The characters in the story are undersized. “Minor” – play D

The original idea of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” was to reveal the theme of education, which was very relevant in the Age of Enlightenment; a little later, socio-political issues were added to the work.

The title of the play is directly related to the decree of Peter the Great, who banned the ability of young uneducated noblemen to serve and marry.

History of creation

The first manuscripts of sketches of “The Minor” date back to approximately 1770. To write the play, Fonvizin had to rework many works with the corresponding ideological content - the works of Russian and foreign modern writers (Voltaire, Rousseau, Lukin, Chulkov, etc.), articles from satirical magazines and even comedies written by Empress Catherine II herself. Work on the text was completely completed in 1781. A year later, after some obstacles from censorship, the first production of the play took place, with Fonvizin himself being the director, and the first publication of the play took place in 1773.

Description of the work

Action 1

The scene begins with a heated discussion of the caftan made for Mitrofanushka. Mrs. Prostakova scolds her tailor Trishka and Prostakov supports her in her desire to punish the careless servant. The situation is saved by the appearance of Skotinin, he justifies the unfortunate tailor. What follows is a comical scene with Mitrofanushka - he reveals himself to be an infantile young man, and also very fond of eating heartily.

Skotinin discusses with the Prostakov couple the prospects of his marriage with Sofyushka. The girl’s only relative, Starodum, unexpectedly sends news of Sophia’s acquisition of an impressive inheritance. Now the young lady has no end to suitors - now the “minor” Mitrofan appears on the list of candidates for husbands.

Act 2

Among the soldiers staying in the village, by chance, turns out to be Sofyushka’s fiancé, officer Milon. He turns out to be a good acquaintance of Pravdin, an official who came to deal with the lawlessness happening on the Prostakov estate. During a chance meeting with his beloved, Milon learns about Prostakova’s plans to arrange the fate of her son by marrying a now wealthy girl. What follows is a quarrel between Skotinin and Mitrofan over the future bride. Teachers Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin appear, they share with Pravdin the details of their appearance in the Prostakovs’ house.

Act 3

Arrival of Starodum. Pravdin is the first to meet Sophia’s relative and reports to him about the atrocities happening in the Prostakovs’ house in relation to the girl. The entire owner's family and Skotinin greet Starodum with hypocritical joy. The uncle’s plans are to take Sofiushka to Moscow and marry her off. The girl submits to the will of her relative, not knowing that he chose Milon to be her husband. Prostakova begins to praise Mitrofanushka as a diligent student. After everyone has left, the remaining teachers Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin discuss the laziness and mediocrity of their underage student. At the same time, they accuse the rogue, Starodum’s former groom, Vralman, of hindering the learning process of the already stupid Mitrofanushka with his dense ignorance.

Act 4

Starodum and Sofyushka are having a conversation about high moral principles and family values - true love between spouses. After a conversation with Milo, having made sure of the young man’s high moral qualities, the uncle blesses his niece to marry her lover. What follows is a comical scene in which the unlucky suitors Mitrofanushka and Skotinin are shown in a very unfavorable light. Having learned about the departure of the happy couple, the Prostakov family decides to intercept Sophia on the way out.

Action 5

Starodum and Pravdin are having pious conversations, hearing a noise, they interrupt the conversation and soon learn about the attempt to kidnap the bride. Pravdin accuses the Prostakovs of this crime and threatens them with punishment. Prostakova begs Sophia's forgiveness on her knees, but as soon as she receives it, she immediately accuses the servants of being slow in kidnapping the girl. A government document arrives announcing the transfer of all the Prostakovs’ property to Pravdin’s custody. The scene of paying off debts to teachers ends with a fair denouement - Vralman’s deception is revealed, the modest hard worker Tsyfirkin is generously rewarded, and the ignorant Kuteikin is left with nothing. The happy young people and Starodum are preparing to leave. Mitrofanushka heeds Pravdin’s advice to join the army.

Main characters

Considering the images of the main characters, it is worth noting that the speaking surnames of the characters in the play express the one-linearity of their character and leave no doubt about the author’s moral assessment of the characters in the comedy.

The sovereign mistress of the estate, a despotic and ignorant woman who believes that all matters, without exception, can be solved with the help of force, money or deception.

