Honor and dishonor in the story "The Captain's Daughter. Composition on the topic: Honor and dishonor in A.S. Pushkin's story "The Captain's Daughter" The problem of dishonor in the captain's daughter
As in the story of A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" develops the theme of honor and dishonor?
This topic is already set by the epigraph to the work - the Russian folk proverb "Take care of honor from an early age." The father gives the same farewell to Petrusha Grinev, seeing his son off for military service. And the very act of Andrei Petrovich Grinev, who, instead of Petersburg, sends his son to a "deaf and distant side" so that Petrusha becomes a real officer, characterizes him as a man of honor and duty. The Grinevs are an old noble family. Pushkin emphasizes the severity of Andrei Petrovich's morals, his wisdom, self-esteem.
The theme of honor and dishonor varies in the plot of Pushkin's story. It is embodied here both as an honor of nobility (Grinev's billiard loss to Zurin) and as a defense of the lady's honor (Grinev's duel with Shvabrin). However, the main meaning of the concept of "honor and dishonor" in "The Captain's Daughter" is military honor, loyalty to the oath, loyalty to the duty to the Fatherland. This theme is also embodied in the history of Grinev's relationship with Pugachev. After the capture of the Belogorsk fortress, Pugachev saved the hero from the death penalty, pardoned him. However, Grinev cannot recognize him as a sovereign, as he understands who he really is. Risking his own life, he refuses to serve Pugachev, remains faithful to the military oath.
The theme of honor is embodied in other episodes of the novel. Here Ivan Kuzmich Mironov refuses to recognize the impostor as sovereign. Despite being wounded, he fulfills his duty as the commandant of the fortress to the end. He prefers to die than betray his military duty. Ivan Ignatich, a garrison lieutenant who refused to swear allegiance to Pugachev, also dies heroically.
The theme of dishonor is illustrated in The Captain's Daughter by Shvabrin's behavior. This character is opposed to the Grinev family in the story. Contrasting these heroes, Pushkin expresses his favorite idea: the old, indigenous nobility retained their best human qualities - courage, endurance, a sense of duty. From the very beginning, Shvabrin behaves unworthily: out of jealousy, he slanders Masha Mironova. When Pugachev captured the fortress, Shvabrin immediately went over to the side of the rebels, betraying the state oath. He behaves dishonestly and immorally towards the orphaned Masha, forcibly keeping her near him. Shvabrin is also dishonest at the end of the novel: captured by the troops of the empress, he informs on Grinev, who is accused of treason.
The theme of honor and duty is inextricably intertwined in the plot with the theme of mercy. What for Grinev is a test of his honor, for Pugachev turns out to be a test of kindness and mercy. What is the author's position in the story? A.S. Pushkin in the story affirms the model of confrontation between the code of honor and absolute moral standards. And we see that the only thing that can help a person survive in a difficult situation is the inner voice of conscience. Therefore, "The Captain's Daughter" is considered the greatest work that contains Christian, Orthodox truths.
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One of the main themes in Pushkin's story "The Captain's Daughter" is the theme of honor and duty. This topic is already set by the epigraph to the work - the Russian proverb "Take care of honor from a young age." The father gives the same farewell to Petrusha Grinev, seeing his son off for military service.
And the very act of Andrei Petrovich Grinev, who, instead of Petersburg, sends his son to a "deaf and distant side" so that Petrusha becomes a real officer, characterizes him as a man of honor and duty. The Grinevs are an old noble family. Pushkin emphasizes the severity of Andrei Petrovich's morals, his wisdom, self-esteem.
It is characteristic that the concept of "honor and duty" in the story is ambiguous. In the story of Petrusha Grinev's acquaintance with Zurin, when a young man lost a hundred rubles to his new acquaintance, we are talking about noble honor. Petrusha's money was kept by Savelich, and the young man had to quarrel with his uncle in order to receive the required amount. Amazed by the magnitude of this amount, Savelich tries to dissuade Grinev from paying the debt. "You are my light! listen to me, old man: write to this robber that you were joking, that we don’t even have such money, ”he persuades his pupil. However, Grinev cannot but pay the billiard debt - for him it is a matter of noble honor.
