The work “Lord Golovlevs” occupies a large place. The central character of the novel, Porfiry Golovlev (Judushka), has become an example of a liar and idle talker, whose highest pleasure lies in hypocrisy and endless mockery of others.
2. History of creation. The idea of writing a large work about the life of landowners arose from Saltykov-Shchedrin in the late 50s. XIX century. The novel is based on individual stories about the Golovlev family, included in the “Well-Intentioned Speeches” cycle. During 1875-1876 Chapters of the work are published one after another. The end of the writer’s work dates back to 1880.
3. The meaning of the name. "Messrs. Golovlevs" are three generations of the landowner family described in the novel. The title itself contains the subtle irony of the author, who hated the lifestyle of provincial landowners. "Gentlemen" are depicted as a dying class that does not bring any benefit. Idle talk or binge drinking leads them to gradual, inevitable “death.”
4. Genre. Socio-psychological novel
5. Theme. The central theme of the novel is the doom of the landowner class. Living at the expense of peasants who are in slavery cannot develop anything good in a person. A gradual degeneration begins, most clearly manifested in the image of Porfiry Golovlev.
In the third generation, a craving for some other life is still noticeable. The sons of Porfiry, the orphans Lyubinka and Anninka, strive to leave the family estate at any cost. But “Golovlevsky pus” follows them everywhere. The main culprit in the death of young people turns out to be Judas, who, like a spider, throws his nooses over everyone.
6. Issues. The main problem of the novel is that all its characters are doomed to suffer from birth. There is no love or respect between members of the same family. In Porfiry, these feelings are replaced by an innate desire to acquire and accumulate wealth, which is hidden behind the most vile hypocrisy.
Arina Petrovna spent her whole life on “rounding up” her household, but in the end she ended up with nothing. Even in the relationship between Lyubinka and Anninka, who passionately love each other, there comes a period when they stop communicating. The stumbling block, again, is the money of wealthy fans. In the Golovlev family, family feelings are remembered only in cases of serious danger and imminent death. But this glimpse of humanity always comes too late.
Another nationwide problem described in the novel is binge drinking. Family members are led to it by an idle lifestyle and the absence of any clear goals. The most terrible fall occurs with Anninka and Lyubinka, who dreamed of high art, but also slipped into drunkenness and debauchery.
7. Heroes. Arina Petrovna, Porfiry, Stepan, Pavel, Anninka and Lyubinka, Petenka and Volodenka.
8. Plot and composition. The novel begins at a fairly favorable time for the Golovlev family. Arina Petrovna is a rich and intelligent landowner who profitably manages the family's economic affairs. She is upset only by her son - Styopka the dunce. Arina Petrovna has some concerns about Porfiry. She already notices that his flattering speeches represent outright hypocrisy.
Stepan's death becomes the beginning of a chain of disasters befalling the family. The Golovlevs die one after another. Against this background, the only satisfied person remains Judas, who even tries to benefit from the death of loved ones. He could well have saved his sons, but greed outweighed all kindred feelings in his soul. Left alone, Porfiry gradually begins to go crazy. He also plunges into binge drinking, but not from alcohol, but from fruitless fantasies.
The arrival of the terminally ill Anninka at some point awakens kindred feelings in the uncle and niece. But it’s too late: the last Golovlevs plunge headlong into binge drinking. In the soul of Judas, just before his death, a desire appears to visit his mother’s grave. Prompted by this impulse, he dies on the road. Anninka is also doomed, being in a severe fever. The novel ends with a return to the theme of insatiable greed. The Golovlevs’ closest relative, “sister” N.I. Galkina, is extremely interested in the “killing” of the whole family...
9. What does the author teach? Saltykov-Shchedrin shows that the death of the provincial nobility is inevitable. Their useless life in “dust” and “pus” is of no use to anyone. The landowners themselves contribute to their own destruction, trying to snatch the last piece from the hands of their dying relatives.
At the very beginning of the book, we meet Stepan Golovlev, Styopka the dunce. This “prodigal son” returned to his home, realizing that death awaited him here.
The man is down and drinking. The dwelling, a cluttered room, eradicates all signs of life from Stepan. He becomes something without thought or feeling.
