How are the concepts of “indifference” and “selfishness” related? Heartlessness, spiritual callousness - arguments from the Unified State Exam. Examples from literature when indifference hurts a person.

FIPI commentary on the topic “Indifference and Responsiveness”:
"The topics in this area focus students on understanding different types a person’s relationship to people and to the world (indifference to others, reluctance to waste mental strength on someone else’s life, or sincere willingness to share his joys and troubles with his neighbor, to provide him with selfless help). In literature, we meet, on the one hand, heroes with a warm heart, ready to respond to other people’s joys and troubles, and on the other, characters who embody the opposite, egoistic type of personality.”

Recommendations for students:
The table presents works that reflect any concept related to the direction of “Indifference and Responsiveness.” You DO NOT need to read all of the works listed. You may have already read a lot. Your task is to revise your reading knowledge and, if you discover a lack of arguments within a particular direction, fill in the existing gaps. In this case you will need this information. Take it as a guide to huge world literary works. Please note: the table shows only a portion of the works that contain the problems we need. This does not mean at all that you cannot make completely different arguments in your work. For convenience, each work is accompanied by small explanations (third column of the table), which will help you navigate exactly how, through which characters, you will need to rely on literary material (the second mandatory criterion when evaluating a final essay)

An approximate list of literary works and carriers of problems in the direction of “Indifference and Responsiveness”

“Indifference and responsiveness” is one of the possible topics for the final essay on literature that graduates of 2020 will write. Developer methodological material– FIPI – assumed that in this work students will consider different variants a person’s relationship to the world and to other people: both a sincere willingness to share troubles and joys with one’s neighbor, a desire to selflessly help him, and indifference to others, the absence of the impulse to waste mental or physical strength on strangers. In an essay on this topic, references to literary works would be more appropriate than anywhere else, because in literature we meet both heroes who are ready to respond to someone’s misfortune or joy, and characters, on the contrary, who are tough and selfish. You can also give examples from life or history.

The use of quotations in it will slightly increase the grade for the work. Indifference and responsiveness were talked about both once upon a time (“Tolerance inevitably leads to indifference,” Denis Diderot, or “Indifference is a serious illness of the soul, Alexis de Tocqueville”) and in our time. For example, the Japanese writer and translator Haruki Murakami said: “Don’t sympathize with yourself. Only primitive people do this.”

What exactly should I write about in an essay on this topic? It is not at all necessary to talk about responsiveness and indifference towards people. You can describe these feelings in relation to nature or to the world of beauty and art. Or you can consider these two qualities as two extremes of personality, raise the problem of hopeless egoism or, on the contrary, fanaticism, warn that a person who is inclined to help everyone often does not think about his own interests and ultimately finds himself in a position where they “sit on his neck” asking.

Other directions of the final essay.

Guzel Saitovna Aksyanova, teacher of Russian language and literature, Secondary School No. 2

