What is the work about? Dead souls. The humble beginning of a great poem. Large-scale plan and everyday problems of the characters

In Gogol's work one can discern both good and bad sides in Russia. The author positions dead souls not as dead people, but as officials and ordinary people, whose souls have hardened from callousness and indifference to others.

One of the main characters of the poem was Chichikov, who visited five landowner estates. And in this series of trips, Chichikov concludes that each of the landowners is the owner of a nasty and dirty soul. At the beginning it may seem that Manilov, Sobakevich, Nozdrev, Korobochka are completely different, but nevertheless they are connected by ordinary worthlessness, which reflects the entire landowner foundation in Russia.

The author himself appears in this work like a prophet, who describes these terrible events in the life of Rus', and then outlines a way out to a distant but bright future. The very essence of human ugliness is described in the poem at the moment when landowners are discussing how to deal with “dead souls”, make an exchange or a profitable sale, or maybe even give it to someone.

And despite the fact that the author describes a rather stormy and active life cities, at their core, are just empty vanity. The worst thing is that a dead soul is an everyday occurrence. Gogol also unites all the officials of the city into one faceless face, which differs only in the presence of warts on it.

So, from the words of Soba-kevich, you can see that everyone around is swindlers, sellers of Christ, that each of them pleases and covers up the other, for the sake of their own benefit and well-being. And above all this stench rose pure and bright Rus', which the author hopes will definitely be reborn.

According to Gogol, only the people have living souls. Who, under all this pressure of serfdom, preserved the living Russian soul. And she lives in the word of the people, in their deeds, in their sharp mind. In a lyrical digression, the author created the same image of ideal Rus' and its heroic people.

Gogol himself does not know which path Rus' will choose, but he hopes that it will not contain such characters as Plyushkin, Sobakevich, Nozdryov, Korobochka. And only with understanding and insight, all this without spirituality, can the Russian people rise from their knees, recreating an ideal spiritual and pure world.

Option 2

The great Russian writer N.V. Gogol worked in difficult times for Russia. The unsuccessful Decembrist uprising was suppressed. There are trials and repressions throughout the country. The poem “Dead Souls” is a portrait of modernity. The plot of the poem is simple, the characters are written simply and are easy to read. But in everything written there is a sense of sadness.

In Gogol, the concept of “dead souls” has two meanings. Dead souls are dead serfs and landowners with dead souls. The writer considered slave serfdom to be a great evil in Russia, which contributed to the extinction of peasants and the destruction of the country’s culture and economy. Talking about landowner dead souls, Nikolai Vasilyevich embodied autocratic power in them. Describing his heroes, he hopes for the revival of Rus', for warm human souls.

Russia is revealed in the work through the eyes of the main character Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich. The landowners are described in the poem not as the support of the state, but as a decaying part of the state, dead souls that cannot be relied upon. Plyushkin's bread is dying, without benefit to people. Manilov carefreely manages an abandoned estate. Nozdryov, having brought the farm into complete disrepair, plays cards and gets drunk. In these images the writer shows what is happening in modern Russia. « Dead souls“, Gogol contrasts ordinary Russian people with the oppressors. People deprived of all rights who can be bought and sold. They appear in the form of “living souls.”

Gogol writes with great warmth and love about the abilities of the peasants, about their hard work and talents.

The carpenter Cork, a healthy hero, traveled almost all over Russia and built many houses. Beautiful and durable carriages are made by carriage maker Mityai. Stove maker Milushkin builds high-quality stoves. Shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov could make boots from any material. Gogol's serfs are shown as conscientious workers who are passionate about their work.

Gogol fervently believes in the bright future of his Russia, in the enormous, but for the time being hidden talents of the people. He hopes that a ray of happiness and goodness will break through even into the dead souls of the landowners. His main character Chichikov P.I. remembers his mother's love and his childhood. This gives the author hope that even callous people have something human left in their souls.

Gogol's works are funny and sad at the same time. Reading them, you can laugh at the shortcomings of the heroes, but at the same time think about what can be changed. Gogol's poem - shining example the author's negative attitude towards serfdom.

Several interesting essays

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• Characteristics and image of Lydia Mikhailovna in Rasputin's story French lessons essay

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a chaise is driving in. She is met by men chatting about nothing. They look at the wheel and try to figure out how far it can go. The guest of the city turns out to be Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He came to the city on business about which there is no exact information - “according to his needs.”

The young landowner has an interesting appearance:

• narrow short trousers made of white rosin fabric;
• fashionable tailcoat;
• pin in the shape of a bronze pistol.

The landowner is distinguished by his innocent dignity; he “blows his nose” loudly, like a trumpet, and those around him are frightened by the sound. Chichikov checked into a hotel, asked about the residents of the city, but did not tell anything about himself. In his communication he managed to create the impression of a pleasant guest.

The next day, the city guest spent time on visits. He managed to choose for everyone kind word, flattery penetrated the hearts of the officials. The city started talking about the pleasant man who visited them. Moreover, Chichikov managed to charm not only men, but also women. Pavel Ivanovich was invited by landowners who were in the city on business: Manilov and Sobakevich. At a dinner with the police chief, he met Nozdryov. The hero of the poem managed to make a pleasant impression on everyone, even those who rarely spoke positively about anyone.

Chapter 2

Pavel Ivanovich has been in the city for more than a week. He attended parties, dinners and balls. Chichikov decided to visit the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich. The reason for this decision was different. The master had two serfs: Petrushka and Selifan. The first silent reader. He read everything he could get his hands on, in any position. He liked the unknown and unclear words. His other passions: sleeping in clothes, preserving his scent. The coachman Selifan was completely different. In the morning we went to Manilov. They looked for the estate for a long time, it turned out to be more than 15 miles away, which the landowner spoke about. The master's house stood open to all winds. The architecture was in the English style, but only vaguely resembled it. Manilov broke into a smile as the guest approached. The owner's character is difficult to describe. The impression changes depending on how close a person gets to him. The landowner has an alluring smile, blond hair and blue eyes. The first impression is that he is a very pleasant man, then his opinion begins to change. They began to get tired of him because they did not hear a single living word. The economy went on by itself. The dreams were absurd and impossible: an underground passage, for example. He could read one page for several years in a row. There was not enough furniture. The relationship between wife and husband resembled voluptuous dishes. They kissed and created surprises for each other. They didn't care about anything else. The conversation begins with questions about the residents of the city. Manilov considers everyone to be pleasant people, sweet and kind. The intensifying particle pre- is constantly added to the characteristics: most amiable, most venerable, and others. The conversation turned into an exchange of compliments. The owner had two sons, the names surprised Chichikov: Themistoclus and Alcides. Slowly, but Chichikov decides to ask the owner about the dead on his estate. Manilov did not know how many people died; he ordered the clerk to write down everyone by name. When the landowner heard about the desire to buy dead souls, he was simply dumbfounded. I couldn’t imagine how to draw up a bill of sale for those who were no longer among the living. Manilov transfers souls for free, even pays the costs of transferring them to Chichikov. The farewell was as sweet as the meeting. Manilov stood on the porch for a long time, following the guest with his gaze, then plunged into daydreaming, but the guest’s strange request did not fit into his head, he turned it over until dinner.

