The main characters of Dead Souls. Characteristics of the main characters of the work "Dead souls The main characters of the work are dead souls

"Dead Souls"- the work of the writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, the genre of which the author himself designated as a poem.
characteristics of the heroes of dead souls. The main characters of "Dead Souls" were supposed to depict the three main Russian estates: landowners, peasants and officials. Particular attention is paid to landowners who Chichikov buys dead souls: Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Plyushkin and Sobakevich.

officials in this poem they are quite similar to the landowners. A very expressive character is the provincial prosecutor, who dies of shock after learning about Chichikov's scam. So it turns out that he, too, knew how to feel. But in general, according to Gogol, officials are only able to take bribes.

Peasants are episodic characters, there are very few of them in the poem: serfs of landowners, random strangers ... Peasants are a mystery. Chichikov thinks for a long time about the Russian people, fantasizes, looking at a long list of dead souls.

And, finally, the main character, Chichikov, does not fully belong to any of the estates. In his image, Gogol creates a fundamentally new type of hero - this is the owner-acquirer, whose main goal is to accumulate more funds.

To some extent, he can also be called a superman, but Chichikov is going to rise above all the others not because of his outstanding qualities, but due to his ability to save a penny.

The main characters of "Dead Souls"

• Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich
• Manilov
• Mikhailo Semenych Sobakevich
• Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka
• Nozdrev
• Plushkin

Characteristics of Plushkin in the poem"Dead Souls"

Plyushkin Stepan is the last "seller" of dead souls. This hero personifies the complete necrosis of the human soul. In the image of P., the author shows the death of a bright and strong personality, absorbed by the passion of stinginess.
Description of the Plushkin estate(“does not get rich in God”) depicts the desolation and “littering” of the hero’s soul. The entrance is dilapidated, everywhere there is a special dilapidation, the roofs are like a sieve, the windows are plugged with rags. Everything here is lifeless - even two churches, which should be the soul of the estate.
P.'s estate seems to fall apart into details and fragments; even a house - in some places on one floor, in some places on two. This speaks of the disintegration of the consciousness of the owner, who forgot about the main thing and focused on the third. For a long time he no longer knows what is happening in his household, but he strictly monitors the level of liquor in his decanter.
Portrait of Plushkin(either a woman or a man; a long chin covered with a handkerchief so as not to spit; small eyes that are not yet extinct, running like mice; a greasy dressing gown; a rag around his neck instead of a scarf) speaks of the hero’s complete “falling out” of the image of a rich landowner and from life in general.
P. is the only one of all the landowners, a fairly detailed biography. Before the death of his wife, P. was a diligent and wealthy owner. He raised his children with care. But with the death of his beloved wife, something broke in him: he became more suspicious and meaner. After troubles with the children (the son lost at cards, the eldest daughter ran away, and the youngest died), P.'s soul finally hardened - "the wolf hunger of stinginess took possession of him." But, oddly enough, greed did not take possession of the heart of the hero to the last limit. Having sold dead souls to Chichikov, P. wonders who could help him draw up a bill of sale in the city. He remembers that the Chairman was his school friend. This memory suddenly revives the hero: "... on this wooden face ... expressed ... a pale reflection of feeling." But this is only a momentary glimpse of life, although the author believes that P. is capable of rebirth. At the end of the chapter on P. Gogol, he describes a twilight landscape in which the shadow and the light are “completely mixed” – just as in the unfortunate soul of P.

Characteristics of Nozdrev in the poem"Dead Souls"

Nozdryov is the third landowner from whom Chichikov is trying to buy dead souls. This is a dashing 35-year-old "talker, reveler, reckless driver." N. constantly lies, bullies everyone indiscriminately; he is very reckless, ready to "shit" his best friend without any purpose. All of N.'s behavior is explained by his dominant quality: "briskness and liveliness of character", i.e. recklessness, bordering on unconsciousness. N. does not think or plan anything; he just doesn't know how to do anything. On the way to Sobakevich, in a tavern, N. intercepts Chichikov and takes him to his estate. There he quarrels to death with Chichikov: he does not agree to play cards for dead souls, and also does not want to buy a stallion of "Arab blood" and get souls in addition. The next morning, forgetting about all the insults, N. persuades Chichikov to play checkers with him for dead souls.

Convicted of cheating, N. orders Chichikov to be beaten, and only the appearance of the police captain reassures him. It is N. who will almost destroy Chichikov. Faced with him at the ball, N. shouts out loud: "He trades in dead souls!", which gives rise to a lot of the most incredible rumors. When the officials call on N. to figure everything out, the hero confirms all the rumors at once, not embarrassed by their inconsistency. Later, he comes to Chichikov and talks about all these rumors himself. Instantly forgetting about the offense inflicted on him, he sincerely offers to help Chichikov take away the governor's daughter. The home environment fully reflects the chaotic character of N. At home, everything is stupid: there are goats in the middle of the dining room, there are no books and papers in the office, etc. We can say that N.'s boundless lies are the flip side of Russian prowess, which N. endowed in abundance. N. is not completely empty, it's just that his unbridled energy does not find proper use for himself. With N. in the poem, a series of heroes begins who have retained something alive in themselves. Therefore, in the "hierarchy" of heroes, he occupies a relatively high - third - place.

