The idea of ​​N.V. Gogol's poem “Dead Souls”. The writer's faith in the Russian people. Essay “The General Concept of “Dead Souls”

In May 1842, a new work by Gogol appeared in bookstores in both capitals. Let's try to figure out what the intent of the poem "Dead Souls" is. The cover of the book was extremely intricate; when looking at it, readers did not even know that it was made according to the sketch of the author himself. The drawing placed on the cover was obviously important for Gogol, as it was repeated in the second edition of the poem during his lifetime in 1846.

Let's get acquainted with the history of the concept of "Dead Souls" and its implementation, let's see how it changed, how the idea of ​​​​creating a monumental epic canvas that would embrace all the diversity gradually crystallized Russian life. The embodiment is so grand plan also implied the use of appropriate artistic means, and an adequate genre, and a special, symbolic name.

Based on an already established cultural tradition, Gogol bases the plot on the hero’s journey, but before us is a special journey: it is not only and not so much the movement of a person in time and space, it is the journey of the human soul.

Let's try to clarify our thought. Instead of dashingly twisted intrigue and stories about “Chichikov’s adventures,” the reader was presented with one of the Russian provincial cities. The hero's journey boiled down to visiting five landowners who lived nearby, and the author spoke about the main character himself and his true intentions a little before parting with him. As the story progresses, the author seems to forget about the plot and talks about events that seem not even related to the intrigue. But this is not negligence, but a conscious attitude of the writer.

The fact is that, when creating the concept of the poem “Dead Souls,” Gogol followed one more cultural tradition. He intended to write a work that consists of three parts, modeled on Dante's Divine Comedy. In the poem of the great Italian, the journey of a person, or rather his soul, is presented as an ascent from vice to perfection, to an awareness of the true purpose of man and world harmony. Thus, Dante’s “Hell” turned out to be correlated with the first volume of the poem: like the lyrical hero of the poem, making a pilgrimage to the depths of the earth, Gogol’s Chichikov gradually plunges into the abyss of vice, the characters “one more vulgar than the other” appear before the reader. And in the finale, the anthem of Russia, the “three bird,” suddenly sounds. Where? Why? “This is still a secret,” Gogol wrote after finishing work on the first volume, “which should suddenly, to the amazement of everyone...”

In many ways, the implementation of the plan remained a secret, inaccessible to the reader, but the surviving chapters of the second volume and the statements of contemporaries allow us to say that the next two volumes should be correlated with “Purgatory” and “Paradise”.

So, before us is the journey of the soul, but what kind of soul? Dead? But the soul is immortal. This was pointed out to the author by the Moscow censorship committee, when the censor Golokhvastov literally shouted upon seeing only the title of the manuscript: “No, I will never allow this: the soul is immortal...” - and did not give permission to print. On the advice of friends, Gogol goes to St. Petersburg to show the manuscript to the censor there and publish the book there. However, history is repeating itself in some ways. Although censor Nikitenko gave permission to print, he demanded that changes be made to the text: change the title and remove “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin.” Reluctantly, Gogol made concessions, remaking “The Tale...” and slightly changing the title. Now it sounded different: “The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls.” But on the cover of the first edition, it was the old name that immediately caught the eye. At the author’s insistence, it was highlighted in especially large font not only because it was related to the plot: “dead souls” turned out to be a commodity, around the purchase and sale of which Chichikov’s scam revolved. However, in official documents the dead peasants, who were listed as alive according to the revision tales, were called “declined.” His contemporary M.P. Pogodin pointed this out to the writer: “...there are no “dead souls” in the Russian language. There are revision souls, assigned souls, departed souls, and arrived souls.” It’s hard to believe that Gogol didn’t know this, but still put the word “dead” into the mouths of the poem’s heroes in relation to the souls Chichikov acquired. (Let us note in parentheses that when making a deal with Plyushkin, Chichikov buys not only the dead, but also runaway, that is, “declined” peasants, classifying them as “dead.”)

Thus, by using the word “dead,” Gogol wanted to give a special meaning to the entire work. This word helps reveal the general concept of "Dead Souls".

In the title itself famous poem Nikolai Gogol’s “Dead Souls” already contains the main concept and idea of ​​this work. Judging superficially, the title reveals the content of the scam and Chichikov’s very personality - he was already buying souls dead peasants. But in order to embrace everything philosophical meaning Gogol's ideas, you need to look deeper than the literal interpretation of the title and even what is happening in the poem.

The meaning of the name "Dead Souls"

The title “Dead Souls” contains a much more important and deep meaning, than it is displayed by the author in the first volume of the work. Already for a long time they say that Gogol originally planned to write this poem by analogy with Dante’s famous and immortal “Divine Comedy”, and as you know, it consisted of three parts - “Hell”, “Purgatory” and “Paradise”. It was to them that the three volumes of Gogol’s poem should have corresponded.

In the first volume of his most famous poem, the author intended to show the hell of Russian reality, the terrifying and truly terrifying truth about life of that time, and in the second and third volumes - the rise of spiritual culture and life in Russia. To some extent, the title of the work is a symbol of the life of the district town of N., and the city itself is a symbol of the whole of Russia, and thus the author indicates that his Mother country is in a terrible state, and the saddest and most terrible thing is that this is due to the fact that the souls of people are gradually growing cold, hardening and dying.

The history of the creation of Dead Souls

Nikolai Gogol began writing the poem “Dead Souls” in 1835 and continued to work on it until the end of his life. At the very beginning, the writer most likely singled out for himself the funny side of the novel and created the plot of Dead Souls, both for long piece. There is an opinion that Gogol borrowed the main idea of ​​the poem from A.S. Pushkin, since it was this poet who was first heard real story about “dead souls” in the city of Bendery. Gogol worked on the novel not only in his homeland, but also in Switzerland, Italy and France. The first volume of “Dead Souls” was completed in 1842, and in May it was already published under the title “The Adventures of Chichikov or Dead Souls.”

Subsequently, while working on the novel, Gogol’s original plan expanded significantly, and it was then that the analogy with the three parts of The Divine Comedy appeared. Gogol intended that his heroes go through a kind of circles of hell and purgatory, so that at the end of the poem they would rise spiritually and be reborn. The author never managed to realize his idea; only the first part of the poem was written in full. It is known that Gogol began work on the second volume of the poem in 1840, and by 1845 he already had several options for continuing the poem ready. Unfortunately, it was this year that the author independently destroyed the second volume of the work; he irrevocably burned the second part of “Dead Souls”, being dissatisfied with what he had written. The exact reason for this act of the writer is still unknown. There are draft manuscripts of four chapters of the second volume, which were discovered after Gogol's papers were opened.

Thus, it becomes clear that the central category and at the same time the main idea of ​​Gogol’s poem is the soul, the presence of which makes a person complete and real. This is precisely the main theme of the work, and Gogol tries to point out the value of the soul through the example of soulless and callous heroes who represent a special social stratum of Russia. In his immortal and brilliant work, Gogol simultaneously raises the topic of the crisis in Russia and shows what this is directly related to. The author talks about the fact that the soul is the nature of man, without which there is no meaning in life, without which life becomes dead, and that it is thanks to it that salvation can be found.

1. What is the general idea of ​​“Dead Souls”?

Gogol, thinking long and hard about the purpose of his creation, came to the conclusion that its goal was to show all of Rus' with its inherent contradictory features, a true Russian person in all his fullness, with versatility national characters and features. The writer wanted to reveal to us all the hidden corners of the Russian soul, the shortcomings and hidden advantages of a Russian person, surrounded by an everyday web of little things, deeds and events, that eat away from the inside. Gogol, thinking about his future work, even begins to feel missionary power within himself: he is burning with the desire to help his fatherland by awakening the “dead”, sleeping soul of the Russian person with the best medicine - cleansing laughter. The poem was intended as a revealing, saving remedy for the “dormant” Russia; Gogol believed that this was his duty, his opportunity to be as useful through his writing as any simple civil servant is useful to the fatherland. Nikolai Vasilyevich intended to create a grandiose, comprehensive work, consisting of three interconnected and flowing from one another parts. They symbolized Russia's unique path from " lethargic sleep"to awareness, awakening, purification and rapid moral self-development.

Thus, we can say that the concept of the poem “Dead Souls” was extremely broad in its coverage of characters, characters, ideas, events and phenomena of complex Russian life.

2. What contradictory friends friend, did the principles of plot and composition form the basis of the poem?

The poem “Dead Souls” seems contradictory even in the genre of work designated by the author. After all, as we know from the definition, a poem is a genre of literature distinguished by its poetic form. It turns out that Gogol pushes the existing genre boundaries and creates, as we now call it, a prose poem. Why did this happen? The answer lies in another contradiction: reflecting on his creation, the writer firmly held on to the idea of ​​​​creating an incredibly large-scale, universal work, wanted to liken it, equate it to an epic, drawing an analogy between such huge works as Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and Homer’s poems. And the implementation of all these thoughts in prose was possible only thanks to numerous lyrical digressions throughout the narrative, reminding the reader of the grandeur of the plan, of its further development along an as yet unknown but great path.

