In the story “Taras Bulba” N.V. Gogol not only depicts the life of the Ukrainian Cossacks, but also shows the soul of this people, the peculiarities of the formation of their national identity in the seventeenth century. Using the example of Ostap and Andrey, the author characterizes the life and fate of the younger generation. Both of them are sons of the glorious commander Taras Bulba. Ostap and Andria in the story makes it possible to understand how different people raised in the same family can grow up.

How did the brothers' personalities manifest themselves during their studies?

So, Taras Bulba (Gogol notes this) is proud of his sons. They are strong, brave, stately - real Cossacks.
The characters of Ostap and Andrey are developed during their studies at the bursa. Ostap is open, simple-minded, straightforward, ready to bear punishment for pranks and misdeeds, but never betrays his comrades. Andrei has the ability to get away with it, although he often dominates the pranks of the students. At the beginning of the story, he seems to us more sensitive, sophisticated, interesting, and humane than his older brother, who does not notice beautiful girls and blooming gardens. Ostap thinks only about parties with friends and Cossack military campaigns.

Relationships between brothers and parents

A comparison of Andrei and Andrei cannot be complete without considering their relationship with their parents.

During his arrival home from Bursa, the eldest son behaves too seriously, not allowing anyone to laugh at him. Ostap is ready to fight with his father because of his ridicule, but the younger one doesn’t seem to hear the barbs.

Ostap is harsh, even rude, but when he leaves for the Sich, he feels very sorry for his mother and remembers his childhood. The sensitive younger brother immediately forgets about everything.

A comparative description of the images of Ostap and Andrei cannot be complete without assessing their behavior in the Sich. The father, Taras Bulba, understands that both sons are brave and dexterous, but notes that Andriy sees only the battle, entertains himself, and does not think through the result of his actions.

Ostap, on the contrary, quickly assesses the danger and instantly finds a way to correct the situation. The father notices that his eldest son can become a “good colonel”, and he is not mistaken.

About Taras's attitude towards his fatherland and sons

A comparative description of Ostap and Andriy in the story “Taras Bulba” is, of course, impossible without considering the episodes of the father’s farewell to his sons.

Andriy betrays his homeland out of love for a beautiful Polish woman and enters into battle against his fellow countrymen, against his father and brother. Taras Bulba, without hesitation, kills him with his own hand, because this is the only way, in his opinion, to avoid shame. He does not forgive betrayal. Taras throws the dead Andriy as an enemy without burying him.
With the last of his strength, Ostap’s father makes his way to Warsaw, devoted to his homeland, and is ready to give any money for his release. When it becomes clear that nothing can be done, he goes to the place of execution of his beloved son. Even in the last minutes of Ostap’s life, Taras sees before him a staunch commander who sets an example for his comrades.

Gogol's attitude towards his brothers

A comparative description of Ostap and Andrey must necessarily include

author's assessment of the characters. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol fully shares the respect and endless love of the protagonist for his son. Andrei, according to the author, is not worth attention, so he forgets about him after he respects Ostap for his strong character, for his ability to love and honor his parents, fellow countrymen, and fatherland.

Strangers among our own

A comparative description of Ostap and Andrey cannot fail to touch upon the theme of the loneliness of both heroes.

Both brothers are brave, strong, smart. However, they are very different. On the first pages of the story, the author seems to sympathize with Andrey a little more, noting his liveliness and development of feelings. It is impossible not to notice, however, that Gogol respects Ostap for his straightforwardness and ability to bear punishment, but at the same time considers him simple-minded. Andrei is very inventive and can always avoid punishment, his soul is accessible to higher feelings, he early felt the need for love. Because of her, he dies.

Ostap also feels the need for love, but he needs the love of his parents, especially his father. At first glance, he is a stern warrior, but the fear of his father’s punishment forces him, for example, to come to his senses during training. That is why his father's ridicule hurts his heart so much. He does not feel the slightest pride when he, a young Cossack, is appointed chieftain of the hut after Bearded died. It is important for him to serve his fatherland, because he loves what is dear to his father’s heart. Even his last words are addressed to dad.

Andrey is looking for another love. Among his fellow countrymen, everyone is a stranger to him. His love for a woman makes him commit a crime. Cossacks are simple, rude people, but the youngest son of Taras Bulba is not at all like that. He is very lonely. A rich imagination and a lively mind probably did not give him in a simple Cossack life. The loneliness of the soul unites both brothers. One seeks to win the love of his father, the second tries to find it in the person of a beautiful Polish woman.