The image of Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna"Dead Souls"

Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna - a widow-landowner, the second "seller" of dead souls to Chichikov. The main feature of her character is trading efficiency. Each person for K. is only a potential buyer.
K.'s inner world reflects her economy. Everything in it is neat and strong: both the house and the yard. It's just that there are a lot of flies everywhere. This detail personifies the frozen, stopped world of the heroine. The hissing clock and the "outdated" portraits on the walls in K.
But such a "fading" is still better than the complete timelessness of Manilov's world. K. at least has a past (husband and everything connected with him). K. has a character: she begins to bargain furiously with Chichikov until she extracts a promise from him, in addition to souls, to buy much more. It is noteworthy that K. remembers all his dead peasants by heart. But K. is dumb: later she will come to the city to find out the price of dead souls, and thereby expose Chichikov. Even the location of the village of K. (away from the main road, away from real life) indicates the impossibility of its correction and revival. In this she is similar to Manilov and occupies one of the lowest places in the "hierarchy" of the heroes of the poem.

The image of SobakevichDead Souls"

Mikhailo Semenych Sobakevich - is the fourth "seller" of dead souls. The very name and appearance of this hero (similar to a “medium-sized bear”, besides, his coat is also bear-colored, his gait is at random, his face is “hot and hot”) speak of the excessive power of his nature.
Literally from the very beginning, the image of money, calculation and thriftiness is firmly attached to Sobakevich. He is a very direct and open person.

When communicating with Chichikov, despite his thin hints, Sobakevich immediately goes to the heart of the matter: "Do you need dead souls?" He is a true entrepreneur. The main thing for him is a deal, money, the rest is secondary. Sobakevich skillfully defends his position, bargains well, does not disdain cheating (even slips Chichikov a "female soul" - Elizaveta Sparrow).

All the things around him reflect his spiritual appearance. Sobakevich's house has been cleared of all superfluous and "useless" architectural creations. The huts of his subordinates are also very strict and built without unnecessary decorations. In the house of Sobakevich you can find only paintings of ancient Greek heroes, in some places similar to the owner.

The image and characteristics of Manilov"Dead Souls"

Manilov- a businesslike, sentimental landowner, is the first "seller" of dead souls. Behind the sugar pleasantness and sense of smell of the hero lies a callous emptiness and insignificance, which Gogol tries to emphasize with the details of his estate.

Manilov's house is dilapidated, open to all winds. Everywhere you can see thin birch trees. The pond is completely overgrown with duckweed. The only tidy place on his estate is the tidy pavilion, which he calls "The Temple of Solitary Thought." His office does not shine with beauty either - it is covered with cheap blue paint, which from the outside seems gray.

This detail indicates the lifelessness of the character, from which not a single living word can be squeezed out.

Manilov's thoughts are chaotic. Clinging to one topic, they can fly far away, renounce reality. He is not able to think about the present, especially since this character is not able to make any important decisions. He tries to wrap his whole life in exquisite verbal formulas - and action, and time, and meaning.

As soon as Chichikov mentioned his desire to acquire dead souls, Manilov, without hesitation, agreed, although earlier his hair would have stood on end from such an offer.

The image and characteristics of Chichikov"Dead Souls"

Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich, a character in N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls".
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov clearly stands out against the background of various other characters. The author in it tried to combine the various qualities of the then landowners.

Up to the eleventh chapter, we remain in the dark about the appearance of such traits in his character, and about the formation of his character in particular. Pavel Ivanovich was from a poor noble family. In my father's dying will there was a handful of copper coins and a covenant - to please the bosses and teachers, to study diligently and, most importantly, to save and save a penny.

There was not a word about duty, dignity and honor in the will. Then Chichikov quickly realized that high moral principles only harm the achievement of his cherished goals. Therefore, he decides to break into respected and revered people through his own efforts.

In school he was an exemplary student. He studied well, was a model of upbringing, politeness and humble obedience. All teachers were delighted with such a capable student. The first instance after studying in his career ladder is the Treasury, where he easily gets a job. Chichikov immediately begins to please the boss, and even tries to look after his pretty daughter ...

After some time, Chichikov became an attorney and, during the fuss about the pledge of the peasants, put together a plan in his head, began to go around the expanses of Rus', so that, having bought dead souls and pawned them in the treasury as living, get money, buy, perhaps, a village and secure future offspring...

The poem "Dead Souls" was conceived by Gogol as a grandiose panorama of Russian society with all its peculiarities and paradoxes. The central problem of the work is the spiritual death and rebirth of representatives of the main Russian estates of that time. The author denounces and ridicules the vices of the landowners, venality and pernicious passions of bureaucracy.

The title itself has a double meaning. "Dead Souls" are not only dead peasants, but also other actually living characters of the work. Calling them dead, Gogol emphasizes their devastated, miserable, "dead" little souls.

History of creation

"Dead Souls" is a poem to which Gogol devoted a significant part of his life. The author repeatedly changed the concept, rewrote and reworked the work. Gogol originally conceived Dead Souls as a humorous novel. However, in the end, I decided to create a work that exposes the problems of Russian society and will serve its spiritual revival. And so the POEM "Dead Souls" appeared.

Gogol wanted to create three volumes of the work. In the first, the author planned to describe the vices and decay of the feudal society of that time. In the second, give your heroes hope for redemption and rebirth. And in the third I intended to describe the future path of Russia and its society.

However, Gogol managed to finish only the first volume, which appeared in print in 1842. Until his death, Nikolai Vasilievich worked on the second volume. However, just before his death, the author burned the manuscript of the second volume.

