Main characters
Brief description of all characters
Mrs. Prostakova.
The owner's wife. A cunning, selfish woman. Puts his own interests above others. Uneducated. Rude. With his activity and desire to stick his nose in everywhere, he irritates and pushes him away.
Mitrofan Prostakov.
Sixteen year old idiot. Stupid, uneducated. Has no opinion of his own. Completely depends on the mother's word.
Sophia.
Left an orphan, he lives in the Prostakovs’ house, being under their care. A kind, educated, honest and open girl. Marriageable bride.
Starodum.
Sofia's uncle. The girl's guardian. An honest and decent man, for whom honor and dignity are above all.
Milo.
Sofia's fiance. Military. An honest and decent young man. Principled. Responsible.
Skotinin.
Prostakova's brother. Greedy, selfish. Looks for benefits in everything. Not educated. Stupid.
Pravdin.
A government official who arrived to restore order in the village. He is fighting against the dissolute landowners. Honest, truthful. Doesn't waste words.
Action 1
Oh, and Trishka got hit for a poorly made caftan. Mrs. Prostakova was furious, although he warned that his sewing skills were far from professional. Mitrofan’s caftan turned out to be too narrow and, even if he wanted to, he definitely wouldn’t fit in there. Prostakov agreed with his wife, although this man had no personal opinion at all and, in fact, he did not care what his son wore. The only person who liked the caftan was Skotinin, but his opinion was not taken into account. As a punishment, it was decided to expel Trishka from the lordly choir.
Mitrofan complained of poor sleep. I didn't get enough sleep at all. Either the heavy dinner affected my well-being, or the large amount of kvass I drank before bed. The mother kissed her son, hugged him, kissed him and sent him for a walk. Fresh air is positive in every way.
In the absence of Mitrofanushka, the trio of Prostakovs and Skotinin began to discuss Sophia, who remained in their house after the death of her mother. They wanted to marry the girl to Skotinin, who liked her pigs more than the bride herself. Greedy and selfish, he calculated all the moves in advance. There was no one to intercede for the orphan. Starodum’s only relative disappeared in an unknown direction several years ago.
Unexpectedly, my uncle showed up. The news from him for Sofia stirred up a hornet's nest. Pravdin had the honor of reading this message. He alone among those present was a literate person. The letter stated that Sofia became the heiress of 10 thousand rubles. A lot of money. From a poor bride, the girl turned into a bride in great demand. Of course, with such and such a dowry. A crazy thought flashed through Mrs. Prostakova’s head. Why not give them to Mitrofanushka for Sofia. Maybe the idea of marrying Skotinin to her was hasty.
Act 2
The soldiers passing by took a liking to this village. They decided to stay here for a while. Milon is in charge of military deployment. Unexpectedly he meets his old friend Pravdin. Pravdin tells why he came here. He must put in their place the completely outraged landowners, including Prostakov. Milon shares his love story with him, talking about his bride, who was taken away from Moscow, leaving her in the care of distant relatives after the death of her parents.
Suddenly the one we were talking about appears. She turned out to be Sophia. Seeing her lover, the girl was beside herself with happiness. Now there will be someone to intercede for her. Sofia tells Milon about Prostakova’s plans. About two prospective suitors Mitrofan and Skotinin.
Skotinin is upset. He was already wondering how he would manage the money and dowry, and then the opportunity arose. Mitrofan stood in the way of achieving his goal. Pravdin and Milon decide to take advantage of the situation and quarrel between Skotinin and his sister. They hint to him that it is not right for a grown man to be a pawn in the hands of a woman. Like, Prostakova plays with him as she wants, but he doesn’t notice the obvious. The goal was achieved. Skotinin was furious.
Nanny and Mitrofan passed by. The woman tried to hammer into the mind of a careless student that before becoming someone in this life, one must not be lazy, but study. For Skotinin, the sight of Mitrofan was like a red rag to a bull. A verbal spat about the upcoming marriage threatened to turn into a fight, but Pravdin and the nanny stopped their attempts to attack each other with their fists. Skotinin, angry and offended, leaves the battlefield.
