Dead
souls ... This phrase can be written
without quotes - and then it will be
to mean not only dead peasants,
diligently bought up by Pavel Ivanovich
Chichikov, but also the necrosis of all the main
characters of the poem, proving the mortification
humanity.

Composition
"Dead Souls" (sequence of encounters
Chichikov with landowners) reflects
Gogol's ideas about possible degrees
human degradation. "In sequence
I have heroes one more vulgar than the other,
- the writer notes. Indeed, if
Manilov still retains some
attractiveness, then Plushkin, closing
gallery of landowners-feudal lords, already
openly called "a hole in humanity."

By creating
images of Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev,
Sobakevich, Plyushkin, Gogol resorts to
general methods of realistic typing -
village picture, master's house,
portrait of the owner, study, talk about
city ​​officials and dead souls... In
where necessary,
the biography of the character appears before us.

In the image
Manilov depicted a type of idle
dreamer, "romantic slacker".
The landowner's economy is in full
decline. “The manor’s house stood alone on
yuru, that is, on a hill open to everyone
winds that blow at will...”
The housekeeper steals, “stupid and useless
cooking in the kitchen”, “empty in the pantry”, “unclean
and drunken servants.” In the meantime, a “gazebo” was erected
with a flat green dome, wooden
blue columns and the inscription: “Temple
solitary contemplation”... Manilov's dreams
absurd and ridiculous. “Sometimes ... he talked about
how nice it would be if suddenly from home
to lead an underground passage or through a pond
build a stone bridge...” Gogol
shows that Manilov is vulgar and stupid,
he has no real spiritual interests. "AT
there was always a book in his office,
bookmarked on the fourteenth
page, which he constantly read already
two years". vulgarity family life -
relationship with his wife, education of Alcides and
Themistoclus, feigned sweetness of speech
(“May day”, “name day of the heart”) -
confirms the insight of the portrait
character characteristics. “In the first
a minute of conversation with him you can not say:
“What a pleasant and kind person!” AT
next minute you will not say anything, but
in the third you will say: “The devil knows what it is!”
- and move away if you don't leave,
you will feel bored to death.” Gogol with
amazing artistic power
shows the deadness of Manilov,
the futility of his life. Beyond the external
attractiveness hides the spiritual
emptiness.

Image
storage box boxes are already deprived of those “attractive”
traits that distinguish Manilov. And again
before us is a type - “one of those mothers,
small landowners who ... are gaining
a little bit of money in colorful bags,
placed in the drawers of chests of drawers. Interests
Boxes are entirely focused on
economy. "Strong-headed" and "club-headed"
Nastasya Petrovna is afraid to sell too cheap,
selling Chichikov dead souls. Curious
"silent scene" that occurs in this
chapter. We find similar scenes in almost
all chapters showing conclusion
Chichikov's transactions with another landowner. This
special artistic technique, peculiar
temporary stop of action: it
allows with a special convexity to show
spiritual emptiness of Pavel Ivanovich and his
interlocutors. At the end of the third chapter, Gogol
speaks about the typical image of the Box,
the insignificance of the difference between it and another
aristocratic lady.

Gallery
dead souls continues in Nozdrev's poem. As
and other landowners, he internally did not
develops, does not change depending on
age. “Nozdryov at thirty-five was
exactly the same as it was
eighteen and twenty: a hunter for a walk.
The portrait of a dashing reveler is satirical and
sarcastic at the same time. "This was
medium height, very well built

Attempt
Chichikov buy dead Souls at Nozdrev -
fatal mistake. Precisely Nozdrev
blabs a secret at the governor's ball.
Arrival in the city of Korobochka, who wished to know
“how much do dead souls walk”, confirms
the words of a dashing "talker".

Image
Nozdryova is no less typical than the images
Manilova or Boxes. Gogol writes: “Nozdrev
will not be out of the world for a long time. He is everywhere
between us and maybe only walks in
another caftan; but thoughtlessly
people are impenetrable, and a person in another
caftan seems to them a different person.

Listed
the above typing techniques are used by Gogol
and for artistic comprehension of the image
Sobakevich. Description of the village and economy
landowner testifies to a certain
prosperity. “The yard was surrounded by strong and
an unreasonably thick wooden lattice.
The landowner seemed to be busy with
strength ... Village huts of men, too
were cut down marvelously ... everything was fitted
tightly

Describing
appearance of Sobakevich, Gogol resorts to
zoological assimilation - comparison
landowner with a bear. So-bakevich -
glutton. In his judgments about food, he
rises to a kind of “gastronomic”
pathos: “When I have pork - all
let's put the pig on the table, lamb - just
drag a ram, a goose - just a goose!” However,
Sobakevich, and in this he differs from
Plyushkin and most other landowners,
except perhaps the Box, inherent
some economic vein: does not ruin
own serfs, seeks
well-known order in the economy, profitable
sells dead souls to Chichikov, excellent
knows business and human qualities
their peasants.