And finally, one of the main plot and compositional contradictions is the possibility of the very realization of all Gogol’s ideas. The writer literally dreamed of creating a work that would have the strongest impact on all readers. In it, he wanted to clearly and accurately show the degradation, stagnation, awakening and formation on the true path of vicious Russian souls. However, he didn't want to just introduce the world artistic ideal, appeared in his head. On the contrary, with all his strength and genius, he tried to draw a living person, as if standing next to us, tangible and really existing. The writer wanted to literally embody a person, to breathe a living spirit into him. And this tragically contradicted the actual implementation: such a task turned out to be not only beyond Gogol’s strength, but also beyond the time allotted to the creator himself.

3. Is there a contradiction in the combination “dead souls”? What meanings does this combination hide?

The contradiction in this phrase is obvious: after all, this is a literary oxymoron (the same are, for example, “living corpse”, “sad joy”, etc.). But, turning to the poem itself, we discover other meanings.

Firstly, “dead souls” are simply dead serfs, the “hunt” for which amounts to main task Chichikov to achieve his personal well-being.

But here, and this is secondly, another meaning is revealed, more important for the ideological component of the work. “Dead souls” are the “rotten”, vicious souls of the landowner and bureaucratic circle in which Chichikov moves. These souls have forgotten what it is real life, full of pure, noble feelings and adherence to human duty. Purely outwardly, all these people seem to be alive, they talk, walk, eat, etc. But their inner content, their spiritual filling, is dead, it will either sink into oblivion forever, or with great effort and suffering it can be reborn.

Thirdly, there is another hidden meaning of the phrase. It represents a religious and philosophical idea. According to Christian teaching, the human soul cannot be dead by definition, it is always alive, only the body can die.

It turns out that Gogol strengthens the meaning of rebirth, renewal of the “dirty” soul, likening it to simple human flesh.

Thus, we can say that even such a short and succinct title of the poem helps the writer convey and reveal a huge variety of ideas and themes displayed in the work.

4. How is the concept of “Dead Souls” connected with Gogol’s religious and moral quests?

The writer’s religious and moral quest is directly related to the concept of “Dead Souls.” We can say that the entire work is built on religious, moral and philosophical ideas.

Nikolai Vasilyevich sought to show in the poem the rebirth of “sinners” into “righteous people.” He closely connected the moral re-education and self-education of the protagonist with Christian dogma. After all, living like a Christian means living according to the divine commandments, the observance of which reflects best features person. To believe in one God, to be respectful, not to envy, not to steal or steal, to be respectful and generally essentially righteous - this is the religious and moral ideal that Gogol wanted to embody in his work. He believed that transformation of a thoroughly vicious person is still possible through laughter at oneself, purifying suffering, and then acceptance of following the truth. Moreover, the writer believed that such an example of the reincarnation of a Russian person, and soon of all of Russia, could serve as a “beacon” for other nations and even for the whole world. It is quite possible that he dreamed of an unattainable ideal - a worldwide, universal revival from the abyss of sins and the establishment of righteousness.

Gogol closely connected his searches with the idea of ​​the poem, literally weaving the entire “outline” of the work from these thoughts.

5. Why do some characters in the poem have biographies and others do not?

The poem shows the characters of many landowners, describes their life, passions, and morals. But only two people have a backstory, a story about their past. These are Plyushkin and Chichikov.

The fact is that such personalities as Korobochka, Manilov, Sobakevich, Nozdryov and others are shown vividly, “in all their glory” and very believably, we can fully formulate our impression of them and predict their future fate. These characters are representatives of the “stagnation” of human essence, they are who they are, with all their vices and imperfections, and they will no longer be different.

As for Chichikov and Plyushkin, here one of the facets of the writer’s great plan is revealed. These two heroes, according to the author, are still capable of developing and renewing their souls. Therefore, both Plyushkin and Chichikov have a biography. Gogol wanted to take the reader along the entire line of their lives, to show full picture the formation of their character, and then the transformation and new formation of characters in subsequent volumes. After all, in fact, you cannot understand the whole essence of a person until you get acquainted with his entire history, with all his life’s ups and downs, and Gogol was well aware of this.

Based on the foregoing, it is obvious that the writer built any detail of his narrative not by chance, but according to certain principles that help to realize his plan most fully.

The idea of ​​the poem “Dead Souls” and its implementation. The meaning of the title of the poem. Subjects

The idea of ​​the poem dates back to 1835. The plot of the work was suggested to Gogol by Pushkin. The first volume of Dead Souls was completed in 1841 year, and published in 1842 year under the title "The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls."

Gogol conceived a grandiose work in which he planned to reflect all aspects of Russian life. Gogol wrote to V.A. Zhukovsky about the concept of his work: “All of Rus' will appear in it.”

The concept of “Dead Souls” is comparable to the concept of Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. The writer intended to write the work in three volumes. In the first volume, Gogol was going to show the negative sides of life in Russia. Chichikov, the central character of the poem, and most of the other characters are depicted in a satirical manner. In the second volume, the writer sought to outline the path to spiritual rebirth for his heroes. In the third volume, Gogol wanted to embody his ideas about the true existence of man.

Associated with the writer's intention is meaning of the title works. The very name “Dead Souls” contains, as is well known, a paradox: the soul is immortal, which means it cannot possibly be dead. The word "dead" is used here in a figurative, metaphorical sense. Firstly, we are talking here about dead serfs, who are listed as living in revision tales. Secondly, speaking about “dead souls,” Gogol means representatives of the ruling classes - landowners, officials, whose souls “dead”, being in the grip of passions.

Gogol managed to complete only the first volume of Dead Souls. The writer worked on the second volume of the work until the end of his life. Gogol apparently destroyed the last version of the manuscript of the second volume shortly before his death. Only individual chapters of the two original editions of the second volume have survived. Gogol did not start writing the third volume.

In his work, Gogol reflected life of Russia first thirds of the XIX century, the life and customs of landowners, provincial city officials, and peasants. In addition, in the author's digressions and other extra-plot elements of the work, topics such as St. Petersburg, the War of 1812, Russian language, youth and old age, the vocation of a writer, nature, the future of Russia and many others.

The main problem and ideological orientation of the work

The main problem of Dead Souls is spiritual death and spiritual rebirth of man.

At the same time, Gogol, a writer with a Christian worldview, does not lose hope for the spiritual awakening of his heroes. Gogol intended to write about the spiritual resurrection of Chichikov and Plyushkin in the second and third volumes of his work, but this plan was not destined to come true.

In "Dead Souls" it prevails satirical pathos: the writer exposes the morals of landowners and officials, the destructive passions, and vices of representatives of the ruling classes.

Affirmative beginning in the poem related to the theme of the people: Gogol admires him heroic strength and a lively mind, his apt word, all kinds of talents. Gogol believes in a better future for Russia and the Russian people.

Genre

Gogol himself subtitle to “Dead Souls” he named his work poem.

In the prospectus of the “Training Book of Literature for Russian Youth” compiled by the writer, there is a section “Lesser Kinds of Epic,” which characterizes poem How genre intermediate between epic and novel.Hero such a work - "a private and invisible person." The author leads the hero of the poem through chain of adventures, to show a picture of “shortcomings, abuses, vices.”

K.S. Aksakov saw in Gogol's work features of an ancient epic. “The ancient epic rises before us,” wrote Aksakov. The critic compared Dead Souls with Homer's Iliad. Aksakov was struck by both the grandeur of Gogol’s plan and the greatness of its implementation already in the first volume of Dead Souls.

In Gogol's poem Aksakov saw a wise, calm, majestic contemplation of the world, characteristic of ancient authors. We can partly agree with this point of view. We find elements of the poem as a glorifying genre primarily in the author’s digressions about Rus', about the three-bird.

At the same time, Aksakov underestimated the satirical pathos of Dead Souls. V.G. Belinsky, entering into polemics with Aksakov, emphasized first of all satirical orientation"Dead Souls". Belinsky saw a remarkable example of satire.

In "Dead Souls" there are also features of an adventure novel. The main storyline of the work is built on the adventure of the protagonist. At the same time, the love affair, so important in most novels, is relegated to the background in Gogol’s work and presented in a comic vein (the story of Chichikov and the governor’s daughter, rumors about her possible abduction by the hero, etc.).

Thus, Gogol’s poem is a complex work in terms of genre. “Dead Souls” combines the features of an ancient epic, adventure novel, satires.

Composition: general construction works

The first volume of Dead Souls is complex artistic whole.

Let's consider plot works. As you know, it was given to Gogol by Pushkin. The plot of the work is based on adventurous acquisition story Chichikov dead shower peasants who are listed as alive according to documents. Such a plot is consistent with Gogol’s definition of the genre of the poem as “a lesser kind of epic” (see the section on genre). Chichikov turns out plot-shaping character. The role of Chichikov is akin to the role of Khlestakov in the comedy “The Government Inspector”: the hero appears in the city of NN, creates a commotion in it, and hastily leaves the city when the situation becomes dangerous.

