Characteristics of the heroes of Tolstoy's youth. Tolstoy "Youth" main characters

Trilogy L.N. Tolstoy “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth"

Tolstoy thought through this trilogy very carefully. It was important for him to express his thoughts about Russian life, Russian society, and literature. Therefore, in these works everything is very important, nothing is unnecessary - Tolstoy thought through every detail, every scene, every word. Its task is to show the development of a person’s personality, the formation of his character and beliefs. We see the main character, Nikolenka Irtenyev, at different periods of his life. This is childhood, adolescence and youth. Tolstoy chose these periods because they are the most important in a person’s life. In childhood, the child is aware of his connection with the family and the world, he is very sincere and naive; in adolescence, the world expands, new acquaintances occur, a person learns to interact with other people; in youth there is an awareness of oneself as a unique personality, separation from the surrounding world. Nikolenka also goes through all these stages.

The writer built the scene so that it coincides with his main idea. The action of the first book takes place in the Irtenevs' estate - the boy's home; in the second book the hero visits many other places; Finally, in the third book, the hero’s relationship with the outside world comes to the fore. And the theme of family is very important here.

The theme of family is the leading theme of the trilogy. It is the connection with family, with home that greatly influences the main character. Tolstoy deliberately shows in each part some sad event in the Irtenyev family: in the first part, Nikolenka’s mother dies, and this destroys the harmony; in the second part, the grandmother dies, who was Nikolenka’s support; in the third part the stepmother appears, the father's new wife. So gradually, but inevitably, Nikolenka enters the world of adult relationships. It seems to me that he is becoming bitter.

The story in the trilogy is told in the first person. But this is not written by Nikolenka himself, but by the already adult Nikolai Irtenev, who recalls his childhood. In Tolstoy's time, all memoirs were written in the first person. In addition, the first-person narrative brings the author and the hero closer together, so the trilogy can be called autobiographical. In many ways, in this book Tolstoy writes about himself, about the maturation of his soul. After the release of the entire trilogy, the writer admitted that he had moved away from his initial plan.

In the trilogy, six years from Irtenyev’s life pass before us, but they are not described day by day. Tolstoy shows the most important moments of the boy's fate. Each chapter carries an idea. They follow each other in such a way as to convey the development of the hero, his emotions and feelings. Tolstoy selects circumstances so that they show the character of the hero clearly and strongly. So, Nikolenka finds herself facing death, and here conventions don’t matter.

Tolstoy characterizes his heroes through descriptions of appearance, manners, behavior, because this is how the inner world of the heroes is manifested. Even a foreign language serves to characterize the hero: aristocrats speak French, teacher Karl Ivanovich speaks broken Russian and German, ordinary people speak Russian.

All this allowed L.N. Tolstoy to carry out an analysis of the psychology of children and adolescents. The trilogy constantly compares the inner world of man and the external environment.

Characteristics of the characters in Leo Tolstoy’s trilogy “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth"

Characteristics of the image of Irtenev Nikolenka (Nikolai Petrovich)

Irtenev Nikolenka (Nikolai Petrovich)- the main character on whose behalf the story is told. Nobleman, count. From a noble aristocratic family. The image is autobiographical. The trilogy shows the process of internal growth and development of N.’s personality, his relationships with people around him and the world, the process of comprehending reality and himself, the search for mental balance and the meaning of life. N. appears before the reader through his perception of different people with whom his life one way or another encounters him.

« Childhood " In the story N. is ten years old. Among his dominant traits are shyness, which causes the hero a lot of suffering, the desire to be loved and introspection. The hero knows that he does not shine with his appearance and even moments of despair come over him: it seems to him “that there is no happiness on earth for a man with such a wide nose, thick lips and small gray eyes.” The acquaintance with the hero occurs at the moment of his awakening, when his tutor Karl Ivanovich wakes him up. Already here, in the first scene of the story, one of the main features of Tolstoy’s writing is manifested - psychological analysis, the famous “dialectics of the soul”, which N. G. Chernyshevsky wrote about in an article dedicated to the trilogy and war stories of Tolstoy and which will be developed in his future essays. Several large (mother's death, moving to Moscow and the village) and small (grandmother's birthday, guests, games, first loves and friendships, etc.) events take place in the story, thanks to which the writer manages to look deeper into the soul of the hero.

Perfectly conveying child psychology, Tolstoy depicts little N. acutely perceiving not only the surrounding nature, but also childishly and directly responding to the troubles of people close to him. So, he sympathizes with the tutor Karl Ivanovich, whom his father decided to fire. Tolstoy describes the hero’s mental states in great detail. “After prayer, you used to wrap yourself in a blanket; the soul is light, bright and joyful; Some dreams drive others, but what are they about? they are elusive, but filled with pure love and hope for bright happiness.” N.'s childhood - a time of maximum vitality and harmony, carelessness and strength of faith, innocent gaiety and the boundless need for love - is depicted by the writer with a feeling of undisguised tenderness.

« Boyhood " Adolescence, according to the narrator, begins for him with the death of his mother. He speaks of it as a “desert” where there are rarely “minutes of true warm feeling that so brightly and constantly illuminated the beginning of my life.” As N. grows up, he begins to be visited by questions that had not previously bothered him at all - about the lives of other people. Until now, the world revolved around him alone, but now his view is gradually beginning to change. The impetus for this is a conversation with the daughter of Mimi’s mother’s friend Katenka, who is being brought up together with the Irtenyevs, who talks about the difference between them: the Irtenyevs are rich, but they and their mother are poor. The hero is now wondering how others live, “if they don’t care about us at all?.., how and how do they live, how do they raise their children, do they teach them, do they let them play, how do they punish them? etc.". For the writer, it is extremely important, both from a psychological and moral point of view, this process of gradually opening the individualistic isolation on oneself alone, although in the story he does not evaluate it as a sin, since children's egoism, in his opinion, is a, so to speak, natural phenomenon, as well as the social one - a consequence of upbringing in aristocratic families. N.’s relationships with other people also become more complicated, primarily with his brother Volodya, who is only a year and a few months older than him, but this gap seems much larger: his brother uncontrollably moves away from N., causing in him a bitter feeling of loss and jealousy and a constant desire to look into his world (the scene of N.’s destruction of his brother’s collection of jewelry, which he overturns along with the table). His likes and dislikes become sharper and more contradictory (the episode with the tutor St.-Jerome(oM), his sense of self, analyzed in detail by the author. “I was shy by nature, but my shyness was further increased by the conviction of my ugliness. And I am convinced that nothing does not have such a striking influence on a person’s direction as his appearance, and not so much his appearance as the conviction of its attractiveness or unattractiveness. The hero describes his appearance as follows: “I am much shorter than Volodya, broad-shouldered and fleshy, still ugly and ugly.” I’m still tormented by this. I try to seem original. One thing consoles me: this is what my dad once said about me, that I have a smart face, and I fully believe in it.”