Limiting
the extent of human fall is captured
Gogol in the form of the richest landowner
provinces - more than a thousand serfs -
Plushkin. The biography of the character allows
trace the path from the “thrifty” host
to a half-mad curmudgeon. “But it was
the time he... was married and a family man, and
a neighbor came to dine with him ..., towards
two pretty daughters came out ..., ran out
son ... The owner himself appeared at the table in a frock coat ...
But the good mistress died; part of the keys, and
them small worries, passed to him. Plushkin
became more restless and, like all widowers,
more suspicious and meaner." soon family
completely disintegrated, and Plyushkin developed
unprecedented pettiness and suspicion,
“... he himself finally turned into some
a hole in humanity." So, by no means
social conditions led the landowner to
the last frontier of moral decline.
Tragedy is playing out before us
tragedy!) of loneliness, developing into
a nightmarish picture of lonely old age.

In the village
Plyushkina Chichikov notices “some
special decrepitude." Entering the house, Chichikov
sees a strange heap of furniture and
some street trash ... Plyushkin -
an insignificant slave of his own things. He
lives worse than "the last shepherd
Sobakevich". Countless riches
disappear in vain... Involuntarily attracts
attention and the beggarly appearance of Plyushkin ... It's sad
and Gogol's words sound warning: "And
to such insignificance, pettiness, disgust
a man could come down! could have changed!
anything can happen to a person.”

So
way, the landowners in “ Dead souls”
unite many common features: idleness,
vulgarity, spiritual emptiness. However, Gogol
would not be, as it seems to me, great
a writer, if he were limited only to "social"
explaining the causes of spiritual
failure of the characters. He,
indeed, creates “typical
characters in typical circumstances”,
but the "circumstances" may also be
conditions of inner mental life
person. I repeat that Plyushkin's fall is not
connected directly with his position as a landowner.
Can't the loss of a family break even
most strong man, representative
any class or class? In a word, realism
Gogol includes the deepest
psychologism. This is what makes the poem interesting.
to the modern reader.

the world
dead souls are opposed in the poem by faith
into the “mysterious” Russian people, into its
inexhaustible moral potential. AT
at the end of the poem, an image of an endless
road and a troika rushing forward. AT
this indomitable movement is felt
the writer's confidence in the great
purpose of Russia, in the possibility
spiritual resurrection of mankind.

Education

The image of landlords in the poem "Dead Souls" (table). Characteristics of the landowners in the poem by N.V. Gogol

In this article we will describe the image of landowners created by Gogol in the poem "Dead Souls". The table compiled by us will help you remember the information. We will sequentially talk about the five heroes presented by the author in this work.

The image of the landlords in the poem "Dead Souls" by N.V. Gogol is briefly described in the following table.

Depiction of landowners by Gogol

In the work of Nikolai Vasilyevich, one of the main topics is the theme of the landlord class in Russia, as well as the ruling class (nobility), its role in society and its fate.

The main method used by Gogol when depicting various characters is satire. The process of gradual degeneration of the landlord class was reflected in the heroes created by his pen. Nikolai Vasilievich reveals shortcomings and vices. Gogol's satire is colored with irony, which helped this writer to speak directly about what was impossible to speak openly under censorship conditions. At the same time, the laughter of Nikolai Vasilyevich seems to us good-natured, but he does not spare anyone. Each phrase has a subtext, hidden, deep meaning. Irony in general is a characteristic element of Gogol's satire. It is present not only in the speech of the author himself, but also in the speech of the characters.

Irony is one of the essential features of Gogol's poetics, it gives more realism to the narrative, it becomes a means of analyzing the surrounding reality.

Compositional construction of the poem

Images of landlords in the poem "Dead Souls", the largest work this author, are given in the most multifaceted and complete way. It is built as the story of the adventures of the official Chichikov, who buys up "dead souls". The composition of the poem allowed the author to tell about different villages and the owners living in them. Almost half of the first volume (five of the eleven chapters) is devoted to characterizing different types landowners in Russia. Nikolai Vasilyevich created five portraits, not similar friend on the other, however, in each of them at the same time there are features that are typical of the Russian serf-owner. Acquaintance with them begins with Manilov and ends with Plyushkin. Such a construction is not accidental. There is a logic to this sequence: the process of impoverishment of a person's personality deepens from one image to another, it unfolds more and more as scary picture disintegration of feudal society.

Related videos

Acquaintance with Manilov

Manilov is the first person to represent the image of the landowners in the poem "Dead Souls". The table only briefly describes it. Let's get to know this character better. The character of Manilov, which is described in the first chapter, is already manifested in the surname itself. The story about this hero begins with the image of the village of Manilovka, a few able to "lure" with its location. The author describes with irony the manor's courtyard, created as an imitation of an English garden with a pond, bushes and the inscription "Temple of Solitary Reflection". External details help the writer to create the image of the landlords in the poem "Dead Souls".

