One of the directions of the final essay is “Loyalty and Treason.” It may contain themes related to the following concepts: loyalty and betrayal to a loved one, oneself, a friend, one’s family.
"Loyalty and Betrayal" works
Almost every work studied in school contains storyline, to one degree or another associated with fidelity and betrayal. Let's consider possible products for the first point:
- « » , Natasha Rostova, who cheated on Andrei Bolkonsky with one, and is marrying a third.
- "Quiet Don", Grigory Melekhov, who cannot decide who he should be with: Natasha, his wife and mother of his children, or the married Aksinya.
- « » , Margarita, who, being married, loves her master and is trying to find him.
For the second point you can take:
- « » Bazarov, who at first is iron-confident in his views, and then meets a woman who changes his world, he begins to doubt himself.
- « » , Sonya Marmeladova, a highly moral person who is forced to deviate from her principles and, for the sake of her family, take the “yellow ticket”.
- "Taras Bulba", the main character, Taras, is true to himself, to his homeland, so he, without deviating from his views, kills his son for betraying his homeland.
- Poems by Mayakovsky "About the Soviet passport". The lyrical hero is proud that in his hands is a “Hammer-faced, sickle-faced Soviet passport.”
- “And the dawns here are quiet...”. A squad of women and their commander sacrifice themselves to save the Motherland from the Nazis.
- "Taras Bulba", Andriy falls in love with a Polish princess and betrays his homeland.
Loyalty and betrayal in the work "Taras Bulba".
As an example about friendship, you can take the following works:
- "Scarecrow". Here is an example (Lenka, who takes the blame for her friend’s misdemeanor upon herself), and anti example – Dima Somov(afraid to tell the truth, looking at how classmates mock her friend).
- "Oblomov", Andrei Stolts, who does not abandon his lazy, inert friend and helps him organize things in the village.
The problem of fidelity and betrayal in the family circle is illuminated in the works:
- "Quiet Don", Grigory Melekhov leaves his family: wife, parents - for the sake of his mistress.
- "Taras Bulba“Andriy goes against not only the laws of his society, but also against the will and teachings of his father.
Attention! You can use any suitable examples from classical Russian, as well as from foreign and modern literature.
Loyalty and betrayal - introductory part
The introduction should reveal the meaning of terms"loyalty" and "betrayal". After you have given the definition, comment on the problem, give your assessment, express your thoughts on this occasion, talk about its significance and relevance.
Complete your thesis – highlight main idea, literally in one sentence. And then move on to argumentation.
The problem of fidelity and betrayal
Here you can talk about what cheating leads to, tell about the consequences. Think about what feelings the traitor will experience, and what will happen to the person who trusted him.
You may wonder whether a faithful person will ever be happy and much more. The description of the problem will depend from a specific topic.
The problem of fidelity and betrayal, arguments for an essay
Arguments for the essay should be taken from works relevant to the topic. You can format them as follows:
And after that, you can move on to writing a conclusion and summing up.
Loyalty and betrayal: arguments for essays, quotes
- “Consistency is the basis of virtue” - Balzac.
- “Be faithful to those who are faithful to you” - Plath.
- “What is my father, comrades and homeland to me? So if that’s the case, here’s the thing: I don’t have anyone! Nobody, nobody! — Andriy, Taras Bulba.
- “Take care of your honor from a young age” - “The Captain’s Daughter” epigraph.
Attention! It is not at all necessary to use quotes in your essay.
Loyalty and betrayal: conclusion
Summarize based on the above arguments. Do you agree with the theme? Think about what you want to convey in your essay. Perhaps you can recommend something to solve this problem. Draw the reader's attention to something call them to action.
You can use the following templates to indicate the output:
- In conclusion, I want to say that… .
- I agree (agree) with the author that... .
- Please note that betrayal is fraught with far from happy consequences.
Loyalty and treason to the Motherland
This topic raises the concept of “patriotism” - love for the Motherland.
This problem is advantageous in that it allows you to select a lot of examples from literary works devoted to historical and military topics (“The Dawns Here Are Quiet,” “Vasily Terkin,” “The Little Soldier,” etc.).
Each of us understands that this topic is very important nowadays. Therefore, there will be no problem in identifying its relevance and significance.