The third volume of Dead Souls was never written. Gogol could not find an answer to the question of what would happen next with Russia. Or maybe I just didn't have time to write about it.

Description of the artwork

One day, a very interesting character appeared in the city of NN, who stood out against the background of other old-timers of the city - Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. After his arrival, he began to actively get acquainted with important people of the city, attended feasts and dinners. A week later, the visitor was already on "you" with all representatives of the city's nobility. Everyone was delighted with the new person who suddenly appeared in the city.

Pavel Ivanovich goes out of town to pay visits to noble landowners: Manilov, Korobochka, Sobakevich, Nozdrev and Plyushkin. With each landowner, he is kind, trying to find an approach to everyone. Natural resourcefulness and resourcefulness help Chichikov to get the location of each landowner. In addition to empty talk, Chichikov talks with the gentlemen about the peasants who died after the revision (“dead souls”) and expresses a desire to buy them. The landowners cannot understand why Chichikov needs such a deal. However, they agree to it.

As a result of his visits, Chichikov acquired more than 400 "dead souls" and was in a hurry to finish his business and leave the city. Useful acquaintances made by Chichikov upon arrival in the city helped him settle all the issues with the documents.

After some time, the landowner Korobochka let slip in the city that Chichikov was buying up "dead souls." The whole city found out about the affairs of Chichikov and was perplexed. Why would such a respected gentleman buy dead peasants? Endless rumors and conjectures have a detrimental effect even on the prosecutor, and he dies of fear.

The poem ends with Chichikov hurriedly leaving the city. Leaving the city, Chichikov sadly recalls his plans to buy dead souls and pledge them to the treasury as living ones.

Main characters

A qualitatively new hero in Russian literature of that time. Chichikov can be called a representative of the newest class that is just emerging in serf Russia - entrepreneurs, "purchasers". The activity and activity of the hero favorably distinguishes him from the background of other characters in the poem.

The image of Chichikov is distinguished by its incredible versatility, diversity. Even by the appearance of the hero, it is difficult to immediately understand what a person is and what he is like. “In the britzka sat a gentleman who was not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin, one cannot say that he was old, but not so much that he was too young.”

It is difficult to understand and embrace the nature of the protagonist. He is changeable, many-sided, able to adapt to any interlocutor, to give the face the desired expression. Thanks to these qualities, Chichikov easily finds a common language with landowners, officials and wins the right position in society. Chichikov uses the ability to charm and win over the right people to achieve his goal, namely, obtaining and accumulating money. Even his father taught Pavel Ivanovich to deal with those who are richer and take care of money, since only money can pave the way in life.

Chichikov did not earn money honestly: he deceived people, took bribes. Over time, Chichikov's machinations are gaining more and more scope. Pavel Ivanovich seeks to increase his fortune by any means, not paying attention to any moral norms and principles.

Gogol defines Chichikov as a man with a vile nature and also considers his soul to be dead.

In his poem, Gogol describes the typical images of the landlords of that time: "business executives" (Sobakevich, Korobochka), as well as not serious and wasteful gentlemen (Manilov, Nozdrev).

Nikolai Vasilievich masterfully created the image of the landowner Manilov in the work. By this image alone, Gogol meant a whole class of landowners with similar features. The main qualities of these people are sentimentality, constant fantasies and lack of activity. The landlords of such a warehouse let the economy take its course, do nothing useful. They are stupid and empty inside. This is exactly what Manilov was like - in his soul not a bad, but mediocre and stupid poseur.

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka

The landowner, however, differs significantly in character from Manilov. Korobochka is a good and tidy mistress, everything in her estate is going well. However, the landowner's life revolves exclusively around her household. The box does not develop spiritually, it is not interested in anything. She does not understand absolutely anything that does not concern her economy. The box is also one of the images by which Gogol meant a whole class of similar limited landowners who see nothing beyond their household.

The author unequivocally classifies the landowner Nozdrev as not a serious and wasteful gentlemen. Unlike the sentimental Manilov, Nozdryov is full of energy. However, the landowner uses this energy not for the benefit of the economy, but for the sake of his momentary pleasures. Nozdryov plays, wastes money. It is distinguished by its frivolity and idle attitude to life.

Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich

The image of Sobakevich, created by Gogol, echoes the image of a bear. There is something from a large wild beast in the appearance of the landowner: sluggishness, sedateness, strength. Sobakevich is not concerned about the aesthetic beauty of the things around him, but their reliability and durability. Behind the rough appearance and harsh character lies a cunning, intelligent and resourceful person. According to the author of the poem, it will not be difficult for such landowners as Sobakevich to adapt to the changes and reforms coming in Rus'.

The most unusual representative of the class of landowners in Gogol's poem. The old man is distinguished by his extreme stinginess. Moreover, Plyushkin is greedy not only in relation to his peasants, but also in relation to himself. However, such savings make Plushkin a truly poor person. After all, it is his stinginess that does not allow him to find a family.

officialdom

Gogol in the work has a description of several city officials. However, the author in his work does not significantly differentiate them from each other. All officials in "Dead Souls" are a gang of thieves, crooks and embezzlers. These people really care only about their enrichment. Gogol literally describes in a few lines the image of a typical official of that time, rewarding him with the most unflattering qualities.

Analysis of the work

The plot of "Dead Souls" is based on an adventure conceived by Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. At first glance, Chichikov's plan seems incredible. However, if you look at it, the Russian reality of those times, with its rules and laws, provided opportunities for all sorts of machinations related to serfs.