Manilov: the character of the hero

The author, speaking of Manilov, exclaims that only God knows what kind of character this man had. By nature, he is kind, courteous, polite, but all this takes ugly, exaggerated forms in his image. This landowner is sentimental and beautiful-hearted to the point of cloying. Festive and idyllic seem to him the relationship between people. Various relationships, in general, are one of the details that create the image of landlords in the poem "Dead Souls". Manilov did not know life at all, reality was replaced by an empty fantasy with him. This hero loved to dream and reflect, sometimes even about things useful for the peasants. However, his ideas were far from the needs of life. He did not know about the real needs of the serfs and never even thought about them. Manilov considers himself a bearer of culture. He was considered the most educated person in the army. Nikolai Vasilyevich speaks ironically about the house of this landowner, in which "something was always missing", as well as about his sugary relationship with his wife.

Chichikov's conversation with Manilov about buying dead souls

Manilov in the episode of the conversation about buying dead souls is compared with an overly smart minister. Gogol's irony here intrudes, as if by accident, into a forbidden area. Such a comparison means that the minister differs not so much from Manilov, and "Manilovism" is typical phenomenon vulgar bureaucratic world.

box

Let's describe one more image of landowners in the poem "Dead Souls". The table has already briefly introduced you to the Box. We learn about it in the third chapter of the poem. Gogol refers this heroine to the number of small landowners who complain about losses and crop failures and always keep their heads somewhat to one side, while gaining money little by little in the bags placed in the chest of drawers. This money is obtained through the sale of a variety of subsistence products. Korobochka's interests and horizons are completely focused on her estate. Her entire life and economy are patriarchal in nature.

How did Korobochka react to Chichikov's proposal?

The landowner understood that trade dead souls profitable, and agreed after much persuasion to sell them. The author, describing the image of the landlords in the poem "Dead Souls" (Korobochka and other heroes), is ironic. For a long time, the "clubhead" cannot figure out what exactly is required of her, which infuriates Chichikov. After that, she bargains with him for a long time, fearing to miscalculate.

Nozdrev

In the image of Nozdryov in the fifth chapter, Gogol draws a completely different form of decomposition of the nobility. This hero is a man, as they say, "of all trades." There was something remote, direct, open in his very face. Characteristic for him is also the "breadth of nature." According to the ironic remark of Nikolai Vasilyevich, Nozdrev - " historical man"because not a single meeting he managed to attend was ever without stories. He loses a lot of money at cards with a light heart, beats a simpleton at a fair and immediately "squanders" everything. This hero is an utter liar and a reckless braggart , real master"pouring bullets". He behaves defiantly everywhere, if not aggressively. The speech of this character is replete with swear words, and at the same time he has a passion to "shame on his neighbor." Gogol in the image of Nozdryov created in domestic literature a new socio-psychological type of the so-called Nozdrevshchina. In many ways, the image of the landlords in the poem "Dead Souls" is innovative. A brief image of the following heroes is described below.

Sobakevich

The satire of the author in the image of Sobakevich, with whom we get acquainted in the fifth chapter, acquires a more accusatory character. This character bears little resemblance to previous landowners. This is a fisted, cunning merchant, a "landowner-fist". He is alien to the violent extravagance of Nozdryov, the dreamy complacency of Manilov, and also the hoarding of Korobochka. Sobakevich has iron grip, he is laconic, on his mind. There are few people who could deceive him. Everything about this landowner is strong and durable. In all household items surrounding him, Gogol reflects the features of the character of this person. Everybody miraculously reminds the hero himself in his house. Each thing, as the author notes, seemed to say that she was "also Sobakevich."

Nikolai Vasilyevich depicts a figure that strikes with rudeness. This man seemed to Chichikov like a bear. Sobakevich is a cynic who is not ashamed of moral ugliness either in others or in himself. He is far from enlightened. This is a die-hard serf-owner who only cares about his own peasants as a labor force. It is interesting that, except for this hero, no one understood the true essence of the "scoundrel" Chichikov, and Sobakevich perfectly understood the essence of the proposal, which reflects the spirit of the times: everything can be sold and bought, you should benefit as much as possible. Such is the generalized image of the landowners in the poem Dead Souls. Summary the work, however, is not limited to depicting only these characters. We present you the next landowner.

Plushkin

The sixth chapter is devoted to Plyushkin. On it, the characteristics of the landowners in the poem "Dead Souls" are completed. The name of this hero has become a household name, denoting moral degradation and stinginess. This image is the last degree of degeneration of the landlord class. Gogol begins his acquaintance with the character, as usual, with a description of the estate and village of the landowner. At the same time, "special dilapidation" was noticeable on all buildings. Nikolai Vasilievich describes a picture of the ruin of a once rich serf-owner. Its cause is not idleness and extravagance, but the painful stinginess of the owner. Gogol calls this landowner "a hole in humanity." Myself appearance its characteristic is a sexless creature resembling a housekeeper. This character no longer causes laughter, only bitter disappointment.

