Dead souls analysis. Analysis of "Dead Souls"
The work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol “ Dead Souls"is one of the most striking works of the author. This poem, the plot of which is related to the description of Russian reality of the 19th century, is of great value for Russian literature. It was also significant for Gogol himself. No wonder he called it a “national poem” and explained that in this way he tried to expose the shortcomings Russian Empire, and then change the appearance of their homeland for the better.
The birth of the genre
The idea for Gogol to write “Dead Souls” was suggested to the author by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. At first, the work was conceived as a light humorous novel. However, after work began on the work “Dead Souls,” the genre in which the text was originally intended to be presented was changed.
The fact is that Gogol considered the plot to be very original and gave the presentation a different, deeper meaning. As a result, a year after the start of work on the work “Dead Souls,” its genre became more extensive. The author decided that his brainchild should become nothing more than a poem.
Main idea
The writer divided his work into 3 parts. In the first of them, he decided to point out all the shortcomings that took place in his contemporary society. In the second part, he planned to show how the process of correcting people takes place, and in the third - the lives of heroes who have already changed for the better.
In 1841, Gogol completed writing the first volume of Dead Souls. The plot of the book shocked the entire reading country, causing a lot of controversy. After the release of the first part, the author began work on a continuation of his poem. However, he was never able to finish what he started. The second volume of the poem seemed imperfect to him, and nine days before his death he burned the only copy of the manuscript. Only drafts of the first five chapters have been preserved for us, which today are considered a separate work.
Unfortunately, the trilogy remained unfinished. But the poem “Dead Souls” should have had significant meaning. Its main purpose was to describe the movement of the soul, which went through a fall, purification, and then rebirth. The main character of the poem, Chichikov, had to go through this path to the ideal.
Plot
The story told in the first volume of the poem “Dead Souls” takes us to the nineteenth century. It tells the story of a journey across Russia undertaken by the main character, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, to acquire so-called dead souls from landowners. The plot of the work provides the reader with full picture morals and life of the people of that time.
Let's look at the chapters of "Dead Souls" with their plot in a little more detail. This will give a general idea of a vibrant literary work.
Chapter first. Start
Where does the work “Dead Souls” begin? The topic raised in it describes the events that took place at a time when the French were finally expelled from Russian territory.
At the beginning of the story, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, who held the position of collegiate adviser, arrived in one of the provincial cities. When analyzing “Dead Souls,” the image of the main character becomes clear. The author shows him as a middle-aged man with an average build and good appearance. Pavel Ivanovich is extremely inquisitive. Situations arise when one can even talk about his intrusiveness and annoyingness. Yes, y tavern servant he is interested in the owner’s income, and also tries to find out about all the city officials and the most noble landowners. He is also interested in the state of the region to which he came.
A collegiate advisor does not sit alone. He visits all officials, finding the right approach to them and choosing words that are pleasant for people. That is why they treat him just as well, which even surprises Chichikov a little, who has experienced many negative reactions towards himself and even survived an assassination attempt.
The main purpose of Pavel Ivanovich’s arrival is to find a place for a quiet life. To do this, while attending a party in the governor’s house, he meets two landowners - Manilov and Sobakevich. At a dinner with the police chief, Chichikov became friends with the landowner Nozdryov.
Chapter two. Manilov
The continuation of the plot is connected with Chichikov’s trip to Manilov. The landowner met the official on the threshold of his estate and led him into the house. The road to Manilov's home lay among gazebos on which signs were posted indicating that these were places for reflection and solitude.
When analyzing “Dead Souls,” one can easily characterize Manilov based on this decoration. This is a landowner who has no problems, but at the same time is too cloying. Manilov says that the arrival of such a guest is comparable to a sunny day and the happiest holiday. He invites Chichikov to dinner. Present at the table are the mistress of the estate and the two sons of the landowner - Themistoclus and Alcides.
After a hearty lunch, Pavel Ivanovich decides to talk about the reason that brought him to these parts. Chichikov wants to buy peasants who have already died, but their death has not yet been reflected in the audit certificate. His goal is to draw up all the documents, supposedly these peasants are still alive.
How does Manilov react to this? He has dead souls. However, the landowner is initially surprised by this proposal. But then he agrees to the deal. Chichikov leaves the estate and goes to Sobakevich. Meanwhile, Manilov begins to dream about how Pavel Ivanovich will live next door to him and what good friends they will become after he moves.
Chapter three. Getting to know the Box
On the way to Sobakevich, Selifan (Chichikov’s coachman) accidentally missed the right turn. And then it began to rain heavily, and Chichikov fell into the mud. All this forces the official to look for accommodation for the night, which he found with the landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. Analysis of “Dead Souls” indicates that this lady is afraid of everything and everyone. However, Chichikov did not waste time and offered to purchase the deceased peasants from her. At first the old woman was intractable, but after the visiting official promised to buy all the lard and hemp from her (but next time), she agrees.
The deal was completed. The box treated Chichikov to pancakes and pies. Pavel Ivanovich, having eaten a hearty meal, moved on. And the landowner began to worry very much that she did not take enough money for the dead souls.
Chapter Four. Nozdryov
After visiting Korobochka, Chichikov drove onto the main road. He decided to visit a tavern he came across along the way to have a little snack. And here the author wanted to give this action some mystery. He makes lyrical digressions. In “Dead Souls” he reflects on the properties of appetite inherent in people like the main character of his work.
