The comedy “The Inspector General” by N.V. Gogol is one of the most striking dramatic works Russian literature of the 19th century century. The author continued the traditions of Russian satirical drama, the foundations of which were laid in the comedies of Fonvizin “The Minor” and Griboyedov “Woe from Wit”.
The comedy “The Inspector General” represents a deeply realistic work, which reflected the vices of the landowner-bureaucratic system of Russia in the thirties of the 19th century. An important place in the system of comedy characters is occupied by officials inhabiting the county town. This is a collective, generalized image, derived satirically, because it includes everything negative in political system Russia at that time. In the “Author's Confession,” the writer indicated that he “decided to collect in one pile all the bad things in Russia that he knew then, all the injustices.” Gogol decided to summarize in his planned comedy the most striking vices of contemporary government.
The author, with his comedy, established a new idea in Russian literature - not the performers, but the laws themselves, the entire structure of the existing system, are to blame for what the work of the great master told.
Thus, the Mayor justifies his sins with the words: “I’m not the first, I’m not the last, everyone does this.”
The main place among the officials of the district city is given to the mayor - Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky. Gogol in “Notes for Gentlemen Actors” gave essential characteristics of each of the main characters of the comedy. Thus, the author characterizes Gorodnichy: “Although he is a bribe-taker, he behaves respectably.” This image is revealed more fully in the speech characteristics of the character himself. He is a solid hero and conducts a solid, measured conversation. He is generated by the environment and raised by it. The mayor is the image of everyone state power contemporary Gogol Russia. He knows that he is a sinner, goes to church, thinks that he is firm in his faith, and thinks of repenting someday. But the temptation is great for him not to miss what “floats in his hands.” With the arrival of the auditor, deceiving himself, he hopes to become a general. By endowing the hero with natural weaknesses, the author makes him more humane and thereby elevates him above the other characters in the play. At the moment of epiphany, he throws into the faces of the officials and into the audience: “I don’t see anything: I see some pig snouts instead of faces, but nothing else...”, “Why are you laughing? You’re laughing at yourself!..”
Judge Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin is no less guilty of bribes. He is busy with himself and his mind, and is an atheist only because in this field there is scope to “prove himself.” He has a great passion for hound hunting. We can judge the character’s cultural level from the author’s remark: “A man who has read five or six books and is therefore somewhat free-thinking.” The collegiate assessor says, “like an ancient clock that first hisses and then strikes.”
The main characters include the court councilor Strawberry. For greater typification, Gogol violates the usual structure of government of a county town. The position of Zemlyanika - trustee of charitable institutions - was only in provincial cities, and not in the district city described by the author. This is a fat man, “but a thin rogue.” He thinks only about how to show himself.
Thus, the superintendent of schools Luka Lukich Khlopov, a titular adviser, “is frightened by frequent inspections and reprimands for unknown reasons,” “very helpful and fussy.” The position of court councilor and postmaster is occupied by Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin. This is a simple-minded person to the point of naivety and stupidity, looking at life as a meeting interesting stories, which he reads in the letters he prints.
Among the officials of the district city, a prominent place is occupied by Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, a petty official from St. Petersburg, who goes to his village at the call of his father. This is a stupid, frivolous college registrar, “about twenty-three years old,” “as they say, without a king in his head.” Words from this mouth young man“take off completely unexpectedly.”
He became a significant person thanks to the general power of fear that gripped the officials before retribution for their sins. He lies masterfully and believes in his own lies, wanting to show off in front of the district officials who complacently listen to him. Gogol himself considered the role of Khlestakov the most difficult in the comedy.
Among the officials of the county town are the minor characters of the comedy. These are honorary citizens, retired officials: Korobkin, Lyulyukov, Rastakovsky.
The number of officials in the “Inspector General” is not limited only to current persons. These also include minor characters. A real auditor from St. Petersburg, assessor in court, Andrei Ivanovich Chmykhov, Kostroma and Saratov officials complement the portraits of stage characters.
The images of officials satirically depicted in “The Inspector General” are characterized by common, typical features. This is the spirit of nepotism (all officials are connected mutual guarantee), and bribery (“Look, you’re not taking according to your rank”), in relation to which there is strict subordination, and the attitude to public service as an opportunity to profit at someone else’s expense, and failure to fulfill one’s direct duties. All officials are characterized by idle pastime, ignorance, low cultural level, a sense of fear of their superiors, and a disdainful attitude towards the people. A person's position in society is determined by rank.
When describing the world of bribe-takers and embezzlers, Gogol used various means of creating images of officials. For example, author's remarks, speech characteristic characters, actions of heroes, letters from Andrei Ivanovich Chmykhov, in which the image of the Governor is fully revealed, letters from Khlestakov to Tryapichkin. The names of the characters in the play also contain semantic characteristics: Khlestakov, Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky, Strawberry, Gibner.
In his comedy, Gogol did not bring out a single positive person. The only one positive hero comedy is laughter, with the help of which the author denounces and ridicules the world of embezzlers, devoid of conscience and any responsibility.
The images of officials presented in N.V. Gogol’s comedy play an important role in revealing the author’s ideological and artistic intent. With their help, the playwright denounces not only the bureaucracy of the county town, but also the entire bureaucratic system of Russia.

