Margarita from Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita”, according to Russians, is the most inspiring heroine of Russian classics, follows from the results of a joint study of the Litres book service, Rostelecom and the Chitai-Gorod bookstore chain, which are available to RIA Novosti.
On the eve of International Women’s Day, analysts conducted a survey in which more than two thousand users from different cities of Russia took part. The respondents were asked to answer which types of heroines of Russian classical literature they consider the most inspiring, as well as to name specific characters.
“Most men chose the archetype of a female friend/companion, while women chose the image of an active rebel. At the same time, the choice of the most inspiring heroine for men and women coincided – she became Bulgakov’s Margarita, combining the features of both types of leaders,” the results show.
The image of a female friend / companion attracted about 36% of men: this archetype is characterized by creative energy, faith in a partner and the ability to create an atmosphere of support for him. At the same time, 32% of women chose the image of a rebel, who is characterized by a bright personality, independence and self-confidence.
In general, the absolute majority of respondents – 76% among both men and women – met heroines in Russian classics who aroused admiration.
In addition to Bulgakov’s Margarita, representatives of both sexes agreed on the choice of the heroine for the second place – Tatiana Larina from Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin took it. The third most inspiring heroine in Russian classics among men was Sonechka Marmeladova (13%) from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, while Masha Mironova (17%) from The Captain’s Daughter among women.
“All the heroines, whose images the respondents called the most inspiring, correspond to the values of the holiday – they are active, active, appear as real subjects of action. Margarita, Tatiana, Sonechka – they are the main driving force of the works, they are not afraid to give up their usual life in the name of love and accomplish a feat. Both men and women are clearly inspired by heroines with a core, a bright, holistic character and the ability to take responsibility, and sometimes not only for their lives, but also for the fate of their chosen one,” Ekaterina Pisareva, chief editor of the Litres Group of companies, is quoted as saying.
All respondents noted that inner beauty inspires them much more than external attractiveness: 74% of men and 86% of women are convinced of this. The male part of the audience named loyalty to themselves and their ideals (51%), spiritual depth (39%), as well as independence and freedom (27%) as the features that make a female literary image truly inspiring. Among women, the top 3 qualities include inner strength and resilience (60%), self-esteem (42%) and also loyalty to themselves and their ideals (41%), the analysts concluded.