the problem of honor and duty in the story Captain's daughter

Honor cannot be taken away, it can be lost. (A.P. Chekhov)

In the late twenties and early thirties, A. S. Pushkin turned to the study of Russian history. He is interested in great personalities, their role in the formation of the state, as well as the question of who or what moves history: the masses or the individual. This is what makes the writer turn to the current topic of peasant uprisings. The result of his labors were the works - “The History of Pugachev”, “The Captain’s Daughter”, Dubrovsky”, “ Bronze Horseman" The historical story “The Captain's Daughter” was written by A. S. Pushkin in 1833-1836. The plot is based on a brutal collision of two opposite worlds: the world of the nobility and the world of peasants led by Emelyan Pugachev. Against the backdrop of these events, the story is told about the love of the young nobleman Pyotr Andreevich Grinev for the daughter of the commandant of the Belogorsk fortress, Masha Mironova. The central problem The work is a problem of honor and duty, as evidenced by the epigraph: “Take care of honor from a young age,” which, as we will see later, will everywhere determine the life of the protagonist. The first time Grinev acted honorably, returning the gambling debt, although Savelich dissuaded him from such a step. But the innate nobility of the nobleman prevailed here too. A man of honor, Pyotr Andreevich is always kind and selfless. He can easily offer a hare's sheepskin coat from his shoulder to some tramp of a thief's appearance. As it turns out later, this act saved his and his servant’s lives. Here Pushkin conveys the idea that true good will never go unappreciated; It is much easier for kind and honest people to exist than for evil and selfish people. The arrival at the Belogorsk fortress was also marked by many changes in Pyotr Andreevich’s worldview. Here he meets Masha Mironova, here a tender feeling flares up between them. Grinev acted like a true officer and nobleman, standing up for the honor of his beloved girl and challenging Shvabrin to a duel. The image of Shvabrin is directly opposite to the image of Grinev. By his position, he belongs to the guards officers. A brilliantly educated secular man, nevertheless, by his nature he is very unprincipled. We know little about his past: his career was broken as a result of “murder”; there is no hope of returning to St. Petersburg. Shvabrin joined the uprising solely for his own benefit, because otherwise he would have faced the gallows. Having thus sacrificed his noble honor, Shvabrin joined the ranks of the rebels, although the goals of the uprising were completely alien to him. During the riot itself, the moral qualities all its participants. Consider the true heroism of Captain Mironov and his wife, who chose death over serving the impostor. They fulfilled their duty to the end. Pyotr Andreevich did the same, which earned him respect from Pugachev. Gradually revealing the image of the leader of the peasant uprising, Pushkin makes us understand that the concepts of honor and duty are not alien to Pugachev. He was able to appreciate these qualities in Grinev and benefited him in everything. It was solely through the efforts of Pugachev that Pyotr Andreevich and Masha found each other. Subsequently, even Grinev himself was able to see and appreciate in the rebel and impostor a man of honor, who also had a sense of duty. This is the main difference between Grinev the son and old Grinev, for whom the most important thing was the honor and duty of a noble officer. Grinev Jr. managed to expand these concepts to their universal meaning and did not deny humanity to such a seemingly alien person as Pugachev. Friendship with the leader of the peasant uprising should have had the most negative impact on the fate of the hero. And indeed, we see how, following a denunciation, he is arrested and they are already preparing to send him to the scaffold after Pugachev.

Here is an essay on the topic “Take care of honor from a young age.” This is an essay-reasoning based on the work “The Captain's Daughter” by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The essay explores the character of Grinev.

You may also find these pages useful:

• All essays based on the work "The Captain's Daughter"
• Brief summary of the work by A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter".

And now - to the point.

I believe that honor ranks first among moral symbols. You can survive the collapse of the economy, you can come to terms, although it is very difficult, with the collapse of the state, you can finally endure even parting with the most dear people and with the Motherland, but not a single people on earth will ever come to terms with the decay of morality. Human society has always treated dishonest people with contempt.

The loss of honor is a decline in moral principles, followed by inevitable punishment: entire states disappear from the map of the earth, peoples disappear into the black hole of history, and individuals die.

Russian writers have always addressed the problem of honor in their works. We can say that this problem was and is one of the central ones in Russian literature.

The concept of honor is brought up in a person from childhood. Using the example of the story by A.S. Pushkin’s “The Captain’s Daughter” clearly shows how this happens in life and what results it leads to.