His mother, Arina Petrovna, tries to appease her son after an unsuccessful escape from Golovlev, but “the dunce seemed to have turned to stone,” fell silent, and wandered around the room all day.
The mother was afraid that her son would burn down the estate. He didn’t even think about it. “It seemed that he was completely plunged into a dawnless darkness, in which there is no place not only for reality, but also for fantasy.”
This man bears the stamp of degeneration. What can come of a drunkard and a parasite who has lost himself. Stepan became apathetic and weak-willed; he could not even do anything for himself.
Arina Petrovna, the mother of the family, spent her entire life striving to increase her property, which turned against her and her children.
Son Paul turned into a gloomy “man devoid of actions.”
The main character of the work, Porfiry Golovlev, is the personification of the most terrible thing in a person.
Styopka the dunce gave him three nicknames as a child: Judas, blood drinker, frank boy. Saltykov-Shchedrin skillfully disguised the word Judushka itself: it seems like “Judas”, but at the same time “darling”. Porfiry always pretended to be a good boy: he loved to cuddle up to his mother and talk ear to ear. Even for Arina Petrovna, his “look seemed... mysterious.” Mama wanted obedience and devotion, so he played like such a good boy.
Porfiry Vladimirovich grew up, but did not change his virtuous and affectionate habits. He also played the role of a caring uncle, worried about his sister’s children, skillfully.
In fact, he was a “bloodsucker”, ready to do anything for the sake of property, completely ruthless.
Porfiry is cunning, he constantly weaves a web for someone. So he came to the house of his dying brother Pavel, where he even tried to joke with his relatives. Shchedrin writes about this: “Everyone smiled, but somehow sourly, as if everyone was talking about himself: well, now the spider has gone to weave a web!”
To the bedside of Porfish’s dying mother, “like a snake, slithered…” This is how he behaves towards all his relatives. There are no people dear to him. Anninka, her niece, is the last to fall into her uncle’s web. Shchedrin writes that Porfiry Vladimirovich greeted her “with the usual favor, in which it was impossible to discern whether he wanted to caress the person or intended to suck the blood out of him.”
Judas's life is subordinated to property. It was she who killed the humanity in him, corrupted the once existing soul. The scary thing is that he acts “legally.” You can't call a scoundrel to account!
Shchedrin wants to show in his novel that moral squalor awaits everyone who takes the path of sacrilege.
The hypocrisy of Judas, who tries to look better than he really is, is terrible!
Pretending to be caring, he drives his mother out of the estate, condemns his sons to death, and appropriates the brothers’ property.
Reading the novel “The Golovlevs,” we laugh and are horrified, and sometimes it becomes simply creepy. The writer uses the word “comedy” several times. After all, acquisitiveness, hypocrisy, and idle talk are comical in nature. And how terrible is this landowner world, where hatred reigns, the process of moral and physical decay is in full swing!
In the novel “Gentlemen Golovlevs” by Saltykov-Shchedrin, a whole gallery of images of one family is displayed - the landowners Golovlevs. This family is heading towards degradation and destruction, it falls apart, and then its members physically fade into oblivion.
The image of Arina Petrovna: this is the only outstanding person in the Golovlev family. She is the mother and head of the family. “A powerful woman and, moreover, highly gifted with creativity,” the author characterizes her. Arina Petrovna manages the household and manages all family affairs. She is cheerful, strong-willed, energetic. But this is only useful in farming. Arina Petrovna suppresses her sons and her husband, who hates her for this. She never loved her husband; she considered him a buffoon, a weakling, and incapable of running a household. “The husband called his wife “witch” and “devil,” the wife called her husband “windmill” and “stringless balalaika.”
In fact, after living for forty years in the family, Arina Petrovna remains a bachelor, who is only interested in money, bills and business conversations. She has no warm feelings for her husband and children, no sympathy, which is why she punishes her loved ones so terribly when they treat property irresponsibly or do not obey her.