The comedy by N.V. Gogol The Inspector General is one of the most striking dramatic works Russian literature of the 19th century. The author continued the traditions of Russian satirical drama, the foundations of which were laid in famous comedies The undergrowth of D. I. Fonvizin and Woe from Wit of A. S. Griboyedov. The Inspector General is a deeply realistic work showing the world of small and medium-sized provincial officials in Russia in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. When describing this world, N.V. Gogol widely used the literary techniques at his disposal to characterize his characters, doing it in an entertaining and easily accessible form to the viewer and reader. On the very first page we learn that the name of the private bailiff is Ukhovertov, and the name of the district doctor is Gibner. From here the reader gets a fairly complete picture of these characters and the author’s attitude towards them. In addition, the writer gave brief characteristics each of the main characters, which help to better understand the essence of each character. Mayor: although he is a bribe-taker, he behaves very respectably; Anna Andreevna: raised half on novels and albums, half on chores in her pantry and maid's room; Khlestakov: without a king in his head, speaks and acts without any consideration; Osip: a servant, such as servants who are several years old usually are; Lyapkin-Tyapkin: a person who has read five or six books and is therefore somewhat freethinking; postmaster: a man who is simple-minded to the point of naivety. Speech portraits are also given in Khlestakov’s letters to St. Petersburg to his friend Tryapichkin. For example, Strawberry, according to Khlestakov, is a perfect pig in a yarmulke. Main literary device, which Gogol uses in his comic portrayal of officials, is hyperbole. As an example, we can cite Christian Ivanovich Gibner, who is not even able to communicate with his patients due to complete ignorance of the Russian language, and Ammos Fedorovich and the postmaster, who decided that the arrival of the auditor foreshadows the coming war. At first, the plot of the comedy itself is hyperbolic, but as the action develops, starting with Khlestakov’s story about his life in St. Petersburg, the hyperbole gives way to the grotesque. Blinded by fear for their future, officials and clutching at Khlestakov like a straw, the city merchants and ordinary people are not able to appreciate the entire absurdity of what is happening, and the absurdities are piled on top of each other: here is the non-commissioned officer who flogged herself, and Bobchinsky, asking to bring to the information of the emperor that Pyotr Ivanovich Bobchinsky lives in such and such a city, and much more. The climax and the denouement that follows it come very abruptly. Khlestakov’s letter gives such a simple and even banal explanation for the events that at this moment it looks much more implausible to the Governor than all of Khlestakov’s fantasies. The mayor, apparently, will have to pay for the sins of his circle as a whole. Of course, he himself is not an angel, nor is the blow so strong that something like an epiphany occurs: I don’t see anything: I see some pig snouts instead of faces, but nothing else…. Why are you laughing? You're laughing at yourself! he throws it in the faces of the officials and into the hall. By endowing the Governor with sarcasm, Gogol makes him more humane and thereby elevates him above the other characters in the comedy. In a silent scene, the inhabitants of a provincial town, mired in bribes, drunkenness, and gossip, stand as if struck by thunder. But here comes a thunderstorm that will wash away the dirt, punish vice and reward virtue. In this scene, Gogol reflected his faith in the justice of the higher authorities, thereby scourging, as Nekrasov put it, little thieves for the pleasure of the big ones. The pathos of the silent scene somehow does not fit with the general spirit of comedy. The comedy The Inspector General immediately became one of the most popular dramatic works of that time and was a harbinger of Ostrovsky's plays. Emperor Nicholas I said this about her: Everyone here got it, and I got it more than anyone else.

