"The Path to Compassion"
(based on an excerpt from F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov” “Boys”)
Target The purpose of this article is to use the example of Dostoevsky’s heroes to exploreworld of the human soul, study the problems of good and evil, love and respect, forgiveness,trace the moral changes of the heroes in the course of events.
Psychologists believe that a person’s personality is formed before the age of 5, then it is only polished and changes slightly, therefore, any educational influence is necessary at an early age, then it is often too late to educate. The ills of society are manifested in the distorted souls and destinies of its children. Therefore, the great “researcher of human souls” - Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky begins the creation of images of the main characters with a description of their childhood, depending on which the formation of their characters is based. However, it would be wrong to assume that Dostoevsky derives a person’s personality solely from the environment. He certainly recognizes the fact that much that subsequently develops in a person is inherent in him initially. Thus, childhood is not only and not so much a preparation for adult life, but a valuable phenomenon in itself. The differences between people can be traced at a very early age, this is also clearly shown by F.M. Dostoevsky, describing the childhood of his heroes.
“Listen, we shouldn’t be proud of children, we are worse than them. And if we teach them something to make them better, then they teach us a lot and also make us the best just by our contact with us. They humanize our soul just by his appearance between us... - writes F.M. Dostoevsky in the “Diary of a Writer” in 1873 - Child is like a flower , What leaf , tied on a tree in the spring; to him we need light, air, freedom, fresh food , and now, instead, there is a stuffy basement with some kind of leaven or cabbage smell, a terrible stench at night, unhealthy food... and in the yard there is dust, brick and lime.”
Children in the novel “The Brothers Karamazov” in the chapter “Boys”.
Yes, indeed, children are the heroes of many of F. M. Dostoevsky’s works, for example, “The Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree,” “The Brothers Karamazov,” and “Crime and Punishment.”An entire chapter is devoted to the theme of childhood in the novel. In this chapter, Dostoevsky reveals the best character traits of the main character Alyosha Karamazov, shows how the boys change under his influence: Ilyusha, Kolya and other children. For the author, childhood is a symbol of purity and tenderness.
He who undergoes changes in his soul and develops is considered a real, true hero of a work of art. Ilyusha and Kolya Krasotkin are on such a journey of learning and development. This is a difficult, difficult path from bitterness, selfishness, selfishness - to Ilyusha’s stone« And he and I, you need to know, sir,” the elder Snegirev tells about his son Alyosha Karamazov, “every evening and before that we went out for a walk, exactly along the very path that we are now walking along, from our very gate to that a huge stone, which over there on the road lies orphaned by the fence, and where the city pasture begins: the place is deserted and beautiful, sir.” . A stone is a symbol of an obstacle that stands in the way of life and forces a person to think about his life, it is a symbol of suffering, tears, a symbol of that solid and immutable truth that is not revealed to everyone in life. It is at the stone, burying Ilyusha, that Alyosha makes his speech. « Let us agree here, at Ilyushin’s pebble, that we will never forget - firstly, Ilyushechka, and secondly, about each other. And no matter what happens to us later in life, even if we don’t meet for twenty years, we will still remember how we buried the poor boy, at whom they had previously thrown stones, remember, there by the bridge ? - and then everyone loved him so much. Know that there is nothing higher, and stronger, and more useful for life, like some good memory taken from childhood, from the parental home. If you take a lot of such memories with you into life, then a person is saved for life ».
In the chapter “Boys” we meet Ilyusha Snegirev at the moment of his attack on Alyosha Karamazov. "Alyosha saw before him a child no more than nine years old, weak and short, with a pale, thin, oblong face, with large, dark eyes that looked at him maliciously. He was dressed in a rather shabby old coat, from which he had grown ugly. Bare arms protruded from the sleeves. There was a large patch on the right knee of the trousers, and on the right boot, on the toe, where the big toe was, there was a large hole, it was clear that it was heavily smeared with ink.” The boy looked like a little animal: he jumped out of his seat and rushed at Alyosha, and before he had time to move, the evil boy, bending his head and grabbing his left hand with both hands, painfully bit his middle finger. The finger was painfully bitten. What happened to this child? Why did he become so cruel? Can there be good with fists? Is it necessary to condemn those who fight for the truth and try to take revenge on their offenders? Alyosha Karamazov, and along with him the author, wants to find an answer to these questions. But the question remains open, as do many other moral questions raised by Dostoevsky. No, and there cannot be a clear answer to them. Wondering why an unfamiliar boy suddenly rushed at him with a fight, Alyosha comes to his house and finds out that this is the son of the same staff captain who was recently offended and humiliated by his brother Dmitry Karamazov. “I think I understand everything now,” Alyosha answered quietly and sadly, continuing to sit. “So your boy is a good boy, and he rushed at me as if he were the brother of your offender.” By putting this aggression into the hands of a little boy, Dostoevsky perhaps once again emphasizes that the paths of good are ambiguous, because an initially good and pure creature - a child - strives to do evil (beat an innocent person), infinitely confident in his rightness. The words of Ilyusha’s father, who told Alyosha about this incident, sound deeply and soulfully. "Children in schools are a merciless people: individually they are angels of God, but together, especially in schools, they are very often merciless. They began to tease him, and a noble spirit arose in Ilyusha. An ordinary boy, a weak son, would have humbled himself and been ashamed of his father, but this one rebelled against everyone else for his father. For the father and for the truth, sir, for the truth, sir ».