Output

The image of the landowners in the poem "Dead Souls" (the table is presented above) is revealed by the author in many ways. The five characters that Gogol created in the work draw a versatile state this class. Plyushkin, Sobakevich, Nozdrev, Korobochka, Manilov - different forms one phenomenon - spiritual, social and economic decline. The characteristics of the landlords in Gogol's Dead Souls prove this.

Landowners in Gogol's Dead Souls

The author called “Dead Souls” a poem and thus emphasized the significance of his creation. The poem is a significant lyric-epic work, distinguished by the depth of content and a wide coverage of events. This definition (poem) is still controversial.

With the release satirical works Gogol in Russian realistic literature strengthening the critical direction. Gogol's realism is more saturated with accusatory, scourging power - this distinguishes him from his predecessors and contemporaries. artistic method Gogol was named critical realism. What is new in Gogol is the sharpening of the main character traits of the hero, the writer's favorite technique is hyperbole - an exorbitant exaggeration that enhances the impression. Gogol found that the plot of "Dead Souls", prompted by Pushkin, is good in that it gives complete freedom to travel all over Russia with the hero and create a wide variety of characters.

According to Herzen, Gogol turned “to the local nobility and paraded this unknown people, who kept backstage far from roads and big cities. Thanks to Gogol, we finally saw them ... without masks, without embellishment.

The chapters on landowners, to whom more than half of the first volume is devoted, are arranged by the author in a strictly thought-out order: the wasteful dreamer Manilov is replaced by the thrifty Korobochka; she is opposed to the ruined landowner, the swindler Nozdryov; then again turn to the economic landowner-kulak Sobakevich; The gallery of feudal lords is closed by the miser Plyushkin, who embodies the extreme degree of the fall of the landlord class.

Reading “Dead Souls”, we notice that the writer repeats the same techniques in depicting landowners: he gives a description of the village, the manor house, appearance landowner. Further there is a story about how certain people reacted to Chichikov's proposal to sell dead souls. Then Chichikov's attitude to each of the landowners is depicted and a scene appears buying and selling dead shower. Such a coincidence is not accidental. The monotonous vicious circle of techniques allowed the artist to flaunt conservatism, backwardness provincial life, isolation and narrow-mindedness of the landowners, emphasize stagnation and dying.

We learn about the “very courteous and courteous landowner Manilov” in the first chapter, where the author depicts his appearance, especially his eyes - sweet as sugar. The new acquaintance was crazy about Chichikov, "for a long time shook his hand and asked him convincingly to honor him with his arrival in the village." Looking for Manilovka, Chichikov confused the name and asked the peasants about the village of Zamanilovka. The writer plays with this word: “The village of Manilovka could not lure many with its location.” And then it starts detailed description landowner's estate. “The manor's house stood alone in the dur... open to all winds...” On the slope of the mountain, “two or three flower beds were scattered in English style with lilac and yellow acacia bushes; ... a gazebo with a flat green dome, wooden blue columns and the inscription “Temple of Solitary Reflection”, below a pond covered with greenery ...” And finally, the “gray log huts” of the peasants. Behind all this, the owner himself peeps - the Russian landowner, the nobleman Manilov. Mismanaged, the house was set up unsuccessfully, with a claim to European fashion, but devoid of elementary taste. This landowner has more than two hundred peasant huts.

The dullness of the appearance of the Manilov estate complements landscape sketch: darkening to the side “dull bluish color Pine forest” and a completely indefinite day: “neither clear, nor gloomy, but of some kind light gray". Sad, bare, colorless. Gogol exhaustively revealed that such a Manilovka could lure few.

The portrait of Manilov is completed by Gogol in an ironic manner: "His features were not devoid of pleasantness." But in this pleasantness, it seemed, "too much was transferred to sugar." Sugar is a detail that indicates sweetness. And then a devastating characterization of the author himself: “There is a kind of people known by the name: people are so-so, neither this nor that, neither in the city of Bogdan, nor in the village of Selifan.”

Manilov is deprived of economic intelligence. “When the clerk said: “It would be nice, sir, to do this and that,” “Yes, not bad,” he usually answered. Manilov did not run a household, he did not know his peasants well, and everything fell into decay, but he dreamed of an underground passage, of a stone bridge across a pond, which two women forded, and with trading shops on both sides of it.

The writer's gaze penetrates Manilov's house, where the same carelessness and lack of taste reigned. Some rooms were unfurnished, two armchairs in the master's office were upholstered in matting. There were piles of ashes on the windowsill in the office, the book, open on the 14th page for two years already, is the only evidence of the work of the owner in the office.

Mrs. Manilova is worthy of her husband. Her life is devoted to sugary lisping, philistine surprises (a beaded case for a toothpick), languid long kisses, and household chores are a low occupation for her. “Manilova is so well brought up,” Gogol quipped.

