The childhood life of Nikolenka Irtenyev, the main character of the story, is shrouded in an atmosphere of high poetry, a bright and joyful worldview. The first-person narrative gives the style of the work features of pronounced lyricism and deep subjectivity. "The matured and matured Nikolenka talks about his early childhood with that feeling of tenderness, close to delight, which is also constantly present in all the writer’s memories of his childhood years.” The speech of the hero of the story merges with the speech of the author.
The hero’s manner of communication with other characters, as well as internal monologues, can tell the reader a lot about his character.
Who is Nikolenka Irtenev in the story “Childhood”? Just recently he “turned ten years old.” He often spoke “in a quiet, trembling voice, ... afraid not so much of what he said, but of what he intended to say.” His imagination often carried him far, he often "reasoned with himself."
In early childhood, Nikolenka, like all children, experiences an organic need for games, fun, and entertainment. And, like all children, he is inquisitive, inquisitive, treats animals, birds, and insects with affection and love. He is sensitive to manifestations of human kindness.
A. Ananyev notes: “The boy constantly shows a tendency to evaluate and analyze the actions and behavior of others and to self-analysis. He has an analytical mindset, from childhood he learns to separate his own and others’ feelings.” You can verify this by turning directly to the analysis of the speech and behavior of the main character of the story.
Before us is the first chapter - "Teacher Karl Ivanovich". Mentor Karl Ivanovich, protecting Nikolenka's sleep, hit a paper cracker over his head, accidentally waking up his pupil. Nikolenka was offended and annoyed:
“Suppose,” I thought, “I’m small, but why does he bother me? Why doesn’t he kill the flies near Volodya’s bed? There are so many of them! No, Volodya is older than me; and I’m the least of all: that’s why he torments me. That’s all I’m talking about. and thinks all his life, - I whispered, - how I can make trouble. He sees very well that he woke up and scared me, but he shows as if he doesn’t notice... a disgusting man! And the robe, and the cap, and the tassel - what disgusting!" .
Here there is resentment towards the teacher, Nikolenka naively explains the feeling of being treated unfairly by the fact that he is small. But while the hero mentally expresses his resentment towards Karl Ivanovich, he said in a kind voice that it was time to get up and began to tickle his heels. And “here Tolstoy very accurately reproduces child psychology, the emotional reaction of the hero. In this regard, a rapid change of feelings and moods (from joy to grief and vice versa) is characteristic.”
“How kind he is and how he loves us, and I could think so badly of him!” .
We see that Nikolenka at first sharply condemns Karl Ivanovich, but after a few minutes she shows violent love for her teacher.
The hero felt very ashamed that a minute ago he did not love his mentor.
As for the character’s speech, you can notice that Nikolenka pronounces her internal monologues in Russian, but responds to Karl Ivanovich’s German greeting in German:
Ach, lassen Sie Ah, leave it (German)., Karl Ivanovich! - I screamed with tears in my eyes, sticking my head out from under the pillows.
That is, it is already possible to detect some knowledge of the hero in the field of the German language.
In the same chapter, the boy is upset because of an imaginary dream in which his mother died, but “the morning sun shone cheerfully through the windows,” and Volodya imitated his sister’s governess so funny that Nikolenka soon “was completely amused.”
However, in the hero’s story about the teacher, sadness, pity and sympathy are heard:
“It used to be that he wouldn’t notice me, but I would stand at the door and think: “Poor, poor old man! There are many of us, we play, we have fun, but he is alone, and no one will caress him. He says the truth that he is an orphan. And the story of his life is so terrible!" And it would become so pitiful that you would go up to him, take him by the hand and say: "Lieber Dear (German). Karl Ivanovich!
And again we see that Nikolenka thinks in Russian, but, remembering her address to Karl Ivanovich, even mentally pronounces it in German.
The main character sympathizes with his old teacher, he is attached to him, he is very sorry that he has to offend this man:
“It would be better to study forever and not leave, not part with my mother and not offend poor Karl Ivanovich. He is already very unhappy!” (chapter "Dad") .
We see that Nikolenka is even ready to make a “sacrifice” for the sake of people close to him.
In the chapter "Classes" This episode is interesting. The main character, upset by the upcoming separation, was unable to utter a simple German phrase due to tears during an educational dialogue with the teacher. Further - worse. The boy made a lot of blots while writing penmanship.
“...I could no longer hold back my tears and from sobbing I could not say: “Haben Sie die Zeitung nicht gelesen?” Haven’t you read the newspapers? (German) When it came to penmanship, I made such blots from the tears falling on the paper, as if I was writing with water on wrapping paper" .
This once again confirms the sensitive, vulnerable nature Main character.
In the chapter "Childhood" the little boy's inner monologue also conveys the idea that he is ready to sacrifice something for the sake of happiness
Karl Ivanovich:
“God grant him happiness, give me the opportunity to help him, to ease his grief; I am ready to sacrifice everything for him.”
