Exhibition of the captain's daughter. "The Captain's Daughter": analysis of the work, the fate of the heroes, composition. Composition of the story "The Captain's Daughter"

Rice. 1. A.S. Pushkin ()

The first thing that everyone who has written about the composition of Pushkin’s novel notes is that Pushkin (Fig. 1) avoids unnecessary details. Let's say that in the draft there was a description of an inn (inn): the hostess lit a torch, there was a pot of cabbage soup on the table. Pushkin removes all this. And if something occurs in this novel, it is clearly not accidental. It would seem that a completely passing thing is that Grinev meets Ivan Ivanovich Zurin and loses him a hundred rubles. But in the penultimate chapter, it is Major Zurin who commands the detachment that detained Marya Ivanovna and Pyotr Grinev. Grinev remains in Zurina’s detachment. And what would have happened to him and Masha if the detachment had been commanded by another person, because the coachman declared that the sovereign’s godfather was traveling with his mistress? That is, Grinev and Masha Mironova were captured by government troops as Pugachevites. It's a happy accident.

It is important to know that the epigraphs (this is reported on the last page of the novel) were found by the publisher ( publisher A.P.) That is, if the notes were written by Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, then the epigraphs belong to the publisher. There is still a dispute here: does the epigraph to the entire novel belong to the publisher or does it belong to Grinev? But for us this is not important.

It is important that in the epigraphs, firstly, there are excerpts from the works of the 18th century (noble Russian literature) and there is folklore. Their very combination means both opposition and the desire for folk culture and noble culture (a culture of a high concept of honor and duty) to unite.

Secondly, it is important that Pushkin composed some epigraphs. Or at least we don't know the sources of some of them. For example, the epigraph that precedes Chapter XI "Rebel Settlement", under which is Sumarokov’s signature, but Sumarokov does not have such lines:

“At that time the lion was well-fed, even though he has been ferocious since birth.
“Why did you deign to come to my den?” -
He asked kindly."

It is very important that the word nativity scene occurs in the novel precisely in the meaning "robber den".

How these epigraphs work can be seen in the epigraph to Chapter I:

- Tomorrow he would be a captain of the guard.
- That’s not necessary; Let him serve in the army.
- Well said! let him push...
. .
Who's his father?
Knyazhnin.

Rice. 2. Ya.B. Knyazhnin ()

In his comedy “Boaster”, two characters with “talking” surnames are talking - Verkholet and Chvankina. For Pushkin, it is not the reminder of this comedy that is important, but the concepts of “army” and “guard” are important. These are completely different things. The guards rank is two classes higher than the army rank. The final remark is important: “Who is his father?”. And Pushkin picks up this remark and begins his novel with the words:

“My father, Andrei Petrovich Grinev, in his youth served under Count Minich and retired as prime minister...”

There is a dialogue between the epigraph and the text of the novel.

In Pushkin's works, a prophetic or prophetic dream plays an extremely important role.

In Eugene Onegin, Tatyana has a dream in which Onegin kills Lensky. This dream turns out to be prophetic (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Duel of Onegin and Lensky ()

In “Boris Godunov” Grigory Otrepyev tells his dream of how he climbs some high tower, and below people point their fingers at him and he falls and wakes up. The same rise and fall of the impostor is one of the plots of “Boris Godunov” (Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. Oath of False Dmitry I to the Polish King Sigismund III for the introduction of Catholicism in Russia ()

There is the same prophetic dream in “The Captain's Daughter”. A man with a black beard (Pugachev’s beard) appears there. Mother says: "Go get your father's blessing". But this is not the father, this is a man with a black beard. And Grinev must kiss his hand in a dream. This will happen again later: he will have to kiss Pugachev’s hand (Fig. 5) (like Peter III), which, of course, he cannot do. In the dream, a man pulls an ax from behind his back, the room is filled with dead bodies. Remember the thieves' conversation at the inn, which Grinev cannot understand, there is the following phrase: “Put the ax behind your back, the forester is walking.”

Rice. 5. Emelyan Pugachev ()

It has long been noted that in “The Captain's Daughter” there is a certain plot symmetry: Masha is in trouble, she writes to Grinev, Grinev goes to help her out and, in the end, saves her. Then Grinev finds himself in a difficult situation, he is convicted. Masha goes to the empress, gets to the ruler and saves Grinev (Fig. 6).

Rice. 6. Pyotr Grinev and Masha Mironova ()

His own father, who served under Count Minich, and his son, whose name is Peter, are constantly faced with the False Peter, with the impostor, with Peter III, who is Pugachev. In one study there is an interesting comparison: in September 1826, Nicholas I demands that Pushkin be brought to him in Moscow for his coronation. A rather long conversation takes place between Pushkin and the Tsar, the details of which are not very well known to us. In this conversation the king asks:

- If you were in St. Petersburg, Pushkin, whose side would you be on?

- I would be on Senate Square. All my friends would be there, it would be impossible to refuse.

Note that this is a conversation against the backdrop of gallows. Five conspirators have just been hanged.

Scene of a conversation between Pugachev and Grinev against the backdrop of gallows (this is emphasized several times). Pugachev asks Grinev:

- Do you recognize me as king?

“No,” Grinev answers.

- But at least you promise not to fight against me?

- I can't promise.