Manilov's character is expressed in a special manner of speaking, in a storm of words, in the use of the most delicate turns of speech: let you not allow this, no, excuse me, I will not allow such a pleasant and educated guest to pass behind. Manilov's good-heartedness, his ignorance of people is revealed in the assessment of city officials as people "most respected and most amiable." Step by step, Gogol inexorably denounces vulgarity vulgar person, irony is constantly replaced by satire: “Russian cabbage soup is on the table, but from pure heart”, the children - Alkid and Themistoclus, are named after the ancient Greek commanders as a sign of the education of their parents.

During a conversation about the sale of dead souls, it turned out that many peasants had already died (probably, they had a hard time living with Manilov). At first, Manilov cannot understand the essence of Chichikov's undertaking. “He felt that he needed to do something, to propose a question, and what question - the devil knows. He finally ended by exhaling smoke again, but not through the mouth, but through the nasal nostrils. Manilov shows "concern for further views of Russia." The writer characterizes him as an empty phrase-monger: where does he care about Russia if he cannot put things in order in his own economy.

Chichikov easily manages to convince his friend of the legitimacy of the transaction, and Manilov, as an impractical, unbusinesslike landowner, gives Chichikov dead shower and bears the cost of registration of the bill of sale.

Manilov is tearfully complacent, devoid of living thoughts and real feelings. He himself is a "dead soul", doomed to perish in the same way as the entire autocratic-feudal system of Russia. The Manilovs are harmful, socially dangerous. What consequences for the economic development of the country can be expected from Manilov's management!

The landowner Korobochka is thrifty, “gaining little by little money”, lives closed in her estate, as if in a box, and her thriftiness eventually develops into hoarding. Limitation and stupidity complete the character of the "cudgel-headed" landowner, who is distrustful of everything new in life. The qualities inherent in Korobochka are typical not only among the provincial nobility.

Korobochka is followed by Nozdryov in Gogol's gallery of freaks. Unlike Manilov, he is restless, nimble, lively, but his energy is wasted on trifles in a cheating card game, in petty dirty tricks lies. With irony, Gogol calls him “in some respects a historical person, because wherever Nozdryov was, he could not do without stories,” that is, without scandal. The author rewards him with what he deserves through the mouth of Chichikov: “Nozdrev is a man - rubbish!” He squandered everything, abandoned the estate and settled at the fair in the gaming house. Emphasizing the vitality of the nostrils in Russian reality, Gogol exclaims: “Nozdrev will not be out of the world for a long time yet.”

With the practical landowner Sobakevich, the hoarding peculiar to Korobochka turned into genuine kulaks. He looks at the serfs only as labor force and, even though he set up huts for peasants, marvelously cut down, he will tear off three skins from them. Some of the peasants he transferred to a monetary system of quitrent, which was beneficial to the landowner. The image of Sobakevich was created in Gogol's favorite hyperbolic manner. His portrait, in which a comparison with a bear is given, the situation in the house, the sharpness of the comments, the behavior at dinner - the animal essence of the landowner is emphasized in everything.

Sobakevich quickly figured out Chichikov's idea, realized the benefits and broke a hundred rubles per capita. The tight-fisted landowner sold the dead souls for his own benefit, and even cheated Chichikov by slipping him one female person. “A fist, a fist, and a beast to boot!” - this is how Chichikov characterizes him. Sobakevich adapts to capitalist conditions of life.

When he first saw Plyushkin, Chichikov “for a long time could not recognize what gender the figure was: a woman or a man. Her dress was completely indefinite, very similar to a woman's hood, on her head was a cap worn by village yard women, only her voice seemed to him somewhat hoarse for a woman: “Oh, woman! he thought to himself, and immediately added: “Oh, no!” “Of course, baba!” Chichikov could not even imagine that this was a Russian master, a landowner, the owner of serf souls. The passion for accumulation unrecognizably disfigured Plyushkin; he saves only for the sake of hoarding... He starved the peasants, and they "are dying like flies" (80 souls in three years). He himself lives from hand to mouth, dresses like a beggar. (According to Gogol's apt words, Plyushkin has turned into some kind of hole in humanity.) In the era of the growth of monetary relations, Plyushkin's economy is conducted in the old fashioned way, based on corvee labor, the owner collects food and things, senselessly accumulates for the sake of accumulation. Ruined the peasants, ruining them with overwork. Plyushkin saved up, and everything he collected rotted, everything turned into “clean manure*.” Plunder people's labor the author exposes in the chapter on Plyushkin even with greater force than in the chapter on Nozdryov. Such a landowner as Plyushkin cannot be the backbone of the state, move forward its economy and culture. And the writer sadly exclaims: “And a person could descend to such insignificance, pettiness, vileness! Could have changed! And does it look like it's true? Everything looks like the truth, everything can happen to a person.