1. The heroine of the novel by L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" Natasha Rostova is a person with a sensitive heart.Thanks to her intervention, the carts, originally intended for moving and loaded with things, were given over to transport wounded soldiers. Another example of a caring attitude towards the world and people is Platon Karataev. He goes to war, helping out his younger brother, and although he doesn’t like fighting at all, even in such conditions the hero remains kind and sympathetic. Plato “loved and lived lovingly with everything that life brought him together,” helped other prisoners (in particular, he fed Pierre when he was captured), and took care of a stray dog.
2. In the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" many heroes show themselves as pronounced altruists or egoists.The first, of course, includes Sonechka Marmeladova, who sacrifices herself to provide for her family and then goes into exile after Raskolnikov, trying to save his soul. We must not forget about Razumikhin: he is poor and lives hardly better than Raskolnikov, but he is always ready to help him - he offers his friend a job, buys him clothes, gives him money. In contrast to these noble people, for example, the image of Luzhin is presented. Luzhin “loved and valued... his money more than anything in the world”; he wanted to marry Raskolnikov’s sister Duna, pursuing the base goal of taking a poor wife who would be forever indebted to him. It is noteworthy that he does not even bother himself with ensuring that the future bride and her mother reach St. Petersburg comfortably. Indifference to the fate of the closest people results in the same attitude towards the world and characterizes the hero with negative side. As we know, fate paid tribute to sympathetic characters, but punished indifferent ones characters.
3. The type of person who lives for himself is depicted by I.A. Bunin in the story "Mr. from San Francisco".The hero, a certain wealthy gentleman whose name we never learn, goes on a journey “solely for the sake of entertainment.” He spends time among his own kind, and divides other people into service staff and the annoying “interference” with his pleasure are, for example, the commission agents and ragamuffins on the embankment, as well as the inhabitants of the miserable houses that the gentleman from San Francisco has to see along the way. However, after his sudden death, he himself, from a supposedly respected and revered person, becomes a burden, and the same people, in whose devotion he believed, because “he was generous,” send his corpse to his homeland in a soda box. With this crude irony I.A. Bunin illustrates the well-known folk wisdom: as it comes around, so it will respond.
4. The image of a kind-hearted, sympathetic person is key in the work of A.I. Solzhenitsyn "Matryonin's Dvor".Matryona’s fate cannot be called enviable: she is a widow, buried six children, long years she worked on the collective farm “for workdays,” did not receive a pension, and remained poor in her old age. Despite this, the heroine retained her cheerful disposition, sociability, love of work and willingness to help others, without demanding anything in return. The apogee of her self-sacrifice becomes a tragic incident on railway, which ends with the death of the heroine. What’s surprising is that her face, untouched by the terrible accident, was “intact, calm, more alive than dead” - just like the face of a saint.
5. It can be difficult for a person with an open and sympathetic soul to live in the world.This happened with Chudik from the story of the same name by V.M. Shukshina. As an adult man, the hero thinks and behaves like a child. He is drawn to people, loves to talk and joke, strives to be on good terms with everyone, but constantly gets into trouble due to the fact that he does not look like a “proper adult.” Let's remember one episode: on the plane, Chudik asks his neighbor to buckle up, as the flight attendant ordered; he perceives his words with obvious displeasure. The landing is not entirely successful: Chudik’s neighbor falls from his chair, so much so that he loses his false jaw. The weirdo rushes to his aid - but in response he again receives a portion of irritation and anger. And this is how everyone treats him, from strangers to family members. Chudik’s responsiveness and society’s reluctance to understand someone who does not fit into the framework are two sides of the same problem.
6. The story of K.G. is devoted to the topic of indifference to one’s neighbor. Paustovsky "Telegram". The girl Nastya, secretary of the Union of Artists, devotes all her strength to her work. She worries about the fate of painters and sculptors, organizes exhibitions and competitions, and never finds time to see her old sick mother who lives in the village. Finally, having received a telegram that her mother is dying, Nastya sets off, but it is too late... The author warns readers against making the same mistake, the guilt for which will probably remain with the heroine for life.
7. A. Vampilov’s play “Twenty Minutes with an Angel” tells us both about human responsiveness and about the merciless indifference of people to each other.The heroes Anchugin and Ugarov are trying to get money. However, their desperate “Save” only causes irritation among those around them. And the last attempt to get money is Anchugin’s appeal to passers-by on the street, which they themselves do not take seriously: “Good people! Help!" Following this, Khomutov the angel appears and offers the drunkards a hundred rubles free of charge. But they do not believe in selflessness so much that the money so desired just recently is frightening; the applicants perceive a trick and a hidden threat in it: “The devil knows what...” Khomutov, who had left, is returned to take the money: “Take the loan. Well, to hell with you." They don’t believe Khomutov, the atmosphere of evil thickens; the stage of persuasion “in an amicable way” ends, the “angel” is tied up and interrogated with passion, in which all the inhabitants of the hotel take part. The inquiry gradually turns into a trial, at which the newlywed Stu-pak makes an accusatory speech: “Comrades! What's going on here? This is simply monstrous! We'll all squabble. And all because of him! Because of him! He's a provocateur! He insulted us all! Slandered! He didn't care about our souls! He needs to be isolated! Immediately!" Passions are heating up, a “crucifixion” is brewing in the form of imprisonment in a mental hospital, which is not at all included in the hero’s plans. The third part of the play includes a "confession" in grave sin, caused by sympathy for him on the part of his recent tormentors, their apologies and reconciliation. Khomutov’s “confession” evokes not indignation, not condemnation, but sincere pity and response repentance: “This is terrible, terrible. Something happened to us. We have gone wild, completely gone wild.” And further: “Please, do not think that we are so inveterate. It was something terrible. It's some kind of obsession, I assure you. We had to believe you - of course! We simply had to."

In the play “Twenty Minutes with an Angel,” Vampilov showed the “falling away from the norm” not of an individual person, but of society as a whole. The name of the hotel "Taiga" has become a symbol of the savagery of modern people.

