The essay “The formation of the character of Nikolenka Irtenyev (based on the story by L. N.

The story “Childhood” became the first work of 24-year-old Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy and immediately opened the way for him not only to Russian, but also to world literature. The young writer sent it to the editor-in-chief of the most famous literary magazine Sovremennik at that time, Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov, along with money in case the manuscript was returned, but the poet could not help but see that he had got into his hands the creation of a real talent. Although Tolstoy's subsequent books brought him even greater fame, Childhood did not fade in the least in comparison. The work had depth, moral purity, and wisdom.

The main character of the work is 10-year-old Nikolenka Irtenev. The boy grows up in a noble family on a village estate, he is surrounded by his closest and beloved people: teacher, brother, sister, parents, nanny.

Readers are introduced to Nikolai's world through his story, with many of his actions analyzed by a young man who has already grown up, but for whom childhood memories are so vivid that he carried them through many years. But they form the personality. Already in the early stages of growing up, it becomes quite clear what you will be like.

What can you say about Nikolenka? He is smart, but lazy, so training does not always go smoothly. However, the boy's conscientiousness and kindness fully compensate for the lack of diligence. He is very attached to close people and subtly senses their mood. His tenderness towards his mother is especially touching. In addition, he is prone to prudence and reflection: he likes to delve into himself, sort through thoughts and feelings. But he has not yet developed a strong character: for example, he follows his friend’s lead and commits a low act.

Little Nikolai had all the best things that later formed his adult personality. But he laments, where have the purity and sensitivity gone, which were abundant in childhood, and which he does not find in himself today? Have they really disappeared without a trace? No, it’s just that in a world where emotions are usually restrained, sincere impulses were locked deep in the soul.

Karl Ivanovich

Tolstoy devotes the first chapter of the story to his teacher, Karl Ivanovich, whom little Nikolai loves very much, although sometimes he is angry with him like a child. The boy sees his mentor’s kind heart, feels his great affection, he describes him as a person with a clear conscience and a calm soul. The student feels sorry for his dear teacher and sincerely wishes him happiness. His heart responds to the old man's feelings.

But Kolya is not ideal at all, it happens that he gets angry, scolds his teacher or nanny to himself, does not want to study, thinks a lot about himself and puts his “I” above others, and participates in bullying together with others against Ilenka Grap. But who didn’t do the same as a child? The reader recognizes himself in many ways: how he wants to grow up quickly and stop doing homework, how he dreams of becoming handsome, because then this is very important, how any mistake is perceived as a tragedy. Therefore, the teacher was characterized by patience and restraint, as well as a sense of humor and sincere affection for the boy.

Mother

Nikolai is a very sensitive child, he loved his mother very much, but remembers only her kind eyes, affection and love. Just being next to her, feeling the touch of her hands, being blown away by her tenderness was real happiness for him. She died early, and that’s when his childhood ended. The grown-up hero thinks that if he could see maman’s smile in the most difficult moments of his life, he would never know grief.

A ten-year-old boy has a very rich inner life, selfishness and love for loved ones, good and evil often struggle in him, and yet the already embedded morality helps to make the right human choice already in the subconscious. There is a lot of conscience and shame in him. He analyzes his feelings very deeply; any of their external manifestations are often supported by internal contradiction. Nikolai notices that his tears bring him pleasure, that, having lost his mother, he grieves as if for show. His prayers are always for the health and well-being of his loved ones, for mom and dad, for poor Karl Ivanovich, he asks that God give happiness to everyone. It is in this compassionate impulse that the influence of the mother is manifested, to whom the writer does not pay much attention. He shows her through his son, a kind soul did not sink into oblivion when the body died, she remained on earth in a child who adopted her responsiveness and tenderness.

Dad

Nikolenka also loves her father very much, but this feeling is different from tenderness for her mother. Dad is an undoubted authority, although we see before us a man with many shortcomings: he is a gambler, a spendthrift, a womanizer.

But the hero talks about all this without any condemnation; he is proud of his father, considering him a knight. Although dad is undoubtedly stricter and tougher than mom, he has the same kind heart and boundless love for children.

Natalya Savishna

This is an elderly woman who is in the service of Nikolai’s family (she was his mother’s nanny). She is a peasant serf, like the other servants. Natalya Savishna is kind and modest, her gaze expressed “calm sadness.” In her youth she was a plump and healthy girl, but in her old age she became hunched over and haggard. Her distinctive feature is dedication. She devoted all her energy to caring for the master's family. Nikolai often talks about her hard work, diligence, and kindness.