The main character of the story, Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, was brought up from childhood in an atmosphere of high everyday morality. He had someone to follow by example. Pushkin, through the mouth of Savelich, on the first pages of the story introduces readers to the moral principles of the Grinev family: “It seems that neither the father nor the grandfather were drunkards; there’s nothing to say about mother...” With these words the old servant brings up his ward Pyotr Grinev, who got drunk for the first time and behaved unsightly.

The first time Pyotr Grinev acted honorably, returning the gambling debt, although in that situation Savelich tried to persuade him to evade payment. But nobility prevailed.

A man of honor, in my opinion, is always kind and selfless in his interactions with others. For example, Pyotr Grinev, despite Savelich’s dissatisfaction, thanked the tramp for his service by giving him a hare sheepskin coat. His action saved both of their lives in the future. This episode seems to say that fate itself protects a person who lives by honor. But, of course, it’s not a matter of fate, but simply on earth more people who remember good rather than evil means that a noble person has a greater chance of worldly happiness.

Moral tests awaited Grinev in the fortress where he served. Officer Shvabrin interferes with Grinev’s love for Masha Mironova and weaves intrigues. In the end it comes down to a duel. Shvabrin is the complete opposite of Grinev. He is a selfish and ignoble man. This shows up in everything. Even during the duel, he did not hesitate to take advantage of a dishonorable situation to strike. Fate in the future will also present him with a bill for his life position, but completely different from Grinev. Shvabrin will side with Pugachev, and he will be condemned as an officer who betrayed the oath. Using the example of Shvabrin, the author wants to show that external culture has little influence on the development of a person’s character. After all, Shvabrin was more educated than Grinev. I read French novels and poems. He was a smart conversationalist. He even got Grinev addicted to reading. Apparently, the family in which a person was raised is of decisive importance.

During the Pugachev rebellion, the moral qualities of some heroes of the story and the baseness of the feelings of others were especially clearly revealed. We learned that Captain Mironov and his wife chose death, but did not surrender to the mercy of the rebels. Pyotr Grinev did the same, but was pardoned by Pugachev. It seems to me that the author made it clear to the reader that Pugachev showed generosity towards the young officer not only out of a feeling of gratitude for the old favor. He equally, it seemed to me, appreciated a man of honor in Grinev. The leader of the popular uprising himself set noble goals for himself, so he was not alien to the concepts of honor. Moreover, thanks to Pugachev, Grinev and Masha found each other forever.

Shvabrin, too, was powerless in implementing his selfish plans. Pugachev not only did not support Shvabrin, but also clearly made it clear to him that he was dishonest and therefore not a competitor to Grinev.

Grinev's morality even influenced Pugachev himself. The chieftain told the officer a fairy tale he had heard from an old Kalmyk woman, in which it was said that it was better to drink fresh blood once than to feed on carrion for three hundred years. Of course, the fairy eagle and the raven argued in this moment, solving purely human problem. Pugachev clearly preferred the eagle that feeds on blood. But Grinev boldly answered the chieftain: “Intricate... But to live by murder and robbery means, for me, to peck at carrion.” After such an answer from Grinev, Pugachev plunged into deep thoughts. Therefore, deep down in his soul, Pugachev had noble roots.

The ending of the story is interesting. It would seem that a connection with the rebellious chieftain would be fatal for Grinev. He is actually arrested based on a denunciation. He is facing the death penalty, but Grinev decides, for reasons of honor, not to name his beloved. If he had told the whole truth about Masha, for the sake of saving whom he, in fact, found himself in such a situation, then he would probably have been acquitted. But at the very last moment, justice triumphed. Masha herself turns to a lady close to the Empress for Grinev’s pardon. The lady takes the poor girl at her word. This fact suggests that in a society where most people live by honor, justice is always easier to prevail. The lady turns out to be the empress herself, and the fate of her beloved Masha is decided for the better.

Grinev remained a man of honor to the end. He was present at the execution of Pugachev, to whom he owed his happiness. Pugachev recognized him and nodded his head from the scaffold.

So, proverb “take care of your honor from a young age” has the meaning of a life talisman that helps to overcome the harsh trials of life.

I hope you liked this essay-discussion “Take care of honor from a young age” based on the work of A.S. Pushkin.

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Every time we hear any saying, for example, “Take care of your dress again, but honor your youth,” we are interested in its roots and meaning, provided that we are inquisitive enough. In this article we offer a reflection on the theme of the proverb mentioned above.