This is a comparative description of Ostap and Andrey.

Tragedy in the life of Taras Bulba

Taras Bulba is a brave and courageous chieftain. He lives for his fatherland, is endlessly devoted to his homeland.

The tragedy of the main character is that he lost both sons. Ostap died for his fatherland, Andrei suffered for his love for a woman and accepted death at the hands of his father. It is impossible that in the depths of his soul the father did not grieve for his youngest son, but he drowned it out and suppressed it.

After Ostap's death, Taras Bulba's life actually ends. He celebrates a “bloody wake” for his eldest son. Taras is merciless to his enemies. He lives with one thought - revenge.

The death of Taras Bulba is absurd. He returns to the battlefield for the lost cradle, which was considered a kind of soul of the Cossack. There was a sign that if you lost it, you could get sick or die. But ironically (who knows, maybe the ataman forgot it not by chance) the main character was captured precisely during the search for the cradle. Burning alive, Taras Bulba called on his compatriots to return and have a good walk. The tragic death united the father and his sons, who were so different from each other.

An interesting literary work always has several narrative plans, several plot lines and, of course, memorable, colorful characters. Gogol's story "Taras Bulba" reflects not only an idealized idea of ​​the historical past, but also shows the personal drama of the main character - Taras Bulba - and his two sons - Ostap, the eldest son, and Andriy, the youngest. If Taras can be called a folk hero, and Ostap can be called a real Cossack, then what about Andriy? Who is he: a traitor, a daredevil, a foolish young man? This issue can be understood thanks to the detailed description of Andriy from Taras Bulba.

The reader meets Andriy already in the first chapter. It becomes known that he and his brother returned home after graduating from the seminary. It’s clear that these are still children: they are embarrassed, they hesitate, they are embarrassed by their father’s reaction to their arrival. “...two strapping young men, still looking from under their brows, like recently graduated seminarians. Their strong, healthy faces were covered with the first fluff of hair that had not yet been touched by a razor.”

In honor of the return of Ostap and Andriy, Bulba gathered all the centurions to show off their children. And “the guests congratulated Bulba and both young men and told them that ... there is no better science for a young man than the Zaporozhye Sich.” Taras Bulba decides to implement this idea. Literally the next day, travelers set off for the Sich.

Taras Bulba's son Andriy is revealed throughout the entire work. In “Taras Bulba” the description of Andriy is given only in pieces, thanks to which a complete image is created. This is a handsome young man. “His eye sparkled with clear firmness, his velvet eyebrow arched in a bold arch, his tanned cheeks shone with all the brightness of virgin fire, and his young black mustache shone like silk.”

In the second chapter there is a kind of retrospective: it becomes known how the youngest son showed himself while studying at the seminary. It is there that the character of Andriy from Taras Bulba is formed. The young man “had feelings somewhat more lively and somehow more developed.” Studying was easy for him, and he liked studying. Despite this, it was Andriy who was most often the “leader of a rather dangerous enterprise,” but with the help of his ingenuity he knew how to get away with it. Taras Bulba in Andria saw great potential for his son to become a glorious Cossack. Brave, decisive, easy-going, always finding an unusual way out of a situation.

In addition to the love of adventure, Andria early discovered the need to love and be loved, but he was ashamed to talk about this to his comrades or brother. Every year he participated less and less in any escapades; he liked to walk around Kyiv, enjoying the beauty of the gardens and the attractiveness of the old nooks and crannies. One day he met the daughter of a Polish gentleman and, forgetting about common sense, decided that same evening to sneak into her chambers. It is interesting that Andriy in the story “Taras Bulba” is the only character with whom a love line is connected. Sensitivity to the beauty of nature and incredible lyricism in relations with the lady are closely connected and indivisible. Andriy is initially shown as a character capable of sensing more subtle matters. This image is covered with a romantic aura. There is a cult of service to a beautiful lady, passionate confessions, and an amazing meeting with the lady, many years after one evening spent together. Neither the Cossack’s feelings nor the girl’s feelings could fade away, despite the passage of time.

