Old world novel what to do. "New" and "old" people based on the novel What to do? (Chernyshevsky N
"New people" in the novel by Nikolai Chernyshevsky "What is to be done?"
Roman Chernyshevsky "What to do?" is artwork, is a "mental experiment" of the author who seeks to understand possible development those situations, collisions, types of personalities and principles of their behavior, already established in modern life.
Chernyshevsky sees the task of his work in showing how positive ideals, far from the reality of dreams, gradually move into the realm of reality, practical activities available ordinary people, in the same people of a new type. After all, the novel itself is not just called "What to do?", but has a special subtitle: "Stories about new people."
New people become, according to Chernyshevsky, a phenomenon Everyday life. Now ideals are moving from the realm of dreams to the realm of practical life, and life available ordinary people. Therefore, the author himself builds the plot of the novel on the example of the life of an ordinary woman.
New people are significantly different from the nihilist Bazarov. Main character"Fathers and Sons" considered his main task "to clear the place." Chernyshevsky, against the background of the controversy developing around Turgenev's novel, puts qualitatively new task: to show that new people build, and not just destroy, i.e. to show not the destructive, but the creative role of the new people.
Essentially new is the theory of rational egoism, or the theory of calculating benefits, proclaimed and put into practice by new people.
Chernyshevsky does not question the rationality of man, saying that man can fully rationally calculate his egoistic path to happiness. The calculation of one's own benefit, according to the author of the novel, also provides for a certain respectful attitude to other people: “In order for people to enjoy the happiness of love, they must be surrounded by the same happy people". Thus, the theory of rational egoism is manifested by the theory of revolutionary altruism.
An example of reasonable egoism is the reasoning of Lopukhov, who foresaw the need for himself to “leave the stage”, seeing that Vera Pavlovna and Kirsanov love each other: “It is unpleasant for me to lose a friend; and then - it's time for me to go underground.
Lopukhov's actions show that the moral level of the new people is very high. And Vera Pavlovna herself calms down only when Lopukhov becomes fully happy.
Creating images of “ordinary new people” in his work, Chernyshevsky shows that individual freedom does not mean a decrease in moral requirements for oneself and those around them, but, on the contrary, enable a person to reveal his mental and creative potential to the fullest and brightest.
The action of the novel "What to do?" begins with a description of the world of "vulgar people". This was required not only for the development of the plot, but also in connection with the need to create a background against which the features of the “new people” are more clearly manifested.
The heroine of the novel - Vera Pavlovna Rozalskaya - grew up in a bourgeois environment. Her father, Pavel Konstantinovich, is a petty official who manages the house of a wealthy noblewoman Storeshnikova. the main role in the Rozalsky family belongs to the mother of Vera Pavlovna - Marya Alekseevna, a rude, greedy and vulgar woman. She beats the servant
He does not disdain dishonest income, seeks to marry his daughter as profitably as possible.
Tipsy Marya Alekseevna, in a moment of frankness, says to her daughter: “... Only dishonest and evil and it’s good to live in the world ... It is written in our books: the old order is one to rob and deceive, And this is true, Verochka. So, when there is no new order, live according to the old one: rob and deceive ... ”The cruel inhumanity of this old order that crippled people is the main idea of the stories about“ vulgar people ”. In the second dream of Vera Pavlovna, Marya Alekseevna will tell her: “You are a scientist - you are a student with my thieves' money. You are about good
You think, but no matter how evil I was, you wouldn’t know what good is called. Chernyshevsky expresses the cruel truth: “new people do not grow in greenhouses; they grow up among the vulgarity surrounding them and, at the cost of enormous efforts, must overcome the ties that entangle them with the old world. And although Chernyshevsky claims that everyone can do this, in reality he does not mean everyone at all, but advanced youth, possessing tremendous spiritual strength. Most people still remained at the level of Marya Alekseevna's views, and Chernyshevsky did not count on their rapid re-education.
Explaining the regularity of the existence of dishonest and evil people in the social conditions of that time, Chernyshevsky does not justify them at all. He sees in Marya Alekseevna not only a victim of circumstances, but also a living bearer of evil "from which other people suffer. And the writer mercilessly exposes the cunning, greed, cruelty, spiritual limitations of Marya Alekseevna.
Julie occupies a special place in this vulgar world. She is smart and kind, but she could not resist the struggle of life and, having gone through many humiliations, she took a "prominent" position, became the kept officer-aristocrat. She despises the surrounding society, but does not see for herself the possibility of another life. Julie does not understand the spiritual aspirations of Vera Pavlovna, but she sincerely tries to help her. It is clear that under other conditions Julie would have been a useful member of society.