Chapter 3

The hero, in excellent spirits, heads to Sobakevich. The weather turned bad. The rain made the road look like a field. Chichikov realized that they were lost. Just when it seemed that the situation was becoming unbearable, dogs were heard barking and a village appeared. Pavel Ivanovich asked to come into the house. He dreamed only of a warm night's sleep. The hostess did not know anyone whose names the guest mentioned. They straightened out the sofa for him, and he woke up only the next day, quite late. The clothes were cleaned and dried. Chichikov went out to the landlady, he communicated with her more freely than with the previous landowners. The hostess introduced herself as college secretary Korobochka. Pavel Ivanovich finds out if her peasants were dying. The box says there are eighteen people. Chichikov asks to sell them. The woman doesn’t understand, she imagines how the dead are dug out of the ground. The guest calms down and explains the benefits of the deal. The old woman doubts, she never sold the dead. All the arguments about the benefits were clear, but the essence of the deal itself was surprising. Chichikov silently called Korobochka a clubhead, but continued to convince. The old lady decided to wait, in case there were more buyers and prices were higher. The conversation did not work out, Pavel Ivanovich began to swear. He was so excited that sweat was rolling off him in three streams. The box liked the guest's chest, the paper. While the deal was being finalized, pies and other homemade food appeared on the table. Chichikov ate pancakes, ordered to lay the chaise and give him a guide. The box gave the girl, but asked not to take her away, otherwise the merchants had already taken one.

Chapter 4

The hero stops at the tavern for lunch. The old woman of the house pleases him by eating pig with horseradish and sour cream. Chichikov asks the woman about her affairs, income, family. The old woman talks about all the local landowners, who eats what. During lunch, two people arrived at the tavern: a blond man and a black man. The blond man was the first to enter the room. The hero had almost begun his acquaintance when the second one appeared. It was Nozdryov. He gave out a ton of information in one minute. He argues with the blond man that he can handle 17 bottles of wine. But he does not agree to the bet. Nozdryov calls Pavel Ivanovich to his place. The servant brought the puppy into the tavern. The owner examined whether there were fleas and ordered to take it back. Chichikov hopes that the losing landowner will sell him the peasants cheaper. The author describes Nozdryov. The appearance of a broken fellow, of which there are many in Rus'. They quickly make friends and become familiar. Nozdryov could not sit at home, his wife quickly died, and a nanny looked after the children. The master constantly got into trouble, but after a while he reappeared in the company of those who beat him. All three carriages drove up to the estate. First, the owner showed the stable, half empty, then the wolf cub, and a pond. Blond doubted everything that Nozdryov said. We came to the kennel. Here the landowner was among his own. He knew each puppy's name. One of the dogs licked Chichikov and immediately spat out of disgust. Nozdryov composed at every step: you can catch hares in the field with your hands, he recently bought timber abroad. After inspecting the property, the men returned to the house. Lunch was not very successful: some things were burnt, others were undercooked. The owner leaned heavily on the wine. The blond son-in-law began to ask to go home. Nozdryov did not want to let him go, but Chichikov supported his desire to leave. The men went into the room, Pavel Ivanovich saw the card in the hands of the owner. He started a conversation about dead souls and asked to donate them. Nozdryov demanded to explain why he needed them, but the guest’s arguments did not satisfy him. Nozdryov called Pavel a fraudster, which greatly offended him. Chichikov proposed a deal, but Nozdryov offers a stallion, a mare and gray horse. The guest didn’t need any of this. Nozdryov haggles further: dogs, barrel organ. He begins to offer an exchange for a chaise. Trade turns into dispute. The owner's violence frightens the hero; he refuses to drink or play. Nozdryov gets more and more excited, he insults Chichikov and calls him names. Pavel Ivanovich stayed overnight, but scolded himself for his carelessness. He should not have started a conversation with Nozdryov about the purpose of his visit. The morning starts again with a game. Nozdryov insists, Chichikov agrees to checkers. But during the game, the checkers seemed to move on their own. The argument almost turned into a fight. The guest turned white as a sheet when he saw Nozdryov swinging his hand. It is unknown how the visit to the estate would have ended if a stranger had not entered the house. It was the police captain who informed Nozdryov about the trial. He inflicted bodily injuries on the landowner with rods. Chichikov no longer waited for the conversation to end; he slipped out of the room, jumped into the chaise and ordered Selifan to rush at full speed away from this house. It was not possible to buy dead souls.

Chapter 5

The hero was very frightened, rushed into the chaise and rushed quickly from the village of Nozdryov. His heart was beating so hard that nothing could calm it down. Chichikov was afraid to imagine what could have happened if the police officer had not appeared. Selifan was indignant that the horse was left unfed. Everyone's thoughts were stopped by a collision with six horses. The stranger's coachman scolded, Selifan tried to defend himself. There was confusion. The horses moved apart and then huddled together. While all this was happening, Chichikov was looking at the unfamiliar blonde. A pretty young girl caught his attention. He didn’t even notice how the chaises uncoupled and drove off in different directions. The beauty melted away like a vision. Pavel began to dream of a girl, especially if he had a large dowry. A village appeared ahead. The hero examines the village with interest. The houses are strong, but the order in which they were built was clumsy. The owner is Sobakevich. Outwardly similar to a bear. The clothes made the resemblance even more precise: a brown tailcoat, long sleeves, a clumsy gait. The master constantly stepped on his feet. The owner invited the guest into the house. The design was interesting: full-length paintings of Greek generals, a Greek heroine with strong, thick legs. The owner was a tall woman, resembling a palm tree. All the decoration of the room, the furniture spoke about the owner, about the resemblance to him. The conversation didn't go well at first. Everyone whom Chichikov tried to praise drew criticism from Sobakevich. The guest tried to praise the table from the city officials, but even here the owner interrupted him. All the food was bad. Sobakevich ate with an appetite that one can only dream of. He said that there is a landowner Plyushkin, whose people are dying like flies. They ate for a very long time, Chichikov felt that he had gained a whole pound of weight after lunch.