The father loved both of his sons, raised in them a love of freedom, faith and their native land, and sent them to receive a good education at the Kyiv seminary. He most of all wanted them to continue his work - sincere service to His people and Motherland. That is why Andriy’s betrayal of Taras Bulba outgrows the scale of a family drama. This becomes a kind of conflict between two different points of perception of the world. For Bulba, his whole life was perceived as a gallant battle for justice; for his youngest son, love turned out to be more important than his father’s values. It is worth noting that neither of the two positions can be called limited. The reality of each character was refracted through his own prism of worldview. Despite the fact that Bulba is married, his relationship with his wife cannot be called romantic. Quite the contrary. Taras does not listen to her, treats her like a servant, shouts and hits her. Love feelings, if they existed, are irrevocably gone. With Andriy, the situation is different: once he saw a beautiful girl, feeling his heart filled with warmth, Andriy could not forget it, could not refuse. He sees the lady a few years after that evening in Kyiv. She changed, matured, but this made her seem even more beautiful to the young man. He talks to her about how he feels, and is not afraid to be himself around this girl. Andriy speaks truly beautifully and heartfeltly: “Queen!.. for one hilt of my saber they give me the best herd and three thousand sheep. And I will refuse all this, throw it away, throw it away, burn it, drown it, if only you utter one word... or even just move your thin black eyebrow! You are another creation of God...” He hugs her reverently, not wanting to never part with her again.

The father could not understand this. Taras Bulba kills Andriy. The old Cossack asks to drive his son into a ring so that the traitor has nowhere to run. But Andriy does not try to avoid this death. He understood the consequences of his abandonment of his previous life. Before his death, he utters only the lady’s name, which further insults and disappoints his father. Bulba regrets not only the death of her son, but also that for her son love turned out to be more important than the value system built by Taras.

The image of Andriy from Taras Bulba cannot be called unambiguous. Yes, his attitude towards women differed from what was generally accepted at that time, he committed one of the most terrible acts from the point of view of the laws of the Zaporozhye Sich, he betrayed his father and abandoned his homeland. But at the same time, Andriy fought to the end for the right to be himself, the right to his own happiness, which was not limited to the common good and the expanses of the steppe. Andriy loves nature, misses his mother, but he is also attracted to the music of bullets and weapons. He throws bread to a man dying of hunger, but in battles he spares neither his own nor others. In Andria, for some time, two extremes coexist organically: a sensitive nature and a brave warrior who fearlessly looks into the eyes of death. He cannot be called a weak-willed person. Agree, you need to have enough internal strength and faith in feeling to be able to renounce everything. “Who said that my homeland is Ukraine? Who gave it to me in my homeland? The Fatherland is what our soul is looking for, what is dearer to it than anything else. My homeland is you! This is my homeland! And I will carry this fatherland in my heart, I will carry it until it reaches my age, and I will see if one of the Cossacks snatches it from there! And I will sell, give away, and destroy everything that I have for such a fatherland!”

One can only guess what Andriy's future fate would have been like. For example, he could have been killed in battle, or he remained alive and then married a Polish woman, receiving a title and lands. Or his father, wanting revenge, would find a way to kill either his son or his Polish girlfriend.

Using the above description of Andriy from the story “Taras Bulba”, it is easy to imagine what this character really was like, how carefully and thoughtfully he was created by the author, and how vividly he appears in the imagination of readers. This description will help students in grades 6-7 when preparing an essay on the topic “Characteristics of Andriy from the story “Taras Bulba””

Work test

Andriy - “good-looking”, he has “big eyes”, “a courageous face”, which reflects strength and charm. He is tall: “...this child was more than twenty years old and exactly a fathom tall...” (1 fathom - 2.13 meters). This is a young man with a healthy, strong face, already covered with fluff of hair, with a black mustache shading his whiteness.

“...They only had long forelocks, by which any Cossack who carried a weapon could tear them out...”
“...their young, carelessly tousled curls...”