Prostakova sharply changed her attitude towards Sophia. She became flattering and obsequious. The room for Starodum is ready. Sophia goes with Prostakov to inspect the prepared premises for her uncle. Pravdin meets Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin, Mitrofan’s teachers. Teachers recall the story of the Prostakovs’ appearance in the house, how they themselves learned to read and write, and only then how they began teaching the owner’s son.
“Minor”: summary
The comedy “The Minor” is built according to classical compositional canons: from the very beginning, the reader is presented with all the main characters, among whom is Mitrofanushka, the same “minor.” The plot begins in the first act and is connected with the educated and honest girl Sophia and her rich dowry.
The rapid development of events reaches its peak in the fourth act and ends with a denouement in the fifth. Let's take a closer look at what Fonvizin wrote. “Minor” is structured in this way:
- Summary of “Minor”: action 1.
Mrs. Prostakova scolds the servant for a poorly sewn caftan and thinks about what punishment to choose for him. Her husband agrees with his wife on everything, and her brother named Skotinin, a fool and a liar, argues with his sister. Mitrofan - the “minor” - as usual, curries favor with his mother.
By the way, the conversation turns to the possible marriage of the orphan Sophia and Skotinin. The latter sees benefit in this marriage and is not interested in anything else. Suddenly Sophia appears with a letter from her guardian Starodum. Since everyone present, except the girl, is illiterate, the guest of the Prostakovs, Pravdina, is called to read it.
It turns out that the guardian gave Sophia 10 thousand rubles. From this moment on, she becomes a desired bride not only for Skotinin, but also for Mitrofan. Meanwhile, soldiers stop in the village, and among them is Pravdin’s friend Milon, with whom Sophia has long been in love.
- “Minor” briefly: act 2.
Milon meets with Pravdin. They discuss why they ended up in the village, and suddenly they see Sophia. The girl is glad to meet her lover and tells him about Prostakova’s plans to marry her to Mitrofan. The same news is reported to Skotinin. There is a quarrel between Mitrofan, whom the nanny cannot force to study, and his uncle over the bride.
- “Minor” brief retelling: act 3.
Peasants in the 18th century: Wikipedia / K. Lebedev
Starodum comes to the Prostakovs. He is greeted as a dear guest, flattered and overjoyed. Sophia's guardian reports that he intends to take the girl away and marry her off. After this, Prostakova begins to praise her son, who is supposedly passionate about learning.
Meanwhile, teachers Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin cannot get even the slightest desire to study from Mitrofan. The young man is illiterate, but does not want to change anything. He is supported by his mother, as well as by the false teacher Vralman.
- “Undergrowth”: characters of the 4th act.
Sophia talks with Starodum. They discuss what virtue is, how an honest person should live, what to strive for. The uncle explains to his niece what is important for married life, talks about love, support and understanding.
During the conversation, the guardian receives a letter that helps him understand that the groom he has chosen for Sophia is Milon. After a conversation with the young man, Starodum is convinced of his high moral qualities and agrees to the marriage.
Meanwhile, Prostakova does not lose hope of marrying her son to Sophia. Mitrofanushka is not able to give a single correct answer to Pravdin’s questions. Then the mother, together with her brother, decides to kidnap the bride.
- “The Minor”: heroes and denouement.
Pravdin speaks with Starodum about how important educated and endowed people with virtues are for the state. Suddenly there is a noise. It was the nanny who tried to kidnap Sophia, but Milon prevented her.
The girl forgives Prostakova for this plan, and she hurries to punish the servants who failed to follow her instructions. Pravdin announces that the village of the Prostakovs has come under his control and the punishment is cancelled. The new owner pays off Mitrofan's teachers. Vralman's deceptions are revealed.
