“Gogol’s poem Dead Souls” - Gogol conceived a great work similar to Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. Work on the poem began in 1835. N.V. Gogol. What kind of Russia appears before us? 1) What are the opinions of officials and landowners about Chichikov and why? Paris – Germany – Rome – Jerusalem – Russia. Lesson objectives: F. Moller. Work in groups: 1) Trace the route of P.I.’s walk. Chichikov around the city.
“Characteristics of the poem “Dead Souls”” - Gogol’s greatest work. The history of the concept of the poem and its implementation. Maria Ivanovna Kosyarovskaya. Glory. Dead souls. Manilov. Chichikov. Box. Departure from Paris. Characters of the poem. Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol. First literary experience. Chichikov's arrival in the provincial town. Gymnasium in Nizhino. Gogol's letter.
“Plyushkin in “Dead Souls”” - Traits of manic stinginess are combined in Plyushkin with morbid suspicion and distrust of people. Plyushkin is the image of a moldy cracker left over from Easter cake. Among the “dead inhabitants, terrible with the motionless coldness of their souls and the emptiness of their hearts.” The image of Plyushkin completes the gallery of provincial landowners.
“The history of the creation of “Dead Souls”” - A depiction of the life of Russian landowners. Gogol intended to make the poem three volumes. Not everything is dead in this kingdom. Plyushkin. "Dead Souls" - greatest work Gogol. Image of the Motherland N.V. Gogol portrayed it realistically. On March 9, 1842, the book was approved by the censor. Box. Gallery of landowners in the poem.
“Poem Dead Souls” - Nozdryov. Tendency to scam. Pettiness (petty stinginess). Stinginess. Letter from Gogol to V.A. Zhukovsky. Adventurism. Clubheadedness. Plyushkin. Narration about the life fate of the hero poems by Chichikov. Sobakevich. Devastator and destroyer of the economy. The scam had strong legal and economic grounds.
“The work “Dead Souls”” - Quiz based on the works of N.V. Gogol. Entering art world“Dead Souls”, you will see all of Rus'. Basic diagram. Periods of life at the time of work on “Dead Souls”. Memories of N.V. Gogol. Construction of the poem “Dead Souls”. How scary our Russia is. What is N.V. Gogol like, known to you? “Blessed is the gentle poet...” N. Nekrasov.
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We often say that happiness is not found in money, but at the same time we always note that a person with money is in more advantageous position, can afford more than a poor person. Many works of art on the topic of a wedding with an unloved, but rich person, or the injustice that has arisen associated with bribery, brings to mind another well-known phrase: money rules the world. This is probably why a person with small capital often strives to improve his financial situation at any cost. These methods and methods are not always legal; they often contradict the principles of morality. N. Gogol talks about one of these actions in the poem “Dead Souls”.
Who is Chichikov and why does he come to town N
The main character of the story is a retired official Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He “is not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” He considers himself a person of pleasant appearance, he especially liked his face “which he loved sincerely and in which, it seems, he found the chin most attractive, for he very often boasted of it to one of his friends.”
This man travels through the villages of Russia, but his goal is by no means as noble as one might think at first glance. Pavel Ivanovich buys “dead souls”, that is, documents for the ownership of people who have died but have not yet been included in the lists of the dead. The census of peasants was carried out every few years, so these same “dead souls” hovered and were considered alive in documents. They represented a lot of trouble and waste, since it was necessary to make payments for them before the next census (revision tales).
Chichikov's proposal to sell these people to the landowners sounds more than tempting. Many find the item to be purchased very strange, it sounds suspicious, but the desire to quickly get rid of the “dead souls” takes its toll - one by one the landowners agree to the sale (the only exception was Nozdryov). But why does Chichikov need “dead souls”? He himself talks about it this way: “Yes, if I bought all these people who died out before they submitted new revision tales, buy them, let’s say, a thousand, yes, let’s say, the guardianship council will give two hundred rubles per head: that’s two hundred thousand for the capital " In other words, Pavel Ivanovich plans to resell his “dead souls”, passing them off as living people. Of course, it is impossible to sell serfs without land, but he finds a way out here too - buying land in a remote place, “for pennies.” Naturally, such a plan was not dictated good conditions life and financial situation, but, whatever one may say, this dishonest act.
Last name meaning
It is difficult to judge unambiguously about the etymology of Pavel Ivanovich’s surname. It is not as prosaic as the surnames of other characters in the poem, but the very fact that the surnames of other characters are their characteristics (they draw attention to moral or physical flaws) suggests that there should be a similar situation with Chichikov.
And so, it is likely that this surname came from the word “chichik”. In Western Ukrainian dialects, this is the name given to a small songbird. N. Gogol was associated with Ukraine, so we can assume that he had in mind precisely this meaning of the word - Chichikov, like a bird, sings beautiful songs to everyone. There are no other meanings recorded in dictionaries. The author himself does not explain anywhere why the choice fell on this particular word and what he wanted to say by awarding Pavel Ivanovich such a surname. Therefore, this information should be perceived at the level of a hypothesis, and it should be argued that this absolutely correct explanation is impossible due to the small amount of information on this matter.
Personality and character
Arriving in the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich meets the local landowners and the governor. He makes a good impression on them. This beginning of a trusting relationship contributed to Chichikov’s further purchases - they spoke of him as a man of high morals and excellent upbringing - such a person cannot be a swindler and a deceiver. But, as it turned out, this was just a tactical move that allowed him to cleverly deceive the landowners.
The first thing that surprises you about Chichikov is his attitude to hygiene. For many of his new acquaintances, this became a sign of a person from high society. Pavel Ivanovich “waking up very early in the morning, washed himself, wiped himself from head to toe with a wet sponge, which was done only by Sundays" He “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time,” when he washed himself, “plucked out two hairs that had come out of his nose.” As a result, those around him decided that “the visitor showed such attentiveness to the toilet that has not even been seen everywhere.”
Chichikov is a suck-up. “In conversations with these rulers, he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” At the same time, he tried not to say anything specific about himself, using general phrases; those present thought that he was doing this out of modesty.
In addition, the phrases “he is an insignificant worm of this world and is not worthy of being cared for much, that he has experienced a lot in his life, endured in the service for the truth, had many enemies who attempted even on his life, and that now, wanting to calm down, looking to finally choose a place to live” evoked a certain feeling of pity for Chichikov among those around him.
Soon, all his new acquaintances began to speak flatteringly about him and tried to please “such a pleasant, educated guest.”
Manilov, characterizing Chichikov, asserted that “he is ready to vouch, as for himself, that he would sacrifice all his estate in order to have a hundredth share of Pavel Ivanovich’s qualities.”
“The governor explained about him that he is a well-intentioned person; the prosecutor - that he is a sensible person; the gendarme colonel said that he was a learned man; the chairman of the chamber - that he is a knowledgeable and respectable person; the police chief - that he is a respectable and kind person; the police chief’s wife - that he is the most kind and courteous person.”
As we can see, Pavel Ivanovich managed to gain the trust of the landowners and the governor in the best possible way.
He managed to keep a fine line and not go too far with flattery and praise towards the landowners - his lies and sycophancy were sweet, but not so much that the lies were noticeable. Pavel Ivanovich not only knows how to present himself in society, but also has the talent to convince people. Not all landowners agreed to say goodbye to their “ dead souls" Many, like Korobochka, had great doubts about the legality of such a sale. Pavel Ivanovich manages to achieve his goal and convince him that such a sale is nothing unusual.
It should be noted that Chichikov has developed intellectual abilities. This is manifested not only when thinking about a plan to get rich from “dead souls”, but also in the manner of conducting a conversation - he knows how to maintain a conversation at the proper level, without having sufficient knowledge in a particular issue, it is unrealistic to look smart in the eyes of others and no flattery and fawning unable to save the situation.
In addition, he is very friendly with arithmetic and knows how to quickly carry out mathematical operations in his mind: “Seventy-eight, seventy-eight, thirty kopecks per head, that will be...” here our hero thought for one second, no more, and suddenly said: it will be twenty-four rubles ninety-six kopecks.”
Pavel Ivanovich knows how to adapt to new conditions: “he felt that the words “virtue” and “rare properties of the soul” could be successfully replaced with the words “economy” and “order”,” although he cannot always quickly figure out what to say: “Already Plyushkin stood for several minutes without saying a word, and Chichikov still could not start a conversation, entertained both by the sight of the owner himself and by everything that was in his room.”
Having acquired serfs, Pavel Ivanovich feels awkward and anxious, but these are not pangs of conscience - he wants to get the job done quickly and is afraid that something might go wrong “still the thought came to me: that souls are not entirely real and that in similar cases Such a burden always needs to be lifted off one’s shoulders as quickly as possible.”
However, his deception was revealed - Chichikov in an instant turns from an object of worship and a desired guest into an object of ridicule and rumors; he is not allowed into the governor’s house. “It’s just that you alone are not ordered to be allowed in, but all others are allowed,” the doorman tells him.
The others are also not happy to see him - they mumble something incomprehensible. This confuses Chichikov - he cannot understand what happened. Rumors about his scam reach Chichikov himself. As a result, he leaves home. IN last chapter, we learn that Pavel Ivanovich is of humble origin, his parents tried to provide him better life, so sending it to independent life, gave him such advice that, as his parents thought, would allow him to occupy good place in life: “Pavlusha, study... please your teachers and bosses most of all. Don’t hang out with your comrades, they won’t teach you any good; and if it comes to that, then hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Don’t treat or treat anyone, but behave better so that you will be treated, and most of all, take care and save a penny... You will do everything and lose everything in the world with a penny.”
Thus, Pavel Ivanovich, guided by the advice of his parents, lived in such a way as not to spend money anywhere and save money, but to earn significant capital in an honest way turned out to be unrealistic, even with strict savings and acquaintance with the rich. The plan to buy “dead souls” was supposed to provide Chichikov with fortune and money, but in practice this turned out not to be the case. The stigma of a swindler and a dishonest person firmly stuck to him. Whether the hero himself learned a lesson from their current situation is a rhetorical question; it is likely that the second volume should have revealed the secret, but, unfortunately, Nikolai Vasilyevich destroyed him, so the reader can only guess what happened next and whether Chichikov should be blamed for such an act or it is necessary to mitigate his guilt by referring to the principles to which society is subject.
Retelling plan
1. Chichikov arrives in the provincial town of NN.
2. Chichikov’s visits to city officials.
3. Visit to Manilov.
4. Chichikov ends up at Korobochka.
5. Meeting Nozdryov and a trip to his estate.
6. Chichikov at Sobakevich’s.
7. Visit to Plyushkin.
8. Registration of deeds of sale for “dead souls” purchased from landowners.
9. The attention of townspeople to Chichikov, the “millionaire.”
10. Nozdryov reveals Chichikov’s secret.
11. The Tale of Captain Kopeikin.
12. Rumors about who Chichikov is.
13. Chichikov hastily leaves the city.
14. A story about the origin of Chichikov.
15. The author’s reasoning about the essence of Chichikov.
Retelling
Volume I
Chapter 1
A beautiful spring britzka drove into the gates of the provincial town of NN. In it sat “a gentleman, not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” His arrival did not make any noise in the city. The hotel in which he stayed “was of a well-known type, that is, exactly the same as there are hotels in provincial cities, where for two rubles a day travelers get a quiet room with cockroaches...” The visitor, while waiting for lunch, managed to ask who was in significant officials in the city, about all the significant landowners, who has how many souls, etc.
After lunch, having rested in his room, he wrote on a piece of paper to report to the police: “Collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, landowner, according to his needs,” and he himself went to the city. “The city was in no way inferior to other provincial cities: the yellow paint on the stone houses was very striking and the gray paint on the wooden ones was modestly dark... There were signs almost washed away by the rain with pretzels and boots, where there was a store with caps and the inscription: “Foreigner Vasily Fedorov,” where a billiard was drawn... with the inscription: “And here is the establishment.” Most often the inscription came across: “Drinking house.”
The entire next day was devoted to visits to city officials: the governor, vice-governor, prosecutor, chairman of the chamber, police chief, and even the inspector of the medical board and the city architect. The governor, “like Chichikov, was neither fat nor thin, however, he was a great good-natured person and sometimes even embroidered on tulle himself.” Chichikov “very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” He spoke little about himself and in some general phrases. In the evening, the governor had a “party” for which Chichikov carefully prepared. There were men here, as everywhere else, of two kinds: some thin, hovering around the ladies, and others fat or the same as Chichikov, i.e. not too thick, but not thin either; on the contrary, they moved back from the ladies. “Fat people know how to manage their affairs in this world better than thin people. The thin ones serve more on special assignments or are just registered and wander here and there. Fat people never occupy indirect places, but all are straight, and if they sit somewhere, they will sit securely and firmly.” Chichikov thought and joined the fat ones. He met the landowners: the very polite Manilov and the somewhat clumsy Sobakevich. Having completely charmed them with their pleasant treatment, Chichikov immediately asked how many peasant souls they had and what condition their estates were in.
Manilov, “not yet an old man at all, who had eyes as sweet as sugar... was crazy about him,” invited him to his estate. Chichikov received an invitation from Sobakevich.
The next day, while visiting the postmaster, Chichikov met the landowner Nozdryov, “a man of about thirty, a broken fellow, who after three or four words began to say “you” to him. He communicated with everyone in a friendly manner, but when they sat down to play whist, the prosecutor and the postmaster looked carefully at his bribes.
Chichikov spent the next few days in the city. Everyone had a very flattering opinion of him. He gave the impression of a secular man who knows how to carry on a conversation on any topic and at the same time speak “neither loudly nor quietly, but absolutely as it should.”
Chapter 2
Chichikov went to the village to see Manilov. They looked for Manilov’s house for a long time: “The village of Manilovka could lure few people with its location. The manor house stood alone on the south... open to all the winds...” A gazebo with a flat green dome, wooden blue columns and the inscription: “Temple of Solitary Reflection” was visible. An overgrown pond was visible below. In the lowlands there were dark gray log huts, which Chichikov immediately began to count and counted more than two hundred. It was getting dark in the distance pine forest. The owner himself met Chichikov on the porch.
Manilov was very pleased with the guest. “God alone could have said what Manilov’s character was. There is a kind of people known by the name: so-so people, neither this nor that... He was a prominent man; His facial features were not devoid of pleasantness... He smiled alluringly, was blond, with blue eyes. In the first minute of conversation with him you can’t help but say: “What a pleasant and kind person! The next minute you won’t say anything, and the third you’ll say: “The devil knows what it is!” - and you will move further away... At home he spoke little and mostly meditated and thought, but what he was thinking about was also unknown to God. It’s impossible to say that he was doing housework... it somehow went by itself... Sometimes... he talked about how nice it would be if he could suddenly get away from home underground passage or build a stone bridge across the pond, on which there would be shops on both sides, and for merchants to sit in them and sell various small goods... However, it ended with only words.”
In his office there was some kind of book, folded on one page, which he had been reading for two years. In the living room there was expensive, smart furniture: all the chairs were upholstered in red silk, but there weren’t enough for two, and for two years now the owner had been telling everyone that they were not finished yet.
Manilov’s wife... “however, they were completely happy with each other”: after eight years of marriage, for her husband’s birthday, she always prepared “some kind of beaded case for a toothpick.” The cooking in the house was poor, the pantry was empty, the housekeeper stole, the servants were unclean and drunkards. But “all these are low subjects, and Manilova was brought up well,” in a boarding school where they teach three virtues: French, piano and knitting purses and other surprises.
Manilov and Chichikov showed unnatural courtesy: they tried to let each other through the door first. Finally, they both squeezed through the door at the same time. This was followed by an acquaintance with Manilov’s wife and an empty conversation about mutual acquaintances. The opinion about everyone is the same: “a pleasant, most respectable, most amiable person.” Then everyone sat down to dinner. Manilov introduced Chichikov to his sons: Themistoclus (seven years old) and Alcides (six years old). Themistoclus's nose is running, he bites his brother's ear, and he, overflowing with tears and smeared with fat, devolves lunch. After dinner, “the guest announced with a very significant air that he intended to talk about one very necessary matter.”