Cloth:“...instead of the old dirty boots, red morocco boots with silver horseshoes; trousers as wide as the Black Sea, with a thousand pleats and ruffles, covered with a golden spectacle*; Long straps with tassels and other trinkets for the pipe were attached to the glasses. A scarlet-colored Cossack, cloth bright as fire, was girded with a patterned belt; hammered Turkish pistols were tucked into his belt; the saber clanged against his legs. Their faces, still slightly tanned, seemed to become prettier and whiter; the young black mustache now somehow set off its whiteness and the healthy, powerful color of youth more brightly; they looked good under black mutton caps with a golden top..."
Andriy younger son battle-hardened Taras Bulba, a Cossack colonel, an Orthodox Christian, revered by the Cossacks. He spent his childhood in a modest house among meadows and trees, where, together with his older brother, he was surrounded by the love and boundless care of his mother. The boys rarely saw their father, but they respected and feared him very much. From the age of 12, Andriy studied at Bursa (Kyiv Academy), a prestigious educational institution at that time, but distinguished by harsh customs and mores (half-starved life, beatings, etc.).

Andriy without tension and willingly assimilates knowledge (“...He studied more willingly and without the tension with which a heavy and strong character is usually accepted...”), has leadership inclinations, is often the leader of a “dangerous enterprise”, has an inventive mind, resourceful and cunning (knows how to dodge from punishment). Like all young people of that time, he longed for exploits and, moreover, for love, the need for which flared up in him when he turned 18 years old.

Andriy full of dreaminess, contemplation and romantic ideas (more often he wandered alone somewhere in a secluded corner of Kyiv, sunk in cherry orchards, among low houses that looked temptingly onto the street...). He is a man of action, his inner world is striving for freedom, demanding embodiment in reality.

In the bursa he experienced love, his soul was ardent and passionate.
A chance meeting with a girl, the daughter of a Kovno voivode, gave rise to the realization of a feat in the name of a lady (daring penetration through a fireplace chimney into her bedroom). It was a brave, crazy, but rash act, because he did not know what to do next. He did not dare to “move his hand” from timidity and stood with his eyes downcast. This suggests that he is shy and modest, but at the same time decisive and daring, inspired and impetuous, but never thinking about the consequences and not foreseeing them.

Having arrived in the Sich at the behest of his father, Andriy plunged into a riotous life with all his fiery nature (he shot accurately and smartly, became in good standing with the Cossacks, swam across the Dnieper against the current). The opportunity to participate in hostilities delighted this hero, and he immersed himself in the music of swords and bullets. Andriy I didn’t know what it meant to calculate, deceive, or measure in advance the strengths of others and one’s own. He saw only “rapture” and “mad bliss” in battle. Even Taras himself was amazed at his son, who with his onslaught produced miracles that even battle-hardened warriors admired.

The need for female friendship is a distinctive feature Andria . His attitude towards women is very different from what was generally accepted among the Cossacks of that time. He approaches representatives of the opposite sex as goddesses, they are the object of his worship and admiration. Andriy forced to be secretive, because in that age it was dishonorable and shameful for a Cossack to think about love and a woman without first having tasted battle. Only by becoming a hero and warrior can you achieve the favor and attention of a beautiful lady. For Andria a feat is not a result, it is just a means to achieve the main goal, which is love.

It is love that makes Andria commit a crime, go over to the side of the enemy. For him, the beautiful lady becomes the embodiment of love: “Who said that my homeland is Ukraine? Who gave it to me in my homeland? The Fatherland is what our soul is looking for, what is dearer to it than anything else. My fatherland is you!... and I will sell, give away, and destroy everything that I have for such a fatherland!” Andriy I was ready to serve the lady until the last drop of blood. Because of love, a Cossack betrays his homeland: “What do I need to know about my father, comrades and homeland? So if that’s the case, here’s the thing: I don’t have anyone! Nobody, nobody! Andriy abandoned his homeland, his loyalty to his people, his father and brother.

Transition Andria on the side of the enemy, a spontaneous and rash act.

Views: 6,757

Andriy in Gogol’s story “Taras Bulba” is one of the central characters. He is the son of the main character, through whose example the drama between duty, sincere feelings and attachments is played out.

Gogol managed to so subtly incorporate the hero’s contradictory character traits and life principles that in the image of Andriy they look united and harmonious. The reader is presented with a holistic, deep and multifaceted character. His betrayal can only be seen as such from his father's point of view.

Characteristics of the hero

Andriy is the youngest child in the family, 20 years old. He is a tall, strong young man with powerful physical strength. Despite his courageous appearance, the hero was still a child at heart. He was betrayed by his habits, views and affection for his parents' home and his own mother.

The young man does not fully share his father’s ideals and aspirations. Taras treats women as a household necessity, without any tenderness, Andriy, in contrast to him, respects them and without remorse gives his love and tenderness.