Origin of proverbs

People have been accumulating the wisdom of life for centuries. Smart peasants notice everything: when to check the weather for the summer, and how to plant wheat and rye, and how to distinguish one horse from another. They noticed the behavior of plants, the habits of animals, and the main features of people. Each observation was expressed in apt, vivid and succinct verbal expressions. They were well remembered due to their internal rhythm, and even rhyme. The proverb “Take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age” is no exception.

Types of proverbs and sayings

And, basically, proverbs and sayings are needed for a predictive function or to determine something after the fact. For example, when a person repeats the unseemly actions of his parents, they say about him with a sigh: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” But this means that the person has already done something bad, and nothing can be done now. But there is a separate type of sayings - edifying ones. They are designed to tell people how to act so that life is more “correct” and meets the expectations of others. The saying “Take care of your dress, but take care of your honor from a young age” applies precisely to such people. It was created so that the younger generation would understand the general canon of behavior accepted in society.

The meaning of the saying: abstract and concrete

This expression compares, on the one hand, the everyday and understandable statement that a dress must be looked after from the moment it was sewn. The fact that a particular word is used here does not mean a particular item of clothing. It's more likely collective image, the name of any clothing in general, things in principle.

Every zealous owner knows that a shirt, boots, and even a bag of grain should be used strictly for its intended purpose and not kept in improper conditions. After all, if you wipe newborn calves with a shirt, it will quickly deteriorate. And if the grain is stored not in a special well-ventilated barn, but behind the stove, then it will become damp and cannot be eaten. And even more so such more expensive things as boots, a caftan, a sheepskin coat, a carpet, which were not only bought once in a lifetime, but also passed on by inheritance. They must be taken care of so that they last as long as possible. Careful handling of a thing is the key to its “long and healthy life.”

On the other hand, the proverb talks about such a complex and abstract concept as honor.

And this contrast is created intentionally. People rarely think about abstraction, especially young people. Their blood is hot, all sorts of prohibitions and limits seem to them nothing more than the invention of outdated old people. But it is in their youth that people most often commit acts that could be described as dishonest. That is why this saying arose as an edification and lesson to the younger generation.

These are the thoughts on the topic: “Take care of your dress again, and honor from your youth: the meaning of the proverb and its analysis.”

Use of sayings

IN modern world As a rule, the second part of the saying is used. Since in Lately the boundaries of morality and the concept of “ought” are blurred, now they usually say this to people who have disgraced themselves, tainted themselves with some unworthy act. And if the one who is being reprimanded in this way suddenly asks: “Take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age,” who said? They will answer him angrily: “People!” You know, like in a song: the music is original, the words are folk.

Honor and Etiquette

So what is honor and why should it be protected? Honor is a set of rules of conduct accepted in the society in which a person lives. “Upholding honor” means behaving in a manner acceptable to others. However, honor should not be confused with etiquette. The latter is a set of external rules: how to sit at the table, how to eat, how to greet. And honor implies that a person takes a certain internal position and behaves in accordance with it, however, honor presupposes a certain external canon of behavior. This places the concept of "honor" between "etiquette" and "dignity". Human dignity may not show itself outwardly at all.

But we digress, so we continue. Taking the wrong fork at dinner is an embarrassment, but jabbing a neighbor in the eye with this fork is dishonor and hooliganism. Interrupting the speaker is ugly; accusing him of stealing means “dishonoring.” The first can happen through inattention, but the second is in any case a conscious choice.

History of the concept of "honor"

Today, the concept of “honor” is considered obsolete and is used only in some specific structures in which there is a strict hierarchy (army, criminal world). Nowadays people usually talk about dignity. The concept of “dignity”, thank God, is still relevant, we hope its sun does not set.

But in the time of the knights and beautiful ladies honor was an essential attribute of man. At least in high society. A lady's honor meant her appropriate behavior, first towards her parents and then towards her husband. Manners and the ability to behave in society were also included in the concept of “honor.” It’s even impossible to imagine that in those days two ladies, having quarreled, grabbed each other’s hair!

If there was open conflict, they made it simpler - they didn’t meet. One did not host the other in her home, and they did not go to the same events. And the honor of the organizers of the event was maintained by the subtle skill of not inviting two such ladies at the same time. Pushing them together on purpose was also considered a dishonorable act.