Note that the composition of the work is dominated by spatialprinciple of material organization. Here a fundamental difference is revealed between the construction of “Dead Souls” and, say, “Eugene Onegin,” where “time is calculated according to the calendar,” or “A Hero of Our Time,” where chronology, on the contrary, is violated, and the basis of the narrative is the gradual revelation of the inner world Main character. In Gogol’s poem, the basis of the composition is not the temporary organization of events and not tasks psychological analysis, and spatial images - provincial cities, landowners' estates, and finally, all of Russia, the vast expanses of which appear before us in digressions about Rus' and the bird-troika.

The first chapter can be considered as exposition the entire action of the poem. Reader meets Chichikov– central character works. The author gives a description of Chichikov's appearance and makes several comments regarding his character and habits. In the first chapter we are introduced to the external appearance of the provincial city of NN, as well as its inhabitants. Gogol gives a short but very capacious a satirical picture of the life of officials.

Chapters two to six the writer presents to the reader gallery of landowners. In the depiction of each landowner, Gogol adheres to a certain compositional principle (description of the landowner’s estate, his portrait, the interior of the house, comic situations, the most important of which are the dinner scene and the buying and selling dead shower).

In the seventh chapter the action is again transferred to the provincial town. The most important episodes of the seventh chapter - scenes in the execution chamber And description of the police chief's breakfast.

Central episode chapter eight - the governor's ball. This is where it gets developed love affair, outlined back in the fifth chapter (the collision of Chichikov’s chaise with a carriage in which two ladies were sitting, one of whom, as it turned out later, was the governor’s daughter). In the ninth chapterrumors and gossip about Chichikov are growing. Their main distributors are ladies. The most persistent rumor about Chichikov is that the hero is going to kidnap the governor's daughter. The love affair goes on Thus from the real sphere to the sphere of rumors and gossip about Chichikov.

In the tenth chapter the central place is occupied scene in the police chief's house. A special place in the tenth chapter and in the work as a whole is occupied by an inserted episode - "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin." The tenth chapter ends with the news of the death of the prosecutor. Prosecutor's funeral scene in the eleventh chapter completes the city theme.

Chichikov's escape from the city of NN in the eleventh chapter ends the main storyline poems.

Characters

Gallery of landowners

The central place in the poem is gallery of landowners. Their characteristics are devoted five chapters first volume - from the second to the sixth. Gogol showed close-up five characters. This Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Sobakevich and Plyushkin. All landowners embody the idea of ​​the spiritual impoverishment of man.

When creating images of landowners, Gogol widely uses means of artistic representation, bringing literary creativity closer to painting: these are description of the estate, interior, portrait.

Also important speech characteristics heroes, proverbs, revealing the essence of their nature, comic situations, first of all the dinner scene and the scene of buying and selling dead souls.

A special role in Gogol’s work is played by details– landscape, subject, portrait, details of speech characteristics and others.

Let us briefly characterize each of the landowners.

Manilov- Human outwardly attractive, friendly, disposed to acquaintance, communicative. This is the only character who speaks well of Chichikov to the end. Moreover, he appears to us as good family man, loving his wife and caring for his children.

But still main features Manilova is empty daydreaming, projectism, inability to manage a household. The hero dreams of building a house with a belvedere, from where a view of Moscow would open. He also dreams that the sovereign, having learned about their friendship with Chichikov, “will grant them generals.”

The description of the Manilov estate leaves the impression of monotony: “The village of Manilovka could lure few with its location. The master’s house stood alone on the jura, that is, on a hill open to all the winds that might blow.” Interesting detail landscape sketch– a gazebo with the inscription “Temple of Solitary Reflection.” This detail characterizes the hero as a sentimental person who loves to indulge in empty dreams.

Now about the interior details of Manilov’s house. His office had beautiful furniture, but two chairs had been covered with matting for several years. There was also some kind of book lying there, always on page fourteen. On both windows there are “mountains of ash knocked out of the pipe.” Some rooms had no furniture at all. A smart candlestick was served on the table and some kind of copper invalid was placed next to it. All this speaks of Manilov’s inability to manage the farm, that he cannot complete the work he has begun.

Let's look at Manilov's portrait. The hero's appearance testifies to the sweetness of his character. He was a rather pleasant person in appearance, “but this pleasantness seemed to have too much sugar in it.” The hero had attractive facial features, but his gaze conveyed “sugar.” The hero smiled like a cat that had been tickled behind the ears with a finger.

Manilov's speech is verbose and florid. The hero loves to say beautiful phrases. “May day... the name day of the heart!” - he greets Chichikov.

Gogol characterizes his hero by resorting to the proverb: “Neither this nor that, neither in the city of Bogdan, nor in the village of Selifan.”

We also note the dinner scene and the scene of buying and selling dead souls. Manilov treats Chichikov, as is customary in the village, with all his heart. Chichikov’s request to sell dead souls evokes surprise in Manilov and high-flown reasoning: “Wouldn’t this negotiation be inconsistent with civil regulations and future views of Russia?”

A box distinguishes love of hoarding and at the same time " clubheadedness" This landowner appears before us as a limited woman, with a straightforward character, slow-witted, and thrifty to the point of stinginess.

At the same time, Korobochka lets Chichikov into her house at night, which speaks of her responsiveness And hospitality.

From the description of the Korobochka estate, we see that the landowner cares not so much about the appearance of the estate, but about the successful management of the household and prosperity. Chichikov notices the well-being of peasant households. Box – practical housewife.

Meanwhile, in Korobochka’s house, in the room where Chichikov stayed, “behind every mirror there was either a letter, or an old deck of cards, or a stocking”; All these object details emphasize the landowner’s passion for collecting unnecessary things.

During lunch, all kinds of household supplies and baked goods are placed on the table, which indicates the patriarchal morals and hospitality of the hostess. Meanwhile, Korobochka cautiously accepts offer Chichikova about selling him dead souls and even goes to the city to find out how much dead souls are worth these days. Therefore, Chichikov, using a proverb, characterizes Korobochka as a “mongrel in the manger” who does not eat herself and does not give to others.

Nozdryov–spendthrift, reveler, swindler,“historical person”, since some kind of history always happens to him. This character is distinguished by constant lies, passion, dishonesty,familiar address with the people around him, boastfulness, a penchant for scandalous stories.

The description of Nozdryov's estate reflects the unique character of its owner. We see that the hero does not do housework. So, on his estate “the field in many places consisted of hummocks.” Only Nozdryov’s kennel is in order, which indicates his passion for hound hunting.

The interior of Nozdryov's house is interesting. In his office hung “Turkish daggers, on one of which was mistakenly carved: “Master Savely Sibiryakov.” Among the interior details, we also note Turkish pipes and a barrel organ - items that reflect the character’s range of interests.

There is a curious portrait detail that speaks of the hero’s penchant for a wild life: one of Nozdryov’s sideburns was somewhat thicker than the other - a consequence of a tavern fight.

In the story about Nozdrev, Gogol uses hyperbole: the hero says that while he was at the fair, “alone during dinner he drank seventeen bottles of champagne,” which indicates the hero’s penchant for bragging and lies.

At dinner, during which disgustingly prepared dishes were served, Nozdryov tried to get Chichikov to drink cheap wine of dubious quality.

Speaking about the scene of buying and selling dead souls, we note that Nozdryov perceives Chichikov’s proposal as a reason for gambling. As a result, a quarrel arises, which only by chance does not end with Chichikov being beaten.

Sobakevich- This landowner-fist, which runs a strong economy and at the same time is different rudeness And straightforwardness. This landowner appears before us as a man unfriendly,clumsy,speaks poorly of everyone. Meanwhile, he gives unusually accurate, although very rude, characterizations of city officials.

Describing the Sobakevich estate, Gogol notes the following. When building the manor house, “the architect constantly struggled with the taste of the owner,” so the house turned out to be asymmetrical, although very durable.

Let's pay attention to the interior of Sobakevich's house. Portraits of Greek commanders hung on the walls. “All these heroes,” Gogol notes, “were with such thick thighs and unheard-of mustaches that a shiver ran through the body,” which is quite consistent appearance and the character of the owner of the estate. In the room there was “a walnut bureau on the most absurd four legs, a perfect bear... Every object, every chair seemed to say: “And I, too, are Sobakevich.”

Gogol’s character also resembles a “medium-sized bear” in appearance, which indicates the rudeness and uncouthness of the landowner. The writer notes that “the tailcoat he was wearing was completely bearish in color, his sleeves were long, his trousers were long, he stepped with his feet this way and that, and constantly stepped on other people’s feet.” It is no coincidence that the hero is characterized by the proverb: “It’s not cut well, but it’s sewn tightly.” In the story about Sobakevich, Gogol resorts to the technique hyperboles. Sobakevich’s “heroism” is manifested, in particular, in the fact that his foot is shod “in a boot of such a gigantic size that one can hardly find a corresponding foot anywhere.”

