What work was Chichikov in? The image of the main character in the work

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov - main character famous poem N.V. Gogol " Dead Souls", in the past he is an official and an inveterate careerist, then he became a clever swindler and manipulator. He travels through the villages of the Russian outback, meets with various landowners and nobles, tries to earn their trust and thus do things profitable for himself.

Chichikov is interested in purchasing so-called “dead souls”, documents for serfs who have already died, but due to the fact that the population census was carried out once every few years, they are considered alive. An enterprising businessman plans to resell these souls along with the land, which he plans to buy for pennies, and earn good capital from it. The image of Chichikov is fresh and A New Look on the adventurous image of an entrepreneur in Russian literature.

Characteristics of the main character

("Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich. In front of the box" Artist P. Sokolov, 1890)

Inner world Chichikov remains mysterious and ambiguous for everyone until the last chapter in the book. The description of his appearance is averaged to the maximum: neither handsome nor ugly, not very fat, but not thin, neither old nor young. The main features of this hero are averageness (he is a quiet and inconspicuous gentleman, distinguished by pleasant manners, roundness and smoothness) and high degree entrepreneurship. Even his manner of communication does not reveal his character: he speaks neither loudly nor quietly, knows how to find an approach everywhere and is known as his own person everywhere.

The peculiarities of Chichikov’s inner world are revealed through the manner of his communication with the landowners, whom he attracts to his side and, skillfully manipulating, persuades them to sell “dead souls.” The author notes the ability of a cunning adventurer to adapt to his interlocutor and copy his manners. Chichikov knows people well, finds his own benefit in everything and, like a subtle psychologist, tells people what they need.

(Illustration by V. Makovsky "Chichikov at Manilov")

Chichikov is an active and active person; it is very important for him not only to save what he has earned, but also to increase it (as many times as possible). Moreover, irrepressible greed does not torment him like Plyushkin, because money for him is only a means to ensure a decent life.

Chichikov comes from a poor, respectable family, and his father advised him to always please his superiors and hang out with the right people, and taught him that “a penny opens any door.” Having no initial concepts about duty and conscience, Chichikov, having matured, understands that moral values ​​only interfere with achieving the goals set and therefore often neglects the voice of conscience, making a way in life with his own forehead.

(Illustration "Little Chichikov")

And although Chichikov is a swindler and a rogue, he cannot be denied perseverance, talent and ingenuity. At school, he sold buns to his classmates (who also treated him to them), at every job he tried to find his own profit and tried to get rich, and eventually came up with an idea with “ dead souls"and tried to pull it off, playing on the feelings and base instincts of the people around him. At the end of the work, Chichikov’s scam is discovered and becomes public knowledge, he is forced to leave.

The image of the main character in the work

("Chichikov's Toilet" Artist P.P. Sokolov 1966)

In his famous work, which took him 17 years of painstaking work, Gogol created a comprehensive picture of modern Russian realities and revealed a diverse gallery of characters and types of people of that time. The image of Chichikov, talented entrepreneur and an unprincipled swindler, represents, according to the author, “a terrible and vile force that is not capable of reviving the Fatherland.”

Trying to live according to the behests of his father, Chichikov tried to live frugally and save every penny, but realizing that you can’t make much wealth in an honest way, he finds a loophole in the Russian legislation of those years and begins to implement his plan. Having not achieved what he wanted, he brands himself as a swindler and a rogue, and is forced to abandon his plans.

What lesson this character learned from this situation remains unclear to us, because the second volume of this work was destroyed by the author, are we left to guess what happened next and whether Chichikov is to blame for what he tried to do or whether society and the principles to which it is subject are to blame.

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We often say that happiness cannot be found in money, but at the same time we always note that a person with money is in a more advantageous position and can afford more than a poor person. A bunch of works of art on the topic of a wedding with an unloved, but rich person, or the injustice that has arisen associated with bribery, brings to mind another well-known phrase: money rules the world. This is probably why a person with small capital often strives to improve his financial situation. These methods and methods are not always legal; they often contradict the principles of morality. N. Gogol talks about one of these actions in the poem “Dead Souls”.

Who is Chichikov and why does he come to town N

The main character of the story is a retired official Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He's not handsome, but he's not bad-looking, neither too thick nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” He considers himself a person of pleasant appearance, he especially liked his face “which he loved sincerely and in which, it seems, he found the chin most attractive, for he very often boasted of it to one of his friends.”

This man travels through the villages of Russia, but his goal is by no means as noble as one might think at first glance. Pavel Ivanovich buys “dead souls”, that is, documents for the ownership of people who have died but have not yet been included in the lists of the dead. The census of peasants was carried out every few years, so these same “dead souls” hovered and were considered alive in documents. They represented a lot of trouble and waste, since it was necessary to make payments for them before the next census (revision tales).

