What does a person’s moral choice depend on? The problem of moral choice of modern youth

Life is a series of choices, the future fate of a person depends on them. It is often difficult to do this, since you need to choose between a convenient and fair option; if you prefer the latter, some privileges are lost. This problem is touched upon in art and is found everywhere in life.

Arguments from literature

  1. (51 words) Pyotr Grinev, the hero of A.S. Pushkin’s story “The Captain’s Daughter,” was guided in his life by the proverb: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” When Grinev was faced with a choice: to go over to the side of the rebel Emelyan Pugachev or to remain faithful to the oath, he chose the latter, despite the fact that he could be killed for this. His decision is moral, as it is based on virtue.
  2. (46 words) In the story by A.S. Pushkin's "Shot" (from the cycle "Belkin's Tale") Silvio waited for revenge for many years, wanted to kill his arrogant rival when he was afraid to die. And now the enemy is having a good honeymoon, and Silvio points a gun at him. But the main character chose pardon, having committed a highly moral act.
  3. (60 words) In the novel by A.S. Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin" the hero hesitated: whether to accept Tatyana's feelings or reject her. On the one hand, the girl loved him like no one else, but, on the other hand, what could he give her? There were no such feelings in response, and pretending to love would only ruin the heroine’s life. And Evgeny gave her a harsh rebuke, but made a choice in favor of a moral act.
  4. (60 words) The hero of the poem M.Yu. Lermontov’s “Song about Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, the young guardsman and the daring merchant Kalashnikov,” faced a choice: to bear the insult inflicted on his wife, or to wash it off with the blood of the offender. The merchant chose a duel and killed Kiribeevich, but for this he was executed himself. But with his victory he was still able to ensure her safety. His decision is moral, because he protected his family at the cost of his life.
  5. (52 words) In the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time" Grushnitsky and his cronies planned to kill Pechorin using forgery in a duel (the main character's gun would not be loaded). Such a vile act could not go unpunished; Pechorin found out about the impending vileness, outwitted Grushnitsky and killed him himself. Thus, immoral choices will never lead to victory.
  6. (48 words) In the fairy tale by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin's "The Wise Minnow" the hero faced a large-scale choice: a full life, but dangerous, or a miserable existence, but safe. The gudgeon climbed into a hole where no one could reach him, but at the same time all the best passed him by. His choice is immoral because it is based on cowardice and selfishness.
  7. (40 words) In the story by A.P. Chekhov's "Chameleon" Ochumelov chooses between official duty and respect for rank. The dog that bit the jeweler Khryukin becomes either guilty or innocent depending on who its owner is. Unfortunately, officials often make immoral choices in order to please the “right people.”
  8. (47 words) The hero of the story is M.A. Sholokhov’s “The Fate of Man” always acts according to his conscience. For example, when there was a traitor next to him who was going to hand over his commissar to the Nazis, Sokolov killed him. So Andrei saved not only this commissar, but also many other people who would have been destroyed by a traitor. This is a difficult but moral choice.
  9. (49 words) The main character of the poem by A.T. Tvardovsky’s “Vasily Terkin” in the chapter “Crossing” is faced with a choice: to swim across a cold river under enemy fire in order to establish communication, or to step aside, because someone else may be found. Terkin swam and saved the whole company. Moreover, the hero did not even expect a reward, he simply did it because he had to.
  10. (58 words) In the story by V.P. Astafiev’s “Horse with a Pink Mane” the boy picked strawberries for sale, then ate them, and put grass in place of the berries. The hero was very tormented by his conscience. The grandmother, who brought strawberries to the market, was disgraced when, after the sale, she began to pour the berries. However, the young hero repented, and his grandmother forgave him. A truly moral person always returns to the path of virtue, even if he makes a mistake in his choice.
  11. Examples from life

    1. (46 words) Moreau, the main character of R. Nugmanov’s film “The Needle,” faced a choice: stand up for his beloved girl against the drug mafia or give up. Moreau chose the first, tried to get Dina out of the vicious circle, and when that didn’t work out, he decided to punish the criminals. His choice is a moral feat, because he sacrificed himself to save another person.
    2. (43 words) Rose, the main character of D. Cameron's film Titanic, faced a choice between a respectable life and love. The heroine chose the second, so she got several days of happiness with Jack. By choosing true love, a person becomes happy and virtuous, but an immoral choice in favor of greed does not promise happiness.
    3. (53 words) Driss, the main character of O. Nakash’s film “1+1,” lived in a poor area on unemployment benefits, not wanting to change anything. He stood at a crossroads: continue this existence or try to change it for the better. He began to work, helping the disabled person get a taste for life. By helping him, he helped himself, because a moral choice always turns out good.
    4. (52 words) Nikita Tyukin was swimming in the Chagan River, but his calm was interrupted by a scream. The girl was drowning, she had to choose quickly. And Nikita decided to rescue the drowning woman. It turned out that the girl had a friend with her who had already sunk to the bottom. The young hero saved her too. By making a choice in favor of a moral act, he saved two lives, although he risked his own.
    5. (52 words) Little Zhenya Oshchepkov was taking a bath on an ordinary Sunday. Coming out of the bathroom, the child discovered that his parents were lying unconscious on the floor. The boy was not at a loss, but called his grandmother. And then he lost consciousness because carbon monoxide had accumulated in the house. However, Zhenya’s correct choice saved the whole family; the grandmother called the police and firefighters.
    6. (49 words) The rector of the Assumption Church, Evgeny Mozyakov, accidentally witnessed a tragedy: a boy fell into a fire well, they could not pull him out, since the child could not catch the fire hose. The priest jumped into the well, put Vanya on his shoulders, and he was saved. The man risked himself, but the reward for his moral act was a saved life.
    7. (56 words) An elderly woman was attacked on the street with a knife and demanded to give her money. A young man passing by could pretend not to hear anything, but he stood up for the victim. The modest hero didn’t even say his name; he doesn’t need gratitude. But his choice helped not only the pensioner, but also himself, because the young man avoided pangs of conscience.
    8. (63 words) Once, in the company of a friend of mine, they offered to smoke a narcotic mixture. They tried to persuade her for a long time, they even threatened that they would stop communicating with her if she fell behind the team. But the girl adequately assessed the situation and left the party, and one of those who agreed ended up in the hospital. Under pressure from others, it is difficult to make the right choice, but you need to think about yourself, and not about public opinion.
    9. (57 words) One of my friends bought answers to exams via the Internet. This man spent about ten thousand rubles, and on the eve of the exam, the seller deleted his page from the social network and did not contact him. So a friend of mine, having made the wrong choice and hoping for answers, did not pass the Unified State Exam. When choosing, it is better to always rely on virtue, because the price for a mistake is too high.
    10. (62 words) A few years ago, I accidentally forgot my phone in my jacket when I handed it in to the school cloakroom. After class, I didn’t find it in my pocket. However, a week later, a random passer-by found this phone lying in a snowdrift. He could have taken it for himself, but he made a different choice by calling my mom's number and returning it to me. For this I am still grateful to that person.
    11. It is sometimes difficult to make the right choice, since you pay for it with your own conveniences and benefits. But, without doing it, you are deprived of something much more important - peace, because conscience is the strictest judge of a person; it will remind you of a wrong action for years.