Mitrofanushka pushes her mother away and agrees to become a soldier. Prostakova is left with nothing. This is the end and fruits of evil in Fonvizin’s comedy.
Act 3
Pravdin, seeing Starodum’s carriage, decided to be the first to run out to meet him to tell the truth about how difficult it is for Sofia to live in the landowner’s house. Sophia recognized her uncle. They were sincerely glad to see each other after a long separation. Starodum admits why he had to leave here and leave his niece in the care of evil relatives. He needed to earn money to live for both himself and Sofia.
The Prostakovs, in the company of Skotinin, came out to meet Starodum, showing in every possible way with their appearance how glad they were of his appearance in their house. Even Mitrofan, looking at his mother, tries to copy her behavior. Starodum is surprised.
He breaks the news to everyone present that he wants to take his niece with him to Moscow, where he has found her a decent match by all standards for marriage. Sophia, not knowing who we are talking about, still agrees with her uncle.
Prostakova and Skotinin are trying to dissuade Starodum. The lady is trying to show how wonderful her son is and that there is no better match for Sofia than him. She asks Mitrofan to show off his knowledge to the guest, but in vain. A lazy person and a slacker cannot solve a basic problem, let alone something more.
Mitrofan's teachers staged a verbal spat among themselves, trying to find out the true reason for the reluctance to learn from their ward. For four years they have been stressing him out, but he has never learned to count or write. In their opinion, the culprit is the German Vralman, who in every possible way interferes with them in the learning process and confuses the boy with his statements that it is not at all necessary to study. Illiterate people, they say, also feel good in this world.
Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin had a burning desire to beat the German, but he, as if sensing approaching trouble, went on the run. Negligent teachers are left with nothing.
Summary
Act one
Phenomenon 1
The dissatisfied Mrs. Prostakova orders the tailor Trishka to be brought. She doesn’t like the way he made a caftan for Mitrofanushka.
Phenomenon 2
Mrs. Prostakova scolds the tailor Trishka for sewing a narrow caftan for Mitrofanushka. Trishka makes an excuse that he is self-taught and should have entrusted the sewing of the caftan to a real tailor.
Phenomenon 3
Mrs. Prostakova's husband arrives. He is afraid of his wife’s anger, so he says uncertainly that the caftan fits his son too baggy. Mrs. Prostakova is outraged that he does not see the flaws and orders him to punish Trishka.
Phenomenon 4
Taras Skotinin, Mrs. Prostakova’s brother, who entered the room, said that the caftan was sewn “pretty well.” Mrs. Prostakova drives Trishka away and tells Mitrofan's nurse to give him breakfast. It turns out that Mrs. Prostakova’s beloved son did not sleep well at night, he dreamed of how his mother beat his father. And he felt very sorry for his mother, who was tired during this process. Skotinin notes that, apparently, Mitrofan is a mama’s boy, not a daddy’s boy. Mrs. Prostakova offers to send for a doctor, but Mitrofan refuses and runs away to the dovecote.
Phenomenon 5
Skotinin wonders where his bride is. He asks if it’s time for Sophia to tell her that she is being married off. But Mrs. Prostakova believes that it is too early.
Mr. Prostakov recalls how they took Sophia into their home. She was still a baby when her father died, and six months later her mother had a stroke. After this, Sophia Starodub’s uncle left for Siberia and disappeared, so they began to consider him dead too. Sophia was left an orphan and the Prostakovs, being relatives, took the girl in and began to look after her estate.
Next, Skotinin boasts of his ability to collect rent from the peasants. His sister asks them to teach this and wonders why he liked Sophia so much. It turns out that Taras didn’t like the girl at all, but what he loved most in life - the pigs that lived in her villages.
Phenomenon 6
Sophia enters with a letter in her hand and smiles joyfully. Her uncle Starodub, who was considered dead, came to Moscow. Mrs. Prostakova refuses to believe it, she says that Sophia made it all up. Sophia invites her to read the letter herself, but it turns out that Prostakova, her husband and her brother cannot read.