A man's honor was a much more subtle and complex concept. You can't be a liar and a thief. It was forbidden to blame other people for this without good reason. Violation of subordination (the proper relationship between a subordinate and a superior) was equated in most cases to a loss of honor. The code of honor also included the permitted attitude towards women, and even a man was obliged to treat his wife in a certain way. For mere suspicions that a husband had hit his wife, not to mention a stranger's woman, a person was excluded from decent society. Not a single event hosted him, not a single friend invited him to visit. All doors immediately closed in front of him.

And the shame of dishonor could only be washed away with blood. True, especially aggressive men found any reason to be offended and fight.

Thus, the saying “Take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age” (author unknown) not only guided young people on the right path, but also saved their lives. After all, a dishonest deed done in early youth in the heat of the moment could come to light. If someone found out about this and told about it, then he had to be challenged to a duel in order to defend his honor. This is how hot morals were before.

We hope our article helped to understand the meaning of the proverb “take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age.” Its meaning has ceased to be a mystery to the reader.

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The concept of honor is brought up in a person from childhood. What about honor? And so, the saying “take care of your honor from a young age.” No! Grandmother's beads must be taken care of, but honor must be earned. How can you disagree with the phrase “take care of your honor from a young age”? So, preserving honor from a young age means not committing acts that offend, first of all, your own dignity. Goodbye, Peter. Serve faithfully to whom you pledge allegiance, and remember the proverb: take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age” (A. Pushkin, The Captain’s Daughter).

Letting your child go adult life, someone says: “Take care of a penny,” and for some, parental blessing fits into “Take care of your honor from a young age, and take care of your dress again.” Up to a certain point, protecting the child’s honor is the direct responsibility of the parents.

The concept of honor includes justice, nobility, devotion, truthfulness. Today, when the moral vector is shifted towards pragmatism and consumerism, you can hear opinions that being a man of honor is unprofitable. Self-soothing in the form of: “Today I will make a small deal with my conscience, but this is just one time. I have a whole life ahead and I will have time to rewrite everything completely” - the road to dishonor.

Advice to young people to value their honor from their youth, good name(just like saving clothes again, i.e. while they are new). TO famous proverb“Take care of your honor from a young age” should have been added - “Take care of your health from a young age” (F. Kolomiytsev, Prevention of premature aging). The issue of honor ranks first among moral symbols. Loss of honor is a decline in moral principles, followed by inevitable punishment.

Russian writers have always addressed the problem of honor in their works. We can say that this problem was and is one of the central ones in great Russian literature. Using the example of A. S. Pushkin’s story “The Captain’s Daughter,” we can trace how this happens in life and what results it leads to. The first time Pyotr Grinev acted honorably, returning the gambling debt, although in that situation Savelich tried to persuade him to evade payment.

Moral tests awaited Grinev in the fortress where he served. Pyotr Grinev did the same, but was pardoned by Pugachev. He faces the death penalty, but Grinev decides, for reasons of honor, not to name his beloved. If he had told the whole truth about Masha, for the sake of saving whom he, in fact, found himself in such a situation, then he would probably have been acquitted. The lady takes the poor girl at her word. This fact suggests that in a society where most people live according to honor, justice is always easier to achieve.

Grinev remained a man of honor to the end. He was present at the execution of Pugachev, to whom he owed his happiness. Pugachev recognized him and nodded his head from the scaffold. I don’t want to be a strict judge, but the concept of honor, in my opinion, is not at all familiar to many people in our time. This means that in our time there are people for whom honor is the main life principle, despite any vicissitudes of fate.

An example of this is the same Petrusha Grinev, from A.S. Pushkin’s story “The Captain’s Daughter”, which I am going to talk about. And Peter took care. On the way to his duty station, he naively lost himself to a man with whom he had barely met. Pyotr Grinev did not sully his honor even in those cases when he could easily have paid for it with his head.

With this fact, Pushkin emphasizes that nobility and education are two different things. Moreover, the relationships in the family in which a person was raised are of great importance. And the reason for this is also the nobility Peter showed towards the “counselor” who once helped them get out of the blizzard. Fortunately, this man turned out to be none other than Pugachev himself.

Grinev’s noble feelings were also evident in the episode of his arrest. The phrase “Take care of your honor from a young age” can easily be called the central idea of ​​the story “The Captain's Daughter.” Pyotr Grinev is a character for whom honor is far from an empty phrase. His story shows us what a true nobleman and defender of the Motherland should be.

