What is Khlestakovism as a social phenomenon. "Khlestakovism" as a moral phenomenon

Khlestakov - central figure Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General". This hero is one of the most characteristic in the writer’s work. Thanks to him, even the word Khlestakovism appeared, which denotes a phenomenon generated by the Russian bureaucratic system.

To understand what Khlestakovism is, you need to get to know the hero better. Khlestakov is a young man who loves to take a walk, who has squandered his money and is therefore constantly in need of it. By chance he found himself in county town, where he was mistaken for an auditor. When local officials vying with each other try to offer Khlestakov money, he is surprised. But, realizing what the matter is, he decides to turn the situation in his favor. With the help of lies, this “fidget” impersonates a “significant” person and makes all officials tremble. And at the end of the play he calmly leaves, leaving all the officials, along with the mayor, fools.

But he is not alone in his lies. “Everyone, even for a minute... was or is being made by Khlestakov.” This can be seen in every character in the play.

The mayor dreams of vendace and smelt, which he will eat in Paris. How similar it is to the soup that arrived from Paris for Khlestakov. And remember Gorodnichy’s monologue about how they give him horses everywhere at the stations, and “everyone is waiting: all these titular ones...” And he is having lunch somewhere with the governor. And suddenly this monologue is interrupted by someone saying a lot: “... and there - stop, mayor! “Doesn’t this remind you of the monologue of the lying Khlestakov? “It’s interesting to look into my hallway... the counts and princes. “And suddenly: “As you run up the stairs to your fourth floor...” Both Khlestakov and the Governor will look at their real selves - and let’s compose again.

And the monologue of Khlestakov’s servant Osip is another version of a lie. Let's listen to his words: “... living in St. Petersburg is the best. Life is subtle: theaters, dogs dance for you. “On the street they shout to Osip: “Reverend! “Oh, how this is reminiscent of Khlestakov’s: “There, they say, Ivan Alexandrovich is coming!” “Osip became somewhat similar in his soul to his master. Something “Khlestakovsky” appears in everyone who comes into contact with Ivan Alexandrovich. And that’s why the words of the presumptuous hero sound so symbolic: “I know myself. I'm everywhere, everywhere. »

“Everyone, even for a minute... was or is being made by Khlestakov.” Khlestakovism inevitably corrupts everyone. This is a spawn Russian society, in which greed, lies, hypocrisy, cowardice, and veneration reigned. Gogol's talent revealed to us the essence of this phenomenon. This is a lie, phrase-mongering, selfishness, infantilism, a desire to show off. This is both mannerism and simple-minded egoism. And this phenomenon is dangerous because it can hide under a rather attractive guise.