Phenomenon 7
Pravdin appears. Mrs. Prostakova introduces him to her brother and then asks him to read the letter. From the letter it becomes known that Starodum lived in Siberia and could not get in touch for several years. During this time, through hard work he has made a decent fortune for himself and wants to make Sophia his heir. Mrs. Prostakova immediately rushes to hug and congratulate Sophia, saying that she cannot find a better bride for Mitrofan. Then she takes the girl to her bedroom to talk. Skotinin understands that there will be no conspiracy on this day.
Phenomenon 8
The servant reports that soldiers are staying in their village. Prostakov says with annoyance that the soldiers will ruin them. Pravdin tries to convince him otherwise, and then takes him away to introduce him to the officer who is leading these soldiers.
Act two
Phenomenon 1
It turns out that Pravdin and Milon are old acquaintances. Pravdin tells his friend that he has been assigned to the local governorship. He admires the local governor and considers him an honest and sympathetic person. Without naming names, Pravdin talks about Prostakov, characterizing him as a stupid landowner, and about his wife - “a despicable fury with a hellish disposition.” Next, he wonders how long Milon will stay in these parts. It turns out that in a few hours the soldiers must continue their journey to Moscow. Milon is happy about this because he dreams of finding his beloved, who was taken away by some relatives after the death of her mother. This lover turns out to be Sophia.
Phenomenon 2
Sophia and Milon cannot get enough of their unexpected meeting. Sophia complains to her lover about her relatives, tells how much she had to suffer from them. She is especially disgusted by the behavior of Mrs. Prostakova, who is capable of anything for personal gain. The girl tells how Prostakova, having learned about her inheritance, decided, at all costs, to marry her to her son. Milon begins to be jealous, but Sophia tries to convince him that this is unnecessary. She did not answer Prostakova’s proposal, asking her to wait for her uncle to arrive.
Phenomenon 3
Suddenly Skotinin appears. He complains that his sister brought him to her village to get married, and now she is sending him back with nothing. Everyone is very surprised that Sophia was supposed to be his bride. Milon tries to control himself; he is outraged that Skotinin compares Sophia to a pig. Pravdin stops Skotinin’s reasoning, saying that Prostakova decided to marry Sophia Mitrofanushka. Skotinin angrily promises to beat his nephew.
Phenomenon 4
Mitrofan and Eremeevna appear. Skotinin calls his nephew to come to him. Mitrofan cannot understand what is the matter, why his uncle is so angry with him. Then Skotinin asks him if he wants to get married, and rushes at his nephew after he admits that he has wanted to for a long time. Pravdin stops Skotinin, and Eremeevna shields Mitrofan. From behind the nurse, Mitrofanushka shouts to his uncle to get out.
Phenomenon 5
The Prostakovs arrive. Mrs. Prostakova begins to complain about her husband's inaction, comparing him to a calf. She says that she herself comes to manage the entire household: “I scold, then I fight; This is how the house holds together.” The only joy in Prostakova’s life is her son Mitrofan.
Mitrofan's teachers arrive. In one of them, the arithmetic teacher Tsiferkin, Milon recognizes a retired soldier from his garrison. And another teacher, Kuteikin, says that he did not finish his studies at the seminary, “being afraid of the abyss of wisdom.” Now he serves as a sexton and teaches Mitrofan to read and write.
Phenomenon 6
Mrs. Prostakova asks Mitrofanushka to read the assignments. He refuses, complaining about his uncle who wanted to beat him. Prostakova begins to scold Eremeevna for not standing up for her pupil. Eremeevna makes excuses, saying that she was ready to fight, but Skotinin left. Prostakova orders the teachers to be fed, then leaves the room with Mitrofan. Kuteikin and Tsiferkin feel sorry for Eremeevna and take her by the arms to the table.
Act three
Phenomenon 1
Starodum arrived at the estate. Pravdin hurried to meet his old friend. In the conversation, he noted the special treatment of his comrade and Starodum said that this was all the result of the upbringing and education given to him by his father, who served under Peter the Great. Then, according to him, people were simpler and more worthy.