This conversation with the ruler against the background of the gallows correlates curiously with the autobiographical moment in Pushkin (Fig. 7).

Rice. 7. Pyotr Grinev and Emelyan Pugachev ()

There are two times in “The Captain’s Daughter”: the time of action, 1773-1774, and the time of storytelling, when the already quite aged Pyotr Andreevich Grinev writes down memories of his life for his grandson Petrusha. Pushkinsky Grinev constantly emphasizes this. Consider two examples for proof:

“At that time, we were not brought up like we are today.”

“My loss at the prices at that time was significant.”

The question is quite important: how old is Petrusha? In the draft manuscript, the father retires in 1762. Count Minich was loyal to Peter III, and when Catherine overthrew her husband and ascended the throne, Minich retired.

In Pushkin's poem "My Pedigree" there are these lines:

"Mygrandfather, when the rebellion arose

In the middle of the Peterhof courtyard,

Like Minich, he remained faithful

The Fall of the Third Peter.

The Orlovs were honored then,

And my grandfather is in the fortress, in quarantine,

And our harsh family pacified,

And I was born a tradesman."

If you think about it, it will become clear that 1762 is clearly not a suitable year for Father Petrusha to retire. Because if in 1762 the father retired and married the girl Avdotya, then Petrusha could only be born in 1763. This means that in 1772 he would have been 9 years old and, going to the Belogorsk fortress (Fig. 8), could not have served.

Rice. 8. Teaching in the Belogorsk fortress ()

In the work, Mother Petrusha says that he has turned seventeen. It is not difficult to calculate in what year Pyotr Grinev was born: if he was 16 years old in 1772, then, accordingly, he was born in 1756, and his father retired at least in 1755.

Nowhere is it said that Pyotr Grinev is the eldest in the family (Fig. 9). It is said that there were nine children in total and that only Petrusha survived. But whether he was the first child or not the first is unknown. Therefore, we cannot now accurately date the time of resignation.

Rice. 9. Pyotr Grinev, his father and mother ()

It is clear that the time depicted in The Captain's Daughter is very uneven. The months spent by Grinev in the fortress or in Zurin’s detachment take up several lines. And the capture of the Belogorsk fortress (this is just one day) is stretched over more than two chapters.

The novel begins in 1772. Autumn. Departure. It's snowing, but the river isn't frozen yet. There is also an interesting point here. Prince Vyazemsky writes comments to Pushkin on The Captain's Daughter, and comments on a manuscript that has not yet been published. And Pushkin takes into account all his comments, except one:

- Your river is not frozen, and yet the action takes place in the middle of winter.

- No, not in the middle of winter. It's autumn.

There may well be snow in these parts in the fall, and Pushkin, when he was in the Orenburg province, wrote to his wife that he traveled part of the way through the snow on a sleigh (in September).

From the late autumn of 1772 to the summer of 1773, Grinev received the rank of officer and studied literature. Also during this period he quarrels with Shvabrin (Fig. 10). This happens in the summer of 1773, because then he appears at Ignatich’s, and he strings mushrooms on a rope for drying.

Rice. 10. Grinev and Shvabrin. "Duel" ()

Beginning of October 1773 - news of the riot, capture of the fortress. Grinev leaves for Orenburg.

From the beginning of October 1773 until February 24, 1774, Grinev was in Orenburg. We can talk about these dates precisely, because there is testimony from the general of the investigative commission, which is given in the text of the novel.

On the evening of February 24, Peter ends up with Pugachev, the next morning - in the Belogorsk fortress, and helps Masha out.

On the evening of February 25 he meets with Zurin. The next day, Masha and Savelich go to Grinev’s parents, while Grinev himself remains in the detachment.

In the fall of 1774, Masha meets with the Empress.

Rice. 11. Pugachev before execution ()

Pushkin could probably say the same thing as he said about Eugene Onegin - that in the novel time is calculated according to the calendar, there are no anachronisms.

It’s clear why service with Zurin or service in the Belogorsk fortress is mentioned in a few lines - there are no events there. It is very important how the personal fate of the hero is intertwined with historical events. The unity of private and historical life is an important meaning in the time of The Captain's Daughter.

The role of chance is very interesting. Notice how many accidents there are in The Captain's Daughter. You can, of course, say how plausible all this is. But such a reproach has not been brought against Pushkin in The Captain’s Daughter for a long time, but Pasternak in Doctor Zhivago - as much as you like. The point is that the novelist is not at all obliged to follow verisimilitude. A novel should not be built on verisimilitude. There are a lot of accidents in The Captain's Daughter.

Quite by accident, Zurin, to whom Grinev lost a hundred rubles, insisted that these hundred rubles be given, commands the detachment that detained him and Masha Mironov. Thanks to this, Masha calmly goes with Savelich to Grinev’s parents. But Grinev remains and continues to serve in the government forces.

Quite by chance, the tramp who received a hare sheepskin coat and a glass of wine from Grinev (Fig. 12) turns out to be the leader of the rebels. And when Savelich throws himself at the feet of the impostor with a request to spare the master, Pugachev says that he recognized the “old brat” right away, and forgives Grinev.