His image is the focus of stupidity and lack of education. He has an amazing lack of will and unwillingness to make decisions himself. Mitrofanushka was called a minor not only because of his age, but also because of his total ignorance and low level of moral and civic education.

A kind, sympathetic girl who received a good education and has a high level of internal culture. Lives with the Prostakovs after the death of his parents. She is devoted to her fiancé, officer Milon, with all her heart.

A person who personifies the truth of life and the word of the law. As a government official, he is on the Prostakov estate in order to understand the lawlessness happening there, in particular the unfair treatment of servants.

Sophia's only relative, her uncle and guardian. A successful person who managed to bring his highly moral principles to life.

Sophia's beloved and long-awaited groom. A brave and honest young officer distinguished by high virtue.

A narrow-minded, greedy, uneducated person who does not disdain anything for the sake of profit and is distinguished by deceit and hypocrisy to a high degree.

Comedy Analysis

Fonvizin’s “Minor” is a classic comedy in 5 acts, in which all three unities are strictly observed - the unity of time, place and action.

The solution to the problem of education is the central point of the dramatic action of this satirical play. The accusatory sarcastic scene of Mitrofanushka’s exam is a true culmination in the development of the educational theme. In Fonvizin's comedy, there is a collision of two worlds - each of them with different ideals and needs, with different lifestyles and speech dialects.

The author innovatively shows the life of the landowners of that time, the relationship between the owners and ordinary peasant people. The complex psychological characteristics of the characters gave impetus to the subsequent development of Russian everyday comedy as a theatrical and literary genre of the era of classicism.

Hero Quotes

Mitrofanushka- “I don’t want to study, I want to get married”;

— “The direct dignity in man is the soul” and many others.

Prostakova — « People live and lived without sciences"

Final conclusion

Fonvizin's comedy became a unique iconic work for his contemporaries. In the play there is a vivid contrast between high moral principles, true education and laziness, ignorance and waywardness. In the socio-political comedy “The Minor,” three themes rise to the surface:

the topic of education and upbringing;
theme of serfdom;
the theme of condemnation of despotic autocratic power.

The purpose of writing this brilliant work is clear - the eradication of ignorance, the cultivation of virtues, the fight against the vices that have afflicted Russian society and the state.

The comedy “The Minor” was written by D.I. Fonvizin in 1782. But, despite the 200 years that have passed and social changes, it continues to be staged in theaters and is of interest to the viewer and reader. The comedy is interesting because of its bright characters, which, oddly enough, are still found in our time. The main problem of the work is the level of education of young nobles.

The main characters of the comedy “The Minor”:

Prostakov – a typical henpecked person who does not want to think with his own head. He entrusted all housekeeping to his wife. Humble as a calf. Prostakov does not have the right to vote in his house.

G Ms. Prostakova – cunning, calculating landowner. She has ruined her peasants to the last thread, and is crying that there is nothing more to take. Having learned that Sophia had become a rich heiress, she set out to marry her loafer to Sophia. Rude and scandalous. No one can live from her. But cunning and flattering to those from whom she expects benefits. Capable of low actions. She denies the need for education, which speaks of her narrow mind.

Mitrofan- son of the Prostakovs, a minor. He's cunning, he knows how to play nice with his mother. An illiterate lazy person and a loafer. In those days, minors were called children of nobles who did not receive a written certificate from teachers about the education they received. Minors were not allowed into the public service; they were not given the so-called. crown memorials - papers that allowed marriage.

Pravdin – an official sent by the governor to take custody of the Prostakovs' estate and villages. An honest and decent official.

Starodum – Sophia's uncle. A straightforward, decent person. In his youth, he took part in battles and served at court, but seeing how some were ready to curry favor and build intrigues in order to rise in the eyes of august persons, Starodum left service at court, as he admits, “brought home intact, my soul, my honor, my rules." In his conversations he advocates the education of young nobles.

Sophia - Starodum's niece, a modest, educated girl. Loves Milo.

Milon – officer, nobleman, loves Sophia, is respected by his colleagues.

Skotinin – the landowner robs his peasants to the last. He is going to marry Sophia, but he does not love the girl, but the pigs that are raised by peasants in Sophia’s villages. His last name matches him. The man is uneducated and rude.

Kuteikin – teaches Mitrofan literature. A cheat and a swindler.