Gogol also uses hyperbole when describing dinner at Sobakevich’s, who was obsessed with a passion for gluttony: a turkey “the size of a calf” was served at the table. In general, dinner at the hero’s house is distinguished by the unpretentiousness of the dishes. “When I have pork, bring the whole pig to the table, lamb – bring the whole lamb, goose – the whole goose! I’d rather eat two dishes, but eat in moderation, as my soul demands,” says Sobakevich.

Discussing with Chichikov the terms of the sale of dead souls, Sobakevich bargains hard, and when Chichikov tries to refuse the purchase, he hints at a possible denunciation.

Plyushkin represents stinginess taken to the point of absurdity. This is an old, unfriendly, unkempt and inhospitable man.

From the description of Plyushkin’s estate and house, we see that his farm is completely desolate. Greed destroyed both the well-being and the soul of the hero.

The appearance of the owner of the estate is nondescript. “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, writes Gogol. “The small eyes had not yet gone out and ran from under the high eyebrows, like mice.”

Of particular importance when creating the image of Plyushkin is subject detail. On the bureau in the hero’s office, the reader finds a mountain of various little things. There are many objects here: “a pile of finely written pieces of paper covered with a green marble press with an egg on top, some kind of old book bound in leather with a red edge, a lemon, all dried up, no more than a hazelnut tall, a broken armchair handle, a glass with some kind of liquid and three flies, covered with a letter, a piece of sealing wax, a piece of some kind of raised rag, two feathers stained with ink, dried out as if in consumption, a toothpick, completely yellowed, with which the owner, perhaps, picked his teeth even before the invasion of Moscow French." We find the same pile in the corner of Plyushkin’s room. As you know, psychological analysis can take different forms. For example, Lermontov paints a psychological portrait of Pechorin, revealing the hero’s inner world through the details of his appearance. Dostoevsky and Tolstoy resort to extensive internal monologues. Gogol recreates character's state of mind mainly through the objective world. The “mud of little things” surrounding Plyushkin symbolizes his stingy, petty, “dried up” soul, like a forgotten lemon.

For lunch, the hero offers Chichikov crackers (the remains of Easter cake) and old liqueur, from which Plyushkin himself extracted the worms. Having learned about Chichikov's proposal, Plyushkin is sincerely happy, since Chichikov will save him from the need to pay taxes for numerous peasants who died or ran away from a stingy owner who starved them to death.

It is very important to note that Gogol resorts to such a technique as excursion into the hero's past(retrospection): it is important for the author to show what the hero was like before and to what lowness he has now sunk. In the past, Plyushkin was a zealous owner, a happy family man. In the present there is “a hole in humanity,” as the writer puts it.

Gogol in his work satirically depicted Various types and the characters of Russian landowners. Their names have become household names.

Note also the meaning of the landowners' gallery itself, symbolizing the process of human spiritual degradation. As Gogol wrote, his heroes are “one more vulgar than the other.” If Manilov has some attractive traits, then Plyushkin is an example of extreme impoverishment of the soul.

The image of a provincial town: officials, ladies' society

Along with the gallery of landowners, an important place in the work is occupied by image of the provincial town of NN. City theme opens in the first chapter,resumes in chapter seven the first volume of "Dead Souls" and ends at the beginning of the eleventh chapter.

In the first chapter Gogol gives general characteristics of the city. He's drawing appearance of the city, describes streets, hotel.

The cityscape is monotonous. Gogol writes: “The yellow paint on the stone houses was very striking and the gray paint on the wooden ones darkened modestly.” Some signs are curious, for example: “Foreigner Vasily Fedorov.”

IN hotel description Gogol uses bright subjectdetails, resorts to artistic comparisons. The writer draws the darkened walls of the “common room”, cockroaches peeking out like prunes from all corners of Chichikov’s room.

The city landscape and the description of the hotel help the author to recreate atmosphere of vulgarity reigning in the provincial city.

Already in the first chapter Gogol names the majority officials cities. These are the governor, vice-governor, prosecutor, police chief, chairman of the chamber, inspector of the medical board, city architect, postmaster, and some other officials.

In the description of the city, provincial officials, their characters and morals, a pronounced satirical orientation. The writer sharply criticizes the Russian bureaucratic system, the vices and abuses of officials. Gogol denounces such phenomena as bureaucracy, bribery, embezzlement, gross arbitrariness, and idle lifestyle, gluttony, penchant for card game, idle talk, gossip, ignorance, vanity and many other vices.

In Dead Souls, officials are depicted much more more generalized than in The Inspector General. They are not named by last name. Most often, Gogol indicates the position of an official, thereby emphasizing the social role of the character. Sometimes the name and patronymic of the character are indicated. We find out that chairman of the chamber name is Ivan Grigorievich,police chief - Alexey Ivanovich, postmaster - Ivan Andreevich.

Gogol gives some officials brief characteristics. For example, he notices that governor was “neither fat nor thin, had Anna around his neck” and “sometimes embroidered on tulle.” Prosecutor had thick eyebrows and winked with his left eye, as if inviting the visitor to go into another room.

Police chief Alexey Ivanovich, “father and benefactor” in the city, like the mayor from “The Inspector General,” visited the shops and the Gostiny Dvor as if he were visiting his own pantry. At the same time, the police chief knew how to win the favor of the merchants, who said that Alexey Ivanovich “even though he will take you, he will certainly not give you away.” It is clear that the police chief covered up the machinations of the merchants. Chichikov speaks of the police chief as follows: “What a well-read person! We lost to him at whist... until the very late roosters.” Here the writer uses the technique irony.

Gogol gives a vivid description of a petty bribe-taker official Ivan Antonovich “jug snout”, who competently takes “gratitude” from Chichikov for drawing up the deed of sale. Ivan Antonovich had a remarkable appearance: the entire middle of his face “protruded forward and went into his nose,” hence the nickname of this official - the master of bribes.

And here postmaster“almost” did not take bribes: firstly, they did not offer him: it was not the right position; secondly, he raised only one son, and the government salary was mostly enough. Ivan Andreevich's character was sociable; according to the author, it was "wit and philosopher."

Concerning chairman of the chamber, then he knew Zhukovsky’s “Lyudmila” by heart. Other officials, as Gogol notes, were also “enlightened people”: some read Karamzin, some Moskovskie Vedomosti, some didn’t even read anything at all. Here Gogol again resorts to the technique irony. For example, about officials playing cards, the author notes that this is “a useful activity.”

According to the writer, there were no duels between officials, because, as Gogol writes, they were all civil officials, but one tried to harm the other wherever possible, which, as we know, is sometimes more difficult than any duel.

At the center of “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin,” told by the postmaster in the tenth chapter, there are two characters: a disabled person from the war of 1812, « small man» Captain Kopeikin And "significant person"- a senior official, a minister who did not want to help the veteran, who showed callousness and indifference towards him.

Persons from bureaucratic world also appear in the biography of Chichikov in the eleventh chapter: this Chichikov himself, the police officer, whom Chichikov cleverly deceived by not marrying his daughter, commission members for the construction of a government building, colleagues Chichikova at customs, other persons from the bureaucratic world.

Let's look at some episodes poems where the characters of officials and their way of life are most clearly revealed.

The central episode of the first chapter is the scene parties at the governor's. Already here such features of the provincial bureaucracy are revealed as idleness, love of card games, idle talk. Here we find digression on fat and thin officials, where the writer hints at the unjust incomes of the fat and the extravagance of the thin.

In the seventh chapter, Gogol returns to the theme of the city. Writer with irony describes treasury chamber. This is “a stone house, all white as chalk, probably to depict the purity of the souls of the positions located in it.” About the court, the author notes that it is an “incorruptible zemstvo court”; about the judicial officials he says that they have “the incorruptible heads of the priests of Themis.” An apt description of officials is given through the mouth of Sobakevich. “They all burden the earth for nothing,” the hero notes. Close up shown bribe episode: Ivan Antonovich “jug snout” masterfully accepts the “little white one” from Chichikov.

In the scene breakfast at the police chief's reveals such features of officials as gluttony And love of drinking. Here Gogol again resorts to the technique hyperboles: Sobakevich eats a nine-pound sturgeon alone.

Gogol describes with undisguised irony ladies' society. The ladies of the city were " presentable", as noted by the author. The female society is especially vividly depicted in the scenes Governor's Ball. The ladies perform in “Dead Souls” as trendsetters and public opinion. This becomes especially obvious in connection with Chichikov’s courtship of the governor’s daughter: the ladies are outraged by Chichikov’s inattention to them.

The topic of ladies' gossip is further developed in ninth chapter, where the author showed in close-up Sofya Ivanovna And Anna Grigorievna - “a simply pleasant lady” And "a lady pleasant in every way." Thanks to their efforts, a rumor is born that Chichikov is going to kidnap the governor's daughter.