The conversation took place in an office, the walls of which were painted with some kind of blue paint, even more likely gray; There were several scribbled papers on the table, but most of all there was tobacco. Chichikov asked Manilov for a detailed register of peasants (revision tales), asked about how many peasants had died since the last census of the register. Manilov didn’t remember exactly and asked why Chichikov needed to know this? He replied that he wanted to buy dead souls, which would be listed in the audit as living. Manilov was so taken aback that “he opened his mouth and remained with his mouth open for several minutes.” Chichikov convinced Manilov that there would be no violation of the law, the treasury would even receive benefits in the form of legal duties. When Chichikov started talking about the price, Manilov decided to give away the dead souls for free and even took over the bill of sale, which caused immoderate delight and gratitude from the guest. Having seen Chichikov off, Manilov again indulged in daydreaming, and now he imagined that the sovereign himself, having learned about his strong friendship with Chichikov, had rewarded them with generals.
Chapter 3
Chichikov went to Sobakevich’s village. Suddenly it started to rain heavily and the driver lost his way. It turned out he was very drunk. Chichikov ended up on the estate of landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. Chichikov was led into a room hung with old striped wallpaper, on the walls there were paintings with some birds, between the windows there were old small mirrors with dark frames in the shape of curled leaves. The hostess entered; “one of those mothers, small landowners who cry about crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they gradually collect money in colorful bags placed in dresser drawers...”
Chichikov stayed overnight. In the morning he first examined peasant huts: “Yes, her village is not small.” At breakfast the hostess finally introduced herself. Chichikov started a conversation about buying dead souls. The box could not understand why he needed this, and offered to buy hemp or honey. She, apparently, was afraid of selling herself cheap, began to fuss, and Chichikov, persuading her, lost patience: “Well, the woman seems to be strong-minded!” Korobochka still couldn’t make up her mind to sell the dead: “Or maybe they’ll be needed on the farm somehow...”
Only when Chichikov mentioned that he was conducting government contracts did he manage to convince Korobochka. She wrote a power of attorney to execute the deed. After much haggling, the deal was finally done. At parting, Korobochka generously treated the guest to pies, pancakes, flatbreads with various toppings and other foods. Chichikov asked Korobochka to tell her how to get onto the main road, which puzzled her: “How can I do this? It’s a tricky story to tell, there are a lot of twists and turns.” She gave a girl to accompany her, otherwise it would have been difficult for the crew to leave: “the roads spread out in all directions, like caught crayfish when they are poured out of a bag.” Chichikov finally reached the tavern, which stood on the highway.
Chapter 4
While having lunch at a tavern, Chichikov saw through the window a light chaise with two men driving up. Chichikov recognized Nozdryov in one of them. Nozdryov “was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns.” This landowner, Chichikov recalled, whom he met at the prosecutor’s, within a few minutes began to say “you” to him, although Chichikov did not give a reason. Without stopping for a minute, Nozdryov began to speak, without waiting for the interlocutor’s answers: “Where did you go? And I, brother, am from the fair. Congratulations: I was blown away!.. But what a party we had in the first days!.. Would you believe that I alone drank seventeen bottles of champagne during dinner!” Nozdryov, without stopping for a minute, spoke all sorts of nonsense. He pulled out from Chichikov that he was going to see Sobakevich, and persuaded him to stop by to see him first. Chichikov decided that he could “beg something for nothing” from the lost Nozdryov, and agreed.
Author's description of Nozdrev. Such people “are called broken fellows, they are reputed even in childhood and at school for being good comrades, and at the same time they can be beaten very painfully... They are always talkers, carousers, reckless drivers, prominent people...” Nozdryov had a habit of even with his closest friends “start with satin stitch, and end with reptile.” At thirty-five he was the same as he was at eighteen. Deceased wife she left behind two children who he didn’t need at all. He didn’t spend more than two days at home, always wandering around fairs, playing cards “not entirely sinlessly and purely.” “Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person. Not a single meeting where he attended was complete without a story: either the gendarmes would take him out of the hall, or his friends would be forced to push him out... or he would cut himself at the buffet, or he would lie... The closer someone got to know him, the more he most likely to annoy everyone: he spread a tall tale, the stupidest of which is difficult to invent, upset a wedding, a deal, and did not at all consider himself your enemy.” He had a passion for “trading whatever you have for whatever you want.” All this came from some kind of restless nimbleness and liveliness of character.”
At his estate, the owner immediately ordered the guests to inspect everything he had, which took a little over two hours. Everything was in disrepair except the kennel. In the owner’s office there hung only sabers and two guns, as well as “real” Turkish daggers, on which “by mistake” was carved: “Master Savely Sibiryakov.” Over a poorly prepared dinner, Nozdryov tried to get Chichikov drunk, but he managed to pour out the contents of his glass. Nozdryov suggested playing cards, but the guest flatly refused and finally started talking about business. Nozdryov, sensing that the matter was unclean, pestered Chichikov with questions: why does he need dead souls? After much bickering, Nozdryov agreed, but on the condition that Chichikov would also buy a stallion, a mare, a dog, a barrel organ, etc.
Chichikov, having stayed overnight, regretted that he had stopped by Nozdryov and talked to him about the matter. In the morning it turned out that Nozdryov had not given up his intention to play for the soul, and they eventually settled on checkers. During the game, Chichikov noticed that his opponent was cheating and refused to continue the game. Nozdryov shouted to the servants: “Beat him!” and he himself, “all hot and sweaty,” began to break through to Chichikov. The guest's soul sank to his feet. At that moment, a cart with a police captain arrived at the house, who announced that Nozdryov was on trial for “inflicting a personal insult on the landowner Maximov with rods while drunk.” Chichikov, not listening to the bickering, quietly slipped out onto the porch, sat in the chaise and ordered Selifan to “drive the horses at full speed.”
Chapter 5
Chichikov could not get over his fear. Suddenly his chaise collided with a carriage in which two ladies were sitting: one old, the other young, of extraordinary charm. With difficulty they parted, but Chichikov thought for a long time about the unexpected meeting and about the beautiful stranger.
Sobakevich’s village seemed to Chichikov “quite large... The yard was surrounded by a strong and excessively thick wooden lattice. ...The village huts of the peasants were also cut down in a marvelous way... everything was fitted tightly and properly. ...In a word, everything... was stubborn, without shaking, in some kind of strong and clumsy order.” “When Chichikov looked sideways at Sobakevich, he seemed to him very similar to a medium-sized bear.” “The tailcoat he was wearing was completely bear-colored... He walked with his feet this way and that, constantly stepping on other people’s feet. The complexion had a red-hot, hot complexion, like what happens on a copper coin.” "Bear! The perfect bear! His name was even Mikhail Semenovich,” thought Chichikov.
Entering the living room, Chichikov noticed that everything in it was solid, awkward and had some strange resemblance to the owner himself. Every object, every chair seemed to say: “And I, too, Sobakevich!” The guest tried to start a pleasant conversation, but it turned out that Sobakevich considered all his mutual acquaintances - the governor, the postmaster, the chairman of the chamber - to be swindlers and fools. “Chichikov remembered that Sobakevich did not like to speak well of anyone.”
Over a hearty dinner, Sobakevich “threw half a side of lamb onto his plate, ate it all, gnawed it, sucked it to the last bone... The side of lamb was followed by cheesecakes, each of which was much larger than the plate, then a turkey the size of a calf...” Sobakevich started talking about his neighbor Plyushkin, an extremely stingy man who owned eight hundred peasants, who “starved all the people to death.” Chichikov became interested. After dinner, hearing that Chichikov wanted to buy dead souls, Sobakevich was not at all surprised: “It seemed that there was no soul in this body at all.” He started haggling and charged an exorbitant price. He spoke about dead souls as if they were alive: “I have everything for selection: not a craftsman, but some other healthy man”: carriage maker Mikheev, carpenter Stepan Probka, Milushkin, brickmaker... “That’s what kind of people they are!” Chichikov finally interrupted him: “But excuse me, why are you counting all their qualities? After all, these are all dead people.” In the end, they agreed on three rubles per head and decided to be in the city tomorrow and deal with the deed of sale. Sobakevich demanded a deposit, Chichikov, in turn, insisted that Sobakevich give him a receipt and asked not to tell anyone about the deal. “Fist, fist! - thought Chichikov, “and a beast to boot!”
So that Sobakevich would not see, Chichikov went to Plyushkin in a roundabout way. The peasant whom Chichikov asks for directions to the estate calls Plyushkin “patched.” The chapter ends with a lyrical digression about the Russian language. “The Russian people express themselves strongly!.. What is pronounced accurately, is the same as what is written, is not cut down with an ax... the lively and lively Russian mind... does not reach into its pocket for a word, but sticks it in immediately, like a passport to an eternal wear... no a word that would be so sweeping, lively, would burst out from under the very heart, would boil and vibrate so much, like an aptly spoken Russian word.”
Chapter 6
The chapter opens with a lyrical digression about travel: “Long ago, in the summer of my youth, it was fun for me to drive up to an unfamiliar place for the first time; a child’s curious gaze revealed a lot of curious things in it... Now I indifferently approach any unfamiliar village and indifferently look at its vulgar appearance... and indifferent silence are kept by my motionless lips. O my youth! Oh my freshness!
Laughing at Plyushkin’s nickname, Chichikov unnoticed found himself in the middle of a vast village. “He noticed some special disrepair in all the village buildings: many of the roofs showed through like a sieve... The windows in the huts were without glass...” Then the manor’s house appeared: “This strange castle looked like some kind of decrepit invalid... In some places it was on one floor, in places two... The walls of the house were cracked in places by bare plaster lattice and, apparently, they had suffered a lot from all sorts of bad weather... The garden overlooking the village... seemed to have one thing that refreshed this vast village, and one was quite picturesque..."
“Everything said that farming had once taken place here on a vast scale, and everything now looked gloomy... Near one of the buildings Chichikov noticed a figure... For a long time he could not recognize what gender the figure was: a woman or a man ... the dress is indefinite, there is a cap on the head, the robe is sewn from who knows what. Chichikov concluded that this was probably the housekeeper.” Entering the house, he “was struck by the chaos”: cobwebs all around, broken furniture, a bunch of papers, “a glass with some kind of liquid and three flies... a piece of rag,” dust, a pile of garbage in the middle of the room. The same housekeeper entered. Taking a closer look, Chichikov realized that it was most likely the housekeeper. Chichikov asked where the master was. “What, father, are they blind, or what? - said the key keeper. “But I’m the owner!”
The author describes Plyushkin's appearance and his story. “The chin protruded far forward, the small eyes had not yet gone out and ran from under the high eyebrows, like mice”; the sleeves and upper flaps of the robe were so “greasy and shiny that they looked like yuft, the kind that goes on boots,” and there was something like a stocking or a garter on his neck, but not a tie at all. “But it was not a beggar who stood in front of him, a landowner stood in front of him. This landowner had more than a thousand souls,” the storerooms were full of grain, a lot of linens, sheepskins, vegetables, dishes, etc. But even this seemed not enough for Plyushkin. “Everything he came across: an old sole, a woman’s rag, an iron nail, a clay shard, he dragged everything to him and put it in a heap.” “But there was a time when he was just a thrifty owner! He was married and a family man; mills were moving, cloth factories were working, carpentry machines, spinning mills... Intelligence was visible in the eyes... But the good housewife died, Plyushkin became more restless, suspicious and stingy.” He cursed his eldest daughter, who ran away and married an officer of a cavalry regiment. The youngest daughter died, and the son, sent to the city to serve, joined the military - and the house was completely empty.
His “savings” have reached the point of absurdity (he keeps the Easter cake bread that his daughter brought him as a gift for several months, he always knows how much liqueur is left in the decanter, he writes neatly on paper, so that the lines overlap each other). At first Chichikov did not know how to explain to him the reason for his visit. But, having started a conversation about Plyushkin’s household, Chichikov found out that about one hundred and twenty serfs had died. Chichikov showed “a readiness to accept the obligation to pay taxes for all dead peasants. The proposal seemed to completely amaze Plyushkin.” He couldn't even speak for joy. Chichikov invited him to complete the deed of sale and even agreed to bear all the costs. Plyushkin, from an excess of feelings, does not know what to treat his dear guest with: he orders to put on the samovar, take out a spoiled cracker from the Easter cake, wants to treat him to a liqueur from which he pulled out “boogers and all sorts of rubbish.” Chichikov refused such a treat with disgust.
“And a person could stoop to such insignificance, pettiness, and disgustingness! Could have changed so much!” - exclaims the author.
It turned out that Plyushkin had many runaway peasants. And Chichikov bought them too, while Plyushkin bargained for every penny. TO great joy owner, Chichikov soon left “in the most cheerful mood”: he acquired “more than two hundred people” from Plyushkin.
Chapter 7
The chapter opens with a sad, lyrical discussion about two types of writers.
In the morning, Chichikov was thinking about who the peasants he now owned were during their lifetime (now he has four hundred dead souls). In order not to pay clerks, he himself began to build fortresses. At two o'clock everything was ready, and he went to the civil chamber. On the street he ran into Manilov, who began to kiss and hug him. Together they went to the ward, where they turned to the official Ivan Antonovich with a face “called a jug’s snout,” to whom, in order to speed up the matter, Chichikov gave a bribe. Sobakevich was also sitting here. Chichikov agreed to complete the deal during the day. The documents were completed. After such a successful completion of affairs, the chairman suggested going to lunch with the police chief. During dinner, the tipsy and cheerful guests tried to persuade Chichikov not to leave and to get married here. Drunk, Chichikov chatted about his “Kherson estate” and already believed in everything he said.
Chapter 8
The whole city was discussing Chichikov's purchases. Some even offered their help in relocating the peasants, some even began to think that Chichikov was a millionaire, so they “loved him even more sincerely.” The residents of the city lived in harmony with each other, many were not without education: “some read Karamzin, some Moskovskie Vedomosti, some even read nothing at all.”
Chichikov made a special impression on the ladies. “The ladies of the city of N were what they call presentable.” How to behave, maintain tone, maintain etiquette, and especially follow fashion in the very last detail - in this they were ahead of the ladies of St. Petersburg and even Moscow. The ladies of the city of N were distinguished by “extraordinary caution and decency in words and expressions. They never said: “I blew my nose,” “I sweated,” “I spat,” but they said: “I relieved my nose,” “I managed with a handkerchief.” The word “millionaire” had a magical effect on the ladies, one of them even sent Chichikov a sweet love letter.
Chichikov was invited to a ball with the governor. Before the ball, Chichikov spent an hour looking at himself in the mirror, taking significant poses. At the ball, being the center of attention, he tried to guess the author of the letter. The governor's wife introduced Chichikov to her daughter, and he recognized the girl whom he had once met on the road: “she was the only one who turned white and came out transparent and bright from the muddy and opaque crowd.” The charming young girl made such an impression on Chichikov that he “felt like something like a young man, almost a hussar.” The rest of the ladies felt offended by his discourtesy and lack of attention to them and began to “talk about him in different angles in the most unfavorable way."
Nozdryov appeared and innocently told everyone that Chichikov had tried to buy dead souls from him. The ladies, as if not believing the news, picked it up. Chichikov “began to feel awkward, something was wrong” and, without waiting for the end of dinner, he left. Meanwhile, Korobochka arrived in the city at night and began to find out the prices of dead souls, fearing that she had sold too cheap.
Chapter 9
Early in the morning, ahead of the time appointed for visits, “a lady pleasant in all respects” went to visit “just a pleasant lady.” The guest told the news: at night Chichikov, disguised as a robber, came to Korobochka demanding that they sell him dead souls. The hostess remembered that she heard something from Nozdryov, but the guest has her own thoughts: dead souls are just a cover, in fact Chichikov wants to kidnap the governor’s daughter, and Nozdryov is his accomplice. Then they discussed the appearance of the governor's daughter and did not find anything attractive in her.