Chichikov's proposal to sell these people to the landowners sounds more than tempting. Many find the item to be purchased very strange, it sounds suspicious, but the desire to quickly get rid of the “dead souls” takes its toll - one by one the landowners agree to the sale (the only exception was Nozdryov). But why does Chichikov need “dead souls”? He himself talks about it this way: “Yes, if I bought all these people who died out before they submitted new revision tales, buy them, let’s say, a thousand, yes, let’s say, the guardianship council will give two hundred rubles per head: that’s two hundred thousand for the capital " In other words, Pavel Ivanovich plans to resell his “dead souls”, passing them off as living people. Of course, it is impossible to sell serfs without land, but he finds a way out here too - buying land in a remote place, “for pennies.” Naturally, such a plan was not dictated good conditions life and financial situation, but, whatever one may say, this dishonest act.

Last name meaning

It is difficult to judge unambiguously about the etymology of Pavel Ivanovich’s surname. It is not as prosaic as the surnames of other characters in the poem, but the very fact that the surnames of other characters are their characteristics (they draw attention to moral or physical flaws) suggests that there should be a similar situation with Chichikov.

And so, it is likely that this surname came from the word “chichik”. In Western Ukrainian dialects it was called songbird small sizes. N. Gogol was associated with Ukraine, so we can assume that he had in mind precisely this meaning of the word - Chichikov, like a bird, sings beautiful songs to everyone. There are no other meanings recorded in dictionaries. The author himself does not explain anywhere why the choice fell on this particular word and what he wanted to say by awarding Pavel Ivanovich such a surname. That's why this information should be perceived at the level of a hypothesis, it should be argued that this absolutely correct explanation is impossible due to the small amount of information on this matter.

Personality and character

Arriving in the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich meets the local landowners and the governor. He produces on them good impression. This beginning of a trusting relationship contributed to Chichikov’s further purchases - they spoke of him as a man of high morals and excellent upbringing - such a person cannot be a swindler and a deceiver. But, as it turned out, this was just a tactical move that allowed him to cleverly deceive the landowners.

The first thing that surprises you about Chichikov is his attitude to hygiene. For many of his new acquaintances, this became a sign of a person from high society. Pavel Ivanovich “waking up very early in the morning, washed, dried himself from head to toe wet sponge, which was done only by Sundays" He “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time,” when he washed himself, “plucked out two hairs that had come out of his nose.” As a result, those around him decided that “the visitor showed such attentiveness to the toilet that has not even been seen everywhere.”

Chichikov is a suck-up. “In conversations with these rulers, he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” At the same time, he tried not to say anything specific about himself, using general phrases; those present thought that he was doing this out of modesty.

In addition, the phrases “he is an insignificant worm of this world and is not worthy of being cared for much, that he has experienced a lot in his life, endured in the service for the truth, had many enemies who attempted even on his life, and that now, wanting to calm down, looking to finally choose a place to live” evoked a certain feeling of pity for Chichikov among those around him.

Soon, all his new acquaintances began to speak flatteringly about him and tried to please “such a pleasant, educated guest.”

Manilov, characterizing Chichikov, asserted that “he is ready to vouch, as for himself, that he would sacrifice all his estate in order to have a hundredth share of Pavel Ivanovich’s qualities.”

“The governor explained about him that he is a well-intentioned person; the prosecutor - that he is a sensible person; the gendarme colonel said that he learned man; the chairman of the chamber - that he is a knowledgeable and respectable person; the police chief - that he is a respectable and kind person; the police chief’s wife - that he is the most kind and courteous person.”

As we see, Pavel Ivanovich managed to gain the trust of the landowners and the governor in the best possible way.

He managed to keep a fine line and not go too far with flattery and praise towards the landowners - his lies and sycophancy were sweet, but not so much that the lies were noticeable. Pavel Ivanovich not only knows how to present himself in society, but also has the talent to convince people. Not all landowners agreed to say goodbye to their “dead souls” without question. Many, like Korobochka, had great doubts about the legality of such a sale. Pavel Ivanovich manages to achieve his goal and convince him that such a sale is nothing unusual.

It should be noted that Chichikov has developed intellectual abilities. This is manifested not only when thinking about a plan to get rich from “dead souls”, but also in the manner of conducting a conversation - he knows how to maintain a conversation at the proper level, without having sufficient knowledge in a particular issue, it is unrealistic to look smart in the eyes of others and no flattery or sycophancy unable to save the situation.

In addition, he is very friendly with arithmetic and knows how to quickly carry out mathematical operations in his mind: “Seventy-eight, seventy-eight, thirty kopecks per head, that will be...” here our hero thought for one second, no more, and suddenly said: it will be twenty-four rubles ninety-six kopecks.”

Pavel Ivanovich knows how to adapt to new conditions: “he felt that the words “virtue” and “rare properties of the soul” could be successfully replaced with the words “economy” and “order”,” although he cannot always quickly figure out what to say: “Already Plyushkin stood for several minutes without saying a word, and Chichikov still could not start a conversation, entertained both by the appearance of the owner himself and by everything that was in his room.”

