Prostakov.

The ideological plan determined the composition of the characters of the "Undergrowth". The comedy depicts typical feudal landlords (Prostakovs, Skotinin), their serf servants (Eremeevna and Trishka), teachers (Tsyfirkin, Kuteikin and Vralman) and contrasts them with such advanced nobles as, according to Fonvizin, all Russian nobility should be: in the public service (Pravdin), in the field of economic activity (Starodum), in military service (Milon).

The image of Sophia, an intelligent and enlightened girl, contributes to a more complete disclosure of Prostakova's willfulness and ignorance; Sophia is connected with all the struggle that takes place in the "comedy".

The main face of the comedy is the landowner Prostakova. - rough and unbridled nature. She is impudent when she meets no resistance, and at the same time she is cowardly when she encounters strength. Merciless to those who are in her power, she humiliates herself, ready to wallow at her feet, begging for forgiveness from someone who is stronger than her (the scene with Pravdin at the end of the comedy), she is ignorant simpleton. She is hostile to enlightenment; from her point of view, education is superfluous: “Without the sciences, people live and lived,” she says. Only in obedience to necessity, wanting to "bring to the people" Mitrofan, she hires teachers for him, but she herself interferes with his teaching. In relations with people, she is guided only by rough calculation, personal gain. Such, for example, is her attitude towards Starodum and Sophia. For the sake of personal gain, she is even capable of committing a crime (an attempt to kidnap Sophia in order to forcibly marry her to Mitrofan).

Prostakova has no moral concepts: a sense of duty, philanthropy, a sense of human dignity.

A staunch inveterate serf-owner, she considers serfs to be her complete property: she can do whatever she pleases with them. No matter how hard her servants and peasants strain at work, they cannot please their ferocious owner. The illness of a serf infuriates her “Lies! Oh, she's a beast! Lies! As if noble!.. Delirious, beast! As if noble! Even Eremeevna, devoted to her, Mitrofan's nanny, who is trying in every possible way to please her, Prostakova calls nothing more than an "old witch", "a dog's daughter" and a "bad mug".

Prostakova believes that it is possible to manage the economy only with the help of swearing and beatings. She herself tells Pravdin about this, naively believing that the methods of her management are worthy of all praise: That's how the house is kept, my father. She completely robbed the peasants, squeezed everything she could out of them. “Since everything,” she lamented to her brother, “whatever the peasants had, we have taken away, we can’t rip anything off. Such a disaster!

Prostakova is despotic and rude not only in relation to the serfs. She does not put a dull, timid and weak-willed husband in anything and pushes him around as she wants. Teachers Mitrofan, Kuteika-nu and Tsyfirkin, do not pay salaries for a year.

Only Prostakova treats her son Mitrofan differently. She loves him, is tender to him) Caring for his happiness and well-being is the main content of her life. “One of my concerns, one of my joys is Mitrofanushka,” she says. She compares her motherly love to a dog's affection for her puppy. Therefore, her blind, unreasonable, ugly love for her son brings neither Mitrofan nor herself anything but harm.

The character of Prostakova, the degree of her mental development, the position of a landowner and sovereign mistress in the house, her attitude towards people around her - all this is expressively and vividly reflected in her speech.

So, she calls Trishka "a swindler, a thief, a slot, a thieves' mug, a blockhead", Eremeevna - a "beast". Her dismissive attitude towards her husband is expressed both in mockery of him: "You yourself are baggy, smart head," and in rude shouts: "Why are you so delusional today, my father?" "The whole century, sir, you walk, I weigh my ears." She calls her husband a "freak", "dead". But her speech becomes different in appeals to her son: “Mitrofanushka, my friend; my friend of the heart; son", etc.

At first, Prostakova treats Sophia roughly tyrannically: "No, ma'am, these are your inventions, in order to intimidate us with your uncle, so that we give you freedom." “Oh, mother! I know that you are a craftswoman, but dashing, I don’t really believe you. When she finds out that Sofya has become a rich heiress, the tone of her speech changes dramatically: “Congratulations, Sofyushka! Congratulations, my soul!

Prostakova's lack of culture is reflected in her use of vernacular: first - instead of the first, looking - instead of more, girls - instead of the girl.

But Prostakova is a landowner; in her midst, she also heard the speech of people of that time close to the literary language. Therefore, in her speech there are (albeit rarely) bookish-literary words and phrases, although somewhat distorted: “amorous writing”; “this is from the officer who was looking to marry you”; "I recommend you our dear guest, Mr. Pravdin"

Ingratiatingly, flatteringly, she turns to Starodum: “Our priceless guest! Would it really be necessary to meet our own father, on whom we have all hope, who we have alone, like gunpowder in the eye.

