Pushkin's novel about Vladimir Dubrovsky became a kind of reflection of the social and moral stratification of Russians at that time. "Dubrovsky" is included in the compulsory school curriculum for literature and arouses genuine interest in the majority of modern schoolchildren. Moreover, critics of our time do not get tired of discussing this work.
This work of the great Russian classic about the descendants of two warring landlord families remained unfinished, was not prepared for publication, notes and remarks by the author himself remained on the pages of the manuscript, and did not even have a title. But, nevertheless, it is this novel that is still considered one of the most famous works about robbers in Russian.
The first publication of the novel dates back to 1841. But the work underwent strict censorship, during which it underwent significant distortions, changes, some parts of the novel were cut out, omitted. The reason for such changes was, of course, the popularization of free-thinking, showing the robber chieftain as a positive hero with the ability to love, sympathize and empathize. Only many years later, already in Soviet times, the reader got the opportunity to get acquainted with it in full.
The history of the creation of the novel "Dubrovsky"
The author based the novel on the enmity of the country's social strata, it is very clearly expressed in his drama, contrasting scenes of the work, emotional throwing of both the hero and the supporting characters.
The idea to write a novel of such a plan came to Pushkin after he heard from his friends a story about a nobleman of Belarusian origin Ostrovsky. It was he who became the prototype of the protagonist, it was his life's vicissitudes that formed the basis of the work. This story happened in 1830, when Ostrovsky's family estate was taken away from him, and his peasants, not wanting to become the property of the new owner, chose the predatory path.
This story deeply struck Pushkin, who was an implacable fighter for the human right to free thought and tried in every possible way to emphasize this in his works, for which he was persecuted and disgraced.
About the plot of the novel "Dubrovsky"
The plot of the novel revolves around the fate of the protagonist. Despite the fact that Vladimir Dubrovsky is endowed with such qualities as nobility, courage, kindness and honesty, his life does not work out, he is haunted by fatal failures and troubles.
In the course of the narrative, the hero goes not one, but three life paths - from an ambitious and wasteful officer of the guard to a courageous and unusually modest teacher Deforge, to an implacable and formidable robber chieftain.
Having lost the parental home, the environment familiar from childhood, society and having lost the opportunity for simple cultural communication, the hero also loses love. At the end of the novel, he has no choice but to go against the law, to enter into a cruel duel with the morals and foundations of society prevailing at that time.
But, nevertheless, he manages to maintain honesty, moderate pride and preserve nobility, not condescending to barbarism, which was inherent in most robbers and bandits of those times.