Having acquired serfs, Pavel Ivanovich feels awkward and anxious, but these are not pangs of conscience - he wants to get the matter over with as quickly as possible and is afraid that something might go wrong “still the thought came to me: that souls are not entirely real and that in such cases Such a burden always needs to be lifted off one’s shoulders as quickly as possible.”

However, his deception was revealed - Chichikov in an instant turns from an object of worship and a desired guest into an object of ridicule and rumors; he is not allowed into the governor’s house. “It’s just that you alone are not ordered to be allowed in, but all others are allowed,” the doorman tells him.

The others are also not happy to see him - they mumble something incomprehensible. This confuses Chichikov - he cannot understand what happened. Rumors about his scam reach Chichikov himself. As a result, he leaves home. IN last chapter, we learn that Pavel Ivanovich is of humble origin, his parents tried to provide him better life, so sending it to independent life, gave him such advice that, as his parents thought, would allow him to take a good place in life: “Pavlusha, study... please your teachers and bosses most of all. Don’t hang out with your comrades, they won’t teach you any good; and if it comes to that, then hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Don’t treat or treat anyone, but behave better so that you will be treated, and most of all, take care and save a penny... You will do everything and lose everything in the world with a penny.”

Thus, Pavel Ivanovich, guided by the advice of his parents, lived in such a way as not to spend money anywhere and save money, but to earn significant capital in an honest way turned out to be unrealistic, even with strict savings and acquaintance with the rich. The plan to buy “dead souls” was supposed to provide Chichikov with fortune and money, but in practice this turned out not to be the case. The stigma of a swindler and a dishonest person firmly stuck to him. Whether the hero himself learned a lesson from their current situation is a rhetorical question; it is likely that the second volume should have revealed the secret, but, unfortunately, Nikolai Vasilyevich destroyed him, so the reader can only guess what happened next and whether Chichikov should be blamed for such an act or it is necessary to mitigate his guilt by referring to the principles to which society is subject.

Chichikov in the story by N.V. Gogol’s “Dead Souls”: analysis of the hero, image and characteristics

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Chichikov in the poem "Dead Souls"

Plan:

1. Character traits.

2. Acquisition and entrepreneurship.

3. Adaptability to life.

4. Resourcefulness and cheating.

5. Caution and prudence.

6. Ability to handle and communicate with people.

7. Persistence in achieving the goal. Gogol's mastery in portraying Chichikov.

1. Chichikov in the poem is like a living person (his portrait and manners).

2. Contrast is the main image technique.

8. The reasons that determined Chichikov’s character.

1. Conditions for the formation and growth of capitalist relations.

2. Upbringing and education in these conditions.

3. Chichikov is a type of businessman-acquirer.

Main theme " Dead souls“Gogol is a theme about paths historical development Russia. Gogol, with the keen eye of an artist, noticed that in Russian society mid-19th century, money begins to play a decisive role: businessmen try to establish themselves in society, become independent, relying on capital, and on the verge of two eras - capitalism and feudalism - such businessmen were a common phenomenon.

Chichikov - central character poem “Dead Souls”, all the action of the poem takes place around him, all of its characters. Gogol himself wrote: “For whatever you say, this thought (about buying dead souls), this poem would not have come to light*.

Unlike the images of landowners and officials, the image of Chichikov is given in development: we know about the origin and upbringing of the hero, the beginning of his activities and the subsequent events of his life. Chichikov is a person who differs in many of his features from landed nobility. He is a nobleman by birth, but the estate is not the source of his existence. “The origins of our hero are dark and modest,” writes Gogol and gives a picture of his childhood and teaching. Chichikov remembered his father’s advice for the rest of his life. Most of all, save and save a penny. “You will do everything and ruin everything in the world with a penny,” his father told him. Chichikov set acquisitions as the goal of his life. Already at school, he showed extreme resourcefulness in terms of acquiring a penny: he sold gingerbread and rolls, trained a mouse and sold it at a profit. And soon he sews 5 rubles into a bag and begins saving another one. Thus began his entrepreneurial life.

Chichikov also showed considerable ability in dealing with superiors. At school, he tried to be a model of obedience and politeness, deftly knew how to gain trust and evoked praise for his respectful and humble behavior.

After finishing his studies, he enters the government chamber, where he pleases the boss in every possible way and even takes care of his daughter. And soon he himself receives the position of police officer and begins to take bribes.

