14. The theme of money and the image of the miser in the work of Balzac: "Gobsek", "Eugene Grande", etc.
The theme of the power of money is one of the main themes in Balzac's work and is a common thread in The Human Comedy.
"Gobsek" written in 1830 and included in Scenes of Private Life. This is a mini-novel. It starts with a frame - the ruined Viscountess de Granlier was once helped by the solicitor Derville, and now he wants to help her daughter marry Ernest de Resto (the son of the Countess de Resto, ruined by his mother, but literally the other day, according to Derville, entering into inheritance rights Already here is the theme of the power of money: a girl cannot marry a young man she likes, because he does not have 2 million, and if there were, she would have many applicants). Derville tells the viscountess and her daughter the story of Gobsek, the usurer. The main character is one of the rulers of the new France. The personality is strong, exceptional, Gobsek is internally contradictory. "There are two creatures in it: the curmudgeon and the philosopher, the vile creature and the sublime," says lawyer Derville about him.
Gobsek's image - almost romantic. Speaking surname: Gobsec is translated from French as "live-throat". It is no coincidence that clients turn to him only in the last place, because he takes into account even the most unreliable bills, but takes hellish interest on them (50, 100, 500. By friendship, he can give 12%, in his opinion, this is only for great merits and high moral). Appearance: " moon face, Facial features, motionless, impassive, like Talleyrand's, seemed cast in bronze. The eyes, small and yellow, like a ferret, and almost without eyelashes, could not stand the bright light". His age was a mystery, the past is little known (they say, in his youth he sailed on the sea on a ship and visited most countries of the world), there is one great passion - for the power that money gives. These traits allow Gobseck to be regarded as a romantic hero. Balzac uses over 20 comparisons for this image: a bill of exchange man, a machine gun, a golden statue. The main metaphor and leitmotif of Gobsek is "silence, like in the kitchen when a duck is slaughtered." Like Monsieur Grande (see below), Gobsec lives in poverty, although he is terribly rich. Gobsek has his own poetry and philosophy of wealth: gold rules the world.
He cannot be called evil, because he helps honest people who came to him without trying to deceive him. There were only two of them: Derville and Comte de Resto. But he also takes a predatory interest from them, explaining it very simply. He does not want their relationship to be bound by a feeling of gratitude, which can make even friends enemies.
The image of Gobsek is idealized, he is expressive, tends to the grotesque. He is practically sexless (although he appreciates female beauty), has gone beyond the bounds of passions. He only enjoys power over the passions of others: “I am rich enough to buy the conscience of other people. Life is a machine driven by money. "
He dies like a true miser - alone, avarice reaches fantastic limits. He accepts gifts from his debtors, including food, tries to resell them, but is too intractable, and as a result, all this rots in his house. Everywhere - traces of crazy hoarding. Money falls out of the books. The quintessence of this avarice is a pile of gold that the old man, for lack of a better place, buried in the ash of the fireplace.
Balzac originally existed within the framework of the romantic movement, but the image of Gobsek is given with the help of the narrator - Mr. Derville, and the romantic exaggeration is objectified, the author is removed from him.
"Evgenia Grande" belongs to the novels of the "second style" (repetitions, juxtapositions and coincidences), is included in "Scenes of provincial life", and it develops the theme of the power of money and has its own image of the miser - Felix Grande, the father of the main character. The way to describe Eugenia's character begins with her surroundings: at home, the story of her father Grande and his wealth. His stinginess, monomania - all this influenced the character and fate of the main character. Little things in which his stinginess manifests itself: he saves on sugar, firewood, uses the food stocks of his tenants, consumes only the worst of the products grown on his lands, considers 2 eggs for breakfast a luxury, gives Eugenia old expensive coins for his birthdays, but constantly watches, so that she does not spend them, she lives in a poor, dilapidated house, although she is fabulously rich. Unlike Gobsek, Grande's father is completely unprincipled in the accumulation of wealth: he violates an agreement with neighboring winemakers, selling wine at exorbitant prices before others, even from the ruin of his brother is able to profit by taking advantage of the fall in the price of bills.
The novel, seemingly devoid of deep passions, in fact simply transfers these passions from the love sphere to the market. The main action of the novel is Daddy Grande's transactions, his accumulation of money. Passions are realized in money and also bought for money.
Have daddy grande - their values, views of the world, characterizing him as a miser. For him, the worst thing is not the loss of his father, but the loss of his fortune. He cannot understand why Charles Grandet is so killed over his father's suicide, and not over the fact that he is ruined. For him, bankruptcy, whether intentional or unintentional, is the worst sin on earth: “To be bankrupt is to commit the most shameful of all acts that can disgrace a person. A robber from the high road is better than an insolvent debtor: a robber attacks you, you can defend yourself, he even risks his head, but this one ... "
Papa Grande is a classic image of the miser, curmudgeon, monomaniac and ambitious. Its main idea is to possess gold, to physically feel it. It is no coincidence that when his wife dies and he tries to show her all his tenderness, he throws gold coins on the blanket. Before death, a symbolic gesture - he does not kiss the golden crucifix, but tries to grab it. The spirit of despotism grows out of love for gold. In addition to his love of money, similar to the "Covetous Knight", another of his traits is cunning, even in appearance: a bump on the nose with veins that moved slightly when Grande's father was plotting some kind of cunning.
Like Gobsek, at the end of his life his stinginess takes on painful features. Unlike Gobsek, who even at the moment of death retains a sound mind, this person loses his mind. Constantly strives to his office, makes her daughter move bags of money, all the time asks: "Are they there?"
The theme of the power of money is central to the novel. Money rules everything: it plays a major role in the fate of a young girl. They trample on all human moral values. Felix Grande calculates profits at his brother's obituary. Evgenia is interesting to men only as a rich heiress. Due to the fact that she gave the coins to Charles, her father almost cursed her, and her mother died from a nervous shock on this basis. Even the actual engagement of Eugene and Charles is an exchange of material values \u200b\u200b(gold coins for a gold box). Charles marries for convenience, and when he meets Eugenia, he perceives more as a rich bride, although, judging by her lifestyle, he comes to the conclusion that she is poor. Eugenia's marriage is also a commercial deal, for the money she buys complete independence from her husband.
15. Character and environment in Balzac's novel "Eugene Grande".
"Eugene Grande" (1833) - a truly realistic stage in the work of Balzac. It is a drama in the simplest of circumstances. Two of his important qualities were manifested: observation and clairvoyance, talent - the image of the causes of events and actions, accessible to the artist's vision. In the center of the novel is the fate of a woman who is doomed to loneliness, despite all her 19 million francs, and her “life the color of mildew.” This work “does not resemble anything I have created so far,” the writer himself notes: "Here the conquest of absolute truth in art was completed: here the drama is enclosed in the simplest circumstances of private life." The subject of the image in the new novel is bourgeois everyday life in its apparently unremarkable course. The setting is Saumur, a typical French province. The characters are Saumur inhabitants, whose interests are limited to a narrow circle of everyday worries, petty squabbles, gossip and the pursuit of gold. The cult of cash is dominant here. It explains the rivalry between two eminent families of the city - the Cruchot and the Grassens, who are fighting for the hand of the heroine of the novel Eugenia, the heiress of the multimillion-dollar fortune of "Papa Grandet". Life, gray in its wretched monotony, becomes the background of Eugenia's tragedy, a tragedy of a new type - "bourgeois ... without poison, without a dagger, without blood, but for the characters more cruel than all the dramas that took place in the famous family of Atrides."