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Essay-reasoning on the topic of moral choice

A moral choice is a choice a person makes based on his life beliefs. Three versions of essays with argumentation and examples will help you better understand this topic both for the OGE and for general development.

The first version of the essay (based on the text by A.G. Aleksin “There are people who are painfully aware of other people’s successes...”)


Definition of the concept

Moral choice is a set of actions and deeds, words and thoughts depending on the moral and moral experience of a person. In other words, these are the rules that each person sets for himself and applies them in various life situations.

In the text by A.G. Aleksin tells about the development of people’s character in their youth, about the different attitudes to life of two schoolchildren - Vanya and Senya Golubkin. By contrasting these images, the author tries to show that some people do not hesitate to blame others for all their misfortunes, and are capable of taking the dishonest path. This is Senka. Vanya, on the other hand, has a deeper spiritual organization. In a fit of sympathy, he takes the blame from his classmate, but he responds with contempt instead of gratitude. However, the faith in people in Vanka’s soul is so strong that he realizes: one cannot judge the qualities of all humanity by one person alone.

An argument from personal experience

We all know that in the same situation people can behave completely differently. A good example is the attitude towards homeless animals. Some are able to shelter a dirty kitten shivering in the cold, warm it, feed it, and wash it. And others may simply not pay attention to the heart-rending screaming gray lump and pass by.

Conclusion

You can’t think only about yourself, about your own well-being. Each of us bears some responsibility for everything that happens to the people around us. Sometimes one spoken word at the right time can completely change a person’s destiny. In life, it is very important to make the right moral choices.

Second version of the essay (based on the text by E.Yu. Shima “The guys left the yard, collecting camping equipment ...”)

Definition of the concept

A moral choice is what a person is capable of making in the name of other people, acquaintances or strangers, relatives or strangers. Some people have such sensitive hearts and deep souls that they are ready to risk their own lives in the name of saving the person standing next to them; in this way, they behave in an inadmissibly rude and frivolous manner.

Argument from the text read

In the text by E.Yu. Shima considers the situation of the moral choice of a young man who has been suffering all sorts of bullying from the girl he likes for a long time. She either asks him to secretly bring perfume to his mother, or sets fire to his comrades’ homemade rocket. The author is sure that in this way she takes advantage of the boy’s love, his first real feelings. This makes her cruel and goes beyond what is permitted. But as soon as Verochka’s life was in danger, Gosha, without hesitation, rushed towards the set fire to the shell. And who knows how this girl’s cruel prank ended...

An argument from personal experience

Often people are ready to sacrifice their lives and health for the sake of others. There are many known cases when men or women without fear rushed into a burning house and carried out children and animals. At that moment, they easily made their moral choice - it was better to risk themselves than to let someone die.

Conclusion

I think that not everyone is capable of such feats. Very often people try to stay away from ongoing disasters. But we have no right to judge them, everyone has their own reasons for acting one way or another. It's just a different moral choice.

The third version of the essay (using the example of the text by V.K. Zheleznikov “In the morning, in a crystal vase on the table, Vitya saw a huge bouquet...”)

Definition of the concept

Moral choice is a person’s ability to take certain actions, regardless of generally accepted norms and concepts. Here everything depends only on him, on his upbringing, concepts, life experience, internal self-awareness.

Argument from the text read

So, in the story by V.K. Zheleznikov describes a banal life situation. Dad gave mom a bouquet of flowers on March 8, and mom suggested that her son take a few sprigs of mimosa with him to please his desk neighbor, Lena Popova. When it turned out that he was the only one who gave flowers to a girl in the entire class, they began to make fun of him. Children are often cruel. Vitya, having become the subject of ridicule from his classmates, was so upset and angry with his mother that he could not even feel what action he had committed - now Lena will forever remember this day, and these flowers, and Vitya. Perhaps later he will understand that doing something nice for people is not a shame.

An argument from personal experience

Indeed, often in life you have to make your moral choice based on the opinions of others. For example, if the team has chosen someone to beat, then not everyone will be able to communicate with him. And whoever decides to do this will himself become the object of bullying from his classmates. But if we make decisions based on the opinion of the majority, then it will no longer be our choice.

Conclusion

It is very important to make the right decisions in life. We must try not to pay attention to those who believe that showing sympathy or simply being kind to others is shameful. You cannot make deals with your conscience, because only we can live with the moral choice we make.

A moral choice, in my opinion, is a decision made by a person on what is the right thing to do in a given situation. It is based on the concept of GOOD and EVIL and is an indicator of a person’s moral and ethical attitudes: most people act as their conscience allows them. Moral choices, in my opinion, are life itself.

Any choice directs a person’s life in a certain direction, which he is able to change. The rulers of states cannot avoid moral choice, therefore the entire world history, all of humanity rests on the morality of the chosen ones. But personal moral choice is no less important: it characterizes the person himself, showing what kind of person he is - good or bad, friend or not... Examples of personal choice are present in the text of A. Aleksin and in one story that happened to me.

As the first argument confirming my point of view, I can cite several sentences from the story, which show Vanya Belov’s act. He took Senka Golubkin’s blame upon himself, appearing “in the midst” of a conversation with the director and saying that it was he who took six dictation notebooks (30-34). A normal act of a person who rescues a friend from trouble. Another thing is surprising: Senka “was not imbued with gratitude to Vanya Belov; on the contrary, it was from then on that he disliked him” (38). This is the moral choice of a person: one saves, the other hates. It all depends on the person and his character.

The second argument in favor of my opinion will be a short story about a recent story. It was a math lesson and my class was solving tests. Suddenly a whisper is heard: my friend asks me to let him write it off. I was faced with a choice: I’ll let you rewrite my answers - I’ll help at the moment, but I’ll ruin the study of all the material, because my friend will mindlessly copy it and won’t understand anything; I’ll refuse - I’ll offend him, but I’ll help him come to his senses. And I didn’t give you my notebook. It was my choice. The most amazing thing is that my friend understood me and was not offended.

