In "Dead Souls" we will not meet bright, poetic female images, like Pushkin's Tatyana or Turgenev's Lisa Kalitina. Gogol's heroines, for the most part, carry elements of the comic, are the objects of the author's satire, and by no means the author's admiration.
The most significant female character in the poem is the landowner Korobochka. Very remarkable Gogol describes the appearance of the heroine. “A minute later the hostess came in, an elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, one of those mothers, small landowners who cry over 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.
V. Gippius notes in Korobochka the absence of “any appearance, any face: a flannel around the neck, a cap on the head.” “Depersonalizing” the landowner, Gogol emphasizes her typicality, the high prevalence of this type.
The main qualities of Korobochka are thriftiness, frugality, bordering on stinginess. Nothing in the landowner's household
does not disappear: neither night blouses, nor skeins of thread, nor a torn cloak. All this is destined to lie for a long time, and then get "according to the spiritual testament to the niece of the great sister, along with all sorts of other rubbish."
The box is simple and patriarchal, it lives the old fashioned way. She calls Chichikov “my father”, “father”, refers to him as “you”. The guest sleeps on huge feather-beds from which feathers fly; there is an old wall clock in the house, the strange ringing of which reminds Chichikov of the hissing of snakes; Korobochka treats him with simple Russian dishes: pies, pancakes, shanezhka.
Simplicity and patriarchy coexist in the landowner with extraordinary stupidity, ignorance, timidity and timidity. The box is extremely incomprehensible, unlike Sobakevich, for a long time she cannot figure out what the essence of Chichikov's request is, and even asks him if he is going to dig up the dead. “Cudgel-headed,” Pavel Ivanovich thinks about her, seeing that here his “eloquence” is powerless. With great difficulty, he manages to convince Nastasya Petrovna to sell him dead souls. However, Korobochka immediately tries to negotiate with Chichikov about contracts in order to sell him flour, lard, bird feathers in the future.
As we have already noted, Gogol constantly emphasizes the recognizability of Korobochka, the wide prevalence of this type of people in life. “Is it really so great the abyss separating her from her sister, inaccessibly fenced by the walls of an aristocratic house, ... yawning over an unfinished book in anticipation of a witty secular visit, where she will have a field to show off her mind and express outspoken thoughts ... not about what is happening in her estates, confused and upset, ... but about what kind of political upheaval is being prepared in France, what direction fashionable Catholicism has taken.
In addition to Korobochka, Gogol introduces readers to the spouses Manilov and Sobakevich, who are, as it were, a continuation of their husbands.
Manilova is a boarding school graduate. She is pretty, “dressed to the face”, kind to those around her. She does not take care of the household at all, although “one could make many different requests”: “Why, for example, is it stupid and useless to cook in the kitchen? Why is the pantry so empty? why is the thief the housekeeper?” “But all these subjects are low, and Manilova was brought up well,” Gogol remarks ironically. Manilova is dreamy and sentimental, she is just as far from reality as her husband. There is not a drop of common sense in the heroine: she allows her husband to name the children by the ancient Greek names Themistoclus and Alkid, not realizing how comical these names are for Russian life.
Sobakevich's wife is "a very tall lady, in a cap, with ribbons repainted with homemade paint." Feodulia Ivanovna is somewhat reminiscent of her clumsy, phlegmatic spouse: she is calm and imperturbable, her movements resemble those of actresses “representing queens”. It is held straight, “like a palm tree”. Sobakevich's wife is not as elegant as Manilova, but she is economic and practical, neat and homely. Like Korobochka, Feodulia Ivanovna is not preoccupied with “high matters”, the Sobakevichs live in the old way, rarely leaving for the city.
“Ladies of the city” are most vividly represented by Gogol in two collective images - a lady “pleasant” (Sofya Ivanovna) and a lady “pleasant in all respects” (Anna Grigoryevna).
Anna Grigorievna's manners are simply “amazing”: “every movement” comes out “tastefully” with her, she loves poetry, sometimes she even knows how to “dreamy ... keep her head”. And this turns out to be enough for the society to conclude that she, “as if a lady is pleasant in all respects.” Sofya Ivanovna does not have such elegant manners and therefore receives the definition of "simply pleasant."