IN character Eugenia Grande Balzac showed a woman's ability to love and be faithful to her beloved. This is an almost perfect character. But the novel is realistic, with a system of methods for analyzing modern life. Her happiness never happened, and the reason for this was not the omnipotence of Felix Grande, but Charles himself, who betrayed youthful love in the name of money and position in the world. So the forces hostile to Eugenia ultimately prevailed over the Balzac heroine, depriving her of what she was intended for by nature itself. The theme of a lonely disappointed woman, her loss of romantic illusions.
According to its structure, the novel is a “second manner”. One theme, one conflict, few actors. This is a novel that begins with everyday life, an epic of private life. Balzac knew provincial life. He showed boredom, everyday events. But something more is invested in the environment, things are wednesday, which defines the character of the heroes. Small details help to reveal the character of the heroes: a father saving on sugar, a knock on Charles Grandet's door, unlike the knocking of provincial visitors, Chairman Cruchot, seeking to etch his name, who signs “K. de Bonfon ”, as he recently bought the de Bonfon estate, etc. The path to the character of Eugenia is formed from the description of everything that surrounds her: the old house, daddy Grande and the history of his wealth, accurate information about the family, the struggle for her hand between two clans - Cruchot and de Grassens. The father is an important factor in the formation of the novel: the stinginess and monomania of Felix Grande, his power, to which Eugenia obeys, largely determines her character, later the avarice, the mask of her father's indifference is transmitted to her, although not in such a strong form. It turns out that the Saumur millionaire (in the past, a simple bochard) laid the foundations of his well-being during the years of the Great French Revolution, which gave him access to possession of the richest land plots expropriated by the republic from the clergy and nobility. During Napoleon's period, Grande became mayor of the city and used this post to lead the "excellent railroad" to his possessions, thereby increasing their value. The former bochard is already called Monsieur Grande, receives the Order of the Legion of Honor. The conditions of the era of the Restoration do not hinder the growth of his well-being - it is at this time that he doubles his wealth. The Saumur bourgeois is typical of France at that time. Grande, in the past a simple bochard, laid the foundations of his prosperity during the years of the revolution, which gave him access to the ownership of the richest land. During Napoleon's period, Grande became mayor of the city and used this post to lead an "excellent road" to his possessions, thereby increasing their value. The former bochard is already called Monsieur Grande, receives the Order of the Legion of Honor. The conditions of the era of the Restoration do not hinder the growth of his well-being - he doubles his wealth. The Saumur bourgeois is typical of France at that time. The discovery of the "roots" of the Grandet phenomenon reveals in all its maturity the historicism of Balzac's artistic thinking, which underlies the ever-deepening of his realism.
The adventure and love that readers expect are missing. Instead of adventure - stories of people: the story of the enrichment of Grandet and Charles, instead of a love line - the deal of Papa Grandet.
The image of Eugene... She has a monastic principle and the ability to suffer. Another characteristic feature of her is ignorance of life, especially at the beginning of the novel. She doesn't know how much money is a lot and how much is little. Her father doesn't tell her how rich she is. Evgenia, with her indifference to gold, high spirituality and natural desire for happiness, dares to come into conflict with Grande's dad. The origins of the dramatic collision are in the heroine's incipient love for Charles. In the fight for Charlaon, he shows a rare audacity, again manifested in "small truthful facts" (secretly from his father, he feeds Charles a second breakfast, brings him extra sugar cubes, stokes the fireplace, although it is not supposed to, and, most importantly, gives him a collection of coins, although he has no right to dispose of them). For Grandet, Eugenia's marriage to the "beggar" Charles is impossible, and he fuses his nephew to India, paying him his way to Nantes. However, even in separation, Eugene remains loyal to her chosen one. And if her happiness did not take place, then the reason for this was not the omnipotence of Felix Grande, but Charles himself, who betrayed youthful love in the name of money and position in the world. So the forces hostile to Eugenia ultimately prevailed over the Balzac heroine, depriving her of what she was intended for by nature itself.
The final touch: betrayed by Charles, who lost the meaning of life along with love, internally devastated Eugenia at the end of the novel by inertia continues to exist, as if fulfilling her father's behest: “Despite eight hundred thousand livres of income, she still lives the same as poor Eugenia Grandet used to live. , he stokes the stove in his room only on those days when her father let her ... Always dressed as her mother dressed. The Saumur house, without sun, without warmth, constantly shrouded in shadow and filled with melancholy, is a reflection of her life. She carefully collects income and, perhaps, could seem like a hoard, if she did not refute the slander by the noble use of her wealth ... The greatness of her soul conceals the pettiness instilled in her by her upbringing and skills of the first part of her life. This is the story of this woman - a woman not of the world in the middle of the world, created for the greatness of a wife and mother and who received no husband, no children, no family. "
16. Plot and composition of the novels "Father Goriot" and "Lost Illusions": similarities and differences.
novels both
Composition.
In Lost Illusions - the plot develops linearly, what happens in Lucien. Start with typography - and then all the twists and turns
1. "Father Goriot"
Composition:Its composition seems to be linear, chronic... In fact many backstories, and they appear very naturally, as if one of the heroes learns something about the other... This interaction is a mechanism of secrets and intrigues - Vautrin, Rastignac, betrayal - seems to be a chronicle day after day. However, it is a novel that opens up a wider picture of social life.
Balzac faced the need transformation of the poetics of the traditional novel, based, as a rule, on the principles of chronicle linear composition. The novel proposes a new type of novel action with pronounced dramatic beginning.
Plot:
Balzac uses a fairly well-known plot (almost a Shakespearean story of King Lear), but interprets it in a peculiar way.
Among the creative recordings of Balzac, bearing the title "Thoughts, Plots, Fragments", there is a short sketch: “The old man - family boarding house - 600 francs of rent - deprives himself of everything for his daughters, both of whom have 50,000 francs of income; dies like a dog. " In this sketch, you can easily learn the story of Gorio's boundless fatherly love, scolded by his daughters.
The novel shows the boundless, sacrificial love of a father for his children, which turned out to be not mutual. And that ultimately killed Gorio.
The story begins with the Voke boarding house where Goriot lives. In the boarding house everyone knows him, they are extremely unfriendly and his name is nothing but "Papa Goriot." Together with him, young Rastignac lives in the boarding house, who, by the will of fate learns the tragic fate of Goriot... It turns out that he was a small merchant who made a huge fortune, but spent it on his adored daughters (Rastignac becomes the lover of one of them), and they, in turn, squeezing everything they could from their father, abandoned him. And it was not about the noble and wealthy sons-in-law, but about the daughters themselves, who, having got into high society, began to be ashamed of their father. Even when Goriot was dying, the daughters did not deign to come and help their father. They did not appear at the funeral either. This story became the impetus for the young Rastignac, who decided to conquer Paris and its inhabitants by all means.
SIMILARITIES: Both of these works are parts of Balzac's "human comedy". One Wednesday, about one society, AND !!! a person encounters this society and, in fact, loses some of his illusions, naivety, faith in good (we continue in the same spirit).
19. The image of Rastignac and his place in Balzac's "The Human Comedy".
The image of Rastignac in "Ch.K." - the image of a young man who gains personal well-being. His path is the path of the most consistent and steady ascent. The loss of illusions, if it does occur, is done relatively painlessly.
IN "Father Goriot" Rastignac still believes in goodness, is proud of his purity. My life is "as pure as a lily." He is of noble aristocratic background, comes to Paris to pursue a career and enter the Faculty of Law. He lives in Madame Vake's boarding house on his last money. He has access to the salon of the Viscountess de Bosean. In terms of social status, he is a poor man. Rastignac's life experience consists of the collision of two worlds (the convict Vautrin and the viscountess). Rastignac considers Vautrin and his views higher than aristocratic society, where crimes are small. “Nobody wants honesty,” says Vautrin. "The colder you calculate, the further you go." Its intermediate position is typical for that time. With his last money, he arranges a funeral for poor Goriot.
