A detailed image of Chichikov in the poem Dead Souls. Essay on the topic “The image of Chichikov in the poem “Dead Souls”
The image of Chichikov, an unusual hero for his time, is central in N. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls.” This hero is actor all chapters of the poem. It was he who came up with the idea of the scam with dead souls, it is he who travels around Russia, meeting with the most different characters and getting into a variety of situations.
The characteristics of Chichikov are given by the author in the first chapter. His portrait is given very vaguely: “not too thick, but not too thin either.” The author pays much more attention to his manners and pleasant communication: he made an excellent impression on all the guests at the governor’s party, “showed” himself as an experienced socialite, maintaining a conversation on the most different topics, skillfully flattered the governor, police chief, and officials and formed the most flattering opinion of himself.
Further development of the plot continues: Chichikov received invitations from landowners and goes to visit them, which is the subject of the next five chapters, then returns and draws up deeds of sale for dead souls in the city, showing a fair knowledge of bureaucratic procedures. Then the most incredible rumors spread throughout the city, sown by Korobochka and embellished by Nozdryov, but Chichikov, having caught a cold and not leaving the hotel for some time, found out about everything only when they refused to receive him in all his familiar houses. And only in the last chapter, when Chichikov is already leaving the city, does the author give the hero’s background, explaining the formation of his enterprising character and the origin of the brilliant scam with dead souls.
Gogol immediately says that he did not take him as a hero “ virtuous person”, immediately stipulates that his hero is a scoundrel. His origins are “dark and modest,” his childhood is boring and harsh. And although Pavlush Chichikov does not have “special abilities” for science, “he turned out to have a great mind” on the practical side. Pavlusha fulfills his father’s order: save a penny, since “this thing is more reliable than anything else in the world,” indulges in numerous speculations and achieves an “increment” to the fifty kopecks given by his father. He behaves especially smartly in relation to his superiors, with youth demonstrating obedience and obsequiousness. After graduating from college, his moral deafness is revealed, complete absence conscience: when his teacher, whom Chichikov was one of Chichikov’s favorites, was expelled from the school, he gave nothing for the old teacher except a silver nickel. Along the path of betrayal, he continued to go further: he deceived an old official, courting his daughter for a promotion. He deftly learned to take bribes, having suffered for it, he does not lose heart, he is ready to start all over again.
The customs service became a new test for Chichikov: having almost achieved his goal, he becomes a victim of his own quarrels with his companion and is again pushed away from a warm place in disgrace. But Chichikov demonstrates not only the ability to hide traces of a crime and avoid punishment, but also a kind of unsinkability: he is again ready to start all over again. This is how the idea of a scam with dead souls was born. The hero is smart and enterprising: the slowness of the Russian bureaucratic system allows him to accumulate initial capital without risking much. Gogol says about him that he is “the owner, the acquirer” and that a particle of Chichikov lives in the souls of many of us, readers.
Chichikov is also typical character for Russian reality, the character of a capitalist entrepreneur. And it cannot be said that he suffered defeat at the end of the poem: yes, he was denied best houses city, its reputation is ruined, but the operation to acquire dead souls is enshrined on paper and, having acquired legal status, has become a reality. And there is no doubt that the hero will once again demonstrate his unsinkability by appearing in a new place, in another city, where strange rumors about him have not yet reached.
Chichikov's dedication and patience allow him to constantly be reborn. No “mass of disaster” can bury him. In Chichikov’s character there is Manilov’s love for a phrase, for a “noble” gesture, and Korobochka’s petty stinginess, and Nozdrev’s narcissism, and the rough tight-fistedness, cold cynicism of Sobakevich, and Plyushkin’s hoarding. It is easy for Chichikov to turn out to be a mirror of any of these interlocutors, because he has all the qualities that form the basis of their characters.