Chichikov began talking about his business. He called dead souls non-existent. Sobakevich, to the surprise of the guest, calmly called things by their proper names. He offered to sell them even before Chichikov spoke about it. Then trading began. Moreover, Sobakevich raised the price because his men were strong, healthy peasants, not like others. He described each person who died. Chichikov was amazed and asked to return to the topic of the deal. But Sobakevich stood his ground: his dead were dear. They bargained for a long time and agreed on Chichikov's price. Sobakevich prepared a note with a list of sold peasants. It indicated in detail the craft, age, Family status, in the margins there are additional notes about behavior and attitudes towards drunkenness. The owner asked for a deposit for the paper. The line of transferring money in exchange for an inventory of peasants makes me smile. The exchange was carried out with distrust. Chichikov asked to leave the deal between them and not to disclose information about it. Chichikov leaves the estate. He wants to go to Plyushkin, whose men are dying like flies, but he doesn’t want Sobakevich to know about it. And he stands at the door of the house to see where the guest will turn.

Chapter 6

Chichikov, thinking about the nicknames that the men gave Plyushkin, drives up to his village. The large village greeted the guest with a log pavement. The logs rose like piano keys. It was a rare rider who could ride without a bump or bruise. All the buildings were dilapidated and old. Chichikov examines the village with signs of poverty: leaky houses, old stacks of bread, ribbed roofs, windows covered with rags. The owner's house looked even stranger: the long castle resembled a disabled person. All but two windows were closed or covered. The open windows did not look familiar. The strange-looking garden located behind the master's castle was corrected. Chichikov drove up to the house and noticed a figure whose gender was difficult to determine. Pavel Ivanovich decided that it was the housekeeper. He asked if the master was at home. The answer was negative. The housekeeper offered to go into the house. The house was as creepy as the outside. It was a dump of furniture, piles of papers, broken objects, rags. Chichikov saw a toothpick that had turned yellow as if it had lain there for centuries. Paintings hung on the walls, and a chandelier in a bag hung from the ceiling. It looked like a big cocoon of dust with a worm inside. There was a pile in the corner of the room; it would hardly have been possible to understand what was collected in it. Chichikov realized that he was mistaken in determining the gender of a person. More accurately, it was the key holder. The man had a strange beard, like an iron wire comb. The guest, after waiting for a long time in silence, decided to ask where the master was. The key keeper replied that it was him. Chichikov was taken aback. Plyushkin's appearance amazed him, his clothes amazed him. He looked like a beggar standing at the door of a church. There was nothing in common with the landowner. Plyushkin had more than a thousand souls, full pantries and granaries of grain and flour. The house has a lot of wood products and dishes. Everything that Plyushkin had accumulated would have been enough for more than one village. But the landowner went out into the street and dragged into the house everything he found: an old sole, a rag, a nail, a broken piece of crockery. The found objects were placed in a pile, which was located in the room. He took into his hands what the women left behind. True, if he was caught in this, he didn’t argue, he returned it. He was just thrifty, but he became stingy. The character changed, first he cursed his daughter, who ran away with a military man, then his son, who lost at cards. The income was replenished, but Plyushkin was constantly cutting expenses, depriving even himself of small joys. The landowner's daughter visited him, but he held his grandchildren on his lap and gave them money.

There are few such landowners in Rus'. Most people want to live beautifully and widely, but only a few can shrink like Plyushkin.
Chichikov could not start a conversation for a long time; there were no words in his head to explain his visit. In the end, Chichikov started talking about savings, which he wanted to see in person.

Plyushkin does not treat Pavel Ivanovich, explaining that he has a terrible kitchen. A conversation about souls begins. Plyushkin has more than a hundred dead souls. People are dying of hunger, of disease, some are simply running away. To the surprise of the stingy owner, Chichikov offers a deal. Plyushkin is indescribably happy, he considers the guest a stupid man dragging after the actresses. The deal was completed quickly. Plyushkin suggested washing the deal with liquor. But when he described that there were boogers and bugs in the wine, the guest refused. Having copied the dead on a piece of paper, the landowner asked if anyone needed the fugitives. Chichikov was delighted and after a small trade bought 78 fugitive souls from him. Pleased with the acquisition of more than 200 souls, Pavel Ivanovich returned to the city.

Chapter 7

Chichikov got enough sleep and went to the chambers to register ownership of the purchased peasants. To do this, he began to rewrite the papers received from the landowners. Korobochka's men had their own names. Plyushkin's inventory was notable for its brevity. Sobakevich painted each peasant with detail and qualities. Each one had a description of their father and mother. Behind the names and nicknames there were people; Chichikov tried to introduce them. So Pavel Ivanovich was busy with papers until 12 o’clock. On the street he met Manilov. The acquaintances froze in an embrace that lasted more than a quarter of an hour. The paper with the inventory of the peasants was rolled into a tube and tied with a pink ribbon. The list was beautifully designed with an ornate border. Hand in hand, the men went to the wards. In the chambers, Chichikov spent a long time looking for the table he needed, then carefully paid a bribe and went to the chairman for an order allowing him to complete the deal quickly. There he met Sobakevich. The chairman gave orders to gather all the people needed for the deal and gave orders for its rapid completion. The chairman asked why Chichikov needed peasants without land, but he himself answered the question. People gathered, the purchase was completed quickly and successfully. The Chairman proposed to celebrate the acquisition. Everyone headed to the police chief's house. The officials decided that they definitely needed to marry Chichikov. During the evening, he clinked glasses with everyone more than once, noticing that he had to go, Pavel Ivanovich left for the hotel. Selifan and Petrushka, as soon as the master fell asleep, went to the basement, where they stayed almost until the morning; when they returned, they lay down so that it was impossible to move them.

Chapter 8

In the city everyone was talking about Chichikov's purchases. They tried to calculate his wealth and admitted that he was rich. Officials tried to calculate whether it was profitable to purchase peasants for resettlement, and what kind of peasants the landowner bought. The officials scolded the men and felt sorry for Chichikov, who had to transport so many people. There were miscalculations about a possible riot. Some began to give Pavel Ivanovich advice, offering to escort the procession, but Chichikov reassured him, saying that he had bought men who were meek, calm and willing to leave. Chichikov aroused a special attitude among the ladies of the city of N. As soon as they calculated his millions, he became interesting to them. Pavel Ivanovich noticed a new extraordinary attention to himself. One day he found a letter from a lady on his desk. She called him to leave the city for the desert, and out of despair she ended the message with poems about the death of a bird. The letter was anonymous; Chichikov really wanted to figure out the author. The governor is having a ball. The hero of the story appears on it. The eyes of all the guests are turned to him. There was joy on everyone's faces. Chichikov tried to figure out who the messenger of the letter to him was. The ladies showed interest in him, looked for him attractive features. Pavel was so carried away by conversations with the ladies that he forgot about the decency of approaching and introducing himself to the hostess of the ball. The governor's wife approached him herself. Chichikov turned to her and was already preparing to utter some phrase, when he stopped short. Two women stood in front of him. One of them is a blonde who charmed him on the road when he was returning from Nozdryov. Chichikov was embarrassed. The governor's wife introduced him to her daughter. Pavel Ivanovich tried to get out, but he wasn’t very successful. The ladies tried to distract him, but they didn't succeed. Chichikov tries to attract his daughter’s attention, but she is not interested in him. The women began to show that they were not happy with this behavior, but Chichikov could not help himself. He was trying to charm a beautiful blonde. At that moment Nozdryov appeared at the ball. He began to scream loudly and ask Chichikov about dead souls. Addressed a speech to the governor. His words left everyone confused. His speeches sounded crazy. The guests began to look at each other, Chichikov noticed evil lights in the eyes of the ladies. The embarrassment passed, and some people took Nozdryov’s words for lies, stupidity, and slander. Pavel decided to complain about his health. They calmed him down, saying that the brawler Nozdryov had already been taken out, but Chichikov did not feel calmer.