I think, having given two arguments, I have proven my understanding of the words “moral choice”. Unfortunately, not all people make the right choice. You need to be careful and judicious when choosing your action in a given situation, then the world will become a much better place.

Text 11.1

(1) There are people who are painfully aware of other people’s successes. (2) This was Senya Golubkin. (3) Everywhere he saw the benefits and privileges that others had. (4) If someone got sick, Senka said: (5) “I see... (6) I decided to rest!” (7) If someone received an A for a homework essay, he asked: (8) “What, did mommy and daddy work hard?”

(9) It seemed to him that any success came to people as if at his expense. (10) Envy, in which lies the source of many human weaknesses and vices, did not leave Senka alone...

(11) It was difficult to find people more different from each other than Vanya and Senka. (12) At that time Vanya still sympathized with him very much. (13) When Senya, confused and tense, wandered through the labyrinths of the famous quatrains, Vanya suffered. (14) And after the lesson, in which Golubkin received another bad mark, this brute pressed the short Vanya: he, it turns out, did not give instructions clearly and clearly enough.

(15) One day a “district” dictation was assigned, and Senya Golubkin was in a panic: a bad grade for that dictation threatened him with repeating the year.

(16) After the dictation, Senka ran along the corridor and asked his friends

classmates:

– (17) How do you spell “during”?

(18) They answered him.

– (19) There is one mistake! - he said and bent his finger. - (20) How did you write it yourself? (21) Right?

(22) If it turned out that it was correct, Senka whined:

- (23) Well, of course, I wrote it myself!

(24) After the “district” dictation, Senka did not have enough fingers on both

hands: he counted twelve mistakes. (25) Except for commas and dashes...

(26) During recess Vanya Belov came up to me and asked:

- (27) Well, Vera Matveevna, should Golubkin stay for a second year now?

– (28) I don’t know. (29) I haven’t checked it yet.

(30) When I sat down in the teacher’s room with my notebooks, it turned out that six papers from the stack had disappeared. (31) Among them were dictations by Senya Golubkin and Vanya.

(32) During the big break, the director and I stood in an empty classroom

to break through to Golubkin's conscience. (33) It was then, in the midst of our conversation, that Vanya Belov appeared and said:

- (34) I came to bring myself into the hands of justice!

(35) I didn’t believe that he pulled out the dictations, but the director agreed

with Vanya's version. (36) After lessons, six students whose work had disappeared rewrote the dictation. (37) Senya Golubkin received a C, because he had already discovered his mistakes during the break, and moved to the seventh grade.

(38) He was not filled with gratitude to Vanya Belov; on the contrary, it was

From then on I disliked him. (39) Golubkin did not forgive nobility, just as he did not forgive literacy to those who helped him find mistakes. (40) Vanya Belov understood this. (41) After Senka once again annoyed his savior about something, I casually said to Vanya:

- (42) Well... no good deed goes unpunished?

- (43) You never know what happens! - he answered. – (44) Is this why you shouldn’t trust everyone?

(According to A. Aleksin)*

*Aleksin Anatoly Georgievich (born in 1924) – writer, playwright. His works, such as “My Brother Plays the Clarinet”, “Characters and Performers”, “Third in the Fifth Row”, etc., tell about the world of youth.

What is moral choice?

A moral choice is, first of all, a choice between good and evil: loyalty and betrayal, love and hatred, mercy or indifference, conscience or dishonor, law or lawlessness... It is made by every person throughout his life, perhaps more than once.

Since childhood, we have been taught what is good and what is bad. Sometimes life presents us with a choice: to be sincere or hypocritical, to do good or bad deeds. And this choice depends on the person himself. I will prove this thesis by citing arguments from the text by V.K. Zheleznikov and analyzing my life experience.

As the first argument confirming my point of view, I will take a few sentences. Vitya congratulated his mother on the Eighth of March and also brought flowers to his neighbor, Lena Popova (15-17). The girl was glad for the attention, but in the class “everyone immediately began to whisper when they looked at Vitya,” and during recess they began to call her “groom” (21-31). He took out his resentment on the flowers he gave to his mother (33-37). Unfortunately, he was unable to choose correctly between the ability to remain himself and the inability to resist public opinion.

As a second argument to prove the thesis, I will give an example from the reader’s experience. In A.S. Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin,” the main character faces a moral choice: to refuse a duel with Lensky or not to refuse. On the one hand, there was the opinion of society, which would condemn him for refusal, and on the other, Lensky, a friend whose death was not necessary. Evgeniy made, in my opinion, the wrong choice: a person’s life is more important than public opinion.

Thus, I proved that we are constantly faced with moral choices, sometimes even in everyday things. And this choice must be correct so as not to regret it later.

Text 11.3

(1) In the morning, Vitya saw a huge bouquet of mimosa in a crystal vase on the table. (2) The flowers were as yellow and fresh as the first warm day!

“(3) Dad gave this to me,” said mom. - (4) After all, today is the Eighth of March.

(5) Indeed, today is the Eighth of March, and he completely forgot about it. (6) He immediately ran to his room, grabbed his briefcase, pulled out a postcard in which it was written: “Dear mom, I congratulate you on the Eighth of March and I promise to always obey you,” and solemnly handed it to my mother.

(7) And when he was already leaving for school, his mother suddenly suggested:

– (8) Take a few sprigs of mimosa and give it to Lena Popova.

(9) Lena Popova was his neighbor at his desk.

– (10) Why? – he asked gloomily.

- (11) And then, today is the Eighth of March, and I’m sure that all your boys will give something to the girls.

(12) He took three sprigs of mimosa and went to school.

(13) On the way, it seemed to him that everyone was looking at him. (14) But at the school itself he was lucky: he met Lena Popova. (15) Running up to her, he handed her a mimosa.

- (16) This is for you.

- (17) Me? (18) Oh, how beautiful! (19) Thank you very much, Vitya!

(20) She seemed ready to thank him for another hour, but he turned and ran away.

(21) And at the first break it turned out that none of the boys in their class gave anything to the girls. (22) None. (23) Only in front of Lena Popova lay tender branches of mimosa.

– (24) Where did you get the flowers? – asked the teacher.

“(25) Vitya gave this to me,” Lena said calmly. (26) Everyone immediately began to whisper, looking at Vitya, and Vitya lowered his head low.

(27) And at recess, when Vitya, as if nothing had happened, approached the guys, although he already felt bad, Valerka began to grimace, looking at him.

- (28) And here the groom has come! (29) Hello, young groom!

(30) The guys laughed. (31) And then high school students passed by,

and everyone looked at him and asked whose fiancé he was.

