We find a deeper interpretation of the theme of the little man in Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman". Here the problem is solved in a socio-philosophical way, and the central conflict becomes the contradiction between the little man and the state. As a result of the flood, a petty St. Petersburg official Yevgeny loses his beloved creature, goes mad and eventually dies. It would seem, what does this story have to do with the problem of the state? It turns out that it does: after all, the fate of Eugene is being decided in St. Petersburg, which, by the will of the autocrat Peter, was built on the banks of the Neva. It turns out that if Peter had not founded this city, then Eugene would have survived. This paradoxical, but essentially very deep thought, Pushkin embodies with the help of the entire figurative system of the poem. It is no coincidence and not only as a result of insanity that Eugene sees his enemy and adversary in the "idol on a bronze horse" - the Bronze Horseman; it is no coincidence that this rider chases the crazy Eugene through the streets of St. Petersburg and ultimately kills him. In symbolic form, Pushkin makes a clear idea of ​​the opposition of the interests of an individual, private, small person to the interests of the state, which thinks too big and does not take into account the fate of a particular person.

Whose side is Pushkin on in this conflict? This question cannot be answered unequivocally. With all the pity for Eugene, sympathy for him, Pushkin nevertheless recognizes the historical justification of Peter's actions. No wonder it is in The Bronze Horseman that an inspired hymn to St. Petersburg sounds, which, with its splendor, embodied for Pushkin the idea of ​​a great Russian state (and it was Peter's deeds that made Russia great in many ways). Pushkin does not set himself the task of stigmatizing the state or, conversely, raising it up. While maintaining a humanistic approach to the problem of personality and power, seeing the suffering of the common man and sympathizing with them, Pushkin nevertheless sees the other side of the coin: great Russia is also an important value, and the Bronze Horseman has its own historical truth on the side of the Bronze Horseman. Without solving the question of the individual and the state, Pushkin only states the inevitable tragedy of their relationship, seeing in these contradictions the dialectics of the real development of reality. But it should be emphasized that humanism remains the most important part of the ideological world of the poem.

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Forget

In the poem by A.S. Pushkin's "The Bronze Horseman" examines the problem of the "little man". This acute problem is to some extent insoluble, so many writers refer to it over and over again in their works, the number of which is quite large. Each of the writers approaches this problem differently.

Let us turn to the above poem and understand the main problem of the work.

In this poem, the "little man" is Eugene - a poor city dweller. The great poet does not even give him a surname: “We don’t need his nickname…”. Eugene honestly works "serves somewhere." He dreams of marrying his beloved Parasha, starting a family with her, raising future children. For all this, he is ready to "work day and night." But, unfortunately, this was not destined to come true. The weather decided otherwise. The Neva "rushed to the city." Many parts of the city were flooded, some washed away. Eugene, who came to Parasha's house, did not notice him. Then he was horrified, began to go crazy, because he lost the person for whom he wanted to live, despite difficult life circumstances.

The hero begins to pursue the "Bronze Horseman", personifying the state and its ruler. The monument is presented formidable for a reason.

The image of Eugene appears in the poem not as an individual person, but as a poor people as a whole with all the problems they suffer from. In this case, such people have suffered because of the goals of the state ("cut a window to Europe"). That is, when implementing various plans, the state does not care much about the interests of small people, because the main thing for it is to raise its status, to increase its power. And these goals are most often fulfilled at the expense of its inhabitants, who, because of this, are deprived of a lot. There are a lot of people like Eugene in the state, every day in their lives come those or other problems, emanating, first of all, from the state.

Unfortunately, this tragedy still exists today. Often ordinary people die through the fault of the state, which thinks big, since their fates are not taken into account. This problem can persist until the state begins to take into account the interests of its subjects.

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Ninaarc
03/16/2019 left a comment:

A.S. Pushkin in his works more than once raised the topic of the "little man", because it was especially relevant in the lower classes of society at that time. People without money and connections, incapable of meanness and cunning, often became victims of an unfavorable combination of circumstances, since no one cared about the common people. It is this everyday drama of indifference that the author of The Bronze Horseman shows.