Among actors the novel lacks those who stand guard over the old world, defending the existing order. But Chernyshevsky could not pass by these protectors and brought them out in the person of the "astute reader", with whom he argues in his author's digressions. In dialogues with the "astute reader" the author advances to destructive criticism the views of militant philistines, who, as he says, make up the majority of writers: you are for your own purposes, only your goals are different, therefore things are not invented by you and them the same: you come up with crappy, harmful for others, and they come up with honest, useful for others.
It was precisely such "insightful gentlemen" who dealt with. his time with Chernyshevsky and his novels.
His novel "What to do?" the famous Russian writer Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky created during the period when he was imprisoned in one of the cells of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The time of writing the novel is from December 14, 1862 to April 4, 1863, that is, the work, which became a masterpiece of Russian literature, was created in just three and a half months. Starting from January 1863 and until the moment of the author's final stay in custody, he handed over the manuscript in parts to the commission that dealt with the writer's case. Here the work was censored, which was approved. Soon the novel was published in the 3rd, as well as 4th and 5th issues of the Sovremennik magazine for 1863. For such an oversight, the censor Beketov lost his position. This was followed by bans on all three issues of the magazine. However, it was already too late. Chernyshevsky's work was distributed throughout the country with the help of "samizdat".
And only in 1905, during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, the ban was lifted. Already in 1906, the book "What to do?" published in a separate edition.
Who are the new heroes?
The reaction to Chernyshevsky's work was mixed. Readers, based on their opinion, were divided into two opposing camps. Some of them believed that the novel is devoid of artistry. The latter fully supported the author.
However, it is worth remembering that before Chernyshevsky, writers created images of " extra people". A striking example of such heroes are Pechorin, Oblomov and Onegin, who, despite their differences, are similar in their "smart uselessness". These people, "pygmies of deed and titans of words", were bifurcated natures, suffering from a constant discord between will and consciousness, deed and thought. In addition, their characteristic feature was moral exhaustion.
This is not how Chernyshevsky presents his heroes. He created images of "new people" who know what they need to desire, and are also able to carry out their own plans. Their thought goes along with the deed. Their consciousness and will are not at odds with each other. Heroes of Chernyshevsky's novel "What to do?" presented as bearers of new morality and creators of new interpersonal relations. They deserve the main attention of the author. No wonder even a summary of the chapters of "What to do?" allows us to see that by the end of the second of them, the author "lets go of the stage" such representatives of the old world - Marya Alekseevna, Storeshnikova, Serge, Julie and some others.
The main problem of the essay
Even the very brief content of “What to do?” gives an idea of the issues that the author raises in his book. And they are the following:
- The need for a socio-political renewal of society, which is possible through a revolution. Due to censorship, Chernyshevsky did not expand on this topic in more detail. He gave it in the form of half-hints when describing the life of one of the main characters - Rakhmetov, as well as in the 6th chapter.
- Psychological and moral problems. Chernyshevsky argues that a person, using the power of his mind, is able to create in himself new moral qualities set by him. At the same time, the author develops this process, describing it from the smallest, in the form of a struggle against despotism in the family, to the most ambitious, which found expression in the revolution.
- Problems of family morality and women's emancipation. The author reveals this topic in the first three dreams of Vera, in the history of her family, as well as in the relations of young people and the imaginary suicide of Lopukhov.
- Dreams of light and wonderful life which will come with the creation of a socialist society in the future. Chernyshevsky illuminates this topic thanks to the fourth dream of Vera Pavlovna. The reader sees here also the facilitated work, which became possible thanks to the development of technical means.
The main pathos of the novel is the propaganda of the idea of transforming the world by making a revolution, as well as its expectation and preparation for this event. the best minds. At the same time, the idea is expressed of active participation in the upcoming events.
What was Chernyshevsky's main goal? He dreamed of developing and implementing latest technique allowing the revolutionary education of the masses. His work was supposed to be a kind of textbook, with the help of which every thinking person would begin to form a new worldview.
The entire content of the novel "What to do?" Chernyshevsky is divided into six chapters. Moreover, each of them, except for the last one, is further subdivided into small chapters. In order to emphasize the particular importance of the final events, the author speaks of them separately. To do this, in the content of the novel "What to do?" Chernyshevsky included a one-page chapter titled "Change of scenery".