Rice. 12. Grinev gives Pugachev a hare sheepskin coat ()

Quite by accident, when Grinev, together with Savelich, goes to the fortress from Orenburg to save Masha, they are intercepted by Pugachev’s detachment and brought to Pugachev. And Pugachev agrees to continue the journey together with Grinev ( “...who dares to offend an orphan...”). Although Pugachev himself, the historical Pugachev, Pugachev “History of the Pugachev Rebellion,” offended the orphans more than enough. But here the hero is different, capable of generosity and mercy (Fig. 13).

Rice. 13. Rescue of Masha Mironova ()

Quite by chance, the lady whom Masha Mironova meets in the garden and to whom she tells her story turns out to be the empress (Fig. 14).

Rice. 14. Meeting of Masha and Catherine II ()

Why are there so many happy accidents? Why is Providence so favorable to Grinev? In his review of Polevoy’s “History,” Pushkin writes:

“The human mind is not a prophet, but a guesser. He cannot foresee the event of the powerful instrument of Providence.”

This means that providence is a good providence. Good must be protected. Evil must be punished. The world is arranged correctly. No matter what is happening now, no matter what cruelties you and I see around us, no matter what injustices are committed, the world is structured correctly. And, obviously, there is some higher meaning, inaccessible to us, in our being witnesses to these events, so that we are convinced of the rightness and goodness of the one who leads everything.

Almost all editions of The Captain's Daughter include the "Missing Chapter" as an appendix. Its name was preserved from Pushkin. Pushkin himself destroyed all the drafts except this one.

It was published in 1880 (43 years after Pushkin’s death) in the magazine “Archive” with a foreword by I.S. Turgenev, who expressed a significant and interesting idea. In the preface to this publication he said something like this:

“Recent events have renewed the focus on riots and riots.”

By recent events we mean terrorist acts carried out by Narodnaya Volya members. March 1 had not yet happened, Alexander II had not yet been killed, but riots and executions were already reminiscent of historical times. In any case, it seemed so to Turgenev (Fig. 15).

Rice. 15. I.S. Turgenev ()

In "The Missing Chapter" the names change. And the one we call Grinev is called Bulanin there. And the surname Grinev is the one who is called Zurin in the novel.

The plot of this chapter is as follows: Grinev returns to his estate and sees a raft. On this raft there is a gallows with three bodies. And at this time, on the estate, the Pugachevites captured Grinev’s parents and Masha, kept them in a barn and were ready to set this barn on fire. It is important that the courtyard peasants treat their masters well. It was Shvabrin who brought the villains to the village. Then Grinev appears with a small detachment. The Pugachevites are fleeing. The parents have been released. According to Krasukhin, this chapter, since Pushkin excluded it, should not be published as part of The Captain's Daughter.

Bibliography

1. Korovina V.Ya. and others. Literature. 8th grade. Textbook in 2 hours - 8th ed. - M.: Education, 2009.
2. Merkin G.S. Literature. 8th grade. Textbook in 2 parts. - 9th ed. - M.: 2013.
3. Kritarova Zh.N. Analysis of works of Russian literature. 8th grade. - 2nd ed., rev. - M.: 2014.

1. Lit.1september.ru ().
2. Pushkinskijdom.ru ().
3. Samlib.ru ().

Homework

1. Highlight the main compositional points in the work of A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter".
2. Explain the role of epigraphs in the story.
3. What is the role of chance in the composition of “The Captain's Daughter”?

Essay plan

1. Introduction. The originality of Pushkin's style.

2. Main part. The plot and compositional originality of the story “The Captain's Daughter”.

The embodiment of the model of a fairy tale in the composition of the work.

The presence of two plot lines in the story.

Exposition in the plot of Grinev.

Exposition in the plot of Pugachev and the plot in the plot of Grinev. The role of the hero’s “prophetic” dream.

Development of action in Grinev's plot.

Development of action and climax in Pugachev’s plot.

Compositional device of antithesis in Pushkin.

The climax in Grinev's storyline.

Symmetry in the unfolding of events in the story.

The compositional significance of having multiple narrators.

Portrait, landscape, interior by Pushkin.

3. Conclusion. The originality of the style and composition of "The Captain's Daughter".

The style of Pushkin's prose is a realistic style. Essence and thought are its pathos. Hence the simplicity, accuracy, proportionality and objectivity, laconicism in descriptions and in conveying the hero’s internal state. In addition, researchers have repeatedly noted the compositional skill of Pushkin the prose writer. We can apply all of the above to the story “The Captain's Daughter”. The composition of the work is distinguished by clarity, harmony and symmetry.

Let's try to look at the construction of the work in more detail. As the researchers note, the compositional model of “The Captain’s Daughter” refers us to the plots of a fairy tale. The plot of the story contains parting words from the father, the long journey of the hero, a fight with a villain-rival, a meeting with the “assistant”, saving a damsel in distress, completing a difficult mission, returning home, and a royal reward. But at the same time, this is a realistic work, a historical story, stylized as a memoir, the memories of an elderly nobleman, an eyewitness to the Pugachev movement, about his youth.

The work contains 14 chapters. The first two chapters contain exposition, an introduction to the main characters, through whose relationships the main internal conflict is presented. The titles “Guard Sergeant” and “Counselor” speak volumes about this. From these chapters, the main semantic threads will be drawn in the future - Grinev’s line and Pugachev’s line, which are closely related to each other. Accordingly, each of the plots has its own exposition, plot, climax and denouement.