And this “versatility” of Chichikov, his kinship “ dead souls” landowners allows us to make him the main character of the poem. The character of Chichikov, and not just his scam, unites the chapters of “Dead Souls”. Differing from the landowners in efficiency, he is also a “dead soul,” for even the “brilliant joy” of life is inaccessible to him. The happiness of this decent person” is based on money. Calculation has displaced everything from the hero of modern times. human feelings and brought him closer to “dead souls”, the masters of life.
Article menu:
It often happens that it is not enough for us to know about the actions or opinions of another person; we want to have a complete understanding of him, even when his external data in no way affects his type of activity or is not relevant to the subject of discussion. This pattern has its reasons. Often, peering into a person’s face, we try to lament something hidden, something that he does not want to talk about. Therefore, the appearance of any character has important place to compare his characteristics and actions.
Who is Chichikov
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is a former official of a “cautious and chilled character.”
Before last chapter works, many facts of the biography and origin of Pavel Ivanovich remain hidden for us, we can guess about some points based on their hints from the hero, and only after reading the last pages will we learn the true picture.
Chichikov is of humble origin. As he himself says, “without family or tribe.” And this is not an exaggeration. His parents really were ordinary people, this fact confuses Pavel Ivanovich, but, nevertheless, at some points he makes mention of this in society, citing the fact that such a position in society will help win over the landowners and they will become more accommodating. Despite his humble origins, Pavel Ivanovich managed to become a man of “brilliant education,” but “Chichikov did not know French at all” (this is the privilege of aristocrats). He was especially good at exact sciences; he could quickly and easily make calculations in his head - “he was strong in arithmetic.”
Passion for accumulating money
The judgment that events that occurred in childhood properly influence the character, the process of formation of principles and moral principles of a person, has long passed from the category of assumptions to the category of axioms. We find confirmation of this in Chichikov.
After working for some time as a collegiate official, he resigned and seriously began to look for a way to enrich himself. By the way, the idea of the need to improve one's financial situation never left Pavel Ivanovich, despite the fact that it originated in him with early age.
The reason for this was the humble origin of the protagonist and the poverty he experienced in his childhood. This is confirmed in the last paragraphs of the work, where the reader can observe the picture of young Chichikov’s departure to study. His parents warmly and reverently say goodbye to him, giving advice that would help their son take a more advantageous position in society:
“Look, Pavlusha, study, don’t be stupid and don’t act out, but most of all please your teachers and bosses. Don’t hang out with your comrades, they won’t teach you any good; hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Don’t treat or treat anyone, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything in the world. A comrade or friend will deceive you and in trouble will be the first to betray you, but a penny will not betray you, no matter what trouble you are in. You will do everything and ruin everything in the world with a penny.”
Gogol does not depict in detail the life of Pavel’s parents - a few snatched facts do not give full picture, but Nikolai Vasilyevich manages to achieve understanding among readers that the parents were honest and respectable people. They have felt the burden of earning a piece of bread and do not want their son to work hard, so they give him such unusual recommendations.
Chichikov tries his best to follow his parents' advice. And therefore, he manages to achieve significant results, but not as high as he wanted.
He learned to earn money and save it, denying himself everything he could. True, his earnings were based on an unfair and insidious method: in his behavior with his classmates, he was able to arrange the situation in such a way that “they treated him, and he, having hidden the received treat, then sold it to them.” “He didn’t have any special abilities for any science,” but he could skillfully craft, for example, he molded a bullfinch from wax and managed to sell it at a good price. He knew how to communicate with animals, and he had a talent for training animals. Pavlusha - caught a mouse and taught it several tricks: it “stood on its hind legs, lay down and stood up when ordered.” They also managed to sell such a curiosity for a decent sum.
Gogol does not talk about how his father’s death affected Chichikov. The only thing he tells the reader is that Pavel inherited from his father “four irretrievably worn sweatshirts, two old frock coats lined with sheepskin, and an insignificant amount of money.” And he adds a sarcastic comment - the father happily gave advice on getting rich, but he himself could not accumulate anything.