The description of these heroines is thoroughly imbued with the author's satire. These ladies observe “secular etiquette”, are concerned about “the impeccability of their own reputation”, but their conversations are primitive and vulgar. They talk about fashions, dresses, materials, as important subjects. As N. L. Stepanov notes, “already the very exaggeration, expansiveness with which the ladies talk about insignificant things ... makes a comical impression.” Both ladies love to gossip and slander. So, having discussed the purchase of dead peasants by Chichikov, Anna Grigoryevna and Sofya Ivanovna come to the conclusion that with the help of Nozdryov he wants to take away the governor's daughter. In a short time, these ladies set in motion practically the entire city, having managed to “put such a fog into the eyes of everyone that everyone, and especially the officials, remained stunned for some time.”
Gogol emphasizes the stupidity and absurdity of both heroines, the vulgarity of their occupations and way of life, their affectation and hypocrisy. Anna Grigorievna and Sofya Ivanovna are happy to slander the governor's daughter, condemning her "manner" and "immoral behavior." The life of city ladies, in fact, is just as empty and vulgar as the life of the landowners represented by Gogol.
I would especially like to dwell on the image of the governor's daughter, who awakened poetic dreams in Chichikov. This image is to some extent opposed to all the other heroines of the poem. As E. A. Smirnova notes, this young girl had to play her part in the spiritual revival of Chichikov. When Pavel Ivanovich meets her, he not only dreams about the future, but also “gets lost”, his usual insight betrays him (the scene at the ball). The face of the governor's daughter looks like an Easter egg, in this face there is light that opposes the darkness of life. Chichikov looks at this light, and his soul "strives to remember the true good, a hint of which is contained in the harmonious beauty of the governor's daughter, but his spiritual resources are too insignificant for this."
Thus, in the poem there is not a single heroine representing true virtue. The spirituality of the image of the governor's daughter is only outlined by Gogol. The rest of the heroines are described by the author satirically, with irony and sarcasm.
Other works on this topic:
- A contemporary of Pushkin, Gogol created his works in the historical conditions that developed in Russia after the failure of the revolutionary action of the Decembrists in 1825. The new socio-political situation...
- In June 1836, Gogol, deeply upset by the hostile rumors caused by the premiere of The Government Inspector, went abroad. There he starts work on the poem "Dead Souls", the plot ...
- In his famous address to the “bird-troika”, Gogol did not forget the master to whom the troika owes its existence: “Not a cunning, it seems, road projectile, not captured by an iron screw, but ...
In "Dead Souls" we will not meet bright, poetic female images, like Pushkin's Tatyana or Turgenev's Lisa Kalitina. Gogol's heroines, for the most part, carry elements of the comic, are objects of the author's satire, and not at all the author's passion
The most significant female character in the poem is the landowner Korobochka. Very vidmitno Gogol depicts the appearance of the heroine. A minute later the hostess came in, an elderly woman, in a sleeping cap, dressed hastily, with a flannel around her neck, one of those mothers, small landowners who cry at crop failures, losses and hold their head something to one side, and in the meantime gain little - little by little money is put into colorful bags placed in the drawers of chests of drawers.
V. Gippius notes in Korobochka the absence of "any appearance, any face: flannel around the neck, chipets on the head." "Depersonalizing" the landowner, Gogol emphasizes her typicality, the high prevalence of this type
Korobochka's main qualities are thriftiness, frugality, intermingled with hoarding. Nothing is lost in the landowner's household: neither night jackets, nor skeins of thread, nor a torn cloak. All this was destined to lie for a long time, and then get "according to the spiritual testament of the niece of his educated sister, along with all sorts of other rubbish."
The box is simple and patriarchal, it is alive in the old way. She calls Chichikov "my father", "father", refers to him as "you". The guest sleeps on huge featherbeds, from which a feather flies; there is an old wall clock in the house, the strange ringing of which reminds Chichikov of the hissing of snakes; Korobochka treats him with simple Russian dishes: pies, pancakes, shanezhka.
Simplicity and patriarchy coexist in the landowner with extraordinary stupidity, ignorance, timidity and timidity. The box is extremely stupid, unlike Sobakevich, for a long time she cannot figure out what the essence of Chichikov's request is, and even asks him if he is going to dig up the dead. "Cudgel-headed," Pavel Ivanovich thinks of her, seeing that here his "eloquence" is powerless. Forcibly, he manages to convince Nastasya Petrovna to sell him dead souls.