Starodum asks Pravdin to stay in the room to calm down, because he is too angry with the Prostakovs’ act. He had a life rule - don’t do anything rashly.
Phenomenon 2
Sophia arrives. Starodum immediately recognized his niece because she looked like her mother. He says that he heard in Moscow that Sophia was living with the Prostakovs against her will. He tells his niece that he left for Siberia because he wanted to earn money for her future, because she is the only joy in his life and consolation in his old age. Pravdin notices that his comrade could earn even more, but Starodum says that he already has enough. He earned as much as necessary so that Sophia could choose a worthy groom, even if he turned out to be poor.
Phenomenon 3
Milon separates Prostakova and Skotinin from fighting. He reminds them that they are brother and sister. Starodum can't stop laughing. Prostakova initially shows her dissatisfaction with the behavior of the unknown guest, but upon learning who it is, she immediately changes her tone and calls the servants.
Phenomenon 4
Eremeevna comes instead of the sick Palashka, and again receives undeserved insults from the mistress of the house. Prostakova tells her to call her husband and Mitrofan. She makes a big fuss about Starodub’s arrival, calling him a second parent, father and benefactor.
Phenomenon 5
Mrs. Prostakova, her husband and Skotinin rush to hug Starodum, and Mitrofanushka tries to kiss his hand. Starodum is unpleasant about such behavior. He tells Sophia in front of everyone that they are leaving for Moscow the next day. The simpletons begin to lament that they will not be able to bear this separation. Then Starodum says that they can be happy for their beloved pupil, because he has found her a groom, so he is taking her to Moscow. Everyone is amazed by this news, including Sophia.
Starodum, noticing the confusion of those around him, tells Sophia that he will accept any of her choices. Everyone cheered up after these words, and Skotinin immediately began to praise himself. Prostakova, interrupting her brother, began praising Mitrofanushka. She said that they do not spare anything for their son, they give their last money for his education. Seeing the teachers, Mrs. Prostakova decided to introduce them to Starodum, but he wanted to rest from the road and took his leave.
Phenomenon 6
Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin talk and complain about their lives. Kuteikin says that he has been teaching Mitrofan for four years, but he still has not learned to read. Tsyfirkin, in turn, says that in three years he could not teach him to count, at least up to three. They come to the conclusion that Adam Adamovich Vralman is to blame for everything, who is preventing Mitrofan from studying.
Phenomenon 7
Mrs. Prostakova asks her son to study, at least for show, while Starodum is resting. Mitrofanushka answers: “I don’t want to study, but I want to get married,” but still sits down at the study table. Prostakova sits down next to her and gets ready to knit her wallet. Mitrofan treats Tsyfirkin very rudely and does not want to learn new material, his mother stands up for him. Then the grammar lesson with Kuteikin began.
Phenomenon 8
Adam Adamovich Vralman appears and begins to lament that the teachers want to kill the child. Mrs. Prostakova agrees with him and orders him to finish classes. Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin are angry with Vralman, who does not allow them to teach Mitrofan. Vralman is trying in every possible way to convince Prostakova that Mitrofan’s life will work out in the best way even without studying. Mitrofanushka runs away.
Phenomenon 9
Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin reproach Vralman for not doing anything himself and not allowing others to do their own thing. The teachers then attack Adam Adamovich, but he runs away.
Act four
Phenomenon 1
Sophia is waiting for her uncle to leave his room. To pass the time, she decides to read a book, but her thoughts prevent her from delving into what she is reading.
Phenomenon 2
Starodum appears. He asks what book Sophia is reading and gives her advice, trying to teach her to understand people. He says that there are many envious people in the world who are not worthy of respect. Therefore, you need to live according to your conscience and value, first of all, good morals in people; without it, an intelligent person is a monster. Sophia admits to Starodum that all his words touch her heart, she thought about it herself, but could not explain her thoughts.