The captain's daughter: loyalty and betrayal
This work can be used for argumentation in the following directions:
- loyalty and treason to the Motherland;
- to a loved one;
- to myself.
Let's take a closer look. Maria Mironova can be used as an example of pure, true love.
And Peter Grinev can be cited as an example as true patriot, confident in his views on life, his anti-example is Shvabrin. And we also saw traitors to the Motherland here, when they were offered to die or go over to the side of the invader.
Evgeny Onegin: fidelity and betrayal
The main character of this work can be used as examples in several ways. He is courting a married woman, especially since she is the wife of his best friend. This ruins friendships and starts enmity. You can also consider and use tangled love line Evgeny Onegin - Tatiana.
Another example is the biography of Tatyana’s mother, a domineering, callous woman who became like this because of her husband. In her youth, she dreamed of moving to the capital and marrying a military man and leading a social life. But since she became the wife of a landowner, she had to forget about all your dreams.
Loyalty and betrayal, essay examples
Loyalty is constancy in your views, feelings, beliefs. Of course, this is a positive quality. But for each concept there is a term that has the opposite meaning. The antonym for the word “loyalty” is “betrayal” - this is uncertainty, retreat in one's beliefs.
The topic of fidelity and betrayal has interested many writers. I think they got their attention emotions and feelings of people, who were loyal and betrayed, thoughts that were the driving force of the traitor at the time of committing vile acts. In order to confirm my words, let us turn to examples from the literature.
A striking illustration of this topic will be “Oblomov” by Goncharov. Here we see the standard of a faithful friend - Andrei Stolts. This character is quite pragmatic: this person’s views on life are absolutely stable and constant. It seems to me that it was for this reason that Stolz always helped out his not very independent friend Oblomov and did not leave him in trouble throughout the entire work. I think that kind of loyalty and devotion deserves respect.
A more interesting plot, full of intrigue, is tied up in Zheleznikov’s work “Scarecrow”. Here we will encounter both loyalty and betrayal. Before the readers are ordinary students from an ordinary school. The main character Lenka is new to the class, she is quiet, modest, and sincere. The girl makes a friend, because of whom she is bullied by her classmates. When Dima reports to the teacher that the class skipped class, Lenka shows nobility and takes the blame for the class upon herself.
I think this is a very brave act, because she knew how it could end. But how will her only friend behave, looking at how the whole class is mocking an innocent girl? And we see that he is suffering, thoughts about this haunt him, but at the same time, he is afraid to be in her place. Therefore, he chose to preserve his reputation rather than help out Lenka, who helped him in difficult times. I think this is treason and betrayal. But I think that after reading this book, few people will want to find themselves in such a situation, because the author so masterfully describes the mental torment of a traitor.
Loyalty and betrayal. direction of the final essay
“Loyalty and Betrayal” Essay example
Conclusion
In conclusion, I want to say that by reading various works on the topic of fidelity and betrayal, we can learn from actions and mistakes heroes in order to avoid unpleasant situations in life and be good, loyal friends.
In the final essay it is very important fully expand on the topic, therefore, for a better result, try to choose examples where the first shows the positive side, and the second, the negative side of the phenomenon indicated in the topic of the essay.
One of the topics of the final essay on literature for graduates of 2020 may be the topic “Loyalty and betrayal.”
When writing a paper, schoolchildren mistakenly begin to consider and compare these two concepts - fidelity and betrayal - exclusively from the point of view of romantic relationships. In fact, they are quite broad and versatile. Loyalty is not only perseverance in feelings, but also the fulfillment of one’s duties and debts, responsibility, perseverance, devotion and constancy. And betrayal is not only a violation of fidelity to a loved one, but also, in general, betrayal, infidelity, perfidy, apostasy.
In the essay, as recommended by FIPI, one should compare fidelity and betrayal as opposites, and they can be considered from any point of view: ethical, philosophical, psychological. Those students who do not limit themselves to mere reasoning, but also cite a variety of life, historical and literary examples in their essays, have a chance to improve their grade. The latter will not be difficult: fidelity and betrayal occur in the plots of many works. Will increase the appreciation and use of citations. Moreover, you can quote both ancient thinkers (“Only once do we lose life and trust” - the ancient Roman poet Publilius Sirus) and modern authors. For example, we can cite the words of the bard Vladimir Vysotsky: “In this world I value only loyalty. Without this, you are nothing and you have no one. In life, it is the only currency that will never depreciate.”