The main character trusted the old woman with his experiences, because her sincerity and honesty were undoubted. She is only proud of the fact that she has never stolen from the masters, so they entrust her with the most important matters. The heroine’s love for the whole family was all the more surprising, because Nikolenka’s grandfather forbade her to marry the person she loved. However, she did not harbor any grudges.

Sonya, Katya and Seryozha

Kolya is still at that age when playing Robinson, where you can swim along an imaginary river, go hunting in the forest with a stick-gun, brings pleasure; it is difficult for him to imagine his life without such childishness.

The hero describes a not very long period of his childhood, but manages to fall in love three times: with Katenka, Seryozha and Sonya. These are completely different feelings, but they are childishly pure and naive. Love for Seryozha forced her to imitate him and bow before him, and this led to a very cruel act. Nikolai did not stand up for Ilenka Grapa, whom they unjustly offended, although he could even sympathize with a wounded bird. As an adult, he considers this the most unpleasant memory of a bright, happy childhood. He is very ashamed of his callousness and rudeness. Love for Katya was a very tender feeling, he kissed her hand twice and burst into tears from overwhelming emotions. She was something very sweet and dear to him.

The feeling for Sonya was very bright, it made him different: confident, beautiful and very charming. It instantly overwhelmed him, everything that was before her became insignificant.

Nikolai's childhood immerses every reader in his bright memories and gives hope that the kindness, love, purity that was there cannot completely go away. She lives in us, we just have to remember that happy time.

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Nikolai Petrovich Irtenyev is the main character of L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Childhood,” a ten-year-old boy from a noble family. This is a cheerful, kind and well-mannered boy who grows up in love and care. Not only his parents take part in his upbringing, but also his nanny Natalya Savishna and teacher Karl Ivanovich. He loves his parents very much and is proud of them. In his eyes, these are the most beautiful and sincerely loving people. For him, his mother is the source of everything beautiful. When he thinks about her, he always imagines her kind smile and the sweet sounds of her voice. Nikolenka’s love for her mother was akin to love for God.

Feelings for the people around him occupy a special place in his life. The boy's good disposition also manifests itself when playing with the neighboring children. He sympathizes with the sickly Ilenko Grap from a poor family. In the village he treats Katenka with love, in Moscow he is literally in love with Sonechka Valakhina. He likes to meet new children, for example, the Ivins' relatives. Nikolenka Irtenyev is a peculiar boy, even an extraordinary one. He learned early to distinguish falsehood and does not like deception. He is contradictory and observant by nature. He wrote poems for his grandmother's birthday and was very excited when they were read out loud.

He remembers the happy time spent in the village with both longing and a smile. Nikolenka's childhood ended with the death of her mother. Having lost the most beloved person in the world, he stopped being small. The Irtenyev family moved to Moscow, but every time he was in the village, he visited his mother’s grave.

Nikolai Petrovich is a key character in the story of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. He recently turned ten years old and lives in a noble family.

He has a cheerful and optimistic disposition, and his parents and sympathetic nanny Natalya Savishna are involved in his upbringing, and sometimes Karl Ivanovich comes to his classes. The boy looks at things positively and tries to find positive moments in everything that happens to him.

The boy really loves the classes taught by Karl Ivanovich, so he always prepares for them and looks forward to the next time.

In addition, Kolya loves his parents very much and is sincerely proud of them. He considers them the kindest and most caring people who can take care of him.

For him, his mother is the source of all wonderful blessings; when he just thinks about her, a wide smile appears on her face, and in his head he hears her clear and beautiful voice. The author compares his great love with love for the Almighty. For him, she is a real celestial being, capable of solving all his problems, helping in any difficult situation and changing his attitude towards things happening around him.

In Kolenka's life, relationships with the people around him play a special role. His benevolent character makes him pay special attention to the neighboring children, with whom he spends a lot of time. He loves communicating with people and finds special pleasure in this, which is what he does in his free time.

So he treats Ilenko Grap with special sympathy, who is a rather sickly child and requires special attention and protection. He also quickly meets Ekaterina in the village, and then Sonechka in the city, each of whom he considers attractive girls and those whom he will love. But he also switches quickly.

He gets to know new children well and easily, but despite his wide heart and gullibility, he quickly learned to distinguish between deception and lies, which he cannot stand. For unknown reasons, he quickly learned to recognize deception.

His bright childhood passes in the village, and then he and his parents move to Moscow, where a new period of his life begins.

Option 2

The main character of L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Childhood” is Nikolenka Ignatiev. This character is a prototype of the author himself.