The pictures of wealthy life that he encounters have an exciting effect on Chichikov. He is overwhelmed by the desire to become the owner of capital that will bring with it “life in all pleasures.” Chichikov patiently and persistently overcomes career barriers. “Everything turned out to be in him that is needed for this world: pleasantness in turns and actions, and agility in business affairs. With such funds, he obtained in a short time what is called a grain place, and took advantage of it in an excellent way.” Cunning and cheating become his characteristic features. Having become a member of the “commission for the construction of some kind of government-owned, but very capital building,” he acquires a good cook and an excellent pair of horses, wears thin, Dutch linen shirts, gets out from under the healthy laws of abstinence: the unexpected revelation of a scam involving the construction of a government-owned building dispelled the blissful Chichikov's condition, everything turned out to be irretrievably lost, this upset, but did not shake Chichikov. He decided to start his career again and finds an even more profitable customs service. He undertakes very profitable operations: with a herd of Spanish sheep, he conducts an operation with Barbant lace and in a short time makes a fortune. Money floats into his hands. “God knows, to what enormous figure the blessed sums would have grown, if some difficult beast had not run across everything.” Once again exposed and expelled, Chichikov becomes an attorney, and here the idea of ​​​​searching for dead souls comes to him. And the main good thing, he says, is that “the object will seem incredible to everyone, no one will believe it.”

The writer reveals the image of Chichikov gradually, as he talks about his adventures. In each chapter we learn something new about him. He comes to the provincial town to conduct reconnaissance and ensure the success of the planned enterprise. In city N he is extremely careful and strictly calculating. He asked the tavern servant about the city officials, about the landowners closest to the city, about the state of the region, about epidemic diseases. Not a single day is wasted by the active Pavel Ivanovich. It sets friendly relations with city dignitaries, makes acquaintance with landowners and, thanks to exceptional courtesy, forms a flattering opinion of himself. Even the rude Sobakevich said: “A very nice person.”

The ability to deal with people and skillful conversation are Chichikov’s proven means in all fraudulent operations. He knows how to talk to whom. He conducts a conversation with Manilov in a sweetly polite tone, saying that “a pleasant conversation is better than a great dish.” He easily obtains dead souls from him for free, and even leaves the costs of drawing up the deed of sale to the owner. He does not stand on ceremony at all in his conversation with the club-headed Korobochka, he intimidates with shouts and gives only 15 rubles for all the dead, lying that he will come for flour, cereals and other foodstuffs.

He conducts a casual, cheeky conversation with the broken fellow Nozdryov and deftly extricates himself from all offers of exchange. Chichikov talks cautiously with the kulak landowner Sobakevich, calls the dead peasants non-existent and forces Sobakevich to greatly reduce the price he asked for.

Chichikov is respectfully polite to Plyushkin, he says that he decided to help him and show his personal respect. He cleverly pretended to be a compassionate person and received from him 78 souls for only 32 kopecks each.

Meetings with landowners show Chichikov’s exceptional persistence in achieving his goal, ease of transformation, extraordinary resourcefulness and energy, which hide the prudence of a predatory nature behind external softness and grace.

And now Chichikov is again among the city officials. He charms everyone with “the pleasantness of his secular address”, “some kind of compliment, very decent, to the governor’s wife.” All the ladies in the city are crazy about him. However, Nozdryov destroys all his plans. “Well, that’s it,” he thought to himself, “there’s no point in dawdling anymore, we need to get out of here as quickly as possible.”

So, “here is our hero in full view. What he is! - Gogol concludes. Chichikov appears before the readers alive. We see both Chichikov’s appearance and inner world. At first glance, there is something indefinite about him, this is “the gentleman is not handsome, but not of bad appearance, not too fat, not too thin; one cannot say that one is old, but one cannot say that one is too young.” We see a sedate, courteous, well-dressed man, always neat and clean, shaved and smoothed, but what a blatant contradiction his appearance is in with his inner world! Gogol masterfully, in one phrase, gives him a complete description: “It is most fair to call him the owner-acquirer,” and then the author speaks about him simply and sharply: “Scoundrel.”

A character like Chichikov’s could only arise in the conditions of the formation of capitalist relations, when entrepreneurs put everything on the line for the sake of profit and enrichment. Chichikov is a type of bourgeois businessman-acquirer who does not disdain any means to enrich himself.

Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky also noted the broad typicality of Chichikov. “The same Chichikovs,” he wrote, “only in a different dress: in France and England they do not buy up dead souls, but bribe living souls in free parliamentary elections!”

This knight of the “money bag” is terrible, disgusting, building his well-being on misfortunes large number people: mass epidemics, natural disasters, wars - everything that sows destruction and death, all this plays into the hands of Chichikov.

“Dead Souls” is a poem for the ages. The plasticity of the depicted reality, the comic nature of situations and artistic skill N.V. Gogol paints an image of Russia not only of the past, but also of the future. Grotesque satirical reality in harmony with patriotic notes create an unforgettable melody of life that sounds through the centuries.

Collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov goes to distant provinces to buy serfs. However, he is not interested in people, but only in the names of the dead. This is necessary to submit the list to the board of trustees, which “promises” a lot of money. For a nobleman with so many peasants, all doors were open. To implement his plans, he pays visits to landowners and officials of the city of NN. They all reveal their selfish nature, so the hero manages to get what he wants. He also plans profitable marriage. However, the result is disastrous: the hero is forced to flee, as his plans become publicly known thanks to the landowner Korobochka.

History of creation

N.V. Gogol believed A.S. Pushkin as his teacher, who “gave” the grateful student a story about Chichikov’s adventures. The poet was sure that only Nikolai Vasilyevich, who has a unique talent from God, could realize this “idea.”

The writer loved Italy and Rome. In the land of the great Dante, he began work on a book suggesting a three-part composition in 1835. The poem was supposed to be similar to Dante's Divine Comedy, depicting the hero's descent into hell, his wanderings in purgatory and the resurrection of his soul in paradise.

The creative process continued for six years. The idea of ​​a grandiose painting, depicting not only “all Rus'” present, but also the future, revealed “the untold riches of the Russian spirit.” In February 1837, Pushkin died, whose “sacred testament” for Gogol became “Dead Souls”: “Not a single line was written without me imagining him before me.” The first volume was completed in the summer of 1841, but did not immediately find its reader. The censorship was outraged by “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin”, and the title led to bewilderment. I had to make concessions by starting the title with the intriguing phrase “The Adventures of Chichikov.” Therefore, the book was published only in 1842.

After some time, Gogol writes the second volume, but, dissatisfied with the result, burns it.

Meaning of the name

The title of the work causes conflicting interpretations. The oxymoron technique used gives rise to numerous questions to which you want to get answers as quickly as possible. The title is symbolic and ambiguous, so the “secret” is not revealed to everyone.

IN direct meaning, “dead souls” are representatives of the common people who have passed on to another world, but are still listed as their masters. The concept is gradually being rethought. The “form” seems to “come to life”: real serfs, with their habits and shortcomings, appear before the reader’s gaze.

Characteristics of the main characters

1. Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is a “mediocre gentleman.” Somewhat cloying manners in dealing with people are not without sophistication. Well-mannered, neat and delicate. “Not handsome, but not bad-looking, not... fat, nor.... thin..." Calculating and careful. He collects unnecessary trinkets in his little chest: maybe it will come in handy! Seeks profit in everything. The generation of the worst sides of an enterprising and energetic person of a new type, opposed to landowners and officials. We wrote about him in more detail in the essay "".
2. Manilov - “knight of the void”. Blond "sweet" talker "with blue eyes" He covers up the poverty of thought and avoidance of real difficulties with a beautiful phrase. He lacks living aspirations and any interests. His faithful companions are fruitless fantasy and thoughtless chatter.
3. The box is “club-headed”. A vulgar, stupid, stingy and tight-fisted nature. She cut herself off from everything around her, shutting herself up in her estate - the “box”. She turned into a stupid and greedy woman. Limited, stubborn and unspiritual.
4. Nozdryov is a “historical person”. He can easily lie whatever he wants and deceive anyone. Empty, absurd. He thinks of himself as broad-minded. However, his actions expose a careless, chaotic, weak-willed and at the same time arrogant, shameless “tyrant.” Record holder for getting into tricky and ridiculous situations.
5. Sobakevich is “a patriot of the Russian stomach.” Outwardly it resembles a bear: clumsy and irrepressible. Completely incapable of understanding the most basic things. A special type of “storage device” that can quickly adapt to the new requirements of our time. He is not interested in anything except running a household. we described in the essay of the same name.
6. Plyushkin - “a hole in humanity.” A creature of unknown gender. A striking example of moral decline, which has completely lost its natural appearance. The only character (except Chichikov) who has a biography that “reflects” the gradual process of personality degradation. A complete nonentity. Plyushkin’s manic hoarding “pours out” into “cosmic” proportions. And the more this passion takes possession of him, the less of a person remains in him. We analyzed his image in detail in the essay .

Genre and composition

Initially, the work originated as an adventure - picaresque novel. But the breadth of the events described and the historical truthfulness, as if “compressed” among themselves, gave rise to “talking” about realistic method. Making precise remarks, inserting philosophical arguments, addressing different generations, Gogol imbued “his brainchild” with lyrical digressions. One cannot but agree with the opinion that Nikolai Vasilyevich’s creation is a comedy, since it actively uses the techniques of irony, humor and satire, which most fully reflect the absurdity and arbitrariness of the “squadron of flies that dominates Rus'.”

