Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the fictional creation of the Russian writer Ivan Goncharov for his 1859 novel entitled, simply enough, Oblomov. Written as a satire and poke at the Russian nobility and landed classes, it asks in a rather drôle way, if they had outlived their usefulness. Don’t mistake this however, for the revolutionary anti-czarist screeds that would come to Russia 50 years along with the violent communists. Instead Oblamov is a gentle, almost sympathetic, send-up of the landed gentry who were not keeping up with the times and were therefore unfit to fundamentally change. Hint to the frog: The water is getting hotter.

Here I can do no better than Wikipedia in describing the plot:

The novel focuses on the life of the main character, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. Oblomov is a member of the upper middle class and the son of a member of Russia’s nineteenth century landed gentry. Oblomov’s distinguishing characteristic is his slothful attitude towards life. Oblomov raises this trait to an art form, conducting his little daily business from his bed.

The first part of the book finds Oblomov in bed one morning. He receives a letter from the manager of his country estate, Oblomovka, explaining that the financial situation is deteriorating and that he must visit to make some major decisions. But Oblomov can barely leave his bedroom, much less journey a thousand miles into the country.

As he sleeps, a dream reveals Oblomov’s upbringing in Oblomovka. He is never required to work or perform household duties, and his parents constantly pull him from school for vacations and trips or for trivial reasons. In contrast, his friend Andrey Stoltz, born to a German father and a Russian mother, is raised in a strict, disciplined environment, and he is dedicated and hard-working.

Stoltz visits at the end of Part 1, finally rousing Oblomov from sleep. As the story develops, Stoltz introduces Oblomov to a young woman, Olga, and the two fall in love. However, his apathy and fear of moving forward are too great, and she calls off their engagement when it is clear that he will keep delaying their wedding and avoiding putting his affairs in order.

Oblomov is swindled repeatedly by his “friends” Taranteyev and Ivan Matveyevich, his landlady’s brother, and Stoltz has to undo the damage each time. The last time, Oblomov ends up living in penury because Taranteyev and Ivan Matveyevich are blackmailing him out of all of his income from the country estate, which lasts for over a year before Stoltz discovers the situation and reports Ivan Matveyevich to his supervisor. Meanwhile, Olga leaves Russia and visits Paris, where she bumps into Stoltz on the street. The two strike up a romance and end up marrying.

However, not even Oblomov could go through life without at least one moment of self-possession and purpose. When Taranteyev’s behavior at last reaches insufferable lows, Oblomov confronts him, slaps him around a bit and finally kicks him out of the house. Sometime before his death he is visited by Stoltz, who had promised to his wife a last attempt at bringing Oblomov back to the world. During this visit Stoltz discovers that Oblomov has married his widowed landlady, Agafia Pshenitsina, and had a child – named Andrey, after Stoltz. Stoltz realizes that he can no longer hope to reform Oblomov, and leaves. Oblomov spends the rest of his life in a second Oblomovka, being taken care of by Agafia Pshenitsina like he used to be as a child. She can prepare many a succulent meal, and makes sure that Oblomov does not have a single worrisome thought.

By then Oblomov had already accepted his fate, and during the conversation he mentions “Oblomovitis” as the real cause of his demise. Oblomov dies in his sleep, finally fulfilling his wish to sleep forever. Stoltz adopts his son upon his death.

I have no doubt that the high-achievers of the world groan, gurgle, and gasp at the mere thought of such a layabout. For to them, sleep is a mortal enemy to be kept at bay with fire and pitchforks if necessary. How can Oblomov be any kind of role model when he does not even stir from his bed in the first 50 pages?

Yet I am afraid that the ever rational, ever efficient, and ever practical among us miss the delectable humor and drama in the tugging to and fro between the past, as embodied by Oblomov, and the future, in the form of Stolz, with his promise of progress and better things over the horizon. These readers would just view it all as a life squandered in abject indolence.

But to be so practical about it is to miss not only the witty interplay between Oblamov and Stolz, but also the subtlety of the questions they raise and the principles they champion. Oblomov sees as much beauty and wonder in life as his friend Stolz sees opportunity, drive, and change. They complement each other in a way—a way that exemplifies the exact balance that should be in all of our lives.

Thus Oblamov earns his place in the Just Average Pantheon for representing the side of the balance that is rarely celebrated—the counterpoint to a heedless rush toward wherever we think we should be going. I call him both a patron saint and hero for what other literary figure than Oblamov has his man-servant wake him in the middle of the night just so he can enjoy that sweetest of all sensations—the relapse into deep slumber. If there anything better than drifting off to the Land of Nod then I certainly have not experienced it!

As the writer Elaine Blair remarks: “…to Oblomov, to be absorbed in any task is to lose something of oneself; a person can maintain his full dignity only in repose” Now who can argue with that?

Everything in moderation. Everything in balance. We owe a debt of gratitude for those like Oblamov for keeping us honest. (1)