Tsyfirkin – teaches mathematics. By refusing to pay Mitrofan's tuition, Tsyfirkin behaved like a decent person.

Vralman – German, French teacher. A multi-talking surname. With it, Fonvizin tries to emphasize the deceitful character of the German, who, receiving 300 rubles a year, does not teach Mitrofan anything, and interferes with others. One day Vralman accidentally lets slip that he was a coachman in St. Petersburg. And indeed, Starodum was once his master. Leaving the Prostakovs, he took the German back as coachman.

Eremeevna- Serf of the Prostakovs, nanny of Mitrofan. She treats the undergrowth as if she were her own, and is ready to stand up for him. He carries out all of Prostakova’s orders unquestioningly.

Almost all the names of the characters in the work characterize their owners in one way or another:

Pravdin personifies honesty;
Starodum - a conservative outlook on life;
Vralman - deceit.
Kuteikin - a tendency to binge drinking and an easy life

True, Mrs. Prostakova is not as simple as her dull hubby and the undersized Mitrofan.

Prostakova tried to quietly kidnap Sophia in order to secretly marry her with Mitrofan. But Sophia made a fuss, and Milon was the first to come to her aid, followed by Starodum and Pravdin. Prostakova realized that Starodum and Sophia’s complaint could end badly for her and begged for forgiveness. As soon as Sophia forgave her, she began to threaten her people. Then Pravdin read her and her husband a document on guardianship, which effectively deprived her of all power over the estate and peasants. In Fonvizin’s comedy, a red thread runs through the idea of the greatness and intelligence of the Sovereign Emperor.

As was customary in classicism, the heroes of the comedy “The Minor” are clearly divided into negative and positive. However, the most memorable and striking are the negative characters, despite their despotism and ignorance: Mrs. Prostakova, her brother Taras Skotinin and Mitrofan himself. They are interesting and ambiguous. It is with them that comic situations are associated, full of humor, and bright liveliness of dialogues.

Positive characters do not evoke such vivid emotions, although they are sounding boards that reflect the author’s position. Educated, endowed with only positive traits, they are ideal - they cannot commit lawlessness, lies and cruelty are alien to them.

Let us describe each of the characters in more detail:

Heroes	Characteristic	Character Speech
Negative characters
Mrs. Prostakova	The central negative character, a representative of the serf nobility. She is depicted as an uneducated, ignorant and evil woman, who holds all the power in the family: “I scold, then I fight, and that’s how the house holds together.” She is convinced that education is unnecessary and even harmful: “People live and have lived without science.” A two-faced person: she communicates haughtily, rudely, even aggressively with serfs, teachers, husband, brother, and tries to flatter the people on whom her position depends. Confirmation of the same thought is the change in attitude towards Sophia. Pravdin calls her “a despicable woman whose hellish disposition brings misfortune to the whole house.” The only person who inspires her with good feelings is her son Mitrofanushka, “dear friend”, “darling”. That’s why in the finale it’s even a pity for her, because he also turns away from her.	Trishke - “cattle”, “swindler”, “thief’s mug”, “blockhead”; To Eremeevna - “beast”, “rascal”, “dog’s daughter”. To Starodum - “benefactor.” “Whatever the peasants had, we took it away, we won’t be able to rip anything off.” “Rogues, thieves, swindlers! I’ll order everyone to be beaten to death.”
Skotinin	Another sharply negative character, the owner of a bestial surname, narcissistic and cruel. His only passion is pigs and everything connected with them gives his image a certain semblance of an animal.	“I haven’t read anything since I was born... God saved me from this boredom.” “I love pigs...” “Are there pigs in your villages?” “I want to have my own piglets.” “... I’ll break the devil... if I were a pig’s son... “Eco happiness has fallen.” “I would have… by the legs, but on the corner,” “Oh, you damn pig!” - Mitrofan. “Look how she screamed” - about her sister.
Mitrofan	A minor of sixteen years old, the son of provincial landowners. His name is “speaking”, because Mitrofan translated from Greek means “like a mother.” The same two-faced: a tyrant towards his family, humiliatingly asks for forgiveness from Starodum in the finale. He has undeniable cunning. For example, a dream where “mother beats father.” Education depends on life, environment, and the conditions of a person’s formation. Mitrofan, who grew up in an ignorant family, is himself ignorant, stupid and lazy. Mitrofanushka is not only a complete ignorant who has an aversion to learning, but also an egoist; for him there is nothing significant except his own interests. “An ignoramus without a soul is a beast,” according to Starodum. Rude and cruel towards serfs, teachers, nanny, father. “Although he is sixteen years old, he has already reached the last degree of his perfection and will not go further,” Sophia says about him. “The damned pig,” as his uncle calls him, is the final result of the degradation of the nobility under a soul-crippling upbringing. Historically, a young nobleman who did not receive a written certificate of training from his teacher was considered a “minor.” He was not accepted into the service and was not allowed to marry. Thanks to comedy, the image of a “minor” has become a household word: this is usually what they say about stupid and ignorant people.	Eremeevne - “old Khrychovka”; uncle - “Get out, uncle; get lost"; “garrison rat” - to teacher Tsyfirkin.. “Take them and Eremeevna too” - about teachers. “I don’t want to study, I want to get married.” “To hell with everything!”
Prostakov	The person is weak-willed and weak. It’s definitely impossible to say about him that he is the “head of the family.” Submits to his wife in everything and fears her. He prefers not to have his own opinion - the scene with sewing a caftan: “Before your eyes, mine see nothing.” An illiterate “spineless henpecked” man, in essence, he is not such a bad person. He loves Mitrofan, “as a parent should.” “He is humble,” Pravdin says about him.
Positive characters
Pravdin	A government official sent to check the situation on the Prostakov estate. Arbitrariness, in his opinion, is an unforgivable vice. Tyranny deserves punishment. Therefore, the truth will prevail and the estate of the cruel and despotic Prostakova will be taken away in favor of the state.	“From the struggle of my heart, I do not fail to notice the malicious ignoramuses who, having power over their people, use it inhumanly for evil.” “So that there is no shortage of worthy people, special efforts are made to educate.”
Sophia	Starodum's niece. A decent, kind, smart girl. Translated from Greek, her name is “wisdom”. Honest and educated. “God gave you all the pleasantness of your sex,... the heart of an honest man,” Starodum tells her.	“How can the heart not be content when the conscience is calm... It is impossible not to love the rules of virtue... They are ways of happiness.” “I will use all my efforts to earn the good opinion of worthy people.”
Starodum	Sophia's uncle and guardian. Acts as a sounding board, expressing the author’s thoughts. His name says that he was raised in the era of Peter and adheres to its ideals, when they served at court faithfully and honestly, without fawning before the “powers of this world.” And he honestly earned his fortune and position: he was in military service, and served at court. Has straightforwardness and impatience for injustice. A person endowed with power, in his opinion, should not in any way violate the rights of other people.	“Enlightenment elevates one virtuous soul.” “Cash money is not cash dignity.” “Ranks begin, sincerity ceases.” “Have a heart, have a soul, and you will be a man at all times.” “The dignity of the heart is indivisible.” “The main goal of all knowledge.” human - good behavior."
Milo	A handsome officer, Sophia's fiancé. Despite his youth, he already took part in hostilities, where he showed himself heroically. Modest. “A young man of great merit,” “the entire public considers him an honest and worthy person,” according to Starodum.	"I'm in love and I have the happiness of being loved.”“I believe true fearlessness is in the soul, not in the heart...”
Minor characters
Tsyfirkin	In the past he was a soldier, so he values the concepts of duty and honor: “I took money for service, but I didn’t take it in vain and I won’t take it.” Rough, but straightforward and honest. “I don’t like to live idly,” he says. Starodum is called a “straightforward, kind person.”	“Here gentlemen are good commanders!”, “here there is rapid fire every day for three hours in a row.” “Hello for a hundred years, yes twenty, and another fifteen, countless years.”
Kuteikin	A half-educated seminarian with a “speaking” surname: kutia is a ritual porridge, an obligatory Christmas and funeral dish. The man is undoubtedly cunning, as evidenced by the choice of text when teaching Mitrofan: “I am a worm, and not a man, a reproach of men,” “that is, an animal, a cattle.” Greedy for money, tries not to miss what he has.	Church Slavonic vocabulary: “utter darkness”, “woe is me a sinner”, “the call was”, “I came”, “fearing the abyss of wisdom”.
Vralman	German Adam Adamovich is Starodum's former coachman. The man is a rogue, as his last name suggests, posing as a scientist who can teach “French and all the sciences,” but he himself interferes with other teachers. The owner of a lackey's soul, tries to please Prostakova, praising Mitrofan. He himself is ignorant and uncultured.	“They want to kill the turnip!” “Shiuchi with the wild hospots, as far as I’m concerned, I’m all with the little horses.”
Eremeevna	Mitrofan's nanny. She sincerely serves in the Prostakovs’ house, loves her pupil Mitrofan, but is rewarded for her service like this: “Five rubles a year, up to five slaps a day.”	“... I would have broken down with him... I wouldn’t even take care of my fangs.” ... you don’t know how to serve anymore... I would be glad if nothing else... you don’t regret your belly... but everything is not to your liking."