Name of the official The area of city life that he leads Information about the state of affairs in this area Characteristics of the hero according to the text Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky Mayor: general administration, police, ensuring order in the city, improvements Takes bribes, connives in this to other officials, the city is not well-maintained , public money is being stolen “Speaks neither loudly nor quietly; neither more nor less"; facial features are rough and hard; crudely developed inclinations of the soul. “Look, I have an ear […]
In a letter to Pushkin, Gogol makes a request, which is considered to be the beginning, the starting point of “The Inspector General”: “Do me a favor, give me some kind of plot, funny or not funny, but a purely Russian joke. My hand is trembling to write a comedy in the meantime. Do me a favor, give me a plot, the spirit will be a comedy of five acts, and I swear it will be funnier damn" And Pushkin told Gogol about the story of the writer Svinin, and about the incident that happened to him when he went to Orenburg to get materials for the “History […]
The period of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol’s creativity coincided with the dark era of Nicholas I. After the suppression of the Decembrist uprising, all dissidents were brutally persecuted by the authorities. Describing reality, N.V. Gogol creates brilliant, full of life realities literary works. The theme of his work is all layers of Russian society - using the example of the morals and everyday life of a small county town. Gogol wrote that in “The Inspector General” he finally decided to gather together all the bad things in Russian society that […]
N.V. Gogol is not in the top 10 of my favorite writers. Maybe because a lot has been read about him as a person, about a person with character flaws, illnesses, interpersonal conflicts numerous. All these biographical data have nothing to do with creativity, however, they greatly influence my personal perception. And yet Gogol should be given his due. His works are classics. They are like the tablets of Moses, created from solid stone, endowed with writing and […]
Explaining the meaning of The Inspector General, N.V. Gogol pointed to the role of laughter: “I am sorry that no one noticed the honest face that was in my play. Yes, there was one honest thing, noble face, acting in her throughout her entire continuation. This honest, noble face was full of laughter.” A close friend of N.V. Gogol wrote that modern Russian life does not provide material for comedy. To which Gogol replied: “Comedy is hidden everywhere... Living among it, we do not see it..., but if the artist transfers it into art, onto the stage, then we are above ourselves […]
The comedy in five acts by Russia's greatest satirical author is, of course, iconic for all literature. Nikolai Vasilievich finished one of his greatest works in 1835. Gogol himself said that this was his first creation written with a specific purpose. What was the main thing the author wanted to convey? Yes, he wanted to show our country without embellishment, all the vices and wormholes of the social system of Russia, which still characterize our Motherland. “The Inspector General” is immortal, of course, [...]
Khlestakov – central character comedy "The Inspector General". A representative of the youth of his time, when they wanted to quickly grow their careers without making any effort. Idleness gave rise to the fact that Khlestakov wanted to show himself from the other, winning side. Such self-affirmation becomes painful. On the one hand, he extols himself, on the other, he hates himself. The character tries to imitate the morals of the capital's bureaucratic tops, imitates them. His boasting sometimes frightens others. It seems that Khlestakov himself is beginning […]
By the beginning of Act IV of the comedy “The Inspector General,” the mayor and all the officials were finally convinced that the inspector sent to them was a significant public official. Through the power of fear and reverence for him, the “funny”, “dummy” Khlestakov became what they saw in him. Now you need to protect, protect your department from audits and protect yourself. Officials are convinced that the inspector must be given a bribe, “slipped” in the same way as is done in a “well-ordered society,” that is, “between the four eyes, so that the ears don’t hear,” […]
N.V. Gogol based his comedy “The Inspector General” on plot basis an everyday joke where, due to imposture or an accidental misunderstanding, one person is mistaken for another. This plot interested A.S. Pushkin, but he himself did not use it, giving it to Gogol. Working diligently and for a long time (from 1834 to 1842) on “The Inspector General,” reworking and rewriting, inserting some scenes and throwing out others, the writer developed traditional plot with remarkable skill in coherent and coherent, psychologically convincing and [...]
The silent scene in N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” is preceded by the denouement of the plot, Khlestakov’s letter is read, and the self-deception of the officials becomes clear. At this moment, what connected the heroes throughout the entire stage action - fear - goes away, and the unity of people disintegrates before our eyes. The terrible shock that the news of the arrival of the real auditor produced on everyone again unites people with horror, but this is no longer the unity of living people, but the unity of lifeless fossils. Their muteness and frozen poses show [...]
Huge artistic merit N.V. Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General" lies in the typicality of its images. He himself expressed the idea that the “originals” of most of the characters in his comedy “are almost always before your eyes.” And about Khlestakov, the writer says that this is “a type of many things scattered in different Russian characters... Everyone, even for a minute... was or is being done by Khlestakov. And a clever guards officer will sometimes turn out to be Khlestakov, and a statesman will sometimes turn out to be Khlestakov, and our sinful brother, the writer, […]
Feature Gogol's comedy“The Inspector General” is that it has a “mirage intrigue,” that is, officials are fighting against a ghost created by their bad conscience and fear of retribution. The one who is mistaken for an auditor does not even make any deliberate attempts to deceive or fool the deluded officials. The development of the action reaches its climax in Act III. The comic struggle continues. The mayor deliberately moves towards his goal: to force Khlestakov to “let it slip”, “tell more”, in order […]
The comedy “The Inspector General” by N. V. Gogol has a unique character dramatic conflict. There is neither a hero-ideologist nor a conscious deceiver who leads everyone by the nose. Officials are deceiving themselves by imposing on Khlestakov the role of a significant person, forcing him to play it. Khlestakov is in the center of events, but does not lead the action, but, as it were, involuntarily gets involved in it and surrenders to its movement. to the group negative characters, satirically depicted by Gogol, is opposed not to a positive hero, but to flesh and blood […]
N.V. Gogol wrote about the idea of his comedy: “In The Inspector General, I decided to collect in one measure all the bad things in Russia that I knew then, all the injustices that are done in those places and in those cases where the most is required of a person justice, and laugh at everything at once.” This determined the genre of the work - socio-political comedy. It does not consider love affairs, not events privacy, but phenomena of social order. The plot of the work is based on a commotion among officials […]
The era reflected by N.V. Gogol in the comedy “The Inspector General” is the 30s. XIX century, the time of the reign of Nicholas I. The writer later recalled: “In The Inspector General, I decided to collect in one measure all the bad things in Russia that I knew then, all the injustices that are being done in those places and in those cases where it is most needed from a man of justice, and laugh at everything at once.” N.V. Gogol not only knew reality well, but also studied many documents. And yet the comedy “The Inspector General” is an artistic [...]
Plyushkin is the image of a moldy cracker left over from Easter cake. Only he has a life story; Gogol portrays all other landowners statically. These heroes seem to have no past that would be in any way different from their present and explain something about it. Plyushkin's character is much more complex than the characters of other landowners presented in Dead Souls. Traits of manic stinginess are combined in Plyushkin with morbid suspicion and distrust of people. Preserving an old sole, a clay shard, [...]
What is an image literary hero? Chichikov is a great hero, classic work, created by a genius, a hero who embodied the result of the author’s observations and reflections on life, people, and their actions. An image that has absorbed typical features, and therefore has long gone beyond the scope of the work itself. His name became a household name for people - nosy careerists, sycophants, money-grubbers, outwardly “pleasant,” “decent and worthy.” Moreover, some readers' assessment of Chichikov is not so clear. Comprehension […]
The work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol fell on the dark era of Nicholas I. It was the 30s. XIX century, when reaction reigned in Russia after the suppression of the Decembrist uprising, all dissenters were persecuted, the best people were persecuted. Describing contemporary reality, N.V. Gogol creates a poem brilliant in its depth of reflection of life “ Dead Souls" The basis of “Dead Souls” is that the book is a reflection not of individual features of reality and characters, but of the reality of Russia as a whole. Myself […]
The legendary Zaporozhye Sich is the ideal republic that N. Gogol dreamed of. Only in such an environment, according to the writer, could powerful characters, brave natures, true friendship and nobility be formed. Acquaintance with Taras Bulba takes place in a peaceful home environment. His sons, Ostap and Andriy, have just returned from school. They are the special pride of Taras. Bulba believes that the spiritual education that his sons received is only a small part of what the young man needs. “All this rubbish they stuff […]
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Re-reading the classics