The first chapter, “Sergeant of the Guard,” is an exposition in a plot related to Pyotr Grinev. The writer here introduces us to the main character, gives a kind of “backstory” to him. The description of the life of the Grinevs in the first chapter largely reproduces the atmosphere of a family novel. The Grinevs are an old family, a kind patriarchal family. Their life is simple and uncomplicated. Through the images of the Grinevs, Pushkin emphasizes that the ancient, “true” nobility, which has done so much for Russia, retains the best human qualities. Thus, the landowner Andrei Grinev is endowed with many virtues: directness, honesty, self-esteem, integrity, wisdom, loyalty to his duty. “Take care of your honor from a young age,” he admonishes his son.

The chapter “Counselor” is an exposition of the “Pugachev” storyline itself. Here we meet for the first time a black, bearded man, not yet suspecting who he really is. At the same time, the chapter “Counselor” is the beginning of the actual “Grinev” plot. In the chapter “Counselor,” Pyotr Grinev begins a relationship with Pugachev. Of great importance here is the hero’s “prophetic” dream, which serves as a kind of bond between the two storylines. The hero seems to see his future in a dream, outlined allegorically. The replacement of the father by the imprisoned father - a man with a black beard - connects both the everyday plan of the plot and its social line and creates certain parallels in the course of the plot action. Pugachev’s participation in Grinev’s fate, his rescue of Masha Mironova, Pugachev’s offer to be planted by his father at their wedding - all this echoes the hero’s prophetic dream. It is more difficult to detect a hint of a social conflict. As researchers note, the connecting link here is the figure of Peter III. Probably, Grinev’s father was an adherent of this tsar and, not wanting to violate his loyalty to the oath, immediately retired after his murder. On the other hand, Pugachev will later take the name of Peter III. And Grinev also resigns after this story with Pugachev. The hero is not a follower of the impostor, but by the will of fate he finds himself connected with him and sympathizes with him.

The chapters “Fortress”, “Duel”, “Love” continue Grinev’s storyline. In these chapters, as in the first, the motives of a family romance are very noticeable. The Mironov family is at the center of the story here. These are kind, simple people, hospitable and welcoming, to whom Grinev quietly became attached. Captain Mironov himself is modest and good-natured in his family relationships and in his dealings with soldiers and officers. All his behavior is natural: without dramatic heroism and ostentatious courage, he is always true to his ideas about honor and duty. At the same time, as the researchers note, these chapters contain genre features of melodrama and vaudeville. the author even creates a love triangle that reminds us of classic comedies. Living in a fortress, Pyotr Grinev falls in love with the daughter of Captain Mironov and quarrels over her with Shvabrin, who turns out to be his rival. Defending Masha's honor, Grinev challenges his opponent to a duel. The duel scene is the culmination of the development of relationships in the love triangle. In these scenes, the motive of honor and dishonor is palpably heard, but here there is a comic reduction of this motive: the first duel of the opponents failed - they were taken to the fortress, and Broadsword was ordered to take their swords to the closet. Instead of a parental blessing for his marriage to Masha, Grinev’s father is going to “get at him and for mischief... teach him a lesson... like a boy.” However, despite this, the importance of these chapters in the story does not decrease at all; already here we discover a number of qualities of the main character: courage, self-esteem, nobility.

The plot and development of the action in Pugachev’s story are the chapters “Attack”, “Uninvited Guest”, “Separation”. The whole story is thus divided into two symmetrical lines: the actual “Grinev” storyline (chapters “Sergeant of the Guard”, “Fortress”, “Duel”, “Love”) and the actual “Pugachev” storyline (chapters “Counselor”, “Attack”, “Uninvited Guest”, “Separation”). Between them is the central chapter “Pugachevism,” which dramatically changes the atmosphere of the narrative. In the chapters following the central one, Pushkin, through the eyes of Grinev, describes Pugachev to us, presenting his character in a voluminous and multifaceted way. On the one hand, Pushkin’s Pugachev is a “villain”, a murderer, an impostor, an adventurer who executes and hangs. Grinev repeatedly mentions Pugachev’s “bloodthirsty habits.” The rebels ravaged villages and Siberian fortresses, “autocratically punishing and pardoning.” “God forbid we see a Russian rebellion, senseless and merciless!” - exclaims Grinev. However, Pushkin’s Pugachev is also a strong, brave man, with a broad Russian soul, capable of good. Recognizing Savelich and remembering the hare sheepskin coat given to him, Pugachev saves Grinev from the death penalty. And then Pushkin begins, as it were, to test the impostor, how generous he is, how deep his “human” feelings are. Moreover, all these tests are on an ascending line. Here Pugachev invites Grinev to join the rebels. But the young officer “sworn allegiance to the Empress,” he cannot serve Pugachev and directly tells him about it. So Pugachev asks Grinev if he at least promises not to oppose the rebels. And again he (Grinev) makes no promises. But Pugachev... lets him go “on all four sides.” And finally, the most intense and dramatic moment comes: Grinev turns to the impostor and asks him to help Masha Mironova. This scene is the culmination of the development of the internal theme of the story. I think this is the culmination of the Pugachev plot itself. Thanks to Shvabrin, Pugachev learns that he has just pardoned the daughter of the commandant of the Belogorsk fortress, the daughter of an officer of the opposing army. However, Grinev asks him for mercy: “You are my benefactor. Finish as you began: let me go with the poor orphan, where God will show us the way. And we, no matter where you are and no matter what happens to you, every day we will pray to God for the salvation of your sinful soul...” And “Pugachev’s stern soul was touched.” “To execute like this, to execute like this, to favor like this: this is my custom. Take your beauty; take her wherever you want, and God give you love and advice! “, he says to Grinev.