(32) Having barely made it to the end of the lessons, as soon as the bell rang, he rushed home as fast as he could, so that there, at home, he could vent his frustration and resentment.

(33) When his mother opened the door for him, he shouted:

- (34) It’s you, it’s your fault, it’s all because of you!

(35) Vitya ran into the room, grabbed mimosa branches and threw them on the floor.

- (36) I hate these flowers, I hate them!

(37) He began to trample the mimosa branches with his feet, and the yellow delicate flowers burst and died under the rough soles of his boots.

(38) And Lena Popova carried home three tender branches of mimosa in a wet cloth so that they would not wither. (39) She carried them in front of her, and it seemed to her that the sun was reflected in them, that they were so beautiful, so special... (According to V. Zheleznikov)*

*Zheleznikov Vladimir Karpovich (born in 1925) is a modern Russian children's writer, film playwright. His works, dedicated to the problems of growing up, have become classics of Russian children's literature and have been translated into many languages ​​of the world.

Krasova A.A. 1

Smarchkova T.V. 1

1 State budgetary educational institution of the Samara region secondary school p. Pestravka municipal district Pestravsky Samara region

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I. Introduction.

We live in the 21st century... in difficult but interesting times. Perhaps the last decades have seen the most significant changes in history, in the way of life of mankind. It has been historically proven that in an era of change, understanding honor, pride, and dignity is especially important for the formation of the younger generation. The recent anniversary dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, the war in Chechnya and Iraq - all of this is directly connected by one link - man. A person is always faced with a choice in his personal or public life; it depends on him what will happen to him in extreme situations. To the extent that he understands the importance of moral values ​​and morality in life, he feels responsible for his actions. This is what got me interested. What do our youth think about this now, how do modern and ancient literature reflect the problems of humanity, the Russian people. These terms are the subject of this work.

Purpose of the research work:

To trace how the problem of honor, dignity, and national pride of the Russian person is revealed in Russian literature.

Common tasks in the work have also emerged:

Deepen your knowledge of ancient Russian literature, literature of the 19th century, literature of the war years.

Compare how the attitude towards moral values ​​is shown in ancient Russian literature.

Analyze how Russian literature of different years reflects the role of man in society at turning points.

To trace how the Russian national character is revealed in Russian literature of different years.

The main method is literary research.

II. The problem of human moral choice in Russian literature.

1.The theme of honor and national pride in Russian folklore.

The problem of human moral quests has its roots in ancient Russian literature and folklore. It is associated with the concepts of honor and dignity, patriotism and valor. Let's look into the explanatory dictionary. Honor and dignity are professional duty and moral standards of business communication; moral qualities and human principles worthy of respect and pride; personal non-property and inalienable benefits protected by law, meaning a person’s awareness of his social significance.

Since ancient times, all these qualities have been valued by man. They helped him in difficult life situations of choice.

To this day we know the following proverbs: “Who has honor, there is truth”, “Without a root, not a blade of grass grows”, “A man without a homeland is a nightingale without a song”, “Take care of your honor from a young age, and take care of your dress again” 1. The most interesting sources on which modern literature relies are fairy tales and epics. But their heroes are heroes and fellows who embody the strength, patriotism, and nobility of the Russian people. These are Ilya Muromets, and Alyosha Popovich, and Ivan Bykovich, and Nikita Kozhemyaka, who defended their Motherland and honor, risking their lives. And although the epic heroes are fictional heroes, their images are based on the lives of real people. In ancient Russian literature, their exploits are certainly fantastic, and the heroes themselves are idealized, but this shows what a Russian person is capable of if the honor, dignity and future of his land are at stake.

2.1. The problem of moral choice in Old Russian literature.

The approach to the problem of moral choice in ancient Russian literature is ambiguous. Galicia-Volyn Chronicle of the 13th century... It is considered one of the most interesting monuments of ancient Russian literature, dating back to the period of the struggle of Russian principalities with foreign invaders. A very interesting fragment of an ancient Russian text concerns the trip of Prince Daniil of Galitsky to bow to Batu in the Horde. The prince had to either rebel against Batu and die, or accept the faith of the Tatars and humiliation. Daniel goes to Batu and feels trouble: “in great sorrow,” “seeing the trouble is terrible and menacing.” Here it becomes clear why the prince grieves in his soul: “I will not give up my half-fatherland, but I am going to Batu myself...” 2. He goes to Batu to drink mare's kumiss, that is, to take an oath of service to the khan.

Was it worth it for Daniel to do this, was it treason? The prince could not drink and show that he did not submit and die with honor. But he does not do this, realizing that if Batu does not give him the label to rule the principality, this will lead to the inevitable death of his people. Daniil sacrifices his honor to save his homeland.

Fatherly care, honor and pride force Daniel to drink the “black milk” of humiliation in order to ward off trouble from his native land. The Galicia-Volyn Chronicle warns against a limited and narrow view of the problem of moral choice, of the understanding of honor and dignity.

Russian literature reflects the complex world of the human soul, tossing between honor and dishonor. Self-esteem, the desire to remain a Man in any situation with full right can be placed in one of the first places among the historically established traits of the Russian character.

The problem of moral quest has always been fundamental in Russian literature. It was closely connected with other deeper questions: how to live in history? what to hold on to? what to be guided by?

2.2. The problem of moral choice in the literature of the 19th century (based on the works of I.S. Turgenev).

Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev wrote the story “Mumu” ​​3, reflecting in it his experiences and concerns about the Russian destinies and the future of the country. It is known that Ivan Turgenev, as a true patriot, thought a lot about what awaited the country, and the events in Russia in those days were far from the most joyful for the people.

The image of Gerasim reveals such magnificent qualities that Turgenev would like to see in a Russian person. For example, Gerasim has considerable physical strength, he wants and can work hard, things are in his hands. Gerasim is also neat and clean. He works as a janitor, and approaches his duties with responsibility, because thanks to him, the owner’s yard is always clean and tidy. The author shows his somewhat reclusive character, since Gerasim is unsociable, and even on the doors of his closet there is always a lock. But this formidable appearance does not correspond to the kindness of his heart and generosity, because Gerasim is open-hearted and knows how to sympathize. Therefore, it is clear: one cannot judge a person’s internal qualities by appearance. What else is visible in the image of Gerasim when analyzing “Mumu”? He was respected by all the servants, which was deserved - Gerasim worked hard, as if he carried out the orders of his mistress, and at the same time did not lose his sense of self-respect. The main character of the story, Gerasim, never became happy, because he is a simple village man, and city life is built completely differently and flows according to its own laws. In the city there is no sense of unity with nature. So Gerasim, once in the city, realizes that he is being ignored. Having fallen in love with Tatyana, he is deeply unhappy because she becomes the wife of another.