It was during this period that the hero’s “favorite and constant subjects” of reflection became “abstract questions about the purpose of man, about the future life, about the immortality of the soul...”. Tolstoy emphasizes that in solving them N. comprehends the powerlessness of the mind, falls into a hopeless circle of analysis of his thoughts, at the same time losing willpower, freshness of feeling and clarity of mind (which will subsequently be reflected in the general concept of the writer’s personality). At the same time, N.’s first real friendship began with Dmitry Nekhlyudov, under whose influence N. came to “an enthusiastic adoration of the ideal of virtue and the conviction that man’s destiny is to constantly improve.”

« Youth " N. - almost seventeen. He is reluctant to prepare for university. His main passion is the desire for moral improvement, which now gives food not only to the mind, awakening new thoughts, but also to feelings, encouraging its active implementation. The hero, however, is soberly aware of the sharp contradiction between the wonderful plans for an active moral life and its current “petty, confused and idle order.” Dreams are replacing reality for now. They are based, as the hero reports, on four feelings: love for an imaginary woman; love of love, that is, the desire to be loved; hope for extraordinary, vain happiness and the expectation as a result of this of something magically happy; self-loathing and repentance, consisting of hatred of the past and a passionate desire for perfection. The hero makes up life rules and tries to follow them. His whole life during this period passes in a series of falls and rebirths.

The hero enters the mathematics department of the university, his father gives him a droshky with a horse, and he goes through the first temptations of the consciousness of his own adulthood and independence, which, however, lead to disappointment. Reading novels (especially in the summer) and comparing himself with their heroes, N. begins to try to be “as comme il faut as possible” (he calls this concept “one of the most harmful, false concepts instilled in me by education and society”), that is meet a number of conditions: excellent knowledge of the French language, especially pronunciation, long and clean nails; “the ability to bow, dance and talk”; “indifference to everything and the constant expression of some elegant contemptuous boredom,” etc. It is this concept, as Tolstoy emphasizes, that is the reason for the hero’s false prejudice towards other people, primarily towards the students studying with him, who are not only no less smart, than he does, but they also know much more, although they far from meet the criteria he chose. The ending of the story is N.’s failure in the mathematics exam and expulsion from the university. The hero again decides to write the rules of life and never do anything bad.

Characteristics of the image of St.-Jerome

St. Jerome- Frenchman, tutor of the Irtenievs. His relationship with Nikolenka does not work out at first; it seems to the boy that he has “no other goal in life than the desire to punish” him. In the episode at grandma’s name day, the hero punishes the naughty Nikolenka, and Nikolenka, who first fought back and then was finally locked in the closet, imagines how and with what he could take revenge on the tormentor. The hero becomes the object of irreconcilable hatred on the part of the pupil. One of the methods of educating S. is that he, “straightening his chest and making a majestic gesture with his hand, shouted in a tragic voice: “A genoux, mauvais sujet!” Subsequently, their relationship gradually improves. “Now discussing this man in cold blood, I find that he was a good Frenchman, but a Frenchman to the highest degree. He was not stupid, quite well educated and conscientiously fulfilled his duty towards us, but he had the distinctive features of frivolous egoism, vanity, insolence and ignorant self-confidence, common to all his fellow countrymen and so contrary to the Russian character.”

Characteristics of the image of Grandmother

Grandmother- Countess, one of the most important figures in the trilogy, as if representing a bygone majestic era (like Prince Ivan Ivanovich). Image B is covered with universal reverence and respect. She knows how to use a word or intonation to make clear her attitude towards a person, which for many others is a decisive criterion. The narrator portrays her not so much through static characteristics, but through a description of her interactions with other characters who arrive to congratulate her on her name day, her reactions and words. B. seems to feel his strength and power, his special significance. After the death of her daughter, Nikolenka's mother, she falls into despair. Nikolenka catches her at the moment when she is talking to the deceased as if she were alive. Despite the importance of the old woman, he considers her kind and cheerful, and her love for her grandchildren especially intensifies after the death of their mother. Nevertheless, the narrator compares her with a simple old woman, housekeeper Natalya Savishna, finding that the latter had a greater influence on his worldview.

Characteristics of the image of Valkhina Sonechka

Valakhina Sonechka- daughter of the Irtenyevs’ acquaintance, Mrs. Valakhina. Nikolenka meets her at her grandmother’s birthday and immediately falls in love. Here is his first impression: “...A wonderful twelve-year-old girl in a short open muslin dress, white pantaloons and tiny black shoes emerged from the shrouded person. There was a black velvet ribbon on the little white neck; her head was covered in dark brown curls, which in front went so well with her beautiful dark face, and in the back with her bare shoulders...” He dances a lot with S, makes her laugh in every possible way and is jealous of other boys. In “Youth,” Nikolenka, after a long separation, meets again with S, who has turned ugly, but “the lovely bulging eyes and the bright, good-naturedly cheerful smile were the same.” The matured Nikolenka, whose feelings require food, again becomes interested in her.