1. V. Krupin’s story “Maria Sergeevna” also tells us both about human cruelty and kindness.The main character, a former teacher, was left without housing and is looking for food in garbage dumps. She blames no one for what happened: neither the children who sent her to the nursing home, nor the nursing home staff who insulted her: “You are all jailers here with life sentences.” Maria Sergeevna knows how to forgive: “Don’t think anything of my children.” She doesn’t forget about those in need: “I filled a separate bag for the dogs...who were always waiting for her.” She has a sense of self-worth...It's moral pure man. The author confirms this by the very title of the story - “Maria Sergeevna”. It is no coincidence that he chose the name of the mother of Christ, who gave her son to the people. And having a patronymic is a connection with your ancestors, with the past, where so much good remains. And this good thing must be transferred to the present. It is no coincidence that another symbolic surname is Kozhemyakin. The strength of a real person is measured not by physical indicators, but by moral ones. Sergei Nikolaevich found the strength to invite the old woman into the house and allow her to wash herself. He gave her tea! He was ready to do it the next day. And the fireman Nikolai, who forgot the name of his children’s former teacher, “...never switched to “you.”

In this story we also see a description of the loss of true values: “...they throw a lot of bread into trash heaps”; parents are allowed to leave the house; they forget about their ancestors, losing patronymics, while calling dogs and cats by human names. Indifference to other people's pain... It never occurred to Laura that she could help an old woman who was begging from a garbage dump. She is sure that the state is obliged to do this: “collect, export.” The last verbs are not about garbage, but about people!

1. People show their indifference and cruelty in different ways. “School years are wonderful,” says one very good song. But these “wonderful” years fly by quickly, sometimes leaving no memory former students absolutely no trace. This situation also occurred in Yu. V. Bondarev’s story “Forgive us! "Pavel Georgievich Safonov is a famous designer who “over the years has gotten used to fame,” moreover, “he’s even a little tired of it.” The whirlwind of work and family worries, “early success”, “satisfaction” from one’s own achievements overshadowed the memories of my school years.

And just returning from the sanatorium, thisHuman I suddenly realized how long it had been since he had been “in his native steppe town,” had not seen his school friends, had not gone to school. The city in which he grew up had changed beyond recognition: it was “as if repopulated, rebuilt.” Pavel Georgievich wandered confusedly through places familiar from childhood and did not find the old buildings, old streets: the city “did not remember and did not know Pavel Georgievich at all.” ANDhero Bondareva for some reason felt offended and robbed, “as if they had cruelly and evilly deceived him, taken away something that should not have been taken away.”

Safonov remembers his childhood friend Vitka Snegirev - “the first boyish devotion”, Vera - “the firstLove , unfinished and touching...” and cannot come to terms with the fact that these people exist like this only in his memory. But this memory was not fueled by new impressions: Pavel Georgievich did not know that Vitka’s family had long since moved to Sverdlovsk, and he himself became the director of the plant. The hero of the story also did not know that his “first love” never returned from the war. But the most severe disappointment befalls the designer during a visit to his old mathematics teacher. Safonov comes to Maria Petrovna only because he accidentally remembered another person he knows in this “alien” city. And he remembered the old lonely woman when he wandered into the school yard and noticed a “red light breaking through the branches” of an acacia tree.

And then a mass of memories “overcame” Pavel Georgievich: he was the favorite of Maria Petrovna, who predicted a great future for him, but he didn’t even think about her. While visiting the teacher, the “famous student” unconsciously realizes that not one of her favorite students has visited her in all these years. All those who successfully live and work, just like Safonov, did not remember that they owe some of their well-being to this woman. And all these famous designers, factory directors and other successful individuals should be grateful to the person who raised them, they should remember and take care of him. Then you won’t have to regret the past so much and apologize in writing.

1. The novel "The Master and Margarita" by M. Bulgakov tells about such human qualities as weakness and cowardice, kindness and indifference, selfishness and love for everything around us.These human qualities are perfectly revealed in the chapters that tell about the meetings of Pontius Pilate and Yeshua.

Yeshua is a model of responsiveness, he calls all people, even his executioners, good people, he takes pity on Pontius Pilate when he sees how he is suffering from a headache and when he understands that he will have to pronounce a guilty verdict on him.

Yeshua simply loves all people, without exception and without discounting what these people are. He is ready to rush to help anyone and probably only regrets one thing, that he cannot have time to help everyone in need.

Pontius Pilate is a different matter. The Roman proconsul, the actual owner of Judea, must be an impartial and indifferent person. Thousands of criminals pass before his eyes, and at his word thousands of executions are carried out. He is accustomed to cruelty, and it awakens nothing in his soul.

But even this steely man was touched by Yeshua’s sudden participation. But Pilate is a coward. Yeshua dies to make the whole world happy, Pontius Pilate is punished for indifference by eternal loneliness.