The central episode of the tenth chapter–meeting of officials at the police chief, where the most incredible rumors about who Chichikov is are discussed. This episode is reminiscent of the scene in the mayor's house in the first act of The Inspector General. Officials gathered to find out who Chichikov was. They remember their “sins” and at the same time pronounce the most incredible judgments about Chichikov. Opinions are expressed that this is an auditor, a manufacturer of false banknotes, Napoleon, and finally, Captain Kopeikin, about whom the postmaster tells the audience.

Death of a prosecutor, which is mentioned at the end of the tenth chapter, is a symbolic result of the author of the poem’s thoughts about the meaningless, empty life of the city. Mental impoverishment, according to Gogol, affected not only landowners, but also officials. A curious “discovery” of the inhabitants of the city made in connection with the death of the prosecutor. “Then it was only with condolences that they learned that the deceased definitely had a soul, although due to his modesty he never showed it,” the writer notes with irony. Painting of the prosecutor's funeral in the eleventh chapter the story about the city ends. Chichikov exclaims, watching the funeral procession: “Here, the prosecutor! He lived, lived, and then died! And then they will print in the newspapers that, to the regret of his subordinates and all of humanity, he has died, a respectable citizen, a rare father, an exemplary husband... but if you take a good look at the matter, in reality all you had was thick eyebrows.”

Thus, creating the image of a provincial city, Gogol showed the life of Russian officials, their vices and abuses. The images of officials, along with the images of landowners, help the reader understand the meaning of the poem about dead souls distorted by sin.

Theme of St. Petersburg. "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin"

Gogol’s attitude towards St. Petersburg has already been considered in the analysis of the comedy “The Inspector General”. Let us recall that for the writer St. Petersburg was not only the capital of an autocratic state, the justice of which he had no doubt, but also the focus of the worst manifestations of Western civilization - such as the cult of material values, pseudo-enlightenment, vanity; In addition, St. Petersburg, in Gogol’s view, is a symbol of a soulless bureaucratic system that belittles and suppresses the “little man.”

We find mentions of St. Petersburg and comparisons of provincial life with life in the capital already in the first chapter of Dead Souls, in the description of a party at the governor’s. About the insignificance of the gastronomic subtleties of St. Petersburg in comparison with the simple and plentiful food of provincial landowners, “gentlemen mediocre", the author discusses at the beginning of the fourth chapter. Chichikov, thinking about Sobakevich, tries to imagine what Sobakevich would become if he lived in St. Petersburg. Talking about the governor’s ball, the author ironically remarks: “No, this is not a province, this is the capital, this is Paris itself.” Chichikov’s remarks in the eleventh chapter about the ruin of the landowners’ estates are also connected with the theme of St. Petersburg: “Everyone came to St. Petersburg to serve; estates are abandoned."

The theme of St. Petersburg is most clearly revealed in "Tales of Captain Kopeikin", which the postmaster tells in the tenth chapter. "The Tale..." is based on folklore traditions. One of her sources–folk song about the robber Kopeikin. Hence the elements tale: Let us note such expressions of the postmaster as “my sir”, “you know”, “you can imagine”, “in some way”.

The hero of the story, a disabled person from the war of 1812, who went to St. Petersburg to ask for “royal mercy,” “suddenly found himself in a capital, which, so to speak, has nothing like it in the world! Suddenly there is a light in front of him, so to speak: a certain field of life, a fabulous Scheherazade.” This description of St. Petersburg reminds us of hyperbolic images in the scene of Khlestakov’s lies in the comedy “The Inspector General”: the captain sees in luxurious shop windows “cherries - five rubles each”, “a huge watermelon”.

At the center of the “Tale” is confrontation "little man" Captain Kopeikin And “significant person” - minister, which personifies a bureaucratic machine indifferent to the needs ordinary people. It is interesting to note that Gogol protects the Tsar himself from criticism: at the time of Kopeikin’s arrival in St. Petersburg, the Tsar was still on campaigns abroad and did not have time to make the necessary orders to help the disabled.

It is important that the author denounces the St. Petersburg bureaucracy from the position of a man of the people. The general meaning of the “Tale...” is as follows. If the government does not turn its face to the needs of the people, a rebellion against it is inevitable. It is no coincidence that Captain Kopeikin, having not found the truth in St. Petersburg, became, according to rumors, the chieftain of a gang of robbers.

Chichikov, his ideological and compositional role

Image of Chichikov performs two main functions - independent And compositional. On the one hand, Chichikov is a new type of Russian life, the type of acquirer-adventurer. On the other hand, Chichikov is plot character; his adventures form the basis of the plot of the work.

Let's consider Chichikov's independent role. This, according to Gogol, owner, purchaser.

Chichikov comes from the environment poor and humble nobility. This official, who served the rank of collegiate adviser and accumulated his initial capital by engaging in embezzlement and bribes. At the same time, the hero acts as Kherson landowner who he pretends to be. Chichikov needs the status of a landowner to acquire dead souls.

Gogol believed that spirit of profit came to Russia from the West and acquired ugly forms here. Hence the hero’s criminal path to material prosperity.

Chichikov is distinguished hypocrisy. By committing lawlessness, the hero declares his respect for the law. “The law – I am speechless before the law!” - he declares to Manilov.

It should be noted that Chichikov is attracted not by money itself, but by the opportunity rich and beautiful life. “He imagined a life ahead of him in all comforts, with all prosperity; carriages, a house, perfectly arranged, that’s what was constantly running through his head,” Gogol writes about his hero.

Chase after material assets distorted the hero's soul. Chichikov, like landowners and officials, can be classified among the “dead souls.”

Let's now consider compositional the role of Chichikov's image. This central character"Dead Souls". His main role in the work is plot-forming. This role is primarily related to the genre of the work. As already noted, Gogol defines the poem as “a lesser kind of epic.” The hero of such a work is “a private and invisible person.” The author leads him through a chain of adventures and changes to show a picture of modern life, a picture of shortcomings, abuses, vices. In “Dead Souls,” the adventures of such a hero, Chichikov, become the basis of the plot and allow the author to show the negative sides of contemporary Russian reality, human passions and delusions.

In the same time compositional role The image of Chichikov is not limited to just one plot-forming function. Chichikov turns out, paradoxically, "trusted representative" of the author. In his poem, Gogol looks at many phenomena of Russian life through the eyes of Chichikov. A striking example is the hero’s reflections on the souls of the dead and runaway peasants (chapter seven). These thoughts formally belong to Chichikov, although the author’s own view is clearly palpable here. Let's give another example. Chichikov discusses the wastefulness of provincial officials and their wives against the background of national disasters (chapter eight). It is clear that the denunciation of the exorbitant luxury of officials and sympathy for the common people come from the author, but are put into the mouth of the hero. The same can be said about Chichikov's assessment of many characters. Chichikov calls Korobochka “club-headed” and Sobakevich “fist”. It is clear that these judgments reflect the writer’s own view of these characters.

The unusualness of this role of Chichikov lies in the fact that "confidant" author becomes a negative character. However, this role is understandable in the light of Gogol’s Christian worldview, his ideas about the sinful state of modern man and the possibility of it spiritual rebirth. At the end of the eleventh chapter, Gogol writes that many people have vices that make them no better than Chichikov. “Isn’t there some part of Chichikov in me too?” - the author of the poem asks both himself and the reader. At the same time, intending to lead the hero to spiritual rebirth in the second and third volumes of his work, the writer thereby expressed hope for the spiritual rebirth of every fallen person.

Let's look at some artistic media creating the image of Chichikov

Chichikov - type averaged. This is emphasized description appearance hero. Gogol writes about Chichikov that he is “not handsome, but not bad-looking, not too fat, but not too thin, one cannot say that he is old, but not that he is too young.” Chichikov wears lingonberry-colored tailcoat with sparkle. This detail of the hero’s appearance emphasizes his desire to look decent and at the same time make a good impression of himself, sometimes even to shine in the light, to show off his eyes.

The most important character trait of Chichikov is ability to adapt to others, a kind of “chameleonism”. It's confirmed speech hero. “Whatever the conversation was about, he always knew how to support it,” writes Gogol. Chichikov knew how to talk about horses and dogs, and about virtue, and about making hot wine. Chichikov speaks differently to each of the five landowners. He talks to Manilov in a florid and pompous manner. Chichikov does not stand on ceremony with Korobochka; at the decisive moment, irritated by her stupidity, he even promises the devil to her. Chichikov is careful with Nozdryov, businesslike with Sobakevich, and taciturn with Plyushkin. Curious Chichikov's monologue in the seventh chapter (the police chief's breakfast scene). The hero reminds us of Khlestakov. Chichikov imagines himself as a Kherson landowner, talks about various improvements, about a three-field farm, about the happiness and bliss of two souls.

In Chichikov's speech there are often proverbs. "Don't have money, have good people for conversion,” he tells Manilov. “I caught it and dragged it, if it fell off, don’t ask,” the hero argues in connection with an unsuccessful scam in the commission for the construction of a government building. “Oh, I’m Akim-simplicity, I’m looking for mittens, and both are in my belt!” - Chichikov exclaims on the occasion of the idea that came to his mind to buy up dead souls.

