Not an angel, but a woman - Sophia's characteristic, "Woe from Wit"

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

Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov is one of the Russian literary geniuses of the early 19th century, who died too early (he tragically died in the diplomatic service at the age of 34). A nobleman, a versatile educated person who built a brilliant career in the diplomatic field, Griboedov managed to write quite a bit. Peru of this talented writer was subject to translations from foreign languages, dramaturgy, prose and poetry, and among his works the play in verse "Woe from Wit", which was completed in 1824, was most famous.

The main ideas of the play include an irreconcilable confrontation between two worldviews - adherents of the old, stagnant way of life and young love of freedom. Among the many images, the main character, Sofia Famusova, stands out. It is full of contradictions, ambiguous. There is some innuendo in it. Such is the characterization of Sophia (“Woe from Wit” does not elevate anyone to an ideal) that the girl cannot be unambiguously classified as a purelypositive characters. Not stupid, according to the author himself, but not yet rational. The situation forces her to play the role of a liar, lie to her father and dodge to hide her feelings for a man whom he considers unworthy of her hand. A young seventeen-year-old beauty, she has enough willpower to have her own views on things, sometimes completely contrary to the principles of her environment.

If for Sophia's father, Famusov, the opinion of society is above all, then the girl herself allows herself to speak contemptuously about assessments from strangers. Sometimes it seems that the main characteristic of Sophia in the comedy "Woe from Wit" is the desire for freedom from the imposed will, a passion for a different, independent life and a naive purity of thoughts. Like every young girl, she wants the love and devotion of a worthy person, whom she sees in her father's secretary, Molchalin. Having created in her imagination the ideal image of her lover, she does not notice the discrepancy between her fantasies and reality. He does not want to notice the feelings of Alexander Chatsky, who is in love with her and shares many of her aspirations, who is close to her in spirit. The one who, against the background of her environment - her father, Colonel Skalozub, Molchalin and others - may seem like a breath of fresh air during suffocation.

Her love for Molchalin is also a peculiar characteristic of Sophia. "Woe from Wit" shows him as a kind of antipode of the main character - Chatsky. A quiet, modest, silent person "on his mind." But in her eyes, he looks like a romantic hero. Passionatethe nature of the girl helps her convince herself of the exclusivity of this mediocre person. At the same time, Chatsky, who embodies the spirit of love of freedom, honesty, directness and rejection of the old mores of society and their adherents, seems to Sophia rude and evil.

The girl does not understand that she herself is in many ways similar to him. She is also not concerned about the opinion of the crowd, allows herself to be direct, not to restrain her feelings for the sake of society and to show her spiritual impulses in front of outsiders. A certain confidence in the correctness of their actions and feelings is another characteristic of Sophia. “Woe from Wit” still does not fully reveal the character of the heroine (even A. S. Pushkin expressed the opinion that this image was written out “unclearly”). Possessing a lively mind and sublime nature, Sophia does not have sufficient perseverance in her convictions and the strength of mind to defend them.

I. A. Goncharov considered the images of Sophia Famusova and Pushkin's Tatyana Larina as similar in many respects. Indeed, the characterization of Sophia ("Woe from Wit") and Tatyana ("Eugene Onegin"), in the dope of love, forgot about everything and wandered around the house, as if in a fit of sleepwalking, is indicative. Both heroines are ready to open their feelings with childish simplicity and spontaneity.

In the course of the play "Woe from Wit", Sophia's characterization in the eyes of the reader changes. From a naive and kind girl, she turns into a slanderer and a person who, for the sake of petty revenge, is ready to destroy Chatsky's authority in the eyes of acquaintances. Thus, she loses his respect and destroys warm feelings. Her punishment is infidelity. Silence and shame in the eyes of society.

I can't judge if Sophia suffered justly. This girl cruelly deceived herself. Apparently, her romanticism and lack of self-criticism let her down. However, without relying on anyone else's opinion, it is better to read "Woe from Wit" and draw conclusions about the image of Sophia yourself.