Soon he realizes that his position is bad, it will not lead to anything, that he must sacrifice honesty, spit on pride and go for meanness.
In the novel "Banker's house" tells about the first business successes of Rastignac. With the help of the husband of his mistress Delphine, daughter of Goriot, Baron de Nucingen, he makes his fortune by cleverly playing on stocks. He is a classic opportunist.
IN "Shagreen leather" - a new stage in the evolution of Rastignac. Here he is already an experienced strategist who has long since given up all illusions. This is an outright cynic who has learned to lie and hypocrite. He is a classic opportunist. In order to prosper, he teaches Raphael, you need to climb forward and compromise all moral principles.
Rastignac is a representative of that army of young people who did not follow the path of open crime, but through adaptation, carried out by means of a legal crime. Financial policy is a rip-off. He is trying to adapt to the bourgeois throne.
20. The main conflict and the arrangement of images of the novel "Father Goriot".
The novel is an important part of the artistic history of the society of the last century conceived by the writer. Among Balzac's writings, entitled "Thoughts, Plots, Fragments," there is a short sketch: "An old man - a family boarding house - 600 francs of rent - deprives himself of everything for his daughters, both of whom have 50,000 francs of income; dies like a dog. " In this sketch, you can easily learn the story of Gorio's boundless fatherly love, scolded by his daughters.
The image of Goriot's father, of course, if not the main one in the novel, then at least one of the main ones, since the whole plot consists of the story of his love for his daughters.
Balzac describes him as the last of all the "freeloaders" in the house of Mrs. Vauquet. Balzac writes “... As in schools, as in tricky circles, and here, between eighteen freeloaders, there turned out to be a wretched, outcast creature, a scapegoat, on which a hail of derision rained down (...) Next, Balzac describes the story of Goriot in the boarding house - how he appeared there, how he filmed a more expensive room and was "Monsieur Goriot", as he began to rent rooms cheaper and cheaper until he became what he was at the time of the story. Further Balzac writes: “However, no matter how vile his vices or behavior were, hostility towards him did not reach the point of expelling him: he paid for the boarding house. In addition, there was a benefit from him: everyone, making fun of or bullying him, poured out his good or bad mood. " Thus, we see how all the residents of the boarding house treated Father Goriot and what their communication with him was. As Balzac further writes about the attitude of the tenants to Father Goriot, "Some he inspired disgust, others pity."
Further, the image of Goriot's father is revealed through his relationship to his daughters, Anastasi and Eugene. Already through the description of his actions, one can see how much he loves his daughters, how much he is ready to sacrifice everything for them, while they seem to love him, but do not appreciate. At the same time, at first it seems to the reader that Goriot, for his boundless love for his daughters, does not see this certain indifference to himself, does not feel that they do not value him - he constantly finds some explanations for their behavior, is content with what he can only out of the corner of his eye to see his daughter passing by him in a carriage, can only come to them through the back door. He doesn't seem to notice that they are ashamed of him, doesn't pay attention to it. However, Balzac gives his point of view on what is happening - that is, outwardly, Goriot does not seem to pay attention to how his daughters behave, but inside “... the poor man's heart was bleeding. He saw that his daughters were ashamed of him, and since they love their husbands, he is a hindrance for his sons-in-law (...) the old man sacrificed himself, that is why he is a father; he drove himself out of their homes, and the daughters were pleased; noticing this, he realized that he had done the right thing (...) This father gave away everything .. He gave his soul, his love for twenty years, and he gave his fortune in one day. The daughters squeezed a lemon and threw it out into the street. "
Of course, the reader is sorry for Goriot, the reader is immediately imbued with compassion for him. Goriot's father loved his daughters so much that even the state in which he was - mostly because of them - he endured, dreaming only that his daughters were happy. “By equating his daughters with angels, the poor man thus lifted them above him; he even loved the evil he endured from them, ”Balzac writes about how Goriot raised his daughters.
At the same time, Goriot himself, realizing that his daughters are treating him unfairly, wrongly, says the following: “Both daughters love me very much. As a father, I am happy. But two sons-in-law behaved badly towards me. ”That is, we see that he does not blame his daughters for anything, shifting all the blame onto his sons-in-law, who, in fact, are much less guilty before him than his daughters. "
And only dying, when none of the daughters came to him, although both knew that he was dying, Goriot speaks out loud everything that the reader was thinking about while watching the development of the plot. “They both have stone hearts. I loved them too much for them to love me, ”Goriot says of his daughters. This is what he did not want to admit to himself: “I have completely atoned for my sin - my excessive love. They brutally repaid me for my feeling - like executioners, they tore my body with pliers (...) They do not love me and have never loved! (…) I'm too stupid. They imagine that all fathers are the same as their father. One must always keep oneself in value. "
“If fathers are trampled underfoot, the fatherland will perish. It is clear. Society, the whole world is supported by fatherhood, everything will collapse if children stop loving their fathers, ”says Goriot, thereby, in my opinion, voicing one of the main ideas of the work.
13. Concept and structure of Balzac's "Human Comedy".
1. Concept. In 1834, Balzac conceived the idea to create a multivolume work, which was to become the artistic history and artistic philosophy of France. Initially, he wanted to call it "Studies of Morals", later, in the 40s, he decided to call this huge work " Human comedy", By analogy with Dante's" Divine Comedy ". The task is to emphasize the comic inherent in this era, but at the same time not to deny its heroes humanity. The Cheka was supposed to include 150 works, of which 92 were written, works of the first, second and third style of Balzac. It was necessary not only to write new works, but also to substantially revise the old ones so that they correspond to the idea. The works included in the "Cheka" were inherent in the following features:
ü Combination of several storylines and dramatic construction;
ü Contrast and juxtaposition;
ü Leitmotifs;
ü The topic of the power of money (practically in all sections of The Human Comedy);
ü The main conflict of the era is the struggle between man and society;
ü Shows his characters objectively, through material and material manifestations;
ü Pays attention to the little things - the path of a truly realistic writer;
ü The typical and the individual in the characters are dialectically interconnected. The category of the typical extends both to the circumstances and to the events that determine the movement of the plot in the novels.
ü Cyclization (the hero of "Cheka" is seen as a living person, about whom one can tell more. For example, Rastignac appears, in addition to "Papa Goriot", in "Shagreen Skin", "The Banker's House of Nucingen" and barely appears in "Lost Illusions").
The idea of \u200b\u200bthis work is most fully reflected in " Prefaces to the Human Comedy”, Written 13 years after the start of the implementation of the idea. The idea of \u200b\u200bthis work, according to Balzac, “was born from comparisons of humanity with the animal world", Namely - from the immutable law:" Everyone for himself, - on which the unity of the organism is based ”. Human society, in this sense, is similar to nature: "After all, the Society creates from a person, in accordance with the environment where he acts, as diverse species as there are in the animal world." If Buffon in his book tried to represent the entire animal world, why not try to do the same with society, although, of course, the description here will be more extensive, and women and men are completely different from males and females of animals, since often a woman does not depend on men and plays an independent role in life. In addition, if descriptions of animal habits remain unchanged, then the habits of people and their environment change at each stage of civilization. Thus, Balzac was going to " to cover three forms of being: men, women and things, that is, people and the material embodiment of their thinking, in a word, to depict a person and life».
In addition to the animal world, the concept of the "Human Comedy" was influenced by the fact that there were many historical documents, and history of human mores was not written. This is the story Balzac is referring to when he says: “Chance is the greatest novelist in the world; to be prolific you have to study it. The historian itself was supposed to be the French Society, I could only be its secretary».