The image of Prostakova, vividly and truthfully drawn, acquires even greater persuasiveness, vitality, especially because Fonvizin shows the conditions under the influence of which her character was formed and took on such ugly forms. Prostakova grew up in a family characterized by extreme ignorance. Neither father nor mother gave her any education, did not instill any moral rules, did not lay anything good in her soul from childhood, but the conditions of serfdom - her position as the sovereign owner of serfs - influenced her even more strongly. Unrestrained by any moral foundations, full of consciousness of her unlimited power and impunity, she turned into an "inhuman mistress", a tyrant-fiend.

I liked Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth". The main theme of this work is the "malice of the feudal lords." With the first comedy scene, I saw a world where some people own other people. The main figure of this world is Prostakova. Prostakova was uneducated and uneducated. She, like all ignoramuses, was rude to everyone in whom she did not meet resistance. Fonvizin calls Prostakova a "despicable fury." She extends her despotic power not only to the serfs, but also to her husband, Sophia, Skotinin.

Once, when Prostakova called her husband, and he did not come up. Then she said to Mitrofan: “So go and get him out if you don’t do good.”

In this remark, I saw Prstakova's rude and dismissive attitude towards her husband. But despite this attitude towards Prostakov, she never scolded her son. Mitrofan was spoiled, because his mother allowed him everything, protected him even when he was wrong. Prostakova dearly loved her son and did not allow teachers to bother Mitrofan. By this act, she deprived her son of the opportunity to receive an education. Prostakova did not think about raising her son, under Mitrovan she scolded the serfs, and as a result, her beloved son left her.

In the finale of the comedy, the Prostakovs are waiting for a well-deserved punishment - the order of the authorities comes to take the estate under guardianship. The final scene, in which even Mitrovan leaves Prostakova, indicates that the vicious person himself is preparing his well-deserved punishment with his actions. Prostakova is presented as an imperious, uneducated Russian woman. She is very greedy and in order to grab more of someone else's often, she flatters and “puts on” a mask of nobility, but an animal grin constantly peeps out from under the mask, which looks ridiculous and ridiculous. Prostakova’s speech: rude in addressing servants (“swindler”, “cattle”, “thieves’ mug” - tailor Trishka; “beast”, “scum” - nanny Ermeevna), caring and affectionate in conversation with her son Mitrofanushka (“live for a century, study for a century, my dear friend”, “darling”). But at the same time, she is not at all worried about raising her son (“I am very pleased that Mitrofanushka does not like to step forward ...

He's lying, my dear friend. Found the money - do not share with anyone. Take everything for yourself, Mitrofanushka.

Don't study this stupid science! "). It is not surprising that Mitrofanushka grew up so spoiled and uncouth. There is another negative character in the play - Prostakova's brother - Skotin. He, like his sister, is cruel and narcissistic.

Self-confidence is heard in every remark of Skotin, devoid of any merit. (“You won’t go around your betrothed with a horse, darling! You will blame the sin on your happiness. You will live with me in clover. Ten thousand of your income! Yes, you hear me, I’ll make sure that everyone trumpets: in this neighborhood, and only pigs live.”) Ignorance, bestiality of Skotin and Prostakova make their vices frank.

These people are visible at a glance, they have nothing to cover their animality, and they do not consider it necessary to do so. Their world wants to subjugate all life to itself, to appropriate the right of unlimited power over both serfs and noble people. Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth" is the first socio-political comedy in the history of Russian dramaturgy. The author exposes in it the vices of contemporary society.

The heroes of the comedy are representatives of different social strata: statesmen, nobles, servants, self-proclaimed teachers. The central character of the play is Mrs. Prostakova. She manages the household, beats her husband, keeps the courtyards in horror, and brings up her son Mitrofan.

"I scold, then I fight, and that's how the house is kept." No one dares to oppose her power: "Am I not powerful in my people." The speech characteristic is the main way to create the character of Prostakova.

The heroine's language changes depending on who she is addressing. Mrs. Prostakova calls the servants "thieves", "canals", "beast", "dog's daughter". He addresses Mitrofan: "my dear friend", "duilenka". He greets guests with respect: "I recommend you a dear guest", "you are welcome." There are also tragic elements in the image of Prostakova. This ignorant and greedy "despicable fury" loves and sincerely cares about her son.

