The difference between Olga Ilyinskaya and Agafya Matveevna Pshenitsyna is masterfully depicted by Goncharov, starting with the portrait description: “She was about thirty years old. She was very white and plump in face, so that the blush, it seemed, could not break through her cheeks... Her eyes were grayish-simple, like the whole expression of her face; hands are white, but hard...” The author did not give this detailed description Olga’s appearance, as if wanting to emphasize that the main thing about her was not her external qualities.

In the appearance of Agafya Matveevna, the author (and therefore his hero) notes “strong, healthy breasts,” full white arms with round elbows, and a lush figure covered in a dress. “She has a simple but pleasant face,” Oblomov decided condescendingly, “she must be a kind woman!” And indeed, Agafya Matveevna was a kind, warm-hearted, decent woman, she cared so much about Ilya Ilyich that she was ready to sacrifice a lot for him. For example, I took my jewelry to the pawnshop so that the master would not need anything. To Stolz’s question about the promissory note (a fraudulent forgery of her brother and Tarantiev, which Agafya did not know about), she innocently replied that the master did not owe her anything, although she had been feeding him at her own expense for a long time.

However, the author does not put the spiritual qualities of this heroine in the first place, and the narrative is dominated by everyday and physiological details that are important for the main character. These are seductive shoulders, full arms with round elbows, which Oblomov admired “with the same pleasure with which he looked at a hot cheesecake in the morning.” This woman brought peace and tranquility into his soul, and he felt grateful to her for the amazing atmosphere of comfort, so reminiscent of Oblomov’s familiar and sweet life.

Agafya Matveevna was a hardworking housewife, and she was ready every minute to serve the person she loved with all her heart. It is impossible to imagine her resting, and Oblomov liked her tirelessness. He was also very pleased that they did not demand anything from him, did not bother him with anything, but they cared about him tirelessly. Love and sacrifice are always nearby in the lives of ordinary Russian women, and Agafya Pshenitsyna is one of them. She is neither a noblewoman nor a peasant (“official”), and earns her living by renting out rooms to guests, doing a lot of different work for the tenants and for her family. She has philistine views on relations between men and women, but when she realized that she fell in love with Oblomov, she was ready to make any sacrifice for his sake, caring for him became the meaning of her life.

In many ways, her faithful assistant Anisya, Zakhara’s wife, with whom the hostess became very friendly, is similar to Agafya Matveevna. They are both very hardworking, they treat work not as an exhausting, heavy duty, but as a familiar and necessary condition of life, which was the complete opposite of the views on work in Oblomovka. Anisya was “an agile woman, about forty-seven years old, with a caring smile... and tenacious, never-tiring hands.” Lazy and grumpy Zakhar, who sometimes spoke threateningly and angrily to his wife, had to admit that “Anisya is smarter than him!” And therefore, all the misunderstandings with the master were resolved by Anisya, who spoke to Oblomov in such a way, chattering nonstop, that he calmed down in bewilderment.

The author notes the mutual sympathy of Agafya Matveevna and Anisya. “If there are sympathies of souls, if kindred hearts sense each other from afar...”, then such an example is the friendship of these women, which also testifies to the kindness and sincerity of Agafya Matveevna. And how can she not appreciate her assistant, if with her appearance everything in the house began to sparkle with cleanliness and everything was in order! So Anisya became a “great helper” in the master’s orders, and Agafya Matveevna found “a place in her heart” for Anisya, who also realized that from now on she, together with the mistress, would participate in the whole life of the house. “The two women understood each other and became inseparable”: they shared secrets in everything that had been introduced into people’s everyday life by observant minds and centuries of experience.

Like all ordinary women, Anisya is not only inquisitive, but also curious, she is interested in the master’s life, but she will not engage in gossip and is ready at any time to defend the honor of the owner if anyone dares to say too much.
When Ilya Ilyich married Agafya Matveevna, Anisya finally established her position in Pshenitsyna’s house, and “the mutual attraction of Anisya and the mistress turned into an inextricable connection, into one existence.” “Agafya Matveevna grew up, Anisya spread her arms like an eagle’s wings, and life began to boil and flow like a river.” If this is what is needed for the family, then Anisya won’t even go to bed, as long as everything is decent, as the master wants. And the kitchen became “the palladium of the activities of the great housewife and her worthy assistant,” under whose watchful eye the entire house was located, where her “nimble, all-sweeping hand” was in charge.