Pugachev is here opposed to the official authorities: his breadth of nature and generosity are contrasted with the pettiness, cowardice, and formalism of his opponents. Firstly, we find a contrast in the arrangement of the chapters “Siege of the City” and “Rebel Settlement”. The general to whom Grinev turns for help (“Siege of the City”) is playful and complacent; he calculates the situation and, finding the young officer’s request unreasonable, refuses him help. Then the hero turns to Pugachev for help, and he, without hesitation, himself goes to the Belogorsk fortress in order to personally figure out “who dares to offend the orphan” (“Rebel Settlement”). The next two chapters (“Orphan” and “Arrest”) are also built on the principle of opposition. Pugachev, even having learned the whole truth about Masha, forgives the young officer for his forced lie and releases the lovers (“Sirota”). The authorities, guided by Shvabrin’s false denunciation, arrest Grinev and send him to a commission of inquiry (“Arrest”). It is characteristic that Pugachev here learns the truth, the government is a lie. In these four chapters, the “Grinev” and “Pugachev” storylines are closely intertwined.

Grinev is then sent to Kazan, where the court finds him guilty of “the plans of the rebels.” The court scene is the moment of highest tension in the hero’s storyline, the climax.

After the trial of Grinev, Masha Mironova goes to the empress and asks her to save her fiancé. As D. Blagoy noted, here we can note the symmetry in the development of the plot action: Grinev turns to Pugachev and asks him to save Masha Mironova, and Masha goes to the empress and asks her to save her fiancé. Accordingly, another parallel arises: Catherine II - Pugachev. Both Pugachev and Ekaterina show mercy: they save Grinev’s life. And this parallel is symbolic. Charity is something common that unites people, regardless of their social status and political views. For Pushkin this is an absolute moral category. Then comes the denouement: the empress’s command acquits the innocent, and Marya Ivanovna returns back to the village, to the Grinev estate, where her fiancé then returns. Thus, the composition is circular - the action ends where it began. The denouement in the actual “Pugachev” plot is the arrest and execution of the impostor. The execution of Pugachev is at the same time an epilogue in the story of Grinev.

Considering the construction of the work, we note the presence of several narrators.

Firstly, this is Grinev himself, who appears in the story as the hero - a seventeen-year-old youth and as the narrator - a fifty-year-old man, smart, ironic, endowed with the gift of a writer, wise with experience. Hence the presence of maxims, irony in the description of the morals of the era. Secondly, this is the publisher of the story, who “decided, with the permission of relatives, to publish it separately, adding a decent epigraph to each chapter and allowing himself to change some of his own names.” Thus, the author and narrators in the story are not identical. Grinev honestly and truthfully describes what is happening. The publisher provides each chapter with an epigraph that serves as an artistic summary. But the selection of situations in the story, their arrangement is determined by the author himself. A striking example of this is Grinev’s transmission of Pugachev’s conversation with the owner of the farm. Grinev could not understand anything from that conversation. But Pushkin’s art consisted in the fact that the reader understands more than Grinev the witness. After reading this scene, we understand that we are talking about an impending uprising.

Analyzing the composition of the story, we note the modesty and brevity of Pushkin’s descriptions. Thus, the portraits are given in two or three large strokes, but at the same time the appearance of the hero leaves a feeling of completeness and completeness. Vasilisa Egorovna Mironova, for example, appears before Grinev as “an old woman in a padded jacket and with a scarf on her head.” Masha is “a girl of about eighteen, chubby, ruddy, with light brown hair combed smoothly behind her ears...”. Sergeant Maksimych is a “young and stately Cossack.” The story describes Pugachev’s appearance in more detail: “His appearance seemed remarkable to me: he was about forty, of average height, thin and broad-shouldered. His black beard showed streaks of gray, and his large, lively eyes darted about. His face had a rather pleasant, but roguish expression. His hair was cut into a circle, he was wearing a tattered army coat and Tatar trousers.” Pugachev’s appearance is very bright and colorful. Large eyes speak of impressionability, a roguish expression on the face indicates a penchant for adventure and guile. The descriptions of the interior and nature are equally brief. Let us recall, for example, the simple, unpretentious furnishings of the Mironovs’ house: “In the corner there was a cupboard with dishes; on the wall hung an officer's diploma behind glass and in a frame; next to him there were popular prints depicting the capture of Kistrin and Ochakov, as well as the choice of a bride and the burial of a cat.” Or a winter landscape: “The sun was shining. The snow lay in a dazzling veil on the vast steppe.” The most significant description of nature in the novel is a picture of a snowstorm: “Fine snow began to fall and suddenly fell in flakes. The wind howled and there was a blizzard. In an instant, the dark sky mixed with the snowy sea. Everything has disappeared." This blizzard symbolizes Pugachev’s freemen, a world that has lost its way.