At the end of the play, rejected by Mitrofan, she becomes humiliated and pitiful:

• You are the only one left with me.
• - Let go...
• I don't have a son...

The image of Mitrofan in the play is connected with the idea of ​​education, which is very important for educational literature. Mitrofan is an ignorant, loafer, mother's favorite. From the parent, he inherited arrogance and rudeness. To Yeremeevna, who is sacredly devoted to him, he addresses: "old grunt". The upbringing and education of Mitrofan corresponds to the "fashion" of the time and the understanding of the parents. He is taught French by the German Vralman, the exact sciences by the retired sergeant Tsyfirkin, who "does a little bit of arithmetic," and grammar by the seminarian Kuteikin, who was dismissed from "any teaching." "Knowledge" of Mitrofanushka in grammar, his desire not to study, but to marry - are ridiculous. But his attitude towards Eremeevna. the readiness to "take on people", the betrayal of the mother already evokes different feelings. Mitrofanushka becomes an ignorant and cruel despot. The names of the actors are remarkable. "Talking" surnames immediately establish the attitude of the reader and viewer to their owners. Psychologically, he already becomes a participant in the action. He was deprived of the opportunity to evaluate the heroes and their actions. From the very beginning, from the names of the characters, the reader was told where the negative characters are and where the positive ones are. And the role of the reader is to see and remember the ideal to which one must strive. Interesting language of comedy. Negative characters and their servants are inherent in the common colloquial language. The vocabulary of the Skotinins consists mainly of words used in the barnyard. This is well shown by the speech of Skotinin - Uncle Migrofan. She is full of words: pig, piglets, pigsty. The idea of ​​life also begins and ends with the barnyard. He compares his life with the life of his pigs, for example. "I want to have my own piglets." "If I have ... a special barn for each pig, then I will find a litter box for my wife." And he is proud of this: "Well, be I a pig's son. If ..." The vocabulary of his sister, Mrs. Prostakova, is a little more diverse due to the fact that her husband is "countless fool" and she has to do everything herself. But the roots of Skotininsky are also manifested in her speech. Favorite curse word is "cattle". To show that Prostakova is not far behind her brother in development, Fonvizin sometimes denies her elementary logic. For example, such phrases: "Since we took away everything that the peasants had, we can't tear anything off", "So is it really necessary to be like a tailor in order to be able to sew a caftan well?" And, drawing conclusions from what has been said, Prostakova finishes the phrase: "What a bestial reasoning." Concerning her husband, one can only say that he is laconic and does not open his mouth without instructions from his wife. But this also characterizes him as a "countless fool", a weak-willed husband who fell under the heel of his wife. Mitrofanushka is also laconic, however, unlike his father, he has freedom of speech. Skotinin's roots are manifested in his ingenuity of swearing, "old grunt", "garrison rat". Servants and teachers have in their speech the characteristic features of the estates and parts of society to which they belong. Eremeevna's speech is constant excuses and desires to please. Teachers. Tsyfirkin is a retired sergeant, Kuteikin is a deacon from Pokrov. And by their speech they show belonging: one - to the military, the other - to the church ministers. The author introduces a number of positive characters - Starodum, Pravdin, Sophia, Milon. These heroes openly express the views of an "honest" person on noble morality, family relations, and even civil order. This dramatic device truly caused a revolution in Russian educational literature, from criticism of the negative aspects of reality to the search for ways to change the existing system. The speech of positive characters does not differ in brightness. This is bookish speech, the speech of educated people of that time, which practically does not express emotions. You understand the meaning of what has been said from the immediate meaning of the words. For the rest of the characters, the meaning can be caught in the very dynamics of speech. It is almost impossible to distinguish Milon's speech from Pravdin's speech. It is also very difficult to say anything about Sophia from her speech. An educated, well-behaved young lady, as Starodum would call her, sensitive to the advice and instructions of her beloved uncle. Starodum's speech is completely determined by the fact that the author put his moral program into the mouth of this hero: rules, principles, moral laws by which a "pious person" must live. Starodum's monologues are structured in this way: Starodum first tells a story from his life, and then the conclusion

D. Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth" tells about the events that took place in the Prostakovs' house. Their main participants are Mitrofan, the son of the owner of the house, his mother, Mrs. Prostakova, and Starodum with his niece.