On the first pages, the poet presents us with the image of the protagonist Eugene. He lives and serves in Kolomna, a petty official, poor. All aspirations and ambitions of this young man are based around the dream of creating a family with a girl named Parasha. Pushkin does not even give him a surname, because the character and position of Eugene are typical for that time. He is not a person, but a reflection of Petersburg life far from palaces and estates. So it was with all the little people. The ruler went far ahead with his reforms, and the people suffered from their consequences somewhere far from the nobility: quietly, timidly and hard.

The poet himself does not share Yevgeny's views on life, because he does not strive for something high, his ambitions and desires are limited to everyday idealistic joys: home, family, hearth. There is nothing in him that betrays personality, that distinguishes him among the mass of gray colleagues from St. Petersburg.

The flood of 1824 bursts into Eugene's usual life, turning the usual course of life "upside down". Dying his hope and love - Parasha, and with her the bright mind of the hero. The Neva took the meaning of life and hid it deeply in its depths. Evgeny is incapable of rebirth, which indicates the fragile spiritual organization of the “little man”. The brick stolen by the flood from the castle built in his thoughts immediately put Eugene at a standstill, since such a hero has no strength to erect a new future, at least out of thin air. He is incapable of analyzing and surviving difficulties.

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spring
03/16/2019 left a comment:

In 1833 A.S. Pushkin created an entertaining poem "The Bronze Horseman", in which the reader gets acquainted with several thematic lines. Of course, this is the theme of building St. Petersburg and its glorification throughout the world. In the text of the poem, the author also pays attention to the person of the Tsar - Peter I, under whose leadership the city was built.

The second problematic line, which is revealed in the lines of the poem, concerned the "little man", that is, an ordinary inhabitant of the city. Such simple, hardworking inhabitants made up the whole Russian people. This means that the theme of the “little man” that Yevgeny has become reveals the essence of the existence of an entire nation.

Is Evgenia's life good? In his dreams, simple human weaknesses - food, water and housing. His old house has long been worn out and has become completely dilapidated and fragile. There were a lot of such houses on the territory of St. Petersburg. Basically, they were located on both sides of the Niva, which spread its waters for many hundreds of kilometers. Eugene's beloved girl, Parasha, lived in such a house. Both heroes were completely poor, therefore, they sought to find their happiness in small joys. But, trouble came to the Russian lands. The elements raged, Niva overflowed the banks and flooded nearby houses. Parasha lived in one of these houses. The girl died and this news was shocking for Eugene.

Against the background of all the events, the hero goes crazy. He blames everything on the monument to the Bronze Horseman, which was erected in honor of Peter I.

Who is to blame for what happened? There is no definite answer. Of course, the tsar, as a steward, as a caring sovereign, during the construction of St. Petersburg had to take care of all its inhabitants. The first step was to fight poverty and misery, to help ordinary people. Perhaps they would not have been in such trouble. But, none of this happened. Like all great kings, Peter took care of himself, his condition, the greatness of the city, and did not think much about the people. Therefore, the "little man" was completely unprotected at that time.

And now, the stormy element takes people by surprise. Many residents die, houses and bridges are destroyed. Man is completely insignificant in such a situation. He can only submit to his will and his fate. Eugene began to blame the copper monument for everything, which ultimately led to his death. This is the fate of the "little man" in the poem by A.S. Pushkin.

The image of the "little man" in the poem by A.S. Pushkin's "The Bronze Horseman"

Poem by A.S. Pushkin's "The Bronze Horseman" has a subtitle "Petersburg Tale": the work tells about the young Russian capital.

At the beginning of the poem, the poet draws the majestic appearance of the king-reformer:

On the shore of desert waves
He stood, full of great thoughts,
And looked into the distance.

The Tsar-Reformer appears before us at the moment when he makes the most important decision for all subsequent Russian history: "Here the city will be founded ...".

The author contrasts the monumental figure of the king with the image of the harsh and wild nature. The picture, against the background of which the figure of the tsar appears before us, is bleak (a lone canoe, mossy and swampy shores, squalid huts of the "Chukhonts"). Before Peter's gaze, a wide-spreading river rushing into the distance; around the forest, "unknown to the rays in the fog of the hidden sun." But the ruler's gaze is directed to the future. Russia must establish itself on the shores of the Baltic, this is necessary for the country's prosperity:

All flags will visit us,
And we'll lock it up in the open.