While in the tavern, Chichikov meets Nozdryov. The landowner complained that he lost money at the fair. Then they follow to Nozdryov’s estate, where Pavel Ivanovich intends to make good money.
By analyzing “Dead Souls,” you can understand what Nozdryov is like. This is a person who really loves all kinds of stories. He tells them everywhere he goes. After a hearty lunch, Chichikov decides to bargain. However, Pavel Ivanovich can neither beg for dead souls nor buy them. Nozdryov sets his own conditions, which consist of an exchange or purchase in addition to something. The landowner even suggests using dead souls as bets in the game.
Serious disagreements arise between Chichikov and Nozdrev, and they postpone the conversation until the morning. The next day the men agreed to play checkers. However, Nozdryov tried to deceive his opponent, which was noticed by Chichikov. In addition, it turned out that the landowner was on trial. And Chichikov had no choice but to run when he saw the police captain.
Chapter five. Sobakevich
Sobakevich continues the images of landowners in Dead Souls. It is to him that Chichikov comes to him after Nozdryov. The estate he visited was a match for its owner. Just as strong. The owner treats the guest to dinner, talking during the meal about city officials, calling them all swindlers.
Chichikov talks about his plans. They did not frighten Sobakevich at all, and the men quickly moved on to concluding the deal. However, here troubles began for Chichikov. Sobakevich began to bargain, talking about the most best qualities already deceased peasants. However, Chichikov does not need such characteristics, and he insists on his own. And here Sobakevich begins to hint at the illegality of such a deal, threatening to tell anyone about it. Chichikov had to agree to the price offered by the landowner. They sign the document, still fearing a trick from each other.
There are lyrical digressions in “Dead Souls” in the fifth chapter. The author ends the story about Chichikov’s visit to Sobakevich with discussions about the Russian language. Gogol emphasizes the diversity, strength and richness of the Russian language. Here he points out the peculiarity of our people to give everyone nicknames associated with various offenses or the course of circumstances. They do not leave their owner until his death.
Chapter six. Plyushkin
Very interesting hero is Plyushkin. "Dead Souls" shows him as a very greedy person. The landowner does not even throw away his old sole that has fallen off his boot and carries it into the already quite decent pile of similar rubbish.
However Plyushkin dead sells souls very quickly and without haggling. Pavel Ivanovich is very happy about this and refuses the tea with crackers offered by the owner.
Chapter seven. Deal
Having achieved his initial goal, Chichikov is sent to the civil chamber to finally resolve the issue. Manilov and Sobakevich had already arrived in the city. The chairman agrees to become the attorney for Plyushkin and all other sellers. The deal took place, and champagne was opened for the health of the new landowner.
Chapter eight. Gossip. Ball
The city began to discuss Chichikov. Many decided that he was a millionaire. Girls began to go crazy for him and send love messages. Once at the governor's ball, he literally finds himself in the arms of the ladies. However, his attention is attracted by a sixteen-year-old blonde. At this time, Nozdryov comes to the ball, loudly inquiring about the purchase of dead souls. Chichikov had to leave in complete confusion and sadness.
Chapter Nine. Profit or love?
At this time, the landowner Korobochka arrived in the city. She decided to clarify whether she had made a mistake with the cost of dead souls. The news about the amazing purchase and sale becomes the property of the city residents. People believe that dead souls are a cover for Chichikov, but in fact he dreams of taking away the blonde he likes, who is the daughter of the governor.
Chapter ten. Versions
The city literally came to life. News appears one after another. In them we're talking about about the appointment of a new governor, about the presence of supporting papers about false banknotes, about an insidious robber who escaped from the police, etc. Many versions arise, and they all relate to Chichikov’s personality. The excitement of people negatively affects the prosecutor. He dies from the blow.
Chapter Eleven. Purpose of the event
Chichikov does not know what the city is talking about about him. He goes to the governor, but he is not received there. In addition, the people he meets on the way shy away from the official in different directions. Everything becomes clear after Nozdryov arrives at the hotel. The landowner tries to convince Chichikov that he tried to help him kidnap the governor’s daughter.
And here Gogol decides to talk about his hero and why Chichikov buys dead souls. The author tells the reader about his childhood and schooling, where Pavel Ivanovich already showed the ingenuity given to him by nature. Gogol also talks about Chichikov’s relationships with his comrades and teachers, about his service and work in the commission located in a government building, as well as about his transfer to serve in customs.
The analysis of “Dead Souls” clearly indicates the inclinations of the protagonist, which he used to complete his deal described in the work. After all, in all his places of work, Pavel Ivanovich managed to make a lot of money by concluding fake contracts and conspiracies. In addition, he did not disdain working with smuggling. In order to avoid criminal punishment, Chichikov resigned. Having switched to work as an attorney, he immediately formed an insidious plan in his head. Buy Chichikov is dead He wanted to pawn their souls, as if they were alive, in the treasury in order to receive money. Next in his plans was the purchase of a village in order to provide for future offspring.
In part, Gogol justifies his hero. He considers him the owner, who with his mind has built such an interesting chain of transactions.