Mrs. Prostakova madly loves her son, cares too much and panders to him, indulging all his whims and whims, which is why Mitrofan grows up as an absolutely dependent person, whose level of development does not at all correspond to his age. But Mrs. Prostakova blindly follows his desires. She sees her future in her son, repeating all the time: “Here is my son - my only consolation!”. And at the same time, she does nothing to ensure that something traveling grows out of her son. Mitrofan's literacy is taught by bad teachers, and he himself does not want to learn. However, the mother considers her son the best and most educated, although this lazy person does not smell of intelligence or knowledge.

With her husband, Mrs. Prostakova behaves as if she does not hold him for a person at all, let alone the head of the family. She herself decides all issues, ignoring his opinion and neglecting it, if it concerns Mitrofan.

Mrs. Prostakova is a cruel and unfair mistress in relation to her servants and peasants. She can severely punish the tailor because he sewed the suit wrong, does not pay attention if one of the servants is ill. Mrs. Prostakova reprimands Eremeevna for every "oversight". For example, if Mitrofanushka overate buns at dinner, and Eremeevna showed concern about this, she says: “Do you feel sorry for the sixth bun, you beast? What zeal." It never occurred to her that overeating would not do her son good. Prostakova considers all serfs her property, practically a thing, therefore she allows herself to mindlessly dispose of their lives and rip them off like sticky, simply on a whim.

Mrs. Prostakova treats Sofya like an evil hostess. She is always rude and cold. But as soon as she finds out that Starodum, Sophia's uncle, left a large inheritance to her niece, she changes her behavior, becomes hypocritically kind and affectionate, calls her "dear friend." Now Prostakova wants to marry her son to Sophia in order to receive all her money as a dowry, refusing this to her brother, although she had previously agreed to this marriage. Upon learning that Sophia was engaged to an officer of Milan and that Starodum agreed to this, Prostakova wants to force and deceive her son to marry a girl. However, her plan failed. According to the law, the village was taken away from her, depriving her of power.

Mrs. Prostakova was a cruel, headstrong woman who did not take into account the interests and feelings of other people, which is why she lost everything. In the image of Prostakova, Fonvizin reveals the negative features of a narrow-minded, unscrupulous person with power, who by his actions brings disaster to himself and his loved ones. The author shows that it is possible to obtain wealth without losing honor and human face. And people like Prostakova, in the end, pay for all the harm done.

The comedy "Undergrowth", created by the great Fonvizin back in the 18th century, does not leave the stages of the capital and regional theaters to this day. It has been included in the school curriculum of all Soviet republics since Soviet times and remained in most of them even after the collapse of the USSR and the formation of independent states. “The bold lord of satire,” as Pushkin called the playwright, not only severely criticized and ridiculed the mediocrity, ignorance, cruelty of the nobles, branded the feudal system of Russia with shame, but also created a whole gallery of images embodying certain types of characters, due to their vitality almost immediately become common nouns. One of them is Mrs. Prostakova, Mitrofanushka's mother.

The place of the hero in the work

The image of Prostakova in comedy plays one of the main roles. She is the mistress of the estate, the owner of serf souls, a noblewoman, a stronghold and the personification of state power here, in her estate. And it, in turn, is one of the thousands of corners of boundless Russia. And those problems that arise in a single territory are typical for the whole country. This is first. Secondly, the image of Prostakova is important because she raises and educates her son in her own image and likeness. And everything negative that is in the mother is cultivated in Mitrofan tenfold. But if the Prostakovs, Skotinins are the past and present of Russia, then their offspring are its future. This is how Fonvizin thought and wondered what the state would come to if such ignorant boors run everything in it. Into what jungle of the Middle Ages will they throw the country, to what ruin, impoverishment will they bring? Thirdly, the image of Prostakova is interesting in itself, precisely as a human type, the quintessence of class and personal vices.

From surname to personality

Prostakova is a heroine by her husband. And he really is a “simpleton”: weak-willed, weak-willed, who completely entrusted his wife with both the management of the estate and the upbringing of his son. He, no less than the rest of the household, suffers humiliation and insults from her, but it does not occur to him to put the presumptuous rude woman and the tyrant in his place. However, interpreting the surname, the image of Prostakova acquires a different shade of meaning. In the people, "simple" (not "simple") means "stupid", "stupid", "fool". And the dear lady, who has long crossed the line, is proud that she is illiterate, cannot read and write. Moreover, he sincerely considers this the norm for noblewomen. So, in her simplicity and naivety of her soul, she embodies the most retrograde, conservative, stagnant layer of the nobility. In full measure, through her native surname - Skotinina - the image of Prostakova is revealed. "Undergrowth" is a comedy, created largely in accordance with the poetics of classicism, which allows in this way to convey the essence of the character to the reader / viewer. The bestial essence of the heroine, not covered by anything, literally screams about herself from her very first remarks on stage. And the further the action of the play develops, the clearer the animal essence of this woman becomes to us. An inveterate serf, she does not consider servants to be people, she scolds and beats them without a twinge of conscience. She ruined her peasants, treats them extremely cruelly. Ready for any meanness, even a crime, for the sake of profit. Sophia, like a thing, is going to give her brother as a wife, because. he liked the pigs from the village, which the girl inherited from her dead parents. In this regard, "Undergrowth" is very indicative.