At this time, an event occurred in the city that further increased the hero’s troubles. A carriage that looked like a watermelon drove in. The woman who got out of the cart is the landowner Korobochka. She was tormented for a long time by the thought that she had made a mistake in the deal, and decided to go to the city to find out at what price dead souls were sold here. The author does not convey her conversation, but what it led to is easy to find out from the next chapter.

The governor received two papers containing information about a fugitive robber and a counterfeiter. Two messages were combined into one, the Robber and the counterfeiter was hiding in the image of Chichikov. First, we decided to ask those who communicated with him about him. Manilov spoke flatteringly about the landowner and vouched for him. Sobakevich recognized Pavel Ivanovich good man. The officials were overcome with fear and decided to get together and discuss the problem. The meeting place is with the police chief.

Chapter 10

The officials gathered together and first discussed changes in their appearance. Events led to them losing weight. The discussion was of no use. Everyone was talking about Chichikov. Some decided that he was a government money maker. Others suggested that he was an official from the Governor General's office. They tried to prove to themselves that he could not be a robber. The guest's appearance was very well-intentioned. The officials did not find any violent behavior that is typical of robbers. The postmaster interrupted their arguments with a startling cry. Chichikov - Captain Kopeikin. Many did not know about the captain. The postmaster tells them “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin.” The captain's arm and leg were torn off during the war, and no laws were passed regarding the wounded. He went to his father, who refused him shelter. He himself did not have enough for bread. Kopeikin went to the sovereign. I came to the capital and was confused. He was pointed to the commission. The captain got to her and waited for more than 4 hours. The room was packed with people like beans. The minister noticed Kopeikin and ordered him to come in a few days. Out of joy and hope, he went into the tavern and drank. The next day, Kopeikin received a refusal from the nobleman and an explanation that no orders had yet been issued regarding disabled people. The captain went to see the minister several times, but they stopped receiving him. Kopeikin waited for the nobleman to come out and asked for money, but he said that he could not help, there were many important things to do. He ordered the captain to look for food himself. But Kopeikin began to demand a resolution. He was thrown into a cart and taken by force out of the city. And after some time a gang of robbers appeared. Who was its leader? But the police chief did not have time to pronounce his name. He was interrupted. Chichikov had both an arm and a leg. How could he be Kopeikin? The officials decided that the police chief had gone too far in his fantasies. They came to the decision to call Nozdryov to talk with them. His testimony was completely confusing. Nozdryov made up a bunch of tall tales about Chichikov.

The hero of their conversations and disputes at this time, suspecting nothing, was ill. He decided to lie down for three days. Chichikov gargled and applied herbal decoctions to the gumboil. As soon as he felt better, he went to the governor. The doorman said that he was not ordered to be received. Continuing his walk, he went to the chairman of the chamber, who was very embarrassed. Pavel Ivanovich was surprised: he was either not accepted, or was greeted very strangely. In the evening Nozdryov came to his hotel. He explained the incomprehensible behavior of city officials: false papers, the kidnapping of the governor's daughter. Chichikov realized that he needed to get out of the city as quickly as possible. He sent Nozdryov out, ordered him to pack his suitcase and prepare to leave. Petrushka and Selifan were not very happy with this decision, but there was nothing to do.

Chapter 11

Chichikov is getting ready to go on the road. But unforeseen problems arise that keep him in the city. They are quickly resolved, and the strange guest leaves. Blocks the road funeral procession. The prosecutor was buried. All the noble officials and residents of the city walked in the procession. She was absorbed in thoughts about the future governor-general, how to impress him so as not to lose what she had acquired and not change her position in society. The women thought about the upcoming balls and holidays regarding the appointment of a new person. Chichikov thought to himself that this was a good omen: meeting a dead person on the way was good luck. The author is distracted from describing the protagonist's trip. He reflects on Rus', songs and distances. Then his thoughts are interrupted by the government carriage, which almost collided with Chichikov’s chaise. Dreams go to the word road. The author describes where and how it came from main character. Chichikov's origins are very modest: he was born into a family of nobles, but took after neither his mother nor his father. Childhood in the village ended, and the father took the boy to a relative in the city. Here he began to go to classes and study. He quickly understood how to succeed, began to please the teachers and received a certificate and a book with gold embossing: “For exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.” After the death of his father, Pavel was left with an estate, which he sold, deciding to live in the city. I inherited my father’s instruction: “Take care and save a penny.” Chichikov began with zeal, then with sycophancy. Having made his way into the family of the police chief, he received a vacant position and changed his attitude towards the one who promoted him. The first meanness was the most difficult, then everything went easier. Pavel Ivanovich was a pious man, loved cleanliness, and did not use foul language. Chichikov dreamed of serving in customs. His zealous service did its job, the dream came true. But luck ran out, and the hero had to again look for ways to make money and create wealth. One of the orders - to put the peasants on the Guardian Council - gave him the idea of ​​​​how to change his condition. He decided to buy dead souls and then resell them for settlement underground. Strange idea, hard to understand a simple person, only the cleverly intertwined schemes in Chichikov’s head could fit into the enrichment system. During the author's reasoning, the hero sleeps peacefully. The author compares Rus'

How to understand what Nikolai Gogol really wanted to say

Text: Natalya Lebedeva/RG
Collage: Year of Literature.RF/

Photo portrait of N. V. Gogol from the group daguerreotype of S. L. Levitsky. Author K. A. Fisher/ ru.wikipedia.org

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is rightfully considered one of the most mysterious writers Russian literature. Many secrets of his life and work have not yet been revealed by researchers. One of these mysteries is the fate of the second volume of Dead Souls. Why did Gogol burn the second volume, and did he burn it at all? But literary scholars were still able to reveal some of the secrets of Dead Souls. Why are “Russian men” so remarkable, why did playing whist become a “smart activity” and what role does the fly that flew into Chichikov’s nose play in the novel? About this and more literary historian, translator, candidate philological sciences Evgenia Shraga told on Arzamas.