At a difficult moment in life, when the main character is especially sad and hurt in his soul, suddenly a ray of light is visible. Here she is, hope for happy moments, a little cute puppy. Gerasim saves the puppy, and they become attached to each other. The puppy received the nickname Mumu, and the dog is always with his great friend. Mumu watches at night and wakes up his owner in the morning. It seems that life is filled with meaning and becomes more joyful, but the lady becomes aware of the puppy. Having decided to subjugate Mumu, she experiences a strange disappointment - the puppy does not obey her, but the lady is not used to ordering twice. Is it possible to command love? But that's another question. The lady, accustomed to seeing her instructions carried out at the same moment and without complaint, cannot bear the disobedience of the little creature, and she orders the dog to be taken out of sight. Gerasim, whose character is well revealed here, decides that Mumu can be hidden in his closet, especially since no one comes to see him. He does not take into account one thing: he is deaf and mute from birth, while others hear the barking of a dog. The puppy reveals itself by barking. Then Gerasim realizes that he has no choice but to resort to drastic measures, and he kills the puppy who has become his only friend. The gloomy Gerasim cries when he goes to drown his beloved Mumu, and after her death he goes on foot to the village where he used to live.

In the image of Gerasim, the author showed an unfortunate serf. Serfs are “mute”, they cannot declare their rights, they simply submit to the regime, but in the soul of such a person there is hope that someday his oppression will come to an end.

New work by I.S. Turgenev's “On the Eve” 4 was a “new word” in Russian literature and caused noisy talk and controversy. The novel was read greedily. “Its very title,” according to the critic of “Russian Word,” “with its symbolic hint, which can be given a very broad meaning, indicated the idea of ​​the story, made one guess that the author wanted to say something more than what is contained in his artistic images." What was the idea, features, and novelty of Turgenev’s third novel?

If in “Rudin” and “The Noble Nest” Turgenev depicted the past, painted images of people of the 40s, then in “On the Eve” he gave an artistic reproduction of modernity, responded to those cherished thoughts that, during the period of social upsurge of the second half of the 50s worried all thinking and progressive people.

Not idealistic dreamers, but new people, positive heroes, devotees of the cause were introduced in the novel “On the Eve”. According to Turgenev himself, the novel was “based on the idea of ​​the need for consciously heroic natures in order for things to move forward,” that is, we are talking about the problem of choice.

In the center, in the foreground, stood a female image. The whole meaning of the novel concealed a call for “active goodness” - for social struggle, for renunciation of the personal and egoistic in the name of the general.

The heroine of the novel, the “amazing girl” Elena Stakhova, was a “new man” of Russian life. Elena is surrounded by talented young people. But neither Bersenev, who has just graduated from university and is preparing to become a professor; nor the talented sculptor Shubin, in whom everything breathes intelligent lightness and happy gaiety of health, in love with antiquity and thinking that “there is no salvation outside Italy”; much less the “groom” Kurnatovsky, this “official honesty and efficiency without substance” 5, did not awaken Elena’s feelings.

She gave her love to Insarov, a Bulgarian foreigner, a poor man, who had one great goal in life - the liberation of his homeland from Turkish oppression and in whom lived “the concentrated deliberation of a single and long-standing passion.” Insarov conquered Elena by responding to her vague but strong desire for freedom, captivating her with the beauty of her feat in the struggle for a “common cause.”

The choice made by Elena seemed to indicate what kind of people Russian life was waiting for and calling. There were no such people among “our own people” - and Elena went to a “stranger”. She, a Russian girl from a rich noble family, became the wife of a poor Bulgarian Insarov, abandoned her home, family, homeland, and after her husband’s death she remained in Bulgaria, faithful to the memory and “life’s work” of Insarov. She decided not to return to Russia. "For what? What to do in Russia?

In a remarkable article dedicated to the novel “On the Eve,” Dobrolyubov wrote: “Concepts and demands such as we see in Elena are already appearing; these demands are accepted by society with sympathy; Moreover, they strive for active implementation. This means that the old social routine is already becoming obsolete: a few more hesitations, a few more strong words and favorable facts, and leaders will appear... Then a complete, sharply and vividly outlined image of the Russian Insarov will appear in literature. And we won’t have to wait long for him: this is guaranteed by the feverish, painful impatience with which we await his appearance in life. It is necessary for us, without it our whole life somehow doesn’t count, and every day means nothing in itself, but serves only as the eve of another day. This day will finally come!” 6

Two years after “On the Eve,” Turgenev wrote the novel “Fathers and Sons,” and in February 1862 he published it 7. The author tried to show Russian society the tragic nature of the growing conflicts. The reader is exposed to economic troubles, the impoverishment of the people, the disintegration of traditional life, the destruction of the centuries-old ties of the peasant with the land. The stupidity and helplessness of all classes threatens to develop into confusion and chaos. Against this background, a dispute unfolds about the ways to save Russia, which is waged by heroes representing the two main parts of the Russian intelligentsia.

Russian literature has always tested the stability and strength of society through family and family relationships. Beginning the novel with a depiction of a family conflict between father and son Kirsanov, Turgenev goes further, to a clash of social and political nature. The relationships between the characters and the main conflict situations are revealed primarily from an ideological angle. This is reflected in the peculiarities of the construction of the novel, in which the arguments of the heroes, their painful reflections, passionate speeches and outpourings, and the decisions they come to play such a large role. But the author did not turn his heroes into exponents of his own ideas. Turgenev's artistic achievement is his ability to organically connect the movement of even the most abstract ideas of his characters and their life positions.

For the writer, one of the decisive criteria in determining a personality was how this personality relates to modernity, to the life around it, to the current events of the day. If you look closely at the “fathers” - Pavel Petrovich and Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov, the first thing that catches your eye is that they, essentially not very old people, do not understand and do not accept what is happening around them.

It seems to Pavel Petrovich that the principles that he learned in his youth distinguish him favorably from people who listen to modern times. But Turgenev, at every step, without much pressure, completely unambiguously shows that in this stubborn desire to show his contempt for modernity, Pavel Petrovich is simply comical. He plays a certain role, which from the outside is simply funny.

Nikolai Petrovich is not as consistent as his older brother. He even says that he likes young people. But in fact, it turns out that he understands in modernity only that which threatens his peace.