However, Korobochka here is trying to negotiate with Chichikov regarding contracts in order to sell him flour, lard, bird feathers in the future.
As we have already noted, Gogol constantly emphasizes Korobochka's infatuation, the wide prevalence of this type of people in life. Or "just such a big abyss that separates her from her sister, inaccessibly protected by the walls of an aristocratic house ... that yawns over an unfinished book in anticipation of a witty secular visit, where she will have a field to sparkle with her mind and express thoughts that wiggle ... not about what is happening on her estates, tangled and distressed ...
And about what kind of political upheaval is being prepared in France, which trend has taken fashionable Catholicism.
In addition to Korobochka, Gogol introduces readers to the spouses Manilov and Sobakevich, which is, as it were, a continuation of his own characters.
Manilova is a boarding school graduate. She is pretty, "dressed to the face", amiable with the environment. She is absolutely not involved in housekeeping, although "one could make many different requests": "Why, for example, is it ridiculous and vain to cook in the kitchen? Why is the barn rather empty? Why is the thief the housekeeper?" “But all these subjects are low, and Manilova is well brought up,” Gogol ironically remarks. Manilova is dreamy and sentimental, she is as far from reality as her man.
The heroine does not have a drop of a healthy sense: she allows a man to name children by the ancient Greek names Themistoclus and Alkid, not realizing how comical these names are for Russian life
Sobakevich's wife is "a very tall lady, in a cap, with ribbons repainted with home paint." Feodulia Ivanovna something warehouse equipment for rent resembles her clumsy, phlegmatic man: she is calm and unperturbed, her movements resemble those of actresses who "represent queens." She is carried straight, "like a palm tree." Sobakevich's wife is not as refined as Manilova, but she is economic and practical, neat and homely. Like Korobochka, Feodulia Ivanovna is not absorbed in the worries of "high matters", the Sobakevichs live in the old way, rarely leaving the city
The "urban lady" most vividly represented by Gogol in two combined images - the lady "pleasant" (Sofya Ivanovna) and the lady "pleasant in all respects" (Anna Grigoryevna).
Anna Grigorievna's manners are simply "amazing": "every movement" comes out "with taste" for her, she loves poetry, sometimes she even knows how to "dreamy ... keep her head." And this turns out to be enough for society to conclude that she, "like a lady is pleasant in all respects." Sofya Ivanovna does not have such refined manners and therefore receives the definition of "simply pleasant."
The description of these heroines is thoroughly permeated with the author's satire. These ladies observe "secular etiquette", absorbed in the cares of "the impeccability of their own reputation", but their conversations are primitive and vulgar. They talk about fashions, dresses, matter, as important things. As N. L. Stepanov notes, "the very exaggeration, expansiveness with which the lady talks about worthless things ... seeks a comic impression." Both mistresses deify gossip and foul language
So, having discussed the purchase by Chichikov of the peasants who died, Anna Grigorievna and Sofya Ivanovna will come to the conclusion that with the help of Nozdryov he wants to take the governor's daughter. In a short time, these mistress set in motion practically the entire city, having managed to "put such a fog into the eyes of everyone that everyone, and especially the officials, remained stunned for some time."
Gogol emphasizes the stupidity and senselessness of both heroines, the vulgarity of their occupation and way of life, their mannerisms and hypocrisy. Anna Grigorievna and Sofya Ivanovna advised polychoslovity on the address of the governor's daughter, condemning her "manner" and "immoral behavior." The life of the urban mistress, in essence, is as empty and gone as the life of the landowners represented by Gogol
I especially want to dwell on the insult of the governor's daughter, who awakened poetic dreams in Chichikov. This image is to some extent opposed to all other heroines of the poem. As E. A. Smirnova notes, this young girl was supposed to play her part in the spiritual revival of Chichikov. When Pavel Ivanovich meets with her, he not only sees about the future, but also "gets lost", his usual perspicacity betrays him (the scene at the ball). The face of the governor's daughter is like an Easter egg, in the face of this there is a light opposite to the darkness of life
Chichikov looks at this world, and his soul "strives to remember the true good, a hint of which is contained in the harmonious beauty of the governor's daughter, but his spiritual resources are too worthless for this."
Thus, there is no heroine in the poem who represents true virtue. The spirituality of the image of the governor's daughter is only outlined by Gogol. Other heroines are described by the author satirically, with irony and sarcasm.