He stands up for the honor of Masha Mironova and shoots with Shvabrin, despite the fact that he is an officer. Such integrity of Grinev even touches Pugachev, who knows the value of honor. He has mercy on Peter, and they remain friends.

For him, officer's duty and honor mean nothing; all he cares about is saving his own skin. He easily renounces the oath and goes to Pugachev’s service, blackmails Masha, denounces Grinev. His story shows that honor is an internal concept, and it is not associated with ranks and titles. Of course, you have a question: “What’s wrong with this proverb?” How can you find fault with her? It is possible and necessary. The answer and detailed analysis will follow.

No, don’t think that I condemn the importance of honor and reputation - the main qualities of a leader, I’m talking about something else. It sounded like this: “Take care of your honor from a young age if your face is crooked.” Now I will finally explain why I NEVER use it in speech and do it consciously.

As a result, we are afraid to make a mistake for fear of losing honor. Honor is proposed to be protected by inaction. Honor is not given to us initially in life, and then at the end we can see how much of it we have left (as in the races of waiters with full glasses). To save means to do nothing. No, I’m not cowardly inactive and sitting with my mouth shut, afraid of refusal or a sidelong glance in my direction, I’m protecting my honor!” - sits in the depths of our consciousness.

As one example, I would like to cite the story “The Captain's Daughter” by A.S. Pushkin. How vividly Pushkin describes how, during a riot, high quality some heroes and the baseness of others! Grinev finds out about this and, by coincidence, already together with Pugachev, goes to the Belogorsk fortress.

Our great compatriot and contemporary of the events described, Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, said: “I honor my daughter more valuable than life and your own honor." In the summer garden, Mashenka meets a middle-aged lady in whom everything “involuntarily attracted the heart and inspired confidence.” He was arrested that same night, and she saw her father only 16 years later. Together with their mother, they patiently waited for him, humbly enduring all the difficulties and hardships.

At a young age, it is rare for anyone to be called a man of honor, despite the fact that this feeling is given from birth. Only those actions that do not run counter to one’s own dignity create honor.

1. Genre of the work.
2. History of creation.
3. Concept and main plot.
4. The fate of the heroes and the meaning of the epigraph.
5. The meaning of the work for the modern reader.

“The Captain's Daughter” by A. S. Pushkin is an original and controversial work. This and historical story, conceived back in 1833, and a family chronicle of the Grinev family, and an exciting love story of two young hearts. The work can also be classified as a parable novel, since the fates of the main characters are a direct confirmation of the folk wisdom contained in the epigraph. It is also an educational novel or a character-building novel, one of the first in Russian literature, which psychologically accurately and very reasonably describes the change in the character of the main character under the pressure of life circumstances.

The story “The Captain's Daughter” is not called a historical chronicle for nothing. It presents not just historical significant persons, but the action itself has a documentary basis - orders, extracts, letters, which Pushkin searched with such care in the archives.

The events described take place over several years - from 1772 to 1775. The story is told on behalf of Peter Grinev, a hereditary nobleman, sincerely devoted to Empress Catherine II and his homeland, convinced of the need for autocracy. Grinev's memories (and the story is the memoirs or memoirs of the main character) are associated with one of the most terrible events Russian history- the uprising of E.I. Pugachev. It's vibrant and complex historical figure- in the center of the novel, all the main storylines, almost all the heroes of the work interact with him, only few of them manage to escape alive after meeting him.

Grinev is not only a witness, but also a participant in what is happening around him. The formation of the character of an admittedly rather persistent and straightforward young nobleman is associated with a constant test of his honor and conscience. After leaving home, the young master constantly finds himself in difficult situations. moral choice, absolutely correct, despite the pathetic life experience. It consisted only in the phrase said to his son at parting and included by the author in the epigraph: “Take care of your honor from a young age.”

The entire moral potential of the hero is finally revealed during a popular revolt. In just one day spent in the Belogorsk fortress, Grinev has to choose between life and death several times. The young, inexperienced nobleman, however, never commits betrayal in the name of salvation. own life unlike some heroes who are not as spiritually pure as him. But, having seen the “Russian revolt,” “senseless and merciless,” Grinev seriously thought about the fate of the Russian nobility. Peter comes to the conclusion that his fate largely depends on his attitude towards the “black people”, the ability to accept this people, if not as equal, then not devoid of originality and human dignity. From the point of view of the main character, only peaceful and humane coexistence of classes can protect and save Russia from the crisis. And this is the first impetus for loosening ideal image monarchy and autocracy.

