The famous Russian writer I. A. Goncharov published his next novel Oblomov in 1859. It was an incredibly difficult period for Russian society, which seemed to be divided into two parts. The minority understood the need and stood up for improving the lives of ordinary people. The majority turned out to be landowners, gentlemen and wealthy noblemen, who were directly dependent on the peasants who fed them. In the novel, Goncharov invites the reader to compare the image of Oblomov and Stolz - two friends, completely different in temperament and strength of mind. This is a story about people who, despite internal contradictions and conflicts, remained true to their ideals, values, and their way of life. However, sometimes it is difficult to understand the true reasons for such a trusting closeness between the main characters. That is why the relationship between Oblomov and Stolz seems so interesting to readers and critics. Further, we will get to know them better.

Stolz and Oblomov: General characteristics

Oblomov is undoubtedly the main figure, but the writer pays more attention to his friend Stolz. The main characters are contemporaries, nevertheless, they turn out to be completely different from each other. Oblomov is a person in his 30s. Goncharov describes his pleasant appearance, but emphasizes the lack of a specific idea. Andrei Shtolts is the same age as Ilya Ilyich, he is much thinner, with an even dark complexion, practically without blush. Stolz's green expressive eyes are also contrasted with the gray and dim gaze of the protagonist. Oblomov himself grew up in a family of Russian nobles who owned more than one hundred serf souls. Andrei was raised in a Russian-German family. Nevertheless, he identified himself with Russian culture, professed Orthodoxy.

The relationship between Oblomov and Stolz

One way or another, the lines connecting the fate of the characters in the novel "Oblomov" are present. The author needed to show how friendship arises between people of opposite views and types of temperament.

The relationship between Oblomov and Stolz is largely predetermined by the conditions in which they were brought up and lived in their youth. Both men grew up together in a boarding house near Oblomovka. Stolz's father served there as a manager. In that village of Verkhlev, everything was saturated with the atmosphere of "Oblomovism", slowness, passivity, laziness, simplicity of manners. But Andrei Ivanovich Stolz was well educated, read Wieland, studied verses from the Bible, counted the illiterate reports of peasants and factory people. In addition, he read Krylov's fables, and with his mother he analyzed sacred history. Boy Ilya was sitting at home under the soft wing of parental care, while Stolz spent a lot of time on the street, communicating with the neighbors' children. Their personalities have evolved in different ways. Oblomov was a ward of nannies and caring relatives, while Andrei did not stop doing physical and mental work.

The secret of friendship

The relationship between Oblomov and Stolz is amazing and even paradoxical. There are a lot of differences between the two characters, but there are undoubtedly traits that unite them. First of all, Oblomov and Stolz are linked by a strong and sincere friendship, but they are similar in their so-called "life dream". Only Ilya Ilyich sleeps at home, on the sofa, and Stolz falls asleep in the same way in his life full of events and impressions. They both fail to see the truth. Both are unable to give up their own way of life. Each of them is unusually attached to their habits, believing that it is precisely this behavior that is the only correct and reasonable.

It remains to answer the main question: "What hero does Russia need: Oblomov or Stolz?" Of course, such active and progressive personalities as the latter will remain in our country forever, will be its driving force, will feed it with their intellectual and spiritual energy. But we must admit that even without the Oblomovs, Russia will cease to be what our compatriots knew it for many centuries. Oblomov needs to be educated, patiently and unobtrusively awakened, so that he also benefits his homeland.

The remarkable Russian writer I.A.Goncharov went down in the history of literature as a person who was able to perfectly capture the process of spiritual death of a person in his unique work. The image of Oblomov is Goncharov's greatest achievement. This type, in general, is not new for Russian literature. We meet with him in the comedy "Bummer" by Fonvizin, and in "The Marriage" by Gogol. But most fully and multifaceted, he is embodied in the image of Oblomov from the novel of the same name by Goncharov.