Characteristics of Semenov's image

Semenov- common student. I entered the university together with Nikolenka. He carefully went to lectures for a month, and then went on a spree and at the end of the course did not show up at the university at all. He enjoys special respect among students; they look at him “with some kind of horror.” The narrator describes the original end of his “revelry”: S, in order to pay off his debts, voluntarily sells himself as a recruit. From the barracks he sends Zukhin a debt and a note. Students go there to see him. Nikolenka describes his appearance this way: “It was him, with gray hair cut into a comb, a shaved blue forehead and with his always gloomy and energetic expression.” He behaves openly and simply, extending his big black hand to everyone, and then tells Zukhin about his “strange, incomprehensible adventures.”

Characteristics of the image of Grapa Ilinka

Grap Ilinka- the son of a foreigner who once lived with the Irtenievs’ grandfather, owed him something and considered it his duty to send I. to them. “A boy of about thirteen, thin, tall, pale, with a bird’s face and a good-natured, submissive expression.” People pay attention to him only when they want to laugh at him. This character - a participant in one of the games of the Ivins and Irtenievs - suddenly becomes the object of general mockery, ending with him crying, and his hunted appearance painfully affects everyone. The narrator's memory of him is associated with remorse and is, according to him, the only dark spot of his childhood. “How did I not come to him, protect him and comfort him?” - he asks himself. Later I., like the narrator, enters the university. Nikolenka admits that he is so used to looking down on him that he is somewhat unpleasant that he is the same student, and he refuses I.’s father’s request to allow his son to spend the day with the Irtenievs. From the moment I entered the university, I., however, leaves Nikolenka’s influence and behaves with constant defiance.

Characteristics of the image of Grisha

Grisha- wanderer, holy fool. “A man of about fifty, with a pale elongated face pitted with smallpox, long gray hair and a sparse reddish beard.” Very tall. “His voice was rough and hoarse, his movements were hasty and uneven, his speech was meaningless and incoherent (he never used pronouns), but the accents were so touching, and his yellow, ugly face sometimes took on such an openly sad expression that, listening to him, it was impossible to resist from some mixed feeling of regret, fear and sadness.” What is mainly known about him is that he walks barefoot in winter and summer, visits monasteries, gives icons to those he loves, and speaks mysterious words that are taken for predictions. To see the heavy chains that he wears on himself, the children spy on how he undresses before going to bed, they see how selflessly he prays, causing the narrator a feeling of tenderness: “Oh, great Christian Grisha! Your faith was so strong that you felt the closeness of God, your love was so great that the words flowed out of your mouth by themselves - you did not believe them with your mind...”

Characteristics of Dubkov's image

Dubkov- adjutant, friend of Volodya Irtenyev. “...A small, wiry brunette, no longer in his first youth and a little short-legged, but handsome and always cheerful. He was one of those limited people who are especially pleasant precisely because of their limitations, who are unable to see objects from different sides and who are always carried away. The judgments of these people can be one-sided and erroneous, but they are always sincere and fascinating.” A big fan of champagne, visiting women, playing cards and other entertainment.

Characteristics of the image of Avdotya Vasilievna Epifanova

Epifanova Avdotya Vasilievna- neighbor of the Irtenyevs, then the second wife of Pyotr Aleksandrovich Irtenyev, Nikolenka’s father. The narrator notes her passionate, devoted love for her husband, which, however, does not in the least prevent her from loving to dress beautifully and go out into society. Between her and the young Irtenevs (with the exception of Lyubochka, who fell in love with her stepmother, who reciprocates her feelings) a strange, playful relationship is established that hides the absence of any relationship. Nikolenka is surprised at the contrast between the young, healthy, cold, cheerful beauty that Y. appears before the guests, and the middle-aged, exhausted, melancholy woman, sloppy and bored without guests. It is her untidiness that deprives her of the narrator’s last respect. About her love for her father, he notes: “The only goal of her life was to acquire the love of her husband; but she seemed to do everything on purpose that could possibly be unpleasant to him, and all with the goal of proving to him the full power of her love and readiness to sacrifice herself.” E.’s relationship with her husband becomes the subject of special attention for the narrator, since the “thought of family” already occupied Tolstoy at the time of creating the autobiographical trilogy and will be developed in his subsequent works. He sees that in their relationship, “a feeling of quiet hatred, that restrained disgust for the object of affection, which is expressed by an unconscious desire to cause all possible minor moral troubles to this object,” begins to appear.

Characteristics of the image of Zukhin

Zukhin- Nikolenka’s friend at the university. He is eighteen years old. An ardent, receptive, active, wild nature, full of strength and energy, wasted in revelry. He drinks from time to time. The narrator meets him at a meeting of a circle of students who decided to prepare for exams together. “...A small, dense brunette with a somewhat plump and always glossy, but extremely intelligent, lively and independent face. This expression was especially given to him by his low, but hunchbacked forehead above his deep black eyes, bristly short hair and a thick black beard, which always seemed unshaven. He never seemed to think about himself (which I always especially liked in people), but it was clear that his mind was never idle.” He does not respect or like science, although it comes to him with extreme ease.

Zukhin is a type of commoner, smart, knowledgeable, although not belonging to the category of people comme il faut, which at first evokes in the narrator “not only a feeling of contempt, but also some personal hatred that I felt for them for not being comme il faut, they seemed to consider me not only their equal, but even good-naturedly patronized me.” Despite the overwhelming disgust for their unkempt appearance and manners, the narrator feels something good in Z. and his comrades and is drawn to them. He is attracted by knowledge, simplicity, honesty, the poetry of youth and daring. In addition to the abyss of shades that make up the difference in their understanding of life, Nikolenka cannot get rid of the feeling of inequality between him, a wealthy person, and them, and therefore cannot “enter into an even, sincere relationship with them.” However, gradually he is drawn into their life and once again discovers for himself that the same Z., for example, judges literature better and more clearly than him and in general is not only in no way inferior to him, but even superior, so that the height, with which he, a young aristocrat, looks at Z. and his comrades - Operov, Ikonin and others - is imaginary.

Characteristics of the image of Ivin Serezha

Ivin Seryozha- a relative and peer of the Irtenievs, “a dark, curly-haired boy, with an upturned hard nose, very fresh red lips, which rarely completely covered the slightly protruding upper row of white teeth, dark blue beautiful eyes and an unusually lively expression on his face. He never smiled, but either looked completely seriously, or laughed heartily with his ringing, distinct and extremely entertaining laugh.” His original beauty amazes Nikolenka, and he falls in love with him like a child, but does not find any response in I., although he feels his power over him and unconsciously, but tyrannically uses it in their relationship.