Chichikov plays a big role in creating the image subject detail. Casket the hero is a kind of mirror of his soul, obsessed with a passion for acquisitions. Britzka Chichikov is also a symbolic image. It is inseparable from the hero’s lifestyle, prone to all sorts of adventures.

Love affair in “Dead Souls”, as in “The Inspector General”, it turns out in the background. At the same time, it is important both for revealing Chichikov’s character and for recreating the atmosphere of rumors and gossip in the provincial city. Conversations that Chichikov allegedly sought to kidnap the governor's daughter open a series of fables that accompany the hero until the moment of his departure from the city.

It turns out that gossip and rumors about the hero is also an important means of creating his image. They characterize him from different sides. According to the inhabitants of the city, Chichikov is both an auditor, and a manufacturer of false banknotes, and even Napoleon. Napoleon's theme in “Dead Souls” is not accidental. Napoleon is a symbol of Western civilization, extreme individualism, the desire to achieve a goal by any means necessary.

Of particular importance in the poem is biography Chichikov, placed in the eleventh chapter. Let's name the main stages and events of Chichikov's life. This joyless childhood, life in poverty, in an atmosphere of family despotism; leaving the parental home and starting school, marked father’s parting words: “Most of all, take care and save a penny!” IN school years the hero was carried away petty speculation, he did not forget about sycophancy in front of the teacher, to whom later, in difficult times, he treated him very callously and soullessly. Chichikov is hypocritical cared for the daughter of an elderly police officer for the purpose of promotion. Then he studied “ennobled” forms of bribery(through subordinates), theft in the commission for the construction of a government building,after exposure – fraud during customs service(the story of Brabant lace). Finally he started dead souls scam.

Let us remember that almost all the heroes of “Dead Souls” are depicted by the writer statically. Chichikov (like Plyushkin) is an exception. And this is no coincidence. It is important for Gogol to show the origins of his hero’s spiritual impoverishment, which began in his very childhood and early youth, to trace how the passion for a rich and beautiful life gradually destroyed his soul.

The theme of the people

As already noted, the idea of ​​the poem “Dead Souls” was to show “all of Rus'” in it. Gogol paid main attention to representatives of the noble class - landowners and officials. At the same time he touched themes of the people.

The writer showed in “Dead Souls” dark sides life of the peasantry - rudeness, ignorance, drunkenness.

Chichikov's serfs - lackey Parsley and coachman Selifan– unclean, uneducated, narrow-minded in their mental interests. Parsley reads books without understanding anything in them. Selifan is distinguished by his addiction to drinking. Serf girl Korobochki Pelagia does not know where the right side is, where the left side is. Uncle Mityai and Uncle Minyai they cannot untangle the harness of horses harnessed to two carriages.

At the same time, Gogol notes talent, creativity Russian people, their heroic strength And freedom-loving spirit. These features of the people are reflected especially clearly in the author's digressions (about the apt Russian word, about Rus', about the three-bird), as well as in Sobakevich's reasoning about dead peasant craftsmen(This brickmaker Milushkin, Eremey Sorokoplekhin, who, while engaged in trade, brought in rent of 500 rubles, carriage maker Mikheev, carpenter Stepan Probka, shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov); in Chichikov's thoughts about purchased dead souls, which express the position of the author himself (except for the already named peasants of Sobakevich, the hero mentions the runaway peasants of Plyushkin, in particular Abakuma Fyrova, which probably drifted onto the Volga; he became a barge hauler and gave himself up to the revelry of a free life).

Gogol also notes rebellious spirit people. The writer believes that if the arbitrariness of the authorities is not stopped, if the needs of the people are not met, then a rebellion is possible. This view of the author is evidenced by at least two episodes in the poem. This murder men assessor Drobyazhkin, who, being possessed by a lustful passion, pestered girls and young women, and the story of captain Kopeikin, who probably became a robber.

An important place in the poem is occupied by author's digressions:satirical,journalistic,lyrical,philosophical and others. In their content, some are close to deviations Chichikov's reasoning, conveying the author's position. Such an extra-plot can also be considered as a retreat element, How parable about Kif Mokievich and Mokia Kifovich in the eleventh chapter.

In addition to the retreats, important role in identifying author's position plays "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" told by the postmaster (tenth chapter).

Let us name the main digressions contained in the first volume of Dead Souls. These are the author's thoughts about fat and thin officials(first chapter, scene of the governor’s party); his judgment about the ability to deal with people(third chapter); witty author's remarks about a healthy stomach for average gentlemen(beginning of chapter four). We also note the digressions about an apt Russian word(end of chapter five), about youth(the beginning of the sixth chapter and the passage “Take it with you on the journey...”). A digression is of fundamental importance for understanding the author’s position. about two writers(beginning of chapter seven).

Retreats can be equated Chichikov's reasoning about the purchased peasant souls(beginning of the seventh chapter, after a digression about two writers), and also reflections hero about the idle life of the powerful this against the background of the misfortunes of the people (end of the eighth chapter).

Let us also note the philosophical digression about the misconceptions of humanity(tenth chapter). The list of digressions is completed by the author’s reflections in the eleventh chapter: about Rus'(“Rus! Rus'!.. I see you...”), about the road, about human passions. We especially note parable about Kif Mokievich and Mokia Kifovich and retreat about bird three, which concludes the first volume of Dead Souls.

Let's look at some of the deviations in more detail. Author's thoughts about an apt Russian word ends the fifth chapter of the poem. In the strength and accuracy of the Russian word, Gogol sees a manifestation of the intelligence, creative abilities, and talent of the Russian people. Gogol compares the Russian language with the languages ​​of other nations: “The word of a Briton will respond with knowledge of the heart and wise knowledge of life; The short-lived word of a Frenchman will flash and spread like a light dandy; the German will intricately come up with his own, not accessible to everyone, clever and thin word; but there is no word that would be so sweeping, lively, would burst out from under the very heart, would seethe and vibrate so much as something aptly said Russian word" When discussing the Russian language and the languages ​​of other peoples, Gogol resorts to the technique figurative parallelism: the many peoples living on earth are likened to the many churches in Holy Rus'.

At the beginning of the sixth chapter we find a digression about youth. The author, telling the reader about his travel impressions in his youth and adulthood, notes that in his youth a person is characterized by a freshness of worldview, which he subsequently loses. The saddest thing, according to the writer, is that over time a person can lose those moral qualities that were embedded in him in his youth. It is not for nothing that Gogol continues the theme of youth in the subsequent narration, in connection with the story about Plyushkin, about his spiritual degradation. The author addresses the youth with reverent words: “Take them with you on the journey, emerging from soft teenage years into stern, embittering courage, take with you all human movements, do not leave them on the road, you will not pick them up later!

Retreat about two writers, which opens the seventh chapter, is also built on figurative parallelism. Writers are likened to travelers: a romantic writer to a happy family man, a satirist to a lonely bachelor.

The romantic writer shows only bright sides life; satirical writer portrays "the terrible mud of little things" and exposes her in the “public eyes”.

Gogol says that romantic writer accompanies lifetime fame, satirical writer are waiting reproaches and persecution. Gogol writes: “This is not the fate of the writer who dared to bring to light everything that is every minute before our eyes and that indifferent eyes do not see, all the terrible, stunning mud of little things that entangle our lives, all the depth of cold, fragmented, everyday characters.”

In a digression about two writers, Gogol formulates own creative principles, which later received the name realistic. Here Gogol says about the meaning of high laughter- the most valuable gift of a satirical writer. The fate of such a writer is “look around” life “through laughter visible to the world and invisible, unknown to him tears”.

In retreat about the misconceptions of humanity the tenth chapter contains the main idea of ​​"Dead Souls" component the essence of Gogol's Christian worldview. According to the writer, humanity in its history has often deviated from the true path outlined by God. Hence the misconceptions of both past generations and the present. “What crooked, deaf, narrow, impassable roads that lead far to the side have been chosen by mankind, striving to achieve eternal truth, while the straight path was open to them, like the path leading to the magnificent temple assigned to the king’s palace. It is wider and more luxurious than all other paths, illuminated by the sun and illuminated by lights all night, but people flowed past it in the deep darkness,” writes Gogol. The life of Gogol's heroes - landowners, officials, Chichikov - is a vivid example of human delusions, deviation from the right path, and loss of the true meaning of life.

In retreat about Rus'(“Rus! Rus'! I see you, from my wonderful, beautiful distance I see you...”) Gogol contemplates Russia from distant Rome, where, as we remember, he created the first volume of “Dead Souls.”

The author of the poem compares the nature of Russia with the nature of Italy. He is aware that Russian nature, unlike luxurious Italian, not distinguished by external beauty; at the same time the endless Russian expanses cause in the writer's soul deep feeling.

Gogol says about the song, which expresses the Russian character. The writer also thinks O limitless thought And about heroism, characteristic of the Russian people. It is no coincidence that the author concludes his thoughts about Rus' with the words: “Is it here, in you, that a boundless thought will not be born, when you yourself are endless? Shouldn't a hero be here when there is room for him to turn around and walk? And a mighty space envelops me menacingly, reflecting with terrible force in my depths; My eyes lit up with unnatural power: oh! what a sparkling, wonderful, unknown distance to the earth! Rus!.."