We get to know Oblomov from the first pages of the novel, where a lazy person, deprived of any external movement, appears to the reader's eyes, his extraordinary fate is drawn, without the slightest adventure and intrigue. The reader involuntarily asks the question of why the author creates a hero who at first does not attract him with his life. A little later, Goncharov gives an answer, describing Oblomov's dream, which takes us into his childhood. It is childhood that is the prehistory of the entire uncomplicated life of the protagonist. His childhood was spent in a quiet serene paradise - Oblomovka. There, the child was brought up to regard work as a punishment that must be avoided at the slightest opportunity. So, for example, on Ilyushenka’s initiative to go for something, we meet the bewilderment of his mother: “How ?! What for? And what are the servants for? " Hence Oblomov's inability to take care of himself. The fairy tales that his beloved parents told him, about rivers of milk, a sweet life, about the fact that you need to live for your pleasure, doing nothing, inspired Ilyushenka with the idea that you do not need to strive for anything, spend energy on something and time, there is always someone who will do it for you.

Unlike Oblomov, his friend Stolz's childhood was completely different. Andrei was brought up in a different environment: he knew that he had to achieve everything himself, not counting on someone. Even then, Stolz formed a certain attitude towards life, he knows what he wants to achieve. In a word, this is a purposeful person who achieves the goal that he has set for himself.

Outwardly Oblomov is a complete, bloated, sedentary person. His white and plump hands indicate that he has no idea what labor is.

Stolz is a smart, energetic man, whose eyes show that he enjoys life. He is ready to work even when he triples his capital. For him, life without movement is slow aging and spiritual death.

As you can see, even this small comparison is striking the opposite of the results. To fully make sure that Oblomov and Stolz are antipode heroes, let us turn to such an important topic as their attitude to love.

Stolz, returning from a business trip, sees what happened to his best friend, and decides to add variety to his boring life, to make it the way they both dreamed of in their youth.

With the acquaintance with Olga Ilyinskaya, Oblomov has a meaning in life. He becomes unrecognizable to the people around him. This is no longer the lazy Oblomov that appeared before us on the first pages of the novel. This is an energetic person who reads, walks and even (surprisingly for himself) dines at home less often. He has no need to sleep for an hour or two after dinner. He strives to devote all his free time to Olga. But doubts began to creep into his soul: “Does she love me?”; fears that Olga will soon stop loving him, because there is nothing to love him for, that this is too much happiness that has fallen to his lot, and it will soon end. And we notice how in a relatively short time Oblomov returns to his old habits, stops leaving the house - in general, turns into the same apathetic and withdrawn Oblomov as he was before meeting Olga.

Stolz loves selflessly, without asking questions: "why", "what if", "and if". He is in a hurry to enjoy the moment he lives now, without thinking about tomorrow.

A logical conclusion follows from these comparisons: Stolz and Oblomov are two different, completely opposite personalities. They have different habits, different views on life, on relationships between people. But meanwhile, this does not prevent them from being best friends. Yes, Stolz is more energetic, purposeful, independent, in contrast to the naive Oblomov. But he does not have that precious quality that Oblomov possesses: a loyal and kind heart, for which you can forgive him both his slowness and phlegmatic perception of life

The main characters of the novel by I.A. Goncharov's "Oblomov" are Oblomov and Stolz. The writing must begin with a description of the writer's intention. Goncharov shows the gradual death of the human soul. Of course, the author was not the first to bring such an image to the pages of the work, but he portrayed it in such a scale and versatility that literature did not know before him.