Thus, the eternal problems of good and evil, “the humiliated and insulted” are revealed by the writer through the theme of childhood, among other things. The eternal search for justice is embodied in the actions of the little boy Ilyusha, who tries with all his childhood strength, overcoming the fear of “fighting”, proving to the whole world his right to dignity and honor. However, one involuntarily recalls the biblical wisdom, which has become a proverb, that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Defending his father, Ilyusha himself offends the innocent Alyosha, becomes hardened in heart, hating his classmates. Evil begets evil. Ilyusha dies later, but dies repentant in committed evil deeds, both in the “attack" on Alyosha, and in the fact that, at the instigation of Smerdyakov, he threw a piece of bread with a needle to a stray dog. He dies a great friend of Alyosha Karamazov, quietly and calmly saying goodbye to his father and friends. What was Ilyusha like before meeting Alyosha? Lonely, without friends, embittered by the injustice of adults, the lack of mercy.
How does Ilyusha die? He is surrounded by caring, loving people who do good. The boys who beat him six times, bullied him, called him names, now sincerely strive to alleviate his suffering, bringing him toys and a dog. Ilyusha suffers from his cruelty towards the stray dog Zhuchka, his conscience torments him, he realizes a bright feeling of forgiveness and love.
Perhaps it is precisely by his death that Dostoevsky again tries to affirm the idea of the child’s original closeness to God, to the heavenly, to the pure. Thus, a nine-year-old boy who has “sinned” is nevertheless cleansed and purified by his death, his relatives, friends, who have forgotten about the “traditional” childhood cruelty, he elevates with his death everyone around him. Childhood is thus once again recognized as a source of purity.
One of the friends who supervised Ilyusha’s upbringing is Kolya Krasotkin. "His face was not “vile” at all, on the contrary, quite pretty, white, pale, with freckles. Gray, small, but lively eyes looked boldly and often lit up with feeling. The cheekbones were somewhat wide, the lips were small, not very thick, but very red; the nose is small and decisively turned up.” This is a boy of originality, courage, “terribly strong”, dexterous, a persistent character, a daring and enterprising spirit. I studied well. He took the respect of schoolchildren for granted, but was friendly. The main thing is that he “knew when to stop.” In a word, he was a recognized informal leader, as modern psychologists would say. When meeting him, Alyosha pays attention to his high self-esteem, but does it tactfully and unobtrusively: “I recently read a review from a German abroad who lived in Russia about our current student youth: “Show,” he writes, “a Russian schoolchild a map of the starry sky, about which he had no idea until then, and tomorrow he will return this map to you corrected.” . No knowledge and selfless conceit - that’s what the German wanted to say.” Their acquaintance took place at the bedside of the dying Ilyusha; after a short conversation, Kolya realizes that he sincerely loves Alyosha and is not ashamed to admit it to him. Before meeting Alyosha, the main traits in his character were pride, complacency, narcissism, and autocracy. He raised Ilyusha, trying to eradicate sensitivity, gentleness, and compassion in him, as he considered this a manifestation of human weakness. During a difficult period of life for Ilyusha, associated with the humiliation of his father and cruel treatment of his dog, Krasotkin turned away from the boy, maintaining his character, developing his fortitude. And Ilyusha so needed Kolya’s love and support! After meeting Alyosha at Ilyusha’s stone, he is a different person. In his heart lives kindness, generosity, introspection, and the ability to self-condemnation.
So, what do the heroes come to at the end of the work, what important discoveries do they make?Xiain their soul?
This turned out to be a real path to compassion, mercy, kindness, and the ability to appreciate not only external beauty - the shell, but also the true beauty of people’s souls. It is with the exclamation of Kolya Krasotkin, a 13-year-old boy, that the novel ends: “And forever like this, all my life hand in hand!” Hurray for Karamazov.” And these words from the mouth of a child themselves sum up the theme of childhood. An integral component of the image of childhood is love. It is the innocence and purity of children that makes the suffering of children, mistaken for the sins of others, most blasphemous.
The role of the image of Alyosha Karamazov in changing the characters of the heroes.
We are all children of God, and He loves us all, each in his own way, there is no need to grumble about life, because dirt does not stick to the “clean”. F.M. calls us to childlike purity of soul and sincerity of thoughts. Dostoevsky. Be like children! It is to this traditionally Christian idea that Dostoevsky comes and makes it one of his central ideas. After all, it is in Alyosha Karamazov’s “childishness” and spontaneity that his appeal lies.