The composition is circular: the chaise, which entered the city of NN at the beginning of the story, leaves it after all the vicissitudes that happened to the hero. Episodes are woven into this “ring”, without which the integrity of the poem is violated. The first chapter describes provincial town NN and local officials. From the second to the sixth chapters, the author introduces readers to the landowner estates of Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich and Plyushkin. Chapters seven - ten - satirical image officials, registration of completed transactions. The string of events listed above ends with a ball, where Nozdryov “narrates” about Chichikov’s scam. The reaction of society to his statement is unambiguous - gossip, which, like a snowball, is overgrown with fables that have found refraction, including in the short story (“The Tale of Captain Kopeikin”) and the parable (about Kif Mokievich and Mokiya Kifovich). The introduction of these episodes allows us to emphasize that the fate of the fatherland directly depends on the people living in it. You cannot look indifferently at the disgrace happening around you. Certain forms of protest are maturing in the country. The eleventh chapter is a biography of the hero who forms the plot, explaining what motivated him when committing this or that act.

The connecting compositional thread is the image of the road (you can learn more about this by reading the essay “ » ), symbolizing the path that the state takes in its development “under the modest name of Rus'.”

Why does Chichikov need dead souls?

Chichikov is not just cunning, but also pragmatic. His sophisticated mind is ready to “make candy” out of nothing. Not having sufficient capital, he, being a good psychologist, having passed a good life school, mastering the art of “flattering everyone” and fulfilling his father’s behest to “save a penny,” starts a great speculation. It consists of a simple deception of “those in power” in order to “warm up their hands”, in other words, to gain a huge amount of money, thereby providing for themselves and their future family, which Pavel Ivanovich dreamed of.

Names of those bought for next to nothing dead peasants were entered into a document that Chichikov could take to the treasury chamber under the guise of collateral in order to obtain a loan. He would have pawned the serfs like a brooch in a pawnshop, and could have re-mortgaged them all his life, since none of the officials checked the physical condition of the people. For this money, the businessman would have bought real workers and an estate, and would have lived in grand style, enjoying the favor of the nobles, because the nobles measured the wealth of the landowner in the number of souls (peasants were then called “souls” in noble slang). In addition, Gogol's hero hoped to gain trust in society and profitably marry a rich heiress.

main idea

A hymn to the homeland and people, the distinguishing feature of which is hard work, sounds on the pages of the poem. The masters of golden hands became famous for their inventions and their creativity. The Russian man is always “rich in invention.” But there are also those citizens who hinder the development of the country. These are vicious officials, ignorant and inactive landowners and swindlers like Chichikov. For their own good, the good of Russia and the world, they must take the path of correction, realizing the ugliness of their inner world. To do this, Gogol mercilessly ridicules them throughout the entire first volume, but in subsequent parts of the work the author intended to show the resurrection of the spirit of these people using the example of the main character. Perhaps he felt the falseness of the subsequent chapters, lost faith that his dream was feasible, so he burned it along with the second part of “Dead Souls.”

However, the author showed that the main wealth of the country is broad soul people. It is no coincidence that this word is included in the title. The writer believed that the revival of Russia would begin with the revival human souls, pure, untainted by any sins, selfless. Not just those who believe in the free future of the country, but those who make a lot of effort on this fast road to happiness. “Rus, where are you going?” This question runs like a refrain throughout the book and emphasizes the main thing: the country must live in constant movement for the better, advanced, progressive. Only on this path “do other peoples and states give her the way.” We wrote a separate essay about Russia’s path: ?

Why did Gogol burn the second volume of Dead Souls?

At some point, the thought of the messiah begins to dominate in the writer’s mind, allowing him to “foresee” the revival of Chichikov and even Plyushkin. Gogol hopes to reverse the progressive “transformation” of a person into a “dead man”. But, faced with reality, the author experiences deep disappointment: the heroes and their destinies emerge from the pen as far-fetched and lifeless. Did not work out. The impending crisis in worldview was the reason for the destruction of the second book.

In the surviving excerpts from the second volume, it is clearly visible that the writer portrays Chichikov not in the process of repentance, but in flight towards the abyss. He still succeeds in adventures, dresses in a devilish red tailcoat and breaks the law. His revelation does not bode well, because in his reaction the reader will not see a sudden insight or a hint of shame. He doesn’t even believe in the possibility of such fragments ever existing. Gogol did not want to sacrifice artistic truth even for the sake of realizing his own plan.

Issues

1. Thorns on the path of development of the Motherland are the main problem in the poem “Dead Souls” that the author was worried about. These include bribery and embezzlement of officials, infantilism and inactivity of the nobility, ignorance and poverty of the peasants. The writer sought to make his contribution to the prosperity of Russia, condemning and ridiculing vices, educating new generations of people. For example, Gogol despised doxology as a cover for the emptiness and idleness of existence. The life of a citizen should be useful to society, but most of the characters in the poem are downright harmful.
2. Moral problems. He views the lack of moral standards among representatives of the ruling class as the result of their ugly passion for hoarding. The landowners are ready to shake the soul out of the peasant for the sake of profit. Also, the problem of selfishness comes to the fore: nobles, like officials, think only about their own interests, the homeland for them is an empty, weightless word. High society doesn't care common people, simply uses it for his own purposes.
3. The crisis of humanism. People are sold like animals, lost at cards like things, pawned like jewelry. Slavery is legal and is not considered immoral or unnatural. Gogol illuminated the problem of serfdom in Russia globally, showing both sides of the coin: the slave mentality inherent in the serf, and the tyranny of the owner, confident in his superiority. All these are the consequences of tyranny that permeates relationships in all levels of society. It corrupts people and ruins the country.
4. The author’s humanism is manifested in his attention to “ little man", critical exposure of vices government structure. Gogol did not even try to avoid political problems. He described a bureaucracy that functioned only on the basis of bribery, nepotism, embezzlement and hypocrisy.
5. Gogol's characters are characterized by the problem of ignorance and moral blindness. Because of it, they do not see their moral squalor and are not able to independently get out of the quagmire of vulgarity that drags them down.