Creativity N.V. Gogol occupies a special place in Russian literature. No one else could describe in such a lively and humorous manner the widest panorama of Russian life. Of course, first of all, the artist is interested in shortcomings, he does not feel sorry for his homeland, but shows all its injuries, everything bad that exists in everyday life. The satirist's pen serves to denounce officials and landowners, and mocks their vices.
In his works, Gogol does not pay much attention to female images. The writer does not consider it necessary to depict separately the shortcomings of men and women, he only gives a general picture of the desolation that reigns in the cities and villages of Russia. However, on the other hand, they prompt the reader to think deeper about the reasons for desolation, add color to the description and dynamics to the actions.
One of the most famous works of Gogol is the play "The Government Inspector". This work seems to be a kind of prologue to the monumental poem "Dead Souls", the work of the whole life of the writer. In The Inspector General, the sting of satire is directed against the life and customs of a remote town, against the greed and arbitrariness of county officials.
"Dead Souls" is a work of a much larger scale. In it, all of Russia appeared before the readers' court. Gogol does not feel sorry for her, but caustically sneers at her shortcomings, believing that this treatment will be beneficial, that in the future the motherland will definitely get rid of dirt and vulgarity. The idea of "Dead Souls" is a continuation of "The Government Inspector". It does not just show the life and customs of the officials of the county town. Now Gogol is exposing both the landlords and the officials, and he is scourge of glaring shortcomings on a much larger scale. The "dead" souls of all Russia pass before the eyes of readers.
One of the main functions performed by female images in both works is the formation of ideas about certain social and socio-psychological types. The most striking example of this is the image of the landowner Korobochka. She is described by Gogol as a terrible person for her stinginess and stupidity, who is more like a machine than a person. Her characteristic feature is the desire to get as much money as possible, and she is not interested in whether the buyer needs the product or not. The box is stingy and thrifty, nothing will be lost in its economy, which, in general, is commendable. But the main feature of her character is hidden in her "talking" surname: this is an impenetrable, limited and stupid old woman. If some idea came to her mind, then it is impossible to convince her, all reasonable arguments "bounce off her like a rubber ball off the wall." Even the imperturbable Chichikov becomes furious, trying to prove to her the undoubted benefits of selling the peasants. But she firmly took it into her head that Chichikov wanted to cheat her, and cracking this nut, this box is extremely difficult even for the hardened businessman Chichikov. In Korobochka, Gogol embodied all the limited thinking of Russian landowners, she became a symbol of the abyss in which the Russian landed nobility finds itself, which has completely lost the ability to think sensibly.
In order to show a picture of life and the depth of the decline of morals in the provincial town of N., the author introduces images of urban gossips. Their exaggerated and fictitious stories about Chichikov's adventures, mixed with discussions about fashion, do not arouse in the reader anything but a feeling of disgust. Vivid images of a simply pleasant lady and a lady who is pleasant in all respects characterize the city and the province from a very unfavorable side, emphasizing the plane of their thinking.
Because of the gossip spread by these ladies, the shortcomings of dishonest officials were revealed. And this is not the only example of how female images help Gogol to show the real picture of life, the real situation.
Outwardly, there is nothing interesting in Anna Andreevna, the wife of the mayor in the Inspector General: a fussy, curious chatterbox, the reader immediately gets the impression that she has a wind in her head. However, it is worth taking a look at it. After all, the author in his "Remarks for Messrs. Actors" characterizes her as a woman intelligent in her own way and even having some power over her husband. This is an interesting representative of the provincial society. Thanks to her, the image of the mayor becomes more prominent, acquires additional meaning, and the reader gets a clear idea of the lifestyle and problems of county ladies.
Not very different from mother and Marya Antonovna. She is very similar to her, but much less active, this is not a double of an energetic official, but only her shadow. Marya Antonovna wants with all her might to seem significant, but her behavior betrays her: outfits occupy the most space in a girl’s heart, she pays attention primarily to Khlestakov’s “suit”, and not to its owner. The image of Marya Antonovna characterizes the city from a bad side, because if young people are busy only with themselves and "suits", then society has no future.
The images of the mayor's wife and daughter brilliantly reveal the author's intention, illustrate his idea: the bureaucracy and society of the county town are thoroughly rotten. Women's images help to reveal the author's intention in "Dead Souls". Deadness is also manifested in Korobochka, who is always painstakingly collecting a pretty penny and is afraid to make a mistake when making a deal, and in the wives of landowners.