Turgenev brought out several people in his novel who strive to rush with time. This is Kukshina and Sit-nikov. In them this desire is expressed very clearly and unambiguously. Bazarov usually speaks to them in a dismissive tone. It’s more difficult for him with Arkady. He is not as stupid and petty as Sitnikov. In a conversation with his father and uncle, he quite accurately explained to them such a complex concept as a nihilist. He is good because he does not consider Bazarov “his brother.” This brought Bazarov closer to Arkady, forced him to treat him softer, more condescendingly than to Kukshina or Sitnikov. But Arkady still has a desire to grab something in this new phenomenon, to somehow get closer to it, and he grabs only external signs.

And here we are faced with one of the most important qualities of Turgenev’s style. From the first steps of his literary activity, he widely used irony. In the novel “Fathers and Sons,” he awarded this quality to one of his heroes, Bazarov, who uses it in a very varied way: for Bazarov, irony is a means of separating himself from a person he does not respect, or “correcting” a person he does not respect. I haven't waved my hand yet. Such are his ironic antics with Arkady. Bazarov also masters another type of irony - irony directed at himself. He is ironic about both his actions and his behavior. Suffice it to recall the scene of Bazarov’s duel with Pavel Petrovich. He is ironic here at Pavel Petrovich, but no less bitterly and evilly at himself. At such moments, Bazarov appears in all the power of his charm. No complacency, no self-love.

Turgenev leads Bazarov through the circles of life's trials, and they reveal with real completeness and objectivity the measure of the hero's rightness and wrongness. “Complete and merciless denial” turns out to be justified as the only serious attempt to change the world, putting an end to contradictions. However, for the author it is also indisputable that the internal logic of nihilism inevitably leads to freedom without obligations, to action without love, to quests without faith. The writer does not find a creative creative force in nihilism: the changes that the nihilist envisages for really existing people are, in fact, tantamount to the destruction of these people. And Turgenev reveals the contradictions in the very nature of his hero.

Bazarov, having experienced love and suffering, can no longer be an integral and consistent destroyer, ruthless, unshakably self-confident, breaking others simply by the right of the strong. But Bazarov also cannot reconcile himself, subordinating his life to the idea of ​​self-denial, or seek consolation in art, in the feeling of fulfilled duty, in selfless love for a woman - for this he is too angry, too proud, too unbridled, wildly free. The only possible resolution to this contradiction is death.

Turgenev created a character so complete and internally independent that the artist had only to avoid sinning against the internal logic of character development. There is not a single significant scene in the novel in which Bazarov would not participate. Bazarov passes away and the novel ends. In one of his letters, Turgenev admitted that when he “wrote Bazarov,” he ultimately felt not hostility, but admiration for him. And when he wrote the scene of Bazarov’s death, he sobbed bitterly. These were not tears of pity, these were the tears of an artist , who saw the tragedy of a huge man, in whom part of his own ideal was embodied.

“Fathers and Sons” caused fierce controversy throughout the history of Russian literature of the 19th century. And the author himself stopped with bewilderment and bitterness before the chaos of contradictory judgments: greetings from enemies and slaps in the face from friends. In a letter to Dostoevsky, he wrote with disappointment: “No one seems to suspect that I tried to present a tragic face in him - but everyone is interpreting why is he so bad? or - why is he so good? 8

Turgenev believed that his novel would serve to unite the social forces of Russia, would help many young people make the right, less tragic choice, that Russian society would listen to his warnings. But the dream of a united and friendly all-Russian cultural layer of society did not come true.

3.1. The problem of moral choice in literature about the Great Patriotic War.

But it also happens that human dignity and honor are the only weapons in the conditions of the cruel laws of existence on this earth. This helps to understand the short work of the 20th century Soviet writer M. Sholokhov, “The Fate of Man,” 9 which opens the topic of fascist captivity, which is forbidden in Soviet literature. The work raises important questions about national dignity and pride, about a person’s responsibility for his moral choice.

There were many obstacles on the life path of Andrei Sokolov, the main character of the story, but he proudly carried his “cross”. The character of Andrei Sokolov manifests itself in conditions of fascist captivity. Here is both patriotism and the pride of the Russian people. A call to the concentration camp commandant is a difficult test for the hero, but he emerges victorious from this situation. Going to the commandant, the hero mentally says goodbye to life, knowing that he will not ask for mercy from the enemy, and then one thing remains - death: “I began to gather my courage to look into the hole of the pistol fearlessly, as befits a soldier, so that the enemies would not we saw […] that it was still difficult for me to part with life...” 10

Andrei does not lose pride in front of the commandant himself. He refuses to drink schnapps for the victory of German weapons, and then he could not think about the glory of the enemy, pride for his people helped him: “So that I, a Russian soldier, would drink for the victory of German weapons?! Is there something you don't want, Herr Commandant? Damn it, I have to die, so get lost with your vodka.” Having then drunk to his death, Andrei snacks on a piece of bread, half of which he leaves whole: “I wanted to show them, the damned, that although I am disappearing from hunger, I am not going to choke on their handout, that I have my own, Russian dignity and pride and that they didn’t turn me into a beast, no matter how hard they tried,” 11 - this is what the original Russian soul of the hero says. A moral choice has been made: the fascists have been challenged. A moral victory has been won.

Despite his thirst, Andrei refuses to drink “to the victory of German weapons”, does not drink the “black milk” of humiliation and keeps his honor unsullied in this unequal battle, evoking the respect of the enemy: “...You are a real Russian soldier, You are a brave soldier” 12, - The commandant says to Andrey, admiring him. Our hero is a bearer of national character traits - patriotism, humanity, fortitude, perseverance and courage. There were many such heroes during the war years, and each of them performed his duty, and therefore a life feat.

The words of the great Russian writer are true: “Over the course of their history, the Russian people have selected, preserved, and raised to the level of respect such human qualities that cannot be revised: honesty, hard work, conscientiousness, kindness... We know how to live. Remember this. Be human". 1

The same human qualities are shown in Kondratiev’s work “Sashka” 13. In this story, the events, as in “The Fate of Man,” take place in wartime. The main character is soldier Sashka - and truly a hero. Not the least qualities for him are mercy, kindness, and courage. Sashka understands that in battle a German is an enemy and very dangerous, but in captivity he is a man, an unarmed man, an ordinary soldier. The hero deeply sympathizes with the prisoner, wants to help him: “If it weren’t for the shelling, they would have turned the German on his back, maybe the blood would have stopped...” 14 Sashka is very proud of his Russian character, he believes that this is what a soldier should do, a Man. He opposes himself to the fascists, rejoices for his Motherland and the Russian people: “We are not you. We don’t shoot prisoners.” He is sure that a person is a person everywhere and should always remain so: “...Russian people do not mock prisoners” 15. Sashka cannot understand how one person can be free over the fate of another, how one can control someone else’s life. He knows that no one has a Human right to do this, that he will not allow this to happen to himself. What is invaluable about Sashka is his enormous sense of responsibility, even for things for which he should not be responsible. Feeling that strange feeling of power over others, the right to decide whether to live or die, the hero involuntarily shudders: “Sashka even somehow felt uneasy... he’s not the type to mock prisoners and the unarmed” 16.