Barin Ilya Oblomov

From the beginning of the novel, the writer acquaints the reader with an unremarkable master. This is a typical image of the Russian nobility. Inactive, imposing, loose, passive. The plot is devoid of action, intrigue. The apathy of Ilya Oblomov seems absolutely incomprehensible. For days Ilya lies on the sofa in a greasy robe and ponders everything. Many ideas are hovering in his head, but none of them finds further continuation. Oblomov has no desire to start communication. He tries not to disturb the peaceful course of life in Oblomovka. His lazy dreams are interrupted only by supplicants who profit from him. But Oblomov doesn't care. He is so far from reality that he does not even notice the true intentions of his "guests". And here Goncharov introduces which takes us to the childhood of the hero. This is where the reason for this behavior lies. It was in childhood that a man who was not adapted to life was raised from a boy. Indulging his desires, protecting him from any action, Ilya was inspired with the idea that nothing needs to be done, there will always be someone who will do it for him. Typical position of noblemen living off the peasants.

Friend arrival

The life of Ilya Oblomov changes with the arrival of Andrei Stolz, an old friend, to him. Oblomov sincerely hopes that Stolz is able to change the current situation, in the power to bring him out of his state of half-sleep. And indeed, a handsome young man arrives, having both experience and money. No wonder Goncharov compares him to a blood English horse. Unlike his friend, Stolz in Oblomov is alien to dreaminess and laziness. He is a practitioner in everything.

This is not to say that Oblomov has always been the same as now. In the days of their youth, Ilya and Andrei studied science together, enjoyed life, and strove for something. However, then the lively and active Andrei could not captivate Oblomov with his enthusiasm, and gradually this young gentleman revived in his estate the environment to which he was accustomed from childhood. Stolz in the novel "Oblomov" is the complete opposite of the main character and at the same time the closest person. And he helps to reveal the features of Ilya, to identify and emphasize his advantages and disadvantages.

Friends since childhood

Heroes are childhood friends. These are two people completely different in character, brought together by fate. Ilya Oblomov was a family favorite from an early age. He lived in harmony with himself and with the world around him. Ilyusha had everything he wanted. Relatives protected him from all troubles. He grew up as a kind of darling of fate, brought up on nanny's fairy tales, in an atmosphere of laziness and serenity, without a special desire to learn, to learn something new. As a teenager, Oblomov meets Stolz in the neighboring village of Verkhlevo. The little master, accustomed to bliss in his estate, Ilya, enters into a completely different world, energetic, new. Andrei Stolz's father taught his son to be independent early, having brought up German pedantry in him. Oblomov's friend Stolz inherited from his mother a love for poetry, from his father - a craving for science, for precision and accuracy. Since childhood, he not only helps his father in business, but works and receives a salary. Hence Andrey's ability to make bold and independent decisions, to be responsible for his actions. Even outwardly, friends are absolutely opposite. Ilya is a plump, flabby, sluggish man who does not know what work is. On the contrary, Andrey is a smart, cheerful, active person accustomed to constant work. The absence of movement is like death for him.

The table "Oblomov and Stolz", located below, will allow you to more clearly represent the difference in the characters' images.

Love in the lives of heroes

Both experience love differently in life. And in love, Oblomov and Stolz are completely opposite. By virtue of its volume, the composition cannot capture the totality of differences between the heroes of the novel. However, the topic of love should be considered.

When Olga brightens up Ilya's boring everyday life, he comes to life, from a bloated creature he turns into an interesting man. Energy in Oblomov is in full swing, he needs everything, everything is interesting. He forgets about his old habits and even wants to get married. But suddenly doubts about the truth of Olga's love begin to torment him. The endless questions that Oblomov asked himself, in the end, do not allow him to change his life. He returns to his former existence, and nothing touches him. Andrei Stolts loves selflessly, passionately, giving himself up to feeling without a trace.

Opposites converge

In other words, we see that Oblomov and Stolz (the essay reflects the generally accepted point of view) are completely different people who grew up in different environments. However, it was precisely this difference that brought them closer together. Each of them finds in the other what he himself lacks. Oblomov attracts Stolz with a calm and kind disposition. And vice versa, in Andrey Ilya is fascinated by his vital activity. Time tests both for strength, but their friendship only grows stronger.