Who is Alyosha Karamazov?Alexey translated from Old Church Slavonic as "Man of God". In Rus', he was revered for his love of moral purity, for the great selflessness of this voluntary sufferer, who, sitting at the gates of the magnificent house of his parents, barely covered with rags, shivering from the damp, starving, endured shame, humiliation, beatings and insults. He truly was a man of God, but from people he did not even deserve the name of a man: he was so despised. He endured all the hardships for the sake of God.This hero in the novel is a kind of connecting “link”; he “connects” all the boys together. Alyosha is the personification of peace, kindness, mercy, he protected Ilyusha from flying stones. Alyosha is a person who has retained a little “childhood” in himself; he is a child at heart. According to Dostoevsky, a child is an angel, a ray from heaven, as if foreshadowing the future. You must be able to keep a child in your soul!
Alyosha (“man of God”), Dostoevsky brings children into society. He becomes a friend and mentor to Ilyusha and his comrades. He showed the divine principle in man, whose source and refuge is childhood. For it is said: “Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”
Conclusion.
After reading chapter 10 “Boys” from F.M. Dostoevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov”, we can draw the following conclusions:
1. The ills of society are manifested in the distorted souls and destinies of its children.
2. We are all children of God, and he loves us all, each in his own way, there is no need to grumble about life, because dirt does not stick to the “clean”. F.M. calls us to childlike purity of soul and sincerity of thoughts. Dostoevsky. Be like children!
3. What is the path to correcting a distorted soul? According to F.M. Dostoevsky, this is a path through suffering, trials, pain, loss.After Alyosha appeared in the lives of Ilyusha and the other boys, their lives changed in many ways. They learned to sincerely love, empathize, truly be friends and care for each other. In Alyosha, the guys saw a special person who cares about the lives of the people around him. There are only a few such people, and the boys were very lucky that on their life’s path they met such a person as Alyosha Karamazov.
4. And what does this path lead to? It leads to goodness, peace, mercy and righteousness, justice and happiness. For it is said: “Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”
References.
1. BIBLE: Gospel of Luke.
2. Bakhtin M.M. Problems of Dostoevsky's poetics. M., 1979.
3 Dostoevsky F.M. Brothers Karamazov//Collected Op. in 10 volumes, vol. 9, M., 1958.
4. Zenkovsky V.V. Psychology of childhood. M., 1996.
5. Camus A.A. A rebellious man. M., 1990.
6. Kirpotin V. Ya. The World of Dostoevsky. M., 1980.
“Thank God that he didn’t ask me about Grushenka,” Alyosha thought in turn, leaving his father and heading to Mrs. Khokhlakova’s house, “otherwise I would probably have had to tell about yesterday’s meeting with Grushenka.” Alyosha painfully felt that during the night the fighters had gathered new strength, and with the coming day their hearts turned to stone again: “Father is irritated and angry, he invented something and settled on it; what about Dmitry? He also strengthened himself overnight, must also be irritated and angry, and, of course, he also thought of something... Oh, we definitely need to find him today, no matter what... "
But Alyosha didn’t have time to think for long: one incident suddenly happened to him on the way, which, although not very important in appearance, greatly affected him. As soon as he passed the square and turned into an alley to exit into Mikhailovskaya Street, parallel to Bolshaya, but separated from it only by a ditch (our entire city is riddled with ditch), he saw below the bridge a small group of schoolchildren, all young children, from nine to twelve years, no more. They went home from class with their little bags on their shoulders, others with leather bags on straps over their shoulders, some in jackets, others in coats, and others in high boots with folds on the tops, which little children especially like to show off in when they are being pampered. wealthy fathers. The whole group was animatedly discussing something, apparently conferring. Alyosha could never pass by children indifferently, this also happened to him in Moscow, and although he most loved three-year-old children or so, he also really liked schoolchildren of ten and eleven years old. And therefore, no matter how preoccupied he was now, he suddenly wanted to turn towards them and engage in conversation. As he approached, he peered into their rosy, animated faces and suddenly saw that all the boys had a stone in their hands, others had two. Beyond the ditch, about thirty paces from the group, stood at the fence another boy, also a schoolboy, also with a bag on his side, about ten years old, no more, or even less than that - pale, sickly and with sparkling black eyes. He carefully and inquisitively observed a group of six schoolchildren, obviously his comrades, who had just left school with him, but with whom he, apparently, was at enmity. Alyosha approached and, turning to one curly, blond, ruddy boy in a black jacket, noticed, looking at him:
- When I carried a bag like yours, we wore it on the left side so that I could immediately reach it with my right hand; and you have your bag on your right side, it’s awkward for you to get it out.
Alyosha, without any premeditated cunning, began directly with this businesslike remark, and yet an adult cannot begin differently if he needs to enter directly into the trust of a child and especially a whole group of children. It is necessary to begin seriously and business-like and so that it is completely on an equal footing; Alyosha understood this instinctively.
“Yes, he’s left-handed,” another boy, smart and healthy, about eleven years old, answered immediately. All the other five boys fixed their eyes on Alyosha.
“He even throws stones left-handed,” noted the third boy. At that moment, a stone flew into the group, slightly touched the left-handed boy, but flew past, although it was launched deftly and energetically. The boy let him go behind the ditch.