Then the prosecutor appeared, they told him about their findings, which completely confused him. The ladies went in different directions, and now the news spread throughout the city. The men turned their attention to the purchase of dead souls, and the women began discussing the “kidnapping” of the governor’s daughter. Rumors were retold in houses where Chichikov had never even been. He was suspected of a rebellion among the peasants of the village of Borovka and that he had been sent for some kind of inspection. To top it off, the governor received two notices about a counterfeiter and about an escaped robber with an order to detain both... They began to suspect that one of them was Chichikov. Then they remembered that they knew almost nothing about him... They tried to find out, but did not achieve clarity. We decided to meet with the police chief.
Chapter 10
All officials were concerned about the situation with Chichikov. Gathering at the police chief's, many noticed that they were emaciated from the latest news.
The author makes a lyrical digression about the “peculiarities of holding meetings or charitable gatherings”: “... In all our meetings... there is a fair amount of confusion... The only meetings that succeed are those that are organized in order to have a party or dine.” But here it turned out completely differently. Some were inclined to think that Chichikov was a maker of banknotes, and then they themselves added: “Or maybe not a maker.” Others believed that he was an official of the Governor General's office and immediately: “But, the devil knows.” And the postmaster said that Chichikov was Captain Kopeikin, and told the following story.
THE TALE ABOUT CAPTAIN KOPEYKIN
During the War of 1812, the captain's arm and leg were torn off. There were no orders about the wounded yet, and he went home to his father. He refused him the house, saying that there was nothing to feed him, and Kopeikin went to seek the truth to the sovereign in St. Petersburg. I asked where to go. The sovereign was not in the capital, and Kopeikin went to the “high commission, to the general-in-chief.” He waited in the reception area for a long time, then they told him to come in three or four days. The next time the nobleman said that we had to wait for the king, without his special permission, he could not do anything.
Kopeikin was running out of money, he decided to go and explain that he couldn’t wait any longer, he simply had nothing to eat. He was not allowed to see the nobleman, but he managed to slip into the reception room with some visitor. He explained that he was dying of hunger and could not earn money. The general rudely escorted him out and sent him to his place of residence at government expense. “Where Kopeikin went is unknown; but not even two months had passed before a gang of robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests, and the ataman of this gang was none other...”
It occurred to the police chief that Kopeikin was missing an arm and a leg, but Chichikov had everything in place. They began to make other assumptions, even this: “Isn’t Chichikov Napoleon in disguise?” We decided to ask Nozdryov again, although he is a well-known liar. He was just busy making counterfeit cards, but he came. He said that he sold Chichikov dead souls worth several thousand, that he knows him from the school where they studied together, and Chichikov is a spy and counterfeiter from the time that Chichikov was really going to take away the governor’s daughter and Nozdryov helped him. As a result, officials never found out who Chichikov was. Frightened by insoluble problems, the prosecutor died, he was struck down.
“Chichikov knew absolutely nothing about all this; he caught a cold and decided to stay at home.” He could not understand why no one was visiting him. Three days later he went out into the street and first of all went to the governor, but he was not received there, just like in many other houses. Nozdryov came and among other things told Chichikov: “... in the city everything is against you; they think that you are making false papers... they dressed you up as robbers and spies.” Chichikov couldn’t believe his ears: “...there’s no point in dawdling anymore, we need to get out of here as quickly as possible.”
He sent Nozdryov out and ordered Selifan to prepare for: departure.
Chapter 11
The next morning everything went upside down. At first Chichikov overslept, then it turned out that the chaise was not in order and the horses needed to be shod. But everything was settled, and Chichikov got into the chaise with a sigh of relief. On the way, he met a funeral procession (the prosecutor was being buried). Chichikov hid behind the curtain, afraid that he would be recognized. Finally Chichikov left the city.
The author tells the story of Chichikov: “The origins of our hero are dark and modest... At the beginning, life looked at him somehow sourly and unpleasantly: neither a friend nor a comrade in childhood!” His father, a poor nobleman, was constantly ill. One day, Pavlusha’s father took Pavlusha to the city to enroll in the city school: “The city streets flashed with unexpected splendor before the boy.” When parting, my father “gave a smart instruction: “Study, don’t be stupid and don’t hang around, but most of all please your teachers and bosses. Don’t hang out with your comrades, or hang out with the rich, so that on occasion they can be useful to you... most of all, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything else in the world... You will do everything and lose everything in the world with a penny.”
“He didn’t have any special abilities for any science,” but he did have a practical mind. He made his comrades treat him, but he never treated them. And sometimes he even hid the treats and then sold them to them. “I didn’t spend a penny of the half ruble given by my father; on the contrary, I added to it: I made a bullfinch out of wax and sold it very profitably”; I accidentally teased my hungry comrades with gingerbread and buns, and then sold them to them, trained the mouse for two months and then sold it very profitably. “In relation to his superiors, he behaved even smarter”: he curried favor with the teachers, pleased them, so he was in excellent standing and as a result “received a certificate and a book with golden letters for exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.”
His father left him a small inheritance. “At the same time, the poor teacher was expelled from the school,” out of grief he began to drink, drank it all and disappeared sick in some closet. All his former students collected money for him, but Chichikov made the excuse of not having enough and gave him a nickel of silver. “Everything that smacked of wealth and contentment made an impression on him that was incomprehensible to himself. He decided to get busy with his work, to conquer and overcome everything... From early morning until late evening he wrote, bogged down in office papers, did not go home, slept in the office rooms on tables... He fell under the command of an elderly police officer, who was the image of what “something of stony insensibility and unshakeability.” Chichikov began to please him in everything, “sniffed out his home life,” found out that he had an ugly daughter, began to come to church and stand opposite this girl. “And the matter was a success: the stern police officer staggered and invited him to tea!” He behaved like a groom, already called the police officer “daddy” and, through his future father-in-law, achieved the position of police officer. After this, “the matter of the wedding was hushed up.”
“Since then everything has been easier and more successful. He became a noticeable person... in a short time he got a place to earn money” and learned to deftly take bribes. Then he joined some kind of construction commission, but construction does not go “above the foundation,” but Chichikov managed to steal, like other members of the commission, significant funds. But suddenly a new boss was sent, an enemy of the bribe-takers, and the commission officials were removed from office. Chichikov moved to another city and started from scratch. “He decided to get to customs at any cost, and he got there. He took up his service with extraordinary zeal.” He became famous for his incorruptibility and honesty (“his honesty and incorruptibility were irresistible, almost unnatural”), and achieved a promotion. Having waited for the right moment, Chichikov received funds to carry out his project to capture all the smugglers. “Here in one year he could receive what he would not have won in twenty years of the most zealous service.” Having conspired with an official, he began smuggling. Everything was going smoothly, the accomplices were getting rich, but suddenly they quarreled and both ended up on trial. The property was confiscated, but Chichikov managed to save ten thousand, a chaise and two serfs. And so again he started over. As an attorney, he had to mortgage one estate, and then it dawned on him that he could put dead souls in a bank, take out a loan against them and hide. And he went to buy them in the city of N.
“So, here is our hero in full view... Who is he in terms of moral qualities? Scoundrel? Why a scoundrel? Now we don’t have scoundrels, we have well-intentioned, pleasant people... It’s most fair to call him: owner, acquirer... And which of you, not publicly, but in silence, alone, will deepen this difficult question into your own soul: “But no?” Is there some part of Chichikov in me too?” Yes, no matter how it is!”
Meanwhile, Chichikov woke up, and the chaise rushed faster, “And what Russian person doesn’t like driving fast?.. Isn’t it the same for you, Rus', that a brisk, unovertaken troika is rushing along? Rus', where are you going? Give me the answer. Doesn't give an answer. 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.”
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, a collegiate adviser, arrives in the city of N. in a small beautiful chaise with a crew consisting of coachman Selifan and footman Petrushka. The author describes Chichikov as a gentleman of “average quality”: neither handsome nor ugly, neither fat nor thin, neither old nor young. No one noticed his arrival, only two men - regulars at a tavern located near the only hotel in the city - discussed the strength of the chaise's wheel: will it reach Moscow or Kazan or not?
Next, the hotel itself is described: typical for this kind of provincial town, where for 2 rubles a day guests get a room with a huge number of cockroaches that peek out from all corners “like prunes” and a curious neighbor behind a door filled with a chest of drawers. In the common room there are walls stained below and darkened above from smoke, and a smoked ceiling with a chandelier. The facade of the hotel is as sloppy as the interior: the long two-story building has only the second floor painted with standard yellow paint, and the first has been bare red brickwork for many years, darkened by time and dampness.
When the visitor's things were brought into the room, he deigned to have dinner. Next, he began to ask the hotel servant (sexual) about the owner of the hotel, the governor, the chairman of the chamber, the prosecutor, the landowners of the city and, with special interest, how many peasant souls each had. The provincialism and wretchedness of the town are described: monotonous yellow paint on stone houses and gray paint on wooden ones, one-, one-and-a-half and two-story buildings, various signs, a billiard room, a tavern, a garden with trees “no taller than reeds.”
The next day Chichikov began making visits to everyone important people city: governor, architect, inspector of the medical board, chairman of the chamber, police chief, tax farmer. After paying respects to the first dignitaries, Chichikov began to prepare for the governor’s party: he washed and shaved especially carefully, and dressed in his best “lingonberry-colored” tailcoat. Chichikov met important persons city and landowners, who, without hesitation, invited him to visit. Everyone had the most favorable impression of Chichikov - “a nice person!”
Chapter two
Chichikov decides to go to the landowner Manilov. At first, Chichikov mixed up the name of the village (by mistake he calls it Zamanilovka, but in fact it is Manilovka). Then Chichikov’s chaise travels almost thirty miles instead of the fifteen promised by Manilov. The following describes a lonely house on a hill with thin vegetation around and a gazebo. Manilov greets Chichikov with kisses. The author paints a portrait of Manilov: a man not devoid of pleasantness, in which there was “too much... sugar.” Manilov’s life and economy went “somehow by itself”, everything ended “with just words”: both in relation to the underground passage that was not dug, and regarding the stone bridge that was not built over the pond, and regarding the book laid on the 14th page for two years already, and in ignorance of the number of peasants who died during the year. Naming sons specific Greek names– Themistoclus and Alcides are an absurd attempt by Manilov to show his supposed education while being unable to solve basic everyday issues.Chichikov carefully expresses his desire to Manilov to buy from him peasant souls, which “are definitely already dead.” Manilov was confused and hesitated, but after Chichikov’s words that duty and law were “a sacred matter” for him, he calmed down and agreed to give up the dead souls for free, taking over the bill of sale.
Chapter Three
Satisfied with the deal, Chichikov drives along the main road. Some time after he left Manilovka, a severe thunderstorm began. The crew loses their way in the pitch darkness, the road is washed away by a downpour, and the chaise overturns into the mud. Chichikov scolds the coachman Selifan for driving him into the wilderness and promises to flog him. Suddenly dogs are heard barking and a house is visible. The landowner - the mistress of the house - accepts Chichikov for the night. Waking up late in the morning, Chichikov evaluates the furnishings of the house and the landowner’s yard: paintings with birds, between which is a portrait of Kutuzov, a hissing clock, a window overlooking the chicken coop, a yard full of birds and all kinds of living creatures, “spacious vegetable gardens” with fruit trees scattered in them. Then Chichikov meets the landowner herself (her last name is Korobochka, her position is collegiate secretary), and first of all he inquires about the number of peasant souls: living and dead. In response to Chichikov’s offer to sell him “dead” peasants, Korobochka does not understand for a long time and is perplexed about the dead peasants, asking his interlocutor stupid questions like “dig them out of the ground?” or “maybe on the farm... you will need it...” and then, when he understands the benefit, he is afraid of “incurring a loss.” Chichikov gets angry and silently calls her “club-headed” and “strong-headed.” Finally, he manages to persuade her. The landowner complains about the decrease in income from the farm and tries to force Chichikov to buy lard, bird feathers, honey and much more. Having promised the obsessive landowner to buy all this from her in the near future, Chichikov gets ready to leave. As a guide, Korobochka gives him an eleven-year-old girl, Pelageya, who does not know where is right and where is left. The passion for hoarding, the panicky fear of losses and the boundless stupidity of Korobochka are clearly reflected in this chapter.Chapter Four
Having had a wonderful lunch at a roadside tavern, Chichikov noticed a chaise and a “carriage” approaching the establishment. Two men entered the tavern: a medium-height, dark-haired man and a tall, blond man. It was the landowner Nozdryov and his son-in-law Mizhuev. Nozdryov, who greeted Chichikov in a cheeky manner and quickly switched to “you,” talked about how he “lost” four trotters, a chain and a watch, and fifty rubles while playing cards. Then Nozdryov argues with Mizhuev that he can drink 17 bottles of champagne. Next, Chichikov, after much persuasion, goes to Nozdryov’s estate.The author describes Nozdryov as a “broken fellow”, a talker, a reckless driver, a lover of women, balls, fairs and drinking establishments, and also as a “historical person” who always inevitably gets into some kind of story with the gendarmes, friends, fights or drinking. “And he’ll lie...unnecessarily,” but in general – “a trashy person.”
Nozdryov shows his household: a house, dogs, horses, a forge, a collection of daggers and pipes. Having sent his drunken son-in-law out, Nozdryov offers to play cards, and Chichikov starts a conversation about dead peasants who were not deleted from the audit. Nozdryov spends a long time trying to figure out why this is necessary. In response to Chichikov’s arguments about the prestige of having large quantity shower and the prospect of marrying a good girl, Nozdryov categorically replies: “It’s a lie!” Next, for the dead souls, Chichikov is offered to first buy mares at three times the price, then dogs and a barrel organ, and at the end - give away his own chaise. After Chichikov’s refusal, Nozdryov does not order his servant Porfiry to give his horses oats, but only hay. This offended Chichikov.
After a sleepless night, Chichikov wants to go, but Nozdryov offers to play checkers with him. Nozdryov is playing dishonestly, so Chichikov refuses. It almost comes to a fight, but Chichikov will be saved by a visit from the police captain regarding the trial with Nozdryov.
Chapter Five
Chichikov rides with all his strength and speed in his chaise from the village of Nozdryov, thinking to himself that if the police captain had not arrived in time, things would have been very difficult. Suddenly, on the road, due to an oversight by coachman Selifan, the chaise collides with a carriage, and the horses become entangled with the teams. It took a long time for the horses to be taken away by peasants from a neighboring village. While this was going on, Chichikov looked at the young girl sitting in the stroller, thinking to himself that with a dowry of “two thousand two hundred” she would be a very tasty morsel.Next, the wooden house attracted attention, which was characterized by a complete lack of architectural grace and style, but it was not lacking in strength and bulkiness: thick and heavy logs, one small window, three columns instead of four, “strong oak” even on the well.
Sobakevich went out into the hallway to greet the guest, only saying: “Please!” The “bearish” image of Sobakevich is described: a “bear-colored” tailcoat, feet “at odd angles,” rough facial features, as if chopped with an ax, are called “Mikhailo Semenovich.” Interior decoration the house was also bulky and “bear-like”, similar to the owner: heavy furniture, a “pot-bellied” walnut-colored bureau, even a thrush in the picture - and he looked like Sobakevich.
Chichikov starts from afar - starts a conversation about high officials of the city, but, to his surprise, receives a categorical answer from Sobakevich that all are robbers, fools, swindlers, “Christ-sellers,” and the prosecutor is a “pig.” Then lunch begins: Sobakevich boasts of perfectly prepared dishes - they are “not the same... that are made in master’s kitchens” and does not forget to eat half a side of lamb in one sitting. After lunch there was a rest in the armchairs. Chichikov cautiously inquires about the presence of dead souls in Sobakevich. He was not at all surprised and immediately lowered the price to 100 rubles per soul. Chichikov was taken aback by such impudence. Then they bargained for a long time: Sobakevich vividly described the merits of the dead people being sold to Chichikov and stubbornly insisted on the high cost. In the end, they agreed on 25 rubles.