A hundred years passed, and Peter's great dream came true:

Young city,
Full-night countries beauty and wonder,
From the darkness of the woods, from the swamp blat
Ascended magnificently, proudly ...

Pushkin utters an enthusiastic hymn to the creation of Peter, confesses his love for the "young city", before the splendor of which "old Moscow has faded."

However, the poet's attitude to Peter was contradictory.

The image of a shining, lively, magnificent city is replaced in the first part of the poem by a picture of a terrible, destructive flood, expressive images of a raging element, over which a person has no control. The element sweeps away everything in its path, carrying in the streams of water fragments of buildings and destroyed bridges, "belongings of pale poverty" and even coffins "from a washed-out cemetery." The image of indomitable natural forces appears here as a symbol of the "senseless and merciless" popular revolt. Among those whose lives were destroyed by the flood is Eugene, about whose peaceful concerns the author speaks at the beginning of the first part of the poem.

Poor official Eugene becomes the protagonist of the poem. He is an "ordinary man" who has neither money nor ranks. Eugene "serves somewhere" and dreams of arranging for himself a "humble and simple shelter" in order to marry his beloved girl and go through life with her:

And we will begin to live and so to the grave,
Hand and hand we will both reach ...

Evgeny's life is spent in work and in modest dreams of personal happiness. But his fiancée Parasha dies in a flood, and the hero is faced with terrible questions: what is human life? is it not an empty dream "the mockery of the sky over the earth"?

Eugene's "confused mind" cannot withstand "terrible shocks." He goes mad, leaves his home and wanders around the city in tattered and shabby clothes, indifferent to everything except the "noise of inner alarm" that fills him. Like an ancient prophet who comprehended the unrighteousness of the world, Eugene is fenced off from people and despised by them. The resemblance of Pushkin's hero to the prophet becomes especially clear when Eugene, in his madness, suddenly regains his sight and brings down his anger on the “proud idol” - the bronze horseman.

The main conflict of Pushkin's work is the conflict between the individual and the state: Petersburg, the creation of which was dictated by the interests of the state, was built in a place unsuitable for human life. The common man, in his private interests, is opposed to the state. But Pushkin shows that neglecting the interests of a little man can lead to a riot, revelry of the elements, which is embodied in the rebellious image of the rebellious Neva.

For some reason, some believe that the year when the poem "The Bronze Horseman" was written was 1830. An analysis of biographical information makes it possible to unambiguously assert that Pushkin created it in 1833. This is one of the most perfect and brilliant works of Alexander Sergeevich. The author in this poem convincingly showed all the inconsistency and complexity of the turning point in Russian history. It should be emphasized that the poem occupies a special place in the work of Alexander Sergeevich. The poet in it tried to solve the problem of the relationship between the state and the individual, which is urgent at all times. This topic has always been at the center of the author's spiritual quest.

Features of the genre

According to the tradition that has developed for a long time, a poem is a work that has a lyrical or narrative character. If initially it was more of a historical creation, then for some time the poems began to acquire more and more romantic tint. This was due to a popular tradition in the Middle Ages. Even later, moral, philosophical, and personal problems come to the fore. Lyric and dramatic aspects begin to intensify. At the same time, the poem depicts the central characters or one character (this is typical for the work of romantic writers) as independent personalities. They cease to be snatched out of the historical stream by the author. Now these are not just vague shapes as they used to be.

The image of a little man in Russian literature

The little man in Russian literature is one of the cross-cutting topics. Many writers and poets of the 19th century turned to her. A. Pushkin touched it one of the first in his story "The Station Master". Gogol, Chekhov, Dostoevsky and many others became the successors of this theme.

What is the image of the little man in Russian literature? This person is socially small. He is at one of the lowest levels of the social hierarchy. In addition, the world of his claims and spiritual life is extremely poor, narrow, filled with many prohibitions. Philosophical and historical problems do not exist for this hero. He is in a closed and narrow world of his vital interests.