The images of women, near whom Oblomov’s quiet life takes place, were not introduced by chance by the author. The reader sees how love has a beneficial effect on the souls of those who are able to love selflessly, who are not afraid of work, and inspired women are ready for much. Their work seems to excite them, and their eyes shine brighter. The images of Agafya Matveevna and Anisya help to see even more clearly the bright opposite against their background, the master Ilya Ilyich, and the destructive impact that laziness and lordship brought up from childhood had on Oblomov. Even Olga’s love did not inspire him to “deeds”; he suffered from the need to make efforts every day, when he had long been tired of just leaving the house. Oblomov did not want and was unable to work on himself, to change himself and his usual way of life. And in Pshenitsyna’s house, a lot reminded him of his childhood in Oblomovka, when you can admire other people’s work, remaining in peace, while feeling care and love.

Agafya Matveevna idolizes the man who changed everything in her destiny, considers him a special, noble and pampered nobleman who bestowed his attention on her. Together with love, the soul of this simple woman blossomed; Agafya Matveevna grew spiritually, causing surprise with her transformation among those who knew her before. Now she is able to defend her right to a happy family life, and her brother and family are forced to move out, and Agafya Matveevna lives in peace and harmony with the person most dear to her. She accepted everything in him (Olga could not do this even at the request of Ilya Ilyich: “accept me as I am”).

Agafya was not irritated by Oblomov’s inactivity, drowsiness, laziness, and she recognized his quiet, calm disposition and his way of life as an ideal. This woman believed that “God put a soul into her life” when Ilya Ilyich appeared in her house. Having married him, she began to understand herself in a new way, since “now she already knew why she lived.” And even after Oblomov’s death, remaining eternally inconsolable, Agafya Matveevna understood that “rays, a quiet light from the seven years that flew by in an instant, spilled over her entire life.”

Agafya Matveevna loved her son Andryusha no less than his father, but wisely decided that Stolz and Olga would do much more to raise him than she did. And at the end of the novel, the author reports her rapprochement with Olga Ilyinskaya, but not only because of their common concern for Andryusha. It turns out that they were “connected by a common sympathy, one memory of the soul of the deceased, pure as crystal.”
So, at first, infinitely distant and different women become closer, thanks to the ability to love strongly and selflessly, although fate and life led them along different paths.

(375 words) In Goncharov’s work “Oblomov” we are introduced to two central female characters: Olga and Agafya. Despite the fact that they both have a romantic relationship with the main character, each of them is unique in their own unique nature. The contrast that arises between the characters not only complements the artistic picture of the novel, but also allows the reader to see Oblomov’s personality from two different perspectives.

Starting with the portrait characteristics of the heroines, the author emphasizes the obvious difference between them. Olga appears before us as a young woman beautiful girl with refined facial features, thanks to which Oblomov drew attention to her. A slender silhouette and an easy gait are key attributes that complement Olga’s appearance, while Agafya’s appearance was not exceptional. Being a plump, middle-aged woman, she did not stand out from others. That is why the author speaks of her face as “simple.” However, physiological differences only frame the comparison of the two girls, which is full of contrasts. Discrepancies continue in their lifestyle, which is shaped based on their social status. As we know, Olga is a young noblewoman who has a small estate. We can say that she is literally at the beginning of her life path, which is why she is attracted to movement and adventure. Goncharov says that she is full of energy, which charges everyone around her. Agafya, on the contrary, is the wife of the late official, who is left with two children. All her income comes from the livestock she keeps at home. Despite the fact that the woman is economical and active, and is constantly at work, she does not strive for her own intellectual development: does not attend theaters, she is not interested in literature, writes Russian poorly. Agafya carries the image of a homely woman, a modern housewife. And Olga personifies the Russian aristocracy of the nineteenth century.

Differences in lifestyle and characters explain Oblomov’s nature, which is revealed in his relationships with them. Being with Olga, the hero was charged with energy, he had a desire to participate in the vibrant life of high society. But he couldn't hold out for long. Returning to his lazy routine, he began to burden the girl. The rhythms of life of the heroes simply did not coincide, so their relationship was obviously doomed. Oblomov needed someone who would take care of him, as his mother once did; someone who won't change the routine. This is exactly what he found in Agafya. The woman became the keeper of the hearth for him. She blew away specks of dust from him, fussed about the house and treated him like a gentleman. In his relationship with her, he found the “Oblomovism” he dreamed of.

Roman I.A. Goncharov's "Oblomov" reveals the problem of social society of those times. In this work, the main characters were unable to deal with their own feelings, depriving themselves of the right to happiness. We will talk about one of these heroines with an unfortunate fate.

The image and characterization of Olga Ilyinskaya with quotes in the novel “Oblomov” will help to fully reveal her complex character and better understand this woman.

Olga's appearance

It seems difficult to call the young creature a beauty. The girl's appearance is far from ideals and generally accepted standards.