But it was not only his task to describe the history of morals. To win the praise of readers (and Balzac considered this the goal of any artist), “ it was necessary to reflect on the principles of nature and discover where human Societies are moving away or approaching the eternal law, Kistina, beauty". The writer must have strong opinions on morality and politics, he must consider himself a teacher of people.
The veracity of the details. The novel "would have had no meaning if it had not truthful in details". Balzac attaches the same importance to facts, everyday, secret or explicit, as well as events of personal life, their reasons and motive principles, as much as historians attached to the events of public life of nations.
The implementation of the plan required a huge number of characters. There are more than two thousand of them in The Human Comedy. And we know everything we need about each of them: their origin, parents (sometimes even distant ancestors), relatives, friends and enemies, past and present income and occupations, exact addresses, apartment furnishings, the contents of wardrobes, and even the names of the tailors whose costumes. The story of Balzac's heroes, as a rule, does not end in the finale of this or that work. Passing on to other novels, novellas, short stories, they continue to live, experiencing ups and downs, hopes or disappointments, joy or torment, since society is alive, of which they are organic particles. The interconnection of these "returning" heroes holds together the fragments of the grandiose fresco, giving rise to the polysyllabic unity of the "Human Comedy".
2. Structure.
Balzac's task was to write the history of the customs of France in the 19th century - to depict two or three thousand typical people of this era. Such a plurality of lives required certain frames, or "galleries". Hence the whole structure of The Human Comedy. It is divided into 6 parts:
· Private scenes (this includes "Papa Goriot" -the first work written in accordance with the general plan of the "Cheka" , "Gobsek"). « These scenes depict childhood, youth, their delusions»;
· Scenes of provincial life (« Evgenia Grande"And the part" Of lost illusions"-" Two Poets "). " Mature age, passions, calculations, interests and ambition»;
· Scenes of Parisian life (« Nucingen Banking House»). « A picture of tastes, vices and all the unbridled manifestations of life caused by the morals inherent in the capital, where extreme good and extreme evil simultaneously meet»;
· Scenes of political life. « Life is all-special, which reflects the interests of many - a life that flows outside the general framework. " One principle: there are two moralities for monarchs and statesmen: big and small;
· Scene of war life. « Society in a state of highest stress, emerging from its usual state. Least complete part of the job»;
· Scenes of rural life. « The drama of social life. This section meets the purest characters and the implementation of the great principles of order, politics and morality.».
Paris and the provinces are socially opposite. Not only people, but the most important events differ in typical images. Balzac tried to give an idea of \u200b\u200bthe different places in France. "Comedy" has its own geography, as well as its genealogy, its families, the environment, the acting persons, facts, it also has its own coat of arms, its nobility and the bourgeoisie, its artisans, peasants, politicians and dandies, its army - in a word, the whole world.
These six sections are the foundation of The Human Comedy. The second part rises above it, consisting of philosophical studieswhere the social engine of all events finds expression. Balzac discovers this basic "social engine" in the struggle between selfish passions and material interests that characterize the public and private life of France in the first half of the 19th century. (" Shagreen leather"- connects scenes of mores with philosophical sketches. Life is depicted in a battle with Desire, the beginning of all Passion. The fantastic image of pebbled skin does not contradict the realistic method of depicting reality. All events are strictly motivated in the novel by a natural coincidence (Raphael, who just wished an orgy, came out from an antique dealer's shop, unexpectedly encounters friends who take him to a "luxurious feast" in the house of Tayfer; at the feast, the hero accidentally meets a notary who has been looking for the heir of the deceased millionaire, who turns out to be Raphael, for two weeks, and so on). - analytical studies(for example, "Physiology of marriage").
Assignment number 22. Consider the drawings and imagine that you have come to the museum, to the hall where clothes are displayed. The museum staff have not yet had time to place signs near the exhibits with the names of the era and indicating the time to which these exhibits belong. Place the signs yourself; compose a text for the guide, which would reflect the reasons for the change in fashion
The fashion of the early 19th century was influenced by the French Revolution. The Rococo era passed with the French monarchy. Women's outfits of simple cut from light light fabrics and a minimum of jewelry are in fashion. Men have a "military style" in their clothes, but the costume still has 18th century features. With the end of the Napoleonic era, fashion seems to remember the forgotten. Lush women's dresses with crinolines and deep neckline are returning. But the men's suit becomes more practical and finally passes to a tailcoat and an indispensable headdress - a top hat. Further, under the influence of changes in everyday life, women's clothing is narrowed, but, as before, corsets and crinolines are widely used. Men's clothing remains virtually unchanged. At the beginning of the 20th century, women's clothing begins to get rid of corsets and crinolines, but the dress is extremely narrowed. The men's suit finally turns into a classic "three"
Task number 23. Russian physicist AG Stoletov wrote: "Never since the time of Galileo did the world see so many amazing and varied discoveries that emerged from one head, and will hardly soon see another Faraday ..."
What discoveries did Stoletov have in mind? List them
1. Discovery of the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction
2. Discovery of gas liquefaction
3. Establishing the laws of electrolysis
4. Creation of the theory of polarization of dielectrics
What do you think caused the high assessment of Pasteur's activities given by the Russian scientist K.A.Timiryazev?
"The coming generations, of course, will complement Pasteur's work, but ... no matter how far they go forward, they will follow the path laid out for them, and even a genius cannot do this in science." Write down your point of view
Pasteur is the founder of microbiology, one of the foundations of modern medicine. Pasteur discovered methods of sterilization and pasteurization, without which it is impossible to imagine not only modern medicine, but also the food industry. Pasteur formulated the basics of vaccination and is one of the founders of immunology
The English physicist A. Schuster (1851-1934) wrote: "My laboratory was flooded with doctors who brought patients who suspected that they had needles in different parts of the body."
What do you think, what discovery in the field of physics made it possible to detect foreign objects in the human body? Who is the author of this discovery? Write down the answer
Discovery of the rays, named after him by the German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen. Based on this discovery, an X-ray machine was created
The Robert Koch Medal was established by the European Academy of Natural Sciences. What do you think Koch's discovery made his name immortal?
Discovery of the causative agent of tuberculosis, named after the scientist "Koch's wand". In addition, the German bacteriologist developed drugs and preventive measures against tuberculosis, which was of great importance, because at that time this disease was one of the main causes of death.
The American philosopher and educator J. Dewey said: “A truly thinking person draws no less knowledge from his mistakes than from his successes”; "Every great success of science has its source in the great audacity of the imagination."
Comment on the statements of J. Dewey
The first statement is consonant with the statement that a negative result is also a result. Most of the discoveries and inventions were made through repeated experiments, most of them unsuccessful, but giving researchers knowledge, which ultimately led to success.