There, during the war, he understood the meaning of the word “must”. “It’s necessary, Sashok. You see, it’s necessary,” the company commander told him, “before ordering anything, and Sashka understood that it was necessary, and did everything that was ordered, as it should be” 17. The hero is attractive because he does more than is necessary: ​​something ineradicable in him forces him to do it. He does not kill a prisoner on orders; wounded, he returns to hand over his machine gun and say goodbye to his brother soldiers; he himself accompanies the orderlies to the seriously wounded person, so that he knows that that person is alive and saved. Sashka feels this need within himself. Or is it the conscience that commands? But another conscience may not command - and confidently prove that it is pure. But there are not two consciences, “conscience” and “another conscience”: conscience either exists or it does not, just as there are not two “patriotisms”. Sashka believed that a Man, and especially he, a Russian, must preserve his honor and dignity in any situation, and this means remaining a merciful person, honest to himself, fair, true to his word. He lives according to the law: he was born a man, so be real inside, and not an outer shell, under which there is darkness and emptiness...

III. Questioning.

I tried to identify important moral values ​​for 10th grade students. For the research, I took questionnaires from the Internet (the author is unknown). Conducted a survey in 10th grade, 15 students participated in the survey.

Mathematical and statistical processing of results.

1.What is morality?

2. What is moral choice?

3. Do you have to cheat in life?

4. Do you help when asked?

5. Will you come to the rescue at any time?

6. Is it good to be alone?

7. Do you know the origin of your last name?

8. Does your family keep photographs?

9. Do you have any family heirlooms?

10. Are letters and postcards kept in the family?

The survey I conducted showed that for many children moral values ​​are important.

Conclusion:

Since ancient times, valor, pride, and mercy in man have been revered. And from then on, the elders passed on their instructions to the young, warning against mistakes and serious consequences. Yes, how much time has passed since then, and moral values ​​do not become obsolete; they live in every person. Since those times, a person was considered a Human if he could educate himself and possessed the following qualities: pride, honor, good nature, firmness. “Kill neither the right nor the wrong, and do not order him to be killed,” 18, Vladimir Monomakh teaches us. The main thing is for a person to be worthy of his life. Only then will he be able to change something in his country, around him. Many misfortunes and troubles can happen, but Russian literature teaches us to be strong and keep “our word, for if you break an oath, you will destroy your soul” 1, teaches us not to forget about our brothers, to love them as relatives, to respect each other. And the main thing is to remember that you are a Russian person, that you have the strength of heroes, nursing mothers, the strength of Russia. Andrei Sokolov did not forget about this in captivity, did not turn either himself or his Motherland into a laughing stock, did not want to give up HIS Russia, his children Senya from Rasputin’s story, to desecration.

We see what a person, son and protector should be like, using the example of Prince Daniel, he gave everything so that his Motherland, country, people would not perish, but would survive. He agreed to the condemnation that awaited him after accepting the Tatar faith, he fulfilled his duty, and it is not for us to judge him.

In Bazarov, the hero of the novel by I.S. Turgenev, there is also a difficult life ahead. And each of us has our own road, which we must definitely go out on, and everyone goes out on it, only someone realizes too late that they are going along it in the other direction...

IV.Conclusion.

A person always faces a moral choice. A moral choice is a decision consciously made by a person, it is the answer to the question “What to do?”: pass by or help, deceive or tell the truth, succumb to temptation or resist. When making a moral choice, a person is guided by morality and his own ideas about life. Honor, dignity, conscience, pride, mutual understanding, mutual assistance - these are the qualities that have helped Russian people at all times to defend their land from enemies. Centuries pass, life in society changes, society changes, and people change. And now our modern literature is sounding the alarm: the generation is sick, sick with unbelief, godlessness... But Russia exists! And that means there is a Russian person. Among today's youth there are those who will revive faith and return moral values ​​to their generation. And our past will be a support and help in all situations; it is from it that we need to learn, moving towards the future.

I didn’t want the work to turn out to be an essay, read and forgotten. If, after reading my thoughts and “discoveries,” at least someone thinks about the meaning of this work, about the purpose of my actions, about questions and calls for us - for modern society - then my efforts were not in vain, then this creativity will not become “dead” weight , will not gather dust somewhere in a folder on a shelf. It is in the thoughts, in the mind. Research work is, first of all, your attitude to everything, and only you can develop it and give impetus to further transformations, first in yourself, and then, perhaps, in others. I gave this push, now it’s up to each of us.

Writing such a work is half the battle, but to prove that it is really important and necessary, to make it reach people’s minds and strike like a bolt from the blue, to delight, like a problem solved at an unexpected moment, is to do much more more difficult.

V. Literature.

  1. M. Sholokhov, “The Fate of Man”, story, Verkhnevolzhsky book publishing house, Yaroslavl 1979
  2. V. Kondratyev, “Sashka”, story, ed. “Enlightenment”, 1985, Moscow.
  3. "Stories of Russian Chronicles", ed. center "Vityaz", 1993, Moscow.
  4. I. S. Turgenev “Mumu”, ed. "AST", 1999, Nazran.
  5. IN AND. Dal "Proverbs and sayings of the Russian people", ed. "Eksmo", 2009
  6. I.S. Turgenev “On the Eve”, ed. "AST", 1999, Nazran
  7. I.S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons”, ed. "Alpha-M", 2003, Moscow.
  8. V.S. Apalkova “History of the Fatherland”, ed. "Alpha-M", 2004, Moscow.
  9. A.V. Century "History of Russia from ancient times to the present day", ed. “Modern writer”, 2003, Minsk.
  10. N.S. Borisov “History of Russia”, ed. ROSMEN-PRESS", 2004, Moscow.
  11. I.A. Isaev “History of the Fatherland”, ed. “Lawyer”, 2000, Moscow.
  12. IN AND. Dal "Proverbs and sayings of the Russian people", ed. "Eksmo", 2009
  13. "Stories of Russian Chronicles", ed. Center "Vityaz", 1993, Moscow.
  14. I.S. Turgenev “Mumu”, ed. "AST", 1999, Nazran. The story "Mumu" was written in 1852. First published in Sovremennik magazine in 1854.
  15. I.S. Turgenev “On the Eve”, ed. "AST", 1999, Nazran. The novel "On the Eve" was written in 1859. In 1860 the work was published.
  16. I. S. Turgenev “On the Eve”, ed. "AST", 1999, Nazran
  17. I. S. Turgenev “Tales, short stories, prose poems, criticism and comments,” ed. "AST", 2010, Syzran
  18. I.S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons”, ed. "Alpha-M", 2003, Moscow. The work “Fathers and Sons” was written in 1961 and published in 1862 in the magazine “Russian Messenger”.
  19. I. S. Turgenev “Tales, short stories, prose poems, criticism and comments,” ed. "AST", 2010, Syzran.
  20. M.A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”, story, Verkhnevolzhsky book publishing house, Yaroslavl, 1979.
  21. M.A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”, story, Verkhnevolzhsky book publishing house, Yaroslavl, 1979.
  22. M.A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”, story, Verkhnevolzhsky book publishing house, Yaroslavl, 1979.
  23. M.A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”, story, Verkhnevolzhsky book publishing house, Yaroslavl, 1979.
  24. The story was published in 1979 in the magazine “Friendship of Peoples”.
  25. V.L. Kondratiev “Sashka”, story, ed. “Enlightenment”, 1985, Moscow.
  26. V.L. Kondratiev “Sashka”, story, ed. “Enlightenment”, 1985, Moscow
  27. V.L. Kondratiev “Sashka”, story, ed. “Enlightenment”, 1985, Moscow
  28. V.L. Kondratiev “Sashka”, story, ed. “Enlightenment”, 1985, Moscow
  29. “The Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh” is a literary monument of the 12th century, written by the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir Monomakh.