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1. Gogol's wonderful comedy easily and freely introduces the reader and viewer into the world of a provincial provincial town, remote from the capitals and cultural centers. The measured course of life is disrupted by the “unpleasant news” of the arrival of secret auditor, which the mayor reports to his entourage at the beginning of the play. Read More......
2. The plot of the comedy “The Inspector General”, as well as the plot of the immortal poem “ Dead Souls”, was presented to Gogol by A.S. Pushkin. Gogol has long dreamed of writing a comedy about Russia, making fun of the shortcomings of the Bureaucratic system, which are so well known to every Russian person. Working on a comedy is Read More......
3. The plot of the comedy The Inspector General, as well as the plot of the immortal poems Dead souls, was presented to Gogol by A.S. Pushkin. Gogol has long dreamed of writing a comedy about Russia, making fun of the shortcomings of the bureaucratic system, which are so well known to every Russian person. Working on a comedy is so Read More......
4. The plot of the comedy “The Inspector General,” as well as the plot of the immortal poem “Dead Souls,” was presented to Gogol by A. S. Pushkin. Gogol has long dreamed of writing a comedy about Russia, making fun of the shortcomings of the bureaucratic system, which are so well known to every Russian person. Working on a comedy is so Read More......
5. Together with hapless government officials living and working in a small provincial town, in “The Inspector General” Gogol introduces us to a visiting sly man from St. Petersburg. It was this scoundrel who managed to violate quiet life in the city and fool all the officials. The false auditor is given a central place in the satirical Read More......
6. N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” acquired social significance. The author criticized and ridiculed vices and shortcomings Tsarist Russia. Gogol chooses a small provincial town as the setting for the work, from which “even if you ride for three years, you won’t reach any state.” The characters of the play Read More ......
7. The appearance of the comedy “The Inspector General” in 1836 caused an uplifting and exciting feeling in society. This spring gave the audience a meeting with a real masterpiece. More than 160 years have passed since then, but the comedy “The Inspector General” has not lost its relevance and its sound today. Not Read More......
8. comedy and in the poem Gogol addressed important social topics. In them we're talking about about the life of entire classes - county officials, landed nobility. In the author's field of vision. The places where events take place are generalized and typified: not even a small town is defined geographically, Read More ......

essay on literature

"The Inspector General" is one of best works N.V. Gogol. Speaking about the idea of ​​the comedy, the author stated that in it he decided
This is exactly how the city N came into being, to which the auditor comes. His arrival is a complete surprise for all officials, since each of them has something to hide from the state inspector.
The main official in the city is, of course, the mayor. This is not a stupid person, “already old in the service”, therefore he knows all the intricacies of bureaucratic behavior, cunning, rude and, most importantly, a bribe-taker. For him, the worst thing is denunciation:

To find out if there was any complaint against him, the mayor asks the postmaster Shpekin to open every letter that comes to the city.
The mayor considers himself the rightful owner of the city, enjoys his position and is very afraid of losing his position, therefore he categorically forbids showing petitioners and those wishing to complain about harassment from the head of the city to the imaginary auditor. The habit of taking and giving bribes is so ingrained in his mind that he confidently declares:

The mayor showed himself to the fullest in last scene comedy, when it turns out that Khlestakov is not an auditor at all. The hero screams, calls himself an old fool, does not understand how he, who managed to deceive more than one merchant and governor, was deceived by some scoundrel from St. Petersburg. But in order to relieve himself of the blame for such a miscalculation, he, following the rest of the officials, lashes out at Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky.
All charitable institutions of the city are under the leadership of Artemy Filippovich Strawberry. But this man’s only last name turned out to be sweet. This official is stupid, greedy and cowardly. But, like the mayor, he understands the intricacies of the state “service” very well, because it is Strawberry who proposes, under a “plausible pretext,” to give Khlestakov money and teaches how to do it “correctly.” The hero himself takes bribes and does not hide it: for example, he directly tells Lyapkin-Tyapkin that the sick are prescribed to be fed with oatmeal soup, but his hospitals only smell like cabbage. The official does not care at all that people in his establishments die all the time (“They recover like flies,” he says, without embarrassment, to Khlestakov). He lives with the firm conviction that if it is desired, a person will recover, and if not, then he will die anyway. At the same time, Strawberry is a vile person. Thus, when meeting with an imaginary auditor, in a conversation about local officials, he speaks about the caretaker educational institutions as a freethinker and offers to write a denunciation against him.
Quite speaking surname and from the private bailiff Stepan Ilyich Ukhovertov, as well as the policeman of Derzhimorda. Only by the surnames of these characters can one already judge what methods they prefer to use in the service.
The name of Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin also speaks quite eloquently about him. Litigation and documents are a dark matter for him. Ammos Fedorovich directly states that if any auditor looks at the papers, he will not understand anything in them, since he has been in this position for so many years, and still does not understand everything. Lyapkin-Tyapkin, like all city officials, is a bribe-taker. But, being a lover of hound hunting, he takes bribes with greyhound puppies, and therefore does not consider this a bribe.
Postmaster Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin is a very stupid and naive person. He calls his position “a pleasant pastime.” This character, without a twinge of conscience, opens letters from townspeople and collects the most interesting ones. Therefore, Gogol depicts his embarrassment with great irony when the mayor invites him to read the letters in order to find the report, and also at the moment when Shpekin brings Khlestakov’s revealing letter.
Thus, the differences between officials are negligible. They all take bribes without considering it a crime, they are all indifferent to their job responsibilities, are rude to subordinates, ingratiate themselves with those of higher rank. They all consider themselves the masters of the city, who can decide its fate and the fate of its inhabitants at their own discretion.
In his comedy N.V. Gogol paints a picture of the degradation of Russian bureaucracy. With amazing subtlety and skill, the author was able to depict each image, which, without losing its individual originality, at the same time represented a typical phenomenon of that era.

