Eugene Onegin is one of the most well-known and influential Russian classics. It has inspired countless many authors and for very good reasons. It is beautifully written and full of emotion, exploring love, death, alienation, loss of innocence and more.
Spoilers for the book below.
Eugene
Starting, we are introduced to Eugene as a man who is sick and tired of the meaningless yapping and falseness of the society around him. The same conversations and discussions going on repeat, with little real substance. Talking just to talk, spreading gossip to pass the time. He's bored with this life. Eugene intentionally distances himself from others and seems to scoff at what they do. He has lost touch with his emotional side and buried it, replacing it with a condescending air.
Yet despite this he befriends young Lensky, who is very much a romantic and passionate person. One could hope that this would help Eugene come out of his shell and have some sort of positive effect on him, yet what happens instead is a tragedy. In a game of petty revenge for putting him in an uncomfortable situation, Eugene flirts with Lensky's love and provokes his anger. Lensky then invites him to a duel, which Eugene accepts instead of showing himself to be a role model by seeking peace and trying to win back his friendship. It is ironic - this choice of his, to accept the duel, is very much influenced by the fear of public opnion, that which he claims not to care about. Eugene is not entirely true to his principles.
Lensky's death is a very heartbreaking part of the story. In the beginning after he is gone, tears are shed and his grave is visited frequently. Then, as time passes, the path to his grave starts getting overgrown and the wreath that hung upon the bough above the grave-monument is gone. What adds a new layer of tragedy upon it all is that his love, for whom he died, moves on and forgets about him. His love for her and his death for her honour had little lasting effect and in essence turned out meaningless.
"An earth that will ignore us // Awaits us all beyond the grave."
Eugene got a chance of reconnecting with his emotions and achieving happiness through the love and trust he got from Tatiana. Tatiana, a young girl, expresses her feelings for him in a heartfelt, pure letter, one devoid of falseness and games. Eugene rejects Tatiana and continues with his unfulfilling life, which has been made even emptier after the death of Lensky.
Tatiana
Tatiana is such a great character. Her calm, melancholy nature is described so beautifully, and in a lot of ways I felt that I could relate to her. She's a young girl who loses herself in dreams and reflections.
"For long had her imagination, // consumed with pain and lassitute, // yearned to assay the fatal food; // for long a heartsick enervation // constrained her youthful breast; her soul // waited... for somebody to call."
She loves nature and reading and all things simple. She's an honest person who "gives up herself without conditions // Like a small child, defencelessly". After Eugene's rejection of her letter confessing her love for him she desperately searches for any sort of sign that things might change, but no clear path becomes apparent that could bring her true happiness. And so she accepts her mothers request to go the city to see if she can find a husband. With sadness in her heart she leaves her home, says goodbye to the brooks and trees and birds and everything she is used to, and which has brought so much calmness to her soul.
A snippet is shown of Tatiana's introduction to society in the city, before a time-jump shows a Tatiana who outwardly is very different than the young, innocent one of the previous chapters. She is elegant, holds herself perfectly and is admired by many. Now, in a much better social position, wealthier and respected.
The end of Tatiana and Eugene's story
Chance brings Tatiana and Eugene in each others company one more time. After travelling for many years and in some ways trying to escape his past, Eugene stumbles across Tatiana at a party and becomes totally riveted. Fate has reversed their roles - Eugene is now the one who is painfully in love, while Tatiana is the one acting aloof and unaffected. Eugene takes every opportunity to see her, to be near her, to hear her voice.
"O humans! You're so similar // To Eve, our ancestress: what's granted // Does not appeal to you at all, // You hear the serpent's endless call // To where a secret tree is planted: // Forbidden fruit provides more spice, // Without it there's no paradise."
There is one big obstacle in the way - Tatiana is married. Despite this, Eugene, in a desperate attempt to make Tatiana his, writes her a letter, just like she did to him many years ago. He seems to finally have reconnected with his emotions and for the first time in a very, very long time he puts himself at risk of being rejected. He admits to having wasted opportunities that could have brought him happiness, because of his conviction that freedom, liberty and peace were much more important and could take the place of happiness. He is willing, finally, to be vulnerable - but it is too late.
Tatiana, outwardly so changed, but inwardly still the same, cannot accept his love. Now married, she will be true to her husband for life, despite her yearning for her old life and still being in love with Eugene.
"This pomp, Onegin, these excesses, // The trumpery of hateful days, // My high society successes, // My fashionable house, soirees, // What do they mean? Oh, I'd surrender // At once this masquerade, this splendour, // With all its glitter, noise and smoke // For one wild garden and a book".
Tatiana is not only true to her husband, but also to herself and her character. She is, and always was, an honest person, maybe one of the few real and honest people Eugene met. She didn't play any games before and neither will she now, even though that means that she will not end up with the love of her life. In a cruel twist of fate, when Eugene matures and realizes what he said no to and regrets it, it is no longer possible to say yes, and him reconnecting with his emotions and daring to take a risk makes little difference.