After the deal, Chichikov went to Plyushkin, who, according to Sobakevich, “starved everyone ... to death” and, with eight hundred souls, “lives and dines ... worse than a shepherd” and whom the village men call “the patched one.”
Chapter Six
Having entered the village of Plyushkina, Chichikov immediately felt that instead of a road there was a log pavement with logs going up and down. The village buildings and the very situation in the village had “some kind of special dilapidation”: the roofs were “through like a sieve”, the logs were dark and old, the windows were without glass, rickety railings, stagnant fields of grain, a “spotted and cracked” church. The landowner's house is like a long "decrepit invalid" with boarded up windows and cracks in the walls showing through the peeling plaster, an "overgrown and dead" garden behind the house. In the yard, near the loaded cart that had arrived, stood either a man or a woman with a bunch of keys on her belt. After the question “Where is the master?” The “housekeeper” told me to wait in the rooms.Entering the house, Chichikov was struck by the disorder, many years of dust and dirt. Nearby lay those things that in normal circumstances should never be together: an old leather-bound book and a completely dry lemon, a cabinet with antique porcelain dishes and a stopped pendulum clock in a cobweb, a glass with liquid in which three dead flies were floating, a chandelier in in a canvas bag, similar to a cocoon. In the corner there is a pile of garbage, covered with a several centimeter layer of dust and grease.
The housekeeper returned, who upon closer examination turned out to be the housekeeper, and after the first two phrases of communication it turned out that this was the landowner Plyushkin. Dressed in a dirty, greasy something incomprehensible (dress, robe or robe), unshaven, he looked very much like a beggar. The owner had huge reserves of wood, dishes, barns full of cloth and various edibles, which simply stood idle and rotted. But Plyushkin did not allow anyone to use them, and every day he himself picked up all sorts of things from the street and put them in the above-described common pile in the room.
Then Plyushkin began to talk about how hard life is: the man is lazy, there is not enough land, they go on visits, but “there are shortcomings in the farm,” the horses must be fed with hay, the kitchen is bad, tea is expensive, etc. Then it turns out that over the past three years, 120 peasant peasants have died. Chichikov offered to buy dead souls from Plyushkin, to which Plyushkin was at first surprised, and then so happy that he almost went to hug. And when he learned that Chichikov was ready to pay the costs of the bill of sale, his mood rose even more. The pathetic quarter of paper with the names of dead peasants was covered with writing along, across and all around. The ink became moldy with flies on the bottom. The servants were always suspicious of Plyushkin, as if they wanted to rob him. The author selects key words that characterize the essence of Plyushkin - insignificance, pettiness, disgusting.
Plyushkin, without hesitation, without shame, offers Chichikov to buy, in addition to the dead, also runaway souls, for five hundred rubles for each. But the purchase ends at 24 rubles. 96 kopecks
Chichikov returns to the hotel, has dinner and falls asleep.
Chapter Seven
Chichikov wakes up and begins to read the lists of dead souls that he managed to buy from the landowners. There were unusual surnames (Neuvazhai-Koryto, Cork Stepan), nicknames, and brief characteristics. It turned out that Sobakevich still sold him a woman - Elizavet Vorobei. After viewing the lists, Chichikov goes out into the street, where he meets Manilov. They hug. Manilov hands Chichikov a neatly written list of dead souls with a border.Chichikov goes to the city chamber to complete the deed of sale. He walked for a long time from one table to another, from one official to another.
Then the chairman, Chichikov, Sobakevich and Manilov gather in the presence hall. Next, the fortresses are recorded, marked, and entered into a book in front of witnesses. Sobakevich boasts to the chairman of the chamber about what wonderful masters he sold to Chichikov (the carriage maker Mikheev alone is worth something).
Then we went to wash the bill of sale to the police chief, who had good snacks for this occasion. Everyone began to beg Pavel Ivanovich to stay in the city for at least two weeks, and also promised to marry him.
Chapter Eight
There was talk in the city about whether it was profitable for Chichikov to take the peasants out and how difficult it would be to resettle the peasants to the southern fertile lands. The population of the city came to the conclusion that Chichikov was a millionaire. They began to discuss Chichikov and the ladies of the city of N. Having received a love letter from some girl, he puts it in a box with a poster and an invitation card to a wedding seven years ago. Next, Chichikov receives an invitation to the governor's ball.All the high-ranking people of the city at the ball were very courteous, even affectionate towards Chichikov: he literally moved from one embrace to another. Chichikov tried, by the expression of his eyes and manner of behavior, to find the woman who had sent him the day before a love letter in verse, but he could not find it. He behaved very courteously with all the ladies, which aroused their absolute favor and desire to please him. Then the governor’s wife came up to him with her daughter, in whom Chichikov recognized the same girl that he had seen in the carriage when the horses collided on the road from the village of Nozdryov. Here Chichikov was confused, and then spent the entire ball following the governor’s daughter and her mother, trying to entertain them with small talk. By this he caused the indignation of the other ladies who were left without attention. Thus, the ladies of the city of N turned against him. And at the most inopportune moment, a drunken Nozdryov appears, yelling at the top of his lungs about the dead souls Chichikov bought.
Upset, Chichikov comes to his room in the hotel and begins to think that the ball is “rubbish” and it’s all “from monkeydom.” The situation was further aggravated by the arrival of the landowner Korobochka on unshod horses and in a carriage in the shape of a watermelon with torn off handles. After spending three sleepless nights, she came to the city to find out “how much ... dead souls are” and whether she had sold too cheap.
Chapter Nine
One lady (the author calls her simply a pleasant lady) came in the morning to another lady (the self-styled lady, “pleasant in all respects”). First, a discussion of fashion trends begins: scallops, hems, armholes, patterns, etc. They began to talk about what a bad and disgusting person Chichikov was, about the fact that dead souls are not without reason, and then they came to the conclusion that Chichikov had decided to kidnap and take away the governor’s daughter.News about Chichikov, dead souls and the governor's daughter excited the entire city of N. Officials began to question those from whom Chichikov bought dead souls. Korobochka said that he was a cheat, he gave only 15 rubles, and promised to buy bird feathers and lard, but did not buy them. Manilov and Sobakevich spoke well of him.
Chapter ten
All the city officials gather at the police chief’s and begin to think and speculate: who is Chichikov? The postmaster suggests that Chichikov is Captain Kopeikin.The Tale of Captain Kopeikin
In the war of 1812, Captain Kpeikin was wounded - his arm and leg were torn off. His father refused to help him, as a result of which the captain decided to go to St. Petersburg to ask for mercy and help from the sovereign. He arrived and somehow settled into a Revel tavern, where accommodation cost one ruble a day. Then they told him that he needed to go to the Palace Embankment, to the palace for a reception. Kopeikin got there and waited four hours for an appointment. Then a noble official came and questioned everyone, and it was Kopeikin’s turn. He described the situation about being injured and unable to work, to which the answer was received: “come see me one of these days.” The captain drank a glass of vodka to celebrate in the tavern, then went to the theater. Three or four days later he comes back to the minister to hear the decision. But the minister replied that it was necessary to wait for the sovereign’s arrival and this problem could not be solved without him. A few days later Kopeikin comes - the sovereign does not receive him, saying, come tomorrow. But the money is running out, you want to eat, but there is no way to earn money. At the reception every time they say: “Come tomorrow.” Here Kopeikin could not stand it and decided to stand until the end. Something like this dialogue takes place. The nobleman says: “Wait for a decision,” Kopeikin: “I don’t have a piece of bread.” - “Look for funds yourself.” - “I can’t, I don’t have an arm or a leg.” - “I cannot support you at my own expense, arm yourself with patience.” - “I can’t wait.” - “I have no time, I have more important things to do than yours.” - “I won’t leave without your resolution.” Then the courier took Kopeikin to some government place for temporary living. Further, no one knows where Captain Kopeikin went, but only two months after this incident, a gang of robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests, whose ataman was, as expected, the hero described above.
The police chief says that Chichikov cannot be Captain Kopeikin, because his arms and legs are intact. After other assumptions, we decided to ask Nozdryov about Chichikov. Nozdryov lied so much that it’s scary to imagine: Chichikov turned out to be a counterfeiter, a spy, and a kidnapper.
The prosecutor, overwhelmed by thoughts about such events in the city, conflicting opinions and rumors, suddenly dies.
Chichikov knew nothing about the rumors regarding his person, because... caught a cold and sat in the hotel. After recovery, Chichikov decided to pay a visit to the governor and was very surprised when he heard from the doorman that he was not ordered to receive him. Then neither the police chief, nor the postmaster, nor the lieutenant governor accepted him. Confused Chichikov returns to the hotel. And then suddenly Nozdryov appears to him. He says that everyone in the city is against Chichikov, that the prosecutor died because of him, that he started a risky business regarding the governor’s daughter, and that he would not have borrowed 3,000. Chichikov, his eyes bulging, did not believe what was said.
Chichikov ordered Selifan to immediately prepare to leave the city.
Chapter Eleven
Chichikov woke up late. It turned out that the chaise was not ready and the horses were not shod. The blacksmiths forged for five and a half hours, asking a price six times higher than usual for the urgency. Finally, the chaise was ready. Chichikov went with two servants. On the way, he saw a funeral procession - they were burying a prosecutor. But the people who came to the funeral cared only about what the new governor-general would be like. Chichikov left the city.The biography of Chichikov is told. Born into a noble family. From childhood, his father instilled in him life skills: to please bosses and teachers, to hang out with those who are richer, to save the most reliable thing in the world - a penny. It tells about the theft of Officials in the office where Chichikov worked, and about the widespread bureaucracy. Then Chichikov worked as a customs official. He simply had a nose for smugglers, whom he decided to finally eliminate. The bosses are for good job gave him rank and promotion. And then the theft began - several thousand were stolen through smuggling. Then Chichikov’s accomplice “split,” and both had to leave the service. Chichikov wondered why so many misfortunes in life fell on his head, because he took where “anyone would take.”
Then it becomes clear why Chichikov bought dead souls after all. Before the audit was submitted, the board of trustees gave two hundred rubles per head - you can raise excellent capital.
Next come Gogol’s lyrical digressions about Rus'. The author compares it to a “three bird” rushing into the bright distance. He applies enthusiastic epithets to her: “inspired by God,” “God’s miracle.” And the main question: “Where are you going?” There is no answer. The question is rhetorical.
In his poem “Dead Souls,” Nikolai Gogol made an attempt to show the life of the Russian state, to understand and realize what the character of the Russian people and the entire people is, and reflects on what the path of development of Russian society might be. According to the author himself, he created a poetic plot where the reader, together with the main character of the work, travel around Russia and get acquainted with different people, although for the most part they are landowners, they all have completely different characters and destinies. Therefore, the motif of the road, wanderings and travels is the main one in Gogol’s work.
That is why the author uses such a literary device as creating a generalized image that will be a typical phenomenon or character for that time. The prehistory of Gogol’s entire work is himself and his arrival in the city of N.
At this moment, the main character meets the city officials; they all manage to invite him to visit them. The exhibition of Gogol's poem gives a detailed description of the main character and a general portrait of all city officials of this district city, which is typical for many cities in Russia.
The author describes Chichikov’s arrival slowly, unhurriedly, as if in slow motion. Gogol gives a lot of details so that the reader can more deeply feel and understand everything that happens in the poem. The details include men who have nothing to do with the main character. But they, sitting on a log lying along the road, carefully, but lazily and slowly, watch how Chichikov’s carriage moves along the broken ruts, at that moment they are occupied with only one topic - will the wheel of the carriage in which the main character travels arrive? poems to Moscow or Kazan.
There are other similar authorial details in the poem: a young man walking along the pavement accidentally turned towards the carriage, which drove past him and looked carefully. Gogol remembers the innkeeper, whose helpfulness goes beyond all boundaries.
All these Gogol images emphasize that life in the city to which the main character arrived is boring and sleepy. Life in it proceeds slowly and unhurriedly. Porter's description of Chichikov is also interesting, about whom the author says that he is not at all handsome, but at the same time, his appearance cannot be called bad.
In terms of thickness, it is neither thick nor thin. He cannot be classified as a young person, but he cannot be called old either. That is, it turned out that he did not have an accurate description. But the hotel premises, the furnishings of the room where Chichikov stayed, are described specifically and in detail. The things that Chichikov has in his travel suitcase are described in detail, and detailed description lunch menu for a passing person.
But the reader’s special attention is drawn to the behavior of Chichikov, who talks with all the city officials. He meets everyone who is present at the reception with the city governor and asks in detail about all the landowners who are in the area. He is interested in the state of their farm. By the way, for all questions he asks almost the same questions: were there any illnesses, what was the condition. And he explains all his strange questions as idle curiosity. The reader also does not know for what purpose this official came to the city and why he needs such information.
Gogol's description of the city emphasizes its typicality and ordinariness. So, all the houses in the city have a beautiful, but identical mezzanine. The author ironically shows what signs the hero encounters in the city. All of them are not related to the trade and craft activities that they conduct. But Gogol emphasizes that in the city there is huge amount various drinking establishments.
The city garden looked poor and unkempt, but the newspapers described it as the main decoration of this provincial town. Agriculture was destroyed, the roads had long since fallen into disrepair, but at the same time the city governor was only being praised. And this description of Gogol’s city could be suitable for any Russian city of that time.
The author shows us the entire path of the main character. The very next day, he begins to visit the “glorious” people of this city as an official. He managed to visit almost everyone, so they soon started talking about him as a person who knows how to treat people subtly. Chichikov had mastered the main skill of flattering people, which is why those around him had the best opinion of him. It is easy for him to receive an invitation to come on a return visit. And in order to put an end to this good and flattering opinion of the city society, he diligently prepares for the governor’s ball.
But let's see how Gogol describes provincial society. There are no specific individuals in it; for the author, they are all divided into two types: thick and thin. This generalized division of society is necessary for the author to show the psychological portrait of the people who are in power. So, in Gogol’s description, subtle officials follow fashion, their appearance and are interested in ladies. They set themselves the main goal - money, success in society and entertainment. Therefore, such thin representatives of society are left without money, mortgaging their peasants and estates, spending them on entertainment.
The complete opposite of them are fat officials. They differ not only in appearance, but also in lifestyle. Their main hobby and entertainment is cards. And their life goal is completely different: they are only interested in material gain and career advancement. Gradually they have both a house and a village. And when such an official retires, he becomes a good landowner.
It is to this division that the rest of Gogol’s description of the landowners is subordinated. All these images are typical and characteristic of all of Russia. The wasteful landowners are Manilov and Nozdryov. Landowners-acquirers: Korobochka and Sobakevich. Therefore, such Gogolian digressions about the division of landowners and officials of the district town help to reveal the ideological meaning of the entire poem.
Chichikov easily communicates with officials of a provincial town: he plays card games with them, argues with everyone, but in such a way that those around him really like it. The main character skillfully carries on any conversations, and soon those around him notice that he is quite intelligent and knows a lot. But at the same time, Chichikov does not tell anyone anything about himself, trying to pass it off as modesty.
Thus, officials and landowners learn about him that he once served somewhere, but now that is behind him, since he was fired, as he himself put it, for telling the truth. And now he is looking for a place to quietly spend the rest of his life. Chichikov easily charms those around him and everyone has a good impression of him.
A detailed acquaintance of the main character with the district town occurs in the first chapter, which is important for the entire composition of Gogol’s poem and at the same time it is also an exposition. It describes the main character and talks about the city's bureaucracy.