- Beat him, put him in, Smurov! - everyone shouted. But Smurov (left-handed) did not keep him waiting anyway and immediately retaliated: he threw a stone at the boy behind the ditch, but was unsuccessful: the stone hit the ground. The boy behind the ditch immediately threw another stone at the group, this time directly at Alyosha, and hit him quite painfully in the shoulder. The boy behind the ditch had his entire pocket full of prepared stones. This could be seen thirty steps away from the puffy pockets of his coat.
- He’s targeting you, he’s targeting you on purpose. After all, you are Karamazov, Karamazov? - the boys shouted laughing. - Well, everyone fell into him at once!
And six stones flew out of the group at once. One hit the boy in the head, and he fell, but immediately jumped up and frantically began to respond to the group with stones. A continuous firefight began on both sides, and many in the group also had prepared stones in their pockets.
- What are you talking about! Isn't it a shame, gentlemen! Six against one, you'll kill him! - Alyosha shouted.
He jumped out and stood towards the flying stones in order to block the boy behind the ditch. Three or four quieted down for a moment.
- He started it himself! - the boy in the red shirt shouted in an irritated childish voice, “he’s a scoundrel, he stabbed Krasotkin with a penknife in Krasotkin’s class just now, and the blood flowed.” Krasotkin just didn’t want to make money, but this one needs to be beaten...
- Yes, for what? Are you really teasing him yourself?
- But he sent you a stone in the back again. “He knows you,” the children shouted. “He’s throwing it at you now, not at us.” That's it, hit him again, don't miss, Smurov!
And the shooting began again, this time very angry. The boy behind the ditch was hit in the chest by a stone; he screamed, cried and ran up the hill to Mikhailovskaya Street. The group began to shout: “Yeah, he chickened out, he ran away, he’s a washcloth!”
“You don’t know yet, Karamazov, how vile he is, it’s not enough to kill him,” repeated the boy in a jacket, with glowing eyes, apparently older than everyone else.
-What is he like? - asked Alyosha. - Fiscal, or what?
The boys looked at each other as if smiling.
– Are you going there, to Mikhailovskaya? – continued the same boy. - So, catch up with him... You see, he stopped again, waiting and looking at you.
- He’s looking at you, he’s looking at you! – the boys picked up.
- So ask him if he likes a disheveled bath sponge. Listen, just ask.
There was general laughter. Alyosha looked at them, and they looked at him.
“Don’t go, he’ll kill you,” Smurov shouted in warning.
- Gentlemen, I won’t ask him about the washcloth, because you’re probably teasing him with it somehow, but I’ll find out from him why you hate him so much...
“Find out, find out,” the boys laughed.
Alyosha crossed the bridge and walked up the hill past the fence straight to the disgraced boy.
“Look,” they shouted after him in warning, “he won’t be afraid of you, he’ll suddenly stab you, on the sly... like Krasotkina.”
The boy waited for him without moving. Having approached completely, Alyosha saw in front of him a child no more than nine years old, weak and short, with a pale, thin, oblong face, with large, dark eyes that looked at him maliciously. He was dressed in a rather shabby old coat, from which he had grown ugly. Bare arms protruded from the sleeves. There was a large patch on the right knee of the trousers, and on the right boot, on the toe, where the big toe was, there was a large hole, apparently heavily smeared with ink. Both swollen pockets of his coat were filled with stones. Alyosha stopped two steps in front of him, looking at him questioningly. The boy, immediately guessing from Alyosha’s eyes that he didn’t want to beat him, also lost his courage and even spoke up himself.
“I’m alone, and there are six of them... I’ll kill them all alone,” he said suddenly, his eyes flashing.
“One stone must have hit you very painfully,” Alyosha noted.
- And I hit Smurov in the head! – the boy screamed.
“They told me there that you know me and for something they threw a stone at me?” - asked Alyosha.
The boy looked at him darkly.
- I do not know you. Do you know me? - Alyosha interrogated.
– Don’t pester! - the boy suddenly cried out irritably, but without moving from his place, as if still waiting for something, and again his eyes sparkled angrily.
“Okay, I’ll go,” said Alyosha, “but I don’t know you and I’m not teasing you.” They told me how they tease you, but I don’t want to tease you, goodbye!
- A monk in trousers! - the boy shouted, still watching Alyosha with the same evil and defiant gaze, and by the way, he struck a pose, hoping that Alyosha would certainly rush at him now, but Alyosha turned, looked at him and walked away. But before he had time to take even three steps, the largest cobblestone that was in his pocket, thrown by the boy, hit him painfully in the back.
- So you're in the back? So what they say about you is true, that you attack on the sly? - Alyosha turned around again, but this time the boy furiously threw a stone at Alyosha again and right in the face, but Alyosha managed to shield himself in time, and the stone hit him in the elbow.
- Shame on you! What have I done to you? - he cried.