What is unique about the work?

Adventurism, realistic reality, a sense of the presence of the irrational, philosophical discussions about earthly good - all this is closely intertwined, creating an “encyclopedic” picture of the first half of the 19th century.

Gogol achieves this using various techniques of satire, humor, visual arts, numerous details, richness vocabulary, features of the composition.

• Symbolism plays an important role. Falling into the mud “predicts” the future exposure of the main character. The spider weaves its webs to capture its next victim. Like an “unpleasant” insect, Chichikov skillfully runs his “business,” “entwining” landowners and officials with noble lies. “sounds” like the pathos of Rus'’s forward movement and affirms human self-improvement.
• We observe the heroes through the prism of “comic” situations, apt author’s expressions and characteristics given by other characters, sometimes built on the antithesis: “he was a prominent man” - but only “at first glance.”
• The vices of the heroes of Dead Souls become a continuation of the positive character traits. For example, Plyushkin’s monstrous stinginess is a distortion of his former thrift and thriftiness.
• In small lyrical “inserts” there are the writer’s thoughts, difficult thoughts, and an anxious “I.” In them we feel the highest creative message: to help humanity change for the better.
• The fate of people who create works for the people or not to please “those in power” does not leave Gogol indifferent, because in literature he saw a force capable of “re-educating” society and promoting its civilized development. Social strata of society, their position in relation to everything national: culture, language, traditions - occupy a serious place in the author’s digressions. When it comes to Rus' and its future, through the centuries we hear the confident voice of the “prophet”, predicting the difficult, but aimed at a bright dream, future of the Fatherland.
• Philosophical reflections on the frailty of existence, lost youth and impending old age evoke sadness. Therefore, it is so natural for a tender “fatherly” appeal to youth, on whose energy, hard work and education depends on which “path” the development of Russia will take.
• The language is truly folk. The forms of colloquial, literary and written business speech are harmoniously woven into the fabric of the poem. Rhetorical questions and exclamations, the rhythmic construction of individual phrases, the use of Slavicisms, archaisms, sonorous epithets create a certain structure of speech that sounds solemn, excited and sincere, without a shadow of irony. When describing landowners' estates and their owners, vocabulary characteristic of everyday speech is used. Image bureaucratic world is saturated with the vocabulary of the depicted environment. we described in the essay of the same name.
• The solemnity of comparisons, High style in combination with original speech, they create a sublimely ironic style of narration that serves to debunk the base, vulgar world of the owners.

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Poem "Dead Souls" takes special place in the works of Gogol. The writer considered this work to be the main work of his life, the spiritual testament of Pushkin, who suggested to him the basis of the plot. In the poem, the author reflected the way of life and morals of different layers of society - peasants, landowners, officials. The images in the poem, according to the author, “are not at all portraits with worthless people“, on the contrary, they contain the traits of those who consider themselves better than others.” Close-up The poem shows landowners, owners of serf souls, “masters” of life. Gogol consistently, from hero to hero, reveals their characters and shows the insignificance of their existence. Starting with Manilov and ending with Plyushkin, the author intensifies his satire and exposes the criminal world of landowner-bureaucratic Russia.

The main character of the work is Chichikov- until the last chapter of the first volume remains a mystery to everyone: both for officials of the city of N and for readers. The author reveals the inner world of Pavel Ivanovich in scenes of his meetings with landowners. Gogol draws attention to the fact that Chichikov is constantly changing and almost copies the behavior of his interlocutors. Talking about Chichikov’s meeting with Korobochka, Gogol says that in Russia a person talks differently to the owners of two hundred, three hundred, five hundred souls: “... even if you reach a million, there will be all shades.”

