Summary of Oblomov Goncharov
In the big house on Gorokhovaya Street, in one of the apartments the main character of the novel lives – Ilya Ilich Oblomov. He is about thirty-two or three years old, his height is average, his appearance is pleasant, his eyes are dark gray, but they completely lack any idea, while in the whole face there is no concentration.
Against the habit Ilya Ilyich got up early, being concerned about the letter received the day before. In this letter, the headman informed him that, because of arrears, crop failures and other ills, he had to reduce the amount of money sent to the master. Ilya Ilyich realized that he had to write an answer, but he was delaying this moment for the whole morning. Finally, after washing and finishing his tea, he decided to carefully read the letter. It turns out that the letter has already been lost. Then Ilya Ilyich begins to chide the servant Zahar, who is lazy to monitor the order. The servant was really untidy and lazy. He repeatedly appropriated
After a while Zahar shows the master unpaid bills from the butcher’s shop, greengrocer, baker and from the washerwoman. Also, the servant reports the manager’s request to leave the apartment. Then Ilya Ilyich is visited by guests one after another. The first appears his young friend Volkov, then enters the former co-worker Ilya Ilyich – Sudbinsky. Next is the writer Penkin, then a man of “uncertain years with an uncertain physiognomy” Alekseev. The last comes to the countryman Ilya Ilyich – Mikhei Andreevich Tarantyev. They all tell him about their affairs, report the latest news and invite to the May Day celebrations in Ekateringof.
Oblomov refuses and complains about the village headman, as well as the fact that he is forced to vacate the apartment because of the upcoming repairs. No one pays any attention
For twelve years Oblomov lived in Petersburg. His dreams of useful work have failed. He served two years in the department, burdened with monotonous work. Then he mistakenly sent an important paper to Arkhangelsk instead of Astrakhan. Frightened of the responsibility, it affected the patient and was no longer in the service. Oblomov also did not have any women, since, in his opinion, all these relations could only add trouble to him. He was pure and virgin with a soul, he must have waited for his love, for that time, when the pathetic passion flared up in him. But, it seems, the years went by, and his soul no longer waited for anything, deeply despairing.
When the guests leave, Oblomov sits down to write a letter to the manager and explain himself about the apartment. Not having written a letter, he throws it. Zahar comes and reminds him of unpaid bills. Ilya Ilyich swears with a servant, then decides that he will take up bills tomorrow. At this moment the doctor comes to see him. After examining the patient, he reports that in this way of life (constant lying and fatty food) two years later he will die from a stroke. As a preventive, the doctor suggests that he go to Switzerland for a water resort. This statement brings fear to Oblomov. The doctor leaves. Oblomov begins to reflect on the elder’s letter and sinks into sleep.
He sees a dream in which he is seven years old. Nurse after his awakening, dresses and leads Ilya to his mother. She showered the boy with kisses, and then they pray together. After the prayer they visit their father, and then they go to drink tea. On the tea-party they are already awaited by an elderly aunt, three old maidens – some distant relatives of the father, a neighbor landowner and other old men and old women. They all praise the boy, they feed him with breadcrumbs and rolls. After drinking tea, little Ilya goes for a walk. Nurse mother punishes not to leave the child alone.
Life in the estate was always monotonous. Ilya’s father, old Oblomov, watched all day from the window for what was happening in the yard. Mother Ilya conferred with the tailor in the mornings, as soon as possible from a husband’s sweatshirt to change for the little son a jacket. Afterwards, she was giving assignments to the girls, how many each of them should weave for the day of lace. Then I went for a walk in the garden. So passed every day.
The dream continued. Now Ilya Ilyich saw himself in adolescence. He is about thirteen or fourteen years old, he is in a boarding school arranged for the noble children by the German Stolz. Ilya studied without any system, as parents constantly had occasions that he did not go to the boarding house: because of the approaching holidays, because of the arrival of guests. Stoltz’s son, Andrey, helped Ilya: he gave his job assignments and prompted them in class. Then Oblomov sees in a dream how Zakhar helps him dress and reminds us what to do in a day.
Awakened, Oblomov learns that Andrei Ivanovich Stolz has already arrived.