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Classicism is a literary movement that developed in the eighteenth century. A striking example of this is the comedy “Minor.” The characters in this work are the topic of the article.

Issues

What is the comedy “The Minor” about? The characters are typical representatives of social strata in Russia in the eighteenth century. Among them are statesmen, nobles, servants, serfs, and even self-proclaimed teachers. The social theme is touched upon in the comedy “The Minor.” The characters are Mitrofanushka and his mother. Mrs. Prostakova tightly controls everyone. She doesn't consider anyone, not even her husband. In terms of its problematics, the work “Minor” is straightforward. The characters in comedy are either negative or positive. There are no complex contradictory images.

The work also touches on socio-political issues. Even today, more than two centuries later, it remains relevant. The characters in Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” utter phrases that literally scatter into quotes. The names of the heroes of this dramatic work have become household names.

History of creation

It’s worth saying a few words about how the work was created before describing the characters. Fonvizin wrote “The Minor” in 1778. By that time, the writer had already visited France. He spent more than a year in Paris, where he studied jurisprudence, philosophy, and became acquainted with the social life of the country that gave the world such names as Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau. Consequently, the views of the Russian playwright have changed somewhat. He realized the backwardness of the Russian landowner class. Therefore, the writer considered it necessary to create a work that would ridicule the vices of his contemporaries.

Fonvizin worked on the comedy for more than three years. In the early eighties, the premiere of the comedy “Minor” took place in one of the capital’s theaters.

List of characters

Prostakova.
Prostakov.
Mitrofanushka.
Sophia.
Milo.
Pravdin.
Starodum.
Skotinin.
Kuteikin.
Tsiferkin.
Vralman.
Trishka.

Sofia, Mitrofanushka, Prostakova are the main characters. A minor is a concept denoting a young nobleman who has not received an education. As you know, in the comedy he is Mitrofan, one of the main characters. But other characters in the comedy cannot be called secondary. Each of them plays a specific role in the plot. The works, like other works of the classical era, reflect events taking place during one day. The characters in the comedy "The Minor" are given names. And this is another typical feature of works of classicism.

Plot

Fonvizin's comedy tells the story of cruel and stupid landowners, who are opposed to educated aristocrats. The plot centers on the story of an orphan girl who suddenly finds herself the heir to a large fortune. in the comedy they try to take over her dowry by forcing her into marriage. The positive ones come to the rescue, getting rid of treacherous relatives.

In the Prostakovs' house

A more detailed description of the characters in “The Minor” is presented below. But, as already mentioned, Mrs. Prostakova has a difficult disposition. The reader is convinced of this from the very first pages. The comedy begins with a scene in which Mitrofanushka’s mother angrily attacks the serf Trishka for sewing a caftan for her beloved son, which is too small for him. This and subsequent events characterize Prostakova as a person prone to tyranny and unexpected outbursts of rage.

Sophia lives in the Prostakovs' house. Her father died. Recently she lived in Moscow with her mother. But several months have passed since she became an orphan. Prostakova took her to her place.

Rich heiress

Prostakova's brother Skotinin appears on stage. Characteristics of the characters in the comedy “Minor” - a description of the heroes who can be divided into two groups. The first includes the noble, honest and educated. The second is ignorant and rude. Skotinin should be classified as the latter. This man expresses his desire to marry Sophia. But he wants to connect his life with this girl not because he likes her. The thing is that he is a big pig hunter, as his last name eloquently speaks of. And Sophia inherited several villages, in whose farms these animals live in great abundance.