His further life followed the same principle - he stubbornly saved money - “everything that smacked of wealth and contentment made an impression on him that was incomprehensible to himself.” But an economical life does not allow him to accumulate large capital, and this fact saddens him very much - he decides to get rich in any way. Over time, a loophole was found and Chichikov rushes to take advantage of it, trying to get rich by fraud. To do this, he travels to villages and tries to buy “dead souls” from local landowners, so that later, passing them off as real living people, he can sell them at a better price.
Appearance and character traits
Pavel Ivanovich is a stately man of middle age and “pleasant appearance”: “neither too fat, nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.”
It has just the right amount of everything - if it were a little fuller it would be too much and spoil it significantly. Chichikov himself also finds himself attractive. In his opinion, he is the owner beautiful face with an unusually beautiful chin.
He doesn't smoke, doesn't play cards, doesn't dance and doesn't like to drive fast. In fact, all of these preferences are associated with avoiding financial costs: tobacco costs money, added to this is the fear that the “pipe will dry out,” you can lose significantly at cards, in order to dance, you first need to learn how to do it, and this is also a waste—and This does not impress the main character; he tries to save as much as possible, because “a penny opens any door.”
The fact that Chichikov has an ignoble origin allowed him to outline for himself the ideal of a person close to high society (he knows perfectly well what, besides financial and social status aristocrats stand out, which is what first catches the eye and impresses people).
First of all, Chichikov is an undeniable pedant and a neat freak. He is very principled in terms of hygiene: when he needed to wash, he “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time,” wiped his entire body with a damp sponge, “which was done only on Sundays,” and diligently exterminated the hair that came out of his nose. This has an unusually positive impression on the district landowners - they are very surprised by such habits, I consider them a sign high society.
The following qualities that noticeably distinguish him from the crowd are knowledge and understanding of the basics of psychology and the ability to flatter a person. His praises always know the measure - there are not many and not little - just enough so that a person does not suspect deception: “he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.”
Due to his duty and, considering his origin, Chichikov witnessed various scenes, he was able to study the types of behavior different people and now in communication he easily found the key to the trust of any person. He understood perfectly well what, to whom and in what form needed to be said so that a person would stop distrusting him: he, “who really knew great secret like".
Chichikov is a person of exceptional upbringing and tact in communication. Many people find him charming, he has “charming qualities and techniques,” and his behavior in society is admired: “he did not like to allow himself to be treated with familiarity in any case.”
His efforts in the area of flattery are not in vain. The landowners, and even the governor of the city N himself, soon spoke of him as a man of the purest thoughts and aspirations. He is an ideal for them, an example to follow, everyone is ready to vouch for him.
The main character of the poem “Dead Souls” is Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. Difficult character Literature opened eyes to the events of the past and showed many hidden problems.
The image and characterization of Chichikov in the poem “Dead Souls” will allow you to understand yourself and find the traits that you need to get rid of so as not to become his likeness.
Hero's appearance
The main character, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, does not have an exact indication of his age. You can do mathematical calculations, distributing the periods of his life marked by ups and downs. The author says that this is a middle-aged man, there is an even more precise indication:“...decent middle years...”
Other appearance features:
- full figure;
- roundness of shapes;
- pleasant appearance.
Hero's personality
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov has a fairly high rank. He is a collegiate advisor. For man“...without tribe and clan...”
Such an achievement proves that the hero is very persistent and purposeful. From childhood, a boy cultivates the ability to deny himself pleasure if it interferes with big things. To obtain a high rank, Pavel received an education, and he studied diligently and taught himself to get what he wanted by all means: by cunning, sycophancy, and patience. Pavel is strong in mathematical sciences, which means he has logical thinking and practicality. Chichikov is a cautious person. He can talk about various phenomena in life, noticing what will help achieve the desired result. The hero travels a lot and is not afraid of meeting new people. But the restraint of his personality does not allow him to conduct long stories about the past. The hero is an excellent expert in psychology. He easily finds his way and common topics conversations with different people. Moreover, Chichikov’s behavior changes. He, like a chameleon, easily changes his appearance, demeanor, and style of speech. The author emphasizes how unusual the twists of his mind are. He knows his own worth and penetrates into the depths of the subconscious of his interlocutors.