In addition, the wives of Manilov and Sobakevich help the author to reveal the male images in more detail and to emphasize any character traits. Each of them is, as it were, a copy of their spouse. For example, Sobakevich's wife, having entered the room, sat down and did not even think to start a conversation, which confirms the rudeness and ignorance of the owner. Manilova is more interesting. Her manners and habits exactly repeat the manners and habits of her husband, we recognize the same cloying expression in her face, she, like Manilov himself, has not yet left the world of dreams. But at the same time there are hints of her independence; Gogol reminisces about her studies at the boarding school, about her playing the piano. Thus, Manilova separates from her husband, acquires her own features, the author hints that her fate could have turned out differently if she had not met Manilov. However, the images of the wives of the landlords are not independent, they only enrich the images of the landowners themselves.
The image of the governor's daughter is extremely important in this aspect. Although she does not utter a single word in the entire poem, with her help the reader discovers Chichikov's amazing character traits. A meeting with a charming girl awakens tender feelings in Chichikov's soul, this rogue suddenly begins to think about love and marriage, about the future of youth. Despite the fact that this obsession will soon subside like a haze, this moment is very important, here the reader meets a vague hint of a possible spiritual rebirth of the hero. Compared to the image of the mayor's daughter in The Inspector General, the image of the governor's daughter carries a fundamentally different semantic load.
In principle, the female images of The Inspector General do not play an important role in understanding the main idea of the work. But their importance is also great. After all, women are not officials, which means that Gogol's satire is not directed directly at them, their function is to emphasize the general degradation of the county town. Anna Andreevna and Marya Antonovna set off the shortcomings of officials. Their stupidity and overly high self-conceit bring under the blinding light of satire the same shortcomings of officials, hidden under the mask of integrity and diligence.
In "Dead Souls" female images, on the contrary, are versatile. They are much more complex, more developed than in the "Inspector". None of them can be unequivocally characterized. But one thing is certain: female images allow the reader to understand the work more deeply, their presence enlivens the narrative, and often makes the reader smile.
In general, Gogol's female images, not being the main ones, characterize in detail and accurately the mores of the bureaucracy. they show the life of the landlords in an interesting and versatile way, more fully and deeply reveal the most important image in the writer's work - the image of the motherland, Russia. Through the description of such women, Gogol leads the reader to think about her fate, about the fate of his compatriots, and proves that Russia's shortcomings are not her fault, but a misfortune. And behind all this lies the great love of the author, the hope for her moral revival.
In "Dead Souls" we will not meet bright, poetic female images, like Pushkin's Tatyana or Turgenev's Lisa Kalitina. Gogol's heroines, for the most part, carry elements of the comic, are the objects of the author's satire, and by no means the author's admiration.
The most significant female character in the poem is the landowner Korobochka. Very remarkable Gogol describes the appearance of the heroine. “A minute later the hostess came in, an elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, one of those mothers, small landowners who cry over 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.
V. Gippius notes in Korobochka the absence of "any appearance, any face: a flannel around the neck, a cap on the head." "Depersonalizing" the landowner, Gogol emphasizes her typicality, the high prevalence of this type.
Korobochka's main qualities are thrift, thrift, bordering on stinginess. Nothing is lost in the landowner's household: neither night blouses, nor skeins of thread, nor a torn cloak. All this is destined to lie for a long time, and then get "according to the spiritual testament to the niece of the great sister, along with all sorts of other rubbish."
The box is simple and patriarchal, it lives the old fashioned way. She calls Chichikov “my father”, “father”, refers to him as “you”. The guest sleeps on huge feather-beds from which feathers fly; there is an old wall clock in the house, the strange ringing of which reminds Chichikov of the hissing of snakes; Korobochka treats him with simple Russian dishes: pies, pancakes, shanezhka.
Simplicity and patriarchy coexist in the landowner with extraordinary stupidity, ignorance, timidity and timidity. The box is extremely incomprehensible, unlike Sobakevich, for a long time she cannot figure out what the essence of Chichikov's request is, and even asks him if he is going to dig up the dead. “Cudgel-headed,” Pavel Ivanovich thinks of her, seeing that here his “eloquence” is powerless. With great difficulty, he manages to convince Nastasya Petrovna to sell him dead souls. However, Korobochka immediately tries to negotiate with Chichikov about contracts in order to sell him flour, lard, bird feathers in the future.