The fact is that after 1718, a per capita census of peasants was introduced in the Russian Empire. For each male serf, the master had to pay a tax. However, the census was carried out quite rarely - once every 12-15 years. And if one of the peasants escaped or died, the landowner was forced to pay tax for him anyway. The dead or runaway peasants became a burden for the master. This created fertile ground for various kinds of fraud. Chichikov himself hoped to carry out such a scam.

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol knew perfectly well how Russian society was organized with its serf system. And the whole tragedy of his poem lies in the fact that Chichikov's scam absolutely did not contradict the current Russian legislation. Gogol denounces the distorted relations of man with man, as well as man with the state, speaks of the absurd laws in force at that time. Because of such distortions, events that are contrary to common sense become possible.

"Dead Souls" is a classic work, which, like no other, is written in the style of Gogol. Quite often, Nikolai Vasilievich based his work on some kind of anecdote or a comical situation. And the more ridiculous and unusual the situation, the more tragic the real state of affairs seems.

All the heroes of the poem can be divided into groups: landowners, common people (serfs and servants), officers, city officials. The first two groups are so interdependent, so merged into a kind of dialectical unity, that it is simply impossible to characterize them separately from each other.

Among the surnames of the landowners in "Dead Souls", those surnames that originated from the names of animals primarily attract attention. There are quite a few of them: Sobakevich, Bobrov, Svinin, Blokhin. The author closely acquaints the reader with some landowners, others are only mentioned in passing in the text. The surnames of the landowners are mostly dissonant: Konopatiev, Trepakin, Kharpakin, Pleshakov, Soapy. But there are exceptions: Pochitaev, Cheprakov-Colonel. Such surnames already inspire respect by sound, and there is hope that these are really smart and virtuous people, unlike other half-humans, half-beasts. Naming the landlords, the author uses sound recording. So the hero Sobakevich would not have acquired such heaviness and solidity if he had the surname Sobakin or Psov, although in meaning this is almost the same thing. Another solidity to the character of Sobakevich is added by his attitude towards the peasants, the way they are indicated in his notes given to Chichikov. Let us turn to the text of the work: “He (Chichikov) ran through it (the note) with his eyes and marveled at the accuracy and accuracy: not only was the craft, title, years and family condition spelled out in detail, but even in the margins there were special marks about behavior, sobriety, - in a word , it was a pleasure to look." These serfs - the carriage maker Mikheev, the carpenter Stepan Cork, the brick maker Milushkin, the shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov, Yeremey Sorokoplekhin - and after their death are dear to the owner as good workers and honest people. Sobakevich, despite the fact that "it seemed that this body did not have a soul at all, or he had one, but not at all where it should be, but, like an immortal koshchey, somewhere beyond the mountains and covered with such a thick shell, that everything that tossed and turned at the bottom of it did not produce any kind of shock on the surface, "despite this, Sobakevich is a good host.

Fortress Boxes have nicknames: Pyotr Savelyev Disrespect-Trough, Cow Brick, Wheel Ivan. "The landowner did not keep any notes or lists, but knew almost everyone by heart." She is also a very zealous mistress, but she is not so much interested in serfs as in the amount of hemp, lard and honey that she can sell. Korobochka has a truly speaking surname. She surprisingly suits a woman "older in years, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck", one of those "mothers, small landowners who cry for crop failures, losses and hold their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile gain a little money in multicolored bags placed in the drawers of chests of drawers.

The author characterizes Manilov as a person "without his enthusiasm." His surname consists mainly of sonorous sounds that sound soft without making too much noise. It is also consonant with the word "beckon". Manilov is constantly attracted by some fantastic projectors, and, "deceived" by his fantasies, he does absolutely nothing in life.

Nozdryov, on the contrary, with his last name alone gives the impression of a man in whom there is too much of everything, like too many noisy vowels in his last name. In contrast to Nozdryov, the author portrayed his son-in-law Mizhuev, who is one of those people who “before you have time to open your mouth, they are already ready to argue and, it seems, will never agree to something that is clearly contrary to their way of thinking, that they will never call a stupid intelligent, and that in particular they will not agree to dance to someone else's tune; but it will always end up with gentleness in their character, that they will agree precisely to what they rejected, they will call the stupid smart and then go to dance as well as possible to someone else's tune, - in a word , they will start with a satin stitch, and end with a reptile. " Without Mizhuev, Nozdryov's character would not play like that with all its facets.

The image of Plyushkin in the poem is one of the most interesting. If the images of other landowners are given without background, they are what they are in their essence, then Plyushkin was once a different person, “a thrifty owner! avarice." But his wife died, one of his daughters died, and the remaining daughter ran away with a passing officer. Plyushkin is not so much a comic hero as a tragic one. And the tragedy of this image is grotesquely emphasized by a funny, absurd surname, in which there is something from that kolach that his daughter Alexandra Stepanovna brought to Plyushkin for Easter along with a new dressing gown, and which he dried into breadcrumbs and served rare guests for many years. Plyushkin's stinginess is brought to the point of absurdity, he is reduced to a "hole in humanity", and it is in this image that Gogol's "laughter through tears" is felt most strongly. Plyushkin deeply despises his serfs. He covenanted his servants Mavr and Proshka, scolds them mercilessly and for the most part just like that, not on business.