11. Indifference in Gorky’s story “Old Woman Izergil” alternates with examples of responsiveness and self-denial for the sake of the happiness of others.The fate of the eagle man Larra, who considered himself better than everyone else, who considered himself entitled to do whatever he wanted, who killed the girl simply because she dared to refuse him, is terrible. Such indifference to human life, to man himself, could not go unpunished. Larra was expelled from the tribe and lived alone for many years. But time punished him more than people could have done. The moment came when Larra realized that he was not exceptional at all. He passionately wanted death, but even death turned away from someone who was more indifferent than herself.

Another example is Danko, this young man saved his people with his kindness and self-denial. His responsiveness knew no bounds and knew no fear. When he led angry and hopeless people along a long road through the forest, he felt sorry for them as only a pure and brave heart can feel sorry for. To help those who were ready to tear him to pieces, Danko forced himself to catch fire and tore his burning heart out of his chest. He led the people out of the forest, he saved many lives, but the indifferent crowd thought only about their salvation and immediately forgot the savior.

However, responsiveness does not need gratitude, it is a quality that makes a person happy in itself, from the realization that you managed to help someone, brought someone on the right path, gave them a chance to start a new life.

12. Usually in books about war we come across many examples of indifference, which manifests itself in different ways, someone becomes a traitor, someone looks indifferently at other people’s pain and suffering, but this is not the story of M. Sholokhov “The Fate of a Man”.

Unprecedented trials befell the main character, a simple driver Andrei Sokolov. He goes to the front, then is captured, fate pits him against other prisoners, and in this environment, where every second person is a potential suicide bomber, there is no room for indifference. Sokolov himself, without pity, divides the bread that the “kind” camp commandant gave him, sets his hand stranger, just to relieve the pain, the prisoners stood for each other and therefore many of them survived.

Returning from the front, Sokolov faces a new challenge - the war has taken away his entire family. But his heart is still full of love for people and this love requires an outlet. Sokolov takes in Vanya, an orphan boy, and thus creates a new family. His lonely soul will no longer be lonely, since a loving heart has appeared next to it.

13. All people are different, each has their own destiny, their own habitat, but in any conditions one can find examples of the vicious manifestation of human nature and selflessness.

In Gorky’s drama “At the Lower Depths” we will also meet heroes with an open and sympathetic soul(Natasha, Nastya, Natasha, Actor) and people who, taking advantage of their more advantageous temporary position, find pleasure in humiliating and insulting their own kind (Kostylev and Vasilisa).

Vasilisa Kostyleva appears as a callous-hearted owner of the establishment. The wanderer Luke, among all the characters, brings to all people the ideas of goodness, forgiveness, hope for the best - his support instills in people faith that gives vitality. This is also a manifestation of sympathy for people and support.

Only sincere participation makes sense, only it fills people with faith and strength, only it brings consolation. Bitterness and dissatisfaction with other people are destructive qualities, both in relation to the giver and in relation to the forced recipient of such manifestations of human nature.

1. In the play “The Thunderstorm” by A. Ostrovsky, indifference comes from Tikhon towards Katerina,this torments her, he cannot stand up for her, he does not want to take his wife with him on the trip, although Katerina already feels that something will happen. Also, indifference comes from Boris at the end of the play, when he does not want to go against his uncle, is afraid of losing his inheritance and leaves Katerina with his torment.

15. We meet a completely different hero on the pages of A. Kuprin’s story “The Wonderful Doctor.”Doctor Pirogov helps the Mertsalov family, which finds itself in terrible conditions: the father is in a fruitless search for work, the death of the eldest daughter, the serious illness of the youngest girl. All of them will die from hunger or, in best case scenario, is a homeless shelter. The doctor helps the Mertsalovs without even identifying himself, and when asked by the head of the family to say his name so that the children can pray for the good man, he just waves his hand, sends him to his family and asks him never to despair.

16. Writer V.G. Korolenko wrote a wonderful book “Children of the Dungeon”.He showed how easily children from different walks of life find a common language with each other, for whom the conventions by which adults live do not yet exist, and how easy it is to be responsive and kind while you are young.

The boy Vasya, the son of a judge, who lost his mother early, begins to make friends with the children of the dungeon, Valek and Marusya, who live in a gloomy castle in the company of beggars, rejected by civilized society.

Adults try to avoid even walking near this place, children are frightened by the horrors that are happening there, but Vasya is convinced by personal example that it is all a lie. Yes, beggars have to steal in order to somehow live, but among them there are children who seem very unhappy to Vasya, and his kind heart cannot bear this picture. He tries to help his new friends, Vasya shows responsiveness and kindness. Even his father, having realized what feelings motivate the boy, begins to be proud of his son’s actions.