Positive character traits of Pavel Ivanovich
The character has a lot of traits that do not allow us to treat him only as negative character. His desire to buy up dead souls is frightening, but until the last pages the reader is at a loss as to why the landowner needs dead peasants, what Chichikov has in mind. One more question: how did you come up with this method of enriching yourself and increasing your status in society?- protects his health, he does not smoke and monitors the amount of wine he drinks.
- doesn't play gambling: cards.
- a believer before starting important conversation a man crosses himself in Russian.
- takes pity on the poor and gives alms (but this quality cannot be called compassion; it does not manifest itself to everyone and not always).
- slyness allows the hero to hide his true face.
- neat and thrifty: things and objects that help to remember important events, stored in a box.
Negative traits of a hero
The character has negative qualities. They explain why the image was perceived by society, how a real man, similarities with him were found in any environment.- never dances, although he attends balls with zeal.
- loves to eat, especially at someone else's expense.
- hypocritical: he can cry, lie, pretend to be upset.
- deceiver and bribe-taker: in speech there are statements of honesty, but in reality everything says the opposite.
- composure: politely, but without feelings, Pavel Ivanovich conducts business that makes his interlocutors shrink inside with fear.
It is impossible to accurately describe the character of Pavel Ivanovich, to say that this positive character or bad guy. A real person taken from life is both good and bad at the same time. Combined into one character different personalities, but one can only envy his desire to achieve his goal. The classic helps young people to stop the traits of Chichikov in themselves, a man for whom life becomes a matter of profit, the value of existence, the mystery of the afterlife are lost.
The image of Chichikov in N. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”
N. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” was the most important stage in the development of Russian critical realism and was the top artistic creativity writer. In his work, Gogol ridiculed the vices of feudal Russia from bottom to top: from the provincial wilderness to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Gogol, according to Herzen, “flaunted Russia’s nobles, serf-owners, whom we saw coming out of palaces and houses without masks...”
The central character of Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" is Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. The story about him runs through the entire poem, and all the other characters are characterized through his attitude towards them. It is about him that the author writes in Chapter XI: “Here he is the complete master, and wherever he pleases, we must drag ourselves there too.” Of course, the writer did not reduce his work to the story of one person; He saw his task as analyzing the various phenomena of life. However, Chichikov is the main character of the poem, holding the entire narrative together.
Chichikov, who moves in the circle of landowners, represents a person with other life principles. Before us Gogol creates typical image representative of the emerging bourgeoisie. By origin, he also belongs to the noble class, but the estate, where he could start farming, does not bring him income. Chichikov's father was not rich, but he left his son four worn-out sweatshirts, two old frock coats and an insignificant amount of money. Chichikov, unlike other landowners, made his own way in life. While still at school, he showed amazing resourcefulness in terms of making money. Practicality, prudence, and trickery were already inherent in Chichikov’s character. His imagination quickly worked on the invention various kinds commercial transactions. In addition, he deftly knew how to gain the trust of school mentors, and therefore was “in excellent standing” at school and upon graduation received a book “with letters of gold for exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.” However, Chichikov and early years I learned to evaluate my relationships with people from the point of view of real benefits. So, for example, he refuses to help the school mentor, although earlier (as a student) he curried favor with him. Indifference to other people's beans is another trait in the character of this character.
All low spiritual qualities Chichikov’s ideas manifest themselves with particular force when he embarks on the path of independent life activity. The desire to make an “increment by fifty dollars”, which guided him since early childhood, has now turned into a passionate thirst for hoarding. Chichikov is greatly impressed by the paintings of the rich, luxurious life. “When a rich man rushed past him on a beautiful flying droshky, on trotters in a rich harness, he stopped dead in his tracks and then, waking up, as if after long sleep, said: “But there was a clerk who wore his hair in a circle!”