Images of landowners
These heroes of Dead Souls are especially vividly presented in five chapters. Moreover, each of them is dedicated to only one landowner. There is a certain pattern in the placement of chapters. The images of the landowners of “Dead Souls” are arranged in them according to the degree of their degradation. Let's remember who was the first of them? Manilov. “Dead Souls” describes this landowner as a lazy and dreamy, sentimental and practically unadapted person to life. This is confirmed by many details, for example, a farm that has fallen into disrepair and a house standing in the south, open to all winds. The author, using the amazing artistic power of the word, shows his reader the deadness of Manilov and his worthlessness life path. After all, behind external attractiveness there is a spiritual emptiness.
What other vivid images were created in the work “Dead Souls”? The heroic landowners in the image of Korobochka are people who are focused only on their farm. It is not without reason that at the end of the third chapter the author draws an analogy between this landowner and all aristocratic ladies. The box is distrustful and stingy, superstitious and stubborn. In addition, she is narrow-minded, petty and narrow-minded.
Next in terms of degree of degradation comes Nozdryov. Like many other landowners, he does not change with age, not even trying to develop internally. The image of Nozdryov represents a portrait of a reveler and a braggart, a drunkard and a cheater. This landowner is passionate and energetic, but all of him positive traits are wasted. The image of Nozdryov is as typical as that of previous landowners. And this is emphasized by the author in his statements.
Describing Sobakevich, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol resorts to comparing him with a bear. In addition to clumsiness, the author describes his parodically inverted heroic power, earthiness and rudeness.
But the extreme degree of degradation is described by Gogol in the image of the richest landowner in the province - Plyushkin. During his biography, this man went from a thrifty owner to a half-crazy miser. And it was not social conditions that led him to this state. Plyushkin's moral decline provoked loneliness.
Thus, all landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” are united by such traits as idleness and inhumanity, as well as spiritual emptiness. And he contrasts this world of truly “dead souls” with faith in the inexhaustible potential of the “mysterious” Russian people. It is not for nothing that at the end of the work the image of an endless road along which a trio of birds rushes appears. And in this movement the writer’s confidence in the possibility of the spiritual transformation of humanity and in the great destiny of Russia is manifested.
Determining the main idea of the poem “Dead Souls” is not entirely easy. This is explained, first of all, by the fact that we now have only a small part of this work - only the first part, and separate scattered pieces of the second - something that was not destroyed by Gogol himself. Thus, we do not have the opportunity to judge the entire ideological content of the work. And then the critic’s position is complicated by the fact that he has at his disposal the interpretations given by “ Dead Souls"The author himself, and the promises that he wanted to fulfill at the end of the poem, but did not have time. By Gogol’s own admission, he himself first wrote without any serious goals. Pushkin gave him a plot, grateful for his talent; Gogol became carried away by the comedy of those situations that were easily woven into this plot - and began to write a “caricature”, “without defining a detailed plan for himself, without realizing to himself that such a hero himself should be. “I simply thought,” says Gogol, “that the funny project that Chichikov was busy implementing would lead me to a variety of faces and characters.” It's free, it's pure artistic creativity and helped Gogol create the best pages of the first part of “Dead Souls” - those pages that caused Pushkin to exclaim: “Lord! how sad Rus' is.” This exclamation amazed Gogol - he saw that from the “prank” of his pen, from his playful, frivolous work, something large and ideologically meaningful could come out. And so, encouraged by Pushkin, he decided to show in “Dead Souls” “Russia from one side,” that is, to depict more fully than in “The Inspector General” the negative aspects of Russian life.
The more Gogol delved into his work, the weaker Pushkin’s influence became; The more independent Gogol’s attitude towards his work became, the more complex, artificial, and tendentious his plans became. First of all, he was imbued with the idea of expanding the boundaries of what was depicted - he wanted to show Russia not “from one side”, but all of it - the evil and the good contained in its life; then he began to think about the “plan” for his already begun work - he asked himself “anxious questions about the “purpose” and “meaning” of his work. And then the poem “Dead Souls” in his imagination grew into three parts. Probably, later he saw an allegorical meaning in it. According to his idea, the three parts of “Dead Souls” should have, in their finished form, corresponded to the three parts of Dante’s “Divine Comedy”: the first part, dedicated to depicting only evil, should have corresponded to “Hell”; the second part, where evil was not so disgusting, where the light in the hero’s soul begins, where some positive types are already deduced - would answer to “Purgatory” - and, finally, in the final third part, Gogol wanted to present in apotheosis all the good that was in the soul of the “Russian man” - this part had to correspond to “Paradise”. Thus, that artificial, cumbersome construction of “Dead Souls” appeared, that cunning systematization of the material that Gogol could not cope with.
But, in addition to this premeditation of the composition, Gogol was also prevented from creating freely by a moral tendency. All the growing concerns about his “spiritual matter”, about the purification of his heart, had a detrimental effect on his work. And so, the “Dead Souls” little by little turned into some kind of “sewage pipe” into which he poured their imaginary and real “vices”. “My heroes are close to the soul,” he says, “because they are from the soul; all my latest works are the history of my own soul.” He himself admitted that when the desire to get rid of various mental vices intensified in him, he “began to endow his heroes, in addition to their own “nasty”, with his own. And, according to him, it helped him become a better person...