Unfortunately, we can be indifferent, we can not pay attention to other people’s troubles, but deep down, each of us understands that this is very bad, and envies those who are capable of pure good feelings, such as simple human responsiveness.

17. Unfortunately, modern society lost contact with nature, which existed throughout the entire period of existence.We forget how we once worshiped her and were afraid of all her phenomena, how we hid when we heard thunder and saw lightning. Nowadays, man, having mastered so many technologies, has begun to consider himself its master; he no longer attaches any importance to what follows his actions, has ceased to be responsible for his actions, has forgotten about the most precious thing, putting his own well-being, and not nature, first. .

Thus, in Valentin Rasputin’s story “Farewell to Matera” we are told the story of the village of Matera, which had to be flooded in order to build a dam.Here the author shows how cynical the world has become, that people living in it forget about what is really important. But not only the village was flooded, but also the forests, fields, and cemetery, thereby destroying the small world that the residents had created. No one thought about what would happen next, about environmental problem, people just needed a dam, and they built it. This example proves that because of the human ego and thirst for power over the world, many lands are destroyed, rivers dry up, forests are cut down and environmental problems begin.

18. I. S. Turgenev in his novel “Fathers and Sons” also shows indifference to nature.One of the main characters, Bazarov, is a nihilist and believes that nature is a workshop for man. The author shows him as a “new” individual who is indifferent to the values ​​of his ancestors. The hero lives in the present and does not think about what his actions may lead to in the future. Bazarov does not strive for contact with nature, it does not bring him peace and pleasure, does not grant him peace of mind, so when the hero felt bad, he went into the forest and began to break everything. Thus, the author shows us that indifference to the world around us will not bring us anything good and will destroy at the root everything that was embedded in us by our ancestors, who treated everything with respect and reverence and understood the value of this life and the main tasks of their existence.

19. In Boris Vasiliev’s wonderful story “Don’t Shoot White Swans” we easily find examples of an indifferent predatory attitude towards our native nature and examples of responsiveness and love.The main characters of the story are the former forester Buryanov and the new forester Polushkin. In the only protected grove that remained from the once huge forests surrounding the village, complete disgrace was happening. The forester himself took poachers to hunt in the grove, stole the forest, and tore off all the bast from the luxurious linden trees. Buryanov was completely indifferent to nature native land, did not understand its beauty and lived only to grab himself an extra piece from the natural resources that were under his control.

Ivan Polushkin was different. A man a little out of this world, but extremely in love with nature. He could bypass the anthill while digging a ditch for sewer pipes. When he was appointed forester, he began to strictly monitor the reserved grove, trying to make it even more beautiful, so that this beauty would be accessible to people. He even brought white swans, because they were once found in this region. Defending his swans, Polushkin died at the hands of poachers, but died with with a pure heart, without harboring a grudge against his killers, he died as a holy man who was one with the nature of the region in which he lived.

1. T A clear emotional connection between man and nature can be seen in Lermontov’s story “A Hero of Our Time”. The events in the life of the main character, Grigory Pechorin, are accompanied by changes in the state of nature in accordance with changes in his mood. Thus, considering the duel scene, the gradation of the states of the surrounding world and Pechorin’s feelings is obvious. If before the duel the sky seemed to him “fresh and blue” and the sun “brightly shining,” then after the duel, looking at Grushnitsky’s corpse, the heavenly body seemed “dim” to Grigory, and its rays “did not warm.” Nature is not only the experiences of the heroes, but is also one of the characters. The thunderstorm becomes the reason for a long meeting between Pechorin and Vera, and in one of the diary entries preceding the meeting with Princess Mary, Grigory notes that “the air of Kislovodsk is conducive to love.” With such an allegory, Lermontov not only more deeply and fully reflects internal state heroes, but also indicates his own, authorial presence by introducing nature as a character.
2. Leonid Andreev is a wonderful writer, the author of many stories about animals.One of the character traits that a kind person should have, according to L. Andreev, is a caring attitude towards animals. The writer emphasizes the sincerity of children in their communication with them, in contrast to the indifference of adults.

The story “Bite” tells the story of a stray dog ​​who has never seen affection or love in his life. It filled her with anger. But then the dog settled in one of the dachas, where a good family came in the spring. They petted the dog, gave it a name - Kusaka, but then abandoned it. The story ends with just one phrase: “The dog howled...”. The idea of ​​this work is that poor treatment of animals leads to the same indifference towards people. It is no coincidence that an episode with the fool Ilyushka appears in the story. People who are capable of betraying a four-legged pet and cruelly treating them can do the same to their loved ones and friends. This is confirmed by the episode at the beginning of the story, which talks about a drunk man. He hit a dog on the street, and then came home and beat his wife.