The beginning of the story
Consider the summary of Chernyshevsky's novel "What is to be done?". Its plot begins with a found note, which was left in one of the rooms of the hotel in St. Petersburg by a strange guest. It happened in 1823, on July 11. The note says that soon its author will be heard on one of the bridges of St. Petersburg - Liteiny. At the same time, the man asked not to look for the guilty. The incident happened the same night. A man shot himself on Liteiny Bridge. The perforated cap that belonged to him was fished out of the water.
The following is a summary of the novel "What to do?" introduces us to a young lady. On the morning when the event described above happened, she is in a dacha located on Kamenny Island. The lady is sewing, singing a bold and lively French ditty, which speaks of a working people whose liberation will require a change of consciousness. This woman's name is Vera Pavlovna. At this moment, the maid brings the lady a letter, after reading which she begins to sob, covering her face with her hands. The young man who entered the room makes attempts to calm her down. However, the woman is inconsolable. She repels young man. At the same time, she says: “His blood is on you! You are in the blood! I'm the only one to blame..."
What was said in the letter that Vera Pavlovna received? We can learn about this from the presented brief content "What to do?". In his message, the writer indicated that he was leaving the stage.
The appearance of Lopukhov
What further do we learn from the summary of Chernyshevsky's novel What Is to Be Done? After the events described, a story follows, telling about Vera Pavlovna, about her life, as well as about the reasons that led to such a sad outcome.
The author says that his heroine was born in St. Petersburg. This is where she grew up. The lady's father - Pavel Konstantinovich Vozalsky - was the manager of the house. The mother was engaged in the fact that she gave money on bail. The main goal of Marya Alekseevna (mother of Vera Pavlovna) was the profitable marriage of her daughter. And she did her best to resolve this issue. The evil and narrow-minded Marya Alekseevna invites a music teacher to her daughter. Buys Vera beautiful clothes, goes to the theater with her. Soon on a swarthy beautiful girl pays attention to the owner's son - officer Storeshnikov. The young man decides to seduce Vera.
Marya Alekseevna hopes to force Storeshnikov to marry her daughter. To do this, she requires Faith to favor the young man. However, the girl perfectly understands the true intentions of her boyfriend and in every possible way refuses signs of attention. Somehow she even manages to mislead her mother. She pretends to be supportive of the womanizer. But sooner or later the deception will be revealed. This makes the position of Vera Pavlovna in the house simply unbearable. However, everything suddenly resolved, and at the same time in the most unexpected way.
Dmitry Sergeevich Lopukhov appeared in the house. This graduate medical student was invited by Vera's parents to join her brother Fedya as a teacher. At first, young people were very wary of each other. However, then their communication began to flow in conversations about music and books, as well as about a fair direction of thought.
Time has passed. Vera and Dmitry felt sympathy for each other. Lopukhov learns about the plight of the girl and makes attempts to help her. He is looking for a governess job for Verochka. Such work would allow the girl to live separately from her parents.
However, all Lopukhov's efforts were unsuccessful. He could not find such owners who would agree to take in a girl who had run away from home. Then the young man in love takes another step. He leaves his studies and starts translating a textbook and private lessons. This allows him to start getting sufficient funds. At the same time, Dmitry makes an offer to Vera.
First dream
Vera has her first dream. In it, she sees herself emerging from a dark and damp basement and meeting an amazing beauty who calls herself love for people. Vera talks to her and promises to let girls out of such basements who are locked in them, as she was locked.
family well-being
Young people live in a rented apartment, and everything is going well for them. However, the landlady notices oddities in their relationship. Verochka and Dmitry only call each other "darling" and "darling", they sleep in separate rooms, entering them only after knocking, etc. All this is surprising to an outsider. Vera tries to explain to the woman that this is a completely normal relationship between spouses. After all, this is the only way to not get bored with each other.
The young wife runs the household, gives private lessons, reads books. Soon she opens her own sewing workshop, in which the girls are self-employed, but receive part of the income as co-owners.
Second dream
What else do we learn from the summary of Chernyshevsky's novel What Is to Be Done? In the course of the plot, the author introduces us to the second dream of Vera Pavlovna. In it, she sees a field with ears of corn growing on it. There is also dirt here. And one of them is fantastic, and the second is real.
Real dirt means taking care of what is most needed in life. It was precisely this that Marya Alekseevna was constantly burdened with. On this, ears can be grown. Fantastic dirt is a concern for the unnecessary and superfluous. On such soil, ears of corn will never grow.
