Biography of Starodum. Comedy by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin "Undergrowth"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

This famous play by Fonvizin was written by him in 1782. The heroes of the comedy were people of different social strata of the 18th century: nobles, serfs, government officials and self-styled fashion teachers. Before revealing the topic "Starodum's Biography" in more detail, let's dwell a little on the inhabitants of the Prostakovs' house, because it all started with them.

Prostakovs

So, the main characters: a minor - sixteen-year-old Mitrofanushka - and his mother, Mrs. Prostakova, who is the main negative character of this work. She is cruel and capricious and wants to marry her mediocre son Mitrofan, who is absolutely indifferent to everything. He does not love his mother, he only pretends to be because of her strong and domineering nature.

Prostakova, having learned that her husband's niece Sofya (a very decent and educated girl) became the heiress of a huge fortune that her precious uncle Starodum bequeathed to her, decided at all costs to marry her to her lazy Mitrofanushka. However, Starodum's relatives buried him long ago, and now from this verymoment his name comes to the fore. In the Prostakovs' house, everyone starts to go crazy because of Sophia's inheritance, because 10 thousand - the amount at that time was not at all trifling. Who is Starodum and where did he come from?

Starodum's biography

In his play, Fonvizin presented Starodum as one of the noblest and most positive characters. He became his associate. Indeed, in the work "Undergrowth" a lot of political, social, pedagogical and moral issues are touched upon.

The writer specifically leaves the question open whether Starodum was a landowner, but it becomes known that he did not take root in the royal court and then went to Siberia. According to the hero’s own words, they get money there without changing it to their conscience, they don’t vilely curry favor and don’t plunder the fatherland, earning it from the land that knows no hypocrisy and will be more just than people, and even pays honestly and generously for honest works.

Merchant Nobility

Fonvizin in Starodum's entrepreneurship reflects the real process of the economic life of the Russian nobility, which attracted his special attention after the writer translated a French treatise en titled "The Merchant Nobility Opposed to the Military Nobility."

Starodum's biography says that he enriched himself in the gold mines, his goal was to ensure a comfortable future for his only and beloved niece, Sofyushka. Starodum's thoughts are wise and valuable, he tells her that he has amassed such a fortune that she canallow to marry even a poor, but most importantly - a worthy person. He does not link the we alth of the niece to the possession of serfs.

And this is no coincidence: Fonvizin wrote the play just at the time when Russia was trying to learn from the peasant war of 1773-1775. and thought about its causes, which almost led the feudal-noble state to destruction and death. But, having suppressed popular indignation, the state nobles of Catherine II further strengthened and expanded the privileges of the ruling class. The poor people in the face of the law looked even more powerless and helpless. In the play "Undergrowth" these political issues became very sharp and topical.

Freethinker, revolutionary and reformer

The biography of Starodum, which he himself tells his interlocutors, in particular Pravdin and Milon, includes information that he is 60 years old. His last name suggests that he follows the principles of the old era - the era of Peter I. Starodum recalled the words of his father, who always told him that you need to have a heart and soul, and then you will be a person at any time.

In this satirical play Starodum appears only towards the end of the first act. Together with Pravdin and Milon, he saves Sophia from the bullying of Prostakova and evaluates the upbringing of the ignorant and stupid Mitrofan.

The characteristic of Starodum says that in his soul he is a great reformer and revolutionary. He is fed up with state injustice, where truth and honest service have long beendepreciated, everything is decided by connections, opportunism and servility. The upbringing of Starodum did not allow him to calmly look at how some of his close friends achieved their goal with cunning and arrogance. That is why he left the service, because he could no longer watch how the wrong people climbed the career ladder, and the smartest and most worthy remained behind the doors.

Aphorisms of the Starodum

Thanks to his honest heart, education and moral education, he proclaims the principles of government, where all the laws of government will be reasonable and fair.

It is also interesting that Starodum's aphorisms are admirable, because he says very correct things, for example, that without a soul, the most enlightened smart girl becomes a miserable creature. He does not tire of repeating that the upbringing of a true nobleman is the business of the state. And this should include education of the heart and mind. At the same time, he puts the education of the heart in the first place.

The characteristic of Starodum indicates that he is straightforward, simple-hearted and insightful. He sees through the whole rotten Prostakov family and says everything he thinks about them.

Premier performance

In the play "Undergrowth" Fonvizin conveyed his personal idea of "honest people" and observations of how they should be in their living personification. And so the image of Starodum is not accidental here. The production of The Undergrowth, for obvious reasons, was delayed for some time. Overnight, "evil" arrows rained down, with the help of which those personswho saw themselves in the play in an impartial way, wanted to prevent its release. And, apparently, Fonvizin himself had to resort to influential patrons to remove all obstacles.

In 1782, on September 24, the premiere of the performance nevertheless took place on the stage of the St. Petersburg Free Russian Theater. The director was the author himself. And, curiously, not a single syllable had to be changed in the play, so it was a resounding success.

One of those who saw the premiere said that some comic scenes caused fleeting laughter, but serious scenes with great thirst and attention were listened to by the entire secular audience, which at that time loved allusions and remarks on secular weakness and savagery some customs of the time. The play, thanks to the liveliness of the dialogue, humor, aphorisms, interesting quotes and educational character, helped some to see the Prostakovs in themselves, who then expelled false teachers like Vralman and Tsyfirkin from their homes.

Conclusion

The play "Undergrowth" became the only one firmly established of all in Russian dramaturgy of the 18th century. In the era of classicism, she condemned the traditional noble education, the "savagery" and "malice" of the provincial nobility. All characters are clearly divided into positive and negative, as hinted at by their names: Starodum, Pravdin, Prostakovs, Skotinins, etc.