Finally, it should be mentioned that Nikolenka, who wrote poems for his grandmother, took the Russian-language poem of his teacher as a model. And, I must say, he surpassed him:
"We will try to console
And we love you like your own mother."
Thus, we see that when communicating with the teacher Nikolenka speaks Russian, sometimes inserting german words and phrases, that is, Karl Ivanovich for this child is not just a teacher, but also a friend.
The housekeeper Natalya Savishna played almost the decisive role in the boy’s moral development. A serf woman whose whole life was “pure, selfless love and selflessness.” “In everything she did,” notes A. B Tarasov, “in her attitude towards Nikolenka, his parents and other children there was so much kindness and spontaneity, love and honesty that Natalya Savishna invariably seemed to the boy to be an exceptional person of high dignity , some “rare, wonderful creature” that is worthy of “love and wonder.”
This man has an incomparable “strong and beneficial influence” on Nikolenka’s spiritual and moral life.
In the chapter "Natalia Savishna" The old woman punished the boy for ruining the tablecloth. And Nikolenka, angry at her for the punishment, became indignant.
“What!” I said to myself, walking around the hall and choking on tears. “Natalya Savishna, just Natalia, speaks you to me and also hits me in the face with a wet tablecloth, like a yard boy. No, this is terrible!"
And when Natalya Savishna, seeing how Nikolenka “drooled,” ran away, the hero, continuing to walk, talked about how to repay the impudent Natalya for the insult. His feeling of anger gave way to feelings of love and shame when Natalya Savishna a few minutes later came up to him with a cornet made of red paper, in which there were two caramels and one wine berry, and, holding it out with a trembling hand, said:
“Come on, my father, don’t cry... forgive me, you fool... I’m to blame... you’ll forgive me, my darling... here you go.”
“I didn’t have enough strength to look the kind old lady in the face; I turned away and accepted the gift, and the tears flowed even more abundantly, but no longer from anger, but from love and shame.”
This is how the boy evaluates his behavior. This episode indicates that Nikolenka’s attitude towards Natalya Savishna does not depend on the fact that she is a serf; in fact, he loves her very much.
In the chapter Only with her does the hero find solace, discussing the last minutes of his mother’s life. He feels the warmth emanating from the old woman.
“I listened to her with bated breath, and, although I did not fully understand what she was saying, I believed her completely.”
“Conversations with Natalya Savishna were repeated every day; her quiet tears and calm pious speeches brought me joy and relief.”
And in the chapter "Grief" Nikolenka really begins to understand that only she truly unselfishly loved Natalya Nikolaevna.
"That's who truly loved her!" - I thought, and I felt ashamed of myself.
After the death of Natalya Savishna, visiting the graves of her and her mother, Nikolenka thinks:
“Did Providence really only connect me with these two creatures in order to forever make me regret them?..” .
A chance meeting with the holy fool Grisha left a deep imprint on the boy’s soul. At the age of ten, Nikolenka had a chance to see how this mysterious man, a beggar, a homeless wanderer, with some kind of obsession, frantically and passionately prayed to God, and the boy was amazed by the power of these religious feelings, reaching the point of ecstasy. There was something mysterious and inexplicably attractive about the holy fool for the boy.
“A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then,” says the hero of the story, “many memories of the past have lost meaning for me and become vague dreams, even the wanderer Grisha has long since finished his last wandering; but the impression he made on me, and the feeling that aroused, will never die in my memory" (chapter "Grisha") .
Nikolenka’s complex and spiritually rich personality is formed under the influence of diverse events, facts, and phenomena of reality. “His character and moral character, behavior in everyday life and his subsequent fate were influenced in different ways by parents and teachers, people and nature, the entire visible and imaginary world.”
In the chapter "Childhood" Nikolenka’s feelings for his beloved mother are especially clearly manifested; her authority was infallible and sacred for him.
The very appeals to her contain words and expressions that allow us to understand true feelings boy:
“Oh, dear, dear mother, how I love you!”
“Enough! And don’t say that, my darling, my darling!” - I scream, kissing her knees, and tears flow in streams from my eyes - tears of love and delight.
We, of course, can notice that the use of the words “darling”, “darling”, “sweetheart”, “darling”, “dear”, “dear”, “my friend”, “my angel” is typical for all members of the Irteniev family in communicating with each other, with loved ones, with servants.
Boundless love and tenderness for his mother are also heard in the hero’s internal monologues:
“You come upstairs and stand in front of the icons, in your cotton robe, what a wonderful feeling you experience, saying: “Oh, God, save daddy and mummy.”
In the chapter "Parting" the hero, describing his behavior, again shows us how important his mother is to him. Internal monologues in this case are the best speech characteristic.
“When I heard this voice, saw her trembling lips and eyes full of tears, I forgot about everything and I felt so sad, painful and scared that I would rather run away than say goodbye to her. I realized at that moment that, hugging her father, she was already saying goodbye to us."