Motive for rejection modern image life is quite clearly visible in all of Gogol’s works. This is “Taras Bulba” together with “Old World Landowners”, where Gogol turns to romanticism as a method in order to show all the pettiness and emptiness in contrast with the past present life. These are the St. Petersburg stories, where this motive is so obvious and strong that there is even special meaning in writing about it. These are, finally, the main (according to many) works of Gogol - Dead Souls and The Inspector General. There modern life personifies the bureaucratic class. This is what our conversation will be about.

In the Auditor, officials are the main ones characters, on which all of Gogol’s satire is focused. IN " Dead souls"Somewhat differently. Despite the fact that the poem mainly focuses its attention on landowners, and not on officials, starting from the seventh chapter, they begin to play an important role in the work, which must be understood if we want to comprehend the entire complex meaning of the work.

Let’s start, perhaps, with “The Inspector General,” since this work was written by Gogol while writing the first volume of “Dead Souls,” and understanding the image of officials in “The Inspector General” helps to understand the image of officials in “Dead Souls.” The miracle and genius of the comedy, in my opinion, lies in the fact that Gogol portrayed the image of each individual landowner in such a way that he does not lose his individuality, but, at the same time, represents himself as part of this class, unloved by Gogol.

Each official has his own distinctive features and features. Anton Antonovich, for example, does not miss what “floats into his hands”, he is cunning, he loves to embezzle government money, as happened with the church under construction. He is one of the main persons of the philosophy that Nikolai Vasilyevich denies. It appears from time to time in his phrases in conversations with other officials.

The mayor is a swindler, a bribe-taker, who is afraid of only one thing - his superiors. That's why he was so distraught when he learned about the arrival of the auditor. The fear of punishment clouded his and other officials' reason. So much so that they mistook Khlestakov, a petty liar, for a significant person.

Other “city fathers” do not lag behind the mayor. Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin is a fan of hound hunting. He takes bribes exclusively with greyhound puppies. Among other officials he is known as a freethinker, since he “read five or six books” (one senses Gogol’s irony). He is less afraid than others, because he is calm that no one will look into his court. Artemy Filippovich Zemlyanika is a “pig in a yarmulke,” a trustee of charitable institutions who keeps a German doctor who does not understand anything in Russian.

Alogisms in general are often found in the work. Strawberry ultimately betrays all his comrades to Khlestakov, exposing his nature. Luka Lukich Khlopov is an extremely stupid and empty person. He is a trustee of educational institutions and is always complaining about teachers. Finally, postmaster Shpekin, who spends his leisure time opening other people's letters and reading them. Ultimately, this “feature” of his reveals Khlestakov.

Moreover, Shpekin does not even understand that he is committing a bad act, but is only afraid of the fact that he is opening letters from high-ranking people. Despite the differences between these people, they are all part of a single whole. They are all slackers and do not care at all about the people entrusted to them. And if you leave out all the comedy, it becomes really scary.

As for Gogol’s poem, the officials are given the first chapter, as well as all the following after the 7th. Despite the absence of detailed and detailed images similar to the landowner heroes, the picture of bureaucratic life is strikingly accurate and expressive. He depicts this reality in an amazingly lapidary way, applying only certain “strokes”, like an embroidering governor and prosecutor, about whom nothing can be said other than his eyebrows. Another thing is also noteworthy.

Nikolai Vasilyevich in the poem carries out a certain classification of officials. In particular, in the first chapter, when describing the ball, there are “thin” and “thick”. Accordingly, the “fat” ones are the elite, already in years, settled down, benefiting from their position, and the “thin” ones are young, impulsive people. Chapter 7 describes the office, where there are the so-called “lower” ones - clerks, whose only occupation is to eavesdrop on different stories.