The problem of moral choice of modern youth.
“It seems interesting to me to compare the morals of that time with ours and draw attention to the fact that strong feelings have degenerated, but life has become calmer and, perhaps, happier. The question remains: are we better than our ancestors, and this is not so easy, because views on the same actions have changed dramatically over time.”
Prosper Merimee “Chronicle of the reign of Charles IX” (XIX century)

The problem of moral choice has always been relevant and quite painful for society. Our ancestors, comparing themselves with their predecessors, found that “morals are no longer the same,” fearing that they, the people of the Nth generation, are the last bearers of moral dying truths, and the next one will abandon them. But centuries changed, and new tribes were imbued with the same thoughts. Even now, in the 21st century, with all the progress and potential progress, society continues to return to the issue of “fading” morality, especially among young men and women.
One of the main indicators of moral principles is a person’s voluntary entry into “close relationships.” This decision is one of the most important made by a person in his entire life. As a rule, a person is determined by it in his youth, if not in his youth at all. This voluntary choice is extremely important for the further development of the individual, for it is one of the key moral principles embedded or nurtured in a person, or even by a person in himself.
In my opinion, it is impossible to say that the problem of this particular moral choice is now pressing, because it has always been relevant. But, according to many, modern conditions raise this issue more and more acutely. To a greater extent, it is television and the Internet that most distort young minds, promoting and even agitating “free morals” among the emerging youth. In this case, I will try to understand only the causes and consequences. But it’s worth understanding everything in order.
Such a sensitive topic existed long before the advent of TV or Internet resources. And for each society and time, the solution to this issue was made individually. In turn, it was adopted in accordance with various features: the general development of society, historical era, political regime, etc. Now the problem of early maturation of adolescents has been elevated to the rank of “taboo”. History already has similar cases (for example, Soviet Russia, where such issues were not raised publicly), but if we recall the free morals of France in the 16th century or even the 20th century with the period of “Hippies” promoting free love, then the assumption that the attitude to the same problem changes over time, and is also determined by moral norms (and in some cases, legal norms), it becomes quite obviously true.
In examining this issue in our century, I want to address two representatives of different civilizations: the US state of Mississippi (West; form of government: presidential republic) and the kingdom of Cambodia, Ratanakiri Province, (Southeast Asia; constitutional monarchy).
There is an ancient tradition in Ratanakiri: fathers of families build their daughters some huts intended for them and their chosen ones (one girl has the right to have several chosen ones at the same time). The girl’s age at the time of construction of her personal hut can be anything. During the day, only the officially engaged couple can see each other, but lovers can spend the night in this hut until the morning. Young girls, or even girls, decide all issues regarding their personal lives themselves.
This tradition has its own motives: firstly, Kampuchea is a poor country, women in it are obliged to have husbands who do all the hard work (farming is the main occupation). Secondly, families cannot support their daughters for a long time, so they try to get girls married as early as possible.
In this way, parents push girls to make independent decisions regarding their future and choice of spouse. According to parents, this tradition gives their daughters the freedom and ability to make wise choices so that in the future they will not need anything because of bad luck.
marriage. None of the girls felt any coercion, claiming that such huts were a place of their free space and, in turn, moral choice.
It would seem that this is a wild tradition of an underdeveloped country, but it is, in its own way, quite reasonable. But there are pitfalls here: since the level of education in the country is low, the true reasons for this custom are not known to everyone; also, due to the lack of proper knowledge, such seclusion can lead to unwanted pregnancies. In this case, boys are not forced to marry girls, this is a voluntary choice of a man.

In Mississippi, there is a different tradition: since 1998, there has been a certain “chastity ball”, where girls dressed in white robes swear an oath to God to maintain purity of body and mind until marriage. After this, rings must be placed on their ring fingers by their fathers. And until the engagement is approved by the head of the family, the rings will be placed instead of the wedding rings. But if the oath is broken, then the girl must repent for what she has done so that her father and God will forgive her. To many observers, such a ceremony seems to be a kind of wedding between a daughter and a father. These vows are taken by American peers of Cambodian girls.
However, the life of the average woman in this state is a household. It is not advisable for a woman to work. Her main task is to raise children and take care of the garden and house. The decision to take part in the ball for young girls is also most often made by men.
Despite the apparent prudence and concern for the morality of their daughters, in this case it is worth looking at this ceremony from a different perspective: firstly, the main motivation for the girls is based on a strictly religious upbringing; secondly, most often girls are actively instructed about the need for this oath (but is it really impossible to be prudent without a vow?); Thirdly,
those who take the vow are not allowed to make their own moral choice, convincing them that their parents know better what will be better; fourthly, social surveys have revealed that girls who have vowed to be chaste are just as likely to break their promises as others.
To summarize: comparing a “weak” country in which men help women adapt to difficult conditions (of course, the effectiveness of this method is very controversial) and one of the most developed, where women, having constitutional rights, are deprived of one of the main ones - the issue of personal morality, suppressed in them from an early age, this begs the question not only about the topic of adolescents entering into premature intimacy or, conversely, the unnatural suppression of their physiology, but also about the true social role of women in the modern world...