The image of Stepan Golovlev: this is a “gifted guy” with a mischievous character, good memory and learning abilities. However, he was brought up in idleness, all his energy was spent on mischief. Having graduated, Stepan turns out to be unable to make a career as an official in St. Petersburg, since he has neither the ability nor the desire for it. He once again confirms the nickname “Styopka the dunce”; he leads a wandering life for a long time. By the age of forty, he is terrified of his mother, who will not support him, but, on the contrary, will seize him. Stepan comes to the realization that he “can’t do anything” because he never tried to work, but wanted to get everything for nothing, to snatch a piece from his greedy mother, or someone else. He becomes an alcoholic in Golovlev and dies.
Image of Pavel Golovlev. This is a military man, but also a man suppressed by his mother, colorless. Outwardly, he snaps and is rude to his mother. But inside he is afraid of her and finds fault with her, resisting her influence. “He was a gloomy man, but behind the gloominess there was a lack of action - and nothing more.” Having moved to Golovlevo, he entrusts affairs to his housekeeper, Ulita. Pavel Golovlev himself becomes an alcoholic, consumed by hatred of his brother Judas. They die in this hatred, embittered, with curses and curses.
The image of Judas, Porfiry Golovlev. This man is the quintessence of the Golovlev family. He chose hypocrisy as his weapon. Under the guise of a sweet and sincere person, he achieves his goals and gathers family property around himself. His low soul rejoices at the misfortunes of his brothers and sisters, and when they die, he receives sincere pleasure in the division of property. In relations with his children, he also thinks first of all about money - and his sons cannot stand it. Porfiry never allows himself to say something rude or caustic. He is polite, feignedly sweet and caring, endlessly argues, makes mellifluous speeches, and weaves verbal intrigues. People see his deceit, but succumb to it. Even Arina Petrovna herself cannot resist them. But at the end of the novel, Judas also comes to his downfall. He becomes incapable of anything except idle talk. For whole days he bores everyone with conversations that no one listens to. If the servant turns out to be sensitive to his “verbal language” and nagging, then he tries to run away from the owner. Judushka’s tyranny becomes more and more petty, he also drinks like his late brothers, and for entertainment he spends all day remembering minor insults or minimal miscalculations in the household in order to “sorry” them. Meanwhile, the real economy is not developing and is falling into desolation and decay. At the end of the novel, Judas has a terrible epiphany: “We need to forgive everyone... What... what happened?! Where… is everyone?!” But the family, divided by hatred, coldness and the inability to forgive, is already destroyed.
The image of Anna and the image of Lyuba from “The Golovlev Lords.” Judushka’s nieces are representatives of the last generation of Golovlevs. They try to escape from the oppressive atmosphere of the family, at first they succeed. They work, play in the theater and are proud of it. But they were not accustomed to consistent, persistent activity. Nor were they taught moral fortitude or firmness in life. Lyubinka is ruined by her cynicism and prudence, taken from her grandmother, and she herself pushes her sister into the abyss. From actresses, the “Pogorelsky sisters” become kept women, then almost prostitutes. Anninka, more morally purer, more spiritual, selfless and kind-hearted, stubbornly clings to life. But she, too, breaks down, and after Lyubinka’s suicide, sick and drinking, she returns to Golovlevo “to die.”
The great Russian writer M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin was writing the novel “The Golovlev Gentlemen” in the period from 1875 to 1880. According to literary critics, the work consists of several separate works, which over time were combined into one whole. Some of the short stories, which later became the basis of the work, were published in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. However, it was only in 1880 that the novel was created by the writer in its entirety.
Like most of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s works, the novel “The Golovlevs,” a brief summary of which we recall today, is permeated with a certain melancholy and hopelessness. True, this does not prevent one from easily perceiving the writer’s confident and clear literary style.
Difficult time
In part, critics attribute this “sadness and melancholy” to the fact that the events described in the novel do not take place at the best time for Russia. The brilliant age of strong emperors has already ended, the state is experiencing some decline. On top of everything else, the abolition of serfdom is coming - an event with which neither the landowners nor the majority of peasants know what to do. Both of them do not really imagine their future way of life. Undoubtedly, this adds some wariness to society, which is reflected in the novel.