Nikolai Vasilyevich's comedy was presented to the public back in 1836. Almost two centuries have passed since then and several historical eras. But the situation and characters depicted in this work have not gone away. How is such a phenomenon as Khlestakovism, this is phenomenal when a nonentity feels given to him by fate finest hour. And enjoys unexpected happiness. Gogol's comedy is still relevant. And not only because every year schoolchildren are asked to write essays on the topic of Khlestakovism? "The Inspector General contains the answer to this question. But a simple attempt to re-read again this well-known school curriculum the work inevitably leads to the question of whether anything has changed in Russia other than the names of officials' positions over the years? Of course it has changed. The class of Russian officials has increased many times over, and their well-being has noticeably improved. Officials became more confident in their complete impunity. And today they take bribes not only with greyhound puppies.

How was this comedy created?

It is generally accepted that the idea for this work was suggested to Gogol by Pushkin. But there is nothing special in the plot of the comedy “The Inspector General”. Such plot constructions There are more than enough stories based on the fact that a person is mistakenly mistaken for someone he really is not. But being transported to reality Russian Empire, such an intrigue simply could not help but affect the foundations of the state foundations existing in it. Contemporaries testify that the idea for “The Inspector General” arose from Pushkin when he was traveling around the Orenburg province, collecting materials about the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev. Some county officials mistook the poet for an inspector from the capital, traveling solely for the purpose of collecting information compromising them. Pushkin was in no hurry to disabuse them of this error.

