl who was involuntarily seduced and deceived against her will is the motif underlying many plots in 19th-century literature. The topic started by Karamzin was subsequently addressed by the largest Russian realist writers. The problems of the “little man” were reflected in the poem “The Bronze Horseman” and the story “The Stationmaster” by A.S. Pushkin, in the story "The Overcoat" by N.V. Gogol, in many works by F.M. Dostoevsky.

Two centuries after writing the story of N.M. Karamzin's "Poor Liza" remains a work that primarily touches us not with a sentimental plot, but with its humanistic orientation.

“For even peasant women know how to love ...”
N.M. Karamzin

Sentimentalism - the direction of literature of the XVIII century. It contradicts the strict norms of classicism and, first of all, describes the inner world of a person and his feelings. Now the unity of place, time and action does not matter, the main thing is a person and his state of mind. N. M. Karamzin is probably the most famous and talented writer who actively worked in this direction. His story "Poor Lisa" reveals to the reader the tender feelings of two lovers.

Features of sentimentalism are found in the story of N. Karamzin in every line. The lyrical narration is conducted smoothly, calmly, although the intensity of passion and the strength of emotions are felt in the work. The characters experience a new feeling of love for both of them - tenderly and touchingly. They suffer, cry, part: “Lisa sobbed - Erast cried ...” The author describes in great detail the state of mind of the unfortunate Lisa when she escorted Erast to the war: “... abandoned, poor, lost her feelings and memory.”

The whole work is permeated with lyrical digressions. The author constantly reminds of himself, he is present in the work and comments on everything that happens to his characters. “I often come to this place and almost always meet spring there…”, the author tells about the place near the Si…new monastery, where the hut of Liza and her mother was located. “But I throw down the brush…”, “my heart bleeds…”, “a tear rolls down my face”, — this is how the author describes his emotional state when he looks at his characters. He feels sorry for Lisa, she is very dear to him. He knows that his "beautiful Lisa" deserves better love, honest relationships, sincere feelings. And Erast ... The author does not reject him, because "dear Erast" is very kind, but by nature or upbringing, a windy young man. And the death of Lisa made him unhappy for the rest of his life. N. M. Karamzin hears and understands his heroes.

A large place in the story is devoted to landscape sketches. The beginning of the work describes the place “near the Si..nova monastery”, the outskirts of Moscow. Nature is fragrant: the “magnificent picture” opens up to the reader, and he finds himself in that time and also wanders through the ruins of the monastery. Together with the "silent moon" we observe the meeting of lovers and, sitting "under the shade of the old oak tree", we look into the "blue sky".

The very name “Poor Liza” is also symbolic, where both the social status and the state of the soul of a person are reflected in one word. The story of N. M. Karamzin will not leave any reader indifferent, it will touch the delicate strings of the soul, and this can be called sentimentality.

1. Literary direction "sentimentalism".
2. Features of the plot of the work.
3. The image of the main character.
4. The image of the "villain" Erast.

In the literature of the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries, the literary direction "sentimentalism" was very popular. The name comes from the French word "sentiment", which means "feeling, sensitivity". Sentimentalism called for paying attention to the feelings, experiences, emotions of a person, that is, the inner world acquired special importance. The story of N. M. Karamzin "Poor Lisa" is a vivid example of a sentimental work. The plot of the story is very simple. By the will of fate, a spoiled nobleman and a young naive peasant girl meet. She falls in love with him and becomes a victim of her feelings.

The image of the main character Lisa is striking in its purity and sincerity. The peasant girl is more like a fairy-tale heroine. There is nothing everyday, everyday, vulgar in it. Lisa's nature is sublime and beautiful, despite the fact that the life of a girl cannot be called fabulous. Lisa lost her father early and lives with her old mother. The girl has to work hard. But she does not grumble at fate. Liza is shown by the author as an ideal, devoid of any shortcomings. She is not characterized by a craving for profit, material values ​​\u200b\u200bdo not have any meaning for her. Lisa is more like a sensitive young lady who grew up in an atmosphere of idleness, surrounded by care and attention from childhood. A similar trend was characteristic of sentimental works. The main character cannot be perceived by the reader as rude, down to earth, pragmatic. It should be cut off from the world of vulgarity, dirt, hypocrisy, should be a model of sublimity, purity, poetry.

In Karamzin's story, Lisa becomes a toy in the hands of her lover. Erast is a typical young rake, accustomed to getting what he wants. The young man is spoiled, selfish. The lack of a moral principle leads to the fact that he does not understand Lisa's ardent and passionate nature. Erast's feelings are doubtful. He used to live, thinking only about himself and his desires. Erast was not allowed to see the beauty of the girl's inner world, because Lisa is smart, kind. But the virtues of a peasant woman are worth nothing in the eyes of a jaded nobleman.

Erast, unlike Lisa, never knew hardship. He did not have to worry about his daily bread, his whole life is a continuous holiday. And he initially considers love a game that can decorate a few days of life. Erast cannot be faithful, his affection for Lisa is just an illusion.

And Lisa deeply experiences the tragedy. It is significant that when a young nobleman seduced a girl, thunder struck, lightning flashed. A sign of nature portends trouble. And Lisa feels that she will have to pay the most terrible price for what she has done. The girl was not wrong. Not much time passed, and Erast lost interest in Liza. Now he has forgotten about her. For the girl, this was a terrible blow.

Karamzin's story "Poor Liza" was very loved by readers, not only because of the entertaining plot, which told about a beautiful love story. Readers highly appreciated the skill of the writer, who managed to truthfully and vividly show the inner world of a girl in love. Feelings, experiences, emotions of the main character cannot leave indifferent.