Gogol endowed each landowner with original, specific features. Whatever the hero, then a unique personality. But at the same time, his heroes retain ancestral, social signs: short cultural level, lack of intellectual inquiries, desire for enrichment, cruelty in the treatment of serfs, moral uncleanliness, lack of an elementary concept of patriotism. These moral monsters, as Gogol shows, are generated by feudal reality and reveal the essence of feudal relations based on the oppression and exploitation of the peasantry.

Gogol's work stunned, first of all, the ruling circles and the landlords. The ideological defenders of serfdom argued that the nobility - the best part population of Russia, passionate patriots, the backbone of the state. Gogol dispelled this myth with images of landlords. Herzen said that the landlords “pass before us without masks, without embellishment, flatterers and gluttons, obsequious slaves of power and ruthless tyrants of their enemies, life drinkers and the blood of the people... "Dead Souls" shocked all of Russia."

Traditionally, Gogol's "Dead Souls" are considered at school from the standpoint of V. G. Belinsky as a satirical and socially accusatory work. At the lessons, the characteristics of Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Sobakevich, Plyushkin are compiled according to the plan: a description of the house, village, owner, dinner, deal, since chapters 2-6 are distinguished by the generality of the composition.

The general conclusions boil down to the fact that in the images of the landowners Gogol showed the history of impoverishment human soul. Freak landlords emerge: "a head of sugar, not a man" Manilov; "Cudgel-headed" Box; "historical man" and squanderer Nozdrev; a parody of the hero, "all of the tree cut down" Sobakevich; "a hole in humanity" Plyushkin.

Such a way of studying under certain conditions may be appropriate and expedient. But, looking at the poem from the standpoint modern literary criticism, we will try to comprehend with schoolchildren its innermost meaning in a different way, adding new interpretations for the school to the traditional way. Following Gogol's plan - and his heroes go the way "hell - purgatory - paradise" - let's try to look at the world that was before him.

Considering myself a prophet. Gogol sincerely believed that it was he who should point out to mankind its sins and help get rid of them. So what sins entangled our heroes? What evil are they preaching? To answer these questions, you can conduct a lesson "These worthless people", using the group form of work. The class is divided into five groups (according to the number of chapters devoted to the description of the landlords) and, as part of the educational study, looks for parallels between the heroes of Gogol and " Divine Comedy» Dante.

The book by E. A. Smirnova "Gogol's poem" Dead Souls "" will help to complete these tasks.

L., 1987. 1st group. Manilow (chapter 2) According to E.A.

Smirnova, the landscape of the Manilov estate fully corresponds to the description of the first circle of hell - Limba. Dante has: a green hill with a castle - and Manilov's house on a hill; twilight illumination of Limbo - and Gogol's "day ... not either clear, or gloomy, but some kind of light gray color"; the pagans living in Limba - and the bizarre Greco-Roman names of Manilov's children.

Students may notice that there is a lot of smoke in Manilov's house, as the owner continuously smokes a pipe, and in the description of his office there are mounds of ash. And smoke and ash are associated with devilry.

This means that the devil has already moved into the soul of the hero and it requires purification. When Chichikov leaves, Manilov draws his attention to the clouds, trying to distract the guest from completing his planned trip. But after all, even as you plunge into the underworld, the darkness grows! However, already in the scene of sale and purchase, in the words of Chichikov, the author’s hope for the resurrection of even the most lost and “cheesy” soul sounds. Manilov claims that dead souls are an insignificant commodity, while Chichikov objects and defends the dead, speaking of them: “Not very rubbish!” 2nd group. Box (chapter 3) There is an assumption that Chichikov's visit to Korobochka's house is a visit to the second circle of hell.

Dante describes it this way: “Moaning, the circle of Shadows rushed, driven by an undefended blizzard.” Gogol - "the darkness was such, even gouge out the eye." And Korobochka confirms: "Such a turmoil and a blizzard." Where does the blizzard come from during a thunderstorm? Everything is possible in the underworld, and Dante's third circle of hell was generally a circle of rain.

Korobochka's dwelling resembles the Witch's cave: mirrors, a deck of cards, paintings with birds. These objects are difficult to see, since the room is in twilight, and Chichikov's eyes are stuck together. In the buying and selling scene, Korobochka does not scold her dead peasants, as Manilov did, but expresses the hope that the dead "will somehow be needed on the farm somehow." Thus, Gogol's innermost thought begins to take on more distinct contours. The idea of ​​resurrection is also embedded in Korobochka's name - Anastasia - "resurrected". 3rd group. Nozdrev (chapter 4) The third circle of hell is gluttony (gluttony). Therefore, it is no accident that Chichikov ends up in a tavern from Korobochka.