Eugene is a little man

Let us now consider the image of a little man in the poem "The Bronze Horseman". Eugene, her hero, is a product of the so-called Petersburg period of Russian history. He can be called a little man, since the meaning of Yevgeny's life is to find bourgeois well-being: a family, a good place, a home. The existence of this hero is limited by the circle of family concerns. He is characterized by lack of involvement in his past, since he does not yearn for forgotten antiquity, not for his deceased relatives. These features of Eugene are unacceptable to Pushkin. It is thanks to them that this character represents the image of a little man in the poem "The Bronze Horseman". Alexander Sergeevich deliberately does not give a detailed description of this hero. He does not even have a surname, which means that any other person can be put in his place. The figure of Eugene reflected the fate of many such people, whose life fell on the St. Petersburg period of history. However, the image of the little man in the poem "The Bronze Horseman" is not static, it is transformed in the course of the narrative. We will talk about this below.

The look of Peter and Eugene

Eugene in the flood scene sits with his hands clasped with a cross (which seems to be a parallel with Napoleon), but without a hat. Behind him is the Bronze Horseman. These two figures are facing the same direction. Nevertheless, Peter's gaze is different from that of Eugene. With the king, it is directed into the depths of the centuries. Peter does not care about the fate of ordinary people, since he mainly solves historical problems. Eugene, who represents the image of a little man in the poem "The Bronze Horseman", looks at the house of his beloved.

The main difference between Peter and Eugene

The following main difference can be identified by comparing the bronze Peter with this hero. The image of Eugene in Alexander Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman" is characterized by the fact that this character has a heart and soul, he has the ability to feel, knows how to worry about the fate of the person he loves. He can be called the antipode of Peter, this idol on a bronze horse. Eugene is able to suffer, dream, grieve. That is, despite the fact that Peter reflects on the fate of the entire state, that is, he is preoccupied with the improvement of the life of all people, in an abstract sense (including Eugene, who in the future should become a resident of St. Petersburg), in the eyes of the reader, Eugene, and not the tsar, becomes more attractive ... It is he who awakens in us a lively participation.

Flood in the fate of Eugene

For Eugene, the flood that happened in St. Petersburg turns into a tragedy. It makes this ordinary-looking person a real Hero. Eugene This, of course, brings him closer to the characters of romantic works, since madness - the popular Eugene wanders the streets of a city hostile to him, but the rebellious noise of the winds and the Neva is heard in his ears. It is this noise, together with the noise in his own soul, that awakens in Eugene what was the main feature of a person for Pushkin - memory. It is the memory of the flood that brings the hero to Senate Square. Here he meets the bronze Peter for the second time. Pushkin splendidly described what a tragically wonderful moment it was in the life of a humble poor official. His thoughts suddenly cleared up. The hero understood what was the cause of both his own misfortunes and all the troubles of the city. Eugene recognized their culprit, the man by whose fateful will the city was founded. Hatred for this ruler of the half-world suddenly arose in him. Eugene passionately wanted to take revenge on him. The hero starts a riot. He threatens Peter, going up to him: "Already you!" Let's conduct a brief analysis of the scene of the riot in the poem "The Bronze Horseman", which will allow us to discover new features in the image of Eugene.

Protest

The inevitability and naturalness of protest is born due to the spiritual evolution of the hero. Its transformation is shown by the author artistically convincingly. The protest raises Eugene to a new life, tragic, high, which is fraught with inevitable near death. He threatens the king with future retribution. The autocrat is afraid of this threat, because he realizes the tremendous power hidden in this little man, protesting, rebellious.

The moment Yevgeny suddenly regains his sight, he turns into a Human in his connection with the family. It should be noted that in this passage the hero is never named by name. This makes him somewhat impersonal, one of many. Pushkin describes the confrontation between the formidable tsar personifying the autocratic power and the Man who is endowed with memory and has a heart. The promise of retaliation and a direct threat are heard in the whisper of the recovered hero. For them, the revived statue, "kindled" with anger, punishes this "poor madman."

Madness Eugene

It is clear to the reader that Evgeny's protest is single, besides, he utters it in a whisper. Nevertheless, the hero must be punished. It is also symbolic that Eugene is defined as a madman. According to Pushkin, insanity is an unequal argument. From the standpoint of common sense, the speech of one person against a powerful state power is sheer madness. But it is "holy", since silent humility brings death.

The Bronze Horseman is a philosophical and social poem. Pushkin shows that only protest can save a person from moral decline in the face of ongoing violence. Alexander Sergeevich emphasizes that resistance, an attempt to be indignant, to give voice will always be the best way out than submission to a cruel fate.