Retelling plan
1. Chichikov arrives in the provincial town of NN.
2. Chichikov’s visits to city officials.
3. Visit to Manilov.
4. Chichikov ends up at Korobochka.
5. Meeting Nozdryov and a trip to his estate.
6. Chichikov at Sobakevich’s.
7. Visit to Plyushkin.
8. Registration of deeds of sale for “dead souls” purchased from landowners.
9. The attention of townspeople to Chichikov, the “millionaire.”
10. Nozdryov reveals Chichikov’s secret.
11. The Tale of Captain Kopeikin.
12. Rumors about who Chichikov is.
13. Chichikov hastily leaves the city.
14. A story about the origin of Chichikov.
15. The author’s reasoning about the essence of Chichikov.
Retelling
Volume I
Chapter 1
A beautiful spring britzka drove into the gates of the provincial town of NN. In it sat “a gentleman, not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” His arrival did not make any noise in the city. The hotel in which he stayed “was of a well-known type, that is, exactly the same as there are hotels in provincial cities, where for two rubles a day travelers get a quiet room with cockroaches...” The visitor, while waiting for lunch, managed to ask who was in significant officials in the city, about all the significant landowners, who has how many souls, etc.
After lunch, having rested in his room, he wrote on a piece of paper to report to the police: “Collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, landowner, according to his needs,” and he himself went to the city. “The city was in no way inferior to other provincial cities: the yellow paint on the stone houses was very striking and the gray paint on the wooden ones was modestly dark... There were signs almost washed away by the rain with pretzels and boots, where there was a store with caps and the inscription: “Foreigner Vasily Fedorov,” where a billiard was drawn... with the inscription: “And here is the establishment.” Most often the inscription came across: “Drinking house.”
The entire next day was devoted to visits to city officials: the governor, vice-governor, prosecutor, chairman of the chamber, police chief, and even the inspector of the medical board and the city architect. The governor, “like Chichikov, was neither fat nor thin, however, he was a great good-natured person and sometimes even embroidered on tulle himself.” Chichikov “very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” He spoke little about himself and in some general phrases. In the evening, the governor had a “party” for which Chichikov carefully prepared. There were men here, as everywhere else, of two kinds: some thin, hovering around the ladies, and others fat or the same as Chichikov, i.e. not too thick, but not thin either; on the contrary, they moved back from the ladies. “Fat people know how to manage their affairs in this world better than thin people. The thin ones serve more on special assignments or are just registered and wander here and there. Fat people never occupy indirect places, but all are straight, and if they sit somewhere, they will sit securely and firmly.” Chichikov thought and joined the fat ones. He met the landowners: the very polite Manilov and the somewhat clumsy Sobakevich. Having completely charmed them with their pleasant treatment, Chichikov immediately asked how many peasant souls they had and what condition their estates were in.
Manilov, “not yet an old man at all, who had eyes as sweet as sugar... was crazy about him,” invited him to his estate. Chichikov received an invitation from Sobakevich.
The next day, while visiting the postmaster, Chichikov met the landowner Nozdryov, “a man of about thirty, a broken fellow, who after three or four words began to say “you” to him. He communicated with everyone in a friendly manner, but when they sat down to play whist, the prosecutor and the postmaster looked carefully at his bribes.
Chichikov spent the next few days in the city. Everyone had a very flattering opinion of him. He gave the impression of a secular man who knows how to carry on a conversation on any topic and at the same time speak “neither loudly nor quietly, but absolutely as it should.”
Chapter 2
Chichikov went to the village to see Manilov. They looked for Manilov’s house for a long time: “The village of Manilovka could lure few people with its location. The manor house stood alone on the south... open to all the winds...” A gazebo with a flat green dome, wooden blue columns and the inscription: “Temple of Solitary Reflection” was visible. An overgrown pond was visible below. In the lowlands there were dark gray log huts, which Chichikov immediately began to count and counted more than two hundred. A pine forest darkened in the distance. The owner himself met Chichikov on the porch.
Manilov was very pleased with the guest. “God alone could have said what Manilov’s character was. There is a kind of people known by the name: so-so people, neither this nor that... He was a prominent man; His facial features were not devoid of pleasantness... He smiled alluringly, was blond, with blue eyes. In the first minute of a conversation with him, you can’t help but say: “What a pleasant and kind person!” The next minute you won’t say anything, and the third you’ll say: “The devil knows what it is!” - and you will move further away... At home he spoke little and mostly meditated and thought, but what he was thinking about was also unknown to God. It’s impossible to say that he was busy with the housework... it somehow went by itself... Sometimes... he talked about how nice it would be if suddenly an underground passage was built from the house or a stone bridge was built across the pond, on which there would be shops on both sides, and merchants would sit in them and sell various small goods... However, it ended with only words.”
In his office there was some kind of book, folded on one page, which he had been reading for two years. In the living room there was expensive, smart furniture: all the chairs were upholstered in red silk, but there weren’t enough for two, and for two years now the owner had been telling everyone that they were not finished yet.
Manilov’s wife... “however, they were completely happy with each other”: after eight years of marriage, for her husband’s birthday, she always prepared “some kind of beaded case for a toothpick.” The cooking in the house was poor, the pantry was empty, the housekeeper stole, the servants were unclean and drunkards. But “all these are low subjects, and Manilova was brought up well,” in the boarding school, where they teach three virtues: French, piano and knitting purses and other surprises.
Manilov and Chichikov showed unnatural courtesy: they tried to let each other through the door first. Finally, they both squeezed through the door at the same time. This was followed by an acquaintance with Manilov’s wife and an empty conversation about mutual acquaintances. The opinion about everyone is the same: “a pleasant, most respectable, most amiable person.” Then everyone sat down to dinner. Manilov introduced Chichikov to his sons: Themistoclus (seven years old) and Alcides (six years old). Themistoclus's nose is running, he bites his brother's ear, and he, overflowing with tears and smeared with fat, devolves lunch. After dinner, “the guest announced with a very significant air that he intended to talk about one very necessary matter.”
The conversation took place in an office, the walls of which were painted with some kind of blue paint, even more likely gray; There were several scribbled papers on the table, but most of all there was tobacco. Chichikov asked Manilov for a detailed register of peasants (revision tales), asked about how many peasants had died since the last census of the register. Manilov didn’t remember exactly and asked why Chichikov needed to know this? He replied that he wanted to buy dead souls, which would be listed in the audit as living. Manilov was so taken aback that “he opened his mouth and remained with his mouth open for several minutes.” Chichikov convinced Manilov that there would be no violation of the law, the treasury would even receive benefits in the form of legal duties. When Chichikov started talking about the price, Manilov decided to give away the dead souls for free and even took over the bill of sale, which caused immoderate delight and gratitude from the guest. Having seen Chichikov off, Manilov again indulged in daydreaming, and now he imagined that the sovereign himself, having learned about his strong friendship with Chichikov, had rewarded them with generals.
Chapter 3
Chichikov went to Sobakevich’s village. Suddenly it started to rain heavily and the driver lost his way. It turned out he was very drunk. Chichikov ended up on the estate of landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. Chichikov was led into a room hung with old striped wallpaper, on the walls there were paintings with some birds, between the windows there were old small mirrors with dark frames in the shape of curled leaves. The hostess entered; “one of those mothers, small landowners who cry about crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they gradually collect money in colorful bags placed in dresser drawers...”
Chichikov stayed overnight. In the morning, first of all, he examined the peasant huts: “Yes, her village is not small.” At breakfast the hostess finally introduced herself. Chichikov started a conversation about buying dead souls. The box could not understand why he needed this, and offered to buy hemp or honey. She, apparently, was afraid of selling herself cheap, began to fuss, and Chichikov, persuading her, lost patience: “Well, the woman seems to be strong-minded!” Korobochka still couldn’t make up her mind to sell the dead: “Or maybe they’ll be needed on the farm somehow...”
Only when Chichikov mentioned that he was conducting government contracts did he manage to convince Korobochka. She wrote a power of attorney to execute the deed. After much haggling, the deal was finally done. At parting, Korobochka generously treated the guest to pies, pancakes, flatbreads with various toppings and other foods. Chichikov asked Korobochka to tell her how to get onto the main road, which puzzled her: “How can I do this? It’s a tricky story to tell, there are a lot of twists and turns.” She gave a girl to accompany her, otherwise it would have been difficult for the crew to leave: “the roads spread out in all directions, like caught crayfish when they are poured out of a bag.” Chichikov finally reached the tavern, which stood on the highway.
Chapter 4
While having lunch at a tavern, Chichikov saw through the window a light chaise with two men driving up. Chichikov recognized Nozdryov in one of them. Nozdryov “was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns.” This landowner, Chichikov recalled, whom he met at the prosecutor’s, within a few minutes began to say “you” to him, although Chichikov did not give a reason. Without stopping for a minute, Nozdryov began to speak, without waiting for the interlocutor’s answers: “Where did you go? And I, brother, am from the fair. Congratulations: I was blown away!.. But what a party we had in the first days!.. Would you believe that I alone drank seventeen bottles of champagne during dinner!” Nozdryov, without stopping for a minute, spoke all sorts of nonsense. He pulled out from Chichikov that he was going to see Sobakevich, and persuaded him to stop by to see him first. Chichikov decided that he could “beg something for nothing” from the lost Nozdryov, and agreed.
Author's description of Nozdrev. Such people “are called broken fellows, they are reputed even in childhood and at school for being good comrades, and at the same time they can be beaten very painfully... They are always talkers, carousers, reckless drivers, prominent people...” Nozdryov had a habit of even with his closest friends “start with satin stitch, and end with reptile.” At thirty-five he was the same as he was at eighteen. His deceased wife left behind two children, whom he did not need at all. He didn’t spend more than two days at home, always wandering around fairs, playing cards “not entirely sinlessly and purely.” “Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person. Not a single meeting where he attended was complete without a story: either the gendarmes would take him out of the hall, or his friends would be forced to push him out... or he would cut himself at the buffet, or he would lie... The closer someone got to know him, the more he most likely to annoy everyone: he spread a tall tale, the stupidest of which is difficult to invent, upset a wedding, a deal, and did not at all consider himself your enemy.” He had a passion for “trading whatever you have for whatever you want.” All this came from some kind of restless nimbleness and liveliness of character.”
At his estate, the owner immediately ordered the guests to inspect everything he had, which took a little over two hours. Everything was in disrepair except the kennel. In the owner’s office there hung only sabers and two guns, as well as “real” Turkish daggers, on which “by mistake” was carved: “Master Savely Sibiryakov.” Over a poorly prepared dinner, Nozdryov tried to get Chichikov drunk, but he managed to pour out the contents of his glass. Nozdryov suggested playing cards, but the guest flatly refused and finally started talking about business. Nozdryov, sensing that the matter was unclean, pestered Chichikov with questions: why does he need dead souls? After much bickering, Nozdryov agreed, but on the condition that Chichikov would also buy a stallion, a mare, a dog, a barrel organ, etc.
Chichikov, having stayed overnight, regretted that he had stopped by Nozdryov and talked to him about the matter. In the morning it turned out that Nozdryov had not given up his intention to play for the soul, and they eventually settled on checkers. During the game, Chichikov noticed that his opponent was cheating and refused to continue the game. Nozdryov shouted to the servants: “Beat him!” and he himself, “all hot and sweaty,” began to break through to Chichikov. The guest's soul sank to his feet. At that moment, a cart with a police captain arrived at the house, who announced that Nozdryov was on trial for “inflicting a personal insult on the landowner Maximov with rods while drunk.” Chichikov, not listening to the bickering, quietly slipped out onto the porch, sat in the chaise and ordered Selifan to “drive the horses at full speed.”
Chapter 5
Chichikov could not get over his fear. Suddenly his chaise collided with a carriage in which two ladies were sitting: one old, the other young, of extraordinary charm. With difficulty they parted, but Chichikov thought for a long time about the unexpected meeting and about the beautiful stranger.
Sobakevich’s village seemed to Chichikov “quite large... The yard was surrounded by a strong and excessively thick wooden lattice. ...The village huts of the peasants were also cut down in a marvelous way... everything was fitted tightly and properly. ...In a word, everything... was stubborn, without shaking, in some kind of strong and clumsy order.” “When Chichikov looked sideways at Sobakevich, he seemed to him very similar to a medium-sized bear.” “The tailcoat he was wearing was completely bear-colored... He walked with his feet this way and that, constantly stepping on other people’s feet. The complexion had a red-hot, hot complexion, like what happens on a copper coin.” "Bear! The perfect bear! His name was even Mikhail Semenovich,” thought Chichikov.
Entering the living room, Chichikov noticed that everything in it was solid, awkward and had some strange resemblance to the owner himself. Every object, every chair seemed to say: “And I, too, Sobakevich!” The guest tried to start a pleasant conversation, but it turned out that Sobakevich considered all his mutual acquaintances - the governor, the postmaster, the chairman of the chamber - to be swindlers and fools. “Chichikov remembered that Sobakevich did not like to speak well of anyone.”
Over a hearty dinner, Sobakevich “threw half a side of lamb onto his plate, ate it all, gnawed it, sucked it to the last bone... The side of lamb was followed by cheesecakes, each of which was much larger than the plate, then a turkey the size of a calf...” Sobakevich started talking about his neighbor Plyushkin, an extremely stingy man who owned eight hundred peasants, who “starved all the people to death.” Chichikov became interested. After dinner, hearing that Chichikov wanted to buy dead souls, Sobakevich was not at all surprised: “It seemed that there was no soul in this body at all.” He started haggling and charged an exorbitant price. He spoke about dead souls as if they were alive: “I have everything for selection: not a craftsman, but some other healthy man”: carriage maker Mikheev, carpenter Stepan Probka, Milushkin, brickmaker... “That’s what kind of people they are!” Chichikov finally interrupted him: “But excuse me, why are you counting all their qualities? After all, these are all dead people.” In the end, they agreed on three rubles per head and decided to be in the city tomorrow and deal with the deed of sale. Sobakevich demanded a deposit, Chichikov, in turn, insisted that Sobakevich give him a receipt and asked not to tell anyone about the deal. “Fist, fist! - thought Chichikov, “and a beast to boot!”
So that Sobakevich would not see, Chichikov went to Plyushkin in a roundabout way. The peasant whom Chichikov asks for directions to the estate calls Plyushkin “patched.” The chapter ends with a lyrical digression about the Russian language. “The Russian people express themselves strongly!.. What is pronounced accurately, is the same as what is written, is not cut down with an ax... the lively and lively Russian mind... does not reach into its pocket for a word, but sticks it in immediately, like a passport to an eternal wear... no a word that would be so sweeping, lively, would burst out from under the very heart, would boil and vibrate so much, like an aptly spoken Russian word.”
Chapter 6
The chapter opens with a lyrical digression about travel: “Long ago, in the summer of my youth, it was fun for me to drive up to an unfamiliar place for the first time; a child’s curious gaze revealed a lot of curious things in it... Now I indifferently approach any unfamiliar village and indifferently look at its vulgar appearance... and indifferent silence are kept by my motionless lips. O my youth! Oh my freshness!
Laughing at Plyushkin’s nickname, Chichikov unnoticed found himself in the middle of a vast village. “He noticed some special disrepair in all the village buildings: many of the roofs showed through like a sieve... The windows in the huts were without glass...” Then the manor’s house appeared: “This strange castle looked like some kind of decrepit invalid... In some places it was on one floor, in places two... The walls of the house were cracked in places by bare plaster lattice and, apparently, they had suffered a lot from all sorts of bad weather... The garden overlooking the village... seemed to have one thing that refreshed this vast village, and one was quite picturesque..."
“Everything said that farming had once taken place here on a vast scale, and everything now looked gloomy... Near one of the buildings Chichikov noticed a figure... For a long time he could not recognize what gender the figure was: a woman or a man ... the dress is indefinite, there is a cap on the head, the robe is sewn from who knows what. Chichikov concluded that this was probably the housekeeper.” Entering the house, he “was struck by the chaos”: cobwebs all around, broken furniture, a bunch of papers, “a glass with some kind of liquid and three flies... a piece of rag,” dust, a pile of garbage in the middle of the room. The same housekeeper entered. Taking a closer look, Chichikov realized that it was most likely the housekeeper. Chichikov asked where the master was. “What, father, are they blind, or what? - said the key keeper. “But I’m the owner!”