Phenomenon 3
The valet brings Starodum a letter from Moscow. Starodum pretends that he cannot read it without glasses and asks Sophia to bring them. In fact, he wanted to read the letter in private.
Phenomenon 4
His good friend wrote to Starodum, whose nephew he wanted to marry Sophia to. This young man's name was Milon. Starodum did not know him personally, but he heard that everyone around him considered him an honest and worthy person.
Phenomenon 5
Sophia brings glasses to her uncle. Starodum says that this letter belongs to Sophia, since it talks about her possible fiancé. Sophia is embarrassed and is about to confess something to her uncle.
Phenomenon 6
Pravdin and Milon enter the room. Pravdin introduces Starodub to his friend the officer. Starodub asks Milo if Count Chestan is his relative. Milo says that this is his uncle. Starodum is glad to meet you, and after further conversation he warms up to this young man with all his heart. Then he happily informs Sophia that she has chosen the one whom he himself was going to offer her as a husband. Sophia admits that she loves Milon. Starodum admiringly joins their hands and gives his consent. Everyone is happy.
Phenomenon 7
Skotinin appears. He tries to convince Starodum that Sophia will be happy if she becomes his wife. The old man is amused by what is happening.
Phenomenon 8
Mrs. Prostakova, her husband, Mitrofan and Eremeevna enter. Prostakova asks if Starodum had a good rest, and then invites him to see what her son has learned. Demonstrating his knowledge of grammar, Mitrofan says that the word door is an adjective, since it is attached to its place. Pravdin sarcastically notes that Mitrofan is strong in grammar. Prostakova does not understand that they are being mocked. She says that people lived and live without science, so everything that Mitrofanushka does not know is nonsense. Starodum notes that it is very comforting for ignorant people to consider everything that they do not know to be nonsense. Pravdin and Milon leave.
Phenomenon 9
Starodum tells Prostakova and Skotinin that Sophia has already agreed with someone else. Mrs. Prostakova does not want to put up with this and figures out how to achieve her goal. She orders the carriage to be brought to the back porch an hour before Starodum’s departure, and Eremeevna orders to guard Sophia’s door. It becomes clear that Prostakova decided to forcibly marry Sophia to her son.
Act five
Phenomenon 1
Pravdin tells Starodum that he has a way to calm down Prostakova’s outrage. He was instructed to take custody of the house and villages as soon as the people controlled by the evil landowner suffered. Their conversation is interrupted by some noise.
Phenomenon 2
Milon, with his sword drawn, pushes Eremeevna away from Sofia and shouts that no one should dare approach his beloved. Sophia runs up to Starodum and asks him to protect her. It turns out that Milon witnessed how they tried to force Sophia into the carriage. Eremeevna admits that they were going to marry her to Mitrofan.
Phenomenon 3
Mrs. Prostakova appears with her husband and her son. Pravdin says that Starodub and Milon have every right to demand strict punishment from the government for offenders. The simpletons fall to their knees in fright and ask for forgiveness.
Phenomenon 4
Starodum and Sophia forgive the offenders. Prostakova immediately begins to threaten her servants with quick reprisal, promising to punish the one who let Sophia out of his hands. She says she has the right to do whatever she wants with her people. Pravdin refutes her words, saying that no one has the right to tyranny. Prostakova does not listen to him and is about to go to carry out her plans, but Pravdin stops her, and then begins to read the government order out loud. It says that he must take custody of the Prostakovs’ house and their village because of the inhumanity of the owner. Prostakova is beside herself with grief, and Skotinin is in a hurry to leave so that a similar fate does not befall him.
Phenomenon 5
Prostakova asks Pravdin not to carry out the decree or to give her at least a reprieve for three days. The argument is that she needs to pay off her debts, for example, pay extra to teachers. Pravdin demands to bring all the teachers.