The philosopher calls the “great audacity of the imagination” the ability to imagine the impossible, to see what goes beyond the ordinary idea of \u200b\u200bthe world around
Task number 24. Vivid images of romantic heroes are embodied in the literature of the early 19th century. Read excerpts from the works of romantics (remember the works of that time, familiar to you from literature lessons). Try to find something in common in the description of such different characters (appearance, character traits, behavior)
Excerpt from J. Byron. Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
Excerpt from J. Byron "Corsair"
Excerpts from V. Hugo "Notre Dame Cathedral"
What do you think, what reasons can explain the fact that these literary heroes personified the era? Write down your reasoning
All these heroes are united by a rich inner world, hidden from others. The heroes seem to withdraw into themselves, are guided more by heart than by reason, and they have no place among ordinary people with their "base" interests. They seem to be above society. These are typical features of romanticism that arose after the collapse of the ideas of the Enlightenment. In a society very far from justice, romanticism portrayed a beautiful dream, despising the world of wealthy shopkeepers
Here are illustrations for literary works created by romantics. Do you recognize the heroes? What helped you? Sign under each drawing the name of the author and the title of the literary work to which the illustration is made. Come up with a name for each
Task number 25. In the story of O. Balzac "Gobsek" (written in 1830, final edition - 1835), the hero, an incredibly wealthy usurer, expresses his view of life:
“What causes delight in Europe is punished in Asia. What is considered a vice in Paris is recognized as a necessity for the Azores. There is nothing lasting on earth, there are only conventions, and in every climate they are different. For one who willy-nilly applied to all social standards, all your moral rules and beliefs are empty words... Only one single feeling is unshakable, embedded in us by nature itself: the instinct of self-preservation ... Here you live with mine, you will find out that of all earthly blessings, there is only one reliable enough to make it worth a man to chase him... Is this gold. All the forces of mankind are concentrated in gold ... As for morals, man is the same everywhere: everywhere there is a struggle between the poor and the rich, everywhere. And it is inevitable. So it's better to push yourself than to let others push you»
Underline in the text the sentences that you think most clearly characterize Gobsek's personality
A person deprived of sympathy, concepts of goodness, alien to compassion in his striving for enrichment, is called a "swallower". It’s hard to imagine what exactly could have made him that way. A hint, perhaps in the words of Gobsek himself, that the best teacher of a person is misfortune, only it helps a person know the value of people and money. The hardships, misfortunes of his own life and the society surrounding Gobsek, where gold was considered the main measure of everything and the greatest good, made Gobsek a "swallower"
Based on your conclusions, write a short story - the story of Gobsek's life (childhood and adolescence, travel, meeting people, historical events, sources of his wealth, etc.), told by himself
I was born into the family of a poor artisan in Paris and lost my parents very early. Once on the street, I wanted one thing - to survive. Everything boiled in my soul when I saw the magnificent outfits of aristocrats, gilded carriages sweeping along the pavements and forcing you to press against the wall so as not to be crushed. Why is the world so unfair? Then ... the revolution, the ideas of freedom and equality, which turned everyone's head. Needless to say, I joined the Jacobins. And with what delight I received Napoleon! He made the nation proud of himself. Then there was a restoration and everything that had been fought against for so long returned. And again the world was ruled by gold. Freedom and equality were no longer remembered and I left for the south, to Marseille ... After many years of hardship, wandering, and dangers, I managed to get rich and learned the main principle of today's life - it is better to press yourself than to be crushed by others. And here I am in Paris, and those who once had to shy away from their carriages come to me to ask for money. Do you think I'm glad? Not at all, this further confirmed me in the opinion that the main thing in life is gold, only it gives power over people
Task number 26. Here are reproductions of two paintings. Both artists wrote works mainly on everyday topics. Review the illustrations, noting the timing of their creation. Compare both works. Is there something in common in the portrayal of the heroes, the attitude of the authors towards them? Maybe you managed to notice something different? Write the results of your observations in a notebook.
General: Depicts everyday scenes from the life of the third estate. We see the disposition of artists towards their characters and their knowledge of the subject
Various: Chardin depicted in his paintings calm, soulful scenes full of love, light and peace. In Mülle, we see endless fatigue, hopelessness and resignation to a difficult fate
Task number 27. Read the fragments of a literary portrait of the famous writer of the 19th century. (essay author - K. Paustovsky). In the text, the name of the writer is replaced by the letter N.
What writer did K. Paustovsky talk about? For the answer, you can use the text of § 6 of the textbook, which contains literary portraits of writers.
Underline phrases in the text that, from your point of view, allow you to accurately determine the name of the writer
The stories and poems of N, the colonial correspondent, who himself stood under the bullets and communicated with the soldiers, and did not disdain the society of the colonial intelligentsia, were understandable and graphic for wide literary circles.
About everyday life and work in the colonies, about the people of this world - English officials, soldiers and officers who are creating an empire far away N. narrated from native farms and cities lying under the blessed sky of old England. He and writers close to him in the general direction praised the empire as a great Mother, never tired of sending new and new generations of her sons across distant seas.
Children from different countries read the Jungle Books by this writer... His talent was inexhaustible, his language was precise and rich, his invention was full of plausibility. All these properties are enough to be a genius, belong to humanity.
About Joseph Rudyard Kipling
Task number 28. French artist E. Delacroix traveled extensively in the countries of the East. He was fascinated by the opportunity to portray vivid exotic scenes that excited the imagination
Come up with a few "oriental" subjects that you think might interest the artist. Write down the stories or their titles
The death of the Persian king Darius, Shahsey-Vakhsey among the Shiites with self-torture to blood, bride kidnapping, horse racing among nomadic peoples, falconry, hunting with cheetahs, armed Bedouins riding camels.
Name Delacroix's paintings on p. 29-30
Try to find albums with reproductions of works by this artist. Compare the names you have given with the genuine ones. List the names of other Delacroix paintings of the East that interest you
1. "Algerian women in their chambers", 1834
2. "Lion Hunt in Morocco", 1854
3. "Moroccan saddling a horse", 1855
Other paintings: "Cleopatra and the Peasant", 1834, "The Massacre on Chios", 1824, "Death of Sardanapalus" in 1827, "The Duel of Giaur and Pasha", 1827, "Clash of Arab Horses", 1860 ., "Fanatics of Tangier" 1837-1838
Task number 29. Contemporaries rightly considered Daumier's cartoons as illustrations for the works of Balzac
Consider a few such works: "Little Clerk", "Robert Macker - Stock Gambler", "Legislative Womb", "Moonlight Action", "Representatives of Justice", "Lawyer"
Make captions under the paintings (use quotes from Balzac's text for this). Write the names of the characters and the titles of Balzac's works, which could be illustrated by Daumier's works
1. "Little clerk" - "There are people who look like zeros: they always need to have numbers in front of them"
2. "Robert Macker - a stock player" - "The nature of our era, when money is everything: laws, politics, customs"
3. "Legislative womb" - "Impudent hypocrisy inspires respect for people who are used to serving"
4. "Moonlight Action" - "People rarely flaunt flaws - most try to cover them up with an attractive shell."
5. "Lawyers" - "The friendship of two saints does more evil than an open enmity of ten scoundrels"
6. "Representatives of Justice" - "If you talk alone all the time, you will always be right"
They can serve as illustrations for the following works: "Officials", "Guardianship Case", "Dark Business", "Nusingen Banking House", "Lost Illusions", etc.
Task number 30. Artists from different eras sometimes referred to the same subject, but interpreted it in different ways
Consider in the 7th grade textbook reproductions of the famous painting by David "The Oath of the Horatii", created during the era of the Enlightenment. What do you think, could this plot be of interest to a romantic artist who lived in the 30s-40s? XIX century? What would the piece look like? Describe it
The plot could interest romantics. They sought to portray heroes at moments of the highest tension of spiritual and physical forces, when the inner spiritual world of a person is exposed, showing his essence. The piece might look the same. You can replace costumes, bringing them closer to modernity
Task number 31. In the late 60s. XIX century. Impressionists burst into the artistic life of Europe, defending new views on art
In the book JI. Volynsky "The Green Tree of Life" is a short story about how once K. Monet, as always in the open air, painted a picture. For a moment, the sun hid behind a cloud, and the artist stopped working. At that moment he was found by G. Courbet, who was interested in why he was not working. “I'm waiting for the sun,” Monet replied. “You could paint the background landscape for now,” Courbet shrugged.