The author describes Plyushkin's appearance and his story. “The chin protruded far forward, the small eyes had not yet gone out and ran from under the high eyebrows, like mice”; the sleeves and upper flaps of the robe were so “greasy and shiny that they looked like yuft, the kind that goes on boots,” and there was something like a stocking or a garter on his neck, but not a tie at all. “But it was not a beggar who stood in front of him, a landowner stood in front of him. This landowner had more than a thousand souls,” the storerooms were full of grain, a lot of linens, sheepskins, vegetables, dishes, etc. But even this seemed not enough for Plyushkin. “Everything he came across: an old sole, a woman’s rag, an iron nail, a clay shard, he dragged everything to him and put it in a heap.” “But there was a time when he was just a thrifty owner! He was married and a family man; mills were moving, cloth factories were working, carpentry machines, spinning mills... Intelligence was visible in the eyes... But the good housewife died, Plyushkin became more restless, suspicious and stingy.” He cursed his eldest daughter, who ran away and married an officer of a cavalry regiment. The youngest daughter died, and the son, sent to the city to serve, joined the military - and the house was completely empty.
His “savings” have reached the point of absurdity (he keeps the Easter cake bread that his daughter brought him as a gift for several months, he always knows how much liqueur is left in the decanter, he writes neatly on paper, so that the lines overlap each other). At first Chichikov did not know how to explain to him the reason for his visit. But, having started a conversation about Plyushkin’s household, Chichikov found out that about one hundred and twenty serfs had died. Chichikov showed “a readiness to accept the obligation to pay taxes for all dead peasants. The proposal seemed to completely amaze Plyushkin.” He couldn't even speak for joy. Chichikov invited him to complete the deed of sale and even agreed to bear all the costs. Plyushkin, from an excess of feelings, does not know what to treat his dear guest with: he orders to put on the samovar, take out a spoiled cracker from the Easter cake, wants to treat him to a liqueur from which he pulled out “boogers and all sorts of rubbish.” Chichikov refused such a treat with disgust.
“And a person could stoop to such insignificance, pettiness, and disgustingness! Could have changed so much!” - exclaims the author.
It turned out that Plyushkin had many runaway peasants. And Chichikov bought them too, while Plyushkin bargained for every penny. To the great joy of the owner, Chichikov soon left “in the most cheerful mood”: he acquired “more than two hundred people” from Plyushkin.
Chapter 7
The chapter opens with a sad, lyrical discussion about two types of writers.
In the morning, Chichikov was thinking about who the peasants he now owned were during their lifetime (now he has four hundred dead souls). In order not to pay clerks, he himself began to build fortresses. At two o'clock everything was ready, and he went to the civil chamber. On the street he ran into Manilov, who began to kiss and hug him. Together they went to the ward, where they turned to the official Ivan Antonovich with a face “called a jug’s snout,” to whom, in order to speed up the matter, Chichikov gave a bribe. Sobakevich was also sitting here. Chichikov agreed to complete the deal during the day. The documents were completed. After such a successful completion of affairs, the chairman suggested going to lunch with the police chief. During dinner, the tipsy and cheerful guests tried to persuade Chichikov not to leave and to get married here. Drunk, Chichikov chatted about his “Kherson estate” and already believed in everything he said.
Chapter 8
The whole city was discussing Chichikov's purchases. Some even offered their help in relocating the peasants, some even began to think that Chichikov was a millionaire, so they “loved him even more sincerely.” The residents of the city lived in harmony with each other, many were not without education: “some read Karamzin, some Moskovskie Vedomosti, some even read nothing at all.”
Chichikov made a special impression on the ladies. “The ladies of the city of N were what they call presentable.” How to behave, maintain tone, maintain etiquette, and especially follow fashion in the very last detail - in this they were ahead of the ladies of St. Petersburg and even Moscow. The ladies of the city of N were distinguished by “extraordinary caution and decency in words and expressions. They never said: “I blew my nose,” “I sweated,” “I spat,” but they said: “I relieved my nose,” “I managed with a handkerchief.” The word “millionaire” had a magical effect on the ladies, one of them even sent Chichikov a sweet love letter.
Chichikov was invited to a ball with the governor. Before the ball, Chichikov spent an hour looking at himself in the mirror, taking significant poses. At the ball, being the center of attention, he tried to guess the author of the letter. The governor's wife introduced Chichikov to her daughter, and he recognized the girl whom he had once met on the road: “she was the only one who turned white and came out transparent and bright from the muddy and opaque crowd.” The charming young girl made such an impression on Chichikov that he “felt like something like a young man, almost a hussar.” The other ladies felt offended by his discourtesy and lack of attention to them and began to “talk about him in different corners in the most unfavorable way.”
Nozdryov appeared and innocently told everyone that Chichikov had tried to buy dead souls from him. The ladies, as if not believing the news, picked it up. Chichikov “began to feel awkward, something was wrong” and, without waiting for the end of dinner, he left. Meanwhile, Korobochka arrived in the city at night and began to find out the prices of dead souls, fearing that she had sold too cheap.
Chapter 9
Early in the morning, ahead of the time appointed for visits, “a lady pleasant in all respects” went to visit “just a pleasant lady.” The guest told the news: at night Chichikov, disguised as a robber, came to Korobochka demanding that they sell him dead souls. The hostess remembered that she heard something from Nozdryov, but the guest has her own thoughts: dead souls are just a cover, in fact Chichikov wants to kidnap the governor’s daughter, and Nozdryov is his accomplice. Then they discussed the appearance of the governor's daughter and did not find anything attractive in her.
Then the prosecutor appeared, they told him about their findings, which completely confused him. The ladies went in different directions, and now the news spread throughout the city. The men turned their attention to the purchase of dead souls, and the women began discussing the “kidnapping” of the governor’s daughter. Rumors were retold in houses where Chichikov had never even been. He was suspected of a rebellion among the peasants of the village of Borovka and that he had been sent for some kind of inspection. To top it off, the governor received two notices about a counterfeiter and about an escaped robber with an order to detain both... They began to suspect that one of them was Chichikov. Then they remembered that they knew almost nothing about him... They tried to find out, but did not achieve clarity. We decided to meet with the police chief.
Chapter 10
All officials were concerned about the situation with Chichikov. Gathering at the police chief's, many noticed that they were emaciated from the latest news.
The author makes a lyrical digression about the “peculiarities of holding meetings or charitable gatherings”: “... In all our meetings... there is a fair amount of confusion... The only meetings that succeed are those that are organized in order to have a party or dine.” But here it turned out completely differently. Some were inclined to think that Chichikov was a maker of banknotes, and then they themselves added: “Or maybe not a maker.” Others believed that he was an official of the Governor General's office and immediately: “But, the devil knows.” And the postmaster said that Chichikov was Captain Kopeikin, and told the following story.
THE TALE ABOUT CAPTAIN KOPEYKIN
During the War of 1812, the captain's arm and leg were torn off. There were no orders about the wounded yet, and he went home to his father. He refused him the house, saying that there was nothing to feed him, and Kopeikin went to seek the truth to the sovereign in St. Petersburg. I asked where to go. The sovereign was not in the capital, and Kopeikin went to the “high commission, to the general-in-chief.” He waited in the reception area for a long time, then they told him to come in three or four days. The next time the nobleman said that we had to wait for the king, without his special permission, he could not do anything.
Kopeikin was running out of money, he decided to go and explain that he couldn’t wait any longer, he simply had nothing to eat. He was not allowed to see the nobleman, but he managed to slip into the reception room with some visitor. He explained that he was dying of hunger and could not earn money. The general rudely escorted him out and sent him to his place of residence at government expense. “Where Kopeikin went is unknown; but not even two months had passed before a gang of robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests, and the ataman of this gang was none other...”
It occurred to the police chief that Kopeikin was missing an arm and a leg, but Chichikov had everything in place. They began to make other assumptions, even this: “Isn’t Chichikov Napoleon in disguise?” We decided to ask Nozdryov again, although he is a well-known liar. He was just busy making counterfeit cards, but he came. He said that he had sold Chichikov several thousand worth of dead souls, that he knew him from the school where they studied together, and Chichikov had been a spy and counterfeiter since that time, that Chichikov was really going to take away the governor’s daughter and Nozdryov was helping him. As a result, officials never found out who Chichikov was. Frightened by insoluble problems, the prosecutor died, he was struck down.
“Chichikov knew absolutely nothing about all this; he caught a cold and decided to stay at home.” He could not understand why no one was visiting him. Three days later he went out into the street and first of all went to the governor, but he was not received there, just like in many other houses. Nozdryov came and among other things told Chichikov: “... in the city everything is against you; they think that you are making false papers... they dressed you up as robbers and spies.” Chichikov couldn’t believe his ears: “...there’s no point in dawdling anymore, we need to get out of here as quickly as possible.”
He sent Nozdryov out and ordered Selifan to prepare for: departure.
Chapter 11
The next morning everything went upside down. At first Chichikov overslept, then it turned out that the chaise was not in order and the horses needed to be shod. But everything was settled, and Chichikov got into the chaise with a sigh of relief. On the way, he met a funeral procession (the prosecutor was being buried). Chichikov hid behind the curtain, afraid that he would be recognized. Finally Chichikov left the city.
The author tells the story of Chichikov: “The origins of our hero are dark and modest... At the beginning, life looked at him somehow sourly and unpleasantly: neither a friend nor a comrade in childhood!” His father, a poor nobleman, was constantly ill. One day, Pavlusha’s father took Pavlusha to the city to enroll in the city school: “The city streets flashed with unexpected splendor before the boy.” When parting, my father “gave a smart instruction: “Study, don’t be stupid and don’t hang around, but most of all please your teachers and bosses. Don’t hang out with your comrades, or hang out with the rich, so that on occasion they can be useful to you... most of all, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything else in the world... You will do everything and lose everything in the world with a penny.”
“He didn’t have any special abilities for any science,” but he did have a practical mind. He made his comrades treat him, but he never treated them. And sometimes he even hid the treats and then sold them to them. “I didn’t spend a penny of the half ruble given by my father; on the contrary, I added to it: I made a bullfinch out of wax and sold it very profitably”; I accidentally teased my hungry comrades with gingerbread and buns, and then sold them to them, trained the mouse for two months and then sold it very profitably. “In relation to his superiors, he behaved even smarter”: he curried favor with the teachers, pleased them, so he was in excellent standing and as a result “received a certificate and a book with golden letters for exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.”
His father left him a small inheritance. “At the same time, the poor teacher was expelled from the school,” out of grief he began to drink, drank it all and disappeared sick in some closet. All his former students collected money for him, but Chichikov made the excuse of not having enough and gave him a nickel of silver. “Everything that smacked of wealth and contentment made an impression on him that was incomprehensible to himself. He decided to get busy with his work, to conquer and overcome everything... From early morning until late evening he wrote, bogged down in office papers, did not go home, slept in the office rooms on tables... He fell under the command of an elderly police officer, who was the image of what “something of stony insensibility and unshakeability.” Chichikov began to please him in everything, “sniffed out his home life,” found out that he had an ugly daughter, began to come to church and stand opposite this girl. “And the matter was a success: the stern police officer staggered and invited him to tea!” He behaved like a groom, already called the police officer “daddy” and, through his future father-in-law, achieved the position of police officer. After this, “the matter of the wedding was hushed up.”
“Since then everything has been easier and more successful. He became a noticeable person... in a short time he got a place to earn money” and learned to deftly take bribes. Then he joined some kind of construction commission, but construction does not go “above the foundation,” but Chichikov managed to steal, like other members of the commission, significant funds. But suddenly a new boss was sent, an enemy of the bribe-takers, and the commission officials were removed from office. Chichikov moved to another city and started from scratch. “He decided to get to customs at any cost, and he got there. He took up his service with extraordinary zeal.” He became famous for his incorruptibility and honesty (“his honesty and incorruptibility were irresistible, almost unnatural”), and achieved a promotion. Having waited for the right moment, Chichikov received funds to carry out his project to capture all the smugglers. “Here in one year he could receive what he would not have won in twenty years of the most zealous service.” Having conspired with an official, he began smuggling. Everything was going smoothly, the accomplices were getting rich, but suddenly they quarreled and both ended up on trial. The property was confiscated, but Chichikov managed to save ten thousand, a chaise and two serfs. And so again he started over. As an attorney, he had to mortgage one estate, and then it dawned on him that he could put dead souls in a bank, take out a loan against them and hide. And he went to buy them in the city of N.
“So, here is our hero in full view... Who is he in terms of moral qualities? Scoundrel? Why a scoundrel? Now we don’t have scoundrels, we have well-intentioned, pleasant people... It’s most fair to call him: owner, acquirer... And which of you, not publicly, but in silence, alone, will deepen this difficult question into your own soul: “But no?” Is there some part of Chichikov in me too?” Yes, no matter how it is!”
Meanwhile, Chichikov woke up, and the chaise rushed faster, “And what Russian person doesn’t like driving fast?.. Isn’t it the same for you, Rus', that a brisk, unovertaken troika is rushing along? Rus', where are you going? Give me the answer. Doesn't give an answer. 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.”
“A rather beautiful spring chaise drove through the gates of the hotel in the provincial town of NN... In the chaise sat a gentleman, not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; One cannot say that he is old, but not that he is too young. His entry made absolutely no noise in the city and was not accompanied by anything special.” This is how our hero, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, appears in the city. Let us, following the author, get to know the city. Everything tells us that this is a typical provincial city of tsarist Russia during the time of Nicholas II, a city whose “twins” we met in many of Gogol’s works. And the hotel here is “like hotels in provincial towns”: long, with a yellow-painted top floor, with cockroaches waiting for guests in their rooms. Having examined his room, Chichikov goes to the common room of the hotel, where, not embarrassed by the dirty walls, tasteless paintings on the walls, he sits down at a table with worn oilcloth and orders lunch, consisting of dishes usual for the tavern: cabbage soup, “deliberately saved for those passing through for several weeks”, brains with peas, sausages and cabbage and an “eternal” sweet pie. Already at dinner, Chichikov begins to satisfy his immediate interests. He does not have an idle conversation with the tavern servant, but asks him who the governor and the prosecutor are in the city, what other significant officials and landowners there are and how the latter are doing, how many peasants they have. Having walked around the city, Chichikov was quite pleased with it, considering it no inferior to other provincial cities with necessarily bad pavement, shops with faded signs, “drinking houses” and a garden with stunted trees. Apparently, our hero had already stayed in such cities more than once and therefore felt completely at ease there.
Chichikov devoted the next day to visits, visited all the more or less noticeable officials and, most importantly, found everyone common language. A feature of Chichikov’s nature was the ability to flatter everyone, to say what was necessary and pleasant to everyone, to “accidentally” make a mistake and use an address intended for a higher rank in a conversation with an official. His efforts were crowned with success: he was invited to the governor himself for a “ house party", and to others - for lunch, a cup of tea, a game of cards... Chichikov spoke about himself in general phrases, bookish phrases, creating an aura of some mystery, but undoubtedly producing good pleasant impression.
At the governor's ball, Chichikov examines all the guests for some time, noting with pleasure the presence of beautiful and well-dressed ladies, men, handsome and sophisticated, like the St. Petersburg gentlemen. We encounter discussions about the difference life success“thin” and “fat” men and the author’s condescending indication that these arguments belong to Chichikov. Our hero, who does not for a minute abandon the thought of the commercial business awaiting him, does not follow the example of the “thin” ladies, but goes to play whist with the “fat” ones. Here he pays his attention directly to Manilov and Sobakevich, captivating them with “curiosity and thoroughness,” which are manifested in the fact that Chichikov first learns about the state of their estates, about the number of souls, and then inquires about the names of his landowners. Chichikov does not spend a single evening at home, he has dinner with the vice-governor, lunches with the prosecutor, everywhere he shows himself to be an expert on social life, an excellent conversationalist, a practical adviser, he talks about virtue and about making hot wine with the same skill. He spoke and behaved exactly as he should, and all the “significant” residents of the city were considered a “respectable and courteous”, “most courteous”, “pleasant” person. Well, such was Pavel Ivanovich’s talent. And it is quite possible that the reader, who picked up the book for the first time, would fall under the charm of Mr. Chichikov in the same way as the officials of the city of NN, especially since the author reserves for us the full right to independently form our own assessment.