Despite his love for his homeland, the hero is indifferent to battles and battles. His mental abilities are excellent. Studying at the seminary and later in the Zaporozhye Sich was easy for Andriy. In terms of ingenuity and dexterity, he surpassed his older brother.

Andrei liked ordinary human entertainment, he was keenly interested in girls and was easily carried away by them. One Polish lady managed to completely win his heart. Andriy was so in love with her that he decided to take an adventure and climbed into her room through the fireplace chimney. They saw the lady several times before his trip home.

("Andriy Bulba and the governor's daughter", drawing by P. Koverznev)

In the Sich, where his father sent his brothers, it was Andriy who established himself as an easy-going and determined young man, destined for the glory of a Udaletsk Cossack.

There is a fair amount of romanticism in the image of Andriy, it is due to his impressionability and ability to quickly get carried away by new ideas and succumb to feelings. The romantic nature of the hero is manifested in the details:

• in unbridled love for the lady;
• craving for long walks and contemplating the beauty of the surrounding area;
• in a tendency to be alone with your beloved;
• in admiration of musical works.

Despite the lack of fear of battle and a volley of guns, Andria has a clear capacity for compassion. He doesn't hesitate to give the bread to the dying man.

The value system built by his father, based on unconditional love for his homeland, was only partially absorbed into Andriy’s personality. These attitudes are intertwined with sensitivity and tenderness, with deep respect for women.

The image of the hero in the work

In the story “Taras Bulba” there is only one love line, and it is this one that is connected with Andriy. Through his actions and subsequent events, the writer very vividly painted before the reader the image of a young, intelligent and brave hero, ready to do anything for the sake of love.

Going over to the enemy’s side during the siege of the city of Dubno, Andriy perfectly understood that he would become a traitor to his family, to the Cossacks, to the Motherland. Having put everything that happened and his love for the lady on the scales, he chooses his feelings and follows them further until his death. Even dying on the battlefield at the hands of his own father, he understands for whom he did all this. With the lady's name on his lips, he dies.

Gogol did not set himself the task of making Andriy a traitor. That is why he revealed the full depth of his experiences and showed the reader the range of feelings that overwhelmed him initially. He showed how emotions can take precedence over reason and how this can turn out in situations where, above all, honor and duty to the Fatherland are valued.

One of the main characters in Nikolai Gogol's story “Taras Bulba” is one of the sons of Taras Bulba named Andrei. In total, Taras Bulba had two sons, the second of them was called Ostap. Andrey's image is contradictory. On the one hand, he was a good and smart Cossack who could achieve significant success. On the other hand, at some point he decided that his personal affairs and love experiences were more important than the common cause of his homeland.

Analyzing Andrey’s image and characterizing him is quite simple, because in real life there are quite a lot of similar people. He was quite talented and differed favorably from the elder Ostap in some ways, in particular, he was more inventive and cunning. At the same time, despite his significant successes as part of the army, Andrei was more attached to worldly life; it was extremely important for him to arrange his personal life, which in those days was simply unforgivable. He went too far, because he allowed himself to fall in love with just anyone, but a young lady, because of whose love he was forced to go over to the side of the enemy. And this transition, in turn, meant the betrayal of his father and his brother. Andrei’s emotions overwhelmed him so much that he even began to verbally express that his homeland no longer meant anything to him, that love for the young lady was just one feeling that controlled him.

Going over to the side of the enemy at that time was a completely unforgivable act, regardless of what motivated the person. Andrei fought against his former army, brother and father, and was killed by his father. Taras Bulba looked at the dead body for a long time and then said that Andrei was beautiful in this form. This testifies to the terrible hatred that the father had towards his son, while Taras Bulba cannot be accused of anything; that time left no choice.

The image of Andrei as a whole seems negative, but despite this, it is still worth admitting in fairness that the characterization would not be complete if they did not regret such a difficult fate of Andrei. He was truly talented and could achieve great success. It so happened that, realizing his advantages, he decided to serve not his army and country, but only himself. Love overshadowed his eyes, came first for him, and through his love he became the object of his father’s hatred and was ingloriously killed by him. It is difficult to exaggerate the tragedy of Andrei’s life. Not everyone is destined to experience the wonderful feeling of mutual love in life, but he had to refuse it. But could not.