Essays on literary works - 2023

When you need me, but you don't want me around, I will be with you, but when you want me to be with you, and you need me, I will leave
Honore de Balzac

In world literature, wonderful female images have been bred. Often they are the embodiment of the author's ideal, or at least a collection of those qualities and traits that the writer himself valued in a woman. But in many cases, the fate of these heroines is sad - they are unhappy in love, in family life, not always these beautiful women can be appreciated by their beloved.

So, in the novel "Eugene Onegin", created by the Russian writer A.S. Pushkin , Tatyana Larina is a similar heroine. With full confidence, we can say that this girl is the embodiment of the author's ideal. Its main features, in my opinion, are sincerity, naturalness, simplicity. It is not for nothing that Pushkin gives his heroine a common name, emphasizing Tatyana's fundamental connection with the Russian land, with Russia.

The young heroine yearns for love. We understand that if this girl falls in love, then strongly, sincerely, forever. Tatyana's soul had long been ready for such a feeling, but there were no worthy candidates surrounded by the Larins. After all, the chosen one of this girl had to be unusual - handsome, smart, interesting, noble , etc. Let us recall that Larina, like her mother and sister, by the way, was brought up on French romance novels.

Therefore, when Eugene Onegin appeared in Tatyana's life - a man of remarkable intelligence and great potential, the girl immediately fell in love with the hero. Yes, and Onegin himself, spoiled by female attention, noticed Tatyana. First, he tells Lensky that of the two Larin sisters he would choose the eldest:

I would choose the other,

If I were like you, a poet.

Olga has no life in features.

And when Tatyana writes a letter to Onegin, in which she is the first to confess her love to him, she inspires respect even for this cynical and mocking hero. In his "rebuke" to the girl, he says that he does not see a better wife for himself. But ... he, alas, was not created for marriage. Onegin considers himself "a disabled person in love", therefore he cannot reciprocate Tatyana.

Eugene's refusal was a terrible blow for the heroine. But gradually she begins to understand that the person she is in love with is just an invented image. After Onegin's departure, Tatyana visits Yevgeny's house, ends up in his library, where the true nature of the hero is revealed to her:

What is he? Is it really an imitation,

an insignificant ghost,

... An

interpretation of someone else's whims,

Full lexicon of fashionable words?..

Isn't it a parody?

Soon Tatyana is taken to Moscow, to the bride fair, after which she gets married.

I think it was hard for the heroine to deal with her feelings. But she, as a strong person, managed to do this by devoting herself to another man, another life. Having taken an oath of allegiance to God and people, the heroine sacredly kept her, still continuing to love Onegin. When he appeared in her life again - changed and renewed, perhaps Tatyana's heart trembled for a moment. But the nature of the heroine - pure and highly moral - could not allow a married woman to cheat on her husband.

Tatyana perfectly saw how Eugene had changed, saw the sincerity and strength of his feelings for her. But it was too late - she had made her choice, allowing her to maintain her own respect for herself.

The fate of the heroine of the French writer Honore de Balzac - Eugenie Grande - is somewhat similar to the fate of Tatyana. In her youth, she was in love with her cousin Charles Grandet, who also swore love to the girl. Young people made plans for their future, they wanted to be together all their lives. However, life decreed otherwise.

In search of good luck, Charles left for the East Indies, while Eugenia stayed at home to wait for him. The girl had to endure and endure a lot of things (the wrath of her father, the illness and death of her mother, loneliness and longing for her lover), but she remained true to her feelings. Unlike Charles, who has changed a lot over the years. Returning to France, he forgot about his cousin, dreaming of marrying a rich woman. The hero did not know that during his journey, Eugenia became a rich heiress.

In desperation, a girl marries an unloved man. But in parting, the heroine rescues Charles - she pays off his debt so that he can marry another. And she goes to someone else.

Did the cousin love Eugenia? Or all his feelings have long cooled down? We know that Onegin was truly in love with Tatyana and regretted that at one time he did not want to build a relationship with her. Did Charles have such feelings? It is unlikely ... In any case, this man, just like Onegin, could not see in time the priceless nature of Eugenia. He chose another and was unhappy.

However, like the heroine of the novel, this woman was created “for the greatness of her wife and mother” and received “neither a husband, nor children, nor a family.” Tatyana's fate is more joyful - she has a husband and, probably, children. However, she is just as unhappy in love as Eugenia Grande.

The heroines of Russian and French writers are very different. But in their natures there is much in common - they are both pure in heart and lofty in soul. There is also something in common in their female destinies - it can be described by the formula: “When you need me, but you don’t want me next to you, I will be with you, but when you want me to be with you, and you will need me, I'll go."