The heroes of the comedy, embodying the feudal spirit of Russia, are all negative, as if by choice! Crippled spiritually and mentally by the social prejudices of the environment herself, Prostakova also cripples her son. She is engaged in his upbringing and education for the sake of appearance, paying tribute to fashion and new social requirements. In fact, “in order to raise children,” according to this woman who loves her son with animal love, neither one nor the other is needed. And another “cattle” grows out of her child, betraying her mother, recognizing no one but herself, stupid and vile. Therefore, the final words of the work sound like a real verdict to the entire nobility-serf system: “Here are worthy fruits of malevolence!”

Modern classic

It is worth noting that this expression became winged and stepped far beyond the content of the play. So we can say about any negative example, an act that entailed a corresponding reaction. Therefore, we must always try to behave, speak and act in such a way that our “malice” does not stick out and does not give “worthy fruits”!

”, the landowner Prostakova is a very peculiar character for a comedy written according to the rules of classicism. She also stands out against the background of very “pale” positive characters, and is not as disgustingly unambiguous as her son Mitrofan Prostakov and brother Taras Skotinin.

Of course, the classic "trinity" in Fonvizin's comedy is respected. But Prostakova is not a typical negative classic character, who, according to the requirements, should not have any positive features at all.

Our main character is Prostakova only in appearance. She is Skotinina by birth and in essence, and is only able to give birth to something similar to herself.

She is the central face of the conflict that has formed in the comedy. All the problems were originally tied to her, and created by her. This is a woman who was brought up by an imperious tyrant-father, who received visitors, "sitting on a chest." She grew up in wealth and permissiveness. She was married, but managed to easily suppress her husband's will, because, apparently, she was physically stronger.

She resolves all controversial issues with the help of her fists, and never refuses herself the opportunity to humiliate, insult and shout at someone, and even more so at serfs. Everything should be subordinated to Prostakova and should please her. Even the wealthy Starodub is a “benefactor” who is obliged to do her good deeds. Who else but her!

She already disposed of the lands and property of the orphan Sophia in advance - the good does not disappear, especially since it goes into her hands. If not a brother, then a son, especially since Sophia is a rich heiress. Sophia herself is of no interest to anyone, pigs - only they really occupy the groom Skotinin.

And the immature groom Mitrofan doesn’t care who he is married to - he also experienced the strongest emotions at the sight of “pigs” - “as he was for another three years, it happened, when he saw a pig, he would tremble with joy”! But the fact that her, Prostakova never let go of her hands. The landowner is even ready for outright baseness when everything does not turn out the way she planned.

But, oddly enough, this creature is able to love - selflessly, not seeing anything negative. She adores her only son with some kind of animal love, ready to tear to shreds for the offense inflicted on her offspring: “Have you heard that a bitch gave out her puppies?” Everything that she says and does not do her child, she is ready to justify, protect, rush to the offender. This is the blind maternal instinct of an animal, not a single living being is more unworthy of it, only a worthy heir to the Skotinins, her baby, her pride and joy.

At the end of the comedy, Prostakova is completely unsettled and demoralized: her power over the estate is taken away from her, Sophia marries another and wealth is lost - and even the adored Mitrofan leaves her without regret as soon as he sees her failure. But most of all, the landowner is killed by the thought that the power that she had was irretrievably lost.

This character, of course, cannot arouse sympathy, he is endowed with painfully unattractive features. However, Prostakova is not a single character who showed us the “tyrant of Russian life” in the comedy. This is a typical representative of the "wild nobility", and since this problem was sore, Fonvizin solves it radically - he shows exactly how to deal with people like her. And although serfdom was abolished only sixty years after the release of The Undergrowth, it was Fonvizin who began to ridicule the "tyrants of Russian life" in literature.