“Should I look at her again or not?.. Well, for the last time!” - I said to myself and leaned out of the stroller towards the porch.
“Dad sat next to me and didn’t say anything; I was choking on tears, and something was pressing in my throat so much that I was afraid to suffocate...”
Finally, after the death of Natalya Nikolaevna, Nikolenka feels some kind of inferiority in life:
“Maman was no longer there, but our life went on the same course... nothing in the house and in our way of life had changed; only she was not there... It seemed to me that after such a misfortune everything should have changed; our ordinary way of life seemed to me an insult to her memory and too vividly reminded her of her absence" (chapter "Last Sad Memories"). .
Communicating with peers main character He also shows sincere feelings for them and does not try to hide it. He experiences his first love for Katya, the daughter of governess Mimi, and cannot resist kissing her shoulder (chapter "Something like first love"):
"Bent over the worm, Katenka made this very movement, and at the same time the wind lifted the scarf from her little white neck. During this movement, the shoulder was two fingers from my lips. I was no longer looking at the worm, I looked and looked and with all my might strongly kissed Katenka's shoulder... I didn't take my eyes off Katenka. I had long been accustomed to her fresh, fair face and always loved it; but now I began to look more closely at it and fell in love even more."
In the chapter "Grisha" the hero also feels sympathy for Katenka, he kisses her hand, and at the most unexpected moment:
“Someone took my hand and said in a whisper: “Whose hand is this?” It was completely dark in the closet; but by one touch and a voice that whispered right in my ear, I immediately recognized Katenka. Completely unconsciously, I grabbed her hand in short sleeves by the elbow and pressed his lips to her. Katenka was probably surprised by this act and pulled her hand away: with this movement she pushed the broken chair that stood in the closet." .
You can note that here the boy uses words with diminutive suffixes (“Katenka”, “shoulder”, “face”, “neck”, “kerchief”, “sleeve”, etc.), as if emphasizing the girl’s diminutiveness and special sympathy for her.
In Moscow, Nikolenka already liked another girl - a little guest named Sonechka Valakhina. Describing the appearance of this girl, the hero also uses words with diminutive suffixes, including adjectives:
"...from the muffled person came a wonderful twelve-year-old girl in a short open muslin dress, white pantaloons and tiny black shoes. There was a black velvet ribbon on her white neck; her head was covered in dark blond curls, which in front went so well with her beautiful face , and from behind - to bare shoulders...
The striking feature of her face was the extraordinary size of her bulging, half-closed eyes, which made a strange but pleasant contrast with her tiny mouth. Her lips were pursed, and her eyes looked so seriously that the general expression of her face was one from which you would not expect a smile, and the smile of which is all the more charming" (chapter "Guests Are Gathering") .
In the second paragraph of the girl’s description, the main character’s use of neutral words and words with diminutive suffixes creates a peculiar contrast: “on the one hand, a miniature beautiful girl, on the other hand, Nikolenka admires this girl and, to some extent, exalts her."
It must be said that in noble families speaking French was common. The children were educated at home and studied foreign languages, studied music, dance, good manners. They could even address each other as “you.” Therefore, the hero, in order not to fall face first in front of Sonechka, begins the conversation in French:
Vous etes une habitante de Moscow? Do you live in Moscow permanently? (French)- I told her and after an affirmative answer I continued: - Et moi je n "ai encore jamais frequente la capitale And I have never visited the capital before (French)., - counting especially on the effect of the word "frequenter" to visit (French).(chapter "Before the Mazurka") .
However, after that Nikolenka was no longer able to continue the conversation in this spirit, and then Sonechka, like any spontaneous child, asked in Russian: “Where did you find such a hilarious glove?” And this time the boy childishly explained its origin. After the quadrille, Sonechka said “merci” in French.
In the chapter "After the Mazurka" A Russian-language dialogue took place between the children, at the end of which the girl suggested that the hero switch to “you,” but Nikolenka never had the courage to do this:
You know what? - Sonechka suddenly said, “I always say to some of the boys who come to visit us You; let's talk to you too You. Want? - she added, shaking her head and looking me straight in the eyes.
At this time we entered the hall, and another one began, live part Grosvatera
- “Come on...those,” I said at a time when the music and noise could drown out my words.
- - Let's You“Don’t let me,” Sonechka corrected and laughed.
Grosfater ended, and I didn’t have time to say a single phrase with You, although he never stopped coming up with ones in which this pronoun would be repeated several times. I didn't have the courage to do it. .
Thus, we see that Nikolenka’s behavior and speech manner towards girls characterize him as a “shy, vulnerable and sensitive boy.”
The protagonist is childishly enthusiastic about Seryozha Ivin and regrets that, by trying to “imitate the big ones,” children are depriving themselves of “the pure pleasures of tender childish affection.”