Characteristics of the image of Irtenev Volodya

Irtenev Volodya (Vladimir Petrovich)- Nikolenka’s older brother (by a year and several months). The consciousness of his seniority and primacy constantly prompts him to actions that hurt his brother’s pride. Even the condescension and grin that he often bestows on his brother turns out to be a reason for resentment. The narrator characterizes V. as follows: “He was ardent, frank and fickle in his hobbies. Fascinated by the most varied subjects, he devoted himself to them with all his soul.” He emphasizes the “happy, noble and frank character” of V. However, despite occasional and short-lived disagreements or even quarrels, relations between the brothers remain good. Nikolenka involuntarily gets carried away by the same passions as V., but out of pride she tries not to imitate him. With admiration and a feeling of some envy, Nikolenka describes V.’s admission to the university and the general joy in the house on this occasion. V. makes new friends - Dubkov and Dmitry Nekhlyudov, with whom he soon breaks up. His favorite entertainment with Dubkov is champagne, balls, cards. V.’s relationship with the girls surprises his brother, because he “did not allow the idea that they could think or feel anything human, and even less allowed the possibility of talking with them about anything.”

Characteristics of the image of Irtenev Peter

Irtenev Petr Alexandrych (Father)- Count, head of the Irteniev family, Nikolenka’s father. “He was a man of the last century and had, common to the youth of that century, the elusive character of chivalry, enterprise, self-confidence, courtesy and revelry. He looked contemptuously at the people of the present century, and this look came as much from innate pride as from secret annoyance that in our century he could not have either the influence or the successes that he had in his own. His two main passions in life were cards and women...

Large, stately stature, a strange gait with small steps, a habit of twitching his shoulders, small eyes that are always smiling, a large aquiline nose, irregular lips that somehow awkwardly but pleasingly folded, a flaw in pronunciation - whispering, and a large bald spot all over his head.” The narrator realizes that his father’s appearance is not very happy, but at the same time he notes that even with her, everyone liked him without exception and was lucky. The main guide of his life and actions is happiness and pleasure. In the story “Youth” he marries a neighbor on the estate for the second time. The narrator admits that for him his father was a higher being, he loves him and ranks him highly, although he does not take much part in his son’s life.

Characteristics of the image of Irteneva Lyubochka

Irteneva Lyubochka- Nikolenka’s older sister. In the story “Childhood” she is eleven years old. The narrator calls her “little black” and describes her outfit: “a short canvas dress and white pantaloons trimmed with lace.” In “Adolescence” she is already given a more detailed portrait: “Lyubochka is short in stature and, due to an English illness, she has goose legs and a nasty waist. The only good thing about her whole figure is her eyes, and these eyes are truly beautiful - large, black, and with such an indefinably pleasant expression of importance and naivety that they cannot help but stop attention.” The narrator notes her family resemblance to her mother, consisting in something elusive: in her hands, in the manner of walking, especially in her voice and in some expressions, as well as in playing the piano and in all the techniques at the same time.

Characteristics of the image of Natalya Nikolaevna Irteneva

Irteneva Natalya Nikolaevna (Maman)- Nikolenka's mother. The narrator describes her as follows: “When I try to remember my mother as she was at that time, I can only imagine her brown eyes, always expressing the same kindness and love, a mole on her neck, a little lower than where the little hairs curl, embroidered white collar, a gentle dry hand that caressed me so often and which I kissed so often.” As noted, all the beauty of her face is in her smile. She dies early, and the grief of the loss then casts a shadow over much of the protagonist's childhood and adolescence.

Characteristics of the image of Karl Ivanovich (Mauer)

Karl Ivanovich (Mauer)- German, teacher, tutor. He appears at the very beginning of the story “Childhood” swatting flies over the head of the sleeping Nikolenka Irtenyev, which displeases the awakened pupil. Tolstoy emphasizes K.I.’s eccentricity and kindness, but also the difference between the hero’s behavior in the nursery and in the classroom, where he no longer acts as a good-natured uncle, but as a mentor, with glasses on his nose and a book in his hand. K.I. spends most of his time reading, and at this time there is a calm, majestic expression on his face. “How now I see in front of me a long figure in a cotton robe and a red cap, from under which sparse gray hair can be seen.” All of K.I.’s things are laid out in orderly order, neatly in their place.

K.I. considers himself unhappy from birth, or, as he himself says, distorting Russian words into the German way, “Isho in the womb of my mother.” His life has a long, rich story, which the hero tells to the children: he is the illegitimate son of Count von Zomerblatt, out of generosity he went into military service instead of his brother, whom his father loved more than him, fought with the French, was captured, escaped, worked in a rope factory; Having returned home, he was almost arrested as a deserter, fled again, was hired into the service by the Russian general Sazin, and only then came to the Irtenyevs. The separation from their family, when Nikolenka’s father is going to take on a new French tutor, is experienced as a drama.

Characteristics of Katenka's image

Katenka- daughter of the governess Lyubochka Irteneva Mimi. Light blue eyes, a smiling look, a straight nose with strong nostrils and a mouth with a bright smile, tiny dimples on pink transparent cheeks. Nikolenka feels something like first love for her. From her he first hears words about poverty and wealth (K. and her mother Mimi are poor, the Irtenyevs are rich), which made him think and became the reason for the “moral change” in him.

Characteristics of the image of Prince Ivan Ivanovich

Prince Ivan Ivanovich- a type of aristocrat of the last century, the embodiment of the chivalrous spirit of a bygone era, partly idealized by Tolstoy (cf. the story “Two Hussars”). “A man of about seventy, tall, in a military uniform with large epaulettes, from under the collar of which a large white cross was visible, and with a calm, open expression on his face. The freedom and simplicity of his movements amazed me. Despite the fact that a semicircle of thin hair remained on the back of his head and that the position of his upper lip clearly proved the lack of teeth, his face was still of remarkable beauty” - this is how Nikolya sees him for the first time, at a celebration in honor of her grandmother’s birthday. The narrator also notes his brilliant position in society and the general respect that the prince earned for his consistency and firmness, with which he always adhered to an elevated way of thinking, the basic rules of religion and morality. The hero is kind and sensitive, but cold and somewhat arrogant in his manner. He is, according to the narrator, of little intelligence, but he is, however, well educated and well read. The prince cannot live without society and, wherever he is, he lives widely and openly. Subsequently, paying the prince a visit after entering the university, Nikolenka is embarrassed, knowing that he is the prince’s heir.