Oblomov and Stolz table

Ilya Oblomov	Andrey Stolts
Origin
Oblomov is a family nobleman who lives in accordance with patriarchal traditions.	Stolz is the son of a German who manages the estate of a Russian noblewoman.
Upbringing
He was brought up in an atmosphere of idleness. Was not accustomed to either mental or physical labor.	Since childhood, he was fond of science and art, early began to earn money and make independent decisions.
Life position
Half-asleep vegetation, daydreaming, lack of desire to change anything	Activity, practicality
Character traits
Kind, calm, weak, lazy, sincere, dreamer, philosopher	Strong, smart, hardworking, life-loving

This is how Oblomov and Stolz are presented to readers. The essay can be concluded with the words of the author himself: “In him was something that was dearer than any mind: an honest, faithful heart! This is his natural gold; he carried it unharmed through life. "

The novel "Oblomov" by I. A. Goncharov has not lost its relevance and its objective significance in our time, because it has a universal human philosophical meaning. The main conflict of the novel - between the patriarchal and bourgeois ways of Russian life - the writer reveals on the opposition of people, feelings and reason, peace and action, life and death. With the help of the antithesis technique, Goncharov makes it possible to fully understand the concept of the novel, to penetrate the souls of the characters.

Ilya Oblomov and Andrey Stolts are the main characters of the work. These are people of the same class, society, time. It would seem that people of the same environment, the characters, worldview should be similar. But they are completely opposite to each other. Stolz, in contrast to Oblomov, is shown by the writer as an active person in whom reason prevails over feeling. Goncharov makes attempts to understand why these people are so different, and he looks for the origins of this in the origin, upbringing and education, as this lays the foundations of the characters.

Stolz was brought up in a poor family. His father was German by birth, and his mother was a Russian noblewoman. We see that the family spent all the days at work. When Stolz grew up, his father began to take him to the field, to the market, forced him to work. At the same time, he taught him sciences, taught him the German language, that is, he brought up in his son respect for knowledge, the habit of thinking, doing business. Then Stolz began to send his son to the city with errands, “and it never happened that he forgot something, altered, overlooked, made a mistake”. The writer shows us how zealously, persistently this person develops in Andrei economic tenacity, the need for constant activity. Mother taught her son literature and managed to give him an excellent spiritual education. So, Stolz was formed as a strong, intelligent young man.

And what about Oblomov? His parents were nobles. Their life in the village of Oblomovka took place according to its own special laws. The Oblomov family had a cult of food. The whole family decided "what dishes will be for lunch or dinner." And after dinner, the whole house fell asleep, plunged into a long sleep. And so every day passed in this family: only sleep and food. When Oblomov grew up, he was sent to study in a gymnasium. But we see that Ilya's parents were not interested in their son's knowledge. They themselves invented pretexts in order to free the adored child from studies, dreamed of getting a certificate proving that “Ilya went through all the arts and sciences”. They didn’t even let him out on the street once again, because they were afraid that he would be crippled and ill. Therefore, Oblomov grew up lazy, apathetic, did not receive a proper education.

But let's look deeper into the characters of the main characters. Having rethought the pages I had read in a new way, I realized that both Andrei and Ilya have their own tragedy in life.

At first glance, Stolz is a new, progressive, almost ideal person. Work for him is a part of life, pleasure. He does not shun even the dirtiest work, leads an active life. From the moment he left home, he lives by work, thanks to which he became rich and famous to a wide range of people. Stolz's ideal of happiness is material wealth, comfort, personal well-being. And he achieves his goal with hard work. His life is full of action. But despite the outward well-being, it is boring and monotonous.

Unlike Oblomov, a man of a subtle soul, Stolz appears to the reader as a kind of machine: “He was all made up of bones, muscles and nerves, like a blood English horse. He is thin; he has almost no cheeks at all, that is, bone and muscle ... the complexion is even, dark, and no blush. " Stolz lives strictly according to plan, his life is scheduled by the minute, and there are no surprises, interesting moments in it, he almost never worries, does not worry about any event especially strongly. And we see that the tragedy of this person lies precisely in the monotony of his life, in the one-sidedness of his perception of the world.