With the highest approval

Everyone who was involved in the creation of this comedy could not help but understand that its stage fate would not be easy. Because it was impossible not to notice that the Khlestakovism displayed in it is, among other things, also a dashing mockery of the state bureaucratic machine. Staging this play on stage became possible only after a personal appeal from Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky to the Sovereign Emperor. The poet managed to convince that the comedy was not directed against the foundations of the state, but only ridiculed the thieving provincial officials. The Emperor allowed himself to be assured that such satire could bring nothing but benefit to the administrative system. But the work appeared before the audience in an abbreviated form.

Main character

Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, an official from St. Petersburg, by chance circumstances turned out to be a very significant person. Of course, deep down in his soul he realizes that something is wrong here, and he has most likely been confused with someone... But what does it matter when everyone around him froze in front of him with a feeling of sacred horror and awe? And a petty clerk from a capital office swells up like soap bubble, to incredible sizes. As a result, the reader and viewer are presented with a clear answer to the question of what Khlestakovism is. This is a narcissistic nonentity who has reached the pinnacle of greatness in his understanding. But Ivan Aleksandrovich is carried by a wave of inspiration, and he takes on the role of an important person to such an extent that he himself believes that it was not by chance that he was at the top. What is Khlestakovism? This is the phenomenon of losing one's shores and being disconnected from reality. But at the same time, it is also a readiness to perceive any insolent rogue as an important public person.

Monologue

The brightest thing in comedy is the one who talks about himself. main character. He does this with dedication and inspiration. To such an extent that he himself believes in the nonsense that he talks to frightened officials. The nonentity felt his power over the audience and in his monologue he reveals himself with maximum frankness. Khlestakov is not at all mediocre when he talks about the imaginary significance and greatness of his person. So, among other things, Khlestakovism is also poetic inspiration. Without this unique drive and courage, the adventurer simply would not have succeeded. The entire plot intrigue of Gogol’s comedy is based on the fact that an inspired nonentity and an audience interested in him come together in a bottleneck. And they found complete mutual understanding.

Residents of the county town

But no less interesting than Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov are the officials of a provincial town vested with powers. All of them, figuratively speaking, have a “stigma in the cannon.” They all have good reason to fear appearing in their jurisdiction. locality mysterious "auditor". No answer to the question of what Khlestakovism is is possible without this stealing bureaucracy. Without them, this phenomenon simply could not have taken place, and the petty nonentity would never have been able to rise above them to the pinnacle of fame and success. The city authorities and merchants, bringing him bribes and offerings, are no less ridiculous than the “auditor” himself. The mayor's wife and daughter are presented with particular expressiveness in the comedy. Anna Andreevna and Marya Antonovna compete for the attention of a visiting rogue. There is no need to deceive them; they themselves are happy to be deceived.

"The mayor is as stupid as a gray gelding..."

A homerically funny and at the same time pathetic figure is the first administrative official of the district town, Anton Antonovich Svoznik-Dmukhanovsky. This is despite the fact that one simply cannot call him stupid. On the contrary, he is very smart and has calculated everything in advance. He has everything under control, intelligence and counterintelligence are properly organized, he is notified of the approach of an incognito auditor to the city long before the visit and he has the opportunity to prepare for this event. He, like a sapper, made a mistake only once. And with this mistake he provided several generations Russian schoolchildren exam papers on the topics "The Inspector General, Khlestakov and Khlestakovism." It is enough that in Anton Antonovich some provincial governors saw a hint of themselves and in every possible way prevented the production of Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” in their cities. They had every reason for this. Everything turned out very similar, right down to small everyday details and the random coincidence of first and last names.

Silent scene

The scene, deafening in its expressiveness, ends Gogol's Khlestakov and the Khlestakovism celebrated the victory, and the entire district authorities were left complete fools. It seems that it could not have been otherwise. But everything would have been as usual if the mayor had not made a mistake about the strange guest in the city hotel. Where did the system failure occur? Is it random or natural? How did it happen that such an insignificant creature celebrated a triumph and departed with rich trophies in an unknown direction, and large group influential corrupt officials frozen in a daze, unable to comprehend the scale of the catastrophe that befell them? These questions remain unanswered. One can only have no doubt that until the end of his days Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov will remember with delight both this strange adventure and the small town where fate accidentally brought him. These were certainly the best moments of his life.