Sections: Literature

The city was founded over the sea ...

A.S. Pushkin

Lesson objectives:

educational

• to teach students to analyze the lyrical epic work;
• show two faces of Petersburg in the poem;
• to show how Pushkin reveals the theme of the “little man” and how Gogol, Nekrasov, Dostoevsky reveal it in their works;

developing

• to form students' ability to conduct a discussion, work in groups, develop the skills of comparative analysis

work with educational concepts:

• poem, theme of “little man”, image, metaphor, epithet, contrast; author's position;

work with meso-subject concepts:

• mercy, protest against injustice, beauty, worldview.

Equipment: computer, interactive whiteboard, presentation use (application).

Lesson type: lesson-formation.

Teaching methods: conversation, teacher's word, research, posing problem questions.

Forms of work with students: individual message, independent work in groups, elements of discussion.

Lesson plan.

1. Introductory remarks by the teacher: raising problematic questions.

2. Individual message on the topic: “The image of St. Petersburg in the works of N.V. Gogol ”. The theme of the "little man" in the story of F.M. Dostoevsky's "White Nights" and in the poetry of A.N. Nekrasov.

3. Analysis of the introduction of the poem, conversation, elements of the discussion. Analysis of the main part of the poem. Research work in groups.

3. Reading and analysis of a passage from the poem: "Awful day ...".

4. Independent work. Two faces of the city: a comparative comparative analysis. Work on the vocabulary of the poem. What is the author's position in relation to Peter I? Working with critical literature, forming your own point of view. Petersburg today. Working with the epigraph.

During the classes

1st slide

1. Introductory remarks by the teacher.

The theme of the “little man” is inextricably linked with the image of Peter the Great. Historical figure. The poet wrote a lot about him ("Poltava", "Arap of Peter the Great"). Pushkin was the first to dare to reveal the theme of the “little man” in the context of historical events. Three eras pass before us: the past (the deeds of Peter I, the era of Alexander I, when the flood occurred) and the era of Nicholas I, that is, the present of Pushkin.

And the fate of the “little man” is intended to show other consequences of the activities of the “sovereign of the half-world,” Peter I.

Analyzing the poem, we will answer the questions:

1. Who is to blame for Eugene's tragedy?
2. What did the Peter's transformations lead to?

2. Individual message.

In order to better and more fully understand the image of the city “on the banks of desert waves”, let us turn to the image of St. Petersburg in later literature.

1. N.V. Gogol experienced many painful moments while living in St. Petersburg. Let us recall the story "The Overcoat".
2. How does Gogol paint the image of St. Petersburg and the life of a “little man” in a big city?

2nd slide

Student responses

Output.

A small official, occupying a certain position in society, has experienced everything in his lifetime: both humiliation and insult. The author's position is evident here: not only a request for mercy to those like Akaki Akakievich, but at the same time an expression of protest against injustice, evil, heartlessness of those whom Gogol calls a “significant person”. This is Petersburg in the 1930s and 1940s. The time when Pushkin is working on the poem "The Bronze Horseman".

Students' answers.

1. How do we see Petersburg in Dostoevsky's White Nights?
2. How do people live in the capital of Russia?
3. What is common and different in the depiction of the city in the works of Gogol and Dostoevsky?

4th slide

Is it possible to say that the loneliness, solitude of the hero of “White Nights” is a rejection of the world around him?

5th slide

Tragic pictures of a big city in the poetry of N.A. Nekrasov.

And Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Nekrasov, based on the best traditions of Russian literature, following Pushkin, in their own way, reveals the theme of the “little man” in the big city - the capital of the Russian Empire.

3. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman".

1. How does Pushkin reveal the theme of the “little man”?
2. Why does the debate about Pushkin's views related to the theme of the “little man” and the greatness of Peter I not fade away even today?
3. Who is right: the one who believes that the blame for the tragedy lies with the elements, or the one who claims that the creator of the city is to blame for the tragedies of little people? Or the existing system, which is not capable of eliminating social injustice?

Student discussion.

7th slide

Three historical eras.

What's the point of composition?

Analysis of the introduction.