Characteristics of Kolpikov's image

Kolpikov- “a short, stocky civilian gentleman with a red mustache.” Something like a quarrel occurs between him and Nikolenka, who is celebrating his entrance to university with friends in Yar. Dinner K. scolds Nikolenka, who is lighting a cigarette next to him, and he hangs out, partly confused, partly feeling guilty. The incident hurts the narrator’s pride especially because he seems to have chickened out, allowing himself to be treated this way and not being able to come up with a worthy answer. Having come to his senses, he no longer finds K. in place. Having then told Nekhlyudov about this incident, he learns that K. is “a well-known scoundrel, a sharper, and most importantly a coward, kicked out of the regiment by his comrades because he received a slap in the face and did not want to fight.”

Characteristics of the image of Lyubov Sergeevna

Lyubov Sergeevna- Nekhlyudov’s beloved, about whom he tells his friend Nikolenka with admiration as a woman who has a huge influence on him. Nikolenka meets her at Nekhlyudov’s dacha. “She was very ugly: red-haired, thin, short, a little lopsided.” She speaks in sayings that are not relevant. The narrator, no matter how hard he tries, cannot find a single beautiful feature in her. He finds her mannered and uninteresting, although out of sympathy for his friend he does not want to admit this even to himself. She, in turn, is also not disposed towards him, considering him “the greatest egoist, atheist and mocker”, often argues with him and gets angry.

Characteristics of the image of Mimi (Marya Ivanovna)

Mimi (Marya Ivanovna)- governess of the Irtenievs, mother of Katenka. The narrator, calling her boring, complains that it was impossible to talk about anything in front of her, because she found everything indecent. Later, Nikolenka learns that his father was once fond of her and therefore she is hostile to his new marriage.

Characteristics of the image of Mikhailov Yakov

Mikhailov Yakov- clerk, serf of the Irtenievs. His face is always calm, expressing “awareness of his dignity and at the same time subordination, that is: I am right, but by the way, your will!” When he speaks, his fingers are in the greatest anxiety and desperately jump in different directions. The narrator is present during Yakov’s business conversation with his father and, already from the height of his adult consciousness, gives him the following, slightly ironic description: “Yakov was a serf, a very zealous and devoted man; he, like all good clerks, was extremely stingy for his master and had the strangest concepts about the master’s benefits.”

Characteristics of the image of Natalia Savishna

Natalya Savishna- housekeeper, formerly a maid, then maid and nanny of Nikolenka’s mother. A type of selflessly devoted servant who selflessly devotes her entire life to her owners (cf. Arina Rodionovna in A.S. Pushkin). Her story is this: after she was taken into the state house, she wanted to marry the young, lively waiter Foku, but the narrator’s grandfather considered this ingratitude on her part and sent her to a barnyard in a steppe village. However, no one could replace N.S., she was returned, and she, in turn, repented to the master and asked to forget her previous nonsense. Having received her freedom after faithful twenty years of service, she was deeply wounded. After the death of his mother, Nikolenka in N.S.’s room listens with bated breath to her simple-hearted explanations about the fact that the soul of the Righteous One, before going to heaven, suffers for another forty days. He is also struck by her sudden transition from talking about the sacred and mysterious to grumpiness and petty calculations, in which he subsequently sees the sincerity of grief, which does not want and cannot pretend. After the Irtenievs leave the village, she becomes bored with idleness; a year after the death of Nikolenka’s mother, she develops dropsy. She suffers from illness for two months, enduring torment with Christian patience, and accepts death as a blessing (a motive extremely important for Tolstoy - cf. “Three Deaths”), having previously asked everyone for forgiveness for the insults that she could have caused them, and thanked for favors shown to her. The narrator remembers this old woman as a “rare, wonderful creature” whose whole life was love and self-sacrifice and who had “such a strong and beneficial influence on my direction and development of sensitivity.”

Characteristics of the image of Dmitry Nekhlyudov

Nekhlyudov Dmitry- Prince, a friend of Volodya Irtenyev, whom he meets at the university, and then Nikolenka’s best friend. He “is not good-looking: small gray eyes, a low steep forehead, disproportionate length of arms and legs... The only good thing about him was his unusually tall stature, delicate complexion and beautiful teeth. But this face received such an original and energetic character from narrow, sparkling eyes and a changeable, sometimes stern, sometimes childishly vague expression of a smile that it was impossible not to notice it.” The hero, like Nikolenka, is very bashful and shy, although it is precisely in those moments when he involuntarily blushes that his face expresses the greatest determination, as if he is angry with himself. At first, Nikolenka does not like his quick glance, his proud appearance, and especially the indifference with which he treats him, but then they become closer, feeling a commonality of interests and direction, expressed mainly in the desire for perfection. N. shares with his friend the most intimate things - his love for Lyubov Sergeevna, plans for marriage, village life and work on himself (see the story “The Morning of the Landowner,” where N. is the main character).

Characteristics of the image of Marya Ivanovna Nekhlyudova

Nekhlyudova Marya Ivanovna- Princess, mother of Dmitry Nekhlyudov. “...A tall, slender woman of about forty. She could have been given more, judging by the curls of half-gray hair openly exposed from under her cap, but by her fresh, extremely tender, almost wrinkle-free face, and especially by the lively, cheerful sparkle of her large eyes, she seemed much less. Her eyes were brown, very open; lips are too thin, a little strict; the nose is quite regular and slightly to the left side; her hand was without rings, large, almost masculine, with beautiful elongated fingers.” The narrator, who meets her at the Nekhlyudovs’ dacha, draws attention to her somewhat cold, open gaze, and a little later defines for himself the character and direction of the Nekhlyudov family as “logic and at the same time simplicity and grace,” which is set by M.I. Nikolenka also likes the fact that she treats him seriously and simply.