“Not only did I not dare to kiss him, which I sometimes really wanted to do, to take his hand, to say how glad I was to see him, but I did not even dare to call him Seryozha, and certainly Sergei: that was the way it was with us. Every expression of sensitivity proved childishness and the fact that the one who allowed himself to be boy" (chapter "Ivins") .
We see that, imitating the other boys in their “adulthood,” Nikolenka cannot even name his idol the way he wants.
It also needs to be said that the main character is offended by his brother Volodya because he sometimes demonstrates his superiority and treats Nikolenka like a little one.
“Volodya was noticeably self-important: he must have been proud that he had arrived on a hunting horse, and pretended to be very tired.”
“Really, I don’t want to [play] - it’s boring!” - Volodya said, stretching and at the same time smiling smugly (chapter "Games").
“Volodya, without raising his head, said contemptuously: “What kind of tenderness?” (chapter "Something like first love")
- - What a fool! - he said, smiling...
- - Nonsense! - I shouted from under the pillows.
- “You don’t understand anything,” Volodya said contemptuously.
- “No, I understand, but you don’t understand and are talking nonsense,” I said through tears.
- - But there’s no need to cry. A real girl! (chapter "In bed") .
In the last dialogue we even see that Nikolenka’s brother’s speech is replete with rude expressions. And the last phrase is perceived by both the hero and the readers as an insult: after all, it was addressed to a boy, and besides, he was also easily vulnerable, sensitive and mentally delicate. Therefore, Nikolenka’s resentment can be understood.
In the chapter "Ivins" the hero condemns himself and the guys for laughing at others, humiliating them. Here is an example of Nikolenka’s internal monologue, where he recalls with a feeling of deep regret his attitude towards Ilenka Grap, the son of a poor foreigner, a thin boy who seemed to him “a despicable creature who was not worth regretting or even thinking about”:
“I absolutely cannot explain to myself the cruelty of my act. How did I not go up to him, protect and console him? Where has the feeling of compassion gone, which made me cry bitterly at the sight of a little jackdaw thrown out of the nest or a puppy being carried to throw over the fence, or a chicken carried by a cook for soup? Was this wonderful feeling drowned out in me by love for Seryozha and the desire to appear to him as good as himself? Unenviable were these love and the desire to seem good! They produced the only dark spots on the pages of my childhood memories"
“Nikolenka’s desire to analyze his actions, his behavior, his desire not to repeat what he will later condemn himself for is amazing,” writes Ts. I. Green.
We have already noticed that when talking with someone, talking about someone, the main character uses words with diminutive suffixes. He calls the girls “sister Lyubochka”, “Katenka”, “Sonechka”, Natalya Savishna - “old lady” (see examples above), the dog - “Darling”. His surrounding objects are “armchair”, “table”, “gazebo”, “box”, “box”. If he describes someone's appearance, he calls the face "little face", lips "sponges", neck "neck", shoulder "shoulder", hair "hairs". Those around them are dressed in “dresses”, “kerchiefs”, “hats”, “stockings” (see examples above).
“Darling,” I said, caressing her and kissing her face, “we are leaving today; goodbye! We will never see each other again” (chapter "Dad").
“Having run to your fill, you used to sit at the tea table, on your high armchair...” (chapter "Childhood").
“Karl Ivanovich had a box of his product in his hands...” (chapter "Poetry") .
This boy’s speech style can be explained, perhaps, by the fact that everything around him educates and teaches him.
The main character's language is characterized to a greater extent by the presence of soft and voiceless consonants. Nikolenka is internally drawn to her mother, unlike her older brother Volodya, and in his speech he, of course, imitates his mother. Moreover, as noted earlier, he affectionately calls all family members, even the dog (see examples above).
In the field of word formation, you can notice that Nikolenka often uses the prefix u- in her words, which has two meanings:
- 1) “move away; get rid of” (“I’ll run away”, “dodge”, “die”);
- 2) “strengthen something” (“I’ll kill”, “see you”, “surprise”).
And this, in our opinion, is not accidental and corresponds to the character of the main character.
“But at that very moment, as I spread my legs and was about to jump, the princess, hastily running around me, looked at my legs with an expression of dull curiosity and surprise. This look killed me” (chapter "Mazurka").
“...But if you knew how sorry I am (I wanted to say sad, but didn’t dare) that you will soon leave and we won’t see each other again” (chapter "After the Mazurka") .
In these examples we see that for Nikolenka the events happening to him are a real catastrophe, a tragedy. And here we can note the prefix y- in two meanings.
Also in the speech of the main character one can trace the use of common folk expressions and phraseological units (“alone,” “my dear,” “there were a lot of guests”) and the outdated conjunction “if” (in modern Russian “if”):
“There are many of us, we play, we have fun, but he is alone, and no one will caress him” (chapter "Teacher Karl Ivanovich").
“Enough! And don’t say that, my darling...” (chapter "Childhood").
“If we are going today, then there will probably be no classes...” (chapter "Dad") .