Now let's turn to Oblomov. Labor for him is a burden. He was a master, which means that he should not have devoted a single drop of time to work. And I'm not even talking about physical labor, because he was even too lazy to get up from the couch, leave the room to be cleaned. He spends his whole life on the couch, doing nothing, not interested in anything (he can’t bring himself to finish reading the book "A Journey through Africa", even the pages of this book have turned yellow). Oblomov's ideal of happiness is complete calmness and good food. And he reached his ideal. Servants cleaned up after him, and at home he had no big problems with the economy. And before us another tragedy is revealed - the moral death of the hero. Before our eyes, the inner world of this person is becoming poorer, from a kind, pure person Oblomov turns into a moral cripple.

But despite all the differences between Stolz and Oblomov, they are friends, friends from childhood. They are brought together by the most beautiful traits of character: honesty, kindness, decency.

The essence of the novel is that inaction can destroy all the best feelings of a person, corrode his soul, destroy his personality, and work, the desire for education will bring happiness, provided that a person has a rich inner world.

In the novel "Oblomov" Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov wanted to oppose Western and Russian culture. Oblomov and Stolz are two key images of the work. The novel is built on the principle of antithesis. It is realized through the opposition of these two characters in the work. Stolz and Oblomov are in many ways opposite. In Russian classical literature, there are many works built in this way. These are, for example, "A Hero of Our Time" and "Eugene Onegin". Such examples can also be found in foreign literature.

"Oblomov" and "Don Quixote"

The novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes most closely resembles "Oblomov". This work describes the contradictions between reality and a person's idea of \u200b\u200bwhat an ideal life should be. This contradiction extends, as in Oblomov, to the outside world. Like Ilya Ilyich, Hidalgo is immersed in dreams. Oblomov in the work is surrounded by people who do not understand him, because their ideas about the world are limited by its material side. True, these two stories have a diametrically opposite outcome: before death, Alonso comes to an insight. This character understands that he was mistaken in his dreams. But Oblomov does not change. Obviously, this outcome is the difference between the Western and Russian mentality.

Antithesis - the main device in the work

With the help of the antithesis, one can draw the personalities of the heroes in more volume, since everything is cognized in comparison. It is impossible to understand Ilya Ilyich by removing Stolz from the novel. Goncharov shows the merits and demerits of his characters. At the same time, the reader can look from the outside at himself and his inner world. This will help prevent the mistakes made by the heroes Oblomov and Stolz in Goncharov's novel Oblomov.

Ilya Ilyich is a man with a primordially Russian soul, and Andrei Stolts is a representative of a new era. Both have always been and will be in Russia. Stolz and Oblomov are characters, through the interaction of which, as well as through their interaction with other heroes of the work, the author conveys the main ideas. Olga Ilyinskaya is the link between them.

The importance of childhood in the formation of the characters of heroes

Childhood is of great importance in every person's life. Personality during this period has not yet been formed. A person, like a sponge, absorbs everything that the surrounding world offers. It is in childhood that upbringing takes place, on which it depends on what a person will become in adulthood. Therefore, an important role in Goncharov's novel is played by the description of childhood and the upbringing of future antipodes, which are Ilya Oblomov and Andrei Stolts. In the chapter "Oblomov's Dream" the author gives a description of Ilya Ilyich's childhood. He remembers Oblomovka, his native village. After reading this chapter, we understand where immobility and laziness appeared in the character of this hero.

Childhood of Ilya Oblomov

Stolz and Oblomov were brought up in different ways. Ilyusha is like a future master. Many guests and relatives lived in his parents' house. They all praised and caressed little Ilyusha. He was exquisitely and a lot fed with "cream", "crackers", "buns". Food, it should be noted, was the main concern in Oblomovka. She was given a lot of time. The whole family decided the question of what dishes would be for dinner or lunch. After dinner, everyone fell into a long sleep. So the days passed: food and sleep. When Ilya grew up, he was sent to study at the gymnasium. Ilya's parents were not interested in knowledge. They only needed a certificate that he had passed various sciences and arts. Therefore, Ilya Oblomov grew up as an uneducated, downtrodden boy, but kind at heart.