In this case, the analysis of the episode "In the tavern" is appropriate. "The Fat Old Woman" continues the theme of the Box. The whole story with Nozdryov corresponds to the fourth circle of hell, where stingy and wasteful souls are tormented. And Nozdryov, the reckless reveler, stupidly squandering his fortune, is the spendthrift. His passion for playing checkers emphasizes his gambling, he invites the guest to play.

barking dogs - important detail episodes of the chapter about Nozdryov. Nozdrev's dogs are associated with hell hound Cerberus on a mission. The transaction scene can be interpreted in this way. If in the previous chapters the ways of saving the soul are depicted allegorically, then the Nozdrev method is a dishonest deal, swindle, deceit, an attempt to get into the Kingdom of Heaven undeservedly, like a king. 4th group. Sobakevich (chapter 5) Antibogatyr Sobakevich is also ready for the resurrection.

In the scene of sale and purchase, he, as it were, resurrects his dead peasants with praise. The “method of revival” here is not fraud, like Nozdryov’s, and not digging out of the ground, like Korobochka’s, but the pursuit of virtue and valor. An analysis of the episode will allow us to conclude that the salvation of the soul is expensive - it is bought by a life full of work and selflessness. Therefore, the owner “writes out” everyone “with the meaning of commendable qualities.” Next comes the “heroic” parallel. The exploits of Russian heroes and the "exploits" of Sobakevich.

Sobakevich is a hero at the table. When analyzing the episode "Dinner at Sobakevich's" one can pay attention to the denunciation of such human vice like gluttony. Again this sin rises in the poem close-up: Gogol considered it especially difficult. 5th group. Plushkin (chapter 6) Plyushkin is the last, fifth in the gallery of images of landowners.

We know that Gogol wanted to make Plyushkin, like Chichikov, a character in the second volume, to lead him to a moral rebirth. That is why the author tells us in detail about the past of Stepan Plyushkin, drawing the story of the impoverishment of the human soul. What method of saving the soul is "offered" to Plyushkin? He found it immediately, but did not understand.

Stepan Plyushkin saves things, lifting everything in his path, but you have to lift souls, save them. After all, the main idea of ​​"Dead Souls" is the idea of ​​the spiritual rebirth of a fallen person, "resurrection", the revival of his soul. Plyushkin says goodbye to Chichikov: “God bless you!” Plyushkin is ready for revival, he only needs to remember that it is not things that need to be raised, but the soul. After the presentations of the groups, the following questions can be discussed: 1. All landowners, as we have seen, are not alike, each of them is an individual.

What brings them together? 2. Why does Chichikov begin his journey with a visit to Manilov and end it with a visit to Plyushkin? 3. Chapter 4 contains Gogol's thoughts on Nozdryov. For what purpose are they introduced by the writer? What worries him? 4. Why does the chapter on Plyushkin begin with a lyrical digression? 5. Plyushkin is not deader, but more alive than others, is it? Manilov lives among flowering lilac bushes, therefore, in May. The box at this time harvests, which means in September. Plyushkin has summer, the heat is unbearable all around (only it’s cold in the house), and in provincial city- winter. Why is that? Chichikov comes to Korobochka when there is a blizzard in the yard, and the pig is eating watermelon peels in the yard. Is it by chance? Each landowner lives, as it were, in his own closed world. Fences, fences, gates, "thick wooden bars", the boundaries of the estate, the barrier - everything closes the life of the heroes, cuts it off from the outside world. It blows its own wind, its own sky, the sun, peace and comfort reign, here there is some kind of drowsiness, immobility. Everything is dead here. Everything stopped. Everyone has their own time of year. This means that there is no reality of time inside these worlds-circles. Thus, the heroes of the poem live, adapting time to themselves. Heroes are static, i.e. dead. But each of them can save his soul if he wants to.

In the image of Manilov, Gogol begins the gallery of landowners. Before us there are typical characters. In each portrait created by Gogol, according to him, "the features of those who consider themselves better than others are collected." Already in the description of the village and the estate of Manilov, the essence of his character is revealed. The house is located on a very unfavorable place open to all winds. The village makes a miserable impression, since Manilov does not take care of the household at all. Pretentiousness, sweetness are revealed not only in the portrait of Manilov, not only in his manners, but also in the fact that he calls the rickety arbor “the temple of solitary reflection”, and gives the children the names of heroes Ancient Greece. The essence of Manilov's character is complete idleness. Lying on the couch, he indulges in dreams, fruitless and fantastic, which he will never be able to realize, since any work, any activity is alien to him. His peasants live in poverty, disorder reigns in the house, and he dreams of how good it would be to build a stone bridge across the pond or lead an underground passage from the house. He speaks favorably of all, all of whom are most preferable and most amiable. But not because he loves people and has an interest in them, but because he likes to live carefree and comfortable. About Manilov, the author says: “There is a kind of people known by the name: people are so-so, neither in the city of Bogdan, nor in the village of Selifan, according to the proverb.” Thus, the author makes it clear that the image of Manilov is typical for his time. It is from the combination of such qualities that the concept of "Manilovism" comes.