Meanwhile, Prostakova learns exciting news: Sophia’s uncle is alive. Mitrofan's mother is angry. After all, she believed that Starodum had long been dead. It turned out he was alive. Moreover, he is going to make his niece the heiress of the fortune that he made in Siberia. Prostakova accuses Sophia of hiding news about a rich relative from her. But suddenly a brilliant idea comes to her mind. She decides to marry Sophia to her son.

Justice has triumphed

The village is visited by officer Milon, whom Sophia knew back in Moscow. They love each other, but due to life circumstances they had to separate. Milon, having learned about Sophia's engagement, is at first tormented by jealousy, but later he learns what Mitrofan is like and calms down somewhat.

Prostakova loves her son very much. She hires him teachers, but by the age of sixteen he had not even learned to read and write. The boy constantly complains to his mother that teaching makes him sad. To which Prostakova consoles her son, promising to marry him soon.

The appearance of Starodum

Finally, Uncle Sophia comes to the village. Starodum tells the story of his life about how he was forced to leave government service, went to Siberia, and then decided to return from his native land. Starodum meets with Sophia and promises to rid her of her unpleasant relatives and marry her to a worthy man, who turns out to be her beloved Milon.

Description of the characters

The minor, that is, Mitrofanushka, studies, observing the tsar’s decree, but does it with great reluctance. The characteristic features of this hero are stupidity, ignorance, laziness. Besides, he is cruel. Mitrofanushka does not respect his father and mocks his teachers. He takes advantage of the fact that his mother selflessly loves him.

Sophia gives a good description of her would-be groom. The girl claims that, although Mitrofanushka is only sixteen years old, he has reached the peak of his perfection and will not develop further. This character from Fonvizin's comedy is quite unpleasant. It combines such traits as servility and a tendency towards tyranny.

At the beginning of the work, Mitrofanushka appears before readers in the role of a spoiled, tough person. But later, when his mother fails to organize his wedding with a rich relative, he radically changes his behavior, humbly asks for forgiveness from Sophia, and shows humility towards Starodum. Mitrofanushka is a representative of the world of the Prostakovs-Skotinins, people devoid of all concepts of morality. The undergrowth symbolizes the degradation of the Russian nobility, the reason for which is improper upbringing and lack of education.

The surname Prostakova symbolizes lack of education and ignorance. The main feature of this heroine is blind love for her son. At the end of the work, Mitrofanushka’s mother descends to the point that she begins to use assault towards Skotinin. Prostakova is a combination of arrogance, hatred, anger and cowardice. By creating this literary character, the author wanted to show the reader what a lack of education leads to. According to Fonvizin, it is ignorance that is the cause of many human vices.

Sophia

Prostakova's niece is a representative of a noble family. But, unlike her relatives, she is educated and has a concept of honor. Sophia laughs at Mitrofanushka and his mother. She despises them. The characteristic features of the heroine are kindness, mockery, nobility.

Other positive characters

Starodum is an educated man of advanced years with extensive life experience. The main traits of this hero are honesty, wisdom, kindness and respect for other people. This character is opposed to Prostakova. Both of them wish the best for their students. But their approach to education is completely different. If Prostakova sees in her son a small child who requires constant care and indulges him in everything, then Starodum considers Sophia a mature personality. He takes care of his niece, choosing a worthy man as her husband. A few words should be said about this character.

Milo

The characteristic features of this hero are sincerity, nobility, and prudence. Even in difficult situations, he does not lose his sanity. Hearing about Sophia's engagement, he imagines Mitrofan as an educated and worthy man. And only later does his opinion regarding his opponent change. It is this hero, in one of his last actions, who tries to reconcile Prostakova with her brother, reminding them that they are close people.

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“The Minor” is a play in five acts written by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin. A cult dramatic work of the 18th century and one of the most striking examples of classicism. It was included in the school curriculum, was repeatedly staged on the theater stage, received a screen embodiment, and its lines were disassembled into quotes, which today live independently of the original source, becoming aphorisms of the Russian language.

Plot: summary of the play “Minor”

The plot of “The Minor” is well known to everyone since school years, but we will still recall a brief summary of the play in order to restore the sequence of events in our memory.