1. What colors does Pushkin paint the city of Peter with?
2. What vocabulary is prevalent?
3. Students in the course of the analysis fill in 1 part of the table "Two faces of St. Petersburg".
4. How does the author feel about the city?

4. Analysis of the main part.

1) Checking homework. Research work in groups.

What did Peter's transformations lead to? Has it become better for a person to live?

Why is the word “terrible” repeated 3 times in the 1st part?

Describe the fate of Eugene, his aspirations, reflections. How does the tone of the narrative change in the story of Evgeny's life and dreams?

2) Working with text.

Flood description (reading): "Awful day ..."

1. What details of the painting amazed you?
2. Who has suffered the most?
3. What means of expression does the poet use to paint a picture of the terrible element? (Comparisons, epithets, metaphors, syntactic means of expression)
4. What role do verbs play?

Independent work. Completion of the 2nd part of the table “Two faces of the city”.

Output.

In the poem, the image of a monument constantly arises, rising above the ground, above the stream, above people: “in an unshakable height”, “in a dark height”, “at a height”. Are these details accidental or related to the assessment of the activities of Peter I?

Reading an excerpt.

How does this passage combine praise to Peter and censure?

• In what sense does the author use the word "iron"?
• What is the author's position?

5. Working with critical literature (different views of critics).

Whose score is closer to you?

Belinsky V.G. Works by Alexander Pushkin (excerpt).

Merezhkovsky D. Pushkin - 1986.

Meilakh B.S. The life of Alexander Pushkin is 1974.

Disputes about the complex work "The Bronze Horseman".

9th slide

Who is to blame for Eugene's troubles?

“Two truths on the scales of history - the solemn, victorious truth of Peter I and the modest truth of Eugene” (BS Meilakh The Life of Alexander Pushkin).

All these disputes only confirm the ambiguity and versatility of Pushkin's masterpiece. This allows us to place the great Pushkin on a par with the writers and poets of the world.

10th slide

Petersburg today.

The modernity and relevance of the work.

6. Lesson summary.

Grading.

7. Homework.

Write an essay on the topic: “A.S. Pushkin in my life ”.

The topic of the little man has been raised in literature by various authors more than once. Great writers have speculated on this topic. A. Pushkin considers in his work "The Bronze Horseman" the rebellion of a little man, and not just his thoughts. This riot is compared to a riot of nature - a flood.

Man and State

Every person is a member of society. He lives his own life, has aspirations that are inherent in everyone - to have a roof over his head, bread on the table, to be happy and to make his loved ones happy. Everyone works in one job or another. Likewise, Eugene is the hero of the poem. Somewhere he works, bears some surname. Pushkin is not even interested in who exactly - this once again proves that Eugene is a “little man”. But from each such a small person, the state is formed, its continuous work, its normal functioning. Therefore, the role of a small person in society still cannot be called insignificant. Everyone does their job and can count on normal living conditions.

Eugene is a collective image of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg. He thinks about pressing matters, he is not worried about "eternal topics", "state issues." He wants to ensure himself a normal life, get married, be happy. The scope of his thoughts is limited by his own existence. That is why he is called the "little man".

He does not know how to think on the scale of the state, but he does not need it. The rulers should think for the state. But they must not forget about the little man.

Rulers and the little man

The Bronze Horseman stands and looks majestically, down on the city and state, on millions of such small people. The ruler thinks on the scale of the country, he cannot think about every such small person. But who, then, will take care of this little man? He has to survive in strange and sometimes terrible conditions. When little people get tired of this kind of life, they try to get through to the government. One of these ways is rebellion. Little people get together all over the country and tell the sovereign how difficult life is for them. And if the king does not hear them, then they have to go to extreme measures. But when the element enters the path of rebellion, no one is able to resist it - neither ordinary people, nor kings.

The rebellion of the little man and the rebellion of the elements

In The Bronze Horseman, the rebellion of a person is compared with the rebellion of the elements. She was pacified, chained in granite chains, the Neva flows in them for many years, resigned to fate. But at one fine moment, she begins to "rush about like a sick person," and then completely overflows the banks, rebelling against the established system. So many small people, united, can become an element, bringing a real revolt to the state. Pushkin largely described the history of the country, describing the rebellion of the Neva and the reflections of Eugene in The Bronze Horseman.