The theme of honor is also realized in the history of Grinev's relationship with Masha Mironova. Defending the honor of his beloved girl, the hero challenges his rival, Shvabrin, to a duel. However, the intervention of the commandant prevented the duel, and only then did it resume. Here we are talking about the honor of the lady, about the duty to her.
Having fallen in love with the daughter of Captain Mironov, Grinev feels responsible for her fate. He sees his duty in protecting and protecting the girl he loves. When Masha becomes a prisoner of Shvabrin, Grinev is ready to do anything to free her. Not finding support from the official authorities, he turns to Pugachev for help. And Pugachev helps young people despite the fact that Masha is the daughter of the commandant of the Belogorsk fortress, the daughter of an officer in the enemy troops. Here, along with the theme of knightly honor, the motive of male honor arises. Rescuing Masha, his bride, from the captivity of Shvabrin, Grinev simultaneously defends his masculine honor.
After the arrest, Grinev was put on trial. However, defending himself, the hero could not reveal the true state of things, as he was afraid to involve Masha Mironova in this story. “It occurred to me that if I name her, the commission will require her to answer; and the thought of entangling her name between the vile tales of villains and bringing her herself to face-to-face confrontation with them - this terrible thought struck me so much that I hesitated and became confused. Grinev prefers to suffer an undeserved punishment rather than offend the good name of Marya Ivanovna. Thus, in relation to Masha, the hero behaves like a true knight protecting his lady.
Another meaning of the concept of "honor and duty" in the story is military honor, loyalty to the oath, loyalty to the duty to the Fatherland. This theme is also embodied in the history of Grinev's relationship with Pugachev. After the capture of the Belogorsk fortress, Pugachev saved the hero from the death penalty, pardoned him. However, Grinev cannot recognize him as a sovereign, as he understands who he really is. “I was again taken to the impostor and put on my knees before him. Pugachev held out his sinewy hand to me. “Kiss the hand, kiss the hand!” they said around me. But I would prefer the most cruel execution to such a vile humiliation,” Grinev recalls. let him go.
However, further drama and tension in the story increase. Pugachev asks Grinev whether he recognizes his "sovereign", whether he promises to serve him. The position of the young man is very ambiguous: he cannot recognize the impostor as sovereign, and, at the same time, he does not want to expose himself to useless risks. Grinev hesitates, but the sense of duty triumphs "over human weakness." He overcomes his own cowardice and frankly admits to Pugachev that he cannot consider him a sovereign. A young officer cannot even serve an impostor: Grinev is a natural nobleman who swore allegiance to the Empress.
Further, the situation becomes even more dramatic. Pugachev is trying to get a promise from Grinev not to oppose the rebels. But the hero cannot promise him this either: he is obliged to obey the requirements of military duty, to obey the order. However, this time Pugachev's soul softened - he let the young man go.
The theme of honor and duty is embodied in other episodes of the story. Here Ivan Kuzmich Mironov refuses to recognize the impostor as sovereign. Despite being wounded, he fulfills his duty as the commandant of the fortress to the end. He prefers to die than betray his military duty. Ivan Ignatich, a garrison lieutenant who refused to swear allegiance to Pugachev, also dies heroically.
Thus, the theme of honor and duty receives the most diverse embodiment in Pushkin's story. This is the honor of the nobility, the honor of knighthood and the honor of a lady, a man's honor, military honor, a human duty. All these motifs, merging together, form a semantic polyphony in the plot of the story.
It annoys me that the word "honor" is forgotten,
And what is the honor of slander behind the eyes.V. Vysotsky
In the fortress of Belogorskaya, where a young officer was sent to serve, he met with. This was a more experienced officer who had once served in the guards, but was exiled to the outskirts of the Russian Empire for participating in a duel. The theme of honor and dishonor in The Captain's Daughter is most acutely expressed in the actions of this literary hero.