Chichikov has studied people well, knows how to find a benefit in any situation, and always says what they would like to hear from him. So, with Manilov, Chichikov is pompous, amiable and flattering. He talks to Korobochka without any special ceremony, and his vocabulary is in tune with the style of the hostess. Communication with the arrogant liar Nozdryov is not easy, since Pavel Ivanovich does not tolerate familiar treatment, “...unless the person is of too high a rank.” However, hoping for a profitable deal, he does not leave Nozdryov’s estate until the last moment and tries to become like him: he addresses himself as “you,” adopts a boorish tone, and behaves familiarly. The image of Sobakevich, personifying the thoroughness of a landowner's life, immediately prompts Pavel Ivanovich to conduct as thorough a conversation as possible about dead souls. Chichikov manages to win over the “hole in the human body” - Plyushkin, who has long lost touch with outside world and forgot the rules of politeness. To do this, it was enough for him to play the role of a “motishka”, ready, at a loss to himself, to save a casual acquaintance from the need to pay taxes for dead peasants.

It is not difficult for Chichikov to change his appearance, because it has all the qualities that form the basis of the characters of the depicted landowners. This is confirmed by the episodes in the poem where Chichikov is left alone with himself and does not need to adapt to those around him. While examining the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich “teared off a poster nailed to a post so that when he came home, he could read it thoroughly,” and after reading it, “he folded it neatly and put it in his little chest, where he used to put everything he came across.” This is reminiscent of the habits of Plyushkin, who collected and stored various kinds rags and toothpicks. The colorlessness and uncertainty that accompany Chichikov until the last pages of the first volume of the poem make him similar to Manilov. That is why officials of the provincial city are making ridiculous guesses, trying to establish true personality hero. Chichikova's love for neatly and pedantically arranging everything in his little chest brings him closer to Korobochka. Nozdryov notices that Chichikov looks like Sobakevich. All this suggests that in the character of the main character, as in a mirror, the traits of all landowners were reflected: Manilov’s love for meaningless conversations and “noble” gestures, and Korobochka’s pettiness, and Nozdryov’s narcissism, and Sobakevich’s rudeness, and Plyushkin’s hoarding.

And at the same time, Chichikov differs sharply from the landowners shown in the first chapters of the poem. He has a different psychology than Manilov, Sobakevich, Nozdryov and other landowners. He is characterized by extraordinary energy, business acumen, and determination, although morally he does not rise at all above the owners of serf souls. Many years of bureaucratic activity left a noticeable imprint on his demeanor and speech. Evidence of this is the warm welcome given to him in the provincial " high society" Among officials and landowners he new person, the acquirer who will replace the Manilovs, Nozdrevs, Sobakevichs and Plyushkins.

Chichikov's soul, just like the souls of landowners and officials, became dead. The “brilliant joy of life” is inaccessible to him; he is almost completely deprived human feelings. In order to achieve his practical goals, he pacified his blood, which “played strongly.”

Gogol sought to understand the psychological nature of Chichikov as a new phenomenon, and for this, in the last chapter of the poem he talks about his life. Chichikov's biography explains the formation of the character revealed in the poem. The hero's childhood was dull and joyless, without friends and maternal affection, with constant reproaches from his sick father, and could not help but affect his future fate. His father left him an inheritance of half a copper and a covenant to study diligently, please teachers and bosses, and, most importantly, save a penny. Pavlusha learned his father’s instructions well and directed all his energy towards achieving his cherished goal - wealth. He quickly realized that all lofty concepts only interfere with the achievement of his goal, and began to make his own way. At first, he acted childishly and straightforwardly - he pleased the teacher in every possible way and thanks to this he became his favorite. As he grew up, he realized that you can find a special approach to each person, and began to achieve more significant success. Promising to marry the daughter of his boss, he received a position as a military officer. While serving at customs, he managed to convince his superiors of his integrity, and later established contacts with smugglers and made a huge fortune. All of Chichikov’s brilliant victories ultimately ended in failure, but no failures could break his thirst for profit.

However, the author notes that in Chichikov, unlike Plyushkin, “there was no attachment to money for the sake of money, he was not possessed by miserliness and stinginess. No, it was not they who moved him - he imagined life ahead in all its pleasures, so that finally later, over time, he would certainly taste all this, that’s why the penny was saved.” Gogol notes that the main character of the poem is the only character capable of manifesting the movements of the soul. “Apparently the Chichikovs also turn into poets for a few minutes,” says the author, when his hero stops “as if stunned by a blow” in front of the governor’s young daughter. And it was precisely this “human” movement of the soul that led to the failure of his promising venture. According to the author, sincerity, sincerity and selflessness are the most dangerous qualities in a world where cynicism, lies and profit reign. The fact that Gogol transferred his hero to the second volume of the poem suggests that he believed in his spiritual rebirth. In the second volume of the poem, the writer planned to spiritually “cleanse” Chichikov and put him on the path of spiritual resurrection. The resurrection of the “hero of the time,” according to him, was supposed to be the beginning of the resurrection of the entire society. But, unfortunately, the second volume of “Dead Souls” was burned, and the third was not written, so we can only guess how Chichikov’s moral revival took place.

All topics in the book “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol. Summary. Features of the poem. Essays":

Summary poem "Dead Souls":