However, if you look at the events described from a slightly different perspective, it becomes obvious that the matter is not a radical change in the historical era and the usual way of life. There are all the signs of the usual decomposition of certain social strata (and this does not necessarily have to be the noble caste). If you carefully study the literature of that time, you can clearly see: as soon as the primary accumulation of capital ended, subsequent generations of craft, trade and noble families squandered it uncontrollably. This is exactly the story that Saltykov-Shchedrin told in the novel “The Golovlevs.”
This phenomenon was associated with a more or less stable economic system, the absence of global wars, as well as the rule of fairly liberal emperors. In other words, the efforts that were required from the ancestors in order to survive, earn capital and give birth to viable offspring were no longer required. Such trends were observed in the history of all once powerful world empires, the existence of which was approaching decline.
Nobles
Saltykov-Shchedrin in the novel “The Golovlev Gentlemen” (the summary, of course, will not convey the true mood of the author), using the example of a single noble family, tries to describe precisely this order of things. The once powerful noble family of the Golovlevs is experiencing the first signs of confusion and uncertainty about the future in connection with the impending abolition of serfdom.
But despite everything, the family's capital and possessions are still increasing. The main merit in this belongs to the owner - Arina Petrovna Golovleva, a capricious and tough woman. She rules her numerous estates with an iron fist. However, not everything is in order in the family itself. Her husband is Vladimir Mikhailovich Golovlev, an extremely careless person. He practically does not engage in extensive farming, devoting himself for days on end to the dubious muse of the poet Barkov, chasing courtyard girls and drunkenness (still secret and dimly expressed). This is how the senior characters in the novel, Messrs. Golovlevs, are briefly characterized.
Arina Petrovna, tired of fighting her husband’s vices, devotes herself entirely to household affairs. She does this so enthusiastically that she even forgets about her children, for whose sake, in essence, wealth increases.
Styopka the dunce
The Golovlevs have four children - three sons and a daughter. In the novel “The Golovlev Gentlemen,” chapters are devoted to describing the destinies of noble descendants. The eldest son, Stepan Vladimirovich, was an exact copy of his father. He inherited from Vladimir Mikhailovich the same eccentric character, mischief and restlessness, for which he was nicknamed Styopka the Stupid in the family. From his mother, the eldest son inherited a rather interesting trait - the ability to find the weaknesses of human characters. Stepan used this gift exclusively for buffoonery and mocking people, for which he was often beaten by his mother.
Upon entering the university, Stepan showed an absolute reluctance to study. Stepan devotes all his free time to partying with richer students, who take him into their noisy companies exclusively as a jester. Considering that his mother sent a rather meager allowance for his education, this way of spending time helped the eldest son of the Golovlevs to exist quite well in the capital. Having received his diploma, Stepan begins a long ordeal in various departments, but still does not find the desired job. The reason for these failures lies in the same reluctance and inability to work.
The mother nevertheless decides to support her unlucky son and gives him ownership of a Moscow house. But it did not help. Soon Arina Petrovna learns that the house has been sold, and for very little money. Stepan partially mortgaged it, partially lost it and is now humiliating himself to begging from wealthy peasants who live in Moscow. He soon realizes that there are no longer any prerequisites for his further stay in the capital. After some thought, Stepan returns to his native estate so as not to think about a piece of bread.
Runaway Anna
Happiness did not smile on daughter Anna either. The Golovlevs (the analysis of their actions is quite simple - they talk about the desire to give their children a foundation for building their lives) sent her to study. Her mother hoped that after her studies Anna would successfully replace her in household matters. But here, too, Messrs. Golovlevs were mistaken.
Unable to withstand such betrayal, Anna Vladimirovna dies. Arina Petrovna is forced to shelter the two remaining orphans.
Younger children
The middle son, Porfiry Vladimirovich, was the direct opposite of Stepan. From a young age, he was very meek and affectionate, helpful, but he loved to tell tales, for which he received from Stepan the impartial nicknames Judas and Kropivushka. Arina Petrovna did not particularly trust Porfiry, treating him more with caution than with love, but during meals she always gave the best pieces to him, appreciating his devotion.
The younger one, Pavel Vladimirovich, is presented in the novel as a sluggish and infantile man, not like the rest of the Golovlev gentlemen. Analysis of his character allows us to notice a certain kindness, although, as emphasized later in the novel, he did not do any good deeds. Pavel was quite intelligent, but did not show his intelligence anywhere, living gloomily and unsociablely in a world known to him alone.