“The image of Nikolenka is also interesting because the author reproduces his internal monologues, of which there are a lot in the text,” says A. A. Bolshakova. We noticed that Nikolenka’s speech is often crumpled and timid, but her internal monologues are brighter, richer, more emotional. He constantly asks himself questions; The vocabulary is much wider, there are many sentences that are complex in structure:
“Suppose I’m small, but why does he bother me? Why doesn’t he kill the flies near Volodya’s bed? There are so many of them! No, Volodya is older than me; and I’m the least of all: that’s why he torments me. That’s all he thinks about all his life, how can I cause trouble" (chapter "Teacher Karl Ivanovich") .
In Nikolenka’s speech the interjection “ah” is often heard. This once again emphasizes his emotional, sensitive nature.
“Oh, dear, dear mother, how I love you!” (chapter "Childhood").
"Ach, lassen Sie Ah, leave it! (German)"Karl Ivanovich!" (chapter "Teacher Karl Ivanovich") .
We can also notice that in the speech of the main character, the category of state is most often found, which helps to convey his state of mind:
“After prayer, you used to wrap yourself in a blanket; your soul is light, bright and joyful...” (chapter "Childhood")
"The room is quiet..." (chapter "Teacher Karl Ivanovich") .
The genre approach to Nikolenka’s language allows us to indicate the following. In his speech, we can give priority to such genres as reasoning, repentance, gratitude, question:
“Poor, poor old man! There are many of us, we play, we have fun, but he is all alone...” (chapter "Teacher Karl Ivanovich")
"Hunting")
“How kind he is and how he loves us...” (chapter "Teacher Karl Ivanovich")
“But there won’t be a game, then what remains?..” (chapter "Games") .
His speech genres are always personality-oriented and lead to the harmonization of relationships when the interlocutor wants it.
Before completing the speech characterization of Nikolenka Irtenyev, it should be said that “the peculiarity of Tolstoy’s story is that he was able, on the one hand, to portray a child, reveal his inner experiences, and, thus, bring the child hero closer to the reader, and on the other hand on the other hand, at the same time analyze his actions, thoughts, feelings, i.e. convey child psychology." To realize such a complex idea, the writer chooses special shape narratives. He uses a retrospective way of presenting the material. An adult remembers his childhood years: the atmosphere in which he grew up, the people who surrounded him. The text seems to combine two points of view on events: “then” (the time of development of the action) and “now” (the time of writing the memories), which is typical for memoirs. On the one hand, a child looks at the same events, and on the other, an adult. Nikolenka Irtenev turned out to be just such a hero.
Let's try to trace, using the means of speech characteristics, where in the story little Nikolenka's voice sounds, and where the narrator's voice appears. The image of a ten-year-old boy is directly manifested in the hero’s direct speech, his actions, emotional reactions, and reasoning.
“Despite the fact that before us are the memories of an adult about his past, there are episodes in the text when the voice of a ten-year-old child sounds directly,” notes N. I. Romanova. Nikolenka enters into dialogue with other characters, he thinks a lot, thinks, analyzes, that’s why he appears the hero's inner speech. Let's give a few examples. In the chapter "Princess Kornakova" he reacts painfully to comments about his appearance:
“What did my cowlicks do to him... isn’t there another conversation?”
But Nikolenka justifies Seryozha Ivin’s cruel act:
“Yes, it’s true, Ilenka is nothing more than a crybaby, but Seryozha is a great guy... what a good guy he is!..” (chapter "Ivins") .
Many chapters reveal the image of the hero in actions, movements. Nikolenka behaves according to her age and her nature. He looks forward to lunch time as it means the end of classes; is dissatisfied with the fact that he is raised by Mimi, protecting the free expression of his nature; wants to impress with his horse riding; he enjoys an outdoor picnic because it goes beyond just hanging out; he is fascinated by children's games; Out of childish vanity, he hides the fact that his new suit is too tight; he does not like the “obnoxious shoes with bows” that prove that he is still a child; Nikolenka experiences great excitement during the hunt, not wanting to lose face when his father instructs him to catch a hare. This list of examples can be continued for a very long time. In all these episodes it is the child who acts.
“I watched with great impatience all the signs that proved the approach of dinner” (chapter "Classes").
“We went back together with the line. Volodya and I, wanting to surpass each other in the art of riding and youth, pranced around it” (chapter "Something like first love"). .
We already said earlier that Tolstoy very accurately reproduces the hero's emotional reaction, and gave examples (see above). Also interesting here is the episode where hunting is described (chapter "Hunting"). The hero cannot for a long time be in nervous tension, and his thoughts are quickly distracted by another subject:
“Near the bare roots of the oak tree under which I was sitting, ants swarmed... I took a twig in my hands and blocked the road with it... I was distracted from these interesting observations by a butterfly with yellow wings...”.
In the chapter "Grisha" Nikolenka’s passionate interest in the holy fool’s prayer is described. “He watches him carefully, forgetting about everything that surrounds him. But soon the boy’s curiosity is satisfied, he is distracted by the noise of his comrades, and Nikolenka is already switching to another subject.”