1. The secret of Russian men

In the first paragraph of Dead Souls, a chaise with Chichikov enters the provincial town of NN:

“His entry made absolutely no noise in the city and was not accompanied by anything special; only two Russian men standing at the door of the tavern opposite the hotel made some comments..."

This is clearly an unnecessary detail: from the first words it is clear that the action takes place in Russia. Why clarify that the men are Russian? Such a phrase would sound appropriate only in the mouth of a foreigner describing his impressions abroad. Literary historian Semyon Vengerov in an article entitled “Gogol did not know real Russian life at all” he explained it this way:

Gogol really learned late about the actual Russian (and not Ukrainian) life, not to mention the life of the Russian province,

Therefore, such an epithet was truly significant for him. Vengerov was sure: “If Gogol had thought about it for even one minute, he would certainly have crossed out this absurd epithet that says absolutely nothing to the Russian reader.”

But he didn’t cross out - and for good reason: in fact, this is a technique that is most characteristic of the poetics of “Dead Souls”, which the poet and philologist

called “a figure of fiction” - when something (and often a lot) is said, but nothing is actually said, definitions do not define, descriptions do not describe.

Another example of this poetics is the description of the main character. He “not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; one cannot say that he is old, but not that he is too young”, “a middle-aged man with a rank neither too high nor too low”, “Mr. mediocre» , whose face we never see, although he looks with pleasure in the mirror.

2. The mystery of the rainbow scarf

This is how we see Chichikov for the first time:

“The gentleman took off his cap and unwound from his neck a woolen scarf of rainbow colors, which the wife prepares for married people with her own hands, providing decent instructions on how to wrap themselves up, but for single people - I probably can’t say who makes it, God knows...”

“...I have never worn a headscarf like this,”- continues the narrator of “Dead Souls”. The description is constructed in a very characteristic Gogol image: the intonation of a know-it-all - “I know everything about such scarves”- changes abruptly to the opposite - “I’m single, I didn’t wear anything like that, I don’t know anything.” Behind this familiar technique and in such a familiar abundance of details, a rainbow scarf is well hidden.

“The next day he woke up quite late in the morning. The sun through the window shone straight into his eyes, and the flies that had slept peacefully yesterday on the walls and ceiling all turned to him: one sat on his lip, another on his ear, the third tried to settle on his very eye, the same one that had the imprudence to sit close to the nasal nostril, he pulled in his sleep right into his nose, which made him sneeze very hard - a circumstance which was the cause his awakening."

It is interesting that the narrative is filled with detailed descriptions of the universal dream, and only this awakening of Chichikov is an event that is described in detail.

Chichikov wakes up from a fly flying into his nose. His feelings are described almost in the same way as the shock of officials who heard about Chichikov’s scam:

“The position of them [the officials] at the first minute was similar to the position of a schoolboy, whose sleepy comrades, who had risen early, thrust a piece of paper filled with tobacco into the nose of a hussar. Having pulled all the tobacco towards himself in his sleep with all the zeal of a sleeper, he awakens, jumps up, looks like a fool, his eyes bulging in all directions, and cannot understand where he is, what he is, what happened to him ... "

Strange rumors alarmed the city, and this excitement is described as the awakening of those who had previously indulged in “dead dreams on their sides, on their backs and in all other positions, with snoring, nasal whistles and other accessories”, the entire “hitherto slumbering city " Before us resurrection of the dead, albeit a parody. But all this had such an effect on the city prosecutor that he completely died. His death is paradoxical, since in a sense it is a resurrection:

A. A. Agin. "Dead Souls". Chichikov and Korobochka. 1846/ www.nasledie-rus.ru

“...They sent for a doctor to draw blood, but they saw that the prosecutor was already one soulless body. Only then did they learn with condolences that the deceased definitely had a soul, although out of his modesty he never showed it.”

The contrast between sleep and awakening is associated with the key motifs of the novel - death and revival. The impetus for awakening can be the most insignificant little thing - a fly, tobacco, a strange rumor. The “Resurrector,” played by Chichikov, does not need to have any special virtues - it is enough for him to be in the role of a fly in his nose: to break the usual course of life.

5. How to keep up with everything: Chichikov’s secret

Chichikov leaves Korobochka:

“Although the day was very good, the ground became so polluted that the wheels of the chaise, catching it, soon became covered with it like felt, which significantly burdened the crew; Moreover, the soil was clayey and unusually tenacious. Both were the reasons that they could not get out of the country roads before noon.”

So, in the afternoon, the hero struggles to get out onto the pillar. Before this, after lengthy bickering, he bought 18 revision souls from Korobochka and ate unleavened pie with eggs and pancakes. Meanwhile, he woke up at ten. How did Chichikov manage to do everything in just over two hours?

This is not the only example of Gogol's free use of time. Setting off from the city of NN to Manilovka, Chichikov gets into a chaise wearing an “overcoat on big bears,” and on the way he meets men in sheepskin coats - the weather is clearly not summer. Arriving at Manilov, he sees a house on the mountain, “clad with trimmed turf”, “bushes of lilacs and yellow acacias”, birch with “small-leafed thin peaks”, “a pond covered with greenery”, women are wandering knee-deep in a pond - no longer wearing any sheepskin coats. Waking up the next morning in Korobochka’s house, Chichikov looks out of the window at “spacious vegetable gardens with cabbage, onions, potatoes, beets and other household vegetables” and “ fruit trees covered with nets to protect them from magpies and sparrows"- The time of year has changed again. Returning to the city, Chichikov will again put on his "a bear covered with brown cloth." “Wearing bears covered with brown cloth and a warm cap with ears” Manilov will also come to the city. In general, as it is said in another Gogol text: “I don’t remember the numbers. It wasn’t a month either.”

Cover of the first edition of the poem “Dead Souls”, made according to a drawing by N. V. Gogol

In general, the world of “Dead Souls” is a world without time. The seasons do not follow each other in order, but accompany a place or character, becoming its additional characteristic. Time stops flowing in the expected way, freezing in an ugly eternity - "a state of continued immobility", according to the philologist Michael Weiskopf.

6. The mystery of the guy with the balalaika

Chichikov orders Selifan to leave at dawn, Selifan scratches his head in response, and the narrator discusses what this means:

“Is it annoyance that the meeting planned for the next day with my brother in an unsightly sheepskin coat, belted with a sash, somewhere in the Tsar’s tavern, somewhere in the Tsar’s tavern, did not work out, or some kind of sweetheart has already started in a new place and I have to leave the evening standing at the gate and political holding of white hands at the hour when twilight falls on the city, a kid in a red shirt strums a balalaika in front of the courtyard servants and weaves quiet speeches of the common, well-served people?<…>God knows, you won't guess. Scratching the back of the head means many different things to the Russian people.”