The bitter fate of Stepan
So, we now know who the Golovlev gentlemen are. We will continue to recall the summary of the novel from the moment when Stepan, having suffered a fiasco in the capital, returns to his native estate for the family court. It is the family that must decide the future fate of the unlucky eldest son.
But Messrs. Golovlevs (Saltykov-Shchedrin quite vividly describes the discussions on this topic) almost withdrew and did not develop a common opinion to solve the problem that arose. The first to rebel was the head of the family, Vladimir Mikhailovich. He showed extreme disrespect for his wife, calling her a “witch”, and refused any discussion of Stepan’s fate. The main motive for this reluctance is that it will still be as Arina Petrovna wants. The younger brother Pavel also avoided solving this problem, saying that his opinion certainly does not interest anyone in this house.
Seeing complete indifference to the fate of his brother, Porfiry comes into play. He, allegedly feeling sorry for his brother, justifies him, says a lot of words about his unfortunate fate and begs his mother to leave his older brother under supervision in Golovlev (the name of the estate gave the surname to the noble family). But not just like that, but in exchange for Stepan’s refusal of the inheritance. Arina Petrovna agrees, not seeing anything bad in this.
This is how the Golovlevs changed Stepan’s life. Roman Saltykov-Shchedrin continues with a description of Stepan’s further existence, saying that this is absolute hell. He sits all day in a dirty room, eats meager food and often drinks alcohol. It seems that, being in his parents' house, Stepan should return to normal life, but the callousness of his relatives and the lack of basic amenities gradually drive him into gloomy melancholy, and then into depression. The absence of any desires, the melancholy and hatred with which memories of his unhappy life come, drive the eldest son to death.
After years
The work “Lord Golovlevs” continues ten years later. Much changes in the leisurely life of a noble family. First of all, the abolition of serfdom turns everything upside down. Arina Petrovna is at a loss. She doesn't know how to continue running the household. What to do with the peasants? How to feed them? Or maybe you need to let them go on all four sides? But they themselves seem to be not yet ready for such freedom.
At this time, Vladimir Mikhailovich Golovlev quietly and peacefully passed away. Arina Petrovna, despite the fact that she clearly did not love her husband during her lifetime, becomes despondent. Porfiry took advantage of this condition. He persuades his mother to divide the estate fairly. Arina Petrovna agrees, leaving only the capital for herself. The younger gentlemen Golovlevs (Judushka and Pavel) divided the estate among themselves. An interesting fact is that Porfiry managed to bargain for the best part.
The Wanderings of the Old Lady
The novel “The Golovlevs” tells how, while continuing to follow the usual way of life, Arina Petrovna tried to further increase her son’s estate. However, Porfiry's incompetent management leaves her without money. Offended by her ungrateful and selfish son, Arina Petrovna moves to the younger one. Pavel undertook to provide food and drink for his mother and his nieces in exchange for complete non-interference in the affairs of the estate. The elderly Mrs. Golovleva agrees.
But the estate was managed very poorly due to Paul's penchant for alcohol. And while he was “safely” quietly drinking himself to death, finding joy in intoxicating himself with vodka, the estate was plundered. Arina Petrovna could only silently observe this destructive process. In the end, Pavel finally lost his health and died without even having time to write off the remains of his mother’s estate. And once again Porfiry took possession of the property.
Arina Petrovna did not wait for mercy from her son and, together with her granddaughters, went to a wretched village, once “abandoned” by her daughter Anna. Porfiry did not seem to drive them away; on the contrary, having learned about their departure, he wished them luck and invited them to visit him more often as a family, writes Saltykov. The Golovlev gentlemen are not famous for their affection for each other, but their upbringing obliges them.
Arina Petrovna’s grown-up granddaughters Anninka and Lyubinka, having left for a remote village, very quickly cannot stand her monotonous life. After arguing a little with their grandmother, they rush into the city to look for what they think is a better life. After grieving alone, Arina Petrovna decides to return to Golovlevo.