“The feeling of tenderness with which I listened to Grisha could not last long, firstly, because my curiosity was saturated, and secondly, because I had served my life... and I wanted to join the general whispering and fuss..." .
In the chapter "Parting" the mood also changes several times. At first he is indifferent to leaving, he has only one desire - to hit the road as quickly as possible. But when Nikolenka sees his mother’s sadness, his mood changes sharply: he cries, “not thinking about anything except his grief.” However, road impressions quickly dispel his sad thoughts:
“Having driven about a mile away, I sat down more calmly and with persistent attention began to look at the nearest object in front of my eyes - the back part of the harness, which ran from my side.”
Many of Nikolenka’s feelings are exaggerated. Disgrace at the mazurka is perceived as a disaster:
“Everyone despises me and will always despise me... the road to everything is closed to me: to friendship, love, honors... everything is lost!” (chapter "Mazurka")
It’s interesting that in a difficult moment for herself, Nikolenka remembers her mother (a completely childish reaction):
“If my mother were here, she wouldn’t blush for her Nikolenka...” (chapter "Mazurka")
The hero also exaggerates the significance of his failure in the hunting scene, when he misses the hare:
"Oh my God, what have I done!" (chapter "Hunting") .
Of course, the boy’s nature is clearly revealed here, who reacts painfully to many aspects of life, taking everything very close to his heart. “Volodya,” notes E. Yu. Kukushkina, “if he found himself in such a situation, he probably wouldn’t worry so much. But still, this is the reaction of a child, not an adult.” .
The text of the story often contains hero's reasoning, psychological reaction He is very understanding about events and people, but, as a rule, his motivations are naive. For example, “the hero believes that the most important issues are always resolved in his father’s office, explaining this by the fact that “everyone approached the office door, usually whispering and on tiptoe.”
In the chapter "Holy Fool" he reflects on Mimi's upbringing:
“What does she care about us!” you might think. “Let her teach her girls, and we have Karl Ivanovich for that.”
The image of the adult Irtenyev also manifests itself in several aspects: this speech phrases-signals, characteristics of oneself and others, phrases-comments, as if explaining everything that is happening.
“As I see now,” “I remember,” “it happened,” “so many memories of the past arise,” “much water has passed under the bridge since then,” etc. - such phrases introduce the voice of an adult into the text. Moreover, sometimes there is a clear contrast between “then” and “now”:
“When I now remember him [Ilenka Grapa], I find that he was a very helpful, quiet and kind boy; then he seemed to me such a despicable creature, about whom it was not worth either regretting or even thinking” (chapter "Ivins").
“Ever since I can remember, I remember Natalya Savishna, her love and caresses; but now I only know how to appreciate them...” (chapter "Natalia Savishna")
In some fragments of the text there is a clear hint of the future:
“This girl was La belle Flamande, about whom maman wrote and who subsequently played such an important role in the life of our entire family” (chapter "What awaited us in the village"). .
In the chapter that describes the departure of children ( "Parting"), the narrator’s voice is heard in a phrase where there is a clear allusion to the death of the mother:
“I realized at that moment that, hugging her father, she was already saying goodbye to us.”
These phrases are spoken by a person who has already experienced all these events and knows how it will all end.
I would like to note the following characteristics that relate directly to Nikolenka and which emphasize his young age:
“...I sat up in bed and began to pull the stockings over my small legs...” (chapter "Teacher Karl Ivanovich")
“Maman sat down at the piano, and we children brought papers, pencils, paints and settled down to draw near the round table” (chapter "Classes in the office and living room") .
“Throughout the entire story, the adult narrator gives his assessments of people. They can be detailed or, on the contrary, quite compressed, given as if in passing.” For example, a separate chapter is devoted to the father, in which he is assessed as an established personality, as a certain type of person (hence the title "What kind of man was my 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.
In the chapter "Natalia Savishna" tells in detail about the dramatic life of Natalya Savishna (obviously, the child could not know all the events). The portraits of Princess Kornakova and Prince Ivan Ivanovich are endowed with very vivid descriptions:
“The princess was a woman of about forty-five, small, frail, dry and bilious, with grey-green unpleasant eyes, the expression of which clearly contradicted her unnaturally tender mouth” (chapter "Princess Kornakova").
“He [Prince Ivan Ivanovich] was of small intelligence... well educated and well read...” (chapter "Prince Ivan Ivanovich") .
All these characters are looked at by an adult who notices the smallest character traits and gives deep assessments.
Commentary phrases may be very small fragments. When describing Nikolenka’s feelings for Sonechka, his fear of not liking her, the following line sounds:
“I did not understand that for the feeling of love that filled my soul with joy, one could demand even greater happiness...” (chapter "After the Mazurka") .