So, Gogol himself gives us three interpretations of the idea of “Dead Souls” - 1) its beginning (the first part) is an ingenuous depiction of peculiar faces and characters taken from Russian life. Characteristic, uniting almost all the heroes of the first part - joyless vulgarity, complete unconsciousness of life, lack of understanding of its goals and meaning: from “this side” he presented “Russian society”, 2) the work “Dead Souls” was supposed to cover all of Russia - all evil and the good contained in it. In such a broad interpretation of Russian reality, Gogol saw “service” to his homeland - and 3) this work was supposed to serve him personally, in the matter of his spiritual self-improvement. He looked at himself as a “moralist” who would not only point out to his fellow citizens the evil that individual vicious figures bring into life, but would also draw those ideals that would save his homeland.
The idea of “Dead Souls” from the point of view of criticism and the reader
It is not difficult to understand that now for the reader of “Dead Souls” this author’s idea is not entirely clear: he has before his eyes only the first part of the poem, in which only random promises flash that in the future the story will take on a different character - to a personal “mental matter” The reader doesn't care about the writer. Therefore, it was necessary to judge the work, leaving the author’s intentions, without delving into his soul. And so, modern and subsequent criticism, contrary to Gogol, itself determined the idea of the work. As earlier in “The Inspector General”, so in “Dead Souls” the author’s desire was seen to point out the ugliness of Russian life, which, on the one hand, depended on serfdom, on the other hand, on the system of government of Russia. Thus, the idea of “Dead Souls” was considered accusatory by the majority, and the author was ranked among the noble satirists who boldly castigated the evil of modern reality. In a word, the same thing happened that happened before with “The Inspector General”: 1) the author’s idea was the same, and the results of his creativity led to conclusions that he did not want at all, did not expect... 2) both regarding “The Inspector General” and Regarding “Dead Souls,” we have to establish the idea of the work not only without the help of the author, but even against his wishes: we must see in this work a picture of the negative sides of Russian life, and in this picture, in its illumination, we must discern the great social meaning of the work.
An essay on the topic “The theme of “dead souls” in N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls.”
Essay plan:
1.Introduction. a) History of the creation of the work
b) What are dead souls? In whom did the writer see the living force of the Russian nation?
2. Main part.
a) Who is Chichikov? “Who is he? So, a scoundrel?
b) Image, portrait, speech characteristic, a description of the home and household, the attitude of the landowners towards people and towards Chichikov’s proposal: Manilov, whose facial features were not “devoid of pleasantness”, Korobochka, the “strong-minded woman”, the “historical person” Nozdryov, the strong fist Sobakevich and Plyushkin, who is called the “hole” on humanity."
c) Why are landowners “dead souls”?
d) The image of peasants and people in the poem
e) “And how wonderful this road itself is!” - image of the road. Image of the city.
E) The image of officials, “thick and thin”
H) N.V. Gogol’s depiction of Russia
3.Why did Gogol name his work that way? How did Dead Souls shock all of Russia?
Gogol dreamed big epic work, dedicated to Russia, which led him to the idea of “Dead Souls”. Work on the work began in 1835. Pushkin predicted the plot of the work, believing that the poem would show Rus' “from one side,” that is, from its negative side. In the end, Gogol showed all the good that was hidden in Russian life.
Gogol made in the poem human soul the main subject of the image in its individual and national manifestation. Gogol convinces the reader that the souls of landowners, officials and businessmen are “dead” or are in the stage of “death.” And the author saw the people's people in the Russian people. At the center of the plot are 5 heroes, whose descriptions in the poem Gogol gives in order. So Chichikov comes to the landowners with only one purpose, to buy “dead souls.” The gallery of images opens with the dreamer and mismanaged Manilov, who is replaced by the “club-headed” Korobochka, the reckless sharpie Nozdryov, the tight-fisted Sobakevich, and this gallery is completed by Plyushkin – “a hole in humanity”, who has fallen into a deathly sleep.
And who is Chichikov in the novel? In childhood, this hero developed such character qualities as achieving goals, a manner of pleasing, finding benefits for himself, and spiritual meanness. Since childhood, he remembers that he must “save a penny” and make capital. He is a bad friend, pleases teachers, does everything for profit. His official career began in the state chamber, where he entered after graduating from college: “He got an insignificant place, a salary of thirty or forty rubles.” He tries in every possible way to please the police officer, calls him daddy, kisses his hand, takes care of his daughter. “The stern police officer began to fuss over him,” Chichikov was promoted, he stopped calling the police officer daddy, and forgot about the wedding with his daughter. Chichikov understood from this that success in life is easier and faster than faster man will be freed from the principles of morality, honor, etc. When Chichikov participated in the commission for the construction of a government building, he received substantial acquisitions and income. But when I came new boss who declared war on bribes, Chichikov had to look for new job. Chichikov gains the trust of his superiors and receives a new rank. Through fraud, he obtains a fortune of half a million. Chichikov did not make peace with his accomplice, and he wrote a denunciation against him, depriving Chichikov of everything he had earned. After failure, he started everything from scratch, and the idea of a deal with “dead souls” comes to him.
“Who is he? So, a scoundrel? Gogol calls Chichikov not a scoundrel, but an acquirer. Chichikov is an acquirer betting on capital, Chichikov is a hero of new times.
To each of the landowners depicted in the poem, Gogol presents one specific trait that characterizes a purposeless existence, and constitutes a general portrait of the class of landowners in feudal Russia.