The next image in the gallery of landlords is the image of the Box. If Manilov is a wasteful landowner, whose inactivity leads to complete ruin, then Korobochka can be called a hoarder, since hoarding is her passion. She owns a subsistence economy and trades in everything that is available in it: lard, bird feathers, serfs. Everything in her house is arranged in the old fashioned way. She neatly stores her belongings and saves money by putting them in bags. Everything works for her. In the same chapter, the author great attention pays attention to Chichikov's behavior, focusing on the fact that Chichikov behaves with Korobochka in a simpler, more cheeky manner than with Manilov. This phenomenon is typical of Russian reality, and, proving this, the author gives lyrical digression about the transformation of Prometheus into a fly. The nature of the Box is especially clearly revealed in the scene of sale. She is very afraid of selling cheap and even makes an assumption, which she herself is afraid of: “what if the dead ones will come in handy for her on the farm?”, And again the author emphasizes the typicality of this image: “Another and respectable, and statesman, even a person, but in reality it turns out a perfect Box” . It turns out that Korobochka's stupidity, her "club-headedness" is not such a rare occurrence.

The next in the gallery of landowners is Nozdrev. A carouser, a gambler, a drunkard, a liar and a brawler - that's a brief description of Nozdryova. This is a man, as the author writes, who had a passion "to spoil his neighbor, and for no reason at all." Gogol claims that the Nozdryovs are typical of Russian society: “The Nozdryovs will not come out of the world for a long time. They are everywhere between us...” Nozdryov's disorderly nature is also reflected in the interior of his rooms. Part of the house is being repaired, the furniture is arranged somehow, but the owner does not care much about all this. He shows the guests the stable, in which there are two mares, a stallion and a goat. Then he boasts of a wolf cub, whom he keeps at home for no reason. Dinner at Nozdryov's was poorly prepared, but alcohol was plentiful. An attempt to buy dead souls almost ends tragically for Chichikov. Together with dead souls, Nozdryov wants to sell him a stallion or a hurdy-gurdy, and then offers to play checkers on dead peasants. When Chichikov is outraged by the dishonest game, Nozdryov calls the servants to beat the intractable guest. Only the appearance of the police captain saves Chichikov.

The image of Sobakevich occupies a worthy place in the gallery of landowners. "Fist! Yes, and a beast to boot, ”chikov gave him such a description. Sobakevich is undoubtedly a hoarding landowner. His village is large and well-organized. All buildings, though clumsy, are strong to the extreme. Sobakevich himself reminded Chichikov medium size bear - big, clumsy. In the portrait of Sobakevich, there is no description of the eyes at all, which, as you know, are the mirror of the soul. Gogol wants to show that Sobakevich is so rude, uncouth, that in his body "there was no soul at all." Everything in Sobakevich's rooms is as clumsy and large as he is. The table, the armchair, the chairs, and even the thrush in the cage seemed to say: "And I, too, Sobakevich." Sobakevich takes Chichikov's request calmly, but demands 100 rubles for each dead soul, and even praises his goods like a merchant. Speaking about the typicality of such an image, Gogol emphasizes that people like Sobakevich are found everywhere - in the provinces and in the capital. After all, the point is not in appearance, but in the nature of a person: “no, whoever is already a fist cannot straighten into a palm.” Rough and uncouth Sobakevich is the lord over his peasants. And if such a person could rise higher and give him more power? How much trouble could he do! After all, he adheres to a strictly defined opinion about people: "A scammer sits on a scammer and drives a scammer."

Plyushkin is the last in the gallery of landowners. Gogol assigns this place to him, since Plyushkin is the result of the idle life of a person who lives off the labor of others. “This landowner has more than a thousand souls,” but he looks like the last beggar. He became a parody of a person, and Chichikov does not even immediately understand who is standing in front of him - "a man or a woman." But there were times when Plyushkin was a thrifty, wealthy owner. But an insatiable passion for gain, for acquisitiveness, leads him to total collapse: he lost a real idea of ​​\u200b\u200bobjects, stopped distinguishing the necessary from the unnecessary. He destroys grain, flour, cloth, but saves a piece of stale Easter cake, which his daughter brought a long time ago. On the example of Plyushkin, the author shows us the collapse human personality. A pile of rubbish in the middle of the room symbolizes Plyushkin's life. This is what he has become, this is what the spiritual death of a person means.

Plyushkin considers the peasants to be thieves and swindlers, starving them. After all, the mind has long ceased to guide his actions. Even to the only close person, to his daughter, Plyushkin has no paternal affection.

So consistently, from hero to hero, Gogol reveals one of the most tragic sides Russian reality. He shows how under the influence of serfdom the human element perishes in man. “My heroes follow one after another, one more vulgar than the other.” That is why it is fair to assume that, giving the title to his poem, the author had in mind not the souls of dead peasants, but the dead souls of landowners. Indeed, in each image one of the varieties of spiritual death is revealed. Each of the images is no exception, since their moral ugliness is formed social order, social environment. These images reflect signs of spiritual degeneration. local nobility and human vices.