In the chapter where the death of Nikolenka’s mother is described ( "What awaited us in the village"), it talks about the smell of cologne and chamomile, which all his life reminded the hero of this terrible episode of death:
“This smell struck me so much that... my imagination instantly transports me to this gloomy, stuffy room and reproduces all the smallest details of the terrible moment.”
In the chapter "Last Sad Memories" a phrase is given that sums up the era of childhood:
“With the death of my mother, the happy time of childhood ended for me and a new era began - the era of adolescence.”
In some chapters of the story there are peculiar lyrical digressions. For example, chapter "Childhood" dedicated to this time. This is a poetic celebration of childhood, its purity and freshness:
“Happy, happy, irrevocable time of childhood! How can one not love, not cherish the memories of it?” .
“Before us,” notes K.V. Podartsev, speaking about this chapter, “there appears practically a poem in prose.”
And how can one not remember the narrator’s thoughts about a smile, which alone “consists of what is called the beauty of the face”; about vanity, which is “so firmly grafted into human nature that very rarely even the most intense grief drives it out”; about childhood cruelty that is difficult to explain; about why children deprive themselves of “the pure pleasures of tender childish affection just because of the strange desire to imitate their elders,” etc. (see examples above).
Thus, “in the story “Childhood” we have before us, as it were, two heroes: little Nikolenka and adult Nikolai Irtenyev.” The originality of the work lies precisely in the harmonious combination of two views. We see, on the one hand, how Nikolenka reacts to certain events, on the other hand, how an adult evaluates them. Moreover, “the image of the narrator does not cover the image of Nikolenka, he only explains what a ten-year-old boy could not see and understand.”
Observations of Nikolenka Irtenyev’s speech allow us to draw the following conclusions. Firstly, speech behavior The hero characterizes him as a very kind, loving person who wants everyone to be happy. Nikolenka does not divide those around him into people of his own circle and those not of his own; with the same sense of respect and love, he conveys his attitude towards loved ones, relatives, as well as towards the servants and the holy fool Grisha.
Secondly, through the character’s speech we saw that he differs from other children in that the need for the work of thought awakened in him early, he has an analytical mindset, his internal experiences are distinguished by great tension and deep emotionality.
Thirdly, his desire to analyze his behavior and actions helps him build relationships with people different characters, of different social origins, helps to work on one’s shortcomings and maintain the best spiritual qualities.
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 occurrence 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 most true manifestation 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 can see, in his story “Childhood” Tolstoy created a bright, original image of Nikolenka Irtenyev, who teaches us 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.
Nikolai Petrovich Irtenyev is the main character of L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Childhood,” a ten-year-old boy from a noble family. This is a cheerful, kind and well-mannered boy who grows up in love and care. Not only his parents take part in his upbringing, but also his nanny Natalya Savishna and teacher Karl Ivanovich. He loves his parents very much and is proud of them. In his eyes these are the most beautiful and sincere loving people. For him, his mother is the source of everything beautiful. When he thinks about her, he always imagines her kind smile and the sweet sounds of her voice. Nikolenka’s love for her mother was akin to love for God.
Feelings for other people occupy special place in his life. The boy's good disposition also manifests itself when playing with the neighboring children. He sympathizes with the sickly Ilenko Grap from a poor family. In the village he treats Katenka with love, in Moscow he is literally in love with Sonechka Valakhina. He likes to meet new children, for example, the Ivins' relatives. Nikolenka Irtenyev is a peculiar boy, even an extraordinary one. He learned early to distinguish falsehood and does not like deception. He is contradictory and observant by nature. He wrote poems for his grandmother's birthday and was very excited when they were read out loud.
He remembers the happy time spent in the village with both longing and a smile. Nikolenka's childhood ended with the death of her mother. Having lost the most beloved person in the world, he stopped being small. The Irtenyev family moved to Moscow, but every time he was in the village, he visited his mother’s grave.
Nikolai Petrovich is a key character in the story of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. He recently turned ten years old and lives in a noble family.
He has a cheerful and optimistic disposition, and his parents and sympathetic nanny Natalya Savishna are involved in his upbringing, and sometimes Karl Ivanovich comes to his classes. The boy looks at things positively and tries to find positive moments in everything that happens to him.
The boy really loves the classes taught by Karl Ivanovich, so he always prepares for them and looks forward to the next time.
In addition, Kolya loves his parents very much and is sincerely proud of them. He considers them the kindest and most caring people who can take care of him.
For him, his mother is the source of all wonderful blessings; when he just thinks about her, a wide smile appears on her face, and in his head he hears her clear and beautiful voice. The author compares his great love with love for the Almighty. For him, she is a real celestial being, capable of solving all his problems, helping in any difficult situation and changing his attitude towards things happening around him.
In Kolenka's life, relationships with the people around him play a special role. His benevolent character makes him pay special attention to the neighboring children, with whom he spends a lot of time. He loves to communicate with people and finds special pleasure in this, which is what he does in free time.