The boy silently and defiantly waited for only one thing, that now Alyosha would undoubtedly rush at him; seeing that even now he was not rushing, he became completely angry, like a little animal: he took off from his place and rushed at Alyosha himself, and before he had time to move, the angry boy, bending his head and grabbing his left hand with both hands, painfully bit him her middle finger. He sank his teeth into it and didn’t let go for about ten seconds. Alyosha screamed in pain, pulling his finger with all his might. The boy finally released him and bounced back to the same distance. The finger was painfully bitten, right at the nail, deep to the bone; blood flowed. Alyosha took out a handkerchief and wrapped his wounded hand tightly in it. He wrapped it for almost a full minute. The boy stood and waited all this time. Finally Alyosha raised his quiet gaze to him.
“Okay,” he said, “you see how painfully you bit me, well, that’s enough, isn’t it?” Now tell me, what did I do to you?
The boy looked in surprise.
“Even though I don’t know you at all and this is the first time I’m seeing you,” Alyosha continued just as calmly, “but it’s impossible that I didn’t do anything to you—you wouldn’t torture me like that for nothing.” So what did I do and why am I guilty before you, tell me?
Instead of answering, the boy suddenly cried loudly, loudly, and suddenly ran away from Alyosha. Alyosha quietly followed him to Mikhailovskaya Street, and for a long time he saw the boy running in the distance, without slackening his pace, without looking back, and, probably, still crying loudly. He made it a point, as soon as he had time, to find him and explain this riddle that amazed him greatly. Now he had no time.
Very briefly, a high school boy comes to a friend dying of a serious illness to make peace with him.
The work “Boys” is the tenth book of the fourth part of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “”.
Kolya Krasotkin
The thirty-year-old widow of the provincial secretary Krasotkin lived “with her capital” in a small, clean house. The husband of this pretty, timid and gentle lady died thirteen years ago. Having gotten married at the age of eighteen, she lived in marriage for only a year, but managed to give birth to a son, Kolya, to whom she devoted “all of herself.”
Throughout his childhood, the mother was in awe of her son, and when the boy entered the gymnasium, “she rushed to study all the sciences with him in order to help him and rehearse his lessons with him.” They started teasing Kolya as a “mama’s boy,” but his character turned out to be strong and he managed to defend himself.
Kolya studied well, seeing the respect of his classmates, did not become arrogant, behaved friendly and knew how to restrain his temper, especially when communicating with elders. Kolya was proud, and even managed to subjugate his mother to his will. The widow willingly obeyed her son, but sometimes it seemed to her that the boy was “insensitive” and “loved her little.” She was wrong - Kolya loved his mother very much, but could not stand “calf tenderness.”
From time to time Kolya liked to play pranks - perform miracles and show off. There were several books left from his father in the house, and the boy “read something that he should not have been allowed to read at his age.” This inappropriate reading led to more serious pranks.
One summer, a widow took her son to visit her friend, whose husband worked at the railway station. There Kolya made a bet with the local boys that he would lie motionless under a train rushing at full speed.
These fifteen-year-olds turned up their noses at him too much and at first did not even want to consider him a comrade, as “little”, which was already unbearably offensive.
Kolya won the argument, but lost consciousness when the train passed over him, which he confessed to his frightened mother some time later. The news of this “feat” reached the gymnasium, and Kolya’s reputation as a “desperate” was finally strengthened. They even planned to expel the boy, but teacher Dardanelov, who was in love with Mrs. Krasotkina, stood up for him. The grateful widow gave the teacher little hope of reciprocity, and Kolya began to treat him more respectfully, although he despised Dardanelov for his “feelings.”
Soon after this, Kolya brought the mongrel into the house, named him Perezvon, locked him in his room, did not show it to anyone, and diligently taught him all sorts of tricks.
Kids
It was a frosty November. It was a day off. Kolya wanted to go out “on one very important matter,” but he could not, since everyone had left the house, and he was left to look after the children, his brother and sister, whom he loved very much and called “bubbles.” The children belonged to the Krasotkins’ neighbor, the wife of a doctor who abandoned the family. The doctor's maid was about to give birth, and both ladies took her to the midwife, and Agafya, who served the Krasotkins, lingered at the market.
The boy was greatly amused by the “bubbles”’ reasoning about where children come from. The brother and sister were afraid to be left at home alone, and Kolya had to entertain them - show them a toy cannon that can shoot, and force Perezvon to do all sorts of tricks.
Finally, Agafya returned, and Kolya left on his important business, taking Perezvon with him.
Pupils
Kolya met with an eleven-year-old boy, Smurov, the son of a wealthy official, who was two grades younger than Krasotkin. Smurov’s parents forbade their son to hang out with the “desperate naughty” Krasotkin, so the boys communicated in secret.
The schoolchildren went to see their friend Ilyusha Snegirev, who was seriously ill and no longer got out of bed. Alexey Karamazov persuaded the guys to visit Ilyusha to brighten up his last days.
Kolya was surprised that Karamazov was busy with the baby when there was trouble in his own family - they would soon be tried for the parricide of his older brother. For Krasotkin, Alexey was a mysterious person, and the boy dreamed of meeting him.
The boys walked through the market square. Kolya announced to Smurov that he had become a socialist and a supporter of universal equality, then he started talking about the early frost, to which people were not yet accustomed.