Kolya is a 10-year-old boy living in a noble family. This is a cheerful, kind child with a good upbringing, which is cared for by his parents and responsible nanny Natalya Savishna. Nikolenka is inclined to study - he successfully studies with a private teacher Karl Ivanovich, lessons with whom are always a joy for the child.

Nikolenka’s love for mom and dad is limitless. He's proud of them. For a boy, they are associated with kindness and care. Even at the mere memory of his mother, the child breaks into a wide smile. He believes in God with all his heart and counts on his help in any difficult situation.

The relationship of the main character with the outside world is important in the story. Nikolenka is kind to the neighbor's children, with whom she spends a lot of time. He is sociable and in his free time he always enjoys telling his peers something. He easily makes contact in the village and city. Kolya is great at communicating with girls - he sees them as potential brides.

Nikolenka’s kindness is manifested in her attitude towards Ilenka’s very sick child Grap, who needs close attention and protection. He easily meets new children, but treats everyone with some wariness, since he feels well when he is being deceived and he really doesn’t like it. It’s not clear how Nikolenka, at a fairly young age, can catch others in a lie.

The character of the main character is contradictory. On the one hand, he carefreely communicates with everyone, and on the other hand, he carefully observes what is happening around him. A child of 10 years of age is able to analyze everything that happens around him. Nikolenka, despite her childishness, draws the right conclusions, acutely feeling falsehood and deception.

The boy spends his childhood in the village, and then he and his parents move to Moscow, where his life changes radically.

The story begins with Nikolenka waking up and immediately thinking about how it happens that he wakes up every morning. The author reveals the spiritual essence of the boy. The reader watches the growth of the main character of the story, analyzes his actions and the people around the boy, learns to recognize deceitful actions and not be afraid to perceive all the realities of life that one encounters along the path of life.

The story describes Nikolenka's childhood experiences, which arise against the backdrop of a strong imagination. The boy lives in his fictional world, where all the troubles of real life were extinguished through fictional exploits and heroism.

Essay by Nikolenka Irtenev

Nikolenka's story in the story "Childhood" begins with the boy waking up due to a completely harmless situation. Teacher Karl Ivanovich accidentally woke up the boy by hitting a fly over his head with a firecracker. But it didn’t turn out as successfully as planned, and the fly fell right on the fry’s face.

The current situation outraged Nikolenka. He begins to curiously find out why Karl Ivanovich did this and how he should feel about it. Nikolenka begins to believe that Karl Ivanovich is only capable of causing trouble for the boy, that the teacher is a “nasty person.” But after a couple of minutes, when the old man comes to the boy’s bed, says kind words to him and begins to tickle him, then everything falls into place, and he again experiences love and warmth for the teacher, whom he immediately hated.

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy describes the main character as an ugly ten-year-old boy with small eyes and a large nose and lips. Nikolenka himself is worried about his unfortunate appearance. Despite the described appearance, internally the boy seems very kind, sensitive and well-mannered. He loves and is proud of his parents, because he himself is surrounded by their love. But he believes that his mother is not happy with his father, but he is silent about it. It seems to him that his father should appreciate and understand his mother more.

The boy takes all events to heart and remembers them for a long time. He, like all children, plays and is mischievous, but when he commits some wrong act, he sincerely repents and is very worried, which is not so typical of his peers. An impressionable boy spends a lot of time thinking in his head and introspecting; he senses falsehood and deception very well.

Nikolenka's childhood ends with the loss of her closest and most beloved person, her mother. Growing up occurs in the thoughts that life is not as cloudless as it seemed to him before. His strong attachment to those with whom he has hitherto communicated becomes insufficient and everything around him seems alien to him.

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- creator of the story “Childhood”. The main character in it is Nikolenka Irtenev. The author introduces readers to the boy's early years, revealing the character's personality and worldview and assessing his actions. It is not without reason that the writer created such a touching image. The character's characteristics coincided with his personal character and biography.

Nikolenka Irtenyev is among the curious young heroes, such as Ilyusha Snegirev, Kolya Krasotkin and.

History of creation

Tolstoy, like many writers, kept a diary. In it, the Count wrote down thoughts, dreams, and moral lessons that life taught him. The writer was not always the same as readers remember. He acquired the image of a venerable old man preaching life in the world and love of God after many years of reflection and creativity. The story “Childhood,” published in 1852, became Tolstoy’s first work.

Nikolenka, or rather Nikolai Petrovich Irtenyev, becomes the main character of the story and the trilogy to which it gave rise. The works “Childhood”, “Adolescence”, “Youth” describe the life of the hero. The character is autobiographical, and with his help Tolstoy answers questions that he repeatedly asked himself.