Thus, laconicism, conciseness, simplicity of description, compositional proportionality reached the ideal measure in “The Captain's Daughter.” The story is rightly named V.G. Belinsky “Onegin in prose”, and many of her paintings “are a miracle of perfection in terms of fidelity, truth of content and mastery of presentation.”

The story is structured in the form of Grinev’s family notes, mainly about those “unexpected incidents” that “had important influences on his whole life and gave his soul a strong and beneficial shock.” This form of presentation made it possible for Pushkin to pass through the censorship slingshots a work in which the main theme is the peasant revolution. The author of the notes, P. A. Grinev, is an ordinary nobleman of the late 18th century, who shares the view of government and landowner circles on the Pugachev uprising as robbery, and on Pugachev’s army as a gang of swindlers.

Therefore, at first glance, it seems that everything in the story from the official point of view is politically reliable: Pushkin’s sympathies are supposedly on the side of the nobility, Pushkin pities the defenders of the Belogorsk fortress executed by Pugachev, the queen acts as Masha Mironova’s benefactor.

In reality, this is far from the case.

The fact is that Pushkin forces Grinev to present the facts in detail and accurately, and these facts, when compared, tell the reader not what Grinev would like to say, and the reader interprets them according to Pushkin, and not according to Grinev.

The story is structured in such a way that in its historical part two hostile camps are constantly compared: the popular one, headed by Pugachev, and the noble one, headed by Ekaterina P. There is a struggle between them, and the main characters of the “family notes” - Grinev and Masha Mironova - willfully circumstances face both camps. They had to make a choice between two competing forces. They did just that: they remained faithful to the world of the nobility and landowners.

But if you follow how the representatives of the warring forces appearing on the pages of the story are depicted, it is easy to notice that everything honest, noble, just, truly human was given by the author of the notes (by the will of Pushkin) to the people's world, and not to the noble-landowner.

For the first time, representatives of two hostile camps are shown in the second chapter (“Counselor”): Pugachev and the Orenburg general, the head of the region. What a sharp difference between them! The counselor is the embodiment of the best traits of the people, he is closely connected with them. The general is out of touch with the people; he doesn’t even know Russian well. Satisfying the request of the old man Grinev, he appoints Pyotr Andreevich to the Belogorsk fortress, since there he will “be in real service and learn discipline.” One has only to remember about the commandant of the fortress, that there was neither service nor discipline there, to understand how poorly the general knew his subordinates and what was happening in the fortifications under his command.

The eighth chapter describes Pugachev’s military council, and the tenth chapter describes the general’s. They are also given in contrast. Pugachev has a lively, free discussion, as a result of which a bold, correct decision is made. The general’s council is satirically sketched, at which it was decided “that it would be most prudent and safest to wait for a siege inside the city,” which, as Grinev later notes, turned out to be “disastrous for the residents.”

Pugachev and the general are sharply contrasted in relation to the fate of Masha Mironova, who found herself in the power of Shvabrin. How callously the general treated Masha! And vice versa, what human sympathy Pugachev showed! “Which of my people dares to offend an orphan?” - he shouted. And he goes to the Belogorsk fortress to help out Grinev’s bride.

Pushkin provided the story as a whole and each of its chapters with epigraphs. They define the content or characterize the main character (or characters) of a given chapter. However, there are epigraphs (to Chapter II, VIII) that have the opposite meaning. Both of these epigraphs refer to Pugachev and set out the noble point of view on Pugachev, which Pushkin refutes by the content of the chapters.

The landscapes in the story amaze with their realistic accuracy. Pushkin concisely, literally in a few words, knows how to paint a complete and impressive picture of nature. So, for example, landscapes are given in the second chapter and in the last, ideologically connected with the images of Pugachev and Catherine II.

If we compare the picture of a snowstorm drawn by Pushkin with the description of a snowstorm in the book “Topography of Orenburg, i.e., a detailed description of the Orenburg province” (1772), then we will be amazed at the accuracy of Pushkin’s landscape. The book says: “Especially in winter, in the months of December and January, storms, as they are called blizzards there, occur with snow and in the most severe frost, which is why many people freeze and disappear, which are all the more dangerous because sometimes with very quiet and in moderate weather, in one hour such a cloud, or a snowstorm, will come that with heavy snow on top, even those lying on the ground are carried, and with it all the air will thicken so much that it is impossible to see anything three fathoms away.” This comparison clearly shows how realistic and accurate Pushkin is in his artistic paintings of nature.

The landscape in the story is not only a simple description of the area or weather, it plays an important role in characterizing the hero and in the development of the action of the work. The counselor is the only person who did not lose his head during the snowstorm and did not lose heart. He stood on solid ground and found his way to the inn, showing courage and ability to navigate. It is also important that the mysterious counselor appears in the “muddy swirl of a blizzard.” The snowstorm, during which the figure of a counselor (Pugachev) appears in front of Grinev, seems to symbolize and predict that social storm (popular uprising) that will again pit Grinev against Pugachev, this time the “counsellor” of the people, the leader of the peasant revolution.

Finally, the snowstorm is the beginning of the Grinev-Pugachev storyline. If there had not been a snowstorm, Grinev’s acquaintance with Pugachev would not have happened, and Grinev’s fate would have turned out differently.