People have a habit of everything, in everything, even in government and political relations. Habit is the main engine.
On the way, Kolya began to talk and bully the men and women traders, declaring that he liked to “talk to the people.” He even managed to create a small scandal out of nowhere and confuse the young clerk.
Approaching the house of Staff Captain Snegirev, Kolya ordered Smurov to call Karamazov, wanting to “smell” him first.
Bug
Kolya was excitedly waiting for Karamazov - “there was something sympathetic and attractive in all the stories he heard about Alyosha.” The boy decided not to lose face, to show his independence, but was afraid that because of his small stature, Karamazov would not accept him as an equal.
Alyosha was glad to see Kolya. In his delirium, Ilyusha often remembered his friend and suffered greatly that he did not come. Kolya told Karamazov how they met. Krasotkin noticed Ilyusha when he went to preparatory class. Classmates teased the weak boy, but he did not obey and tried to fight them back. Kolya liked this rebellious pride, and he took Ilyusha under his protection.
Soon Krasotkin noticed that the boy became too attached to him. Being an enemy of “all kinds of calf tenderness,” Kolya began to treat Ilyusha more and more coldly in order to “train the character” of the baby.
One day, Kolya learned that the Karamazovs’ lackey had taught Ilyusha a “brutal joke” - wrapping a pin in bread crumb and feeding this “treat” to a hungry dog. The pin was swallowed by a homeless Bug. Ilyusha was sure that the dog was dead and suffered greatly. Kolya decided to take advantage of Ilyusha’s remorse and, for educational purposes, declared that he would no longer speak to him.
Kolya intended to “forgive” Ilyusha in a few days, but his classmates, seeing that he had lost the protection of his elder, again began to call Ilyusha’s father a “washcloth.” During one of these “battles,” the baby was severely beaten. Kolya, who was present at the time, wanted to stand up for him, but it seemed to Ilyusha that his former friend and patron was also laughing at him, and he poked Krasotkin in the thigh with a penknife. On the same day, Ilyusha, extremely excited, bit Alyosha on the finger. Then the baby fell ill. Kolya was very sorry that he had not yet come to visit him, but he had his own reasons.
Ilyusha decided that God had punished him with illness for killing Zhuchka. Snegirev and the guys searched the whole city, but the dog was never found. Everyone hoped that Kolya would find Zhuchka, but he said that he had no intention of doing so.
Before entering Ilyusha, Kolya asked Karamazov what the boy’s father, Staff Captain Snegirev, was like. In the city he was considered a buffoon.
There are people who feel deeply, but are somehow oppressed. Their buffoonery is like malicious irony towards those to whose faces they do not dare to tell the truth out of long-term humiliating timidity in front of them.
Snegirev adored his son. Alyosha was afraid that after the death of Ilyusha Snegirev would go crazy or “take his own life” out of grief.
Proud Kolya was afraid that the guys would tell Karamazov tales about him. For example, they said that during recess he plays “Cossacks-robbers” with the kids. But Alyosha did not see anything wrong with this, considering the game “an emerging need for art in a young soul.” Reassured, Kolya promised to show Ilyusha some kind of “show.”
At Ilyusha's bed
The cramped and poor room of the Snegirevs was full of children from the pro-gymnasium. Alexei unobtrusively, one by one, brought them together with Ilyusha, hoping to alleviate the boy’s suffering. The only thing he could not approach was the independent Krasotkin, who told Smurov, who was sent to him, that he had “his own calculations,” and he himself knew when to go to the patient.
Ilyusha was lying in bed under the images, sitting next to him was his legless sister and his “crazy mother” - a half-crazed woman whose behavior resembled a child. Since Ilyusha fell ill, the staff captain almost stopped drinking and even mamma became silent and thoughtful.
Snegirev tried in every possible way to cheer up his son. Occasionally he would run out into the hallway and “begin to sob with some kind of liquid, shaking cry.” Both Snegirev and mother rejoiced when their home was filled with children's laughter.
Recently, the wealthy merchant Katerina Ivanovna began helping the Snegirev family. She gave money and paid for the doctor’s regular visits, and the staff captain “forgot his former ambition and humbly accepted alms.” So today they were expecting a famous doctor from Moscow, whom Katerina Ivanovna asked to see Ilyusha.
Kolya was amazed at how Ilyusha had changed in just two months.
He could not even imagine that he would see such a thin and yellowed face, such eyes that burned in the feverish heat and seemed to be terribly enlarged, such thin hands.
Sitting down by his friend’s bed, Kolya mercilessly reminded him of the disappeared Bug, not noticing that Alyosha was shaking his head negatively. Then Smurov opened the door, Kolya whistled, and Perezvon ran into the room, in which Ilyusha recognized Zhuchka.
Kolya told how he searched for the dog for several days, and then locked it in his place and taught it various tricks. That is why he did not come to Ilyusha for so long. Krasotkin did not understand how such a shock could have a devastating effect on the sick boy, otherwise he would not have thrown out “such a thing.” Probably only Alexey understood that it was dangerous to worry the patient; everyone else was happy that Zhuchka was alive.