The young people became friends. The service did not burden them, there were no exercises, no reviews. Shvabrin and Grinev often met, spent time in conversations and games. Grinev borrowed French novels from Shvabrin and even tried his hand at poetry. In his first love poem, he mentioned Masha. Shvabrin was critical of the poetry of the novice writer, and did not miss the opportunity to offend. He always spoke of the girl impartially and even managed at first to create a bad opinion about her in the eyes of Grinev.
True, Pyotr Andreevich very quickly realized that Shvabrin was in vain slandering a girl who was a smart and impressionable young lady. But he, not knowing that Shvabrin was not indifferent to Masha, did not understand why Shvabrin behaved this way towards the daughter of the commandant of the fortress. And when Shvabrin once again slandered the girl, Grinev sharply accused his friend of lying and slander. Shvabrin challenged Grinev to a duel.
People are especially bright in a critical situation. An experienced duelist Shvabrin insisted on a duel. The first duel was thwarted because the ingenuous Grinev asked Ivan Ignatich to be his second. To which Ivan Ignatich not only refused, but upset the satisfaction. Shvabrin still sought the duel, although he was well aware that Grinev had justly accused him, but he wanted to use it for his own purposes. The second time the duelists went down to the river.
Grinev had a good command of the sword, and Shvabrin had to defend himself. Here, for Shvabrin's luck, Grinev called out. He turned around, and Shvabrin, taking advantage of the moment, pierced the young man's shoulder. This was Shvabrin's dishonorable act, since he had to wait until Grinev got into a fighting position.
While Grinev lay unconscious for several days, Shvabrin wrote a denunciation of Pyotr Andreevich to his father. He hoped that his father would achieve a transfer to another fortress, or even recall his son from service. Grinev received a strict rebuke from his father and a refusal to bless his marriage to Masha, but remained in the fortress.
The nobility in Russia stood out among other classes. The first principle of the noble worldview was the belief that the high position of a nobleman obliges him to be a standard of high moral qualities. "To whom much is given, much will be required." The upbringing of a noble offspring was aimed at improving moral qualities: he should be brave, honest, enlightened not in order to achieve any heights (glory, wealth, high rank), but because he is a nobleman, because he has already been given a lot, and it should be just that.
Such were Grinev's notions of honor, and he expected Shvabrin to be the same, because he was also a nobleman. He could not believe in the dishonorable actions of his comrade, but the facts spoke otherwise. Shvabrin shamelessly overstepped the notion of noble honor.
Grinev will be convinced of this again after a while, when the fortress will be attacked. Shvabrin will forget about the oath to the imperial court and will be one of the first to swear allegiance to the impostor, will serve him, while Grinev, on pain of death, will refuse to serve the ataman, no matter what arguments Savelyich cites. Especially disgusting in Grinev's eyes was the scene when Shvabrin was lying at the feet of Pugachev, begging for mercy.
Pyotr Andreevich behaves with dignity in front of the robber, answers him honestly, as he thinks. And Pugachev has genuine respect for the young man. Communicating with him, Grinev does not forget about the oath for a minute, and even tries to persuade Pugachev to surrender to the mercy of the Empress. But the chieftain refuses.
When Shvabrin, who was under investigation, spoke about his friends during interrogation, he kept silent about the daughter of Captain Mironov. But he did this not out of love for Masha, and not out of a desire to protect the girl from interrogations, but because he understood that Masha was the only witness capable of testifying in Grinev's defense. Grinev himself did not want to involve Masha in the process, trying to protect her from the investigation, and was ready to go to hard labor for her peace of mind. It would seem that the act is one, but the thoughts turned out to be different. The honor and dishonor of Grinev and Shvabrin run in contrast through the entire work.