Phenomenon 6
Eremeevna brings all the teachers. Starodum recognizes his former coachman in Vralman. Everyone present is surprised. Vralman admits that he could not find a job as a coachman in Moscow, so he resorted to deception so as not to die of hunger.
Pravdin announces that he is now the guardian of this house, so he releases the teachers. Kuteikin demands a reckoning, Prostakova is indignant at his impudence and calls him an insatiable soul. When it comes to Tsyfirkin, he says that he doesn’t need anything, despite the fact that he is owed for a whole year of work. He explains this by saying that the student has not learned anything from him during all this time. Starodum admires Tsyfirkin’s honesty, and then he, Milon and Pravdin give him money. Vralman asks to return as a coachman to Starodum.
Phenomenon 7
The valet informs Starodum that his carriage is ready. Starodum allows Vralman to take him.
The last phenomenon
Starodum says goodbye to Pravdin. Mrs. Prostakova at this time rushes to hug her son, saying that now he is the only one left with her. Mitrofan roughly pushes his mother away, and she faints. Sofya and Eremeevna help Prostakova get up. Pravdin reproaches Mitrofan, saying that it was mad love for her son that brought Mrs. Prostakova to misfortune. Then he decides to send Mitrofan to serve. Having woken up, Prostakova says in despair that she is dying, because she no longer has power and a son.
Starodum sums up everything that happened with the words: “These are the worthy fruits of evil!”
The end of comedy
Act 4
Sophia and Starodum found common topics for conversation. Uncle and niece spent a lot of time together. Starodum guided the girl on the right path. He taught what is important in this life, what is secondary. What kind of relationship should there be between spouses, how to maintain it. That all deeds should be aimed at the benefit of the people, and actions should not be carried out in circumvention of the law or with the aim of gaining profit.
Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of a messenger, in whose hands was a letter that spoke of Sophia's fiancé. It turned out to be Milon. This is just a coincidence. The letter listed the characteristics of the groom, all of them positive. The uncle believed that Milo was a worthy candidate for his niece’s hand in marriage, but still decided to once again ask the girl if her heart was taken. As soon as Sofia opened her mouth to talk about her fiancé, Milon appeared on the threshold in person, accompanied by Pravdin.
The uncle was incredibly happy when it turned out that Sophia’s real fiancé and the one for whom he wanted to marry the girl were the same person. He liked the guy, and Starodum blessed the young couple with a light hand.
Skotinin interrupted the conversation with his arrival. His talk about pigs left everyone bewildered. Wanting to appear smart and interesting, he once again made himself look like a fool, making those present laugh. Starodum perceived his marriage proposal to Sofia as a personal insult. This flower is not for him. People like Skotinin belong in a pigsty, alone with their own kind.
The next clown in the arena was Mitrofan, who entered the room along with his mother and Pravdin. Prostakova begins to praise her son, saying what a smart and talented guy he is, but at the first knowledge test, Mitrofan fails miserably. Pravdin ridiculed the failed groom and made it clear that the efforts of Prostakova and Skotinin would not be crowned with success.
Starodum confirmed his words. At dawn, he and Sophia will leave the Prostakovs' house. The madam herself decided to prevent the implementation of the plan. She decided to intercept Sophia and forcibly marry the girl to Mitrofan.
Action 5
The wedding could well have taken place if Milon had not arrived in time and snatched the bride from the hands of the nanny. On the orders of the mistress, the woman wanted to kidnap an unsuspecting girl. Caught in the act of crime, Eremeevna decides to tell the whole truth about what is happening in the Prostakovs’ house, because she no longer has the strength to remain silent and tolerate lawlessness. It’s high time to put Prostakova in her place, the woman has completely blossomed.
The hostess, having learned that Starodub and Pravdin found out about her atrocities, throws herself at Sofia’s feet with a request to forgive her cursed one. Pravdin insisted that Prostakova receive a well-deserved punishment and answer for the crime, but Sofia, a kind soul, decided to forgive the woman.