What do you think the impressionist Monet answered him? Write down possible answers
1. Monet's paintings are permeated with light, they are bright, sparkling, joyful - “light is needed for space”
2. Probably waiting for inspiration - "I don't have enough light"
Here are two portraits of women. Considering them, pay attention to the composition of the work, details, features of the image. Place under the illustrations the dates of creation of the works: 1779 or 1871.
What features of the portraits you noticed made it possible to carry out this task correctly?
By dress and manner of writing. "Portrait of the Duchess de Beaufort" Gainsborough - 1779 "Portrait of Jeanne Samary" by Renoir - 1871 Portraits of Gainsborough were made mainly to order. Coldly aloof aristocrats were portrayed in a refined manner. Renoir, on the other hand, portrayed ordinary French women, young, cheerful and spontaneous, full of life and charm. Painting technique also differs
Task number 32. The discoveries of the Impressionists paved the way for the post-impressionists - painters who strove to dream of their own unique vision of the world with maximum expressiveness
Paul Gauguin's canvas "Tahitian Pastorals" was created by the artist in 1893 during his stay in Polynesia. Try to compose a story about the content of the painting (what happens on the canvas, how Gauguin relates to the world captured on the canvas)
Considering civilization a disease, Gauguin gravitated towards exotic places, sought to merge with nature. This was reflected in his paintings, which depicted the life of the Polynesians, simple and measured. Emphasized the simplicity and manner of writing. Plane canvases depicted static and contrasting compositions in color, deeply emotional and at the same time decorative
Consider and compare the two still lifes. Each piece tells about the time when it was created. Do these works have something in common?
The still lifes depict simple everyday things and unpretentious fruits. Both still lifes are distinguished by simplicity and laconic composition.
Have you noticed a difference in the depiction of objects? What is it?
Klas reproduces objects in detail, strictly maintains perspective and chiaroscuro, uses soft colors. Cezanne presents us with a picture from different points of view, uses a clear outline to emphasize the volume of the subject, and bright saturated colors. The crumpled tablecloth does not look as soft as Klas's, but rather acts as a background and sharpens the composition.
Imagine and record an imaginary conversation between the Dutch artist P. Claes and the French painter P. Cezanne, in which they would talk about their still lifes. What would they praise each other for? What would these two still life masters criticize?
К .: “I used light, air and a single tone to express the unity of the objective world and the environment”
S .: “My method is hatred of the fantastic image. I write only the truth and want to hit Paris with carrots and apples "
К .: "It seems to me that you are not sufficiently detailed and depict objects incorrectly."
S .: “An artist should not be too scrupulous, or too sincere, or too dependent on nature; the artist is, to a greater or lesser extent, the master of his model, and mainly of his means of expression "
К .: "But I like your work with color, I also consider it the most important element of painting."
S .: "Color is the point where our brain comes into contact with the universe"
Honore de Balzac
"Evgenia Grande"
Eugenia Grande was considered the most enviable bride in Saumur. Her father, a simple keeper, became rich during the Revolution, buying up confiscated church estates for a pittance - the best vineyards in the Saumur district and several farms. At the Consulate, he was elected mayor, and in the days of the Empire he was already called only Monsieur Grande - however, behind his back, he was familiarly called "daddy". No one knew exactly what kind of capital the former bochard had, but smart people said that Grandet's father had six to seven million francs. Only two people could confirm this, but the notary Cruchot and the banker de Grassen knew how to keep their mouths shut. However, both fawned so openly before Grandet that the city of Saumur was filled with the deepest respect for the old man. The notary, with the support of numerous relatives, solicited Evgenia's hand for his nephew - the chairman of the court of first instance. In turn, the wife of the banker de Grassen cleverly intrigued, hoping to marry the rich heiress of the son of Adolf.
The Saumurians watched the battle of the titans with interest and wondered who would get the tidbit. Some, however, argued that the old man was going to marry his daughter to his nephew - the son of Guillaume Grandet, who made a million dollar fortune in the wholesale wine trade and settled in Paris. The Kryushotins and Grassenists together denied this, stating that the Parisian Grandet aims much higher for his son and may well become related to some "duke by the grace of Napoleon." At the beginning of 1819, Papa Grandet, with the help of the Cruchot family, acquired the magnificent estate of the Marquis de Frouafon. But this circumstance did not at all change the old man's usual way of life: he still lived in his dilapidated house with his wife, daughter and the only servant, Naneta, nicknamed the Huge for his tall stature and masculine appearance. Thirty-five years ago, Papa Grandet warmed a poor peasant girl who was being driven from all doors - and from that time on, Naneta performed any job for a tiny salary, tirelessly blessing her owner for her kindness. However, Yevgenia and her mother spent whole days at needlework, and the old curmudgeon gave them candles by count.
The event that turned the life of Eugenia Grande took place in the first half of October 1819, on her birthday. On the occasion of the holiday, Grande's father allowed the fireplace to be lit, although November had not yet come, and gave his daughter the usual gift - a gold coin. Cruchot and de Grassens, ready for a decisive battle, attended a dinner that was memorable to all the Saomurs. In the midst of a lotto game, there was a knock at the door, and the son of the Parisian millionaire Charles Grandet appeared before the astonished provincials. Having handed his uncle a letter from his father, he began to look around, clearly amazed at the scarcity of the table and furnishings. Everything convinced the young man that the Saumur family was living in poverty - a mistake that would become fatal for Eugene. At twenty-three years old, this timid, pure girl did not know about her wealth or her beauty. Her adorable graceful cousin seemed to her like a stranger from another world. An even vague feeling arose in her heart, and she begged Nanet to light the fireplace in Charles's bedroom - a luxury unheard of in this house.
Parisian Grandet, in a suicide letter, informed his brother of his bankruptcy and his intention to shoot himself, begging for only one thing - to take care of Charles. The poor boy is spoiled by the love of his family and is treated kindly by the attention of the world - he will not bear shame and poverty. In the morning in Saumur, everyone already knew about Guillaume Grande's suicide. The old curmudgeon, with rude directness, told his nephew the terrible news, and the gentle youth could not refrain from sobbing. Eugenia was imbued with such compassion for him that even the meek Madame Grandet considered it necessary to warn her daughter, for there is only one step from pity to love. And Charles was moved to the depths of his soul by the sincere participation of his aunt and cousin - he knew very well with what indifferent contempt he would have met in Paris.
Having heard enough talk about her uncle's bankruptcy and furtively reading Charles' letters, Evgenia first thought about money. She realized that her father could help her cousin, but the old curmudgeon flew into a rage at the mere suggestion that she would have to fork out for the pitiful boy. However, daddy Grandet soon relented: after all, the good name of the family was affected here, and even with the arrogant Parisians it was necessary to get even. The banker de Grassen went to the capital to liquidate the burned-out company, and at the same time to invest the old man's savings in state rent. The Saumurians praised Papa Grandet to heaven - no one expected such generosity from him.
Meanwhile, Eugene begged Charles to accept her savings as a gift - gold coins worth about six thousand francs. In turn, Charles handed her a gold travel bag with portraits of her father and mother to keep. The spring of love came for both young people: they swore allegiance to each other to the grave and sealed their vow with a chaste kiss. Charles soon traveled to the East Indies in the hope of gaining wealth. And mother and daughter began to wait with trepidation for the New Year: the old man used to admire Eugenia's gold coins on holidays. A terrifying scene took place: Grande's father almost cursed his daughter and ordered her to be kept in captivity on bread and water. Even the downtrodden Madame Grandet could not bear this: for the first time in her life she dared to contradict her husband, and then fell ill with grief. Evgenia stoically endured her father's disfavor, finding consolation in her love. Only when his wife became very bad, daddy Grandet changed his anger to mercy - the notary Crucho explained to him that Eugene could demand the division of the inheritance after the death of his mother. To the patient's great joy, the father solemnly forgave his daughter. But then Charles's casket caught his eye, and the old curmudgeon decided to rip off the gold plates for smelting - only the threat of Eugene to commit suicide stopped him. For the dying woman, this turned out to be the last blow - she died out in October 1822, regretting only her daughter, left to be torn apart by the cruel world. After her death, Evgenia meekly signed a waiver of the inheritance.