Manilov is the first landowner to whom Chichikov came. Chichikov spent a long time looking for the estate: “the master’s house stood alone on the Jura...”, “two or three flower beds with lilac and yellow acacia bushes...” “The day was either clear or gloomy, but of some light gray color.” Manilov greets Chichikov very friendly and joyfully. Manilov’s character can be expressed through the lines: “everyone has their own enthusiasm, but Manilov did not have it,” “his facial features are not devoid of pleasantness.” He is not involved in farming, “the farming went on by itself.” He thinks a lot of ideas and plans, but does not implement them; he reads a book for two years with a bookmark on the same page. In his living room he has “wonderful furniture, upholstered in smart silk fabric, which was probably quite expensive.” Manilov has a wife with a good upbringing, two sons: Themistoclus and Alcides. At Chichikov’s offer to buy from him the peasants who died after the last census (revision tales), Manilov “opened his mouth and remained with his mouth open for several minutes.” Manilov gives away the dead souls for free and remains convinced that he has provided Chichikov with an invaluable service. After Chichikov’s departure, Manilov imagines a future friendship with Chichikov, reaching the point in his thoughts that the Tsar rewards them with the rank of general for their strong friendship.
Chichikov then goes to Sobakevich's estate, but due to heavy rain the coachman goes off the road. Chichikov ends up at the nearby estate of Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. Chichikov enters a room that is “hung with old striped wallpaper; paintings with some birds; between the windows there were old small mirrors with dark frames in the form of curled leaves; behind each mirror there was either a letter or an old deck of cards, or a stocking.” Korobochka is a hospitable, hospitable landowner. She collects money in colorful bags, which she keeps sewn up in the chest of drawers, which also stores linen, dresses and threads. Chichikov stays with her overnight, and in the morning he offers her to sell him dead souls. In response, she offers to buy hemp or honey from her. Chichikov manages to buy dead souls from her. She cannot understand why he needs such a purchase, she is afraid to sell it too cheap. “Well, the woman seems to be strong-headed,” “club-headed.” Korobochka's men have interesting and strange surnames: Neuvazhay-Koryto, Koleso Ivan and others.
Chichikov, who has a good appetite, drives into a tavern, where Nozdryov soon arrives. Nozdryov was “of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns. It was fresh, like blood and milk; his health seemed to be dripping from his face.” “Everyone has met a lot of such people. They are called broken little ones.” Nozdryov, one might say, is a historical person, because wherever he was, there was history. Nozdryov tells Chichikov about the fair where he lost money, lies, says that he drank 17 bottles of champagne. Then Nozdryov invites Chichikov to visit him. Nozdryov loved to exchange things and lose money. In his name, Nozdryov shows Chichikov a stallion, a kennel, a pond in which there are large fish, “real” Turkish daggers, with the mark of the master Sibiryakov. Chichikov, starting a business conversation, states his request, explaining that he needs dead souls for a successful marriage. Nozdryov wants to give him non-existent peasants, but Chichikov refuses. Then Nozdryov invites him to play cards, cheats, Chichikov stops the game, Nozdryov starts a fight, the police officer arrests him, Chichikov “got into the chaise and ordered Selifan to drive the horses at full speed.”
The fourth landowner is Sobakevich, who in many ways resembles Korobochka. He is a hoarder, but he is very calculating and cunning. His house is wooden, built with the taste of the owner. The yard is surrounded by a lattice; full-weight and thick logs were used in the stables and barns. The village huts were well made, even the well was made of oak. It was immediately obvious that Sobakevich was a good owner who loved order: “Everything was stubborn,” “in some kind of strong and clumsy order.” In the room “everything was solid, awkward in the highest degree and bore some strange resemblance to its owner.” Sobakevich himself “is very similar to a medium-sized bear.” During lunch, Sobakevich eats a lot and talks about his neighbor Plyushkin, who has many peasants and is a very stingy man. Hearing Chichikov's proposal, Sobakevich immediately begins bargaining. He promises to sell souls for 100 rubles apiece, explaining this by the fact that his peasants were real craftsmen, for example, the carpenter Stepan Cork, the carriage maker Mikheev, the shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov. To himself, Chichikov calls Sobakevich a “kulak”, and says out loud that the qualities of the peasants are not important, because they are dead. As a result, they agree on three rubles.
The last image of the gallery of landowners is Plyushkin, whose house can be called a “decrepit invalid,” whose walls suffered all the weather, the garden was overgrown and “was quite picturesque in its picturesque desolation.” Seeing Plyushkin, Chichikov at first does not understand “is this a man or a woman.” Plyushkin is dressed “in an indefinite dress, on his head is a cap and a robe. Plyushkin used to have children, he was widowed, his son left for the city, the eldest got married and left, and the youngest died. Loneliness gave rise to stinginess in Plyushkin. “The hay and bread rotted, the luggage and haystacks turned into pure manure, the flour in the basements turned into stone...” Upon learning that Chichikov wants to buy dead souls from him, he immediately sells him the runaway peasants. Plyushkin receives the money, hides it where it will lie until his death, he will never use it. Plyushkin is glad that Chichikov is leaving without even drinking tea, hiding the treats, making sure not a crumb is lost.
Landowners can be considered “dead souls” because they are depicted in the poem as a force devoid of patriotic feelings and aspirations. Representatives of the ruling strata are the “dead souls”. From the Dreamer Manilov to the “hole in the body of humanity” Plyushkin, the fall of representatives of the landowner classes is shown.