Grinev’s dream is also symbolic, in which “a scary man, looking cheerfully, invites him to his blessing.” The most important, decisive and fateful moral test overtakes the hero already in Orenburg. Having received a letter from Masha, Peter must make a choice between duty and honor - to save his beloved from the besieged city, where she ended up in the hands of the scoundrel Shvabrin, or to stay in Orenburg and fulfill his duty as a soldier, knowing that the innocent girl is being tortured, and no one will be able to come to her. help. Masha’s desperate call: “You are my only patron; intercede for me, poor thing,” became decisive. Grinev the man defeated Grinev the soldier, who swore an oath to the empress. He decided to leave Orenburg, and then took advantage of Pugachev’s help.

The fates of the heroes are tragic in many ways, but the ending of the novel - the happy reunion of Masha and Peter - is bright and joyful. Pugachev, as is known from history courses, was caught and executed. Great importance in the denouement of the novel has the image of Catherine II, who came to the aid of the lovers, condescended to become a “traitor” and took pity on the “orphan”. Only thanks to her and the reckless courage of Masha, who came to the empress in the name of saving her love, this story has a happy ending.

The concept of honor for Grinev is above all. He perceives honor as human dignity, unity of conscience and inner conviction that he is right. The protagonist’s father and the captain of the fortress, the father of Peter’s beloved, had a similar understanding of honor.

“Take care of your honor from a young age, and take care of your dress again” - this is what he says folk proverb. What did the author want to say when he made folk wisdom in the title of your story? The fact that once you stain your conscience, you can no longer wash it off. That you should listen to the voice of your heart, but rely on your own wisdom and cold mind. The fact that every person is able to choose between honor and duty and either preserve or tarnish honor forever is the best “outfit” for anyone.

So did Grinev follow his father’s advice? Has he tarnished his name or not? Of course not, because the accusations of betrayal turned out to be imaginary. Acquaintance with Pugachev was facilitated by a completely ordinary human desire to warm up your neighbor, who shares the road with you and helps you in bad weather. And Grinev could not make a different choice, knowing that the unfortunate, innocent victim was in the hands of a traitor, and there was no salvation, no one would help her.

Honor in the novel is a measure of the humanity and decency of the characters, their morality and spiritual purity. The difference in attitude towards honor and duty sent Grinev and Shvabrin to opposite sides of the barrier. The hero's openness and sincerity led to a meeting with Pugachev, a man who was honest and pure in his own way. In any story, you can discover qualities of character that were previously unknown. Vile and base actions make any person a complete scoundrel. Everyone has a chance, even in the most difficult trials, to find a way out without sullying their honor.

In the work of A. S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter" a Russian proverb is used as an epigraph. It means that you need to do things that will not discredit the honor and dignity of a person.

Pushkin introduced Peter as strong man, true, first of all, to himself.

Grinev did not lose his honor, was faithful to his oath, did not bend the knee to the false ruler and impostor Pugachev, even under the threat of death. Grinev was an honest man, he openly spoke the truth, did not renounce his words and his loyalty to the real ruler. A sense of duty did not allow Grinev to go over to the side of the enemy and betray his homeland. It was for courage, constancy of character, courage, firm word, constancy, for this that Pugachev respected Grinev, and for the second time he left Peter’s life.

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Grinev is an open personality, for him honor and duty play an important role. He did not go over to the side of the enemy, did not betray his ideals and moral principles, like Shvabrin, thereby preserving his good name. His father’s order: “Take care of your dress again, and honor from a young age” to Peter on his sixteenth birthday influenced the life of the young man, forcing him, even in difficult situations, not to give up and to act fairly, according to his conscience, as befits a nobleman.

Shvabrin is the complete opposite of Grinev. For the sake of his personal goals, Shvabrin is ready to do anything dishonest act. This shows up in everything. Even during the fight, he took advantage of the moment to strike and committed a base act, thereby once again proving his immorality. The duel almost ended with the death of Grinev due to Shvabrin’s meanness, if not for Savelich. Shvabrin is an insidious, selfish and vile man, he lost honor and shame all for the sake of personal gain. “Having betrayed once, he will betray again” Shvabrin cannot be trusted, he cannot be relied upon and trusted. Even such heroes as Pugachev and Grinev, who are enemies, help each other in the most difficult moments, because it is very important to remain humane, which cannot be said about Alexei.