In the scene of Marya Ivanovna’s meeting with Catherine II, the landscape is different, sharply contrasting with the first. There - “darkness and whirlwind”, here - a beautiful morning, linden trees turning yellow under the fresh breath of autumn. In such clear weather, in the setting of the Tsarskoye Selo park with its lake, meadows and monuments to the glory of Russian weapons, Marya Ivanovna meets with Catherine II, who bestows favor on the daughter of Captain Mironov.

It is interesting to note that while Pushkin creates the portrait of Pugachev himself, sharply diverging from his portrayal by noble writers, he paints Catherine II as she is presented in Borovikovsky’s portrait, i.e., refusing to make an independent sketch.

“The Captain's Daughter,” which Pushkin wrote over four years and finished in 1836, continues the development of his historical and philosophical concept. Reflecting on the relationship between the social forces operating in Russia, Pushkin is convinced of the inevitability and historical justification of their confrontation, the irreconcilability of which is most clearly manifested in the popular revolt. But at the same time, the poet understands that only humanity can soften the cruelty of social conflicts. If the lack of humanity was reproached by the transformative activity of Peter I in the poem “The Bronze Horseman”, then in “The Captain's Daughter”, depicting the fate of ordinary people in tragic historical circumstances, Pushkin, reflecting on the relationship between the historically inevitable and the humane, shows how humanity allows heroes to rise over the "cruel age". All artistic means of a historical story serve to express these thoughts, among which an important place belongs to the composition of the work.

“The Captain’s Daughter” is connected primarily by the originality of its plot, which lies in the fact that the events of the fictional story of Petrusha Grinev’s finding of family happiness take place against the backdrop of a real peasant war led by Pugachev. The narrative is given a memoir character, which allows the author to most reliably reflect the life, customs, and spirit of the era, and the presentation of the events of the peasant war by an observer-nobleman makes it possible to make assessments more objective. But the voice of the narrator does not drown out the voice of the author, whose position is helped to reveal various compositional techniques: symmetry and parallelism in the development of plot lines, mirror comparison of episodes, the use of epigraphs and inserted elements. The first two chapters represent an exposition of the story and introduce readers to the main characters - bearers of the ideals of the noble and peasant worlds, the depiction of the confrontation of which is subordinated to the entire artistic fabric of “The Captain's Daughter”. The story of Grinev's family and upbringing, permeated with irony, preceded by an epigraph from Knyazhin's poetry, immerses us in the world of the old landed nobility, evoking associations with Fonvizin characters. But there is no sharp satire of Fonvizin here. The description of the life of the Grinevs resurrects the atmosphere of that noble culture that gave rise to the cult of duty, honor and humanity. Petrusha was brought up with deep ties to her family roots, reverence for family traditions, which are spoken of with such respect in the publishing afterword and which Pushkin considered a “life-giving shrine.” The same atmosphere permeates the description of the life of the Mironov family in the Belogorsk fortress in the first three chapters of the main part of the story: “Fortress”, “Duel”, “Love”.

in which the noble world collides with the peasant one. The peasant way of life is covered in its poetry. The narrative about the people is full of songs, fairy tales, and proverbs. This language of proverbs and riddles, alien and incomprehensible to Grinev, who “could not understand anything from this thieves’ conversation” of the men described in the second chapter, is a clot of the nationally distinctive element of language. The peasant element, indomitable and destructive, opposes the values ​​of the noble world. It is no coincidence that the peasant leader appears before Grinev from the snowstorm as an “unfamiliar object.” But these heroes are destined to get to know each other in such a way that this knowledge will allow each to get out of the circle of their inherent class ideas, and this upcoming rapprochement is predicted by Grinev’s “prophetic” dream.

The “axe” that the “man” is waving, “dead bodies”, “bloody puddles” - this vivid symbolism of the dream foreshadows the events that Grinev will witness after Pugachev’s capture of the Belogorsk fortress. The close connection between sleep and subsequent reality is strengthened by direct roll calls. “Don’t worry” about the man from the dream, the Cossacks repeat as they drag Grinev to the gallows: “Don’t worry, don’t worry.” “Kiss his hand,” Mother advises Petrusha in a dream. Savelich pronounces the same words when the pardoned Grinev is brought to Pugachev. “A terrible man affectionately” calls Petrusha in a dream - Pugachev “affectionately” addresses Marya Ivanovna in the chapter “Orphan”; the same word is associated with Pugachev in the epigraph “Rebel Settlement”: “... He asked affectionately.” Finally, Grinev’s words: “... I see a man with a black beard lying in bed, looking at me cheerfully,” echoes the repeated mentions of Pugachev’s black beard and gaiety. The motif of a “prophetic” dream connected the individual links of the story into a harmonious compositional whole.