At that time, peasants made up the majority of the population, so Gogol pays special attention to this, since in his work he showed Russia in the context of its shortcomings. The text does not describe the peasants themselves, but judging by the description of their homes, we can judge their lives. Manilov’s “gray log huts darkened length and breadth.” At Korobochka's peasant huts, which, although they were built scattered and not enclosed in regular streets, but, according to a remark made by Chichikov, showed the contentment of the inhabitants”, “the gates were not askew anywhere”, “in the peasant covered sheds he noticed a spare almost new cart, and where there were two” . Sobakevich’s “wooden huts of the peasants were also cut down marvelously: there were no brick walls, carved patterns or other tricks, but everything was fitted tightly, as it should.” At Plyushkin’s “the logs on the huts were dark and old; many roofs were leaky like a sieve; on others there was only a ridge at the top and poles on the sides in the form of ribs,” “the windows in the huts were without glass, others were covered with a rag or a zipun.”
In the poem, the description of the peasants who are alive and who are remembered deserves special attention. For example, Sobakevich remembers each of his peasants by name, remembers who did what; two peasants who showed Chichikov the way to Manilovka; a peasant who drags “a very thick log, like a tireless ant, to his hut”; two women who, having picked up their dresses, wandered knee-deep in the pond, dragging their tattered nonsense by two wooden nags.” There are many such examples; they show the sweeping nature of the Russian person.
In the poem, the image of the city is shown through the images of officials, because the life of the city depends on in whose hands the power is. The image of a provincial town is a characteristic of the owners of the estates.
Speaking about the image of the road in the poem, we can quote the following lines from the text: “How strange and alluring and carrying and wonderful is the word: road! and how wonderful this road itself is! other peoples and states step aside and give it way.”
The road in the poem is a journey through time, Chichikov’s everyday experience, the author’s creative experience, the spiritual rebirth of the heroes, salvation, hope and the future of Russia.
The image of officials occupies a central place in the poem. Gogol focuses on characterizing the general portrait of “thick and thin” officials. They continue to be idle and mind their own business. Bribery is still considered completely normal. The author emphasizes the main thing: the anti-national and anti-state activities of officials. Both landowners and officials embody social evil, the highest degree of which is manifested in “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” (Kopeikin is a hero of the war of 1812, a disabled person without an arm and a leg).
In his depiction of Russia, Gogol showed himself to be a realist writer. He is far from idealizing the enslaved peasantry, but in his lyrical digressions, in the episodes of the poem, Gogol conveys the idea of the mental and moral superiority of the Russian people over those who control their destiny. Throughout the entire narrative, images of men appearing in the poem, arguing about the “wheel” and “Zamanilovka”, Selifan, Petrushka, “who reads a lot and indiscriminately” and others.
The first volume of Dead Souls ends with the question about the future of Russia: “Rus, where are you going?” This question is addressed to the “three bird,” which in Gogol is a symbol of Russian life. Gogol believes in the future of Russia: “The bell rings with a wonderful ringing; The air, torn into pieces, thunders and becomes the wind; “everything that is on earth flies past, and, looking askance, other peoples and states step aside and give way to it.”
Gogol gives the name “Dead Souls” not by chance. The author creates a new type of narrative, merging two opposing elements of his work into one: laughter and tears, satire and lyricism. Everyone knows Herzen’s words that “Dead Souls” shocked “the whole of Russia.” The meaning of the shock was revealed by Belinsky. He explained this by the fact that the disputes about the book were literary and public character. In 1845, the writer burned the manuscript of the second volume of his poem. Influenced by Belinsky’s letter in 1848, Gogol began working on “Dead Souls,” but he also burned this manuscript. Not knowing how to save Russia, the writer, nevertheless, fulfilled the duty of an artist and a citizen of his country. Chernyshevsky said: “For a long time there has not been a writer in the world who would be as necessary for his people as Gogol was for Russia.”
The main work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is not only in the scale and depth of artistic generalizations. For this author, working on it became a long process of literary and human self-discovery. An analysis of "Dead Souls" will be presented in this article.
Gogol noticed after the publication of the first volume that the main subject of his work was not the ugly landowners or the province, but a “secret” that was suddenly to be revealed to readers in the following volumes.
"Pale Beginning" of a Grand Design
The search for a genre, changing the concept, working on the text of the first two volumes, as well as thinking about the third - these are fragments of a grandiose “construction”, carried out only partially by Nikolai Vasilyevich. When analyzing “Dead Souls,” it should be understood that the first volume is only a part in which the outlines of the whole are outlined. This is the “pale beginning” of the work, as defined by the writer himself. No wonder Nikolai Vasilyevich compared it to a porch hastily attached to the “palace” by the provincial architect.
How did the idea for the work come about?
Features of the composition and plot, the originality of the genre are associated with the deepening and development of the original concept of “Dead Souls”. Pushkin stood at the origins of the work. As Nikolai Vasilyevich said, the poet advised him to take up big essay and even suggested a plot from which he himself wanted to create “something like a poem.” However, it was not so much the plot itself, but the “thought” contained in it that was Pushkin’s “hint” to Gogol. Were well known to the future author of the poem real stories, which are based on scams with so-called “dead souls”. IN teenage years Gogol in Mirgorod one of these cases occurred.
