The Problem of an Ideal Family in I. A. Goncharov’s Trilogy

Abstract

Almost every work about I. A. Goncharov’s creative work talks about love and mentions the family relationships of the heroes. However, there is still no idea about the “philosophy of family” in Goncharov’s works and the biographical roots of this significant problem for the writer. In “The Same Old Story,” “Oblomov,” and “Cliff,” a whole typology of family relationships appeared in a wide variety of variants. However, Goncharov does not show ideal family relationships. The writer depicts “unions” of men and women, either unhappy or not completely happy. This article attempts to consider this phenomenon of the writer from various points of view and to find the root cause in the character and biography of Goncharov. The novelist placed extremely high demands on the concept of an ideal family and brought a broad philosophical and cultural context into his thoughts about it. The most “family” novel in his work is “Oblomov,” in which he reveals the “philosophy of family” in the pathetic and dramatic mode. This philosophy stems from the worldview and life experience of Goncharov, who never created his own family.

Keywords

• i. a. goncharov
• family philosophy
• novels
• autobiography
• idealism
• love
• passion