So he treats Ilenko Grap with special sympathy, who is a rather sickly child and requires special attention and protection. He also quickly meets Ekaterina in the village, and then Sonechka in the city, each of whom he considers attractive girls and those whom he will love. But he also switches quickly.
He gets to know new children well and easily, but despite his wide heart and gullibility, he quickly learned to distinguish between deception and lies, which he cannot stand. For unknown reasons, he quickly learned to recognize deception.
His bright childhood passes in the village, and then he and his parents move to Moscow, where a new period of his life begins.
Option 2
The main character of L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Childhood” is Nikolenka Ignatiev. This character- a prototype of the author himself.
Kolya is a 10-year-old boy living in a noble family. This is a cheerful, kind child with a good upbringing, which is cared for by his parents and responsible nanny Natalya Savishna. Nikolenka is inclined to study - he successfully studies with a private teacher Karl Ivanovich, lessons with whom are always a joy for the child.
Nikolenka’s love for mom and dad is limitless. He's proud of them. For a boy, they are associated with kindness and care. Even at the mere memory of his mother, the child breaks into a wide smile. He believes in God with all his heart and counts on his help in any difficult situation.
The relationship of the main character with the outside world is important in the story. Nikolenka is kind to the neighbor's children, with whom she spends a lot of time. He is sociable and in his free time he always enjoys telling his peers something. He easily makes contact in the village and city. Kolya is great at communicating with girls - he sees them as potential brides.
Nikolenka’s kindness is manifested in her attitude towards Ilenka’s very sick child Grap, who needs close attention and protection. He easily meets new children, but treats everyone with some wariness, since he feels well when he is being deceived and he really doesn’t like it. It’s not clear how Nikolenka, at a fairly young age, can catch others in a lie.
The character of the main character is contradictory. On the one hand, he carefreely communicates with everyone, and on the other hand, he carefully observes what is happening around him. A child of 10 years of age is able to analyze everything that happens around him. Nikolenka, despite her childishness, draws the right conclusions, acutely feeling falsehood and deception.
The boy spends his childhood in the village, and then he and his parents move to Moscow, where his life changes radically.
The story begins with Nikolenka waking up and immediately thinking about how it happens that he wakes up every morning. The author reveals spiritual essence boy. The reader watches the growth of the main character of the story, analyzes his actions and the people around the boy, learns to recognize deceitful actions and not be afraid to perceive all the realities of life that one encounters along the path of life.
The story describes Nikolenka's childhood experiences, which arise against the backdrop of a strong imagination. The boy lives in his fictional world, where all the troubles real life extinguished through fictitious exploits and heroism.
Essay by Nikolenka Irtenev
Nikolenka's story in the story "Childhood" begins with the boy waking up due to a completely harmless situation. Teacher Karl Ivanovich accidentally woke up the boy by hitting a fly over his head with a firecracker. But it didn’t turn out as successfully as planned, and the fly fell right on the fry’s face.
The current situation outraged Nikolenka. He begins to curiously find out why Karl Ivanovich did this and how he should feel about it. Nikolenka begins to believe that Karl Ivanovich is only capable of causing trouble for the boy, that the teacher is a “nasty person.” But after a couple of minutes, when the old man comes to the boy’s bed, says kind words to him and begins to tickle him, then everything falls into place, and he again experiences love and warmth for the teacher, whom he immediately hated.
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy describes the main character as an ugly ten-year-old boy with small eyes and a large nose and lips. Nikolenka himself is worried about his unfortunate appearance. Despite the described appearance, internally the boy seems very kind, sensitive and well-mannered. He loves and is proud of his parents, because he himself is surrounded by their love. But he believes that his mother is not happy with his father, but he is silent about it. It seems to him that his father should appreciate and understand his mother more.
The boy takes all events to heart and remembers them for a long time. He, like all children, plays and is mischievous, but when he commits some wrong act, he sincerely repents and is very worried, which is not so typical of his peers. An impressionable boy spends a lot of time thinking in his head and introspecting; he senses falsehood and deception very well.
Nikolenka's childhood ends with the loss of her closest and most beloved person, her mother. Growing up occurs in the thoughts that life is not as cloudless as it seemed to him before. His strong attachment to those with whom he has hitherto communicated becomes insufficient and everything around him seems alien to him.
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In a war, it is possible to defeat an enemy who is outnumbered, but if there are soldiers in the ranks, brave patriots who love their land, in a word - heroes. Such an army will be invulnerable to the enemy. But no matter what fortitude was shown by those
CHILDHOOD. BOYHOOD. YOUTH
(Trilogy, 1851 - 1855)
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 different people, with which his life one way or another confronts 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 portrays little N. as acutely perceiving not only surrounding nature, but also childishly alive 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 in great detail states of mind hero. “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.
"Adolescence". 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 this way: "I am much shorter than Volodya, broad-shouldered and fleshy, still ugly and "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 still replacing reality. 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 French, especially reprimand, 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.