The seven chapters of the main part, which tell about life in the Belogorsk fortress, are important for the development of the love line of the plot. The beginning of this line is Petrusha’s acquaintance with Masha Mironova, in the clash between Grinev and Shvabrin because of her, the action develops, and the declaration of love between the wounded Grinev and Masha is the culmination of the development of their relationship. However, the heroes’ romance comes to a dead end after a letter from Grinev’s father, refusing his son’s consent to the marriage. The events that prepared the way out of the love impasse are narrated in the chapter “Pugachevism”. This chapter separates the “family” chapters from those in which the romantic relationship between Grinev and Masha is involved in the whirlwind of historical events, that is, it separates the Belogorsk idyll from the Belogorsk tragedy. The pace of the story changes accordingly. The events of the first three Belogorsk chapters developed over the course of a year; the last three Belogorsk chapters describe what happened during the day.

irreconcilable social concepts. The good captain Mironov did not feel any personal enmity towards the captured Bashkir, ordering him to “build his back,” and the “destroying” Cossacks, having dragged Grinev to the gallows, even wanted to encourage him. But cruelty begets cruelty, so the rope on the gallows crossbar, prepared for the old captain, is held by a “mutilated Bashkir.” On the other hand, an act of kindness causes a chain reaction of kindness. The motif of the “rabbit sheepskin coat” who saved Grinev’s life is repeated in a weakened form in the case of the policeman Maksimych, who delivered a letter from Masha to Grinev to Orenburg, who did not demand from the policeman the “half of money” sent by Pugachev.

Until the tenth chapter, Grinev, although he repeatedly encounters representatives of the hostile camp, is convinced of the justice of the laws of the noble state. The moral and legal standards of his environment coincide with his aspirations as a person. That is why “the sense of duty... over human weakness” so easily triumphs in him when he refuses to serve Pugachev. Their conversation takes place in the chapter “Uninvited Guest” immediately after the episode in which the Cossack elders sing a “mournful burlatk song.” It is not for nothing that this episode shocked Grinev with “political horror”: the subsequent conversation with the “swindler” mirrors the song. Just as in the song “Hope, the Orthodox Tsar” interrogates the peasant son-robber, who answers “the whole truth,” so the impostor Pugachev asks questions to the nobleman, who answers just as truthfully. The Tsar praises the robber for telling the truth; Grinev’s sincerity amazes Pugachev. But the tsar executes the thief, that is, he acts according to the law, and Pugachev has mercy on Grinev, that is, he acts like a human being.

therefore, Grinev leaves the scope of the laws of the nobility and turns to the peasant king for help.

“The Siege of the City,” the general refuses to help Grinev; in the next chapter, “Rebel Settlement,” Pugachev promises it. In the chapter “The Orphan,” Pugachev frees Masha from the power of Shvabrin, treating her “kindly,” and in the next chapter, “Arrest,” representatives of the government camp “with terrible abuse” stop Masha and Grinev, who are arrested at the end of the chapter.

now the laws of noble statehood promise trouble for Grinev, and Masha, turning to the noble queen, saves her fiancé.

tragedy when the old Grinevs receive news of Petrusha’s conviction for participation “in the plans of the rebels,” therefore the external parallelism of the scenes that begin with the words “One day in the fall...” in the first chapter and “One evening...” in the last, emphasizes the change in mood . For example, the priest is already inattentively reading the Court Calendar, and absentmindedly turns over the sheets; Mother cries not with bitter tears at the thought of separation from her son, but with joyful tears of hope that Marya Ivanovna will achieve Petrusha’s acquittal.

"ask for mercy, not justice." Once upon a time, when creating the ode “Liberty,” Pushkin considered the law to be a fair force, standing above both the people and the government. In The Captain's Daughter, the heroes' clash with the law puts them in mortal danger. Pugachev, acting according to the laws of the uprising, should have listened to Beloborodov’s advice and dealt with Grinev and Masha. Catherine II, administering justice, should have condemned Grinev, who left the besieged city. But they act as they are told not by political considerations, but by human feelings.

“the muddy whirling of a blizzard” by a certain werewolf, a fiend of hell: “something black,” “either a wolf or a man.” It’s not for nothing that Savelich crosses himself and reads a prayer in front of the “residence” of the impostor, on which there seems to be a reflection of the flames of hell: red shirts, caftans and “faces”, shining eyes, tallow candles. And this “palace” stands “at the corner of the crossroads” - the place, according to popular belief, is unclean. The Empress appears in the setting of the Garden of Eden as an angelic, blue-eyed vision: in a white dress, with a white dog, surrounded by white swans. And when we read how the sun illuminates the yellowed tops of the linden trees in this garden, we remember the paper gold on the walls of Pugachev’s hut. The impostor is trying to decorate himself with artificial greatness - the one endowed with power from God seems like an ordinary lady. But both images are ambiguous. Catherine’s angelic aura fades if we remember that it was in her name that people’s tongues and nostrils were torn out, innocent people were arrested, and unjust trials were carried out. And Pugachev, although surrounded by devilish-looking henchmen, still sits “under the images,” and the lion and eagle, to which the rebel is likened in one of the epigraphs and in the Kalmyk fairy tale, are not only royal predators, but also symbols of the evangelists.

In The Captain's Daughter, what is important is not the difference between the peasant king and the noble queen, but their ability to show mercy. The Empress speaks to Masha as affectionately as Pugachev. Disregarding the opinion of his associates, each of the rulers makes decisions without which a happy ending to the story would be impossible. “The Captain’s Daughter” reveals the author’s position of Pushkin, who strives to elevate humanity into a state principle, and to apply a moral law to the assessment of historical events, within the framework of which the antithesis “nobility - people” is removed, therefore the epigraph of the story became a proverb, equally significant for a person of any class: “ Take care of your honor from a young age."

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