The opposite principles and characters of Grinev and Shvabrin make them enemies.

The whole point of the novel is loyalty to your word and deed, a good name and a clear conscience.

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Updated: 2018-04-20

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180 years ago, less than a year before his death, Pushkin wrote to his wife (from Moscow to St. Petersburg, May 18, 1836): “Your St. Petersburg news is terrible. What you write about Pavlov has reconciled me with him. I’m glad that he summoned Aprelev... In Moscow, everything, thank God, is peaceful: the fight between Kireev and Yar created great indignation among the prim local public... For me, Kireev’s fight is much more forgivable than... the prudence of young people who are spit on eyes, and they wipe themselves with a cambric handkerchief, realizing that if the story gets out, they won’t be invited to Anichkov..."

Pushkin wonders: where did these sensible young people come from, “who are spit in the eyes, and they wipe themselves off” instead of defending their honor? Sometimes I feel that we came out of the greatcoats of these meek people. We no longer hear the ringing of elastic steel in the word “honor,” and dishonor frightens us much less than the exchange rate of the ruble.

Nowadays, it seems, only quiet literature teachers remember honor and dishonor when they talk about “The Captain’s Daughter” with its epigraph “Take care of honor from a young age.”

"You will give me satisfaction"

Pushkin's letter was written precisely in those days when he was working on "The Captain's Daughter" - a story about honor and dishonor, about loyalty and betrayal, about love and hatred. By and large, it is enough for a Russian person to have just this book at hand in order to synchronize his moral clock at any moment. It’s worth at least re-reading the dialogue between Pugachev and Grinev:

"- Serve me faithfully, and I will make you a field marshal and a Potemkin. What do you think?

No, I answered firmly. - I am a natural nobleman; I swore allegiance to the Empress..."

"The Captain's Daughter" is not only a historical story. This is Pushkin’s message to the nobility, which, after the Decembrist uprising, was imbued with fear, lost independence in thoughts, and fussed before the royal throne, which decided to make its support not the nobility, but the police.

Alexander Sergeevich put an end to the story on October 19, 1836, on the day of the Lyceum anniversary. On the same day, he copied out the poem “It was time: our holiday is young...” in order to read it to his fellow lyceum students in the evening. “It was time... we all lived easier and bolder...” - this is one of the most bitter lines in this last message from Pushkin to his friends.

The poet saw how a frightened society was losing the ability to think independently and brave deeds, how fear binds each and every individual, and the concept of honor becomes a decorative convention. Pushkin could not, did not want to join the silent majority.

The duel between Pyotr Grinev and the scoundrel Shvabrin was written by a man who was already on his way to the Black River.

“Why do you have such an opinion about her?” I asked, barely containing my indignation.

“And because,” he answered with a hellish grin, “I know her character and customs from experience.”

You're lying, you bastard! - I cried in rage, - you are lying in the most shameful way.

Shvabrin's face changed. This won’t work out for you,” he said, squeezing my hand. - You will give me satisfaction.

Feel free to do it whenever you want! - I answered, delighted..."

Nicholas I hardly liked this chapter ("The Captain's Daughter" appeared in print in December 1836), because he fought with all means against duels in the army, calling them "barbaric", mercilessly punishing both the right and the guilty, both duelists and seconds . The rules of Russian dueling were indeed unusually strict, it was “a madman with a razor in his hand,” but along with the destruction of the dueling tradition, the “question of honor” also disappeared.

"Nobility of soul and clear conscience"

And today we need to look into Dahl’s dictionary to remember: what was it that, without hesitation, a person walked ten steps under a gun? In the name of what was a life full of great hopes and brilliant plans put at stake?..

So, “HONOR is the inner moral dignity of a person, valor, honesty, nobility of soul and clear conscience.” And here are examples: “A man of unblemished honor. By honor, I assure you with honor. An act incompatible with honor... If only you knew honor... A field of honor... My honor requires blood...”

Honor requires blood. That's why the word "honor" was echoed by the word "duel". Duel! Only this discharge of murderous force could quickly restore moral balance.

The morality of quick response!

The scoundrel knew that his meanness could be punished not by a fine in a year by a court verdict, but tonight. The latest is tomorrow morning. The vulgar man was wary of saying ambiguities out loud, fearing immediate retribution. Gossip Cop had to be careful. The scoundrel hid and kept appearances.