- What is an image literary hero? Chichikov is a great hero, classic work, created by a genius, a hero who embodied the result of the author’s observations and reflections on life, people, and their actions. An image that has absorbed typical features, and therefore has long gone beyond the scope of the work itself. His name became a household name for people - nosy careerists, sycophants, money-grubbers, outwardly “pleasant,” “decent and worthy.” Moreover, some readers' assessment of Chichikov is not so clear. Comprehension […]
- The work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol fell on the dark era of Nicholas I. It was the 30s. XIX century, when reaction reigned in Russia after the suppression of the Decembrist uprising, all dissidents were persecuted, the best people were persecuted. Describing the reality of his time, N.V. Gogol creates the poem “Dead Souls”, which is brilliant in its depth of reflection of life. The basis of “Dead Souls” is that the book is a reflection not of individual features of reality and characters, but of the reality of Russia as a whole. Myself […]
- French traveler, author famous book"Russia in 1839" The Marquis de Kestin wrote: “Russia is ruled by a class of officials who occupy administrative positions straight from school... each of these gentlemen becomes a nobleman, having received a cross in his buttonhole... Upstarts are among those in power, and they use their power as befits upstarts.” The Tsar himself admitted with bewilderment that it was not he, the All-Russian autocrat, who ruled his empire, but the head appointed by him. Provincial town [...]
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- N.V. Gogol conceived the first part of the poem “Dead Souls” as a work that reveals the social vices of society. In this regard, he was looking for a plot that was not simple fact of life, but one that would make it possible to expose the hidden phenomena of reality. In this sense, the plot proposed by A. S. Pushkin suited Gogol perfectly. The idea of “travelling all over Rus' with the hero” gave the author the opportunity to show the life of the entire country. And since Gogol described it in such a way “so that all the little things that elude […]
- In the fall of 1835, Gogol began working on “Dead Souls,” the plot of which, like the plot of “The Inspector General,” was suggested to him by Pushkin. “In this novel I want to show, although from one side, all of Rus',” he writes to Pushkin. Explaining the concept of “Dead Souls,” Gogol wrote that the images of the poem are “in no way portraits of insignificant people; on the contrary, they contain the features of those who consider themselves better than others.” Explaining the choice of the hero, the author says: “Because it’s time, finally, give rest to the poor virtuous man, because [...]
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- Chichikov met Nozdrev earlier, at one of the receptions in the city of NN, but the meeting in the tavern is the first serious acquaintance of both Chichikov and the reader with him. We understand what type of people Nozdryov belongs to, first by seeing his behavior in the tavern, his story about the fair, and then by reading the author’s direct description of this “broken fellow,” “ historical person”, who has a “passion to spoil his neighbor, sometimes for no reason at all.” We know Chichikov as a completely different person – [...]
- Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" is one of the greatest and at the same time mysterious works of the XIX V. The genre definition of “poem,” which then unambiguously meant a lyric-epic work written in poetic form and predominantly romantic, was perceived differently by Gogol’s contemporaries. Some found it mocking, while others saw hidden irony in this definition. Shevyrev wrote that “the meaning of the word “poem” seems to us twofold... because of the word “poem” a deep, significant […]
- In Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" the way of life and morals of the feudal landowners is very correctly noted and described. Drawing images of landowners: Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Sobakevich and Plyushkin, the author recreated a generalized picture of the life of serf Russia, where arbitrariness reigned, the economy was in decline, and the individual underwent moral degradation. After writing and publishing the poem, Gogol said: ““Dead Souls” made a lot of noise, a lot of murmur, touched many people with mockery, truth, and caricature, touched […]
- Plyushkin is the image of a moldy cracker left over from Easter cake. Only he has a life story; Gogol portrays all other landowners statically. These heroes seem to have no past that would be in any way different from their present and explain something about it. Plyushkin's character is much more complex than the characters of other landowners presented in Dead Souls. Traits of manic stinginess are combined in Plyushkin with morbid suspicion and distrust of people. Preserving an old sole, a clay shard, [...]
- The poem “Dead Souls” reflects the social phenomena and conflicts that characterized Russian life in the 30s and early 40s. XIX century It very accurately notes and describes the way of life and customs of that time. Drawing images of landowners: Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Sobakevich and Plyushkin, the author recreated a generalized picture of the life of serf Russia, where arbitrariness reigned, the economy was in decline, and the individual suffered moral degradation, regardless of whether she was a slave owner or [... ]
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- At the literature lesson we got acquainted with the work of N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls". This poem gained great popularity. The work has been filmed several times both in the Soviet Union and in modern Russia. Also, the names of the main characters have become symbolic: Plyushkin is a symbol of stinginess and storage of unnecessary things, Sobakevich is an uncouth person, Manilovism is immersion in dreams that have no connection with reality. Some phrases have become catchphrases. The main character of the poem is Chichikov. […]
- Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is one of the most brilliant authors of our vast Motherland. In his works, he always spoke about painful issues, about how His Rus' lived in His time. And he does it so well! This man really loved Russia, seeing what our country really is - unhappy, deceptive, lost, but at the same time - dear. Nikolai Vasilyevich in the poem “Dead Souls” gives a social profile of the Rus' of that time. Describes landownership in all colors, reveals all the nuances and characters. Among […]
- Landowner Portrait Characteristics Estate Attitude to housekeeping Lifestyle Result Manilov Handsome blond with blue eyes. At the same time, his appearance “seemed to have too much sugar in it.” Too ingratiating look and behavior Too enthusiastic and refined dreamer who does not feel any curiosity about his farm or anything earthly (he doesn’t even know whether his peasants died after the last revision). At the same time, his dreaminess is absolutely [...]
- Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol noted that the main theme of “Dead Souls” was contemporary Russia. The author believed that “there is no other way to direct society or even an entire generation towards the beautiful until you show the full depth of its real abomination.” That is why the poem presents a satire on the local nobility, bureaucracy and other social groups. The composition of the work is subordinated to this task of the author. The image of Chichikov traveling around the country in search of the necessary connections and wealth allows N.V. Gogol […]
- Gogol was always attracted by everything eternal and unshakable. By analogy with " Divine Comedy"For Dante, he decides to create a work in three volumes, where the past, present and future of Russia could be shown. Even the author designates the genre of the work in an unusual way - a poem, since they are collected in one artistic whole different fragments life. The composition of the poem, which is built on the principle of concentric circles, allows Gogol to trace Chichikov’s movement through the provincial town of N, the estates of landowners and all of Russia. Already from [...]
- Chichikov, having met landowners in the city, received an invitation from each of them to visit the estate. The gallery of owners of “dead souls” is opened by Manilov. The author gives a description of this character at the very beginning of the chapter. His appearance initially made a very pleasant impression, then - bewilderment, and in the third minute “... you say: “The devil knows what this is!” and move away..." The sweetness and sentimentality highlighted in the portrait of Manilov constitute the essence of his idle lifestyle. He is constantly talking about something [...]
The poem "Gogol's Dead Souls" summary in 10 minutes.
Meeting Chichikov
A middle-aged gentleman of rather pleasant appearance arrived at a hotel in a provincial town in a small chaise. He rented a room in the hotel, looked around it and went to the common room for dinner, leaving the servants to settle in their new place. This was the collegiate adviser, landowner Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov.
After lunch, he went to explore the city and found that it was no different from other provincial cities. The visitor devoted the entire next day to visits. He visited the governor, the police chief, the vice-governor and other officials, each of whom he managed to win over by saying something pleasant about his department. He had already received an invitation to the governor for the evening.
Arriving at the governor's house, Chichikov, among other things, met Manilov, a very courteous and polite man, and the somewhat clumsy Sobakevich, and behaved so pleasantly with them that he completely charmed them, and both landowners invited their new friend to visit them. The next day, at dinner with the police chief, Pavel Ivanovich made the acquaintance of Nozdryov, a broken-hearted fellow of about thirty, with whom they immediately became friendly.
The newcomer lived in the city for more than a week, traveling around to parties and dinners; he showed himself to be a very pleasant conversationalist, able to talk on any topic. He knew how to behave well and had sedateness. In general, everyone in the city came to the opinion that he was an exceptionally decent and well-intentioned
Human.
Chichikov at Manilov's
Finally, Chichikov decided to visit his landowner acquaintances and went out of town. First he went to Manilov. With some difficulty he found the village of Manilovka, which turned out to be not fifteen, but thirty miles from the city. Manilov greeted his new acquaintance very cordially, they kissed and entered the house, passing each other at the door for a long time. Manilov was, in general, a pleasant person, somehow cloyingly sweet, had no special hobbies other than fruitless dreams, and did not do housework.
His wife was brought up in a boarding school, where she was taught the three main subjects necessary for family happiness: French, piano and knitting purses. She was pretty and dressed well. Her husband introduced Pavel Ivanovich to her. They talked a little, and the owners invited the guest to dinner. Already waiting in the dining room were the Manilovs’ sons, Themistoclus, seven years old, and six-year-old Alcides, for whom the teacher had tied napkins. The guest was shown the children's learning; the teacher only reprimanded the boys once, when the older one bit the younger one on the ear.
After dinner, Chichikov announced that he intended to talk with the owner about a very important matter, and both went to the office. The guest started a conversation about peasants and invited the owner to buy dead souls from him, that is, those peasants who had already died, but according to the audit were still listed as alive. Manilov could not understand anything for a long time, then he doubted the legality of such a bill of sale, but still agreed because
respect for the guest. When Pavel Ivanovich started talking about the price, the owner was offended and even took it upon himself to draw up the bill of sale.
Chichikov did not know how to thank Manilov. They said a hearty goodbye, and Pavel Ivanovich drove off, promising to come again and bring gifts for the children.
Chichikov at Korobochka
Chichikov was going to pay his next visit to Sobakevich, but it started to rain, and the crew drove into some field. Selifan unwrapped the wagon so clumsily that the master fell out of it and became covered in mud. Luckily, dogs were heard barking. They went to the village and asked to spend the night in some house. It turned out that this was the estate of a certain landowner Korobochka.
In the morning, Pavel Ivanovich met the owner, Nastasya Petrovna, a middle-aged woman, one of those who always complains about the lack of money, but little by little saves and collects a decent fortune. The village was quite large, the houses were strong, the peasants lived well. The hostess invited the unexpected guest to drink tea, the conversation turned to housekeeping, and Chichikov offered to buy dead souls from her.
Korobochka was extremely frightened by this proposal, not really understanding what they wanted from her. After much explanation and persuasion, she finally agreed and wrote Chichikov a power of attorney, trying to sell him hemp as well.
After eating pie and pancakes baked especially for him, the guest drove on, accompanied by a girl who was supposed to lead the carriage onto the high road. Seeing a tavern already standing on the main road, they dropped off the girl, who, having received a copper penny as a reward, wandered home, and went there.
Chichikov at Nozdryov's
At the tavern, Chichikov ordered a pig with horseradish and sour cream and, eating it, asked the hostess about the surrounding landowners. At this time, two gentlemen drove up to the tavern, one of whom was Nozdryov, and the second was his son-in-law Mizhuev. Nozdryov, a well-built fellow, what is called blood and milk, with thick black hair and sideburns, rosy cheeks and very white teeth,
recognized Chichikov and began to tell him how they walked at the fair, how much champagne they drank and how he lost at cards.
Mizhuev, a tall, fair-haired man with a tanned face and a red mustache, constantly accused his friend of exaggeration. Nozdryov persuaded Chichikov to go to him, Mizhuev, reluctantly, also went with them.
It must be said that Nozdryov’s wife died, leaving him with two children, about whom he had nothing to do, and he moved from one fair to another, from one party to another. Everywhere he played cards and roulette and usually lost, although he was not shy about cheating, for which he was sometimes beaten by his partners. He was cheerful, considered a good friend, but he always managed to spoil his friends: upset a wedding, ruin a deal.
At the estate, having ordered lunch from the cook, Nozdryov took the guest to inspect the farm, which was nothing special, and drove for two hours, telling tales incredible in lies, so that Chichikov was very tired. Lunch was served, some of which was burnt, some was undercooked, and numerous wines of dubious quality.
The owner poured food for the guests, but hardly drank himself. The heavily intoxicated Mizhuev was sent home to his wife after dinner, and Chichikov started a conversation with Nozdryov about dead souls. The landowner flatly refused to sell them, but offered to play cards with them, and when the guest refused, exchange them for Chichikov’s horses or chaise. Pavel Ivanovich also rejected this proposal and went to bed. The next day, the restless Nozdryov persuaded him to fight for souls in checkers. During the game, Chichikov noticed that the owner was playing dishonestly and told him about it.
The landowner was offended, began to scold the guest and ordered the servants to beat him. Chichikov was saved by the appearance of the police captain, who announced that Nozdryov was on trial and accused of inflicting a personal insult on the landowner Maximov with rods while drunk. Pavel Ivanovich did not wait for the outcome, jumped out of the house and drove away.
Chichikov at Sobakevich's
On the way to Sobakevich, an unpleasant incident happened. Selifan, lost in thought, did not give way to a carriage drawn by six horses that was overtaking them, and the harness of both carriages became so mixed up that it took a long time to re-harness. In the carriage sat an old woman and a sixteen-year-old girl whom Pavel Ivanovich really liked...
Soon we arrived at Sobakevich's estate. Everything there was strong, solid, solid. The owner, fat, with a face as if carved with an axe, very much like a learned bear, met the guest and led him into the house. The furniture matched the owner - heavy, durable. On the walls hung paintings depicting ancient commanders.
The conversation turned to city officials, each of whom the owner gave negative characterization. The hostess entered, Sobakevich introduced the guest to her and invited him to dinner. Lunch was not very varied, but tasty and filling. During dinner, the owner mentioned the landowner Plyushkin, who lived five miles away from him, whose people were dying like flies, and Chichikov took note of this.
Having had a very hearty lunch, the men retired to the living room, and Pavel Ivanovich got down to business. Sobakevich listened to him without saying a word. Without asking any questions, he agreed to sell the dead souls to the guest, but charged a high price for them, as for living people.
They bargained for a long time and agreed on two and a half rubles per head, and Sobakevich demanded a deposit. He compiled a list of peasants, gave each one a description of his business qualities and wrote a receipt for the deposit, amazing Chichikov with how intelligently everything was written. They parted satisfied with each other, and Chichikov went to Plyushkin.
Chichikov at Plyushkin's
He entered a large village, striking in its poverty: the huts were almost without roofs, their windows were covered with bull's bladders or covered with rags. The master's house is large, with many outbuildings for household needs, but they are all almost collapsed, only two windows are open, the rest are boarded up or closed with shutters. The house gave the impression of being uninhabited.
Chichikov noticed a figure dressed so strangely that it was impossible to immediately recognize whether it was a woman or a man. Paying attention to the bunch of keys on his belt, Pavel Ivanovich decided that it was the housekeeper, and turned to her, calling her “mother” and asking where the master was. The housekeeper told him to go into the house and disappeared. He entered and was amazed at the chaos that reigned there. Everything is covered in dust, there are dried bits of wood on the table, and a bunch of strange things are piled in the corner. The housekeeper entered, and Chichikov again asked for the master. She said that the master was in front of him.
It must be said that Plyushkin was not always like this. Once he had a family and was simply a thrifty, albeit somewhat stingy owner. His wife was distinguished by her hospitality, and there were often guests in the house. Then the wife died eldest daughter she ran away with an officer, and her father cursed her because he could not stand the military. The son went to the city to enter civil service. but he signed up for the regiment. Plyushkin cursed him too. When the youngest daughter died, the landowner was left alone in the house.