What could your essay on the topic “Loyalty and Betrayal” be about? You can consider these two concepts in the broadest sense, or you can turn only to the love sphere. Perhaps someone will want to write about loyalty to their homeland and high treason, while another will decide to describe these feelings in relation to friends or simply a person who trusted you. The specific topics of such an essay can be as narrow as possible: about loyalty and betrayal in relation to oneself, one’s goals, moral principles, religious beliefs, and also, for example, about the loyalty of pets to their owners.
An approximate list of literary works and carriers of problems in the direction of "Loyalty and betrayal"
| Direction | Sample list of literary works | Carriers of the problem |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalty and betrayal | A. S. Pushkin. "Eugene Onegin" | Tatyana Larina- true to her love, true to her husband, true to herself. |
| A. S. Pushkin “The Captain's Daughter” | Petr Grinev(faithful to father's order), Captain Mironov(true to duty) wife of Captain Mironov(faithful to her husband) Masha Mironova(faithful to her love and ready to defend it), Shvabrin (betrayal of duty, friendship). | |
| M. Yu. Lermontov “The Fugitive” | Fugitive, who left the battlefield is worthy only of contempt. | |
| A. I. Kuprin. "Garnet Bracelet" | Mr. Zheltkov(true to love). | |
| M. A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita" | Yeshua Ha-Nozri(loyalty to one's beliefs) Margarita(loyalty to your love). | |
| A. N. Ostrovsky. "Storm" | Katerina(fidelity to your love, betrayal of your husband). | |
| F. M. Dostoevsky. "Crime and Punishment" | Sonechka Marmeladova(loyalty to one’s beliefs, selfless help to others). | |
| N.V. Gogol “Taras Bulba” | Taras Bulba, Ostap- loyalty to comradeship, loyalty to the homeland. Andriy- betrayal for the sake of love. | |
| L. N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus” | Zhilin- loyalty to duty, home, relying only on oneself. Kostylin– cowardice and expectation of help from others (letter to mother asking for a money transfer for ransom). | |
| I. Bunin “Dark Alleys” | Hope(loyalty to his love for Nikolai). | |
| A. Green “Scarlet Sails” | Assol(fidelity to the dream). | |
| M. Sholokhov. "The Fate of Man." | Andrey Sokolov(loyalty to the Motherland, oneself and one’s ideas of honor). |
Other directions of the final essay.
A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"
Loyalty and betrayal of duty, Motherland.
Pyotr Grinev remains faithful to his duty and his state, despite mortal danger. Even his sympathy for Pugachev does not change the situation. Shvabrin, saving his life, betrays his country, stains the honor of the officer, betrays the people who defended the fortress with him side by side.
The following situation in the novel is also indicative: when Pugachev captures the fortress, people have a choice: remain faithful to duty and honor or surrender to Pugachev. Most of the residents greet Pugachev with bread and salt, while brave people, such as the commandant of the fortress (Masha’s father) Ivan Kuzmich and Vasilisa Egorovna, refuse to swear allegiance to the “impostor,” thereby dooming themselves to death.
Loyalty in love.
Masha Mironova is a symbol of fidelity in love. In a difficult life situation, when she is faced with a choice: to marry Shvabrin (without love) or wait for her loved one (Peter Grinev), she chooses love. Masha remains faithful to Grinev until the very end of the work. Despite all the dangers, she defends the honor of her beloved before the empress and seeks pardon.
Loyalty to yourself, your principles, your ideals, your word and promises.
Pyotr Grinev remains faithful to the principles, honor, and truths that his father revealed to him. Even the fear of death is not able to influence his decisions.
Despite the fact that Pugachev is presented in the novel as an invader, for the most part a negative character, he nevertheless also has a positive quality - he is faithful to his words. Throughout his entire work, he never breaks his promises and believes in his ideals to the last, even though they are condemned by a large number of people.
This topic can be considered in three aspects of fidelity:
- Loyalty and betrayal in love.
- Loyalty and betrayal of ideals
- Loyalty and betrayal to the Motherland and people.
Let's look at each aspect in detail.
