History Literature / Oblomov

* EvilDuo: Tarantyev and Mukhoyarov. The former is a raving jerkass, the latter is [[BitchInSheepsClothing soft-spoken]] ManipulativeBastard.

** Ilya [[UsefulNotes/{{Patronymic}} Ilyich]] Oblomov is a particulary interesting case. "Oblomov" brings to mind something that has been broken off. He is separated from modern society, he is far away from his village he dreams of, [[spoiler: and he never makes it back]]. On the other hand, "obly" means cyclic. Aside from Oblomov being [[FatSlob pretty round]], there is also the [[RuleOfSymbolism symbolism]] of the sun and completeness/finality, and he is a warm-hearted NiceGuy pathologically unable to change. [[spoiler: His character arc and his whole life [[BookEnds goes in a circle]]]]. His name with the patronymic makes a RepetitiveName, adding to cyclic symbolism as well.

* BigEater: Oblomov, of course. Also, Tarantyev's buddy Ivan Mukhoyarov (brother of Agafya), who likes to spend his money on delicacies instead of more visible luxuries (if only because people could get suspicious - as he says, they can't see what he has in his stomach).

* BestFriend: Stolz, for Oblomov.

* DramaQueen: Oblomov has his moments, especially during his romance with Olga or when he berates Sachar.

* ExtremeDoormat: Agafya. Oblomov is also guilty of this, seeing as he is pushed around by Tarantyev.

* FatSlob: Oblomov. It takes about 150 pages until he leaves his ''bed'', and without Stolz, he mighty not even have managed that.

* FalseFriend: Tarantyev, for Oblomov.
* TheGenericGuy: Alekseyev.

* LovingAShadow: [[spoiler: When breaking up with Oblomov,]] Olga admits that she is guilty of this.
-->'''Olga''': Not long ago I realized that I was loving in you only what I wished you to contain -- that it was only the future Oblomov of my dreams -- it was so dear to me.

* OddFriendship: Oblomov and Stolz are nothing alike.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: A rare good example. Tarantyev's buddy thinks he can pull off robbing Oblomov blind, but Stolz happens to be on first-name base with the general, who gets Mukhoyarov fired.
* SpiritedYoungLady: Olga. She is upper-class, intelligent, independent, outspoken, snarky, and sings like an angel. She attempts a PygmalionPlot on the main character and bends the rules (i.e., going on dates with Oblomov with no supervision and even visiting him in his home), but won't go too far (i.e., becoming his mistress).
* TooCleverByHalf: Oblomov is smart, educated and cripplingly impractical.

* WithFriendsLikeThese: At the beginning, Tarantyev is rude and insulting; later, he and a buddy of his essentially cheat and blackmail Oblomov.

* WellExcuseMePrincess: Olga's method of improving Oblomov relies on copious amounts of snark about his lifestyle.

* PluckyComicRelief: Sachar, most of the time.

* SpiritedYoungLady: Olga. She is upper-class, intelligent, independent, outspoken, snarky, and sings like an angel. She attempts a PygmalionPlot on the main character and bends the rules (going on dates with Oblomov with no supervision and even visiting him in his home), but won't go too far (i.e., becoming his mistress).

* ItsNotYouItsMe: [[spoiler:Oblomov to Olga.]]

** On a bigger scale, Oblomov averts this. In his relationship with Olga, he blames every problem, including [[spoiler: [[ItsNotYouItsMe their breakup]]]], entirely on himself. He also takes responsibility for his lifestyle.

* RidiculousProcrastinator: Guess who. After the head of his village tells Oblomov that there are problems, he starts thinking about reforms, and spends the next years with that, without doing anything.

* DeadpanSnarker:
** Olga. She needles Oblomov with questions about his odd socks, reading habits, estate reforms and so on.
** Stolz as well. He is the one who coined the term ''oblomovshtchina''.
--->'''Stolz''' (''as Oblomov barely restrains TearsOfJoy after Olga sings to them''): Confess now, Ilya: how long is it since you felt as you are feeling at this moment?
--->'''Olga''': Yet he might have felt like that this morning if 'a cracked barrel-organ' had happened to pass his window.
--->'''Stolz''': He never keeps his windows open. Consequently he could not possibly hear what is going on outside.

* SourOutsideSadInside: Oblomov bitterly rejects all that is St. Petersburg (the people, the lifestyle, the environment), while dearly yearning for his home in the country.

* DeadpanSnarker: Olga. Stolz has his moments too.
* [[spoiler:DidNotGetTheGirl: Oblomov's relationship with Olga ends in tears.]]

** "Stolz" is German for "pride" or "proud" (here, in a positive sense - he's someone who can be proud of what he did). His first name, Andrey, means "masculine". He is the [[SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan Manly Man]] to Oblomov's Sensitive Guy.

* EmpathicEnvironment: The St. Petersburg' weather practically depends on the characters’ moods and relationships. Oblomov and Olga spend many nice, warm days together. [[spoiler:Their breakup [[RuleOfSymbolism is punctuated by]] a [[SnowMeansDeath heavy snowfall]].]]

* {{Foil}}: Stolz, for Oblomov.

* BigOlEyebrows: Olga's prominent feature.

* FatSlob: Again, Oblomov. It takes about 150 pages until he leaves his ''bed'', and without Stolz, he mighty not even have managed that.

* WellExcuseMePrincess: Olga to Oblomov. A lot.

* GermanRussians: Stolz - a very positive example

** Sachar is Oblomov's Sancho Panza.

* PygmalionPlot: Olga attempts one on Oblomov, with the best intentions. [[spoiler:[[PygmalionSnapBack She fails.]]]]

* {{Jerkass}}: Tarantyev, in spades.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: The eponymous character.

* KindheartedSimpleton: Agafya.

* {{Manchild}}: Again, Oblomov.

* {{Melodrama}}

!!Examples:

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Mukhoyarov.

* ChildOfTwoWorlds: Stolz, being a [[GermanRussians German Russian]].

* ProtagonistTitle

* {{Doorstopper}}: [[SarcasmMode The joy of every Russian schoolchild]].

* SpiritedYoungLady: Olga.
* SpoiledSweet: Oblomov is reach, naive, lazy and kind.
** SpoiledBrat: Not too nice to Sachar though.

* [[spoiler:DidNotGetTheGirl: Oblomov's relationship with Olga goes nowhere.]]

* TheDogBitesBack: When Tarantyev's buddy is fired because they cheated Oblomov, Tarantyev still has the nerve to shout at Oblomov and demand that he give half of his property to Mukhoyarov. Then, finally, Oblomov slaps him, and the servants claim they had seen nothing.