The action takes place in the village of Prostakovs. Its owners - Mrs. and Mr. Prostakov and their son Mitrofanushka - live the quiet life of provincial nobles. Also living on the estate is the orphan Sofyushka, whom the lady sheltered in her house, but, as it turns out, not out of compassion, but because of the inheritance, which she freely disposes of as a self-proclaimed guardian. In the near future, they plan to marry Sophia to Prostakova’s brother Taras Skotinin.

The mistress's plans collapse when Sophia receives a letter from her uncle Starodum, who was still considered dead. Stradum is alive and well and is going on a date with his niece, and he also reports a fortune of 10 thousand in income, which he passes on as an inheritance to his beloved relative. After such news, Prostakova begins to court Sophia, whom she has hitherto given little favor to, because now she wants to marry her to her beloved Mitrofan, and leave Skotinin with nothing.

Fortunately, Starodum turned out to be a noble and honest man who wished well for his niece. Moreover, Sophia already had a betrothed - officer Milon, who had just stopped with his regiment in the village of Prostakov. Starodub knew Milo and gave the young man his blessing.

In desperation, Prostakova tries to organize the kidnapping of Sophia and forcibly marry her to her son. However, even here the treacherous mistress suffers a fiasco - Milon saves his beloved on the night of the kidnapping.

Prostakova is generously forgiven and not put on trial, although her estate, which has long been a source of suspicion, is transferred to a state guardian. Everyone leaves and even Mitrofanushka leaves his mother, because he doesn’t love her, like, in general, no one else in the world.

Characteristics of heroes: positive and negative characters

As in any classic work, the characters in “The Minor” are clearly divided into positive and negative.

Negative heroes:

Mrs. Prostakova is the mistress of the village;
Mr. Prostakov is her husband;
Mitrofanushka is the son of the Prostakovs, an undergrowth;
Taras Skotinin is the brother of the Prostakovs.

Positive heroes:

Sophia is an orphan, lives with the Prostakovs;
Starodum is her uncle;
Milon is an officer, Sophia’s lover;
Pravdin is a government official who came to monitor affairs in the Prostakov village.

Minor characters:

Tsyfirkin – arithmetic teacher;
Kuteikin – teacher, former seminarian;
Vralman is a former coachman, posing as a teacher;
Eremevna is Mitrofan’s nanny.

Mrs. Prostakova

Prostakova is the most striking negative character, and indeed the most outstanding character in the play. She is the mistress of the Prostakov village and it is the mistress, who has completely suppressed her weak-willed husband, who establishes the lordly order and makes decisions.

At the same time, she is absolutely ignorant, has no manners, and is often rude. Prostakova, like other members of the family, cannot read and despises science. Mitrofanushka’s mother is involved in education only because this is how it is supposed to be in New World society, but she does not understand the true value of knowledge.

In addition to ignorance, Prostakova is distinguished by cruelty, deceit, hypocrisy, and envy.

The only creature she loves is her son Mitrofanushka. However, the mother’s blind, absurd love only spoils the child, turning him into a copy of himself in a man’s dress.

Mr. Prostakov

The figurative owner of the Prostakov estate. In fact, everything is controlled by his domineering wife, of whom he is terribly afraid and does not dare say a word. Prostakov has long lost his own opinion and dignity. He cannot even say whether the caftan sewn by the tailor Trishka for Mitrofan is good or bad, because he is afraid to say something that is not what his mistress expects.

Mitrofan

Son of the Prostakovs, an undergrowth. His family lovingly calls him Mitrofanushka. Meanwhile, it’s time for this young man to enter adulthood, but he has absolutely no idea about it. Mitrofan is spoiled by his mother's love, he is capricious, cruel to servants and teachers, pompous, and lazy. Despite many years of lessons with teachers, the young master is hopelessly stupid, he does not show the slightest desire for learning and knowledge.

And the worst thing is that Mitrofanushka is a terrible egoist; nothing matters to him except his own interests. At the end of the play, he easily leaves his mother, who loved him so unrequitedly. Even she is nothing to him.