The parable of Kif Mokievich and Mokiya Kifovich both in form and content it resembles an author’s digression. The images of father and son - Kifa Mokievich and Mokiy Kifovich - reflect Gogol's understanding of the Russian national character. Gogol believes that there are two main types of Russian people - philosopher type And type of hero. According to Gogol, the trouble of the Russian people is that both thinkers and heroes in Rus' are degenerating. Philosopher in his current state He is only capable of indulging in empty dreams, and the hero is capable of destroying everything around him.

The first volume of “Dead Souls” ends with a digression about the bird-three. Here Gogol expresses his faith in a better future for Russia, he connects it with the Russian people: it is not for nothing that the craftsman is mentioned here - "Yaroslavl efficient man"- Yes daring coachman, dashingly driving the speeding troika.

Questions and tasks

1. Give the full title of “Dead Souls”. Tell us about the history of the poem. What did Gogol write about the concept of his creation to Zhukovsky? Did the writer manage to fully realize his plan? In what year was the first volume of the work completed and published? What do you know about the fate of the second and third volumes?

Comment on the title of the work. What is the paradox here? Why is the phrase “dead souls” interpreted as metaphorical?

Name the main themes of Gogol's poem. Which of these topics are covered in the main narrative, and which in digressions?

2. How can you determine the main problem of the work? How is it connected with Gogol’s Christian worldview?

What pathos prevails in Gogol's poem? What theme is the affirmative beginning associated with?

3. Which genre definition Did Gogol give “Dead Souls” in the subtitle to the work? How did the writer himself interpret this genre in the prospectus of the “Training Book of Literature for Russian Youth”? What features of genres did K.S. Aksakov and V.G. Belinsky see in “Dead Souls”? How does Gogol's work resemble an adventure novel?

4. Who gave Gogol the plot of “Dead Souls”? How is the plot of the work related to Gogol’s understanding of the genre of the poem? Which character in the work is central to the plot and why?

What principle of organizing material prevails in Gogol's work? What spatial images do we find here?

What elements of the first chapter relate to exposition? What place does the landowners' gallery occupy in the work? Name the main episodes of the subsequent chapters that reveal the image of the provincial city. What place does love affair occupy in the composition of the work? What is its uniqueness in the poem?

What place does Chichikov’s biography occupy in Dead Souls? What extra-plot elements of the poem can you name?

5. Briefly describe the gallery of landowners. According to what plan does Gogol tell about each of them? What artistic means does the writer use to create their images? Tell us about each of the landowners depicted by Gogol. Reveal the meaning of the entire gallery.

6. In which chapters of “Dead Souls” is the theme of the city highlighted? Tell us about the exposition of the image of the city in the first chapter. What descriptions and characteristics does it include?

List the maximum number of city officials, naming their positions and last and patronymic names, if they are indicated by the author. Give general characteristics officials and each individual. What human passions and vices do they personify?

List the main episodes that reveal the theme of the city, identify the ideological and compositional role of each of them.

7. In which chapters and in which episodes of “Dead Souls” are St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg life mentioned? In which chapter, which of the characters and in what connection tells “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin”? What folklore source does it go back to? What is unique about the narrative in the story about Kopeikin? How is St. Petersburg pictured here? What literary device is the author using here? What is the main conflict in "The Tale..."? What idea did the author want to convey to the reader by including the story with Kopeikin in the main text of Dead Souls?

8. What functions does the image of Chichikov perform in “Dead Souls”? What type of Russian life does he represent? What is the compositional role of Chichikov, what is unusual about this role? Consider the artistic means of creating the image of a hero, give examples of these means; Pay special attention to the biography of the hero.

9. What aspects of people’s lives are revealed in “Dead Souls”? Tell us about Chichikov’s serf servants, about the episodic characters - representatives of the people. Name the peasant craftsmen from among the “dead souls” sold to Chichikov by Sobakevich, briefly describe them. Name the runaway peasant Plyushkin, who loved a free life. Which episodes of Dead Souls contain hints about the people's ability to revolt?

10. List all the author’s digressions and other extra-plot elements of “Dead Souls” that you know of. Consider in detail the digressions about the apt Russian word, about youth, about two writers, about the misconceptions of mankind, about Rus', the parable of Kifa Mokievich and Mokiya Kifovich, as well as the digression about the three-bird. How does the author of the work appear in these digressions?

11. Make a detailed outline and prepare oral communication on the topic: “Artistic means and techniques in the poem “Dead Souls”” (landscape, interior, portrait, comic situations, speech characteristics of heroes, proverbs; figurative parallelism, comparison, hyperbole, irony).

12. Write an essay on the topic: “Varieties and artistic functions details in “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol.”

It so happened that “Dead Souls” became such a work by Gogol, in which the work of a genius, his pinnacle creation, turned into a defeat for the artist, which brought him death.

This happened because Gogol’s plan was comprehensive and grandiose, but unfulfilled from the very beginning.

“Dead Souls” was conceived by the writer in three volumes. Gogol based his plan on epic poems Homer and the medieval poem by the Italian poet Dante “The Divine Comedy”.

In the spirit of Homer’s epic poems, which glorified the Greek gods and heroes, Gogol intended to create a new epic, the so-called “small epic.” Its goal was ultimately glorification, a pathetic lyrical celebration of the epic picture of the transformation of some vicious characters into exclusively positive heroes, possessing the best qualities of a Russian person. Russia had to be cleansed from filth volume by volume and in the third volume of Gogol’s book appear before all humanity in all the splendor of moral perfection, spiritual wealth and spiritual beauty. Thus, Russia would show other peoples and states the path to moral and religious salvation from the machinations of the primordial enemy of Christ and humanity - the devil, who sows evil on earth. The fiery praise of such a Russia and such a Russian man, cleansed of vices, becoming the subject of admiring chanting, turned “Dead Souls” into a poem. Consequently, the genre definition given by Gogol to his work applies to the entire three-volume plan.

It is necessary to note the greatest creative courage of Gogol, who conceived a work of enormous scale and universal significance. The idea of ​​“Dead Souls” revealed the greatness of the writer’s soul and his artistic genius. However, it is absolutely clear that moral perfection cannot be achieved by humanity here and now, that many millennia are needed to establish such relations between people and states, the foundations of which will be the teachings of Christ and universal human values.

If Gogol had not tried to embody the moral greatness of the Russian person in artistic images, but had presented it precisely as an artistic ideal, then, quite possibly, he would have been able to complete his work. But to Gogol such a solution to a grandiose task seemed too insignificant and detracted from the whole plan. He needed to breathe living life into the dream, into the ideal, that a morally perfect Russian person would consist of flesh and blood, that he would act, communicate with other people, think and feel. With the power of imagination he tried to bring it to life. But the dream, the ideal, did not want to become a plausible reality.

Gogol did not write a utopia, where the conventions of the future are presupposed by the genre itself. His morally infallible man was supposed to look not like a utopian creation, but a life-truth. However, there was no “prototype” or sample that Gogol’s imagination would have resembled. art types. Life had not yet given birth to them; they existed only in the artist’s head as abstract religious and moral ideas. It is clear that the task of creating an ideal from flesh and blood turned out to be beyond Gogol’s strength. Gogol's plan, for all its greatness and harmony, revealed a contradiction lying within it that could not be overcome. Attempts to resolve this contradiction ended in failure.

Gogol's plan also contained the greatest rise artistic idea, and its inevitable fall in the sense that it could never be completed. The victory of a genius was fraught with defeat.

The genre designation "poem" thus refers to the entire project and refers to both the epic scope and the lyrical pathos that permeates the epic narrative. In accordance with the approach to the ideal of moral perfection, lyrical pathos will increase and intensify. The artistic unconvincing nature of ideal paintings will become increasingly clearer. The epic narrative, rich in lyricism, will be replaced by religious and moral sermons, teachings and prophecies. The artistic principle will give way to the religious-ethical, mystical-moral principle, expressed in the forms of rhetorical and didactic speech. At the same time, the role of the author-prophet, author-preacher, author-teacher of life and bearer of religious and mystical insights will inevitably increase.

The genre of the poem, in addition to its connection with the epic poems of Homer, as Gogol’s contemporaries noted, had a direct literary relationship to Dante’s epic medieval poem “The Divine Comedy”. Dante's poem contained three parts - “A d”, “Purgatory”, “Paradise”. It is clear that “Hell” was inhabited by sinners; those who could cleanse their souls of sins were placed in “Purgatory”. In “Paradise” the pure, immaculate souls of the righteous ended up. Gogol's plan was consistent with the structure of Dante's poem and also ended with the kingdom of paradise, to which Russia and the Russian people rushed and achieved. At the same time, Gogol’s heroes, like Dante’s hero, committed spiritual path in the circles of Hell and, rising from Hell to Purgatory, they cleansed themselves with suffering and repentance, washing away their sins and thereby saving their souls. They went to Paradise, and their best moral qualities came to life. The Russian man was a role model and acquired the status of an ideal hero.

