Zhilin and Kostylin - the main characters of the story - were " Prisoner of the Caucasus» L. N. Tolstoy.

Theme of the story

During the war in the Caucasus (Russians are fighting with the highlanders for territories), two Russian officers, Zhilin and Kostylin, go on vacation home. Along the way, the heroes are captured by the Tatars; they ask for a ransom. Zhilin, not wanting to ask his old mother for money, starts an escape, but because of Kostylin's sluggishness, the idea fails. Then the officer again tries to escape, and this time he is lucky - he is saved. And Kostylin was saved from captivity by a ransom only a month later.

How officers Zhilin and Kostylin behave in captivity

Kostylin is a plump and obese man. Throughout the entire time of being in captivity, he only does what he sleeps and counts the time until the ransom. At the same time, Kostylin does not hesitate to ask the family for a huge ransom (5,000 rubles). For him, the main thing is that he be rescued as soon as possible, and that he finds himself again in convenient and comfortable conditions.

Zhilin behaves exactly the opposite. He refuses to write a ransom letter to his mother, because he does not want her to worry about him and give away the last thing she has. When the Tatars force Zhilin to write this letter, he writes, but the address is obviously incorrect. The officer decides for himself: either he gets out of captivity on his own, or he will have to die or stay there for the rest of his life. In order to escape, Zhilin begins to dig.

In addition, while in captivity, Zhilin is engaged in various useful deeds, thereby deserving the attention and respect of local Tatars.

For example, it differs in that:

• makes dolls out of clay for local children;
• repairing a stopped watch for the Tatar owner;
• repairs guns and other accessories of local residents.

And even during the escape, Zhilin stands to the last, holding on with all his might, while not abandoning Kostylin, although he brings his comrade down several times and does not want to pull himself together for the sake of their common salvation.

Thanks to stamina and strong-willed qualities, Zhilin still manages to escape from captivity.

The brightest are those works in which the main characters are completely different. It is these characters that are the basis of Leo Tolstoy's story "Prisoner of the Caucasus". Characters- Zhilin and Kostylin. different fates and the characters of these men. The true story tells about their life in captivity of the Tatars and an attempt to escape. But the path to freedom is thorny, and in particular because these two officers are the complete opposite of each other.

First meeting of friends

The events take place during the war for Officer Zhilin received a letter from his mother. She asks her son to return. Ivan, that's the man's name, considers the proposal and agrees. Traveling alone was dangerous, so the soldiers walked in a column. The group dragged on slowly, and the thought came to his mind that it would be better to go alone. As if having heard his thoughts, another officer, Kostylin, invites him to continue the journey together.

The first Zhilina and Kostylin is very important for further development events. The author does not talk about what it looks like main character, but gives a description of Kostylin. It's rough. Sweat drips from it because of the heat. After making sure that he has a loaded weapon, and taking the word to stick together, Zhilin agrees to the invitation.

Ambush and unexpected betrayal of a friend

Comrades are leaving. The whole path lies through the steppe, where the enemy is clearly visible. But further the road runs between two mountains. At this point there is a conflict of views. In the scene, Zhilin and Kostylin are compared in terms of a sense of danger.

Two excellent warriors perceive the gorge of the mountains in different ways. Zhilin sees a potential threat and is sure that the Turks can ambush behind the rock. Kostylin is ready to move forward, despite the possible risk. Leaving his friend below, Ivan climbs the mountain and sees a group of riders. Enemies notice the officer and jump towards him. Zhilin shouts to Kostylin to pull out a gun. But he, seeing the Tatars, rushes into the fortress.

Comparative characteristics Zhilin and Kostylin will be incomplete if this situation is not considered in more detail. The first took care of the safety of both, while the second, under difficult circumstances, thought only of his own life. Kostylin left his comrade unarmed. Ivan fought back for a long time, but the forces were unequal. He was taken prisoner. But already from the Tatars, he learns that his unfortunate friend was also ambushed.

The second and unexpected meeting of former friends

For some time the man spent in a closed barn. Then he was taken to the house of the Tatars. There he was explained that the man who had taken the soldier prisoner had sold him to another Tatar. And he, in turn, wants to receive a ransom for Ivan in the amount of 3,000 rubles. The officer, without hesitation for a long time, refused and said that he could not afford such an amount. The most he can offer is 500 gold. The last word was firm and unshakable. His friend is brought into the room.

And the appearance of Zhilin and Kostylin is very different. The second officer is fat, barefoot, exhausted, ragged, with a block on his feet. Zhilina is no better, but the thirst for struggle has not yet died out in him. The new owner sets Kostylin as an example and reports that he will be accepted for a ransom of 5,000 rubles.

The author shows how humbly he accepts an offer at such a high price. Ivan, on the other hand, achieved that the payment for his soul would be But nevertheless he understands that the mother, who lives on the money that he himself sends to her, would have to sell everything in order to free her son. Therefore, the officer writes the wrong address so that the letter does not reach. The comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin when establishing the amount of the ransom indicate that the first officer takes care of his mother, even if he is threatened with death. Kostylin is not worried about how money is being collected for his release.

Attempt to escape from the enemy

Time passes. Leo Tolstoy vividly describes the everyday life of Zhilin. A man wins the heart of the owner's daughter when he sculpts clay dolls for her. Gains respect in the village as a master, and even through cunning - as a doctor. But every night, when the shackles are removed, he digs a passage under the wall. He works during the day, thinking about which way he should run. The characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin in captivity are absolutely opposite. Zhilin does not sit still, unlike his friend. And he sleeps or gets sick all the time, waiting for the storm associated with the death of one of the Tatar warriors to pass.