Kolya forced the perezvon to show all the tricks he had learned, and then handed Ilyusha a cannon and a book, which he had exchanged from a classmate especially for his friend. Mama liked the cannon very much, and Ilyusha generously gave her the toy. Then Kolya told the patient all the news, including the story that had recently happened to him.
While walking along the market square, Kolya saw a flock of geese and dared one stupid guy to check whether the cart wheel would cut the goose's neck. The goose, of course, died, and the instigators ended up before the magistrate. He decided that the goose would go to the guy who would pay a ruble to the owner of the bird. The judge released Kolya, threatening to report to the authorities of the gymnasium.
Then an important Moscow doctor arrived, and the guests had to leave the room for a while.
Early development
Krasotkin got the opportunity to talk with Alexei Karamazov alone, in the hallway. Trying to appear mature and educated, the boy told him his thoughts about God, Voltaire, Belinsky, socialism, medicine, the place of women in modern society and other things. Thirteen-year-old Kolya believed that God was needed “for the world order,” Voltaire did not believe in God, but “loved humanity,” Christ, if he lived now, would certainly join the revolutionaries, and “a woman is a subordinate creature and must obey.”
After listening to Kolya very seriously, Alyosha was amazed at his early development. It turned out that Krasotkin had not really read either Voltaire or Belinsky, or “forbidden literature,” except for the single issue of the magazine “Bell,” but he had a strong opinion about everything. In his head there was a real “mess” of unread things, read too early and not fully understood.
Alyosha felt sad that this young man, who had not yet begun to live, was already perverted by “all this crude nonsense” and was too proud, however, like all Russian high school students, whose main characteristic is “no knowledge and selfless conceit.”
Show ‹…› a Russian schoolchild a map of the starry sky, about which he had no idea until then, and tomorrow he will return this map to you corrected.
Alyosha believed that Kolya would be improved by communicating with people like the Snegirevs. Kolya told Karamazov how his painful pride sometimes torments him. Sometimes it seems to the boy that the whole world is laughing at him, and in response he himself begins to torment those around him, especially his mother.
Alyosha noted that “the devil has embodied this pride and got into the whole generation,” and advised Kolya not to be like everyone else, especially since he is still capable of self-condemnation. He foresaw a difficult but blessed life for Kolya. Krasotkin admired Karamazov, especially because he spoke to him as an equal, and hoped for a long friendship.
Ilyusha
While Kolya and Karamazov were talking, the capital’s doctor examined Ilyusha, his sister, and mother and went out into the hallway. Krasotkin heard the doctor say that nothing depended on him now, but Ilyusha’s life could be extended if he was taken to Italy for at least a year. Not at all embarrassed by the poverty surrounding him, the doctor advised Snegirev to take his daughter to the Caucasus and his wife to a Paris psychiatric clinic.
Kolya was so angry at the speech of the arrogant doctor that he spoke rudely to him and called him “doctor.” Alyosha had to shout at Krasotkin. The doctor stamped his feet in anger and left, and the staff captain “shaked with silent sobs.”
Squeezing his head with both fists, he began to sob, squealing somehow absurdly, trying with all his might, however, so that his squeals would not be heard in the hut.
Ilyusha guessed what sentence the doctor gave him. He asked his father to take another boy after his death, and Kolya to come with Perezvon to his grave. Then the dying boy hugged Kolya and his father tightly.
Unable to bear it, Krasotkin hastily said goodbye, jumped out into the hallway and began to cry. Alyosha, who found him there, made the boy promise to come to Ilyusha as often as possible.
F. M. Dostoevsky is one of the world's greatest writers. His work is permeated with spirituality and reflections on good and evil.
Among the writer’s novels, The Brothers Karamazov occupies a special place. The work consists of 4 parts and an epilogue. In this article we will retell Dostoevsky's story "Boys". It belongs to the fourth part of the novel, the tenth book.
F. M. Dostoevsky, story “Boys”. "Kolya Krasotkin"
Upon learning of this, his mother had seizures for several days. At the gymnasium where Kolya studied, the authorities did not like this news. However, the teacher Dardanelov, who was in love with Krasotkin’s mother, stood up for the guy. But Kolya is against this relationship and makes this clear to the widow. He shows his superiority over the teacher by asking him a question to which he does not know the answer.
A guy gets a dog, teaches it commands and tyrannizes it. However, the dog loves his owner.
At the end of this chapter about Kolya Krasotkin, we learn that this is the same guy who was stabbed by Ilyusha Snegirev with a knife.
Dostoevsky, "The Brothers Karamazov", "Boys". "Kids"
In this part we learn that in the house where Kolya Krasotkin lives with his mother, dog and servant Baba Agafya, other people also live: a doctor with two children and a servant Katerina. On the day described, the main character was going to go to an important business, but was forced to sit with the “bubbles”. That's what he called the doctor's children - Nastenka and Kostya. There were no adults at home except him. Katerina was about to give birth, so she, Krasotkin’s mother and the doctor’s wife went to the midwife, and Agafya went to the market. To entertain the children, Kolya showed them a cannon. When the Krasotkins' maid returned, he argued with her.