Characteristics of the image of Sofia Ivanovna Nekhlyudova

Nekhlyudova Sofya Ivanovna- Aunt Nekhlyudova, an old girl, plump, short, with large, lively and calm blue eyes. At first, she seems very proud to Nikolenka, but soon he changes his mind and begins to understand her essence much better. “Sofya Ivanovna, as I later recognized her, was one of those rare middle-aged women born for family life, to whom fate denied this happiness and who, as a result of this refusal, the entire reserve of love that had been stored for so long grew and became stronger in their hearts. for children and husband, they suddenly decide to pour it out on a select few. And this supply of old girls of this kind can be so inexhaustible that, despite the fact that there are many chosen ones, there is still a lot of love left, which they pour out on everyone around them...”

Composition

The main character of the story “Youth” is Nikolenka Irtenev. Tolstoy portrays him as an adult, a young man who has developed certain rules, thoughts and views on life. He is smart, observant, prone to introspection, proud, shy and dreamy. The vividness of his imagination and lack of habit of hard work prevent him from demonstrating his talent. However, there is continuous and intense mental work going on inside him.
Nikolenka studies at the university and is part of the student community. These years and St. Petersburg left a certain imprint on his character. He began to worship the laws of fashion, devote a lot of time and attention to his appearance, do and say things that did not correspond to his concepts. It was fashionable not to attend lectures, to be rude, to do nothing, to go to places of entertainment, to smoke a pipe and engage in useless chatter - and this is what the hero adhered to. He was absorbed in the idleness of social life. Nikolenka himself did not notice how he plunged into a rapid whirlpool of entertainment and idleness.
Irtenyev began to consider himself an aristocrat, and immediately notes of contempt for people below him appeared in his manners. He stopped appreciating true feelings and respecting others. For a whole year, the hero of the story did nothing, abandoned his studies, traveled to visit guests and friends, and in the end - a shameful failure in the exams.
At that moment, Nikolenka had a mental revolution. He realized1 that the made-up rules do not correspond to real life. You cannot follow the imposed opinions of the aristocratic environment, and also worship fleeting fashion, which is trying to establish its own laws and orders, throwing aside decency and honor. An idle existence is not the meaning of life that one should strive for and achieve.
Failure in exams marked the beginning of a new life for the main character. He came to a very important conclusion, which he drew from his personal inner experience and from reflections on the world - to the idea of ​​moral self-improvement. The hero of the story comes to this idea at the turning point from adolescence to youth, and from that moment life acquires meaning and deep moral content for him.

The work of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy “Youth” with understanding and pity, sincerely shares the pain in the soul of Nikolai Irtenyev. The work is narrated from the perspective of the main character, which makes us closer to the hero.

The story combines fantasy and simple life. Sometimes it seems that Nikolai reveals his personality, his soul exclusively to you, deeply immerses the reader in his inner world, and shares his emotions. "Youth" was written in the form of autobiographical prose. I have an assumption that it was this type of genre that made it easier for Leo Tolstoy to describe the picture of a person’s stormy flow of thoughts. It’s not for nothing that the Russian philosopher Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky described the writer as a person who understood the souls of people.

In the introduction, Nikolai explains at what point his youth began. His youth began when Nikolai thought that a person’s goal is the desire for self-improvement. His sixteen-year-old Kolenka, preparing to take the entrance exams for admission to Moscow University. The young philosopher reflects on his purpose, on the future. He writes down all his thoughts in a special notebook, where he talks about the rules that, in his opinion, every person needs for self-improvement. He strives for his destiny in this hostile society, tries to prove his independence from everyone. Move away from public opinion, from stereotypical thinking, which one is fighting against. This confirms his character, independent and persistent.

Nikolai - in adolescence. It is at this age that he begins to better understand his role in history and the importance of society for a person, as well as to become aware of himself.

After passing the entrance exams well and successfully entering the university, our hero turns into a student with a narrow social circle. Capable of analyzing what is happening around him, his qualities become broader, and he adapts better to communication. The relationship between the intelligentsia and the common people is a big problem in Russia, which Nikolai is well aware of.

The main character noticed that secular society, head and shoulders above him, has absolutely the same selfish manner of behavior towards his personality and himself as he does towards peasant people. He communicates well with students of different backgrounds, even if he did not like the speech of the interlocutor, he saw something good in these people, which attracts and inspires Nikolai. He enjoyed being with these people; it encouraged him. He understood that no matter what a person’s origin, his responsiveness, sociability and, most importantly, character, play a major role in building an opinion about a person. Subsequently, he himself becomes the main enemy, fighting for morality. The fact is that he is still attracted to the mores of aristocratic life, tied to him by people from above. He takes everything around him to heart, self-critically reproaching himself for being petty, helpless and cowardly.

Option 2

“Youth” is the final part of the trilogy by L.N. Tolstoy, work on which the author completed in September 56. The writer reworked the story three times, and even the last version was dissatisfied.

The autobiographical story became a natural and logical continuation of the first two parts, “Childhood” and “Adolescence.” The first impression is that nothing has changed in the life of the matured hero. However, the Crimean War influenced the writer’s views and this was reflected in the work. The hero evaluates what is happening around him and himself critically and incredulously; the author’s ideas and feelings, captured in his diary, are reflected in Lev Nikolaevich’s story.

The reader identifies the hero of the story with Tolstoy himself; through Nikolenka’s thoughts, the author’s speculations and ideas are conveyed, which change over time, life goals increase, and the writer’s spirituality grows.

Thus, in the chapter “Spring” the reader expects a description of nature, however, the main goal is far from the desire to depict the awakening of nature. Before us is a symbol of the birth of a renewed person, his transformation.

Striving for spiritual renewal and self-improvement, Nikolenka goes to the monastery to confess a sin that he forgot about on a previous visit. The cab drivers' indifference to his diligence unpleasantly strikes the young hero. He feels his superiority over these men, and pride and pride - these are the sins with which the young man is unsuccessfully fighting - again take possession of him.