Children of Porfiry
And how do the remaining gentlemen Golovlevs live? The summary of how they while away their days is depressing. Once flourishing, today the huge estate is deserted; there are almost no inhabitants left in it. Porfiry, having become a widower, took a consolation for himself - the sexton's daughter Evprakseyushka.
Things didn’t work out with Porfiry’s sons either. The eldest, Vladimir, desperate to extract part of the inheritance for food from his stingy father, committed suicide. The second son, Peter, serves as an officer, but, depressed by the lack of money and complete indifference of his father, he loses government money in the capital. In the hope that now, finally, Porfiry will help him, he comes to Golovlevo and throws himself at his feet, begging him to save him from dishonor. But the father is adamant. He is not at all interested in his son’s dishonor or his own mother’s requests, writes Saltykov-Shchedrin. The Golovlevs, and Porfiry in particular, do not waste their energy on relatives. Being in outright stupidity and idle talk, Judas reacts exclusively to the priest’s daughter, with whom she forbiddenly amuses herself.
Arina Petrovna, completely desperate, curses her son, but even this did not make any impression on Porfiry, nor did the subsequent quick death of his mother.
Porfiry diligently counts the remaining crumbs of money bequeathed to him by his mother, and again does not think about anything or anyone except Evprakseyushka. The arrival of his niece Anninka melted his stony heart a little. However, after living for some time with her crazy uncle, she decides that the life of a provincial actress is still better than rotting alive in Golovlev. And he leaves the estate quite quickly.
The futility of existence
The remaining gentlemen Golovlevs dispersed to different places. The problems of Porfiry, whose life is again taking its course, now concern his mistress Eupraxia. She sees the future as completely bleak next to such a stingy and evil person. The situation is aggravated by Eupraxia's pregnancy. Having given birth to a son, she is completely convinced that her fears were not groundless: Porfiry sends the baby to an orphanage. Eupraxia hated Golovlev with fierce hatred.
Without thinking twice, she declares a real war of nagging and disobedience against the evil and unbalanced master. What is most interesting is that Porfiry really suffers from such tactics, not knowing how to spend time without his former mistress. Golovlev completely withdraws into himself, spending time in his office, hatching some terrible plans for revenge on the whole world known only to him.
Without heirs
The pessimistic picture is complemented by the sudden return of Anna's niece. Completely exhausted by a miserable existence and endless drinking sessions with officers and merchants, she falls ill with an incurable disease. The fatal point in her life is the suicide of her sister Lyubinka. After that, she no longer thinks about anything except death.
But before her death, Anninka set herself a goal: to bring to her uncle’s attention all the baseness and nastiness of his essence. Drinking with him all night long in an empty estate, the girl drove Porfiry to madness with endless accusations and reproaches. Judas, in the end, realizes how worthless his life was, hoarding, humiliating and offending everyone around him. In an alcoholic stupor, the simple truth begins to dawn on him that people like him simply have no place on this earth.
Porfiry decides to ask for forgiveness at his mother's grave. He gets ready for the road and goes into the bitter cold to the cemetery. The next day he was found frozen on the side of the road. Everything is bad for Anna too. A woman is unable to fight a deadly disease that takes away her strength every day. Soon she falls into a fever and loses consciousness, which never returns to her. And therefore, a horse courier was sent to the neighboring village, where the Golovlevs’ second cousin lived, who vigilantly monitored the latest events on the estate. The Golovlevs no longer had direct heirs.
CHARACTERISTICS OF IUDUSHKI GOLOVLEVA.
The Golovlev family “nest” was, as it were, a miniature prototype of feudal Russia on the eve of the abolition of serfdom in 1861. In the novel by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin “The Golovlev Gentlemen” we are faced with the disfigured destinies of the main characters, the tragic lives of the children-heirs of Arina Petrovna, the formidable and powerful mistress of the Golovlev estate. The passion for hoarding and acquisitiveness took precedence in her over true maternal feelings, so that she spent all her strength on acquisitions, not raising children, but kept them in such a way that with every action they asked themselves: “Will something be said about this?” mummy? The words “dunce”, “monster”, “scoundrel”, “scoundrel”, “scoundrel” were common in this family. Physical punishment was also the norm here. And all this was done as if for the sake of family well-being, for the sake of the same children whom Arina Petrovna disfigured with her upbringing. The result of her activity is encouragement for hypocrisy and gossip for the sake of “the best piece on the platter”, the division of children into “favorites” and “hateful” - the environment that formed the “monsters”.