Thus, Grinev, despite his young age, under any, the most difficult and critical circumstances, behaved with dignity, proving his belonging to the nobility by his actions. The dishonest man Shvabrin, on the contrary, has long forgotten about noble morality. He showed his pride, and recalled belonging to the class when he needed an extra reason for a duel.
In the work of A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" honor is shown as one of the main human values. I think all the main characters have their own opinion about it.
First you need to understand what it is. Honor is dignity, something that evokes and maintains general respect, a sense of pride. Dishonor is a reproach, an insult, a shame.
Pyotr Grinev, the protagonist of the novel, appears to the reader as a noble man. He remains faithful to Masha during the war and the trial, at which he could justify himself if he himself told the truth about his love, even when his parents forbade him to marry such a girl, Grinev is still ready to do it, in spite of everyone. Various tests could interfere with him, there were many opportunities to leave the girl, but the main character, guided by his concepts of honor, does the almost impossible - having agreed with Pugachev, snatches the prey from the villains, while remaining unstained. This character is portrayed as an ideal - an example of a noble person. This could have been stopped, but the author introduces Emelyan Pugachev into the story - an antagonist who personifies the pinnacle of vice. But is it really so? Is it likely that the writer showed something completely different from what he intended? Who is he - a terrible villain or the most ordinary person who has the right to make a mistake?
I believe that the answer to the last question should be sought not only in the text, but also in certain historical sources, because a lot of the prototype is transferred to the character.
Emelyan Ivanovich Pugachev, as a historical figure - Don Cossack, leader of the Peasants' War of 1773 - 1775. His family belonged to the Orthodox faith. A great influence on Pugachev and his subsequent activities was his temporary residence with the Old Believers, known for their rebellious nature. He was a good leader, but he trusted people too much. This became a fatal mistake.
Yemelyan was betrayed by his subordinates. But, even standing on the scaffold, this man was distinguished by courage. He was baptized at the cathedrals and asked for forgiveness from the entire Orthodox people, mainly from the peasants.
Pushkin's hero is very similar to a real person. He is also cunning, smart, cunning, but knows how to be noble. He has a lively character, this is a completely independent character, independent of the author, but even the writer himself shows sympathy for him in the form of Grinev’s thoughts: “But meanwhile, a strange feeling poisoned my joy: the thought of a villain splashed with the blood of so many innocent victims, and about the execution awaiting him, disturbed me involuntarily ... The thought of him was inseparable in me with the thought of the mercy given to me in one of the terrible moments of my life, and of the deliverance of my bride from the hands of Shvabrin.
After reading this novel, I was struck by the disregard for Emelyan Pugachev, albeit with some notes of sympathy. It seems to me that everyone who has made a mistake should have the opportunity to correct it. Unfortunately, this is often not the case in practice. I know at least three examples from books and from real life that prove this statement. Sometimes we are not given a "second chance", and this is unfortunate. Being a believer, I can have the courage to say that if Emelyan Pugachev could subdue his pride and repent, truly, with all his heart, then perhaps his mistake would be forgotten, probably he could be saved.
As I stated earlier, Pugachev stumbled only once. He called himself Peter III. This was precisely his miscalculation, and not at all what Grinev claimed. It seems to me that those actions that Pushkin considers "dishonorable", in fact, cannot be characterized in this way. In a war, murder is not considered a serious sin, in my opinion, since it is committed in defense of one's Motherland, opinion, life, etc. Therefore, Emelyan Pugachev in A.S. Pushkin's story "The Captain's Daughter" may well be considered a noble and honest person in everything except deception - the adoption of a different name. If this is not the case, as those to whom I am addressing may consider, then I dare to remind you of the veterans of the Second World War. If you follow the principle "murder is a terrible sin followed by prison", then all, without exception, the heroes of World War II after death must go to hell, and now they must be isolated from society, that is, be in prison. Based on this, it is quite possible to call Pugachev noble. And probably this person should be considered an example to follow, why not? After all, the determination with which he defends his opinion, tries to help his people, is commendable.