"Dead souls" in Russia during the time of Gogol
“Dead souls” - who died, but continued to be counted as alive until the next “revision fairy tale”. Only after this were they officially considered dead. It was after this that the landowners stopped paying a special tax for them. The peasants who existed on paper could be mortgaged, gifted or sold, which scammers sometimes took advantage of, seducing the landowners not only with the opportunity to get rid of serfs who were not generating income, but also to receive money for them.
The buyer of “dead souls” became the owner of a very real fortune. The adventure of the main character of the work, Chichikov, is a consequence of the “most inspired thought” that dawned on him - the guardianship council will give 200 rubles for each serf.
An adventurous picaresque novel
The basis for the so-called picaresque adventure novel was provided by an “anecdote” with “dead souls.” This type of novel has always been very popular because it is entertaining. Gogol's older contemporaries created works in this genre (V. T. Narezhny, F. V. Bulgarin, etc.). Their novels, despite their rather low artistic level, were a great success.
Modification of the genre of the picaresque novel in the process of work
The genre model of the work we are interested in is precisely an adventurous picaresque novel, as the analysis of “Dead Souls” shows. It, however, changed greatly during the writer’s work on this creation. This is evidenced, for example, by the author’s designation “poem”, which appeared after the general plan and main idea corrected by Gogol (Dead Souls).
Analysis of the work reveals the following interesting features. “All of Rus' will appear in it” is Gogol’s thesis, which not only emphasized the scale of the concept of “Dead Souls” in comparison with the initial desire “albeit from one side” to show Russia, but also meant a radical revision of the genre model chosen earlier. The framework of the traditional adventure and picaresque novel became cramped for Nikolai Vasilyevich, since he could not accommodate the richness of the new plan. Chichikov’s “odyssey” turned into just one way of seeing Russia.
The adventurous picaresque novel, having lost its leading significance in Dead Souls, remained a genre shell for the epic and morally descriptive tendencies of the poem.
Features of Chichikov's image
One of the techniques used in this genre is the mystery of the hero's origin. Main character in the first chapters he was either a man from the common people or a foundling, and at the end of the work, having overcome life's obstacles, he suddenly turned out to be the son of rich parents and received an inheritance. Nikolai Vasilyevich decisively refused such a template.
When analyzing the poem "Dead Souls", it should certainly be noted that Chichikov is a man of the "middle". The author himself says about him that he is “not bad-looking,” but not handsome, not too thin, but not too fat, not very old and not very young. The life story of this adventurer is hidden from the reader until the final, eleventh chapter. You will be convinced of this by carefully reading “Dead Souls”. Analysis by chapter reveals the fact that the author tells the backstory only in the eleventh. Having decided to do this, Gogol begins by emphasizing the “vulgarity,” the mediocrity of his hero. He writes that his origins are “modest” and “obscure.” Nikolai Vasilyevich again rejects extremes in defining his character (not a scoundrel, but not a hero either), but dwells on Chichikov’s main quality - he is an “acquirer”, “owner”.
Chichikov - an "average" person
Thus, there is nothing unusual in this hero - he is a so-called “average” person, in whom Gogol strengthened a trait that is characteristic of many people. Nikolai Vasilyevich sees in his passion for profit, which has replaced everything else, in the pursuit of the ghost of an easy and beautiful life a manifestation of “human poverty,” poverty and spiritual interests - all that is so carefully hidden by many people. An analysis of “Dead Souls” shows that Gogol needed a biography of the hero not so much in order to reveal the “secret” of his life at the end of the work, but rather to remind readers that this is not an exceptional person, but a completely ordinary one. Anyone can discover some “part of Chichikov” in themselves.
"Positive" heroes of the work
In adventure and picaresque novels, the traditional plot “spring” is the persecution of the main character by malicious, greedy and vicious people. Compared to them, the rogue who fought for his own rights seemed almost like a “model of perfection.” As a rule, he was helped by compassionate and virtuous people who naively expressed the author’s ideals.
However, no one is pursuing Chichikov in the first volume of the work. Also, there are no characters in the novel who could, to any extent, follow the writer’s point of view. Carrying out an analysis of the work “Dead Souls”, we can notice that only in the second volume do “positive” heroes appear: the landowner Kostanzhoglo, the tax farmer Murazov, the governor, who is irreconcilable with the abuses of various officials. But even these characters, unusual for Nikolai Vasilyevich, are very far from novel templates.
What interests Nikolai Vasilyevich first of all?
The plots of many works written in the genre of the picaresque adventure novel were far-fetched and artificial. The emphasis was on adventures, the “adventures” of rogue heroes. And Nikolai Vasilyevich is interested not in the adventures of the main character in themselves, not in their “material” result (Chichikov eventually got his fortune through fraudulent means), but in their moral and social content, which allowed the author to make trickery a “mirror” reflecting modern Russia in the work "Dead Souls". Analysis shows that this is a country of landowners who sell “air” (that is, dead peasants), as well as officials who assist the swindler instead of hindering him. The plot of this work has enormous semantic potential - various layers of other meanings - symbolic and philosophical - are superimposed on its real basis. It is very interesting to analyze the landowners (“Dead Souls”). Each of the five characters is very symbolic - Nikolai Vasilyevich uses the grotesque in their depiction.