The author is deeply sympathetic to ordinary Russian people, servants, serfs. He describes them with good humor, for example, the scene in which Uncle Mityai and Uncle Minyay are trying to make the stubborn horses walk. The author calls them not Mitrofan and Dimitri, but Mityai and Minyai, and before the reader's mind's eye appear "a lean and long uncle Mityai with a red beard" and "Uncle Minyai, a broad-shouldered peasant with a beard black as coal and a belly similar to that gigantic samovar. In which sbiten is brewed for the entire vegetative market." The coachman Chichikov, Selifan, is called by his full name because he claims to have some kind of education, which he pours out completely on the horses entrusted to his care. The lackey Chichikov Petrushka with his special smell, which follows him everywhere, also causes a good-natured smile of the author and reader. There is not a trace of that evil irony that accompanies the descriptions of the landlords.

Full of lyricism are the author's discourses put into Chichikov's mouth about the life and death of the "dead souls" he bought. Chichikov fantasizes and sees how Stepan Probka "perched ... for more profit under the church dome, and maybe dragged himself to the cross and, slipping, from there, from the crossbar, flopped to the ground, and only some standing near ... Uncle Mikhey, scratching. With his hand in the back of his head, he said: “Oh, Vanya, you got hurt!” - and he himself, tied with a rope, climbed “in his place. It is no coincidence that Stepan Cork is called Vanya here. It's just that this name contains all the naivete, generosity, breadth of soul and recklessness of the simple Russian people.

The third group of heroes can be conditionally designated as officers. Basically, these are friends and acquaintances of the landowner Nozdrev. In a sense, Nozdrev himself also belongs to this group. In addition to him, one can name such revelers and bullies as staff captain Kisses, Khvostyrev, lieutenant Kuvshinnikov. These are real Russian surnames, but in this case they ambiguously indicate such features of their owners as a constant desire to drink wine and something stronger, and not in mugs, but preferably in jugs, the ability to tail curl around the first skirt that comes across and distribute kisses right and left . Nozdrev tells about all these exploits with great enthusiasm, who himself is the bearer of all the above qualities. We should also add here the cheating card game. In this light, N.V. Gogol portrays the representatives of the great Russian army, quartered in the provincial city, which to some extent represents the whole of vast Rus'.

And the last group of persons presented in the first volume of the poem can be designated as officials, from the lowest to the governor and his retinue. In the same group we will include the female population of the provincial town of NN, about which a lot is also said in the poem.

The reader learns the names of officials somehow in passing, from their conversations with each other, for them the rank becomes more important than the name and surname, as if it sticks to the skin. Central among them are the governor, the prosecutor, the gendarmerie colonel, the chairman of the chamber, the police chief, the postmaster. These people seem to have no soul at all, even somewhere far away, like Sobakevich's. They live for their own pleasure, under the guise of rank, their life is strictly regulated by the size of the rank and the amount of bribes that they are given for the work that they are obliged to perform by position. The author tests these sleeping officials with the appearance of Chichikov with his "dead souls". And officials, voluntarily or involuntarily, must show who is capable of what. And they turned out to be capable of a lot, especially in the field of conjectures about the personality of Chichikov himself and his strange enterprise. Different rumors of opinion and rumors began to circulate, which, for some unknown reason, had the most effect on the poor prosecutor. he died from the other. Whether he was paralyzed or something else, only he sat and slammed back from his chair ... Then only with condolences did they learn that the deceased had, for sure, a soul, although he, due to his modesty, never showed it. The rest of the officials did not show their soul.

Ladies from the high society of the provincial city of NN helped the officials a lot to raise such a big commotion. Ladies occupy a special place in the anthroponymic system of Dead Souls. The author, as he himself admits, does not dare to write about ladies. “It’s even strange, the pen doesn’t rise at all, as if some kind of lead is sitting in it. So be it: about their characters, apparently, you need to leave it to the one who has livelier colors and more of them on the palette, but we only have to say two words the ladies of the city of NN were what they call presentable... As for how to behave, keep the tone, maintain etiquette, a lot of the most subtle propriety, and especially observe the ode in the very last trifles, then in this they even outstripped the ladies of St. Petersburg and Moscow ... A business card, whether it was written on a deuce of clubs or an ace of diamonds, but the thing was very sacred. The author does not give names to ladies, and at the same time explains the reason as follows: “It is dangerous to call a fictitious surname. on the stomach, but on death ... Call me by rank - God forbid, and that is more dangerous. Now all the ranks and estates are so irritated with us that everything that is in a printed book already seems to them a person: such is the location in Suffice it to say that there is a stupid person in one city, this is already a person; suddenly a gentleman of respectable appearance will jump out and shout: "After all, I am also a person, therefore, I am stupid too" - in a word, he will instantly realize what is the matter ". This is how a lady pleasant in all respects and just a pleasant lady appear in the poem - collective female images delightful in expressiveness. From a conversation between two ladies, the reader will later learn that one of them is called Sofya Ivanovna, and the other Anna Grigorievna. But this does not really matter, because, whatever you call them, they will still remain a lady pleasant in all respects and just a pleasant lady. This introduces an additional element of generalization into the author's characterization of the characters. The lady pleasant in all respects "acquired this name in a legal way, for, as if, she did not regret anything that she became amiable to the last degree, although, of course, what a nimble agility of a female character crept through courtesy! and although sometimes in every pleasant word she stuck out what a pin, and God forbid what was seething in the heart against the one that would have slipped somehow and somehow into the first. But all this was clothed with the most subtle secularism that only happens in a provincial city. "" The other lady ... did not have that versatility and character, and therefore we will call her: just a pleasant lady. "It was these ladies that laid the foundation for a loud scandal about dead souls , Chichikov and the abduction of the governor's daughter. A few words must be said about the latter. She is no more and no less than the governor's daughter. Chichikov says about her: "Glorious grandmother! The good thing is that she has now only, apparently, graduated from some boarding school or institute, that, as they say, there is still nothing womanish about her. That is exactly what they have the most unpleasant. She is now like a child, everything in her is simple, she will say what she pleases, laugh where she wants to laugh. Everything can be done from her, she can be a miracle, or rubbish can come out ... ". The governor's daughter is untouched virgin soil, (tabula rasa), so her name is youth and innocence, and it doesn’t matter at all whether her name is Katya or Masha. After the ball, on in which she aroused the general hatred of the ladies, the author calls her "poor blonde", almost "poor lamb".