One night, Zhilin decides to run away. He offers this to his comrade in the "camera". Kostylin is skeptical about this. He states that they don't know the way and will get lost at night. But the argument that because of the death of a Tatar, they, as Russians, can be avenged, finally convinces him.

Struggling with your own abilities

The prisoners are active. Trying to get out, the clumsy Kostylin raises a fuss. The dogs growled. But prudent Ivan fed the dogs for a long time. So the commotion calmed them down quickly. They get out of the village, but the fat man is out of breath and falls behind. Very quickly gives up and asks to leave it.

A comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin is a competition of cowardice with strength. Both are tired. The night is impenetrable, they are forced to walk almost to the touch. Bad boots rub your feet until they bleed. Kostylin stops and rests over and over again. Subsequently, he is exhausted and says that he is unable to continue his journey.

Then the comrade pulls him on his back. Because of Kostylin's scream of pain, they are noticed and hunted down. Before dawn, the comrades were caught and this time thrown into the pit. And there the portrait of Zhilin and Kostylin is opposite. An officer, thirsting for freedom, is trying to dig, but there is nowhere to put the earth and stones.

Increasingly, one hears talk from enemies that the Russians need to be killed.

Final and will

The owner's daughter comes to the rescue. She lowers a pole into the pit, along which, not without the help of a friend, Zhilin climbs the mountain. Weak Kostylin remains with the Tatars. He runs away with his feet bound, but nevertheless gets to his army.

After some time, money is also paid for Kostylin. He comes back barely alive. This is where the piece ends. The author does not report what further awaits characters with the names Zhilin and Kostylin. The heroes have different fates, the first relied only on their own abilities, the second was waiting for manna from heaven. They are two poles that are guided by different principles and rules. If Zhilin is stubborn, courageous and freedom-loving, then his partner in misfortune is weak, lazy and cowardly.

A fine hearted officer

The main characters of Leo Tolstoy are Zhilin and Kostylin. This story is about two officers. The first fought bravely, the second accepted with humility everything that life had prepared for him. Zhilin has such a trait as care. He thinks about the old mother when they asked for a ransom, he worries about the fate of his friend, so he does not leave him in the village of enemies, for the girl who helped get out of the pit.

She is ordered to hide the pole she brought so that Zhilin can get up. His heart is full of kindness and love. The officer fell in love with the simple, peaceful people of the Tatars. So it makes their life easier. He is a symbol of everything bright and sincere in the work.

Kostylin - a hero or an anti-hero?

Kostylin is often considered a negative hero. He left a comrade in trouble, distinguished himself by laziness and weakness, brought danger to both. There is nothing to say about the cowardice of a man, because every now and then helplessness is manifested in his actions.

But is Kostylin really as weak in his soul as he is outside? Somewhere deep in his heart he is brave and strong. Although in part it borders on unreasonableness. It was he who suggested that his friend separate from the group and jump first. I was also ready to go between the mountains without even making sure it was safe there. No less courage was needed to decide on an escape, which he did not plan and for which he was not ready either physically or mentally.

The characterization of Zhilin and Kostylin is an analysis of two opposite types of courage. But Kostylin showed more courage when he refused to repeat the escape attempt. Moreover, as best he could, he helped a friend get out of the pit. He understood all his weakness and did not dare to set up his comrade again. It is in such actions that the secret of his essence lies.

Sobolev D.Yu. 1

1 Municipal budgetary educational institution - secondary comprehensive school No. 27 im. N.S. Leskov with in-depth study of English language Orla

The text of the work is placed without images and formulas.
Full version work is available in the "Files of work" tab in PDF format

I have read very interesting story L. Tolstoy "Prisoner of the Caucasus". It tells about the war between the Russians and the highlanders.

The main characters of the work are Zhilin and Kostylin. They were Russian soldiers who were captured by the Tatars. During the attack of the invaders, Zhilin shouted to Kostylin to get a gun, but Kostylin rode away on horseback from his comrade. This characterizes Kostylin as a cowardly person capable of betrayal. When the soldiers were captured, Zhilin kept in touch with the Tatar girl Dina, who felt sorry for him. The hero was kind to her and gave homemade clay toys.

Zhilin tried to get to know the area better in order to escape. Kostylin was not active in captivity: he only lay and ate. He did not even try to escape from the Tatars, did not help Zhilin develop an escape plan. Kostylin thought that they would soon be redeemed from captivity.

During the first escape, the captives failed to escape, because Kostylin's cry betrayed them. Because of this, Zhilin did not want to take Kostylin with him, but he considered it cruel in relation to a person who, like him, was in trouble. I believe that Zhilin did the right thing by taking Kostylin with him. In this episode, the author seems to want to say: "Betrayal is to leave a comrade in trouble." During the second escape, Zhilin escaped alone, but Dina helped him.

The character of Kostylin was much different from the character of Zhilin. Zhilin was quick-witted, smart, much stronger in character than Kostylin. The name itself speaks for itself. Kostylin was afraid of the Tatars and wrote a letter home to be ransomed for a very large sum. He did not rely on himself at all, was lazy and did not even try to save his life. Zhilin did not despair and tried to find a way out of difficult situation. Kostylin did nothing and waited to be redeemed.

The difference in the characters of the heroes influenced their fate in such a way that Zhilin was at large much earlier than Kostylin. It follows from this that Kostylin was the opposite of Zhilin, which is what the author was trying to say. I support Zhilin, because he knew that there were not even five hundred rubles at home, and his mother was dying of old age, and he specifically indicated the wrong address on the letter so that it would not reach. This emphasizes Zhilin's ability to take care of loved ones.

I really liked L. Tolstoy's story. he teaches to be cheerful, not to lose hope, to find a way out of a difficult situation, and not to be lazy, like Kostylin.