Slowing down the plot
Gogol deliberately slows down the movement of the plot, accompanying each event with detailed descriptions of the material world in which the heroes live, as well as their appearance, reasoning about their Not only the dynamics, but also the significance is lost by the adventurous and picaresque plot. Each event of the work causes an “avalanche” of the author’s assessments and judgments, details, facts. The action of the novel, contrary to the requirements of this genre, almost completely stops in the last chapters. You can verify this by independently analyzing Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls.” For the development of the action, only two events out of all the others are significant, which occur from the seventh to the eleventh chapters. This is the departure from the city of Chichikov and the execution of a deed of sale.
Demanding on readers
Nikolai Vasilyevich is very demanding of readers - he wants them to penetrate into the very essence of phenomena, and not skim over their surface, to ponder the hidden meaning of the work “Dead Souls”. It should be analyzed very carefully. It is necessary to see behind the “objective” or informative meaning of the author’s words the not obvious, but the most important meaning is the symbolically generalized one. Just as necessary, as for Pushkin in “Eugene Onegin,” is the co-creation of readers for the author of “Dead Souls.” It is important to note that the artistic effect of Gogol’s prose is created not by what is told or depicted, but by how it is done. You will be convinced of this once you analyze the work “Dead Souls”. The word is a subtle instrument that Gogol mastered perfectly.
Nikolai Vasilyevich emphasized that a writer, when addressing people, must take into account the fear and uncertainty that lives in those who commit bad deeds. Both approval and reproach should be carried by the word of the “lyric poet”. Discussions about the dual nature of the phenomena of life are the favorite topic of the author of the work that interests us.
That's how brief analysis("Dead Souls"). A lot can be said about Gogol’s work. We have highlighted only the main points. It is also interesting to dwell on the images of landowners and the author. You can do this yourself, based on our analysis.
In May 1842, the first volume of Gogol's Dead Souls was published. The work was conceived by the author while he was working on The Inspector General. In Dead Souls, Gogol addresses the main theme of his work: the ruling classes of Russian society. The writer himself said: “My creation is huge and great, and its end will not come soon.” Indeed, “Dead Souls” is an outstanding phenomenon in the history of Russian and world satire.
"Dead Souls" - a satire on serfdom
“Dead Souls” is a work. In this, Gogol is the successor of Pushkin’s prose. He himself speaks about this on the pages of the poem in lyrical digression about two types of writers (Chapter VII).
Here the peculiarity of Gogol's realism is revealed: the ability to expose and show in close-up all the flaws of human nature that are not always evident. “Dead Souls” reflected the basic principles of realism:
- Historicism. The work is written about modern writer time - the turn of the 20-30s of the 19th century - then serfdom experienced a serious crisis.
- Typical character and circumstances. Landowners and officials are depicted satirically with a pronounced critical focus, and the main social types are shown. Gogol pays special attention to detail.
- Satirical typification. It is achieved by the author’s characterization of characters, comic situations, reference to the heroes’ past, hyperbolization, and the use of proverbs in speech.
Meaning of the name: literal and metaphorical
Gogol planned to write a work in three volumes. He took Dante Alighieri’s “The Divine Comedy” as a basis. Likewise, Dead Souls was supposed to consist of three parts. Even the title of the poem refers the reader to Christian principles.
Why "Dead Souls"? The name itself is an oxymoron, a juxtaposition of the incomparable. The soul is a substance that is inherent in the living, but not in the dead. Using this technique, Gogol gives hope that not all is lost, that the positive principle in the crippled souls of landowners and officials can be reborn. This is what the second volume should have been about.
The meaning of the title of the poem “Dead Souls” lies on several levels. On the very surface there is a literal meaning, because dead peasants were called dead souls in bureaucratic documents. Actually, this is the essence of Chichikov’s machinations: to buy up dead serfs and take money as collateral. The main characters are shown in the circumstances of the sale of peasants. “Dead souls” are the landowners and officials themselves that Chichikov encounters, because there is nothing human or living left in them. They are ruled by the thirst for profit (officials), feeble-mindedness (Korobochka), cruelty (Nozdryov) and rudeness (Sobakevich).
The deep meaning of the name
All new aspects are revealed as you read the poem “Dead Souls”. The meaning of the title, hidden in the depths of the work, makes us think about the fact that any person, a simple layman, can eventually turn into Manilov or Nozdryov. It is enough for one small passion to settle in his heart. And he will not notice how vice will grow there. To this end, in Chapter XI, Gogol calls on the reader to look deep into his soul and check: “Is there some part of Chichikov in me too?”
Gogol laid down in the poem “Dead Souls” a multifaceted meaning of the title, which is revealed to the reader not immediately, but in the process of comprehending the work.
Genre originality
When analyzing “Dead Souls,” another question arises: “Why does Gogol position the work as a poem?” Really, genre originality creations are unique. In the process of working on the work, Gogol shared his creative discoveries with friends in letters, calling “Dead Souls” both a poem and a novel.
About the second volume of "Dead Souls"
In a state of deep creative crisis, Gogol wrote the second volume of Dead Souls for ten years. In correspondence, he often complains to friends that things are going very slowly and are not particularly satisfying.
Gogol turns to the harmonious, positive image of the landowner Kostanzhoglo: judicious, responsible, using scientific knowledge in organizing the estate. Under its influence, Chichikov reconsiders his attitude to reality and changes for the better.
Seeing “life’s lies” in the poem, Gogol burned the second volume of “Dead Souls.”
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