Such passages are very typical of Gogol: to tell a lot of everything and come to the conclusion that nothing is clear, and there is nothing to talk about at all. But in this next passage that explains nothing, the guy with the balalaika attracts attention. We've already seen it somewhere:

“Approaching the porch, he noticed two faces looking out of the window almost at the same time: a woman’s in a cap, narrow, long, like a cucumber, and a man’s, round, wide, like Moldavian pumpkins, called gourds, from which balalaikas, two-stringed, are made in Rus' , light balalaikas, the beauty and fun of an agile twenty-year-old guy, flashing and dandy, winking and whistling at the white-breasted and white-necked girls who had gathered to listen to his low-stringed strumming.”

You can never predict where Gogol’s comparison will lead:

the comparison of Sobakevich’s face with a Moldavian pumpkin suddenly turns into a scene with the participation of our balalaika player.

Such extended comparisons are one of the techniques with which Gogol further expands art world novel, introduces into the text something that did not fit even into such a capacious plot as a journey, something that Chichikov did not have time or could not see, something that may not fit into the big picture life of the provincial city and its environs.

But Gogol does not stop there, but takes the dandy with the balalaika who appeared in the extended comparison - and again finds a place for him in the text, and now much closer to the plot reality. From a figure of speech, from a comparison grows real character, which earns its place in the novel and ultimately fits into the plot.

7. Corruption secret

Even before the events of Dead Souls began, Chichikov was a member of the commission “to build some kind of government-owned, very capital building”:

A.A. Agin. "Dead Souls". Manilov with his wife. 1846/ www.nasledie-rus.ru

“For six years [the commission] was busy around the building; but the climate somehow got in the way, or the material was already like that, but the government building just couldn’t rise above the foundation. Meanwhile, in other parts of the city, each of the members found themselves beautiful home civil architecture: apparently the soil was better there.”

This mention of “civil architecture” generally fits into Gogol’s redundant style, where definitions do not define anything, and the opposition can easily lack a second element. But initially it was: “civil architecture” was opposed to church architecture. In the earlier edition of “Dead Souls,” the commission, which included Chichikov, is designated as “the commission for the construction of the temple of God.”

This episode of Chichikov’s biography was based on the story of the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, well known to Gogol. The temple was founded October 12, 1817 years, in the early 1820s a commission was established, and already in 1827 abuses were discovered, the commission was abolished, and two of its members were put on trial. Sometimes these numbers serve as the basis for dating the events of Chichikov’s biography, but, firstly, as we have already seen, Gogol did not really commit himself to exact chronology; secondly, in the final version, the mention of the temple is removed, the action takes place in the provincial town, and this whole story is reduced to an element of style, to “civil architecture”, which in Gogol’s way is no longer opposed to anything.

One of the great books that N.V. Gogol wrote is “Dead Souls”. Reviews from many of Nikolai Vasilyevich’s contemporaries, those who knew him closely, indicate that the writer was never left with a sense of his own importance. He perceived himself as a man who was called to some great cause.

The first volume of the poem and its copy

It was this book that became his enormous contribution to the history of literature. Gogol began working on it back in the eighteen-thirties, immediately after the success of his stories. This was a time of intense communication between the writer and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, who suggested the plot of “Dead Souls.”

Nikolai Vasilyevich received censorship permission to publish the first volume in the forty-second year of the 19th century, not without difficulty. Some amendments were made to the text against the will of the author. The title of the poem has been changed. But nevertheless, the book still came to the reader.

It was published in the printing house of Moscow University. The writer himself called the book or The Adventures of Chichikov." This gave some features of an adventure novel to the work. Gogol even managed to come up with appearance to your publication.

IN scientific library The clerk's copy is still kept, which is certified by the autograph of Nikolai Vasilyevich himself, which confirms the authenticity of this text. And any reissue of the work is checked against this copy, stored within the walls of Moscow University.

The work "Dead Souls". Reviews from contemporaries and genre

Since the book was published under the title “The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls,” it in many ways seemed to resemble an adventure, light novel that did not set the reader up for anything lofty. This is what the censors and those who decided to change the title thought.

And modern literary researchers studying the work “Dead Souls” (their reviews are much more objective than the opinion of editors living in Gogol’s era) first of all note that the work has a rather unusual designation - it is a poem. The nineteenth-century reader was accustomed to this genre should be written in verse like "Demon" or " Prisoner of the Caucasus". And Nikolai Vasilyevich offers it in prose. Just as Alexander Sergeevich previously presented his no less unique creation"Eugene Onegin", which is a novel, but in verse. These are two special works that have their own, unique genre.

But there were also ancient poems, and in denoting his book by this genre, Gogol was guided specifically by ancient examples. In his mind there was a large-scale, global plan for a great work, which was supposed to consist of three volumes.

Large-scale plan and everyday problems of the characters

Today many people are familiar with this a magnificent work, which was written by N.V. Gogol. “Dead Souls” is a rather epoch-making, lyric-epic creation, in which the author sought to glorify all of Russia and the greatness of its national spirit. But most of all, readers were struck by the discrepancy between two things: on the one hand, the large-scale scope of the work, and on the other, some insignificant everyday events from modern Russian life.

One doesn’t seem to fit in with the other at all. Even the very beginning of the poem sets one in an uncertain and alarming mood, when the plot discusses some minor details regarding the entry of the book’s character into the city.

The meaning of the title of the work

What is the basis for the title of the book that Gogol created (“Dead Souls”)? After all, the soul cannot be dead, it is immortal. This title carries a paradox. But there is another very important motive for Nikolai Vasilyevich - the sale of the soul. In this case, an association immediately arises with a deal with the devil.

Seduction, evil and the demonic principle in life - this is what is present in the most ordinary events. This is exactly what the writer wanted to emphasize in his work “Dead Souls,” the content of which, at first glance, does not set the reader up for serious reflection. In order to understand the author's intention, it is necessary to familiarize yourself in detail with his writing style.

The capitalist system or the intervention of the devil

The satirical nature of Gogol's narrative in Dead Souls was quickly accepted by both his contemporaries and descendants. But for himself, Nikolai Vasilyevich was first and foremost a mystical writer. For him, what happens on the wrong side of existence is more important.

He certainly represents Chichikov as the devil. The one who buys souls. And, for example, the landowners in Dead Souls, who are generously scattered throughout this book, become inconspicuous hellish characters. Or “jug snout” - an expression that has been used to tease officials for a whole century. The description quite clearly matches the appearance of a devil and a piglet.

This is what is very important. Gogol not only criticizes the capitalist consciousness in Russia, he emphasizes that such a system is a direct intervention of hell in people's lives. And the images in “Dead Souls” are direct proof of this.

Selling dead souls

All events occurring in the work seem to obey the law. That is, until a new census of the serf population has taken place, no one knows that these people are dead. Therefore they are completely legally acquired alive.