"The Master and Margarita", M.A. Bulgakov
Cheating on my husband
Margarita cheated on her unloved husband. But only this allowed her to remain true to herself. A marriage without love could doom her to death (spiritually and physically). But she was able to find the strength to start life from scratch and become happy.
Loyalty to your loved one
Margarita loved her chosen one so much that she sold her soul to the devil. She was ready to search for him all over the world and beyond. She remained faithful to him even when there was no hope of finding the Master.
Betrayal
Pontius Pilate betrayed his ideals, which is why he could not find peace after death. He understood that he was doing wrong, but out of fear he betrayed himself and the person in whose innocence he believed. This man was Yeshua.
Loyalty to your ideals
The master believed so much in what he was doing that he could not betray his life’s work. He could not leave it to be torn to pieces by envious critics. To save his work from misinterpretation and condemnation, he even destroyed it.
"War and Peace", L.N. Tolstoy
Treason
Natasha Rostova could not remain faithful to Andrei Bolkonsky. She spiritually cheated on him with Anatoly Kuragin, even wanted to run away with him.
She was pushed to betrayal by 2 reasons: lack of worldly wisdom, inexperience, and also uncertainty about Andrei and her future with him. When leaving for the war, Andrei did not clarify personal matters with her and did not give her confidence in her position. Anatol Kuragin, taking advantage of Natasha’s inexperience, seduced her. Rostova, due to her age, was unable to think about the consequences of her choice; only chance saved her from shame.
Loyalty to the Motherland
Kutuzov is presented in the novel War and Peace as a man loyal to his Fatherland. He deliberately makes unpopular decisions to save his country from destruction.
Most of the novel's heroes sacrifice their lives to win the war.
Loyalty to parents and one's principles
Marya Bolkonskaya devoted her entire life to serving her loved ones, in particular her father. She endured reproaches addressed to her and steadfastly endured her father’s rudeness. When the enemy army was advancing, she did not leave her sick father, she did not betray herself. She put the interests of her loved ones higher than her own.
Marya was a deeply religious person. Neither the hardships of fate nor disappointment could extinguish the fire of faith in her.
Loyalty to your moral principles
The Rostov family showed that even in the most difficult times you can maintain dignity. Even when the country fell into chaos, the members of this family remained true to their moral principles. They helped the soldiers by hosting them at home. The hardships of life did not affect their characters.
"The Captain's Daughter", A.S. Pushkin
Loyalty and betrayal of duty, Motherland
Pyotr Grinev remains faithful to his duty and his state, despite mortal danger. Even his sympathy for Pugachev does not change the situation. Shvabrin, saving his life, betrays his country, stains the honor of the officer, betrays the people who defended the fortress with him side by side.
The following situation in the novel is also indicative: when Pugachev captures the fortress, people have a choice: remain faithful to duty and honor or surrender to Pugachev. Most of the residents greet Pugachev with bread and salt, while brave people, such as the commandant of the fortress (Masha’s father) Ivan Kuzmich and Vasilisa Egorovna, refuse to swear allegiance to the “impostor,” thereby dooming themselves to death.
Loyalty in love
Masha Mironova is a symbol of fidelity in love. In a difficult life situation, when she is faced with a choice: to marry Shvabrin (without love) or wait for her loved one (Peter Grinev), she chooses love. Masha remains faithful to Grinev until the very end of the work. Despite all the dangers, she defends the honor of her beloved before the empress and seeks pardon.
Loyalty to yourself, your principles, your ideals, your word and promises
Pyotr Grinev remains faithful to the principles, honor, and truths that his father revealed to him. Even the fear of death is not able to influence his decisions.
Despite the fact that Pugachev is presented in the novel as an invader, for the most part a negative character, he nevertheless also has a positive quality - he is faithful to his words. Throughout his entire work, he never breaks his promises and believes in his ideals to the last, even though they are condemned by a large number of people.
What is treason? This is a betrayal of the interests of one’s country in the name of personal selfish goals. As a rule, this phenomenon acquires particular significance during war, when desertion undermines the foundations on which the state is based. Most people, of course, risk their lives if their homeland is in danger. Our history is rich in such examples and our literature is proud of it. However, there are always those few members of society who succumb to fear and serve only themselves, ignoring the troubles of the fatherland. Today, this problem, as before, is topical, because it manifests itself not only in wartime. That is why arguments on the topic “Treason to the Motherland” are so diverse and cover not only periods of armed conflicts.