In the menacing light of dueling rules, words quickly turned to lead. For an insult or an unfulfilled promise, it was required to answer immediately. Before abandoning the dishonored girl, the rich rake involuntarily recalled the fate of the imperial aide-de-camp Novosiltsev, who was saved from a bullet by neither wealth nor belonging to the aristocracy (the details of the famous duel between Lieutenant Chernov, who stood up for the honor of his sister, and Novosiltsev were known even to children) .

And again, and most importantly - Pushkin!

What an irreparable and senseless death... Yes, irreparable, but not senseless. Yes, a “slave of honor,” but of honor, and not of something else!

"I swear on my honor!"

"Shvabrin's face changed." The duel with Dantes was supposed to change not only the insolent face of the visiting guest performer, but also the face of the then public life, so similar to the current one. To tear off the masks of pleasant business smiles, patriotic pathos, feigned concern for world problems and boorish condescension towards one’s own people.

But the masks remained, and the insolent man calmly left Russia, without understanding what happened and who he killed.

All on the same day, October 19, 1836 (truly: “and the day lasts longer than a century!”!) Alexander Sergeevich wrote a letter to Pyotr Chaadaev in response to his publication of the “Philosophical Letter”: “This absence public opinion"This indifference to all duty, justice and truth, this cynical contempt for human thought and dignity can truly lead to despair..."

But Pushkin would not have been a Russian nobleman if he had not continued his thought: “But I swear on my honor that for nothing in the world I would not want to change my fatherland or have a history other than the history of our ancestors, the way God gave it to us. .."

And very shortly before the duel, Pushkin wrote to Prince Repnin: “As a nobleman and the father of a family, I must guard my honor and the name that I will leave to my children.”

That's all that remains for the children: honor and name.

"The Captain's Daughter" is historical novel(about a peasant revolt led by Pugachev), and a family chronicle of the Grinevs, and a novel-biography of Pyotr Grinev, and a novel of education (the story of the development of the character of a noble “minor”), and a novel-parable (the fate of the heroes is a confirmation of the moral thesis that became the epigraph to the novel : “Take care of your honor from a young age”). Grinev – witness and participant historical events. The formation of the personality of a young nobleman is a continuous chain of tests of his honor and human decency. Having left home, he continually finds himself in situations of moral choice. At first, they are no different from those that happen in every person’s life (losing a hundred rubles to Zurin, meeting a counselor during a snowstorm, a love conflict). The hero is absolutely unprepared for life and must rely only on his moral sense. His life experience was limited to the instruction of his stern father received before leaving.

The hero's moral potential was revealed during the riot. Already on the day of the capture of the Belogorsk fortress, he several times had to choose between honor and dishonor, and in fact between life and death.

But the most important moral test was ahead. In Orenburg, having received a letter from Masha, Grinev had to make a decisive choice: a soldier’s duty demanded to obey the general’s decision, to remain in the besieged city - a duty of honor demanded to respond to Masha’s desperate call: “you are my only patron; intercede for poor me." Grinev the man defeated Grinev the soldier, who had sworn allegiance to the empress - he decided to leave Orenburg, and then took advantage of Pugachev’s help.

Grinev understands honor as human dignity, the unity of conscience and a person’s inner conviction that he is right. We see the same “human dimension” of honor and duty in his father, who, having learned about his son’s alleged betrayal, speaks of his ancestor who died because he “regarded honor as the shrine of his conscience.”

So, honor in the novel became a measure of the humanity and decency of all the characters. And, of course, this epigraph is connected not only with Pyotr Grinev, but one way or another with all the heroes of the novel. For example, Ivan Kuzmich Mironov refuses to recognize the impostor as his sovereign and prefers to die, fulfilling his duty as the commandant of the fortress to the end. For him, death is better than betrayal of his duty. Ivan Ignatievich, the garrison lieutenant who refused to swear allegiance to Pugachev, also dies heroically. Masha Mironova is the embodiment of loyalty and honor. The difference in attitude towards honor and duty sent Grinev and Shvabrin to opposite sides of the barrier. The hero's openness and sincerity led to a meeting with Pugachev, a man who was honest and pure in his own way. In any story, you can discover qualities of character that were previously unknown. Everyone has a chance, even in the most difficult trials, to find a way out without sullying their honor.