Summing up

What did Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol want to convey to us with his comedy? Khlestakov and Khlestakovism as a phenomenon deserve separate consideration against the background of the events described by the writer. How is it that such a quantity, at first glance, is absolutely not stupid people falls under the influence of a complete nonentity? Khlestakovism is exceptional Russian phenomenon? Or has it blossomed so brightly on Russian soil because of favorable circumstances for it? But a simple glance towards the modern political sphere makes it possible to verify that Khlestakovism often underlies the success of many political leaders and smaller functionaries. To verify this, just turn on the TV. And things are more fun than in politics only in what is called the vague definition of “show business”. Gogolsky Khlestakov would probably have made a brilliant career in it.

Khlestakovism is a social phenomenon:
The main idea of Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” is to expose the vices of Russian bureaucracy. The county town where the events of the work take place is a mirror of the country, a typical, not a special case. The rules of the city N are a consequence of the bureaucratic system contemporary writer Russia, when they served persons and not business, when everyone, or almost everyone, while in the service, tried to deceive the other. Bribes and doing nothing were in the order of things; let us remember, for example, that, currying favor with the false inspector, the mayor cleverly slips Khlestakov four hundred rubles instead of two hundred and rejoices when he takes the money. Gogol himself defined the idea of “The Inspector General” as follows: “In “The Inspector General” I decided to collect in a heap all the bad things in Russia that I knew for sure, all the injustices... and everyone should laugh at one time.”

Related to this is the unusual social conflict“The Inspector General,” which is expressed in revealing the internal inconsistency, inconsistency and absurdity of the social structure. The originality of the comedy conflict lies in the fact that in the play there is no positive hero. The author’s positive ideal is formed on the basis of the negative: denial of the reality of Russian life, denunciation and ridicule of vices.

The main action of the play unfolds around one event - an auditor from St. Petersburg is traveling to the district town, and he is traveling incognito. This news excites officials: “How is the auditor? There was no concern, so give it to me!” , and they begin to fuss, hiding their “sins” for the arrival of the inspector. The mayor is especially trying - he is in a hurry to cover up especially large “holes and gaps” in his activities.

A petty official from St. Petersburg, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, is mistaken for an auditor. Khlestakov is flighty, frivolous, “somewhat stupid and, as they say, without a king in his head,” and the very possibility of mistaking him for an auditor is absurd. This is precisely where the originality of the intrigue of the comedy “The Inspector General” lies.

At first, Khlestakov does not even understand that he is being mistaken for a high-ranking civil servant. He does nothing to deceive provincial officials; they deceive themselves (“they flogged themselves”). The only thing important to officials is that their “sins” are not discovered. The episodes are comical where each of the city officials comes to Khlestakov and focuses on the sins of the other, trying to hide his own.

The imaginary auditor has no choice but to behave in accordance with the conditions set. In the company of the mayor and officials, he feels more and more free: he easily dines with the mayor, looks after his wife and daughter, “borrows” from officials, accepts “offerings” from “ordinary” petitioners. Gradually Khlestakov gets the hang of it: if at first he timidly begs for lunch, then from Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky he demands “don’t you have any money?” , invents a fantastic career and life for himself.

The concept of “Khlestakovism” is associated with the image of Khlestakov. This is the embodiment of the desire to play a role higher than the one intended for you. In addition, it is also the embodiment of the emptiness of existence, insignificance raised to the nth degree, as Gogol said: “arising before highest degree emptiness" .