When Chichikov goes to the judicial chamber to process the purchase of "dead" souls, he encounters the world of petty officials: Fedosey Fedoseevich, Ivan Grigorievich, Ivan Antonovich the pitcher snout. "Themis just what it is, in a negligee and a dressing gown received guests." "Ivan Antonovich, it seemed, was already well over forty years old, his hair was black, thick; the entire middle of his face protruded forward and went into his nose - in a word, it was that face that is called in the hostel a jug snout." In addition to this detail, there is nothing remarkable about the officials, except that their desire to get a bigger bribe, but this does not surprise anyone in officials.

In the tenth chapter of the first volume, the postmaster tells the story of Captain Kopeikin, calling it a whole poem in some way.

Yu. M. Lotman in his article "Pushkin and the Tale of Captain Kopeikin" finds the prototypes of Captain Kopeikin. This is the hero of folk songs, the thief Kopeikin, the prototype of which was a certain Kopeknikov, an invalid of the Patriotic War of 1812. He was refused help by Arakcheev, after which he became, as they said, a robber. This is Fyodor Orlov - a real person, a man who was disabled in the same war. Lotman believes that "the synthesis and parodic grinding of these images give rise to the" penny hero "Chichikov."

Smirnova-Chikina, in her comments on the poem "Dead Souls", considers Kopeikin as the only positive character conceived by Gogol in the first part of his work. The author writes that Gogol wanted to do this in order to "justify her<поэмы>genre, therefore, the narrator-postmaster prefaces the story with the words that "however, if you tell it, it will turn out to be a whole poem that is entertaining for some writer in some way." In addition, the author pays attention to the role of contrasts considered in my work. Smirnova-Chikina draws attention to how Gogol contrasts the wealth of St. Petersburg, the luxury of its streets with the poverty of Kopeikin.

"The Tale ..." appears in the poem at the moment when the high society of the city N, having gathered together, wonders who Chichikov really is. Many assumptions are made - both a robber, and a counterfeiter, and Napoleon ... Although the postmaster's idea that Chichikov and Kopeikin are the same person was rejected, we can see a parallel between their images. It can be noticed, at least by paying attention to the role played by the word "penny" in the story of Chichikov's life. Even as a child, his father, instructing him, said: "... take care of and save a penny most of all, this thing is most reliable, as it turns out," he was only versed in the advice to save a penny, but he himself saved up a little, "but Chichikovo turned out to be" a great mind from the practical side." Thus, we see that Chichikov and Kopeikin have the same image - a penny.

The name Chichikov cannot be found in any dictionary. And this surname itself does not lend itself to any analysis either from the side of emotional content, or from the side of style or origin. Surname is incomprehensible. It does not carry any hints of solidity or humiliation, it does not mean anything. But that is precisely why N.V. Gogol gives such a surname to the protagonist, who is "not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; one cannot say that he is old, but not so much that he is too young" . Chichikov is neither this nor that, however, this hero cannot be called an empty place either. Here is how the author characterizes his behavior in society: “Whatever the conversation was, he always knew how to support it: whether it was about a horse farm, he talked about a horse farm; whether they talked about good dogs, and here he reported very sensible remarks whether they interpreted regarding the investigation carried out by the Treasury, he showed that he was not unknown to judicial tricks; whether there was an argument about the billiard game - and in the billiard game he did not miss; whether they talked about virtue, and he reasoned very well about virtue, even with tears in his eyes; about the manufacture of hot wine, and in hot wine, he knew the use; about customs overseers and officials, and he judged them as if he himself were both an official and an overseer ... He spoke neither loudly nor quietly, but exactly as it should be." The life story of the protagonist, included in the poem, explains a lot about "dead souls", but the living soul of the hero remains as if hidden behind all his unseemly deeds. His thoughts, which the author reveals, show that Chichikov is not a stupid person and not without a conscience. But still, it is difficult to guess whether he will improve, as he promised, or whether he will continue on his difficult and unrighteous path. The author did not have time to write about it.

The compositional basis of Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" is Chichikov's journey through the cities and provinces of Russia. According to the author's intention, the reader is invited to "travel the whole of Rus' with the hero and bring out a wide variety of characters." In the first volume of "Dead Souls" Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol introduces the reader to a number of characters who represent the "dark kingdom", familiar from the plays of A. N. Ostrovsky. The types created by the writer are relevant to this day, and many proper names eventually became common nouns, although recently they are used less and less in colloquial speech. Below is a description of the heroes of the poem. In "Dead Souls" the main characters are the landlords and the main adventurer, whose adventures are the basis of the plot.