As we have already noted, Gogol constantly emphasizes the recognizability of Korobochka, the wide prevalence of this type of people in life. “Is it really so great the abyss separating her from her sister, inaccessibly fenced by the walls of an aristocratic house, ... yawning over an unfinished book in anticipation of a witty secular visit, where she will have a field to show off her mind and express outspoken thoughts ... not about what is happening on her estates, confused and upset, ... but about what kind of political upheaval is being prepared in France, what direction fashionable Catholicism has taken.
In addition to Korobochka, Gogol introduces readers to the spouses Manilov and Sobakevich, who are, as it were, a continuation of their husbands.
Manilova is a boarding school graduate. She is pretty, "dressed to the face", kind to others. She does not deal with housekeeping at all, although “many requests could be made”: “Why, for example, is it stupid and useless to cook in the kitchen? Why is the pantry so empty? Why is the thief the housekeeper? “But all these subjects are low, and Manilova was brought up well,” Gogol remarks ironically. Manilova is dreamy and sentimental, she is just as far from reality as her husband. There is not a drop of common sense in the heroine: she allows her husband to name the children by the ancient Greek names Themistoclus and Alkid, not realizing how comical these names are for Russian life.
Sobakevich's wife is "a very tall lady, in a cap, with ribbons repainted with homemade paint." Feodulia Ivanovna is somewhat reminiscent of her clumsy, phlegmatic spouse: she is calm and imperturbable, her movements resemble those of actresses "representing queens." She holds herself straight, "like a palm tree." Sobakevich's wife is not as elegant as Manilova, but she is economic and practical, neat and homely. Like Korobochka, Feodulia Ivanovna is not preoccupied with "high matters", the Sobakevichs live in the old way, rarely leaving for the city.
"Ladies of the city" are most vividly represented by Gogol in two collective images - the lady "pleasant" (Sofya Ivanovna) and the lady "pleasant in all respects" (Anna Grigoryevna).
Anna Grigorievna's manners are simply "amazing": "every movement" comes out of her "tastefully", she loves poetry, sometimes she even knows how to "dreamy ... keep her head." And this is enough for the society to conclude that she, "as if a lady is pleasant in all respects." Sofya Ivanovna does not have such elegant manners and therefore receives the definition of "simply pleasant."
The description of these heroines is thoroughly imbued with the author's satire. These ladies observe "secular etiquette", are concerned about "the impeccability of their own reputation", but their conversations are primitive and vulgar. They talk about fashions, dresses, materials, as important subjects. As N. L. Stepanov notes, “already the very exaggeration, expansiveness with which the ladies talk about insignificant things ... makes a comical impression.” Both ladies love to gossip and slander. So, having discussed the purchase of dead peasants by Chichikov, Anna Grigoryevna and Sofya Ivanovna come to the conclusion that with the help of Nozdryov he wants to take away the governor's daughter. In a short time, these ladies set in motion practically the entire city, having managed to "put such a fog into the eyes of everyone that everyone, and especially officials, remained stunned for some time."
Gogol emphasizes the stupidity and absurdity of both heroines, the vulgarity of their occupations and way of life, their affectation and hypocrisy. Anna Grigoryevna and Sofya Ivanovna are happy to slander the governor's daughter, condemning her "manner" and "immoral behavior." The life of city ladies, in fact, is just as empty and vulgar as the life of the landowners represented by Gogol.
I would especially like to dwell on the image of the governor's daughter, who awakened poetic dreams in Chichikov. This image is to some extent opposed to all the other heroines of the poem. As E. A. Smirnova notes, this young girl had to play her part in the spiritual revival of Chichikov. When Pavel Ivanovich meets her, he not only dreams of the future, but also "gets lost", his usual insight betrays him (scene at the ball). The face of the governor's daughter looks like an Easter egg, in this face there is light that opposes the darkness of life. Chichikov looks at this world, and his soul "strives to remember the true good, a hint of which is contained in the harmonious beauty of the governor's daughter, but his spiritual resources are too insignificant for this."
Thus, in the poem there is not a single heroine representing true virtue. The spirituality of the image of the governor's daughter is only outlined by Gogol. The rest of the heroines are described by the author satirically, with irony and sarcasm.
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 Russia.
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 man. 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.