Having set his goal to become a rich man, he shows exceptional perseverance, enormous energy and ingenuity. Chichikov indulges in any scams and speculations if they promise profits.
Appearing in provincial town under the guise of a landowner for his own needs, Chichikov extremely quickly not only enters the “selected society”, but also wins everyone’s sympathy, since as a result of long life practice he has brilliantly developed the ability to adapt. He knows how to show himself as a man of good secular upbringing, possessing a large and diverse cult. But main strength His influence lay in the fact that he knew how to find his own approach to everyone. With the dexterity of a virtuoso, Chichikov could play on weak strings human soul. All the officials, and even the governor himself, were pleased with the arrival of a new interesting person.
Gogol shows that Chichikov “reincarnates” very easily, quickly moves from one manner of behavior to another, without, however, betraying himself or his goals in any way. So, for example, in a conversation with Manilov, he easily grasps his manner of behavior. Pael Ivanovich is also gallant and courteous, has a penchant for “high” matters, and is filled with sentimental sensitivity. But Chichikov does not show gallantry with Korobochka. The conversation with her is of a completely different nature. The experienced hero quickly unravels the essence of the landowner’s character and therefore acts very unceremoniously. He does not consider it necessary to be particularly shy - after all, delicacy here will not achieve a concession in the acquisition of dead souls.
When meeting Nozdryov, Chichikov diligently adapts to the free and unceremonious style of behavior of his new acquaintance. Nozdryov does not recognize any relationship other than “friendly” (as he considers it to be), so Chichikov behaves as if he were friends with this landowner. When Nozdryov begins to brag, Chichikov prefers to remain silent, but is vigilantly careful not to fall into the net set by his newfound “friend.”
Chichikov's directness and spontaneity completely disappear when meeting Sobakevich and are replaced by a search for the correct forms of behavior with this “clumsy bear.” Sobakevich is a businessman who knows how to respect his own benefit in everything. In a conversation with him main character shows himself to be a sophisticated businessman who knows all sorts of ways to influence his partner. “You can’t knock him down, he’s stubborn!” - Sobakevich thinks to himself.
Chichikov finds an approach to Plyushkin, taking on the appearance of a generous well-wisher who wants to help a lonely and defenseless old man. This was the only way to avoid arousing suspicion among the hoarder, who is most afraid of being robbed. Having completed all these metamorphoses, the hero again takes on the appearance of a pleasant person in the circle of provincial society, causing noisy delight. The ease of transformation reveals Chichikov's extraordinary energy and resourcefulness. We understand that behind Chichikov’s imaginary courtesy and gentleness hides a calculating and predatory nature. On his face is the mask of a pious and well-behaved person.
Chichikov does not admit anything and does not believe in anything except money. Appearing in society in the image of a decent person, he is not in the least inclined towards virtue. His mask of good nature and benevolence serves only as a means that helps him get things done.
Obsessed with a passion for wealth, Chichikov does not look like a selfless gambler losing his sense of proportion. He is prudent and careful. He is able to wait, long and patiently prepare what promises him profits. He does not think about the immorality of his actions, he is only interested in profit. Gogol sharply emphasizes his hero’s lack of any moral principles. Turning to Chichikov’s biography, the writer declares: “No, it’s time to hide the scoundrel.” So, acquisition, predation and immorality in the image of Chichikov are fused together.