Stolz’s father, Ivan Bogdanovich, was a German, and his mother was Russian. A boy grew up in the village of Verkhlev, where his father served as the manager. From the age of eight, little Andryusha studied the geographic map under his father’s direction, read Herder and Viland, led accounts of illiterate peasants, and taught by heart with Krylov’s mother. He was a mischievous little boy, he could fight with his neighbor’s children, he loved climbing trees and ruining bird nests.
One day, a small Andrew disappeared, he was searched for a whole week, and then found in a child’s bed peacefully sleeping, and under the bed found a gun. The father did not ask his son where he was, but only asked if he made the translation from the book of Nepos. When my father found out that the assignment was not carried out, he said that Andrei would go where he was, and he did not return without a completed task. He also ordered to learn the role from the French comedy, which he asked his mother. The child was not yet a week, but then he returned with a translation and a learned role. Mother was not enthusiastic about such education, she believed that the whole German nation was a crowd of patriotic citizens, and feared that her son would grow up the same burgher.
When Andrew finished his course at the university, his father decided to send him away. There was no one to object – Andrey’s mother had already died by that time. His father gave him only a hundred rubles and sent him to St. Petersburg, saying that he was well educated and that before him all careers were open, and what he would choose for himself was his business-he could at least serve, at least trade, at least to compose.
By the age of thirty, Stolz had made his house and money his work. Above all for him was persistence in achieving his goals, and he bravely strode through all obstacles, never losing himself in difficult and difficult circumstances. Everything he had under control and in the movements there was nothing superfluous. Beauties did not blind him. In the house of Oblomov, whom he valued for his bright, kind soul, Stolz experienced peace, like a man who had just returned, having seen enough of the beauty of southern nature, into his native birch grove.
Now, meeting his friend, Ilya Ilyich starts complaining about his life. Describes his diagnosis, the letter of the elder, about the turmoil in the estate, about the fact that the manager demands to leave the apartment. Andrei Ivanovich remarks that the headman is a rogue, and gives Oblomov practical advice on how to fix things on the estate. Having learned that his friend now spends all his days on the couch, wasting his life for nothing, he decides to take Ilya Ilyich out into the world and shake him. For a whole week, Stolz drives him with business lunches and social events. Oblomov all this quickly gets boring, he declares that he does not like the emptiness and vanity of Petersburg life: the eternal running around, the game of cheesy passions, gossip and gossip. In his opinion, the ideal is a quiet life in a country estate, walks with his wife in the garden, intimate conversations in the evenings with friends. And so – every day. Stolz notes that this is not life, it is Oblomovism.
Soon Stolz went abroad, taking from Ilya Ilyich the word that he would follow him to Paris. Oblomov had already prepared for his departure, but on the eve his lip was swollen. He waited for another steamer, but did not leave even after three months. At the same time, Oblomov’s lifestyle has changed: he gets up early, reads, writes. Now he often sees Olga Ilyinskaya. With her Oblomov introduced Stolz. Olga grew up without parents, brought up by her aunt. She was noticeably different from other girls: there was no coquetry, no femininity, no tinsel. Olga loved music and sang, according to Stolz, so that no other singer sings. Once Oblomov heard Olga perform “Casta diva”, and it subdued him.
Three days later he again came to Ilinskim and, conversing with Olga, felt that he liked him more and more. At his request, the girl began to sing, and in her voice there were hopes, a hidden fear of thunderstorms, gusts of happiness and the thunderstorms themselves. Under the influence of overwhelming feelings, Oblomov confessed to her in love and, agitated, ran out of the room. Soon he takes a dacha next to the Ilinskys, but for a time he hides from Olga. A feeling of embarrassment or shame prevented him from making out whether he really felt love for her. Met with a girl by chance in the park, Ilya Ilyich asks him to excuse me for those words about love. Olga forgives him, they are more often seen. After Stolz’s stories about his friend, Ilinskaya feels a desire to return Oblomov to life. Mutual sympathy between Oblomov and Olga is getting stronger. Oblomov makes an offer to Olga,
Tarantiev comes to Ilya Ilyich and demands to give money for the apartment, which he hired three months ago on his advice. Oblomov dissuaded that he did not live there, but he still gives the payment for six months ahead, since Tarantiev shows the contract he signed. Ilya Ilyich nevertheless moves to this apartment and gets acquainted with the mistress, the widow of collegiate assessor Agafya Matveyevna Pshenitsyna.