The emergence of a new hero
The author shows Kirsanov as a strong-willed and courageous person, capable not only of a decisive act, but also of subtle feelings. Alexander spends time with Vera when Dmitry is busy. Together with his friend's wife, he goes to the opera. However, soon, without explaining any reasons, Kirsanov stops coming to the Lopukhovs, which greatly offends them. What appeared the real reason this? Kirsanov's falling in love with a friend's wife.
The young man reappeared in the house when Dmitry fell ill to cure him and help Vera with care. And here the woman realizes that she is in love with Alexander, which is why she is completely confused.
third dream
From the summary of the work "What to do?" we learn that Vera Pavlovna is having a third dream. In it, she reads the pages of her diary with the help of some unknown woman. From it, she learns that she feels only gratitude for her husband. However, at the same time, Vera needs a gentle and quiet feeling, which she does not have for Dmitry.
Solution
The situation in which three decent and smart people, at first glance seems unsolvable. But Lopukhov finds a way out. He shoots himself on the Liteiny Bridge. On the day that Vera Pavlovna received this news, Rakhmetov came to see her. This old acquaintance of Lopukhov and Kirsanov, who is called "a special person."
Acquaintance with Rakhmetov
In the summary of the novel “What to do”, the “special person” Rakhmetov is presented by the author as a “higher nature”, which Kirsanov helped to awaken in his time by familiarizing himself with the necessary books. The young man comes from a wealthy family. He sold his estate, and distributed the money he received for it to fellows. Now Rakhmetov adheres to a harsh lifestyle. In part, this was prompted by his unwillingness to have what he does not have. common man. In addition, Rakhmetov set as his goal the education own character. For example, to test his physical abilities, he decides to sleep on nails. In addition, he does not drink wine and does not make acquaintances with women. In order to get closer to the people, Rakhmetov even walked with barge haulers along the Volga.
What else is said about this hero in Chernyshevsky's novel What Is to Be Done? Summary makes it clear that Rakhmetov's entire life consists of sacraments that are clearly revolutionary. A young man has many things to do, but they are not all personal. He travels around Europe, but at the same time in three years he is going to Russia, where he will certainly need to be.
It was Rakhmetov who came to Vera Pavlovna after receiving a note from Lopukhov. After his persuasion, she calmed down and even became cheerful. Rakhmetov explains that Vera Pavlovna and Lopukhov had very different tempers. That is why the woman reached out to Kirsanov. Soon Vera Pavlovna left for Novgorod. There she married Kirsanov.
The dissimilarity between the characters of Verochka and Lopukhov is also mentioned in a letter that soon arrived from Berlin. In this message, a medical student who allegedly knew Lopukhov well conveyed Dmitry's words that he began to feel much better after the separation of the spouses, as he always sought solitude. Namely, the sociable Vera Pavlovna did not allow him to do this.
The life of the Kirsanovs
What does the novel What to Do next tell its reader about? Nikolai Chernyshevsky? The summary of the work makes it possible to understand that the love affairs of the young couple settled well to the common pleasure. The lifestyle of the Kirsanovs is not much different from that of the Lopukhov family.
Alexander works hard. As for Vera Pavlovna, she takes baths, eats cream and is already engaged in two sewing workshops. In the house, as before, there are neutral and common rooms. However, the woman notices that her new husband does not just allow her to lead a lifestyle she likes. He is interested in her affairs and is ready to help in Hard time. In addition, the husband perfectly understands her desire to master some urgent occupation and begins to help her in the study of medicine.
fourth dream
Getting acquainted briefly with Chernyshevsky's novel What Is to Be Done?, we proceed to continue the plot. It tells us about the fourth dream of Vera Pavlovna, in which she sees amazing nature and pictures from the life of women of different millennia.
At first, the image of a slave appears before her. This woman obeys her master. After that, in a dream, Vera sees the Athenians. They begin to bow to the woman, but at the same time they do not recognize her as their equal. Then the following image appears. This is a beautiful lady, for whom the knight is ready to fight in the tournament. However, his love immediately passes after the lady becomes his wife. Then, instead of the face of the goddess, Vera Pavlovna sees her own. It does not differ in perfect features, but at the same time it is illuminated by the radiance of love. And here comes the woman who was in the first dream. She explains to Vera the meaning of equality and shows pictures of citizens future Russia. They all live in a house built of crystal, cast iron and aluminium. In the morning these people work, and in the evening they begin to have fun. The woman explains that this future must be loved and should be strived for.