The most terrible of them is Porfiry Vladimirovich Golovlev. His prototypes were the siblings of Saltykov-Shchedrin himself. By the way, the author in his novel partially describes the atmosphere of his father’s house in which he grew up, and the prototypes of many of the heroes of “The Golovlevs” are also his close relatives.
The author describes Porfiry as known in the family “by three names: Judas, the blood drinker, and the outspoken boy... From his infancy, he loved to cuddle up to his dear friend Mama, sneak a kiss on her shoulder, and sometimes talk in her ears.” He curried favor with his mother in hopes of personal gain, and in his unconditional obedience he was so insincere that it alarmed even Arina Petrovna.
Brothers Stepan and Pavel give Porfiry very apt nicknames: “Judas”, “blood drinker”. The diminutive form on behalf of the biblical hero Judas presents us with Porfiry Vladimirovich as a vile, vile traitor, an earpiece, capable of “selling” anyone for the sake of encouragement, for his own benefit. The nickname "bloodsucker" reminds us of a spider sucking its prey. Judas is an empty talker, but he “itched, bothered, tyrannized” those around him with his speeches, weaved a kind of web around a person from his words, as if throwing a noose around him in this way and strangling him. According to Saltykov-Shchedrin’s definition, Judushka did not just speak, but exuded “mass of verbal pus.”
By the middle years in Judushka, all those qualities that Arina Petrovna most encouraged in her children, terrible and disgusting for any normal person, develop to the point of chaos: feigned respect, hypocrisy, immeasurable money-grubbing. With age, these qualities worsened even more, developing into cruelty and ruthlessness. So Judushka, at the “family council,” persuades Pavel’s mother and brother to leave the squandered Styopka the dunce in Golovlevo, fully aware that he is thereby dooming him to death, since Stepan is not able to endure the suffocating, oppressive atmosphere of his home. Later, after the death of his father, Porfiry receives the best part of the inheritance - Golovlev's lands and begins to wage an aggressive struggle. As a result, he took possession of brother Pavel’s estate and took over the capital of “mama’s dear friend,” turning her into a hanger-on in his house.
Judas treats his sons no better. He threw them into life like puppies into water and left them to “float”, not caring about their further fate. Because of this attitude, Porfiry’s eldest son Vladimir, who married without his father’s consent, committed suicide. Peter dies in Siberia, having received no help from his father in paying off his gambling debt, for which even his own mother curses Porfiry. He sends his youngest son, born to a maid, to a Moscow orphanage, to which the child most likely never made it.
Anninka’s niece, who asked for help in a difficult moment of her life, also does not receive proper support and begins to drink together with Judushka. While drinking, Anninka constantly reminds Judushka how many of his relatives he brought to the grave (brother Stepan, brother Pavel, mother, sons Volodya and Petya). Judas finally understands that “he has grown old, gone wild, has one foot in the grave, and there is no creature in the world who would come close to him, who would take pity on him. Why is he alone?.. Why did everything that didn’t touch him perish?” His “conscience awoke, but fruitlessly. Judas gets angry and drinks even more. One day he unexpectedly turns to his niece with words of sympathy, she rushes to him and sincerely hugs him. Judas asks him to forgive him - “both for himself... and for those who are no longer there...” At night, Judas goes to his mother’s grave to “say goodbye,” because he feels that his days are numbered. The next day, his frozen corpse was found by the road.
In an effort to understand and reflect in his works the features of Russian life, Saltykov-Shchedrin takes one of the most characteristic layers - the life of provincial landowners - nobles. The accusatory pathos of the work extends to the entire class - it is no coincidence that in the finale everything seems to “return to normal” - a distant relative of Judushka comes to the estate, who has been following what is happening in Golovlev for a very long time. Thus, Judas’s repentance and his visit to his mother’s grave lead nowhere. Neither moral nor any other cleansing occurs, nor any repentance can atone for the atrocities that Judas committed in life.