Summer ends. Oblomov rarely sees Olga. Zahar asks the master, when is the wedding? Ilya Ilyich understands that, it turns out, is not ready for such a serious step. In addition, his affairs are upset, there is no money. Olga invites him to a date in the Summer Garden, offers to talk about their engagement to their aunt. Oblomov asks the girl not to hurry, because a letter from the village has not yet come. Arriving home, he suffers and thinks that from love only worry and anxiety, but he needs only peace. Ilya Ilyich ceases to visit Olga and writes to her that she was ill. After some time she herself comes to Oblomov and realizes that he deceived her, that he again began to descend.
A letter comes from the village. A neighbor writes that Oblomov’s estate is in very poor condition, he needs to come to put things in order. Oblomov understands that he does not know anything about managing his own economy. He consults with his brother Pshenitsyn, Ivan Matveyevich. He gives him a recommendation to take in the attorney of his colleague named Zaterty.
Ilya Ilyich goes to Olga and says that the wedding can not take place yet. He says that he transferred the management of Zatertom. Olga is struck by the fact that Oblomov entrusted the estate to strangers. She understands that laziness and apathy will ruin, after all, the person in whom she is in love. The girl bitterly tells Oblomov that if they marry, he would fall asleep deeper and deeper. They would lead a monotonous life, and each day would be similar to the previous one. This would ruin her, for Olga, unlike Oblomov himself, will never tire of living.
She cries and asks Ilya Ilyich, why does he die with his mind, tenderness, and talents? Oblomov says that the evil that killed him is called Oblomovism. He leaves, leaving Olga forever. In the morning Oblomov is in a fever.
A year later the life of the main character flows in the usual channel. Attorney Zaterty sent money received for grain, writing that the ransom from the peasants could not be collected. Oblomov was satisfied with the money sent, and did not go to the estate. The mistress of the house, Agafya Matveyevna, is in love with Oblomov and cares about him tirelessly. Stolz comes, he tells us that Olga now lives with her aunt in Switzerland. Ilya Ilyich boasts to his friend how well he arranged things. Stolz, clasping his hands, exclaims that he is robbed by the circle and decides to take control of Oblomov’s estate for himself.
The next day Tarantyev appoints a meeting in the tavern Ivan Matveyevich. He is concerned that Stoltz learns the truth about the quitrent, which was actually collected, but Zaterty, Ivan Matveyevich and Tarantyev divided it into three.
Stolz, being, as usual abroad, accidentally meets in Paris, Olga. They are increasingly spending time together. Stoltz, with surprise, notices in yesterday’s girl girl all the new amazing features. He understands that he has found the ideal of the woman he dreamed of. Stolz falls in love with Olga, and she answers him in return. Soon they get married.
Two years later, Stolz again visits Oblomov. He is amazed at the situation in the house. Cutlery on the table with broken cuttings, lunch is lean. Oblomov himself is dressed in an old dressing gown all on patches. Stolz demands to explain where Oblomov takes the money received from him as income from the village. Mistress Agafya Matveyevna tells him that his brother forced to sign some loan. As it turned out, her brother, Ivan Matveyevich, denounced Oblomov in an obscene relationship with his sister and took from him a receipt that Ilya Ilyich owes him ten thousand rubles. Since then, all the money from the estate receives Ivan Matveyevich and Tarantyev. Andrei Stolz demands from Agafya Matveyevna a receipt, writing off Oblomov’s debt. Pshenitsyn all signs. At the request of Stolz his friend, the general, summoning Ivan Matveyevich, orders him to resign.
Oblomov still lives in the apartment Pshenitsyna. Stolz comes to see him again. Ilya Ilyich says that he had an apoplectic stroke. Stolz, deciding that Oblomov should live with him and Olga, makes a desperate attempt to take his friend away. He refuses, explaining that the hostess is now his wife, and a small child is his son Andrew, named after a friend.
Two years later, a new blow strikes Oblomov, he dies. His young son takes to his education Stolz. Agafia Matveyevna’s house is run by her brother and his wife. He expels Zakhar, calling it a parasite. The old servant tried several times to serve other people, but he was persecuted from everywhere. Now he begs alms near the church.
Once walking past this church, Stolz walks along with his literary friend. In the crowd of beggars they meet Zahar. Stolz calls him to his service and invites you to look at the heir Oblomov. A friend-writer asked who this beggar was, and Stolz told him the story of the master Oblomov and his servant Zakhar.
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