The childhood of Andrei Stolz

For Stolz, the opposite is true. Andrei's father, a German by nationality, from an early age brought up independence in his son. In relation to his child, he was dry. Purposefulness and rigor are the main features that his parents put into Andrey's upbringing. All the days of the family passed at work. When the boy grew up, his father began to take him to the market, in the field, forced him to work. At the same time, he taught his son sciences, German. Then Stolz began sending the child to town on errands. Goncharov notes that it never happened that Andrei forgot something, overlooked, altered, made a mistake. A Russian noblewoman, the boy's mother, taught him literature, gave spiritual education to her son. As a result, Stolz became a smart, strong youth.

Farewell to home

Let's turn to the scenes that describe how Stolz and Oblomov left their native villages. Oblomov was seen off with tears in his eyes, they do not want to let go of the dear child - there is an atmosphere of love for the boy. And when Stolz leaves his home, his father only gives him a few instructions on how to spend money. At the moment of parting, they don't even have anything to say to each other.

Two environments, two characters and their influence on each other

The villages Oblomovka and Verkhlevo are two completely different environments. Oblomovka is a kind of paradise on Earth. Nothing happens here, everything is calm and quiet. In power in Verkhlevo is Andrei's father, a German, who arranges a German order here.

Oblomov and Stolz have common traits. Their friendship, which had existed since childhood, led to the fact that, while communicating, they influenced to some extent each other. Both heroes were brought up together for some time. They went to the school that Andrei's father maintained. However, they came here, one might say, from completely different worlds: once and for all, the established, undisturbed order of life in the village of Oblomovka; and the active work of the German burgher, which was interspersed with the lessons of his mother, who tried to instill in Andrei an interest and love for art.

For the further development of relations, however, Andrei and Ilya lack communication. Gradually moving away from each other, growing up, Oblomov and Stolz. Their friendship, meanwhile, does not stop. However, she is also hindered by the fact that the property status of these two heroes is different. Oblomov is a real master, a nobleman. This is the owner of 300 souls. Ilya could do nothing at all, being on the provision of his serfs. Everything is different with Stolz, who was a Russian nobleman only by his mother. He independently had to maintain his material well-being.

Oblomov and Stolz in the novel Oblomov became completely different in their mature years. It was already difficult for them to communicate. Stolz began to sneer and make fun of Ilya's reasoning, so far from reality. Differences in personalities and outlook on life eventually led to a gradual weakening of their friendship.

The meaning of friendship in Goncharov

The common thread in this novel is the idea of \u200b\u200bfriendship, about the role it plays in a person's life. A person, in interaction with others, can manifest his true essence. Friendship has many forms: "brotherhood" praised by Pushkin, selfish, friendship for one reason or another. Except sincere, in essence, all the others are just forms of selfishness. Andrey and Ilya had a strong friendship. She connected them, as we have already noted, since childhood. Roman Goncharova helps readers to understand why Oblomov and Stolz are friends, what role friendship plays in a person's life, due to the fact that it describes many of its vicissitudes.

The meaning and relevance of the novel "Oblomov"

The novel "Oblomov" is a work that does not lose its relevance to this day, since it reflects the essence of human life, which is eternal. The antithesis proposed by the author (his portrait is presented below) perfectly conveys the essence of the fate of the history of our country, which is marked by these two extremes.

It is difficult for a Russian person to find a middle ground, to mix the desire for well-being, the activity and diligence of Andrei Stolz and the broad soul of Oblomov, full of wisdom and light. Probably, in each of our compatriots, as well as in our country itself, these extremes live: Stolz and Oblomov. The characterization of Russia's future depends on which of them will prevail.