- Andrei Sokolov, the hero of Sholokhov’s work “The Fate of a Man,” faces treason against his homeland. The soldier is captured and witnesses how the Germans are trying to find out which of the detainees is the Red Commissar. Members of the Bolshevik Party were shot immediately and were not taken prisoner. Their disfigured bodies served as proof that the German authorities would establish their own rules and get to every communist. A traitor appears among the ranks of prisoners and offers others to hand over the commander in exchange for safety. Then Andrei kills him so as not to sow confusion in the ranks of the soldiers. He understood that any concession to the enemy is treason, which is not only punishable by execution, but also does not find even the slightest moral justification. Because of deserters and Vlasovites, the country is losing its chances of victory.
- The readiness for betrayal is demonstrated by high society in Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. The nobility does not risk their lives in battle, sits in salons and argues that nothing will change with the arrival of Napoleon. They know French better than their native language, manners and antics are the same everywhere. They don’t care who is in power, what will happen to the country, how the battle will end, where their compatriots die every day. They will happily accept any outcome, because they have no true patriotism. They are strangers in Russia, its suffering is alien to them. The example of Prince Rostopchin, the Governor-General of Moscow, who was only capable of pathetic patriotic speeches, but did not really help the people, is widely known. Also stupid and false is the outfit of high society ladies who dressed in sundresses and kokoshniks instead of foreign dresses, supposedly supporting the national spirit. While ordinary people were shedding blood, the rich were playing dress up.
- In Rasputin's story “Live and Remember,” Andrei Guskov becomes a traitor by deserting the army. Front-line life was too much for him: lack of food and ammunition, constant risk, tough leadership broke his will. He moved to his native village, knowing that he was bringing a mortal threat to his wife. As you can see, betrayal of one’s homeland is dangerous because a person completely loses his moral core and betrays all the people dear to him. He substitutes the devoted Nastena, who helps him, risking her reputation and freedom. The woman fails to hide this help, and her fellow villagers pursue her to find the deserter. Then the heroine drowned herself, and her selfish husband sat in a secluded place, feeling sorry only for himself.
- In the story “Sotnikov” by Vasil Bykov, the handsome and strong man Rybak loses all his dignity when he encounters a real threat. He and a friend go on reconnaissance, but due to Sotnikov’s illness they are forced to take refuge in the village. As a result, they were captured by the Germans. Unlike the sick partisan, the healthy Rybak is a coward and agrees to cooperate with the invaders. Sotnikov is not trying to justify himself or take revenge. All his efforts are aimed at helping those people who sheltered them, to protect them with their silence. Meanwhile, the traitor wants, at all costs, to save his own life. Although he believes to the last that he can deceive the enemy and escape, joining his ranks for a while, Strelnikov prophetically notes that nothing can save his comrade from moral decay. In the finale, Rybak knocks the support from under his former colleague’s feet. So he set out on the path of betrayal and crossed out everything that connects him with his homeland.
- In Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" the heroes do not fight, but still manage to harm their country. Famus society lives by conservative and hypocritical foundations, ignoring progress and the rest of the world outside their ivory tower. These people usurp the people, plunge them into ignorance and drunkenness with their extravagant and cruel antics. The nobles, the support of autocratic power, are themselves mired in hypocrisy and careerism, while their whims are provided for by the peasantry. We see, for example, the stupid and mediocre military Skalozub, who only shines with shoulder straps at balls. He cannot be trusted with his daughter, let alone a regiment or a company. He is a limited and pitiful person who is accustomed to only receiving from his homeland, but not repaying it with valiant and honest service. Isn't this treason?
- Loyalty and betrayal in war are always obvious. For example, in Pushkin’s story “The Captain’s Daughter,” Shvabrin calmly serves and receives ranks without being a brave man. When the battle broke out, he showed his true colors. The traitor immediately went over to the enemy’s side and swore allegiance to Pugachev, saving his life, while his friend Peter risked himself just to honestly fulfill his duty. The oath to the rebel is not Alexei’s only betrayal. During the duel, he used a dishonest tactic, thereby betraying his honor. He also dishonestly deceives Grinev and vilifies Masha’s name without any reason. Then he finally falls into the abyss of moral decline and forces Maria to marry him. That is, the baseness of a person is not limited to betrayal of his homeland, and one cannot forgive this kind of betrayal, if only on the grounds that it is clearly not the last. If he was able to betray his native country, then there is nothing to be expected from him in relation to people.