“Argumentation. Involvement of literary material" is one of the main criteria for evaluating the final essay. By competently using literary sources, the student demonstrates his erudition and deep understanding of the problem at hand. At the same time, it is important not only to provide a link to the work, but also to skillfully include it in the discussion, analyzing specific episodes that correspond to the chosen topic. How to do it? We offer you, as an example, arguments from literature in the direction of “Indifference and Responsiveness” from 10 famous works.

1. The heroine of the novel by L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" Natasha Rostova is a person with a sensitive heart. Thanks to her intervention, the carts, originally intended for moving and loaded with things, were given over to transport wounded soldiers. Another example of a caring attitude towards the world and people is Platon Karataev. He goes to war, helping out his younger brother, and although he doesn’t like fighting at all, even in such conditions the hero remains kind and sympathetic. Plato “loved and lived lovingly with everything that life brought him together,” helped other prisoners (in particular, he fed Pierre when he was captured), and took care of a stray dog.
2. In the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" many heroes show themselves as pronounced altruists or egoists. The first, of course, includes Sonechka Marmeladova, who sacrifices herself to provide for her family and then goes into exile after Raskolnikov, trying to save his soul. We must not forget about Razumikhin: he is poor and lives hardly better than Raskolnikov, but he is always ready to help him - he offers his friend a job, buys him clothes, gives him money. In contrast to these noble people, for example, the image of Luzhin is presented. Luzhin “loved and valued... his money more than anything in the world”; he wanted to marry Raskolnikov’s sister Duna, pursuing the base goal of taking a poor wife who would be forever indebted to him. It is noteworthy that he does not even bother himself with ensuring that the future bride and her mother reach St. Petersburg comfortably. Indifference to the fate of those closest to him results in the same attitude towards the world and characterizes the hero from a negative side. As we know, fate rewarded sympathetic characters, but punished indifferent characters.
3. The type of person who lives for himself is depicted by I.A. Bunin in the story "Mr. from San Francisco". The hero, a certain wealthy gentleman whose name we never learn, goes on a journey “solely for the sake of entertainment.” He spends his time among his own kind, and divides other people into service personnel and annoying “interference” with his pleasure - such, for example, are the commission agents and ragamuffins on the embankment, as well as the inhabitants of the miserable houses that the gentleman from San Francisco has to see along the way . However, after his sudden death, he himself, from a supposedly respected and revered person, becomes a burden, and the same people, in whose devotion he believed, because “he was generous,” send his corpse to his homeland in a soda box. With this crude irony I.A. Bunin illustrates the well-known folk wisdom: as it comes around, so it will respond.
4. An example of dedication is the hero of the collection of stories by M.A. Bulgakov "Notes of a Young Doctor". A young doctor named Bomgard, recently graduated from university, goes to work in a rural hospital, where he is faced with harsh living conditions, human ignorance, terrible diseases and, finally, death itself. But, despite everything, he fights for every patient; goes to the sick day and night, not sparing himself; constantly learns and improves her skills. It is significant that Bomgard is not a heroic person, he is often unsure of himself and, like everyone else, experiences fear, but at the decisive moment the sense of professional duty overcomes everything else.
5. The indifference of people to each other is especially scary when it, like a virus, covers the entire society. This situation occurred in the story of V.P. Astafiev "Lyudochka" It contrasts life path the heroine and the attitude towards her from others, from family to society as a whole. Lyudochka is a village girl who moves to the city in search of better life. She works hard at work, meekly takes care of the housework instead of the woman from whom she rents an apartment, endures the rudeness of the “youth” around her, until last minute comforts a dying man in the hospital... She is too different from the stupid, spoiled herd of people she is forced to be surrounded by, and this leads her to trouble over and over again. Alas, no one, not even her own mother, extended a helping hand to her at the right moment, and the girl committed suicide. The saddest thing is that for society this situation is in the order of things, which is reflected in the dry but terrible statistics.
6. The image of a kind-hearted, sympathetic person is key in the work of A.I. Solzhenitsyn "Matryonin's Dvor". Matryona’s fate cannot be called enviable: she is a widow, buried six children, worked for many years on a collective farm “for the sake of workdays,” did not receive a pension, and remained poor in her old age. Despite this, the heroine retained her cheerful disposition, sociability, love of work and willingness to help others, without demanding anything in return. The apogee of her self-sacrifice is a tragic accident on the railway, which ends in the death of the heroine. What’s surprising is that her face, untouched by the terrible accident, was “intact, calm, more alive than dead” - just like the face of a saint.
7. In the story “Gooseberry” by A.P. In Chekhov we meet a hero obsessed with a base material goal. This is the narrator’s brother, Nikolai Chimsha-Himalayan, who dreams of buying an estate, and certainly with gooseberry bushes. For this, he stops at nothing: he lives stingily, is greedy, marries an old rich widow and torments her with hunger. He is indifferent to people, so he is ready to sacrifice their interests for his own. Finally, his dream comes true, he feels happy and does not notice that the gooseberries are sour - to such an extent he has renounced real life. This terrifies the narrator, he addresses the “happy man” with a fiery speech, urging him to remember “that there are unfortunate people, that no matter how happy he is... trouble will befall... and no one will see or hear him, just as now he does not see or hear hears others." The narrator discovered that the meaning of life is not in personal happiness, “but in something more reasonable and greater.” “Do good!” - this is how he concludes his speech, hoping that young people who still have the strength and opportunity to change something will not follow the path of his brother and will become responsive people.
8. It can be difficult for a person with an open and sympathetic soul to live in the world. This happened with Chudik from the story of the same name by V.M. Shukshina. As an adult man, the hero thinks and behaves like a child. He is drawn to people, loves to talk and joke, strives to be on good terms with everyone, but constantly gets into trouble due to the fact that he does not look like a “proper adult.” Let's remember one episode: on the plane, Chudik asks his neighbor to buckle up, as the flight attendant ordered; he perceives his words with obvious displeasure. The landing is not entirely successful: Chudik’s neighbor falls from his chair, so much so that he loses his false jaw. The weirdo rushes to his aid - but in response he again receives a portion of irritation and anger. And this is how everyone treats him, from strangers to family members. Chudik’s responsiveness and society’s reluctance to understand someone who does not fit into the framework are two sides of the same problem.
9. The story of K.G. is devoted to the topic of indifference to one’s neighbor. Paustovsky "Telegram". The girl Nastya, secretary of the Union of Artists, devotes all her strength to her work. She worries about the fate of painters and sculptors, organizes exhibitions and competitions, and never finds time to see her old sick mother who lives in the village. Finally, having received a telegram that her mother is dying, Nastya sets off, but it is too late... The author warns readers against making the same mistake, the guilt for which will probably remain with the heroine for life.
10. Manifestations of altruism in times of war are of particular importance, since we are often talking about life and death. T. Keneally's novel “Schindler's Ark” is a story about a German businessman and NSDAP member Oskar Schindler, who during the Holocaust organizes production and recruits Jews, thereby saving them from extermination. This requires great effort from Schindler: he has to maintain connections with the right people, bribe, forge documents, but the result - more than a thousand lives saved and the eternal gratitude of these people and their descendants - is the main reward for the hero. The impression of this selfless act is enhanced by the fact that the novel is based on real events.
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The arguments “Indifference is the highest cruelty” will help you understand what indifference is and how it can affect a person’s life. Examples will demonstrate that indifference affects a person worse than ordinary cruelty.