As soon as Prostakova realized that she was not in danger, she rushed into the house and the first thing she did was attack the servants, in her opinion, who contributed to Sophia’s liberation. Just as she wanted to raise her hand against them, Pravdin appeared and announced that, according to the new government law, for poor treatment of servants, the Prostakovs’ estate and villages would come under his care. Skotinin hastened to leave the scene, but before leaving he vowed that in the future he would never raise his hand against the serfs.
Mitrofan's teachers came to the house in full force. The deception of Vralman, pretending to be a teacher, is revealed. In fact, he is a groom, albeit a former one, who once served Starodum. The German decides to again ask to serve his old master.
Tsyfirkin refuses the money offered to him by Mrs. Prostakova. He didn't deserve anything. So much effort and nerves wasted and all in vain. Apparently he is a bad teacher, since he could not teach Mitrofan anything. His action was appreciated by Pravdin, who always respected honesty. Together with Starodum and Milon, they nevertheless paid the teacher monetary compensation.
Kuteikin, unlike his colleague, was greedy for money. Despite the fact that he was unable to teach his master’s son anything, he dreamed of a reward, but in the end he was left with nothing. Pravdin and Starodum did not consider it necessary to encourage this beggar.
Sophia with her fiancé and uncle leave the estate. For the first time in his life, Mitrofan raised his voice to his mother with a request not to tell him what and how to do. Pravdin invites him to join the army. Unexpectedly for everyone, Mitrofan agrees, which drives the mother into despair, having lost her influence on her son. The father condemns the teenager, not supporting such self-will.
This concludes the brief retelling of Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor,” which includes only the most important events from the full version of the work!
The finale of the comedy “Minor”, its meaning
Fonvizin’s comedy has an “open” ending, although Starodum’s instructive instruction externally closes the situation (and the action as a whole) with the necessary didactic result. The heroes, led by Prostakova, have, in addition to the visible, also potential, “collapsed” personal meanings, that intended, guessable energy that seems to be directed beyond the limits of invented situations, into real historical time.
Here, before leaving for his estate, Skotinin receives instructions from Pravdin to tell the surrounding landowners about what happened in Prostakova’s house, so that they know “what they are exposed to.” Skotinin (he just uttered the “sister” phrase: “Isn’t a nobleman free to beat a servant whenever he wants?”) answers Pravdin with ambiguous and sly readiness: “How can you not protect your friends!”
“Beware of friends” is a lesson learned, distilled into the experience of collective struggle. This is an assertion of the legitimacy of tyrannical treatment of subjects, which should only be more hidden from the eyes of government officials. And with what ironic significance he makes a promise to Pravdin: “I will tell them that they are people...”. Pravdin almost helpfully picks up, rhyming the supposed “beat”: “They loved more, or at least...”.
When you carefully read this scene, you can’t help but feel that Skotinin is condescendingly “playing along” with Pravdin. Only in realistic dramaturgy, which deals with developing, “fluid” character, with the hidden meaning of intention or action, is such a dialogue possible.
Skotinin, unlike his all-powerful interlocutor, does not pick up his phrase and does not add an unctuous ending to it. He waits with gloomy demands for the continuation: “Well?...” And Pravdin, the all-powerful Pravdin, who represents the government here and has just plunged the Prostakov family into horror and confusion with his “important voice” and stern decree, unexpectedly capitulates. He utters words that clearly “remove” all his previous high-flown arguments with Starodum: “At least they didn’t touch him.” That instructive performance, which could be performed “on behalf of the government” in front of one family, means absolutely nothing in front of “Skotinin and friends,” that is, before the Russian landed nobility as a class united by the unity of proprietary interests. The writer’s alarming thought is directed primarily there, towards the historical “departure” of Skotinin. Where class comrades, “their own people,” are united by hatred of enlightenment, cruelty, animal egoism and greed in order to defend their positions in life.
Valagin A.P. Question and answer: Russian literature. XVIII century. — Voronezh: “Native Speech”, 1995