The hero constantly analyzes his actions and thoughts, and is ready to expose himself in insincerity and lies. Nikolenka Ignatiev strives for the truth; constant self-examination leads to dissatisfaction with herself. Dmitry Nekhlyudov, the hero’s friend, is also concerned about the purity of thoughts and their communication makes the hero think about the issues of life, about moral duty.

Volodya and his friend Dubkov become the complete opposite of Dmitry. They are far from Dmitry’s thoughts, his actions are incomprehensible to them, and therefore become the subject of ridicule. These self-satisfied young people take life very lightly; Nekhlyudov’s demanding seriousness seems like a country to them.

There is a certain duality in the main character. On the one hand, this is the desire for purity of thoughts, for the love of all people, and on the other hand, the desire, if not to be better, then at least no worse than those who grew up with him in the same environment. So, having entered the university, he expresses a desire to have a trotter and flaunt his personal coachman when the opportunity arises. The lordly habits, which the hero has not yet gotten rid of, do not allow the hero to be completely identified with the author, who never treated peasants, small change merchants and workers with disdain.

Heroes appear in the story who influence Nikolenka’s unique insight. It turns out that for a good education it is not at all necessary to undergo home schooling or have personal tutors. Peers who did not have such opportunities have knowledge no worse, and sometimes even have greater knowledge.

The characters Semyonov and Zukhin appear in the hero’s life and Nikolenka should learn from them a disdainful attitude towards secular habits. In addition, Zukhin's superior knowledge of physics and literature makes the hero feel a hidden confrontation.

Which character is closer, which path to follow is the choice of the hero and the reader. You can follow the path of Dubkov, who lives in an unusually cozy apartment. However, the description of comfort makes this apartment a primitive way of life, so insignificant compared to the possibility of spiritual development. Thus, the metaphorical “cardboard animal heads” transform the abundance of paintings, wallpaper, pistols and other things into primitive everyday life, a fake.

The search for truth and lies, real and fake is extremely important for Tolstoy and is reflected throughout the writer’s entire creative path. In "Youth" the hero's true and false feelings are tested by love. Love for the girl, whom he coldly remembers, or rather makes him remember her, and love for his father’s house, which he remembers with sincere feelings and warmth. There are no mysteries left for the reader about where the truth is and where the lie is.

Nikolenka Irteniev, the main character of the story “Childhood,” written by a brilliant writer, takes readers back to distant childhood, and also opens the spiritual and moral world of a child.

What is the characteristic of Nikolenka Irtenyev? How did the author treat him? Did he idealize his hero? And what did he want to convey to the hearts of readers by choosing the image of a child as key and central in his work?

Let's briefly analyze the realistic, life story that L.N. Tolstoy wrote, “Childhood,” and try to find answers to the above questions.

Childhood image

The characterization of Nikolenka from the story “Childhood” begins from the very first lines of the work. Before us appears a sleeping boy, whose sleep is protected by his kind, loving mentor.

From the child’s brief remarks and reflections, it is clear that he is the son of a landowner, who grew up in hothouse conditions, a little spoiled and eccentric, but very kind and gentle.

It is not for nothing that the narration is conducted in the first person. This gives us the opportunity to better know the boy’s thoughts and feelings, his childish spontaneity and childish seriousness.

The characterization of Nikolenka Irtenyev is a characteristic of Tolstoy himself, since many of the events and incidents described in the story are taken directly from the author’s memoirs.

What did L.N. Tolstoy keep in his memory? “Childhood” reveals to us his first years of life; it not only vividly and effectively characterizes the younger generation of wealthy landowners, but also criticizes and exposes the immorality and hypocrisy of the noble lifestyle of that time.

Appearance of the main character

The portrait of Nikolenka from the story “Childhood” presents us with a rather ugly boy of ten years old with a large nose, large lips and small eyes, with curls constantly sticking out on the top of his head.

The boy is very worried about his external shortcomings. Because of this, he is sometimes overcome by sadness and despair. He even asks God for external beauty and is ready to give all that is most valuable just to have an ideal appearance.

And although sometimes it may seem that the main character deliberately describes himself as such a little freak, his elders repeatedly talk about his ugly appearance. This is noted even by the one who loves Nikolenka more than anyone in the world - his mother. On the other hand, she more than once emphasized the spiritual attractiveness of her youngest son.

Conflicting feelings

What is Nikolenka like in the story “Childhood”?

This is an ordinary boy, a little envious, a little absurd, but very kind, gentle and conscientious.

Most likely, Irtenyev’s conscientiousness is his inner core, which attracts us to the main character.

He may commit ugly acts, may have bad judgment, may think and feel things that are reprehensible, but he will always, always (!) feel shame and regret, remorse and some remorse after this. After this, I want to believe and hope that Nikolenka will change, improve and become better.

Relationship with a mentor

How do Nikolenka’s conflicting feelings manifest themselves?

For example, in his relationship with the children's teacher, a German by birth, Karl Ivanovich. Life did not work out for this poor man in his distant homeland, and he came to Russia in search of happiness. The German did not find wealth and prosperity, but, being kind and warm-hearted by nature, he became very attached to his students and, in the simplicity of his soul, gave them all of himself.

Nikolenka loves her poor mentor very much and feels sorry for him. For example, he dreams of growing up and helping his teacher, easing his grief and even sacrificing a lot for him.

His sincere love for Karl Ivanovich is also manifested in practice: Nikolenka often approaches his mentor, gently takes his hand and affectionately calls him a “dear” teacher.

However, multiple drastic changes occur in the boy’s soul. He can scold and be angry with the disadvantaged teacher, answer him rudely and impudently, and wish for everything bad. And all this just because of a strict suggestion, a short remark or a bad grade!

Of course, later, having analyzed his wrong behavior, little Irtenyev begins to feel remorse and try to make amends.