Despite the inhumanity of such procedures, they were carried out all the time. And people passed from one hand to another, like things. This is exactly what Gogol wanted to emphasize. “Dead Souls” is a work that, not without reason, criticizes not only the inequality of individuals, but also the very imperfection of the system present in Russia at that time.

Lack of logic, or Phantasmagoric world

Several inconsistencies entail a lack of logic in events. From the very first pages, the reader is immersed in some kind of phantasmagoric world, where it is completely unclear whether realities are at work, or whether this is no longer Russia, but its shadow. A kind of transcendental, otherworldly space where everything is recognizable and at the same time upside down. This is how the great plan that N.V. embodied in his creation receives confirmation. Gogol. “Dead Souls” was supposed to consist of three volumes, and each of them would reflect a certain authority: hell, purgatory and heaven. And the first volume is the hellish, otherworldly, seamy side of Russia.

Characters of an unusual work

And the question immediately arises: “What kind of people live in such a world?” It is quite difficult to answer. Many characters in the work do not have names at all, others do, but they are speakers, referring the reader to comedies.

Gogol presents a whole gallery of types of people. Each of them personifies some property of human character. For example, Manilov is dreaminess, Nozdryov is rollicking, meaningless latitude, Plyushkin is stinginess. But the landowners in “Dead Souls” mainly reflect the basest qualities that are present in the life of society.

The presence of a biography for the heroes of the work

A lot in Gogol depends on whether the hero has a biography or not. First of all, its characteristics depend on this. "Dead Souls" has a huge number of characters, but not everyone has their own backstory.

About Manilov, the author says that he has been married for about eight years. There is a little more about Sobakevich, but about Chichikov and Plyushkin it is told in great detail. Not only about what they are like now, but also about their past, and even about their childhood years. They have fallen lower than the other heroes of the work, but according to Nikolai Vasilyevich’s philosophy, this means that they can still be saved, they have depth. This is what provided their biography in the work.

If we take those readers who first became acquainted with the work “Dead Souls,” their reviews and opinions agree that the character of Chichikov is the most mysterious. Either this is a petty adventurer, or the personification of hellish temptation. It is very difficult to say for sure.

Lyrical digressions in Gogol's work

Those present in Nikolai Vasilyevich’s book are quite important lyrical digressions, direct addresses of the narrator to the reader. And one of the most striking is located precisely at the end of the first volume of Dead Souls.

Here the famous Gogol question sounds: “Rus, where are you rushing to!” But there is no answer to this remark. And this silence is a very loud chord at the end of the work. Russia's future path is unclear. And how can it be predicted if this is a country where the hellish and the righteous, the real and the fantastic are so intricately intertwined.

This work evoked the most controversial responses, because in Russia at that time there was already an acute need for reforms, the abolition of serfdom, and Nikolai Vasilyevich loudly declared the need moral education every member of society.

Heroes of Dead Souls

“Dead Souls” is a work by the writer N.V. Gogol. The plot of the work was suggested to him by Pushkin. At first, the writer was going to show Russia only partially, satirically, but gradually the plan changed and Gogol tried to portray the Russian order in such a way, “where there would be more than one thing to laugh at,” but more fully. The task of fulfilling this plan was pushed back by Gogol to the second and third volumes of Dead Souls, but they were never written. Only a few chapters of the second volume remain for posterity. So for more than a century and a half, “Dead Souls” have been studied according to that first one. This is also discussed in this article.

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov arrives in the provincial town of N. His goal is to buy up serf peasants who have died but are still considered alive from the surrounding landowners, thus becoming the owner of several hundred serf souls. Chichikov's idea was based on two principles. Firstly, in the Little Russian provinces of those years (40s of the 19th century) there was a lot of free land, provided by the authorities to everyone who wanted it. Secondly, there was the practice of “mortgage”: the landowner could borrow a certain amount of money from the state to secure his real estate - villages with peasants. If the debt was not repaid, the village became the property of the state. Chichikov was going to create a fictitious settlement in the Kherson province, place peasants bought at a low price in it (after all, the deed of sale did not indicate that they were “dead souls”), and, having given the village as a “mortgage”, receive “real” money.

“Oh, I’m Akim-simplicity,” he said to himself, “I’m looking for mittens, and both are in my belt! Yes, if I bought all these who died out, have not yet 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 capital!.... True, without land cannot be bought or mortgaged. Why, I’ll buy for withdrawal, for withdrawal; Now the lands in the Tauride and Kherson provinces are given away for free, just populate them. I will move them all there! to Kherson! let them live there! But resettlement can be done legally, as follows through the courts. If they want to examine the peasants: perhaps I’m not averse to that, so why not? I will also present a certificate signed by the police captain. The village can be called Chichikova Slobodka or by the name given at baptism: the village of Pavlovskoye.”

Pavel Ivanovich’s scam was ruined by the stupidity and greed of the sellers and landowners. Nozdryov chatted in the city about Chichikov’s strange inclinations, and Korobochka came to the city to find out the real price of “dead souls”, because she was afraid of being deceived by Chichikov

The main characters of the first volume of “Dead Souls”

— Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov

“Mr., not handsome, but not bad-looking either, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.”

— Landowner Manilov

“In appearance he was a distinguished man; His facial features were not devoid of pleasantness, but this pleasantness seemed to have too much sugar in it; in his techniques and turns there was something ingratiating favor and acquaintance. He smiled enticingly, was blond, with blue eyes. In the first minute of conversation with him you can’t help but say: “What a pleasant and a kind person!" The next minute you won't say anything, and the third you'll say: "The devil knows what it is!" went to the fields, the farm went somehow by itself. When the clerk said: “It would be good, master, to do this and that,” “Yes, not bad,” he usually answered, smoking his pipe... When a man came to him and, scratching the back of his head with his hand, said: “Master, let me go to work, let me earn money.” “Go,” he said, smoking a pipe, and it didn’t even occur to him that the man was going out to drink. Sometimes, looking from the porch to the yard and to the pond, he talked about how nice it would be if suddenly an underground passage was built from the house or built across the pond a stone bridge, on which there would be benches on both sides, and that merchants would sit in them and sell various small goods needed by the peasants. At the same time, his eyes became extremely sweet and his face took on the most contented expression; however, all these projects ended with only words. In his office there was always some kind of book, bookmarked on page fourteen, which he had been constantly reading for two years.”