By comparing Chichikov with the landowners, Gogol showed those new features that are characteristic of heroes formed outside the atmosphere manor's estate. Tenacity for life, extraordinary resourcefulness, and adventurism come to the fore here. Striving to achieve his goals, Chichikov knows no peace. He resides in constant movement. Manilov’s contemplation is alien to him, but at the same time he is far from Korobochka’s innocence. Cunning and enterprising, he sees right through people and knows how to get their hands on them. But at the same time, he is not characterized by revelry and the desire to waste his life, which are an integral feature of Nozdryov’s appearance. If all of Nozdryov’s numerous undertakings lead to nothing, then everything that Chichikov undertakes bears the stamp of practical acumen and efficiency. In turn, this efficiency is not similar to Sobakevich’s rude and straightforward prudence. Courtesy and the ability to win over people give Chichikov great advantages over Sobakevich.
Thus, Chichikov is both better and worse than all the landowners depicted by Gogol in the poem. He, a representative of the new predatory entrepreneurship, does not oppose Manilov or Sobakevich. He merges with them, finds unity with the noble environment, but at the same time pursues his own interests. Chichikov absorbs all the most viable features of the outgoing relationship, discarding those that cannot serve the purposes of enrichment. As for morality and ethics, Chichikov does not burden himself with these concepts, just like those landowners with whom he meets.
Gogol shows the reasons for the death of the human soul in the image of Chichikov. A joyless childhood, a service in which bribery flourishes, a society of immoral people - all this molded him into a calculating scoundrel. If you look closely, Chichikov is bolder than Nozdryov and callouser than Sobakevich. Yes, he differs from the landowners in his enterprise, energy and intelligence. He gives people very accurate characteristics. However, Chichikov is a “dead soul” because he values nothing in life except money. In the image of Chichikov, Gogol shows the emergence of a new man in Russian society, a representative of the emerging bourgeoisie. All high feelings, including love, are assessed by him only from the point of view of material gain.
Article menu:
It often happens that it is not enough for us to know about the actions or opinions of another person; we want to have a complete understanding of him, even when his external data in no way affects his type of activity or is not relevant to the subject of discussion. This pattern has its reasons. Often, peering into a person’s face, we try to lament something hidden, something that he does not want to talk about. Therefore, the appearance of any character is important for comparing his characteristics and actions.
Who is Chichikov
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is a former official of a “cautious and chilled character.”
Until the last chapter of the work, many facts of the biography and origin of Pavel Ivanovich remain hidden for us; we can guess about some points based on their hints from the hero, and only after reading the last pages will we learn the true picture.
Chichikov is of humble origin. As he himself says, “without family or tribe.” And this is not an exaggeration. His parents really were simple people, this fact confuses Pavel Ivanovich, but, nevertheless, at some points he makes mention of this in society, citing the fact that such a position in society will help win over the landowners and they will become more accommodating. Despite his humble origins, Pavel Ivanovich managed to become a man of “brilliant education,” but “Chichikov did not know French at all” (this is the privilege of aristocrats). He was especially good at exact sciences; he could quickly and easily make calculations in his head - “he was strong in arithmetic.”
Passion for accumulating money
The judgment that events that occurred in childhood properly influence the character, the process of formation of principles and moral principles of a person, has long passed from the category of assumptions to the category of axioms. We find confirmation of this in Chichikov.
After working for some time as a collegiate official, he resigned and seriously began to look for a way to enrich himself. By the way, the thought of the need to improve his financial situation never left Pavel Ivanovich, despite the fact that it arose in him from an early age.
The reason for this was the humble origin of the protagonist and the poverty he experienced in his childhood. This is confirmed in the last paragraphs of the work, where the reader can observe the picture of young Chichikov’s departure to study. His parents warmly and reverently say goodbye to him, giving advice that would help their son take a more advantageous position in society:
“Look, Pavlusha, study, don’t be stupid and don’t act out, but most of all please your teachers and bosses. Don’t hang out with your comrades, they won’t teach you any good; hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Don’t treat or treat anyone, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything in the world. A comrade or friend will deceive you and in trouble will be the first to betray you, but a penny will not betray you, no matter what trouble you are in. You will do everything and ruin everything in the world with a penny.”