The next five years did not change Yevgenia's monotonous existence in any way. True, the Grassenist party suffered a complete collapse; having arrived in Paris on Grande's business, the banker went into a rampage, and his wife had to abandon plans to marry Adolphe to Eugene. Papa Grande, through clever manipulations with his brother's promissory notes, reduced the amount of debt from four million to a million two hundred thousand. Feeling the approach of death, the old man began to acquaint his daughter with business and instilled in her his concepts of stinginess. At the end of 1827, he died at the age of eighty-two. By this time, Charles Grandet had already returned to France. The sensitive young man turned into a hardened businessman who made a fortune in the slave trade. He hardly remembered Eugene. Only in August 1828 she received the first letter from him, to which a check was attached. From now on, Charles considered himself free from all childish vows and informed his cousin that he wanted to marry Mademoiselle d'Aubrion, who was much more suitable for him in age and position.
This letter alone was enough to crush all Eugenia's hopes. Madame de Grassen, who was burning with a thirst for revenge, added fuel to the fire: Eugene learned from her that her cousin had been in Paris for a long time, but the wedding was still far away - the Marquis d'Aubrion would never give her daughter for the son of an insolvent debtor, and Charles was so stupid that he did not want to part with three thousand francs, which would have satisfied the remaining creditors. In the evening of the same day, Evgenia agreed to marry Chairman Cruchot and asked him to immediately leave for Paris - she wanted to pay off all her uncle's debt obligations along with interest and allocated two million for this purpose. Having handed Charles an act of satisfaction of financial claims, the chairman did not deny himself the pleasure of clicking on the nose of the stupid ambitious: he announced that he would marry Mademoiselle Grandet, the owner of seventeen million.
Mindful of the terms of the marriage contract, Monsieur Cruchot always showed the greatest respect for his wife, although in his heart he fervently desired her death. But the all-seeing Lord soon cleaned him up - Eugenia was widowed at thirty-six years old. Despite her immense wealth, she lives according to the routine established by her father, although, unlike him, she generously donates to godly deeds. In Saumur, they talk about her new marriage - the rich widow is courted in every possible way by the Marquis de Frouafon.
Eugenia Grande is one of the richest brides in Saumuart. She grew up in the family of a bochard who became rich during the Revolution. During the Consulate, he was the mayor, and later under the Empire became Mister Grande with the familiar nickname "daddy". Many in the city discussed the size of Grande's true capital, but no one could know the exact amount.
One of the main contenders for the hand and heart of young Eugenia was the city notary, who wanted to bring the enviable bride to his nephew, the chairman of the court. The wife of the banker de Grassin also dreamed of a rich daughter-in-law.
The topic of Eugenia's marriage was the most popular in the city. The dispute was between several suitors at the same time. According to conversations, the nephew, the son of Guillaume Grandet, could also be among these lucky ones.
In 1819, Papa Grandet became the owner of the estate of the Marquis de Frouafon, but did not change his place of residence. In addition to his wife and daughter, the housemaid Naneta lived in the house of the former bochard, who fulfilled any whim of her master for a pittance.
On Evgenia's birthday, an event occurred that became decisive in her life. The party began with Father Grande's permission to light a fireplace in the house (an unprecedented luxury). Then Evgenia received a gift - a gold coin. Cruchot and de Grassens came to visit. The festive bustle was stopped by the arrival of the son of a millionaire from Paris, Charles Grandet, with a letter in his hands from his bankrupt father, who threatened to shoot himself and asked to take care of his son. The sparsely set table and the decor in the house gave the young man an idea of \u200b\u200bthe poverty of his relatives. To the cousin, the guy seemed an unusual person - very strange and at the same time intriguing.
In the morning, Guillaume Grandet shot himself. His son was distraught with grief. Eugenia was very sorry for Charles and new feelings for her appeared in her soul - tenderness, warmth and compassion. The guy was surprised at the kind attention from the girl and his aunt.
Moved by Yevgenia, she persuaded her father to financially help her orphaned cousin. Papa Grande initially met this idea with indignation, but after that he calmed down and, surprisingly to all the residents of the city, took up the business of the company of his brother who shot himself.
The cousin gave Charles her gold coins as a gift, and he gave her to save his gold vanity case with the image of his father and mother. Love was born between young people. Later, the guy went to the East Indies to earn money, and the girl was waiting for him at home. The New Year's holiday came, during which there was a scandal in the family because of the gold coins given by Eugenia to Charles. The father was outright angry, and for the first time Madame Grande stood up for her daughter. When his wife fell ill, the father took mercy on the girl, fearing Evgenia's demands for the division of the inheritance in the event of her mother's death.
The lady died in October 1822. Eugene refused the inheritance and her next five years were full of monotony and boring. Over time, the father decided to involve the girl in his business operations. Evgenia was surprised at the numbers she saw. After all, earlier it seemed to her that the family needed money.
In 1827, Grandet's father died. Charles returned home, but Eugene was no longer interested in him. In a letter, he told her about his intentions to marry another woman, who, he thought, was richer than his cousin.
Evgenia married the chairman Cruchot, who was immensely happy to receive such a profitable party, without feeling the slightest feelings of love for her. Soon Evgenia became a widow. She lived in wealth, but according to the rules strictly established by her father. A new boyfriend, the Marquis de Frouafon, also appears in her life.
Essays
“When you need me, but you don’t want me by my side, I will be with you, but when you want me to be with you and you need me, I will Love and loneliness in the fate of Eugene Grande (based on the novel by O. de Balzac) Analysis of the novel by Balzac "Eugene Grande"In a small provincial town called Saumur, one of the most profitable brides is Eugenia Grande, whose father, formerly an ordinary bochard, managed to really get rich during the difficult revolutionary years. He now owns several vineyards and large farms, while the wealth of this man, according to local inhabitants, exceeds the sum of five million francs.
Two highly respected people in these parts, the banker de Grassen and the notary Cruchot, dream of seeing their son and nephew in the role of the husband of Grande's daughter Eugenia, and the whole city is watching with interest who will be the winner in this competition and whom old Grande will still decide give the hand of his heiress.
Despite their wealth, the Grande family continues to live extremely modestly due to the extreme stinginess of its head. The house is home to only one maid, Naneta, a tall woman who looks more like a man. Grande took her into service many years ago when the unfortunate girl was denied work everywhere because of her unattractiveness. Since then, Naneta has maintained unbounded loyalty to his master and has worked day and night for a very small salary. True, the wife of Grande and his daughter are also constantly busy with needlework, the stern husband and father tightly control any of their expenses, forcing them to constantly and on everything to save.
On Eugenie's birthday, as usual, the Cruchot and de Grassen family came to visit, however, contrary to usual, Charles Grandet, the son of the owner's brother, who had long settled in the capital, also unexpectedly arrived. The young man hands his uncle a letter written by his father and, seeing the extremely wretched and meager situation around him, decides that the provincial relatives are very poor.
At the same time, Evgenia, who is 23 years old, does not even know how rich she is. She does not even think that she is quite beautiful, because her father always made her count every penny and demanded tireless work around the house. Her handsome and graceful Parisian cousin simply boggles the imagination of a shy girl, he seems to her in no way like those who are constantly next to her. Evgenia even gives Naneta an order to light the fireplace in his room for Charles, although nothing of the kind is ever allowed in this house.