Relationship with Ilenka

The characterization of Nikolenka from the story “Childhood” emerges clearly in his relationship with Ilenka Grap, who was the same age as the main character. Ilenka was a sickly, quiet child, bullied and bullied by his rich comrades. His father had neither wealth nor title, but tried to maintain acquaintance with the Irtenyevs in the hope of further patronage. How difficult it was for Ilenka to communicate with the inflated barchuks, who offended him, humiliated him, insulted him and even beat him!

Children, already capable of showing cruelty, brought the unfortunate boy to tears, without even thinking that he was experiencing mental anguish and torment.

Memories of Ilenka’s persecution lie like a dark spot on Irtenyev’s heart for many years. He, so gentle and sympathetic, with a subtle, understanding soul, reproaches himself for following the lead of the grown-up boys and not standing up for the defenseless, disadvantaged boy.

Hero's lordship

However, in Nikolenka’s attitude towards the people below him there was always a note of arrogance and swagger. He considered himself much higher than Karl Ivanovich and Natalya Savishna, servants attached to him with all their souls. He treated his poor peers with contempt and arrogance, considering himself better and smarter.

Where did such a sense of arrogance and superiority come from in this nice, sweet child? The characterization of Nikolenka from the story “Childhood” fully reveals to us the causes and consequences of his actions and judgments.

A little boy was brought up in the house of a rich, arrogant landowner. From infancy he was taught that he was a master's son, worthy of honor and reverence. With his mother's milk, Nikolenka absorbed a sense of superiority and a desire to live in luxury and contentment, among serving, servile people.

Many noble children were raised this way. And this was a common phenomenon at that time.

Hard tests

But this does not mean that little Irtenyev lived in a castle in the air, protected by fate from problems and worries. No, he was also touched by troubles and experiences, leaving an indelible sad mark on his tender soul.

The image of Nikolenka Irtenyev in the story “Childhood” is the image of a rich boy who has known personal grief and subtly feels the suffering of others.

Despite a comfortable and passive existence, the main character experiences severe emotional trauma: misunderstanding of his older brother, arrogance of a friend, pride and immorality of a father who cheats on his mother and ruins the entire family.

However, Nikolenka's most sad memory is the sudden death of her mother.

Relation to maman

The image of the mother is the brightest, most beautiful image in the story, while in the work there is no specific description of the appearance or detailed characteristics of the woman.

For Nikolenka, her mother is the most beloved creature on earth. He does not hesitate to show tenderness and affection to her, he loves to often spend time with her and communicate. Most likely, it is thanks to the early influence of his mother that the boy grows up to be such a kind and sympathetic child, capable of compassion and feeling of guilt. Therefore, the characterization of Nikolenka from the story “Childhood” would be incomplete and one-sided if it were not for the description of his relationship with his mother.

The death of the person he loved most left an indelible wound in the boy’s heart. He cried and suffered a lot, experiencing the bitter loss in his own way. He did not understand how a blooming and cheerful mother could turn into a yellow, withered creature with closed eyes and an unrecognizable face.

And at the same time, the boy describes all his sensations and feelings with boundless sincerity and directness. He calls the moment of self-forgetfulness spent near the coffin of his beloved parent the truest manifestation of grief. In other cases, when Nikolenka cried and sobbed for his mother, he did it out of a sense of pride, pretentiousness and selfishness, honestly admitting this to himself and experiencing deep shame and contempt for himself.

The influence of Nikolenka’s image

As we see, in his story “Childhood” Tolstoy created a bright, original image of Nikolenka Irtenyev, who teaches us how to react correctly to our misfortunes and failures. The work also shows that childhood is an important time for the development of a child’s personality and worldview, which will leave an indelible mark on his mind and heart.

In Russian classical literature, there are two works with the same name - these are the stories “Childhood”, written by L. Tolstoy and, later, M. Gorky. Both works are autobiographical - in them the writers talk about their childhood, the people around them, the conditions in which they were brought up.

Why did Tolstoy and Gorky decide to turn to this particular period of their lives? What did they want to tell the reader? I think both writers considered childhood to be one of the most important stages in a person’s life, when he learns about the world around him, learns to love and hate, decides what is better - good or evil. In childhood, according to Tolstoy and Gorky, the child’s character is formed, which is why it is so important that this time is happy.

It is about happy childhood that Tolstoy tells us in his story. We see that the main character Nikolenka is surrounded by people who love him - his mother, tutor Karl Ivanovich, nanny, father, brothers and sisters, grandmother. They all care about the boy and strive to do everything to make him happy.

Of course, in Nikolenka’s life there are also sorrows, failures, and disappointments. However, he draws the right conclusions from them. This is also the idea that you don’t need to offend those who love you (remember the episode with Karl Ivanovich) or who are weaker than you (the episode with Ilenka Grap). This is also the idea that a person’s value is measured by his spiritual qualities, and not by his social status (the episode with the nanny Natalya Savishna). This is a bitter discovery that close people will not always be with you, that they are mortal (the death of your beloved mother), and so on.

We encounter a completely different childhood in Gorky's story. Her hero Alyosha is not as lucky as Nikolenka. After the death of his father, Alyosha ended up in his grandfather’s family, where harsh morals reigned. Here no one cared about the children, did not give them love and affection, as in Nikolenka’s family. Each of the Kashirins lived on their own, considering even members of their own family as enemies. Therefore, scandals, quarrels, and fights often occurred in my grandfather’s house.

Of course, this situation depressed the little hero. It would have been completely unbearable for him to live in his grandfather’s house if it weren’t for his grandmother, who became a “ray of light” for Alyosha. Only she gave her grandson the love, affection, and care he needed so much. Without them, I think Alyosha would have turned into an embittered or lost person, like many around him. And this hero found the strength to remain kind, fair, and merciful. And in this he is similar to Nikolenka Irtenyev, who also always strived for goodness and justice.

Thus, the stories “Childhood” written by Tolstoy and Gorky are not only examples of “high” literature. These are also valuable psychological documents that reveal the inner world of a child, reliably and vividly convey his experiences, and show what influences the formation of a little person’s character.

Tolstoy and Gorky can with full confidence be called humanist writers, because in their work they call for a humane attitude towards children, for the manifestation of attention, care, and love. That is why, it seems to me, their stories “Childhood” are among the best works of Russian and world literature.