Gogol does not depict in detail the life of Pavel’s parents - a few snatched facts do not give a complete picture, but Nikolai Vasilyevich manages to achieve understanding among readers that the parents were honest and respectable people. They have felt the burden of earning a piece of bread and do not want their son to work hard as well, which is why they give him such unusual recommendations.
Chichikov tries his best to follow his parents' advice. And therefore, he manages to achieve significant results, but not as high as he wanted.
He learned to earn money and save it, denying himself everything he could. True, his earnings were based on an unfair and insidious method: in his behavior with his classmates, he was able to arrange the situation in such a way that “they treated him, and he, having hidden the received treat, then sold it to them.” “He didn’t have any special abilities for any science,” but he could skillfully craft, for example, he molded a bullfinch from wax and managed to sell it at a good price. He knew how to communicate with animals, and he had a talent for training animals. Pavlusha - caught a mouse and taught it several tricks: it “stood on its hind legs, lay down and stood up when ordered.” They also managed to sell such a curiosity for a decent sum.
Gogol does not talk about how his father’s death affected Chichikov. The only thing he tells the reader is that Pavel inherited from his father “four irretrievably worn sweatshirts, two old frock coats lined with sheepskin, and an insignificant amount of money.” And he adds a sarcastic comment - the father happily gave advice on getting rich, but he himself could not accumulate anything.
His further life followed the same principle - he stubbornly saved money - “everything that smacked of wealth and contentment made an impression on him that was incomprehensible to himself.” But an economical life does not allow him to accumulate large capital, and this fact saddens him very much - he decides to get rich in any way. Over time, a loophole was found and Chichikov rushes to take advantage of it, trying to get rich by fraud. To do this, he travels to villages and tries to buy “dead souls” from local landowners, so that later, passing them off as real living people, he can sell them at a better price.
Appearance and character traits
Pavel Ivanovich is a stately man of middle age and “pleasant appearance”: “neither too fat, nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.”
It has just the right amount of everything - if it were a little fuller it would be too much and spoil it significantly. Chichikov himself also finds himself attractive. In his opinion, he has a beautiful face with an unusually beautiful chin.
He doesn't smoke, doesn't play cards, doesn't dance and doesn't like to drive fast. In fact, all of these preferences are associated with avoiding financial costs: tobacco costs money, added to this is the fear that the “pipe will dry out,” you can lose significantly at cards, in order to dance, you first need to learn how to do it, and this is also a waste—and This does not impress the main character; he tries to save as much as possible, because “a penny opens any door.”
The fact that Chichikov has an ignoble origin allowed him to outline for himself the ideal of a person close to high society (he knows perfectly well what, in addition to financial and social status, distinguishes aristocrats, what first of all catches the eye and impresses people).
First of all, Chichikov is an undeniable pedant and a neat freak. He is very principled in terms of hygiene: when he needed to wash, he “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time,” wiped his entire body with a damp sponge, “which was done only on Sundays,” and diligently exterminated the hair that came out of his nose. This has an unusually positive impression on the district landowners - they are very surprised by such habits, I consider them a sign of high society.
The following qualities that noticeably distinguish him from the crowd are knowledge and understanding of the basics of psychology and the ability to flatter a person. His praises always know the measure - there are not many and not little - just enough so that a person does not suspect deception: “he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.”
Due to his duty and, looking at his origin, Chichikov witnessed various scenes, he was able to study the types of behavior of different people and now in communication he easily found the key to the trust of any person. He understood perfectly well what, to whom and in what form he needed to be told so that a person would stop distrusting him: he, “who really knew the great secret, would be liked.”
Chichikov is a person of exceptional upbringing and tact in communication. Many people find him charming, he has “charming qualities and techniques,” and his behavior in society is admired: “he did not like to allow himself to be treated with familiarity in any case.”
His efforts in the area of flattery are not in vain. The landowners, and even the governor of the city N himself, soon spoke of him as a man of the purest thoughts and aspirations. He is an ideal for them, an example to follow, everyone is ready to vouch for him.