Evgenia's father learns from his brother's letter that he completely went bankrupt and was forced to commit suicide. Before his death, he only begs his brother to help his son, the young man is spoiled by an easy life and universal love, the guy cannot withstand a beggarly existence and shame.
The next morning, all Saumur becomes aware of the suicide of his brother Grande, the old man informs Charles about everything without ceremony, the shocked young man cannot refrain from crying. Evgenia feels deepest compassion for her cousin, and her mother tries to warn the girl, realizing that she can also fall in love with her cousin, and this will bring her daughter nothing but suffering.
Charles, in turn, is touched by the participation of a kind-hearted cousin. Seeing everything that happens, Evgenia begins to think about material issues for almost the first time in her life; the girl believes that her father could really help the unfortunate young man. Nevertheless, at first the old curmudgeon does not want to hear about it, but then he softens a little, because we are talking about the good name of his family. Grande agrees to invest some amount in the state rent, and everyone around praises his kindness and nobility.
Eugene persuades her cousin to accept her savings, Charles, in turn, gives her portraits of his parents. After that, the young man decides to go to work in the East Indies, but he promises to return soon enough. Evgenia, who sincerely believed in their mutual feelings, is looking forward to her lover, intending to become his wife in the future, because Charles swore his love to her.
However, before the New Year, old Grande, as usual, wants to see the gold coins that he had previously given to his daughter for many years. Upon learning the truth, he becomes deeply enraged and orders his daughter not to leave the room, keeping her solely on bread and water. Even the timid Madame Grandet dares for the first time to argue with her husband, then the woman falls ill and after a while dies, although before her departure, her father still solemnly forgives Eugene. After the death of her mother, the girl refuses the inheritance due to her without any objection.
Over the next five years, Eugene continues a dull and monotonous life in the house of an elderly father, hoping only for the return of Charles. But it is not the former meek and gentle young man who comes to France, but a clever businessman who really made his fortune on the slave trade. He almost forgot about the existence of Eugene for a long time, having sent her only a letter stating that she could consider herself free from any obligations, he was going to marry another girl from a noble family.
This news almost kills Eugenia, whose father is no longer alive by this time, but she learns from her ill-wisher that the father of the bride Charles, a well-born marquis, does not want to give his daughter for a bankrupt son, who still has a lot of debts ... Mademoiselle Grandet immediately agrees to the marriage with the president of the court Cruchot, who has long sought her hand, and immediately goes to Paris, where she pays all the debts of her late uncle.
The husband always tries to behave respectfully with Evgenia, remembering her enormous condition, although the woman herself no longer hopes for anything and does not strive for anything. However, Cruchot dies earlier, Evgenia becomes a widow, not yet reaching 40 years old. Despite all her wealth, she continues a lonely and secluded existence, although neighbors notice that an aristocrat is persistently courting her, and admit that she may marry again.
Creating "The Human Comedy", Balzac set himself a task, still unknown to literature at that time. He strove for the truthfulness and merciless display of contemporary France, showing the real, real life of his contemporaries. One of the many themes that sound in his works is the destructive power of money over people, the gradual degradation of the soul under the influence of gold. This is especially clearly reflected in two famous works of Balzac "Gobsek" and "Eugene Grande". Balzac's works have not lost their popularity in our time. They are popular both among young readers and among older people who experience in his works the art of understanding the human soul, striving to understand historical events. And for these people, Balzac's books are a real storehouse of life experience. The usurer Gobsek is the personification of the power of money. Love for gold, thirst for enrichment kill all human feelings in it, drown out all other nagala. The only thing he aspires to is to have more and more wealth. It seems absurd that a man who owns millions lives in poverty and, collecting bills of exchange, prefers to walk without hiring a cab. But these actions are due only to the desire to save at least a little money: living in poverty, Gobsek pays a tax of 7 francs with his millions. Leading a modest, inconspicuous life, it would seem, does not harm anyone and does not interfere in anything. But with those few people who turn to him for help, he is so merciless, so deaf to all their pleas, it resembles rather some kind of soulless machine, we are a human. Gobsek does not try to get close to any person, he has no friends, the only people he meets are his professional partners. He knows that he has an heiress, a great niece, but does not seek to find her. He does not want to know anyone about her, because she is his heiress, and it is hard for Gobsek to think about the heirs, because he cannot come to terms with the fact that he will someday die and part with his wealth. Gobsek seeks to spend his life energy as little as possible, therefore he does not worry, does not sympathize with people, always remains indifferent to everything around him. Gobsek is convinced that only gold rules the world. However, the author endows him with some positive individual qualities. Gobsek is an intelligent, observant, perceptive and strong-willed person. In many of Gobsekama's judgments, we see the position of the author himself. So, he says that an aristocrat is no better than a bourgeois, but he hides his vices under a line of decency and virtue. And he takes cruel revenge on them, enjoying his power over them, watching them grovel before him when they cannot pay the bills. Having become the personification of the power of gold, Gobsek at the end of his life becomes pitiful and ridiculous: accumulated food and expensive art objects rot in the pantry, and he bargains with merchants for every penny, not inferior to them in price. Gobsek dies, staring at the huge pile of gold in the fireplace. Papa Grandet is a stocky "good-natured" with a wiggling bump on his nose, a figure not as mysterious and fantastical as Gobsek. His biography is quite typical: having made a fortune in the troubled years of the revolution, Grandet becomes one of the most eminent citizens of Saumur. No one in the city knows the true extent of his fortune, and his wealth is a source of pride for all residents of the town. However, God Grande is distinguished by external good nature, gentleness. For himself and his family, he regrets the extra lump of sugar, flour, firewood; to heat the house, he does not ruin the stairs, because he is sorry for the nail. Despite all this, he loves his wife and daughter in his own way, he is not as lonely as Gobsek, he has a certain circle of acquaintances who visit him periodically and maintain good relations. But still, because of his exorbitant stinginess, Grande loses all confidence in people, in the actions of those around him he sees only attempts to get hold of his sieve. He only pretends that he loves his brother and cares about his brother, but in reality he does only that which is beneficial to him. He loves Nanette, but still shamelessly takes advantage of her kindness and devotion to him, mercilessly exploits her. Passion for money makes him completely inhuman: he is afraid of the death of his wife because of the possibility of division of property. Using the boundless trust of the daughter, he makes her abandon the inheritance. He perceives his wife and family as part of his property, so he is amazed that Evgenia dared to dispose of her gold herself. Grande cannot live without gold and by his noses he often re-enumerates his wealth hidden in the office. Grande's insatiable greed is especially disgusting in the scene of his death: dying, he snatches the gilded cross from the hands of the priest.
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Heavy topic ... How to determine where the values \u200b\u200bare invented, where are the real values? What do we mean? Say, is gold a mental or real value? I am talking about gold, as the main character is a usurer. Gold is an invented value, since it is absolutely ...
The story "Gobsek" occupies a special place among other works of Honore Balzac of the first half of the 30s. This is one of the most outstanding works of the writer. The central image of the work is Gobsek, the pawnbroker. Biography of Gobsek, what Balzac ...
The work of Honore de Balzac became the pinnacle of the development of Western European realism in the 19th century. The creative manner of the writer has absorbed all the best from such masters of the artistic word as Rabelais, Shakespeare, Scott and many others. In the same time,...
As in his other works, Balzac narrates in "Gobsek" at the same time about many people who are very different from each other. In the background of the story, as if in the shadows, are the daughter of the Viscountess de Granlier - Camilla and an impoverished aristocrat ...