Sobakevich gives the officials a rather vicious but accurate description: “The swindler sits on the swindler and drives the swindler around.” All officials mess around, cheat, steal, offend the weak and tremble before the strong. All of them are a faceless mass, similar to “a squadron of flies that swoop down on the tasty morsels of refined sugar.”

Their behavior after the revelation of Chichikov’s scam and their attitude towards him in general are noteworthy. Chichikov, a master of communication, managed to win over each of them through flattery. And then, when his plan was revealed because of Nozdryov, the officials at first did not believe it, and then began to fear for themselves and their place. So much so that the prosecutor dies. After which it is discovered that he has a soul. Gogol's irony, as always, is felt.

But you really feel uneasy when you read “the story of Captain Kopeikin.” Her casual style of presentation is in direct contrast to her message. A person who has bled for his fatherland cannot receive help. Even the most basic. And this is to blame for the officials - the most diverse. Starting from the provincial secretary to the highest St. Petersburg dignitary. All of them are cold towards the misfortune of others and the fate of their state.

Summing up the above, we understand that the bureaucracy in both personifies everything that Nikolai Vasilyevich is struggling with. Namely, the aimlessness of existence, stupidity, spiritual emptiness and lawlessness in relation to people. This is precisely what explains their faceless images.

“The Inspector General” is a comedy that every schoolchild, as well as adults, is familiar with. According to Gogol, he wanted to collect in this work “everything bad” that was happening in Russia at that time. The author wanted to show what injustice reigns in those places where justice is needed most. Characteristics of the characters will help you fully understand the theme of the comedy. “The Inspector General” is a comedy that showed the true face of bureaucracy at the beginning of the 19th century.

The main idea of ​​"The Inspector General". What did the author want to show?

It is the characteristics of the characters that will help you understand the main thought and idea of ​​the work. “The Inspector General” reflects the bureaucracy of that time and each character in the work helps the reader understand what the author wanted to say with this comedy.

It must be said that every action taking place in the comedy reflects the entire administrative-bureaucratic system. The image of officials in the comedy “The Inspector General” clearly shows readers of the 21st century the true face of the bureaucracy of that time. Gogol wanted to show what was always carefully hidden from society.

The history of the creation of "The Inspector General"

It is known that Gogol began working on the play in 1835. There are several versions about what was the reason for writing “The Inspector General”. However, it is worth noting that the traditional version is that the plot of the future comedy was suggested to the author by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. There is confirmation of this, which was found in the memoirs of Vladimir Sollogub. He wrote that Pushkin met Gogol, after which he told him about an incident that happened in the city of Ustyuzhna: some passing, unknown gentleman robbed all the residents, posing as a ministry official.

Pushkin's participation in the creation of the comedy

There is another version, also based on the words of Sollogub, which suggests that Pushkin himself was once mistaken for an official when he was in Nizhny Novgorod in order to collect materials about the Pugachev rebellion.

While writing the play, Gogol communicated with Pushkin and informed him about how work on “The Inspector General” was going. It is worth noting that the author tried several times to quit working on the comedy, and it was Alexander Sergeevich who insisted that Gogol finish the work.

The image of officials in the comedy “The Inspector General” reflects the bureaucracy of that time. It is worth saying that the story underlying the work reveals the whole essence of the administrative and bureaucratic system of Russia at the beginning of the 19th century.

The image of the main characters in the comedy "The Inspector General". Table of officials

In order to understand main idea and the theme of the work, it is necessary to understand the images of the main characters in the comedy. All of them reflect the officialdom of that time and show the reader what injustice reigned where justice should have been above all.

The main characters of the comedy "The Inspector General". Table of officials. A brief description of.

The image of officials in the comedy “The Inspector General” shows what injustice reigned at that time. In courts, hospitals and other institutions, it would seem that there should be justice and honesty, but the images of officials in Gogol’s work clearly show that at the beginning of the 19th century, things were completely different throughout Russia.

The main idea of ​​the comedy "The Inspector General". Theme of the work

Gogol said that in his work he wanted to collect all the “stupidity” that was observed at that time. The theme of the play is to ridicule human vices: hypocrisy, fraud, self-interest, etc. The image of officials in the comedy “The Inspector General” is a reflection of the true essence of officials. The author of the work wanted to convey that they were unjust, dishonest and stupid. The bureaucrats cared absolutely nothing about ordinary people.

The comic nature of "The Inspector General"

The comicality of the work lies in the fact that instead of the auditor, whom everyone in the city was afraid of, an ordinary person arrived, deceiving all the officials.

"The Inspector General" is a comedy that shows the true face of Russian officials in the early 19th century. The author wanted to show: they were so unfair, pathetic and stupid that they could not distinguish ordinary person from a real auditor.