Illustration for Tolstoy's story "Childhood"

Nikolenka is a representative of an aristocratic family. The child is 10 years old. He is a count, and his upbringing corresponds to the highest standards of secular society. The boy is looking for peace of mind and the meaning of life, developing as a person. His inner world is rich. He changed after the terrible event that befell the boy's family.

The narration is told in the first person. In this way, the author makes it possible to understand that the events discussed were important to him and taken from real life.

The story "Childhood"

The author introduces the main character in the very first lines of the story. The reader sees a sleeping boy, for whom his mentor tirelessly watches. The boy grows up in comfortable conditions. Despite the spoilage and quirks typical of a barchuk, he shows kindness of heart and tender feelings towards others. The story introduces the audience to the first years of Nikolenka’s life.


We get the opportunity to form an idea of ​​the conditions in which a new generation of landowners and representatives of secular society was raised. The immorality and hypocrisy propagated in society are obvious in the example of a particular family.

Nikolenka Irtenev is not at all handsome. He has a large nose and plump lips, small eyes, and cowlicks sticking out at the back of his head. Appearance is important for a child, so he worries about shortcomings and often prays to God to send him beauty. Unpleasant traits are also noted by the adults around the child, even the closest person, the mother. She also talks about the boy’s spiritual beauty.

Nikolenka is distinguished by a quarrelsome character and a flaring feeling of envy, but the boy is gentle and affectionate with his loved ones, conscientious and kind to others. Positive traits favor the hero. He is always ashamed of his misdeeds and wrong thoughts. Remorse and remorse that overtake a child become a punishment for him. And I want to believe that the boy will try to behave better. He is not faced with a choice of profession, but the boy makes the life choice that is available to the hero every day, relying on his own feelings.


The contradictory personality of the main character is manifested in his actions and relationships with other characters in the story. The child studied at home. Nikolenka's mentor, a German who came to try his luck in Russia, evokes sympathy and pity in the boy.

Nikolenka wants to sacrifice for the sake of her beloved teacher, and he tries in every possible way to show his love. Sometimes he has breakdowns, and at such moments he gets angry and scolds at his older friend and teacher, is insolent and curses the German for a bad grade, a difficult exam or a reprimand. The boy is quickly overwhelmed by remorse, and he tries to obey.

Nikolenka’s character is also manifested in her friendship with Ilenka Grap, a sickly and modest peer from a failed family. Ilenka tolerated communication with the Irtenyevs, counting on subsequent patronage, and the master's children mocked the quiet boy and sometimes even beat him. He was brought to tears. This sin will torment Nikolenka’s soul for many years. He believed that he should have stood up for Ilenka, but he never did this, egged on by the older guys.


The main character, although distinguished by noble spiritual qualities, cannot hide his arrogance and arrogance. The boy understands perfectly well what status is expected for him, and what position Karl Ivanovich and. This could not be avoided, because from a young age the child heard that he was the master’s son. He realized that he was better than others due to his origin, and therefore worthy of respect. A sense of superiority in those years was instilled in children from an early age, so Nikolenka cannot be blamed for the formation of such a consciousness.

Trouble comes to any home. The death of the mother became a turning point in the child's life. His life was not as sweet as it seemed. The older brother mocked him, his friend, Dmitry Nekhlyudov, did not understand, his parents did not provide the necessary warmth and care, and the only bright image in his life was condemned to disappear. Nikolenka was not shy about his mother and loved her very much.


The main characters of the story "Childhood"

He often spent time with her, so her responsiveness and kindness were passed on to him. Maman's death struck the child and caused him deep emotional trauma. Although he cried for her, feeling sorry for himself, showing selfishness and pride.

Tolstoy, using the example of Nikolenka Irtenyev, showed the formation of the inner world of a person, described events that leave a mark on the soul and shape views on life. Through the hero, he describes his own experiences and the path to the person he became at the time of writing the work.

Quotes

“I continued to cry, and the thought that my tears proved my sensitivity gave me pleasure and joy...”
“...I imagined that there was no happiness on earth for a person with such a wide nose, thick lips and small gray eyes as me...”
“...You used to remember about Karl Ivanovich and his bitter fate - the only person I knew who was unhappy - and you would feel so sorry, you would love him so much that tears would flow from your eyes, and you would think: “God grant him happiness, give him happiness.” I have the opportunity to help him, to ease his grief; I’m ready to sacrifice everything for him.”
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