Khlestakov is the central figure of Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General". This hero is one of the most characteristic in the writer’s work. Thanks to him, even the word Khlestakovism appeared, which denotes a phenomenon generated by the Russian bureaucratic system. To understand what Khlestakovism is, you need to get to know the hero better. Khlestakov is a young man, a lover of walking, who has squandered his money and is therefore constantly in need of it. By chance, he ended up in a county town, where he was mistaken for an auditor. When local officials vying with each other try to offer Khlestakov money, he is surprised. But, realizing what the matter is, he decides to turn the situation in his favor. With the help of lies, this “fidget” impersonates a “significant” person and makes all officials tremble. And at the end of the play he calmly leaves, leaving all the officials, along with the mayor, fools. But he is not alone in his lies. “Everyone, even for a minute... was or is being made by Khlestakov.” This can be seen in every character in the play. The mayor dreams of vendace and smelt, which he will eat in Paris. How similar it is to the soup that arrived from Paris for Khlestakov. And remember Gorodnichy’s monologue about how they give him horses everywhere at the stations, and “everyone is waiting: all these titular ones...” And he is having lunch somewhere with the governor. And suddenly this monologue is interrupted by a lot of talking “... and there - stop, mayor! “Doesn’t this remind you of the monologue of the lying Khlestakov? “It’s interesting to look into my hallway... the counts and princes. “And suddenly: “As you run up the stairs to your fourth floor...” Both Khlestakov and Gorodnichy will look at their real selves - and let’s compose again. And the monologue of Khlestakov’s servant Osip is another version of a lie. Let's listen to his words: “... living in St. Petersburg is the best. Life is subtle: theaters, dogs dance for you. “On the street they shout to Osip: “Reverend! “Oh, how this is reminiscent of Khlestakov’s: “There, they say, Ivan Alexandrovich is coming!” “Osip became somewhat similar in his soul to his master. Something “Khlestakovsky” appears in everyone who comes into contact with Ivan Alexandrovich. And that’s why the words of the presumptuous hero sound so symbolic: “I know myself. I'm everywhere, everywhere. “Everyone, even for a minute... was or is being made by Khlestakov.” Khlestakovism inevitably corrupts everyone. This is a product of Russian society, in which greed, lies, hypocrisy, cowardice, and veneration reigned. Gogol's talent revealed to us the essence of this phenomenon. This is a lie, phrase-mongering, selfishness, infantilism, a desire to show off. This is both mannerism and simple-minded egoism. And this phenomenon is dangerous because it can hide under a rather attractive guise.

Everyone good day! My name is Oksana, and I am the mother of a not very diligent schoolboy, who was recently given the task of writing an essay on the topic “what is Khlestakovism.” My son struggled with his thoughts and came to me for help, for a detailed explanation of the concept. We wrote the essay together, and then decided together to write this article to help other schoolchildren and their parents. The article briefly answers the question of what kind of phenomenon this is - Khlestakovism, how the concept appeared and when it is appropriate to use it.

Definition and origin of the concept “Khlestakovism”

“Khlestakovism” is a concept that came into Russian speech from immortal comedy Gogol - “The Inspector General”. What Khlestakovism is can be understood by studying the personality and character of the main character of the work, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov.

Mr. Khlestakov is a harmless person, but empty, without any goals or serious interests in life. All his activities consist of idle revelry and flirting with beautiful ladies. He learned nothing either in his childhood or while serving in the office. He enjoys his service with invitations to dinner with his boss and the servility of those below him in rank. Khlestakov's life is empty, but he does not admit it, either to himself or to those around him. Therefore, he enthusiastically composes the most ridiculous fables about himself and his life. By the will of fate and chance, having been mistaken for the capital's auditor, Khlestakov actively uses the situation for his own purposes. And the stupid, narrow-minded society of town N cannot bring out the insolent clean water, believing all his inventions and not daring to object to them.

Having studied the character of the main character of the classic comedy, we can come to the conclusion that Khlestakovism is a pointless and useless waste of life, arrogance, selfishness, idle talk and bragging.

The society surrounding Khlestakov is as hypocritical as he himself. Therefore, the concept of “Khlestakovism” is used to describe the bureaucratic environment of the protagonist and is also applicable to modern realities. The term "Khlestakovism" is relevant in modern world : he aptly and succinctly describes the bureaucracy of politicians in some states, and therefore the classic comedy remains a caustic satire on the system even in the 21st century. I hope ours summary on the topic of who Khlestakov is and Khlestakovism will help you better understand the definition itself, and will make you want to re-read one of best works