The first volume of “Dead Souls” corresponded to “Hell” in Dante’s poem, the second to “Purgatory,” and the third to “Paradise.” Gogol's two heroes - Chichikov and Plyushkin - were supposed to move from the circles of Hell to Purgatory, then to Paradise. Gogol's plan requires that his heroes first end up in Hell. The author revealed to all readers and the characters themselves that terrible and at the same time funny spiritual abyss into which they were brought by neglect of the title, duties and duty of a person. The characters had to see the obscene grimaces of their unsightly, ugly faces in order to laugh at their images and be horrified by them.

The first volume, or, as Gogol said, the “porch” of the entire grandiose structure, must necessarily be comic, and in some places satirical. But at the same time, an inspired person must break through the satire. lyrical voice, constantly reminding us of the second and, most importantly, the third volume. He, this lyrical voice, tied all three volumes together and intensified as he moved towards the last. And at the end of the first volume, Chichikov’s small and already fairly shabby chaise, driven by a troika, before our eyes turns, as if caught by an unknown force, into a troika bird and rushes across the sky and, like it, Rus' rushes, also carried by an unknown force. These lyrical lines remind the reader of the spiritual path ahead of Russia, and at the same time announce in advance that he will be a high example for other peoples and states.

From this reasoning it would be incorrect to conclude that Gogol compared the three volumes of Dead Souls to the three parts of Dante's Divine Comedy. He lowered and even turned over the composition of Dante's poem. We can only talk about an analogy. Gogol wrote a poem about the restoration of the human spirit.

Gogol's plan is characterized by other important features. It is easy to see that the reliance on “ Divine Comedy"Dante assumed the universality of the concept of Dead Souls. Gogol thinks in extremely general categories and concepts. They can be divided into three levels: national (Russian, German, French, etc.), universal (the earthly world as a whole) and, finally, the third level, universal-religious, covering not only Russia and the earthly world as a whole, but also heavenly and beyond the grave, located beyond, on the other side of our existence. The best proof of this is the title “Dead Souls”.

In the very expression “dead souls” there is unusualness, strangeness. On the one hand, “dead souls” are deceased serfs. On the other hand, “dead souls” are characters in the poem who have ruined themselves spiritually and mentally, whose idea of ​​the true purpose of man on earth, of his calling and the meaning of life has become distorted, deadened and dead. The characters themselves still continue to speak and move, but their souls have already died. Significant thoughts worthy of a person and deep, subtle feelings have already disappeared, sometimes forever, sometimes for a while.

There is, however, another meaning of the expression “dead souls”. According to Christian teaching, souls do not die, they remain in hell, purgatory or Paradise forever alive. The word “dead” cannot be applied to the souls of people, even those who have died, in Christianity. The flesh, the body, dies, but not the spirit, not the soul. Therefore, from this point of view, the combination “dead souls” is absurd. It is impossible. Gogol plays with all meanings. His soul can become dead, die and be revealed, like the prosecutor’s, only after death.

Therefore, during his lifetime the prosecutor did not have a soul or did he possess dead soul, which, however, is the same thing. A dead, dead soul can be transformed, resurrected to a new one, eternal life and turn to good. The universal, religious and symbolic meaning of “Dead Souls” permeates the book. Suddenly, the peasants of Sobakevich, for example, come to life: they are talked about as if they were alive. The resettlement of peasants to new land is a deception and the most great sin Chichikova. New land in “Revelation of St. John the Theologian (Apocalypse)" from the New Testament calls the holy city Jerusalem, "coming down from God from heaven" and meaning the Kingdom of God. He will reveal himself to people after Last Judgment when their souls are transformed. Only thus, purified and transformed, will they see God and His Kingdom.

A trace of such a symbolic migration in the most serious meaning of the word is preserved in the poem. After Chichikov bought “dead souls,” residents of the city of N reasoned: “... it’s true, no one will sell good people, and Chichikov’s men are drunkards, but you need to take into account that this is where morality is, this is where morality lies moral: they are now scoundrels, but having moved to a new land, they can suddenly become excellent subjects. There have been many such examples: just in the world, and in history too.” So, people's souls can be transformed. Gogol himself intended in the third volume to bring out new, completely transformed souls of Plyushkin and Chichikov.

The all-Russian, universal and universal-religious scale in “Dead Souls” is polar opposite to another - narrow, fractional, detailed, associated with penetration into the hidden corners of local life and the dark corners of a person’s “internal economy”, into the “trash and squabbles” of everyday trifles. Gogol is attentive to the details of everyday life, clothing, and furnishings.

In order to buy dead souls, Chichikov must meet the landowners, visit them and persuade them to make a deal. In “The Author's Confession,” Gogol wrote: “Pushkin found that the 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.” Consequently, the poem includes another important genre form- travel novel. Finally, it is known that main character- Chichikov - in the end had to turn into an ideal person, into a hero without fear and reproach. The transformation involved re-education and self-education.

In the second volume, Chichikov had teachers-educators who made the path of moral regeneration easier for him, and he himself, repenting and suffering, gradually re-educates himself. It is clear that the novel of education also played a significant role in Gogol’s overall plan. And here at least two questions arise. Is it true that if Chichikov saves a penny and strives to get rich, then he thinks like a bourgeois, like a capitalist? To answer this question, you need to ask yourself: does Chichikov want to use his money to grow and become a moneylender? Does he dream of a plant, of a factory, does he entertain the idea of ​​becoming an industrialist and opening his own business? No. Chichikov hopes to buy the village of Pavlovskoye in the Kherson province, become a landowner and live securely and in abundance. In his consciousness he is not a bourgeois, not a capitalist. The accumulative and bourgeois idea enters the head of the landowner, the feudal lord.

The second question is: who is Chichikov if he is not endowed with the consciousness of a bourgeois, but is still an “acquirer” and in the future dreams of becoming a landowner? “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” helps to understand why Gogol chose an average, inconspicuous person for his anti-hero in the first volume.

Chichikov is a man of the new, bourgeois era and breathes its atmosphere. The ideas of the bourgeois era are uniquely refracted in his mind and character, in his entire personality. In the bourgeois era, money and capital become the universal idol. All kindred, friendly, and love connections exist insofar as they are based on monetary interests that are beneficial to both parties. Chichikov once saw a sixteen-year-old girl with golden hair and a delicate oval face, but his thoughts immediately turned to a dowry of two hundred thousand rubles. In other words, the bourgeois era produces evil, but invisible evil, nestled in people like Chichikov, “average”, unremarkable.

In order to more accurately understand what this phenomenon is, generalized in Chichikov, Gogol tells “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin.” At the same time, Chichikov is removed from the plot; instead, a fantastic double appears, created by the imagination of the inhabitants of the provincial city and living in the rumors that filled the province. City officials are eager to marry Chichikov, who is known as a “millionaire” and intends to make a big deal. They begin to look for a bride for Chichikov, and the governor’s wife introduces the rich, presumably unmarried Chichikov, to her daughter, a college student.

The ladies who showed exceptional interest in Chichikov the millionaire (one of them, in the spirit of Tatyana Larina, even sent him an unsigned letter with the words: “No, I have to write to you!” - here Gogol laughs at romantic, already vulgarized passions), did not forgive him a short infatuation with the governor’s daughter (“All the ladies did not like Chichikov’s treatment at all”). Chichikov’s reputation is gradually collapsing: either Nozdryov will directly declare to the governor, the prosecutor and all officials that Chichikov “traded... the dead,” then Korobochka, afraid of selling himself short, will find out how much dead souls are walking around these days. The ladies formed a “conspiracy” and finally ruined Chichikov’s “enterprise”. “Dead souls”, the governor’s daughter and Chichikov got lost and mixed up in the minds of the town’s inhabitants in an “extraordinarily strange way.”

At first "just nice lady“, referring to the words of Korobochka, told “a lady pleasant in all respects” that Chichikov came to Nastasya Petrovna “armed from head to toe, like Rinald Rinaldin, and demands: “Sell,” he says, “all the souls that died." The box answers very reasonably and refuses. Why, however, Chichikov needed to imitate Rinaldino Rinaldini from the then popular novel by X. Vulpius, remained unknown, as well as why on earth the new Rinaldo Rinaldini - Chichikov - demanded dead souls. But still, the thought of Chichikov as noble robber need to remember.

During a further discussion of the “charming” Chichikov, the “lady, pleasant in all respects,” was struck by a guess: “This was just made up as a cover, but the point is this: he wants to take away the governor’s daughter. This assumption was unexpected and unusual in all respects.” If Chichikov wanted to take away the governor’s daughter, then why did he need dead souls in addition to her, if he intended to “buy dead souls, so why take away the governor’s daughter?” Confused in all this, the ladies felt that Chichikov could not decide on such a “brave passage” without “participants,” and Nozdryov was counted among such assistants.

Chichikov looks either like a noble robber or romantic hero stealing the object of his interest.