Completion of the story
How does the novel by N. G. Chernyshevsky “What is to be done?” End with. The author tells his reader that guests often come to the Kirsanovs' house. The Beaumont family soon appears among them. When meeting with Charles Beaumont, Kirsanov recognizes him as Lopukhov. The two families become so close to each other that they decide to continue living in the same house.
N. G. Chernyshevsky wrote his novel “What is to be done?”, Being a prisoner in Peter and Paul Fortress. In this novel, he wrote about the "new people" who had just appeared in the country.
In the novel "What is to be done?", in all its figurative system Chernyshevsky tried to present in living heroes, in life situations those standards, which, as he believed, should be the main measure of public morality. In their affirmation, Chernyshevsky saw the lofty purpose of art.
Heroes "What to do?" - "special people", "new people": Lopukhov, Kirsanov, Vera Pavlovna. Their so-called rational egoism is the result of a conscious purposefulness, a conviction that an individual can be completely fine only in a rationally arranged society, among people who are also well. These rules, as we know, were adhered to in life by Chernyshevsky himself, they are followed by the "new people" - the heroes of his novel.
The "new people" do not sin and do not repent. They are always thinking and therefore only make errors in calculation, and then correct these errors and avoid them in subsequent calculations. In the "new people" goodness and truth, honesty and knowledge, character and intelligence turn out to be identical concepts; the smarter a person is, the more honest he is, because he makes fewer mistakes. "New people" never demand anything from others, they themselves need complete freedom of feelings, thoughts and actions, and therefore they deeply respect this freedom in others. They accept from each other what is given - I do not say voluntarily, this is not enough, but with joy, with full and lively enjoyment.
Lopukhov, Kirsanov and Vera Pavlovna, appearing in the novel What Is to Be Done? the main representatives of people of a new type, do not do anything that would exceed ordinary human capabilities. They are ordinary people, and the author himself recognizes them as such people; this circumstance is extremely important, and it gives the whole novel a particularly deep meaning. Describing Lopukhov, Kirsanov and Vera Pavlov, well, the author claims: these can be ordinary people, and they must be like that if they want to find a lot of happiness and pleasure in life. Wishing
to prove to readers that they are really ordinary people, the author brings to the stage the titanic figure of Rakhmetov, whom he himself recognizes as extraordinary and calls him "special". Rakhmetov does not participate in the action of the novel, and he has nothing to do in it. People like him are needed only when and where they can be historical figures. Neither science nor family happiness satisfies them. They love all people, suffer from every injustice that occurs, experience in their own souls the great grief of millions and give everything they can to heal this grief. Chernyshevsky's attempt to introduce a special person to readers can be called successful. Before him, Turgenev undertook this business, but completely unsuccessfully.
Chernyshevsky's "new people" are the children of city officials and philistines. They work, are engaged in natural sciences and early began to make their way in life. Therefore, they understand the people of labor and go on the path of transforming life. They are engaged in a business that is necessary for the people, refusing all the benefits that private practice could give them. Before us is a whole group of like-minded people. The basis of their activities is propaganda. Kirsanov's student circle is one of the most effective. Young revolutionaries are brought up here, the personality of a “special person”, a professional revolutionary, is formed here.
Chernyshevsky also touches upon the problem of the emancipation of women. Breaking out of parental home, Vera Pavlovna also frees other women. She creates a workshop where she helps poor girls find their place in life. Chernyshevsky thus wants to show what needs to be transferred from the future to the present. These are new labor relations, and fair wages, and the combination of mental and physical labor.
Thus, Russian literature as a mirror reflected the emergence of "new people", new trends in the development of society. At the same time, literary heroes have become models for worship, for imitation. And the social literary utopia “What is to be done?” in the part that talks about the fair organization of labor and remuneration for work, became guiding star for several generations of Russian revolutionaries.
Composition
“Disgusting people! Ugly people!..
My God, with whom am I forced to live in society!
Where there is idleness, there is vileness, where there is luxury, there is vileness!..”