"Overcoat"

N.V. Gogol in the story “The Overcoat” depicted a society that does not care about such a person as Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin. When the main character's overcoat is stolen, no one wants to help him. People actually leave to die a person who was left in the cold winter without outer clothing. A “significant person” refuses to help Bashmachkin. The hero realizes that he is left without the overcoat for which he had been saving for so long. Indifference on the part of all surrounding people becomes the cause of death " little man", which was Akaki Akakievich.

"The Little Match Girl"

An indifferent society is also shown in the fairy tale by H. H. Andersen “The Little Match Girl”. None of the passers-by cared about the heroine, who walked down the street barefoot. The little girl was forced to walk around half-naked in the cold winter to sell matches. She understood that if she did not bring money home, her father would “beat” her. Freezing to death, the girl tragically dies. However, the cause of her death is not frost, but human indifference. None of the people stopped to ask why the little girl was walking around alone on New Year's Eve barefoot. No one asked her if she needed help. Nobody took care of the poor heroine. The author shows that indifference leads to a huge tragedy.

"Old Isergil"

M. Gorky's story “Old Woman Izergil” tells about several destinies. The hero who can be called indifferent to everything is Larra. He doesn't care about other people's opinions. He thinks only about his own interests. Larra does not know how to help other people, to sympathize with them. If he wanted something, so it should be. The hero kills the girl who dared to refuse him. Larra's behavior shows indifference towards others. Larra has to pay for this indifference and selfishness: he is doomed to a long life of solitude.