From “Gogol’s suggestion” the concept of “Manilovism” entered the Russian language, becoming synonymous with laziness, idle, inactive daydreaming

— Landowner Sobakevich

“When Chichikov looked sideways at Sobakevich, this time he seemed to him very similar to average size bear To complete the similarity, the tailcoat he was wearing was completely bear-colored, his sleeves were long, his trousers were long, his feet walked this way and that and constantly stepped on other people’s feet. His complexion was red-hot, the kind you get on a copper coin. It is known that there are many such persons in the world, over whose decoration nature did not hesitate for long, ... saying: “He lives!” Sobakevich had the same strong and amazingly well-made image: he held it more downward than up, did not move his neck at all, and due to such non-rotation, he rarely looked at the person he was talking to, but always either at the corner of the stove or at the door . Chichikov glanced sideways at him again as they passed the dining room: bear! perfect bear!

— Landowner Korobochka

“A minute later, the landlady, an elderly woman, came in, wearing some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, one of those mothers, small landowners who cry about crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile gain a little money in colorful bags placed in chest of drawers. All the rubles are taken into one bag, fifty rubles into another, quarters into a third, although from the outside it seems as if there is nothing in the chest of drawers except linen, night blouses, skeins of thread, and a torn cloak, which will later turn into a dress, if the old one somehow burns out while baking holiday cakes with all sorts of yarn or wears out on its own. But the dress will not burn and will not fray on its own: the old woman is thrifty.”

— Landowner Nozdryov

“He was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns. It was fresh, like blood and milk; his health seemed to be dripping from his face. - Ba, ba, ba! - he suddenly cried, spreading both arms at the sight of Chichikov. - What destinies? Chichikov recognized Nozdryov, the same one with whom he had dined with the prosecutor and who in a few minutes got on such friendly terms with him that he had already begun to say “you,” although, however, he, for his part, did not give any reason for this. -Where did you go? - said Nozdryov and, without waiting for an answer, continued: - And I, brother, am from the fair. Congratulations: you're blown away! Can you believe that I have never been so blown away in my life...”

— Landowner Plyushkin

“Near one of the buildings, Chichikov soon noticed a figure who began to quarrel with a man who had arrived in a cart. For a long time he could not recognize what gender the figure was: a woman or a man. The dress she was wearing was completely indefinite, very similar to a woman’s hood, on her head was a cap, the kind worn by village courtyard women, only one voice seemed to him somewhat hoarse for a woman... Here our hero involuntarily stepped back and looked... intently. He happened to see a lot of all kinds of people; but he had never seen anything like this before. His face was nothing special; it was almost the same as that of many thin old men, one chin only protruded very far forward, so that he had to cover it with a handkerchief every time so as not to spit; the small eyes had not yet gone out and ran from under their high eyebrows, like mice, when, sticking their sharp muzzles out of the dark holes, pricking their ears and blinking their whiskers, they look out to see if a cat or a naughty boy is hiding somewhere, and sniff the very air suspiciously. Much more remarkable was his outfit: no amount of effort or effort could have been used to find out what his robe was made of: the sleeves and upper flaps were so greasy and shiny that they looked like the kind of yuft that goes into boots; in the back, instead of two, there were four floors dangling, from which cotton paper came out in flakes. He also had something tied around his neck that could not be made out: a stocking, a garter, or a belly, but not a tie. In a word, if Chichikov had met him, so dressed up, somewhere at the church door, he would probably have given him a copper penny.”

In the Russian language, the concept of “Plyushkin” has become synonymous with stinginess, greed, pettiness, and morbid hoarding

Why is “Dead Souls” called a poem?

Literary scholars and literary critics answer this question vaguely, uncertainly and unconvincingly. Allegedly, Gogol refused to define “Dead Souls” as a novel, since it “does not resemble either a story or a novel” (Gogol’s letter to Pogodin dated November 28, 1836); and settled on the poetic genre - poem. How Dead Souls is different from a novel, how it differs from works of approximately the same order by Dickens, Thackeray, Balzac, most likely the author himself did not know. Perhaps he was simply not allowed to sleep by the laurels of Pushkin, whose “Eugene Onegin” was a novel in verse. And here is a prose poem.

The history of the creation of “Dead Souls”. Briefly

• 1831, May - Gogol meets Pushkin

  The plot of the poem was suggested to Gogol by Pushkin. The poet briefly outlined the story of an enterprising man who sold dead souls to the board of trustees, for which he received a lot of money. Gogol wrote in his diary: “Pushkin found that such a plot of Dead Souls was good for me because it gave me complete freedom to travel all over Russia with the hero and bring out many different characters.”

• 1835, October 7 - Gogol announced in a letter to Pushkin that he had begun work on “Dead Souls”
• 1836, June 6 - Gogol left for Europe
• 1836, November 12 - letter to Zhukovsky from Paris: “...set to work” Dead Souls", which was started in St. Petersburg. I redid everything I started again, thought over the whole plan and now I write it calmly, like a chronicle...”
• 1837, September 30 - letter to Zhukovsky from Rome: “I’m cheerful. My soul is bright. I work and hasten with all my might to complete my work.”
• 1839 - Gogol completed the draft of the poem
• 1839, September - Gogol returned to Russia for a short time and soon after his return read the first chapters to his friends Prokopovich and Annenkov

  “the expression of unfeigned delight, which was apparently on all the faces at the end of the reading, touched him... He was pleased..”

• 1840, January - Gogol read chapters of “Dead Souls” in the Aksakovs’ house
• 1840, September - Gogol left for Europe again
• 1840, December - work begins on the second volume of Dead Souls
• 1840, December 28 - letter to T. Aksakov from Rome: “I am preparing the first volume of Dead Souls for complete cleansing.” I’m changing, re-cleaning, reworking a lot of things altogether...”
• 1841, October - Gogol returned to Moscow and submitted the manuscript of the poem to the censorship court. Censorship in Moscow prohibited the publication of the work.
• 1842, January - Gogol presented the manuscript of “Dead Souls” to censors in St. Petersburg
• 1842, March 9 - St. Petersburg censorship gave permission to publish the poem
• 1842, May 21 - the book went on sale and was sold out. This event caused fierce controversy in the literary community. Gogol was accused of slander and hatred of Russia, but Belinsky came to the writer’s defense, highly appreciating the work.
• 1842, June - Gogol left for the West again
• 1842-1845 - Gogol worked on the second volume
• 1845, summer - Gogol burned the manuscript of the second volume
• 1848, April - Gogol returned to Russia and continued work on the unfortunate second volume. The work moved slowly.

  In the second volume, the author wanted to portray heroes different from the characters in the first part - positive ones. And Chichikov had to undergo a certain rite of purification, taking the true path. Many drafts of the poem were destroyed by order of the author, but some parts were still preserved. Gogol believed that the second volume was completely devoid of life and truth; he doubted himself as an artist, hating the continuation of the poem

• 1852, winter - Gogol met with Rzhev Archpriest Matvey Konstantinovsky. who advised him to destroy part of the chapters of the poem
• 1852, February 12 - Gogol burned the white manuscript of the second volume of Dead Souls (only 5 chapters survived in incomplete form)