N. G. Chernyshevsky. "What to do?"
When N. G. Chernyshevsky conceived the novel What Is to Be Done?, he was most interested in the sprouts of the “new life” that could be observed in Russia in the second half of the nineteenth century. According to G. V. Plekhanov, “... our author joyfully welcomed the appearance of this new type and could not deny himself the pleasure of drawing at least an obscure profile of it.” But the same author was also familiar with typical representatives"old order", because with early age Nikolai Gavrilovich wondered why "the misfortunes and sufferings of people occur." In my opinion, it is wonderful that these are the thoughts of a child who himself lived in full prosperity and family well-being. From the memoirs of Chernyshevsky: “All gross pleasures seemed to me disgusting, boring, unbearable, this disgust from them was in me from childhood, thanks, of course, to a modest and strict moral image the lives of all my close older relatives.” But outside the walls of his home, Nikolai Gavrilovich constantly encountered disgusting types who were brought up by a different environment.
Although in the novel “What is to be done?” Chernyshevsky was not engaged in a deep analysis of the causes of the unjust structure of society, as a writer, he could not ignore the representatives of the "old order". We meet these characters at their points of contact with the “new people”. From such a neighborhood everything negative traits look especially ugly. In my opinion, the advantage of the author is that he did not paint “vulgar people” with one color, but found shades of differences in them.
In the second dream of Vera Pavlovna, two layers of vulgar society are presented to us in the form of allegorical dirt. Lopukhov and Kirsanov lead a scientific discussion among themselves and at the same time teach a rather difficult lesson to the reader. The dirt on one field they call "real", and on the other - "fantastic". What are their differences?
In the form of "fantastic" dirt, the author presents us with the nobility - the highest society Russian society. Serge is one of its typical representatives. Alexei Petrovich tells him: “... we know your history; worries about the superfluous, thoughts about the unnecessary - this is the soil on which you grew up; this soil is fantastic.” But Serge has good human and mental inclinations, but idleness and wealth destroy them in the bud. So from stagnant mud, where there is no movement of water (read: labor), healthy ears cannot grow. There can only be phlegmatic and useless like Serge, or stunted and stupid like Storeshnikov, or even marginally ugly like Jean. In order for this dirt to stop producing freaks, new, radical measures are needed - land reclamation, which will drain stagnant water (read: a revolution that will give everyone according to their work). In fairness, the author notes that there are no rules without exceptions. But the origin of the hero Rakhmetov from this environment should be considered that rare exception, which only emphasizes general rule. In the form of "real" dirt, the author presents the bourgeois-petty-bourgeois environment. It differs from the nobility in better side by the fact that under the pressure of life circumstances she is forced to work hard. A typical representative of this environment is Marya Alekseevna. This woman lives like a natural predator: who dared, he ate! “Oh, Verochka,” she says to her daughter in a fit of drunken revelation, “do you think I don’t know what new orders are written in your books? - I know: good. Only you and I will not live to see them... So we will live according to the old ones... And what is the old order? The old order is one to rob and deceive. Although N. G. Chernyshevsky does not like such people, he sympathizes with them, tries to understand. After all, they live in the jungle and according to the law of the jungle. In the chapter " Eulogy Marya Alekseevna” the author writes: “You have brought your husband out of insignificance, acquired security for your old age, these are good things, and things were very difficult for you. Your means were bad, but your situation gave you no other means. Your means belong to your situation, and not to your person; for them, dishonor is not for you, but honor for your mind and strength of your character. This means that if the circumstances of life become favorable, people like Marya Alekseevna will be able to fit into new life because they know how to work. In Vera Pavlovna's allegorical dream, "real" dirt is good because water moves in it (that is, it works). When the sun's rays fall on this soil, wheat can be born from it, so white, pure and tender. In other words, thanks to the rays of enlightenment, “new” people come out of the bourgeois-philistine environment, such as Lopukhov, Kirsanov and Vera Pavlovna. It is they who will build a just life. They are the future! N. G. Chernyshevsky thought so.
Separately, I want to say about what I especially liked.
Verochka had a very hard life in parental home. The mother was often cruel to her daughter, beat and humiliated her. Ignorance, rudeness and tactlessness of the mother offended human dignity Faith. Therefore, at first the girl simply did not love her mother, and then she even hated it. Although there was a reason, but this is an unnatural feeling, it is bad when it lives in a person. Then the author taught his daughter to feel sorry for her mother, to notice how "human features are visible from under the brutal shell." And in the second dream, Verochka was presented with a cruel picture of her life with a kind mother. After that, Marya Alekseevna sums up: “... you understand, Verka, that if I were not like that, you would not be like that either. You are good - bad from me; good you - from me evil. Understand, Verka, be grateful.”
I like that the author introduced this episode into his novel. If he does not reconcile the younger generation with the past, then at least he teaches not to cut off contact with it completely. It teaches first to understand - with the mind, and then to forgive - with the heart.