Chichikov, the protagonist of Dead Souls, travels around Russia, buying documents for dead peasants who, according to the audit book, are still considered alive. In the first chapters of the work, the author tries in every possible way to emphasize that Chichikov was a completely ordinary, unremarkable person. Knowing how to find an approach to every person, Chichikov, without any problems, was able to achieve location, respect and recognition in any society that he had to face. Pavel Ivanovich is ready for anything to achieve his goal: he lies, impersonates another person, flatters, uses other people. But at the same time, he seems to readers to be a completely charming person!

Another hero of the work "Dead Souls" by Gogol is Manilov. Chichikov comes to him first. Manilov gives the impression of a carefree person who does not care about worldly problems. Manilov found his wife to match - the same dreamy young lady. Servants took care of the house, and teachers came to their two children, Themistoclus and Alkid. It was difficult to determine the character of Manilov: Gogol himself says that in the first minute you might think “what an amazing person!”, A little later - become disillusioned with the hero, and after another minute make sure that nothing can be said about Manilov at all. It has no desires, no life itself. The landowner spends his time in abstract thoughts, completely ignoring everyday problems. Manilov easily gave the dead souls to Chichikov without asking about the legal details.

If we continue the list of heroes of the story, then the next will be Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna, an old lonely widow who lives in a small village. Chichikov came to her by chance: the coachman Selifan lost his way and turned onto the wrong road. The hero was forced to stop for the night. External attributes were an indicator of the internal state of the landowner: everything in her house was done sensibly, firmly, but nevertheless there were a lot of flies everywhere. Korobochka was a real entrepreneur, because in every person she was used to seeing only a potential buyer. Nastasya Petrovna was remembered by the reader for the fact that she did not agree to the deal in any way. Chichikov persuaded the landowner and promised to give her several blue papers for petitions, but until he agreed to order flour, honey and lard from Korobochka next time, Pavel Ivanovich did not receive several dozen dead souls.

Next on the list was Nozdryov- a reveler, a liar and a merry fellow, a playboy. The meaning of his life was entertainment, even two children could not keep the landowner at home for more than a few days. Nozdryov often got into various stories, but thanks to his innate talent to find a way out of any situation, he always got out of the water dry. Nozdryov communicated easily with people, even with those with whom he managed to quarrel, after a while he talked like with old friends. However, many tried not to have anything in common with Nozdryov: the landowner invented various fables about others hundreds of times, telling them at balls and dinner parties. It seemed that Nozdryov was not at all worried about the fact that he often lost his property in cards - he certainly wanted to win back. The image of Nozdryov is very important for the characterization of other heroes of the poem, in particular Chichikov. After all, Nozdryov was the only person with whom Chichikov did not make a deal and, in general, did not want to meet with him anymore. Pavel Ivanovich barely managed to escape from Nozdryov, but Chichikov could not even imagine under what circumstances he would see this man again.

Sobakevich was the fourth seller of dead souls. In his appearance and behavior, he resembled a bear, even the interior of his house and household utensils were huge, out of place and cumbersome. From the very beginning, the author focuses on Sobakevich's thriftiness and prudence. It was he who first offered Chichikov to buy documents for the peasants. Chichikov was surprised by this course of events, but did not argue. The landowner was also remembered for the fact that he filled the price of the peasants, despite the fact that the latter were long dead. He talked about their professional skills or personal qualities, trying to sell documents at a higher price than Chichikov offered.

Surprisingly, it is this hero who has much more chances for a spiritual rebirth, because Sobakevich sees how small people have become, how insignificant they are in their aspirations.

This list of characteristics of the heroes of "Dead Souls" contains the most important characters for understanding the plot, but do not forget about coachman Selifane, and about Pavel Ivanovich's servant, and about good-natured landowner Plyushkin. Being a master of words, Gogol created very vivid portraits of heroes and their types, which is why all descriptions of the heroes of Dead Souls are so easy to remember and immediately recognizable.

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Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" is not without a significant number of acting characters. All heroes according to their significance and time interval of action in the poem can be divided into three categories: main, secondary and tertiary.

The main characters of "Dead Souls"

As a rule, in poems the number of main characters is small. The same trend is observed in the work of Gogol.

Chichikov
The image of Chichikov is undoubtedly the key in the poem. It is thanks to this image that the episodes of the story are connected.

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is distinguished by his dishonesty and hypocrisy. His desire to enrich himself fraudulently discourages.

On the one hand, the reasons for such behavior can be explained by the pressure of society and the priorities operating in it - a rich and dishonest person is more honored than an honest and decent poor person. Since no one wants to drag out their existence in poverty, the financial issue and the problem of improving their material resources are always relevant and often border on the norms of morality and integrity, which many are ready to cross.

The same situation happened with Chichikov. He, being a simple person by origin, was actually deprived of the opportunity to make his fortune in an honest way, so he solved the problem that arose with the help of ingenuity, ingenuity and deceit. The sting of "dead souls" as an idea is a hymn to his mind, but at the same time exposes the dishonest nature of the hero.

Manilov
Manilov became the first landowner to whom Chichikov came to buy souls. The image of this landowner is ambiguous. On the one hand, he creates a pleasant impression - Manilov is a pleasant and well-mannered person, but we immediately note that he is apathetic and lazy.