Does this mean that there are no completely dishonorable characters in The Captain's Daughter?
Unfortunately, I think it's worth paying attention to Shvabrin. This is the same hero who deserved "thirty pieces of silver", moreover, more than once. He is capable of killing, as we can guess from the duel story, this person also does not know how to love. After all, he only mixes Masha with dirt, telling Grinev about her, he wrote a denunciation, while he should only be happy for the lovers, even if he could be hurt. When Grinev arrived to free the girl, he saw her "pale, thin, with disheveled hair, in a peasant dress." Isn't this an indicator of Shvabrin's "love"? The only crime of this character that is not considered as such is his defection to the side of Pugachev. Fear pushes for many things, including betrayal. That's just, even standing on his own scaffold, Shvabrin slanders others. Truly they say: "He who betrays once, betrays twice" ...
Of course, there are other characters in the text that reveal the theme of honor and dishonor. But in this work, the three most important representatives of nobility are presented according to the degree of gradation of vice. On their example, Pushkin slowly but surely explains his choice of epigraph: "Take care of honor from a young age..." This is a saying, the continuation of which sounds like this: "... and the caftan is new." This wisdom moves from line to line, from word to word, acquiring its own special qualities. And now, we no longer see a caftan, but a hare sheepskin coat, which becomes not just a gift to a tramp, but a thing that saved the lives of more than four people. And honor imperceptibly flows into the mind of the reader as one of the main values of a person. Isn't this the pinnacle of the writer's skill - to influence people so that they think about something completely different? Reveal the meaning of one little phrase with a great novel and surprise people with symbolism?
This is my opinion, but whether there are "white spots" in it is up to you. The protagonists of the novel "The Captain's Daughter" have honor, like few personalities in the modern world. Are you one of them?
"Keep honor from a young age." Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin took this proverb (more precisely, part of the proverb) as an epigraph to his story “The Captain's Daughter”, emphasizing by this how important this issue is for him. For him, who did not allow himself to make a single line of poetry a stepping stone to a career, who perceived the uniform of the chamber junker as an insult, who stepped towards the deadly barrier so that even the shadow of slander and gossip would not fall on the name that belongs to Russia.
Creating the image of the young officer Petrusha Grinev, Pushkin shows how the concept of honor and the duty that goes hand in hand with it was formed in Russian families, how fidelity to the military oath was passed from generation to generation by personal example. At the beginning of the story, we have before us an ordinary noble undergrowth, who learned to read and write from a serf, who is more able to judge “the properties of a greyhound dog” than about French “and other sciences.” He thoughtlessly dreams of serving in the guards, of a future cheerful life in St. Petersburg.
But his father, who served under Count Minich and retired when Catherine ascended the throne, has a different idea of the service.
He sends his son to the army: “Let him serve in the army, let him pull the strap, let him sniff gunpowder, let him be a soldier, not a shamaton.” The only letter of recommendation to an old colleague contains a request to keep his son "in tight rein", the only parting word to his son is an order not to chase caress, not to dissuade him from service and to protect his honor.
Petrusha's first independent steps are ridiculous and absurd: he got drunk with the first officer he met, lost a hundred rubles in billiards. But the fact that he paid the loss speaks volumes about his understanding of the code of officer honor. The fact that he gave a sheepskin coat and half a vodka to a random companion for help during a snowstorm is about his ability to be grateful. Petrusha is drawn to the simple and honest family of Captain Mironov, he is disgusted by the gossip and slander of Shvabrin. Calling Shvabrin to a duel for insulting words about Masha, Grinev does not think that this is how an officer should behave, he simply humanly protects the girl from slander.
Shvarbin is the exact opposite of Grinev. This former Petersburg Guardsman now and then acts dishonestly, without hesitation and, it seems, even without repentance, transgressing even the most ordinary human norms. Wanting to take revenge on Masha for refusing to marry him, he slanders the girl, without any doubt hurts Petrusha, taking advantage of the fact that the enemy is distracted, and it seems that he does not hesitate to write a letter to Petrusha's parents, in which he denigrates his bride.