Skotinin

Brother of Mrs. Prostakova. Narcissistic, narrow-minded, ignorant, cruel and greedy. Taras Skotinin has a great passion for pigs; the rest is of little interest to this narrow-minded person. He has no idea of family ties, heartfelt affection and love. Describing how well his future wife will heal, Skotinin only says that he will give her the best light. In his system of coordinates, this is precisely what marital happiness consists of.

Sophia

Positive female image of the work. A very well-mannered, kind, meek and compassionate girl. Sophia received a good education, she has an inquisitive mind and a thirst for knowledge. Even in the poisonous atmosphere of the Prostakovs’ house, the girl does not become like the owners, but continues to lead the lifestyle that she likes - she reads a lot, thinks, is friendly and polite to everyone.

Starodum

Sophia's uncle and guardian. Starodum is the voice of the author in the play. His speeches are very aphoristic, he talks a lot about life, virtues, intelligence, law, government, modern society, marriage, love and other pressing issues. Starodum is incredibly wise and noble. Despite the fact that he clearly has a negative attitude towards Prostakova and others like her, Starodum does not allow himself to stoop to rudeness and outright criticism, and as for light sarcasm, his narrow-minded “relatives” cannot recognize it.

Milo

Officer, Sophia's lover. The image of a hero-protector, an ideal young man, a husband. He is very fair and does not tolerate meanness and lies. Milo was brave, not only in battle, but also in his speeches. He is devoid of vanity and low-minded prudence. All of Sophia’s “suitors” talked only about her condition, but Milon never mentioned that his betrothed was rich. He sincerely loved Sophia even before she had an inheritance, and therefore in his choice the young man was not guided by the size of the bride’s annual income.

“I don’t want to study, but I want to get married”: the problem of education in the story

The key problem of the work is the theme of provincial noble upbringing and education. The main character Mitrofanushka receives an education only because it is fashionable and “just the way it is.” In fact, neither he nor his ignorant mother understands the true purpose of knowledge. They should make a person smarter, better, serve him throughout his life and benefit society. Knowledge is gained through hard work and can never be forced into someone's head.

Mitrofan's home education is a dummy, a fiction, a provincial theater. For several years, the unfortunate student did not master either reading or writing. Mitrofan fails the comic test that Pravdin arranges with a bang, but because of his stupidity he cannot even understand this. He calls the word door an adjective, because it is supposedly attached to the opening, he confuses science history with the stories that Vralman tells him in abundance, and Mitrofanushka can’t even pronounce the word “geography”... it’s too tricky.

To show the grotesqueness of Mitrofan’s education, Fonvizin introduces the image of Vralman, who teaches “French and all sciences.” In fact, Vralman (that’s a telling name!) is not a teacher at all, but Starodum’s former coachman. He easily deceives the ignorant Prostakova and even becomes her favorite, because he professes his own teaching methodology - not to force the student to do anything through force. With such zeal as Mitrofan’s, the teacher and student are simply idle.

Education goes hand in hand with acquiring knowledge and skills. Mrs. Prostakova is mostly responsible for him. She methodically imposes her rotten morality on Mitrofan, who (here he is diligent here!) perfectly absorbs his mother’s advice. So, while solving a division problem, Prostakova advises her son not to share with anyone, but to take everything for himself. When talking about marriage, mother speaks only about the bride’s wealth, never mentioning spiritual affection and love. The young Mitrofan is not familiar with such concepts as courage, boldness, and valor. Despite the fact that he is no longer a baby, he is still looked after in everything. The boy cannot even stand up for himself during a clash with his uncle; he immediately begins to call his mother, and the old nanny Eremeevna rushes at the offender with her fists.

The meaning of the name: two sides of the coin

The title of the play has a literal and figurative meaning.

Direct meaning of the name
In the old days, minors were called teenagers, young men who had not yet reached adulthood and had not entered the public service.

The figurative meaning of the name
A fool, an ignoramus, a narrow-minded and uneducated person was also called a minor, regardless of his age. With the light hand of Fonvizin, it was precisely this negative connotation that became attached to the word in the modern Russian language.

Every person is reborn from a minor youth into an adult man. This is growing up, a law of nature. However, not everyone transforms from a dark, half-educated person into an educated, self-sufficient person. This transformation requires effort and perseverance.

Place in literature: Russian literature of the 18th century → Russian drama of the 18th century → The work of Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin → 1782 → The play “The Minor”.