- In Gogol's story "Taras Bulba" Andriy betrays his country because of his passionate love for a Polish woman. However, this is not entirely true: he was initially alien to the traditions and mentality of the Cossacks. This contrast between personality and environment is visible when the hero returns home from the bursa: while Ostap joyfully fights with his father, the youngest son caresses his mother and peacefully stays away. He is not a coward or a weakling, he is simply a different person by nature, he does not have this militant spirit of the Zaporozhye Sich. Andriy was born for family and peaceful creation, while Taras and all his friends, on the contrary, see the meaning of a man’s life in eternal battle. Therefore, the younger Bulba’s decision looks natural: not finding understanding in his native land, he looks for it in the person of the Polish girl and her entourage. Probably, in this particular example, betrayal can be justified by the fact that the person could not have acted differently, that is, cheated on himself. At least he did not cheat and deceive his comrades in battle, acting on the sly. His honest position was at least known to everyone and emotionally motivated, because if you do not feel a sincere desire to help your homeland, sooner or later your lies will come out and do even more harm.
- In Gogol's play "The Inspector General" there is no war, but there is an imperceptible and more vile betrayal of the homeland than desertion on the battlefield. Officials of the city “N” plunder the treasury and oppress their native people. Because of them, the district is in poverty, and its population is overwhelmed by constant extortions and outright robbery. The situation of ordinary people in peacetime is no better than in times of war. A stupid and vicious government is constantly moving against them, from which even a pitchfork cannot be defended. The nobility ravages their native land with complete impunity, like a Mongol-Tatar horde, and no one is able to stop this, except, perhaps, the auditor. In the finale, the author nevertheless hints that the real inspector has arrived, and now the thieves cannot hide from the law. But how many of these districts find themselves in an invisible state of siege for years due to the debauchery of the ruling elite? The writer also answers this question by giving his city a universal name in order to emphasize that this is the situation throughout Russia. Isn't this a betrayal of the interests of the fatherland? Yes, embezzlement is not called that out of tact, but in essence this is real treason.
- In Sholokhov's novel "Quiet Don" the hero changes sides of the barricades several times in search of his truth and true justice. However, Gregory finds nothing like this on either side. It would seem that a person has the right to choose and make mistakes, especially in such an ambiguous situation, but some of his fellow villagers perceive these throwings as a betrayal of the homeland, although in fact Melekhov always follows the truth and is faithful to the interests of the people. It is not his fault that these interests change so often and disappear under one banner or another. It turned out that all parties only manipulated the patriotism of the Cossacks, but no one was going to act morally and fairly towards them. They were only used in the division of Russia, talking about the homeland and its defense. This is where Gregory became disillusioned, and people are already rushing to label him a traitor. Thus, there is no need to rush to blame a person for treason; maybe he is not to blame at all, and people from above use people’s anger against him as a weapon.
- In Shalamov’s story “The Last Battle of Major Pugachev,” the hero honestly and selflessly went through the war. He defended the country at the cost of his life and never retreated. However, he, like many comrades from the front, was sent to a labor camp for fictitious treason. Anyone who was captured or besieged was sentenced to 25 years in prison. In conditions of hard labor, this is a guaranteed death. Then Pugachev and several other soldiers decide to escape, because they have nothing to lose. From the point of view of the Soviet leadership, this is treason. But from the point of view of normal human logic, this is a feat, because innocent people, and even war heroes, should not be compared with criminals. They had the strength to defend their right to freedom, not to become slaves of the system, powerless and pathetic. Then, in 1944, in a German camp, provocateurs told the hero that he would be imprisoned in his homeland anyway. He did not believe and did not serve the enemy. It didn't break. So what does he have to lose now that the darkest forecasts have come true? Although he goes against the state, I do not consider him a traitor. Traitors are the government that goes against its people. Interesting? Save it on your wall!