In a time of severe trials, perfectly understanding the weakness of the fortification of the Belogorsk fortress, Petrusha firmly knows: "It is our duty to defend the fortress until our last breath." Without a moment's hesitation, without thinking about the futility of this act, with only one sword, he goes out of the gates of the fortress along with his commanders. In the face of mortal danger, he prepares to “repeate the answer of his generous comrades” and end up on the gallows. At the next meeting with the impostor, during a one-on-one conversation, Grinev answers him with firmness: “I am a natural nobleman, I swore allegiance to the empress: I can’t serve you.” The young man cannot even compromise, promising that he will not fight against Pugachev.
Unlike Pyotr Grinev, Shvabrin changes his oath, going over to the side of the impostor in order to save his own life, gain the position of commandant and power over Masha. Pushkin does not show the moment of betrayal. We see only the result - Shvabrin, "cropped in a circle and in a Cossack caftan," as if he, having changed his oath, changed his disguise. True to his duty as an officer, Petrusha comes to Orenburg and makes one proposal after another in order to liberate the Belogorsk fortress and save Masha. But the command is not interested in the fate of the daughter of Captain Mironov, who died heroically “for the Mother Empress”, they are more concerned about the safety of their own skin and peace. Tired of imitating activities in a lazy skirmish, touched to the core by Masha's plea, Grinev arbitrarily leaves for Pugachev. He understands that such a violation of discipline is contrary to officer honor, but at the moment he is above the blind letter of the code, protecting the life and honor of the girl who completely trusted him.
The duty and honor of Petrusha grow out of true humanity, from a sense of responsibility for loved ones. So, for example, he cannot leave Savelich, who had fallen behind on a bad horse, as a prisoner of the Pugachevites. In a truly moral attitude towards people there are no trifles or minor things. Having honestly admitted to Pugachev that his bride is the daughter of Captain Mironov, Grinev says: “I would be glad to pay you with my life for what you did for me. Just don’t demand what is contrary to my honor and Christian conscience ”... When Masha is released and, it would seem, she could enjoy happiness, Petrusha sends the girl to her parents, and he himself joins Zurin’s detachment, not forgetting about military duty to the Motherland.
All the behavior of Petrusha is the behavior of a strong and whole person, albeit a very young one. There is not a drop of selfishness in his attitude towards people and his duties. And again, the antithesis of the image of Grinev appears before us Shvabrin, who lives by the principle: "If not to me, then to anyone." It is he who, realizing that Masha is slipping out of his hands, betrays her to Pugachev, without a twinge of conscience and any sympathy, endangering the life of the girl. After the suppression of the Pugachev uprising, being accused as a traitor, Shvabrin slanders Grinev. And again, Petrusha makes a moral and purely human choice, deciding not to name Masha Mironova, because the very “thought of entangling her name between the vile slander of the villains and bringing her to face-to-face confrontation with them” seems unbearable to him.
The same is true of Petrusha’s father: he is not afraid of his son’s execution, but of dishonor: “My ancestor died at the place of execution, defending what he considered the shrine of his conscience; my father suffered along with Volynsky and Khrushchev. But for a nobleman to change his oath, to unite with robbers, with murderers, with runaway serfs!.. Shame and disgrace to our family!..”
For Petrusha, the choice is even more difficult - between his dishonor, or rather, the honor that he cannot defend without sacrificing the honor of his beloved girl. If Grinev Sr. knew the true reasons that prevented Petrusha from saying anything in his defense, he would understand his son. Because they have the same concept of honor and duty - family, suffered. Pushkin. ... In September 1836, Pushkin finished work on The Captain's Daughter. And in January 1837, defending his honor and the honor of his wife, he stepped towards the death barrier.
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