“Olga in the strict sense was not a beauty... But if she were turned into a statue, she would be a statue of grace and harmony.”

Being short, she managed to walk like a queen, with her head held high. There was a sense of character in the girl, of becoming. She didn't pretend to be better. She didn’t flirt, she didn’t ingratiate herself. She was as natural as possible in expressing emotions and feelings. Everything about her was real, without a drop of falsehood or lies.

“In a rare girl you will find such simplicity and natural freedom of look, word, action... no lies, no tinsel, no intent!”

Family

Olga was not raised by her parents, but by her aunt, who replaced her father and mother. The girl remembered her mother from a portrait hanging in the living room. She had no information about her father since he took her away from the estate at the age of five. Having become an orphan, the child was left to his own devices. The baby lacked support, care, and warm words. The aunt had no time for her. She was too immersed in social life, and she did not care about the suffering of her niece.

Education

Despite her eternal busyness, the aunt was able to find time for the education of her growing niece. Olga was not one of those people who was forced to sit down for lessons with a whip. She always strived to gain new knowledge, constantly developing and moving forward in this direction. Books were an outlet, and music served as a source of inspiration. In addition to playing the piano, she sang beautifully. Her voice, despite its soft sound, was strong.

“From this pure, strong girlish voice, my heart beat, my nerves trembled, my eyes sparkled and swam with tears...”

Character

Oddly enough, she loved privacy. Noisy companies, cheerful gatherings with friends are not about Olga. She did not strive to acquire new acquaintances, revealing her soul to strangers. Some thought she was too smart, others, on the contrary, stupid.

“Some considered her to be narrow-minded, since wise maxims did not come out of her tongue...”

Not very talkative, she preferred to live in her shell. In that imaginary little world where it was good and calm. External calm was strikingly different from the internal state of the soul. The girl always knew clearly what she wanted from life and tried to implement her plans.

“If she has any intention, then things will boil over...”

First love or meeting Oblomov

My first love came at the age of 20. The meeting was planned. Stolz brought Oblomov to Olga’s aunt’s house. Hearing Oblomov’s angelic voice, he realized that he was lost. The feeling turned out to be mutual. From that moment on, meetings became regular. The young people became interested in each other and began to think about living together.

How love changes a person

Love can change any person. Olga was no exception. It was as if wings had grown behind her back from the overwhelming feelings. Everything in her was seething and seething with the desire to turn the world upside down, changing it, making it better, cleaner. Olga's chosen one was from a different field. Understanding the emotions and ambitions of your beloved is too difficult a task. It was difficult for him to resist this volcano of passions, sweeping away everything in its path. He wanted to see in her a quiet, calm woman who completely devoted herself to home and family. Olga, on the contrary, wanted to shake up Ilya, change his inner world and usual way of life.

“She dreamed of how she would “order him to read the books” that Stolz left, then read newspapers every day and tell her the news, write letters to the village, complete a plan for organizing the estate, get ready to go abroad - in a word, he would not fall asleep with her; she will show him a goal, make him love again everything that he has stopped loving.”

First disappointment

Time passed, nothing changed. Everything remained in its place. Olga knew perfectly well what she was getting into by allowing the relationship to go too far. It was not in her rules to retreat. She continued to hope, sincerely believing that she could remake Oblomov, adapting a man ideal in all respects to her model, but sooner or later any patience comes to an end.

Gap

She's tired of fighting. The girl was gnawed by doubts whether she had made a mistake by deciding to connect her life with a weak-willed, weak person incapable of action. Sacrifice yourself all your life for love, why? She already spent too much time marking time, which was unusual for her. The time has come to move on, but apparently alone.

“I thought that I would revive you, that you could still live for me, but you died a very long time ago.”

This phrase became decisive before Olga put an end to her relationship that ended so early with the person she thought she loved.

Stolz: life vest or attempt number two

He was always for her, first of all, a close friend, a mentor. She shared everything that was going on in her soul. Stolz always found time to support, lend a shoulder, making it clear that he was always there, and she could rely on him in any situation. They had common interests. Life positions are similar. They could well become one whole, which is what Andrei was counting on. Olga decided to lick her emotional wounds after breaking up with Oblomov in Paris. In the city of love, where there is a place for hope and faith in the best. It was here that her meeting with Stolz took place.

Marriage. Trying to be happy.

Andrey surrounded me with attention and care. She enjoyed the courtship.

“The continuous, intelligent and passionate worship of a man like Stolz”

Restored injured, offended pride. She was grateful to him. Gradually my heart began to thaw. The woman felt that she was ready for a new relationship, that she was ripe for a family.

“She experienced happiness and could not determine where the boundaries were, what it was.”