"Schoolboy"
Kolya, together with a younger boy, Matvey Smurov, decided to visit the sick and dying Ilyusha Snegirev. The summary (Dostoevsky, “Boys”) can be continued by saying that on the way Krasotkin is insolent to those around him: traders, boys, men. He considers himself smarter than others and shows this to people in every possible way. When they get to Ilyusha's house, Krasotkin tells Smurov to call
"Bug"
When Karamazov comes out to see Krasotkin, Kolya is noticeably nervous. He had long dreamed of meeting him. Kolya tells Alyosha about his friendship with Ilyusha, about how he stabbed him with a knife. And it was like this: the boys were friends, Snegirev idolized Krasotkin, but the more he was drawn to him, the more Kolya pushed him away with his coldness. One day Ilyusha did a vile thing: he stuck a pin in the bread and threw it to Zhuchka. The dog ate it, squealed and ran away. After such an act, Kolya said that he did not want to have anything to do with him. Everyone laughed at Ilyusha, offended him, and at such a moment he stabbed Krasotkin.
When Snegirev became seriously ill, he said that God punished him this way for the dog that he may have killed.
Kolya’s dog, named Perezvon, looked like Zhuchka. The guys went home, and Kolya promised to surprise him with the unusual appearance of the dog.
“At Ilyusha’s bed”
The summary (Dostoevsky, “Boys”) of this part includes a description of Kolya’s character. Krasotkin showed himself to be a proud, narcissistic and boastful guy. He brought the dog (Perezvon) and said that it was actually Zhuchka. Kolya admitted that he kept the dog at home to teach him commands in order to return him to Ilyusha and surprise him with the skills that the animal acquired.
By that time, the sick boy was given a purebred puppy to make him feel better.
Krasotkin behaves defiantly in front of everyone. He gives his gun to Ilyusha, puts in his place one boy who dared to say that he knows the answer to the question that perplexed the teacher. He tries to impress Alyosha by telling different stories about himself and boasting about his knowledge. And then the doctor comes.
"Early development"
Here is a dialogue between Alyosha and Kolya. Krasotkin tries to impress Karamazov again. He shares his thoughts on medicine, faith, attributing his opinions to famous philosophers, critics and writers. To which Karamazov answers him that these are not his words, that his conceit is a matter of age. Kolya finds out how Alyosha treats him.
"Ilyusha"
How does Dostoevsky conclude his work (summary)? "The Boys" is a story that ends with the doctor informing him that the patient does not have long to live. He looked at these people with disgust. Krasotkin began to be sarcastic in response, but Alyosha stopped him. They approached Ilyusha, everyone was crying. Kolya ran home in tears, promising to return in the evening.
The story is about a boy named Kolya Krasotkin, who has only a mother, but they live in a house with several other people: a maid named Agafya and a doctor. The boy is smart beyond his years, educated and well read. But, due to the fact that he does not grow up in a full-fledged family, he is cocky and suffers from the fact that it constantly seems to him that those around him are making fun of him, both at school and on the street.
In order to attract attention, Kolya is ready for rash, risky, and sometimes even cruel actions towards friends and family. One day Kolya Krasotkin decides to lie down between the rails to prove it to everyone. That he is brave and is not afraid of anything. The train passes directly over the boy. This situation becomes known to the school principal, who does not approve of this action. The director talks to Kolya, and after that he tells Kolya’s mother about what happened. She becomes ill with her heart and cannot get out of bed for several days.
In this situation, his teacher stood up for Kolya Krasotkin, who had his own reasons for this; he was passionately in love with Kolya’s mother. But the child, with his childish maximalism, did not need this protection and support, because Kolya was against the relationship between his mother and the teacher. In order to prove to everyone that he is superior to everyone in development and to humiliate the teacher, the boy asks him a question to which the teacher finds it difficult to answer.
Kolya is bought a dog, which he must take care of and teach it various commands. The dog lends itself well to training, but Kolya still hurts the poor animal, and he does it deliberately, as if humiliating and suppressing someone who is obviously weaker than himself. But the dog still continues to love him with the most sincere dog love.
The boy Ilyusha, who was once Kolya’s friend, was given a terrible diagnosis, from which it was clear that the boy would soon die. Despite the fact that the situation in his friend’s house was very poor, the doctor, without mincing words, advised Ilya’s dad to take him to Italy for at least a year. Having said that only this can prolong his life. He also advised me to take my wife to a psychological hospital, and to take my daughter to the Caucasian mineral waters to treat her. Hearing such words from the doctor, Kolya became upset and was rude to him, calling him a “doctor,” and then went out into the senki and cried. Having promised his friend to come to him more often, Kolya went home, promising to return again the next day.
the main idea
This story teaches us that we should be grateful to our parents and loved ones, not harm them and always be ready for self-sacrifice.
You can use this text for a reader's diary
Dostoevsky. All works
- Poor people
- Boys
- Mistress
Boys. Picture for the story
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