Manilov is a person who always adapts to circumstances and never expresses his real opinion on this or that matter - Manilov takes the most favorable side.

box
The image of this landowner, perhaps, is perceived as a whole as positive and pleasant. Korobochka is not smart, she is a stupid and, to some extent, uneducated woman, but at the same time she was able to successfully realize herself as a landowner, which greatly elevates her perception as a whole.

The box is too simple - to some extent, its habits and habits resemble the lifestyle of peasants, which does not impress Chichikov, who aspires to aristocrats and life in high society, but allows Korobochka to live quite happily and quite successfully develop his economy.

Nozdrev
Nozdryov, to whom Chichikov comes, after Korobochka, is perceived quite differently. And this is not surprising: it seems that Nozdryov could not fully realize himself in any field of activity. Nozdrev is a bad father who neglects communication with children and their upbringing. He is a bad landowner - Nozdryov does not take care of his estate, but only spends all his money. Nozdryov's life is the life of a man who prefers drinking, festivities, cards, women and dogs.

Sobakevich
This landowner is controversial. On the one hand, he is a rude, masculine person, but on the other hand, this simplicity allows him to live quite successfully - all the buildings on his estate, including the houses of the peasants, are made to last - you will not find anything leaky anywhere, his peasants are full and quite satisfied . Sobakevich himself often works together with the peasants on an equal footing and does not see anything unusual in this.

Plushkin
The image of this landowner, perhaps, is perceived as the most negative - he is a stingy and angry old man. Plyushkin outwardly looks like a beggar, since his clothes are incredibly leaky, his house looks like ruins, as well as the houses of his peasants.

Plyushkin lives extraordinarily economically, but he does it not because there is a need for it, but because of a feeling of greed - he is ready to throw away the spoiled thing, but just not to use it for good. That is why fabric and products rot in his warehouses, but at the same time his serfs go head and ragged.

Minor Heroes

There are also not many secondary characters in Gogol's story. In fact, all of them can be described as significant figures in the county, whose activities are not related to the landownership.

Governor and his family
This is perhaps one of the most significant people in the county. In theory, he should be insightful, intelligent and reasonable. However, in practice, everything turned out not quite so. The governor was a kind and pleasant man, but he did not differ in foresight.

His wife was also a nice woman, but her excessive coquetry spoiled the whole picture. The governor's daughter was a typical cutesy girl, but outwardly she was very different from the generally accepted standard - the girl was not full, as was customary, but was slender and sweet.

What is true, due to her age, she was too naive and gullible.

prosecutor
The image of the prosecutor defies significant description. According to Sobakevich, he was the only decent person, although, to be completely honest, he was still a “pig”. Sobakevich does not explain this characterization in any way, which makes it difficult to understand his image. In addition, we know that the prosecutor was a very impressionable person - when Chichikov's deception was revealed, due to excessive excitement, he dies.

Chairman of the Chamber
Ivan Grigoryevich, who was the chairman of the chamber, was a nice and well-mannered man.

Chichikov noted that he was very educated, unlike most of the significant people of the county. However, his education does not always make a person wise and far-sighted.

This happened in the case of the chairman of the chamber, who could easily quote works of literature, but at the same time could not discern Chichikov's deceit and even helped him draw up documents for dead souls.

Chief of Police
Aleksey Ivanovich, who was acting as chief of police, seemed to have grown accustomed to his work. Gogol says that he was able to ideally comprehend all the subtleties of the work and it was already difficult to imagine him in any other position. Alexey Ivanovich comes to any shop as if to his home and can take whatever his heart desires. Despite such impudent behavior, he did not cause indignation among the townspeople - Alexei Ivanovich knows how to successfully get out of the situation and smooth out the unpleasant impression of extortion. So, for example, he invites guests for tea, play checkers or watch a trotter.

We suggest following the image of Plyushkin in Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol's poem "Dead Souls".

Such proposals are not made by the chief of police spontaneously - Alexei Ivanovich knows how to find a weak spot in a person and uses this knowledge. So, for example, having learned that the merchant has a passion for card games, he immediately invites the merchant to the game.

Episodic and third-rate heroes of the poem

Selifan
Selifan is Chichikov's coachman. Like most ordinary people, he is an uneducated and stupid person. Selifan faithfully serves his master. Typical of all serfs, he likes to drink and is often distracted.

Parsley
Petrushka is the second serf subordinate to Chichikov. He serves as a footman. Parsley loves to read books, however, he does not understand much of what he read, but this does not prevent him from enjoying the process itself. Parsley often neglects the rules of hygiene and therefore it emits an incomprehensible smell.

Mizhuev
Mizhuev is Nozdrev's son-in-law. Mizhuev is not distinguished by prudence. At its core, he is a harmless person, but he loves to drink very much, which significantly spoils his image.

Feodulia Ivanovna
Feodulia Ivanovna - Sobakevich's wife. She is a simple woman and with her habits resembles a peasant woman. Although, it cannot be said that the behavior of aristocrats is completely alien to her - some elements are still present in her arsenal.

We offer you to get acquainted with the images and characteristics of landowners in Nikolai Gogol's poem "Dead Souls"

Thus, in the poem, Gogol presents the reader with a wide system of images. And, although most of them are collective images and in their structure are an image of the characteristic types of individuals in society, they still arouse the interest of the reader.

Characteristics of the heroes of the poem "Dead Souls": a list of characters