Having become a wife, for the first time she was able to understand what it means to be loved and to love.

A few years later

The couple lived in a happy marriage for several years. It seemed to Olga that it was in Stolz:

“Not blindly, but with consciousness, and in him her ideal of male perfection was embodied.”

But everyday life became boring. The woman got bored. The uniform rhythm of gray everyday life was stifling, giving no outlet for the accumulated energy. Olga missed the vigorous activity that she led with Ilya. She tried to attribute her state of mind to fatigue and depression, but the situation did not improve, becoming increasingly tense. Andrei intuitively felt changes in mood, not understanding the true reason for his wife’s depressed state. Did they make a mistake, and the attempt to become happy failed, but why?

Conclusion

Who is to blame for what happens to us at this or that stage of life. Mostly we ourselves. IN modern world Olga would not be bored and would not focus on problems. At that time, there were only a few women with a masculine character. They were not understood and not accepted in society. She alone could not have changed anything, and she herself was not ready to change, being selfish at heart. Family life was not for her. She had to accept the situation or let it go.

The main character of Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is a person with a very difficult fate, in which such female characters as Olga Ilyinskaya and Agafya Matveevna played a decisive role. They influenced him more than anyone.

So, Olga Ilyinskaya is a twenty-year-old girl who lives a hectic life. One day she meets Oblomov. And since then she has a goal to awaken Oblomov. But while trying to do this, she realizes that she has fallen in love with him. But if Oblomov wants simple, quiet love, then Olga does not want to sit and be inactive.

And here in Oblomov’s life the opposite of Olga appears - Agafya Pshenitsyna. This is the daughter of a minor official. She has a small, cozy house, which attracted Oblomov. He did nothing all day long, and Agafya cooked for her master delicious dishes. Later, she also falls in love with Oblomov. Thus, Oblomov completely dies spiritually.

So, both girls played a big role in Oblomov’s fate. But if Olga Ilyinskaya tried to save him, then Agafya, on the contrary, completely destroyed him. Who did Oblomov need more? Goncharov does not answer this question.

Updated: 2017-07-31

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Composition by Olga Ilyinskaya and Agafya Pshenitsyna

Love is one of the key problems in the work of the great Simbirsk writer Goncharov “Oblomov”. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the center of two love stories. There were two women in his life, completely different, unlike each other. They both made a huge contribution to his life, but each in their own way. Let's compare these two, without a doubt, great women in the hero's life, their characters and their contribution to the image and character of the protagonist.

Olga Ilyinskaya is a sophisticated lady with an incredibly fine spiritual organization. Ilya Ilyich’s meeting with her was a gift of fate for him. He was incredibly lucky on the day they met and met. His life would not have been so rich without her, even if it was for such a short time.

Olga was a creative girl, she loved literature, theater, and had great musical talent. This is what brought life into the passive existence of the hero. Thanks to her uncontrollable desire to develop, Oblomov was still able to get up from his couch for a while, take off his robe and begin to act. Olga began taking him to the opera and theater. It was thanks to her that the hero began to feel at least something. Something seemed to turn over in his soul with her appearance.

Olga's true desire was to change the hero, to revive him, to make him feel. She did not want to put up with his being, but sought to destroy his habits, forcing him to live and not exist. This is what a determined, brave girl does, ready to do anything for love.

However, the hero was not ready for such drastic changes. He did not want to put aside his favorite robe forever for the sake of some love adventures that would only tire him. He broke Olga's heart. However, they forever remained each other's brightest love. After all, there was no more passionate love in his life.

The second and last woman in Ilya Ilyich’s life was Agafya Pshenitsyna. Her character was radically different from Olga's. She was not at all inclined to change Ilya. He suited her the way he was. With a book open on the same page, with a robe, on a soft sofa. She only contributed to his regression, his degradation as a person. Agafya served him in every possible way, brought food, cleaned up.

Their life was absolutely synonymous with life in Oblomovka. This is exactly the kind of life that Ilya craved. It was much more comfortable for him to live with Agafya, with her measured character.

Such a life could not lead to anything good, but Agafya did not understand this. It was enough for her that they were simply comfortable living with each other. Such a passive life, devoid of movements and emotions, led not only to the death of Oblomov as an individual, but also as a person.

Thus, we can conclude that these two different women changed the hero’s life, they brought love into his life, only the stories turned out to be opposite. One story - filled with emotions, passionate, bright. And the other is slow, measured, calm. The hero made his choice and subsequently paid for it.

We cannot blame him for this choice, because every person comes from childhood, and it can be extremely difficult to change it, no matter how much the other person wants it.

What is betrayal? This is a very offensive thing that a huge number of people face - some commit it, and others are victims of betrayal.