"Crime and Punishment"

F. M. Dostoevsky in his novel “Crime and Punishment” pays attention psychological portrait not only Rodion Raskolnikov, but also his doubles - Luzhin and Svidrigailov. Both characters feel that they are permissive; they are completely indifferent to the people who are next to them. Luzhin believes that he does not owe anyone anything, that everyone should have their own caftan, that helping others is the lot of the weak. Svidrigailov believed that every person can do anything to achieve their own goals. Both characters do not think about the fate of other people; they are used to thinking only about their own selfish plans.

"Wonderful Doctor"

A.I. Kuprin in his story “The Wonderful Doctor” shows what the indifference of others can lead to. The Mertsalov family is poor, the heroes have no means of subsistence. One child has already died, another is in a difficult situation. My father lost his job due to illness. He has nowhere to get money to feed his family. The author shows that others do not care what happens to the Mertsalovs. The doorman to whom the children come is completely indifferent to the fact that a family of five is left without the slightest means to existence. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, Emelyan Mertsalov thinks about suicide. The indifference of society becomes the hero's executioner. If it were not for the good deed of Doctor Pirogov, the fate of the Mertsalov family would have been truly tragic.

"After the ball"

In L. N. Tolstoy’s story “After the Ball,” the colonel, the father of the girl with whom the narrator is in love, is shown indifferent. The narrator says that his worldview was changed by one incident: after the ball, he saw the father of his beloved girl, who was directing the execution of a soldier. The narrator noted that the colonel was confident in his own actions, his step was firm. Nothing shook his soul, not even the pleas of the soldier who asked to “have mercy” on him. The girl's father recognized the narrator, but hastened to look away. He did his job without thinking at all about the pain the exhausted soldier was experiencing.

"Mad Evdokia"

A. G. Aleksin in his story “Mad Evdokia” demonstrated teenage indifference. Schoolgirl Olya thinks only about her own life, about realizing her abilities. She is indifferent to her friend and does not notice that her classmate is in love with her. To show her superiority, Olya leaves to look for the road alone. She didn’t think at all about how her classmates would feel when they noticed she was missing, how it would turn out for the teacher, how her parents would react to the disappearance. All this leads to Olya's mother going crazy when she finds out that her daughter has not returned from the hike. The girl's indifference leads to such tragic consequences.

This article, which will help provide arguments for the essay “Indifference is the highest cruelty,” examines examples of indifference depicted in N. V. Gogol’s story “The Overcoat,” G. H. Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Match Girl,” and M. Gorky’s story “ Old Woman Izergil”, F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”, A. I. Kuprin’s story “The Wonderful Doctor”, L. N. Tolstoy’s story “After the Ball”, A. G. Aleksin’s story “Mad Evdokia”.

What in the world could be worse than indifference? Probably nothing. This feeling kills everything around a person, it decomposes his own personality and entangles the mind in networks of apathy and coldness. An indifferent person is completely indifferent to those around him, he is of little interest in their concerns, and everything that happens around him does not kindle his interest. It seems to me that indifference makes a person a mere shadow of himself. Is this quality related to selfishness? We can firmly say that these concepts are very close and in human nature they quite often occur in pairs. But does this mean that indifferent person is necessarily an egoist and vice versa? Let's try to figure it out using examples from fiction.

In I. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” main character- a young man who is mired in his own, fictional ideal world. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is completely indifferent to everything around him. He does not care about the complete devastation in which he lives, the lying servants, their theft, the lack of any active life. He is indifferent, first of all, to himself. It’s hard to even call someone like Oblomov an egoist. After all, selfishness is a source of strong feelings and emotions aimed at satisfying one’s own own desires. But Ilya Ilyich does not have enough mental strength for such outbursts. On the contrary, we can say that he is a kind person, very decent and able to love. But his soul, which had just perked up after meeting Olga Ilyinskaya, began to live, but these forces quickly dried up. Oblomov again plunged into his indifferent and cozy little world.

Another famous example of indifference is Grigory Pechorin, the main character of the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time". Pechorin's life very quickly disappointed him. He was tired of secular entertainment and went in search of adventure in the hope of being cured of his disease of cold indifference. All of Gregory’s actions are aimed at satisfying his own ambitions and desires. Without thinking, he cripples the lives of many people who had the misfortune of appearing in his life, leading many to death, indulging his whims. Isn't this the main sign of selfishness? Complete denial of the rights and opinions of others, absolute indifference to everything lead the hero to a sad outcome. He is lonely, there is no one near him. Isn't this the worst punishment for a person?

Selfishness and indifference are undoubtedly similar concepts, but, as can be seen from the above arguments, there is a difference between them. Paradoxically, an indifferent person is not necessarily selfish. But an egoist will always be indifferent to other people.