Paradoxically, the young nobleman Erast is not fully perceived as a negative hero. After Lisa's suicide, Erast is crushed with grief, considers himself a murderer and yearns for her all his life. Erast did not become unhappy, for his act he suffered a severe punishment. The writer treats his character objectively. He admits that the young noble has a good heart and mind. But, alas, this does not give the right to consider Erast a good person. Karamzin says: “Now the reader should know that this young man, this Erast, was a rather rich nobleman, with a fair mind and a kind heart, kind by nature, but weak and windy. He led a distracted life, thought only of his own pleasure, looked for it in secular amusements, but often did not find it: he was bored and complained about his fate. No wonder that with such an attitude to life, love did not become something worthy of attention for a young man. Erast is dreamy. “He read novels, idylls, had a rather lively imagination and often mentally moved to those times (former or not former), in which, according to the poets, all people carelessly walked through the meadows, bathed in clean springs, kissed like doves, rested under roses and myrtle and in happy idleness they spent all their days. It seemed to him that he had found in Lisa what his heart had been looking for for a long time. What can be said about Erast if we analyze the characteristics of Karamzin? Erast is in the clouds. Fictional stories are more important to him than real life. Therefore, he quickly got bored with everything, even the love of such a beautiful girl. After all, real life always seems to the dreamer less bright and interesting than life invented.

Erast decides to go on a military campaign. He believes that this event will give meaning to his life, that he will feel his importance. But, alas, the weak-willed nobleman during the military campaign only lost his entire fortune at cards. Dreams collided with harsh reality. Frivolous Erast is not capable of serious deeds, entertainment is most important for him. He decides to marry profitably in order to regain the desired material well-being. At the same time, Erast does not think about Lisa's feelings at all. Why does he need a poor peasant woman, if he was faced with the question of material benefits.

Liza throws herself into the pond, suicide becomes her only possible way out. The suffering of love so exhausted the girl that she does not want to live anymore.

For us, modern readers, Karamzin's story "Poor Liza" seems like a fairy tale. After all, there is nothing similar to real life in it, except, perhaps, the feelings of the main character. But sentimentalism as a literary trend turned out to be very important for Russian literature. After all, writers who create in line with sentimentalism showed the subtlest shades of human experiences. And this trend has continued to develop. On the basis of sentimental works, others appeared, more realistic and believable.

Sentimentalism in the story of Karamzin N.M. "Poor Lisa".
The touching love of a simple peasant girl Liza and a Moscow nobleman Erast deeply shook the souls of the writer's contemporaries. Everything in this story: from the plot and recognizable landscape sketches of the Moscow region to the sincere feelings of the characters, was unusual for readers of the late 18th century.
The story was first published in 1792 in the Moscow Journal, edited by Karamzin himself. The plot is quite simple: after the death of her father, young Lisa is forced to work tirelessly to feed herself and her mother. In the spring, she sells lilies of the valley in Moscow and there she meets the young nobleman Erast. The young man falls in love with her and is ready even for the sake of his love to leave the light. The lovers spend evenings together, until one day Erast announces that he must go on a campaign with the regiment and they will have to part. A few days later, Erast leaves. Several months pass. One day, Liza accidentally sees Erast in a magnificent carriage and finds out that he is engaged. Erast lost his estate at cards and, in order to improve his shaken financial situation, he marries a wealthy widow. In desperation, Liza throws herself into the pond.

Artistic originality.

Karamzin borrowed the plot of the story from European love literature. All events were transferred to "Russian" soil. The author emphasizes that the action takes place in Moscow and its environs, describes the Simonov and Danilov monasteries, Sparrow Hills, creating the illusion of authenticity. For Russian literature and readers of that time, this was an innovation. Accustomed to happy endings in old novels, they met in Karamzin's work with the truth of life. The main goal of the writer - to achieve compassion - was achieved. The Russian public read, sympathized, sympathized. The first readers of the story perceived the story of Lisa as a real tragedy of a contemporary. The pond under the walls of the Simonov Monastery was named Lizina Pond.
Disadvantages of Sentimentalism.
The credibility in the story is only apparent. The world of heroes that the author depicts is idyllic, invented. The peasant woman Lisa and her mother have refined feelings, their speech is literate, literary and does not differ in any way from the speech of Erast, who was a nobleman. The life of the poor villagers resembles a pastoral: “Meanwhile, a young shepherd drove his flock along the river bank, playing the flute. Lisa fixed her eyes on him and thought: “If the one who now occupies my thoughts was born a simple peasant, a shepherd, and if he now drove his flock past me: ah! I would bow to him with a smile and say affably: “Hello, dear shepherd boy! Where are you driving your flock? And here green grass grows for your sheep, and flowers bloom here, from which you can weave a wreath for your hat. He would look at me with an affectionate air - he would, perhaps, take my hand ... A dream! The shepherd, playing the flute, passed by and with his motley flock hid behind a nearby hill. Such descriptions and reasoning are far from realism.
The story became a model of Russian sentimental literature. In contrast to classicism with its cult of reason, Karamzin affirmed the cult of feelings, sensitivity, compassion: heroes are important for their ability to love, feel, and experience. In addition, unlike the works of classicism, "Poor Liza" is devoid of morality, didacticism, edification: the author does not teach, but tries to arouse the reader's empathy for the characters.
The story is also distinguished by its “smooth” language: Karamzin abandoned grandiloquence, which made the work easy to read.