His stinginess assumed terrifying proportions; he carried into the house all the rubbish found around the village, even an old sole. The quitrent was collected from the peasants in the same amount, but since Plyushkin asked an exorbitant price for the goods, no one bought anything from him, and everything rotted in the master’s yard. His daughter came to him twice, first with one child, then with two, bringing him gifts and asking for help, but the father did not give him a penny. His son lost the game and also asked for money, but also received nothing. Plyushkin himself looked like if Chichikov had met him near the church, he would have given him a penny.
While Pavel Ivanovich was thinking about how to start talking about dead souls, the owner began to complain about the hard life: the peasants were dying, and taxes had to be paid for them. The guest offered to bear these expenses. Plyushkin happily agreed, ordered the samovar to be put on and the remains of the Easter cake brought from the pantry, which his daughter had once brought and from which the mold had to be scraped off first.
Then he suddenly doubted the honesty of Chichikov’s intentions, and he offered to draw up a deed of sale for the dead peasants. Plyushkin decided to sell Chichikov some runaway peasants as well, and after bargaining, Pavel Ivanovich took them for thirty kopecks. After this, he (to the great satisfaction of the owner) refused lunch and tea and left in excellent spirits.
Chichikov is running a scam with “dead souls”
On the way to the hotel, Chichikov even sang. The next day he woke up in in a great mood and immediately sat down at the table to write bills of sale. At twelve o'clock I got dressed and, with papers under my arm, went to the civil ward. Coming out of the hotel, Pavel Ivanovich ran into Manilov, who was walking towards him.
They kissed so hard that both of them had toothaches all day long, and Manilov volunteered to accompany Chichikov. In the civil chamber, it was not without difficulty that they found the official in charge of deeds of sale, who, having received the bribe, sent Pavel Ivanovich to the chairman, Ivan Grigorievich. Sobakevich was already sitting in the chairman’s office. Ivan Grigorievich gave instructions to the same
official to fill out all the papers and collect witnesses.
When everything was properly completed, the chairman proposed to inject the purchase. Chichikov wanted to supply them with champagne, but Ivan Grigorievich said that they would go to the police chief, who would only blink an eye at the merchants in the fish and meat aisles, and a wonderful dinner would be prepared.
And so it happened. The merchants considered the police chief to be their man, who, although he robbed them, did not behave and even willingly baptized merchant children. The dinner was magnificent, the guests drank and ate well, and Sobakevich alone ate a huge sturgeon and then did not eat anything, but just sat silently in a chair. Everyone was happy and did not want to let Chichikov leave the city, but decided to marry him, to which he gladly agreed.
Feeling that he had already begun to say too much, Pavel Ivanovich asked for a carriage and arrived at the hotel completely drunk in the prosecutor's droshky. Petrushka with difficulty undressed the master, cleaned his suit, and, making sure that the owner was fast asleep, went with Selifan to the nearest tavern, from where they came out in an embrace and fell asleep crosswise on the same bed.
Chichikov's purchases caused a lot of talk in the city, everyone was involved in his affairs live participation, discussed how difficult it would be for him to resettle so many serfs in the Kherson province. Of course, Chichikov did not spread that he had acquired dead peasants, everyone believed that they had been bought alive, and a rumor spread throughout the city that Pavel Ivanovich was a millionaire. He was immediately interested in the ladies, who were very presentable in this city, traveled only in carriages, dressed fashionably and spoke elegantly. Chichikov could not help but notice such attention to himself. One day they brought him an anonymous love letter with poetry, at the end of which it was written that his own heart would help him guess the writer.
Chichikov at the governor's ball
After some time, Pavel Ivanovich was invited to a ball with the governor. His appearance at the ball caused great enthusiasm among all those present. The men greeted him with loud cheers and strong hugs, and the ladies surrounded him, forming a multi-colored garland. He tried to guess which of them wrote the letter, but he couldn’t.
Chichikov was rescued from their entourage by the governor's wife, holding on the arm a pretty sixteen-year-old girl, in whom Pavel Ivanovich recognized the blonde from the carriage that encountered him on the way from Nozdryov. It turned out that the girl was the governor’s daughter, who had just graduated from the institute. Chichikov turned all his attention to her and spoke only to her, although the girl got bored from his stories and began to yawn. The ladies did not like this behavior of their idol at all, because each had her own views on Pavel Ivanovich. They were indignant and condemned the poor schoolgirl.
Unexpectedly, Nozdryov appeared from the living room, where the card game was going on, accompanied by the prosecutor, and, seeing Chichikov, immediately shouted to the whole room: What? Did you sell a lot of dead people? Pavel Ivanovich did not know where to go, and meanwhile the landowner, with great pleasure, began to tell everyone about Chichikov’s scam. Everyone knew that Nozdryov was a liar, nevertheless his words caused confusion and controversy. Upset Chichikov, anticipating a scandal, did not wait until dinner was over and went to the hotel.
While he, sitting in his room, was cursing Nozdryov and all his relatives, a car with Korobochka drove into the city. This club-headed landowner, worried whether Chichikov had deceived her in some cunning way, decided to personally find out how much dead souls are worth these days. The next day the ladies stirred up the whole city.
They could not understand the essence of the scam with dead souls and decided that the purchase was made as a distraction, and in fact Chichikov came to the city to kidnap the governor’s daughter. The governor's wife, having heard about this, interrogated her unsuspecting daughter and ordered Pavel Ivanovich no longer to be received. The men also couldn’t understand anything, but they didn’t really believe in the kidnapping.
At this time, a new governor general was appointed to the province and officials even thought that Chichikov had come to their city on his instructions to check. Then they decided that Chichikov was a counterfeiter, then that he was a robber. They interrogated Selifan and Petrushka, but they could not say anything intelligible. They also talked with Nozdryov, who, without blinking an eye, confirmed all their guesses. The prosecutor was so worried that he had a stroke and died.
Chichikov knew nothing about all this. He caught a cold, sat in his room for three days and wondered why none of his new acquaintances visited him. Finally he recovered, dressed warmly and went to visit the governor. Imagine Pavel Ivanovich’s surprise when the footman said that he was not ordered to receive him! Then he went to see other officials, but everyone received him so strangely, they conducted such a forced and incomprehensible conversation that he doubted their health.
Chichikov leaves town
Chichikov wandered around the city aimlessly for a long time, and in the evening Nozdryov showed up to him, offering his help in kidnapping the governor’s daughter for three thousand rubles. The cause of the scandal became clear to Pavel Ivanovich and he immediately ordered Selifan to pawn the horses, and he himself began to pack his things. But it turned out that the horses needed to be shod, and we left only the next day. When we were driving through the city, we had to miss the funeral procession: they were burying the prosecutor. Chichikov drew the curtains. Fortunately, no one paid attention to him.
the essence of the dead souls scam
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov was born into a poor noble family. By sending his son to school, his father ordered him to live frugally, behave well, please teachers, be friends only with the children of rich parents, and most of all in life value a penny. Pavlusha did all this conscientiously and was very successful in it. not disdaining to speculate on edibles. Not distinguished by intelligence and knowledge, his behavior earned him a certificate and a letter of commendation upon graduating from college.
Most of all, he dreamed of a quiet, rich life, but for now he denied himself everything. He began to serve, but did not receive a promotion, no matter how much he pleased his boss. Then, having checked. that the boss had an ugly and no longer young daughter, Chichikov began to look after her. It even got to the point that he settled in the boss’s house, started calling him daddy and kissed his hand. Soon Pavel Ivanovich received a new position and immediately moved to his apartment. but the matter of the wedding was hushed up. Time passed, Chichikov succeeded. He himself did not take bribes, but received money from his subordinates, who began to take three times more. After some time, a commission was organized in the city to build some kind of capital structure, and Pavel Ivanovich settled there. The structure did not grow above the foundation, but the members of the commission built beautiful large houses for themselves. Unfortunately, the boss was changed, the new one demanded reports from the commission, and all the houses were confiscated to the treasury. Chichikov was fired, and he was forced to start his career again.
He changed two or three positions, and then got lucky: he got a job at the customs office, where he showed his best side, was incorruptible, was the best at finding contraband and earned a promotion. As soon as this happened, the incorruptible Pavel Ivanovich conspired with a large gang of smugglers, attracted another official to the case, and together they pulled off several scams, thanks to which they put four hundred thousand in the bank. But one day an official quarreled with Chichikov and wrote a denunciation against him, the case was revealed, the money was confiscated from both, and they themselves were fired from customs. Fortunately, he managed to avoid trial, Pavel Ivanovich had some money hidden, and he began to arrange his life again. He had to become an attorney, and it was this service that gave him the idea of dead souls. Once he was trying to get several hundred peasants from a bankrupt landowner to pledge to the board of guardians. In between, Chichikov explained to the secretary that half of the peasants had died out and he doubted the success of the business. The secretary said that if the souls are listed in the audit inventory, then nothing terrible can happen. It was then that Pavel Ivanovich decided to buy up more dead souls and put them in the guardianship council, receiving money for them as if they were alive. The city in which we met with Chichikov was the first on his path to realizing his plan, and now Pavel Ivanovich in his chaise drawn by three horses rode further.
The poem “Dead Souls of Gogol in a summary in 10 minutes.
Meeting Chichikov
A middle-aged gentleman of rather pleasant appearance arrived at a hotel in a provincial town in a small chaise. He rented a room in the hotel, looked around it and went to the common room for dinner, leaving the servants to settle in their new place. This was the collegiate adviser, landowner Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov.
After lunch, he went to explore the city and found that it was no different from other provincial cities. The visitor devoted the entire next day to visits. He visited the governor, the police chief, the vice-governor and other officials, each of whom he managed to win over by saying something pleasant about his department. He had already received an invitation to the governor for the evening.
Arriving at the governor's house, Chichikov, among other things, met Manilov, a very courteous and polite man, and the somewhat clumsy Sobakevich, and behaved so pleasantly with them that he completely charmed them, and both landowners invited their new friend to visit them. The next day, at dinner with the police chief, Pavel Ivanovich made the acquaintance of Nozdryov, a broken-hearted fellow of about thirty, with whom they immediately became friendly.
The newcomer lived in the city for more than a week, traveling around to parties and dinners; he showed himself to be a very pleasant conversationalist, able to talk on any topic. He knew how to behave well and had sedateness. In general, everyone in the city came to the opinion that he was an exceptionally decent and well-intentioned
Human.
Chichikov at Manilov's
Finally, Chichikov decided to visit his landowner acquaintances and went out of town. First he went to Manilov. With some difficulty he found the village of Manilovka, which turned out to be not fifteen, but thirty miles from the city. Manilov greeted his new acquaintance very cordially, they kissed and entered the house, passing each other at the door for a long time. Manilov was, in general, a pleasant person, somehow cloyingly sweet, had no special hobbies other than fruitless dreams, and did not do housework.
His wife was brought up in a boarding school, where she was taught the three main subjects necessary for family happiness: French, piano and knitting purses. She was pretty and dressed well. Her husband introduced Pavel Ivanovich to her. They talked a little, and the owners invited the guest to dinner. Already waiting in the dining room were the Manilovs’ sons, Themistoclus, seven years old, and six-year-old Alcides, for whom the teacher had tied napkins. The guest was shown the children's learning; the teacher only reprimanded the boys once, when the older one bit the younger one on the ear.
After dinner, Chichikov announced that he intended to talk with the owner about a very important matter, and both went to the office. The guest started a conversation about peasants and invited the owner to buy dead souls from him, that is, those peasants who had already died, but according to the audit were still listed as alive. Manilov could not understand anything for a long time, then he doubted the legality of such a bill of sale, but still agreed because
respect for the guest. When Pavel Ivanovich started talking about the price, the owner was offended and even took it upon himself to draw up the bill of sale.
Chichikov did not know how to thank Manilov. They said a hearty goodbye, and Pavel Ivanovich drove off, promising to come again and bring gifts for the children.
Chichikov at Korobochka
Chichikov was going to pay his next visit to Sobakevich, but it started to rain, and the crew drove into some field. Selifan unwrapped the wagon so clumsily that the master fell out of it and became covered in mud. Luckily, dogs were heard barking. They went to the village and asked to spend the night in some house. It turned out that this was the estate of a certain landowner Korobochka.
In the morning, Pavel Ivanovich met the owner, Nastasya Petrovna, a middle-aged woman, one of those who always complains about the lack of money, but little by little saves and collects a decent fortune. The village was quite large, the houses were strong, the peasants lived well. The hostess invited the unexpected guest to drink tea, the conversation turned to housekeeping, and Chichikov offered to buy dead souls from her.
Korobochka was extremely frightened by this proposal, not really understanding what they wanted from her. After much explanation and persuasion, she finally agreed and wrote Chichikov a power of attorney, trying to sell him hemp as well.
After eating pie and pancakes baked especially for him, the guest drove on, accompanied by a girl who was supposed to lead the carriage onto the high road. Seeing a tavern already standing on the main road, they dropped off the girl, who, having received a copper penny as a reward, wandered home, and went there.
Chichikov at Nozdryov's
At the tavern, Chichikov ordered a pig with horseradish and sour cream and, eating it, asked the hostess about the surrounding landowners. At this time, two gentlemen drove up to the tavern, one of whom was Nozdryov, and the second was his son-in-law Mizhuev. Nozdryov, a well-built fellow, what is called blood and milk, with thick black hair and sideburns, rosy cheeks and very white teeth,
recognized Chichikov and began to tell him how they walked at the fair, how much champagne they drank and how he lost at cards.
Mizhuev, a tall, fair-haired man with a tanned face and a red mustache, constantly accused his friend of exaggeration. Nozdryov persuaded Chichikov to go to him, Mizhuev, reluctantly, also went with them.
It must be said that Nozdryov’s wife died, leaving him with two children, about whom he had nothing to do, and he moved from one fair to another, from one party to another. Everywhere he played cards and roulette and usually lost, although he was not shy about cheating, for which he was sometimes beaten by his partners. He was cheerful, considered a good friend, but he always managed to spoil his friends: upset a wedding, ruin a deal.
At the estate, having ordered lunch from the cook, Nozdryov took the guest to inspect the farm, which was nothing special, and drove for two hours, telling tales incredible in lies, so that Chichikov was very tired. Lunch was served, some of which was burnt, some was undercooked, and numerous wines of dubious quality.
The owner poured food for the guests, but hardly drank himself. The heavily intoxicated Mizhuev was sent home to his wife after dinner, and Chichikov started a conversation with Nozdryov about dead souls. The landowner flatly refused to sell them, but offered to play cards with them, and when the guest refused, exchange them for Chichikov’s horses or chaise. Pavel Ivanovich also rejected this proposal and went to bed. The next day, the restless Nozdryov persuaded him to fight for souls in checkers. During the game, Chichikov noticed that the owner was playing dishonestly and told him about it.
The landowner was offended, began to scold the guest and ordered the servants to beat him. Chichikov was saved by the appearance of the police captain, who announced that Nozdryov was on trial and accused of inflicting a personal insult on the landowner Maximov with rods while drunk. Pavel Ivanovich did not wait for the outcome, jumped out of the house and drove away.
Chichikov at Sobakevich's
On the way to Sobakevich, an unpleasant incident happened. Selifan, lost in thought, did not give way to a carriage drawn by six horses that was overtaking them, and the harness of both carriages became so mixed up that it took a long time to re-harness. In the carriage sat an old woman and a sixteen-year-old girl whom Pavel Ivanovich really liked...
Soon we arrived at Sobakevich's estate. Everything there was strong, solid, solid. The owner, fat, with a face as if carved with an axe, very much like a learned bear, met the guest and led him into the house. The furniture matched the owner - heavy, durable. On the walls hung paintings depicting ancient commanders.
The conversation turned to city officials, each of whom the owner gave a negative description. The hostess entered, Sobakevich introduced the guest to her and invited him to dinner. Lunch was not very varied, but tasty and filling. During dinner, the owner mentioned the landowner Plyushkin, who lived five miles away from him, whose people were dying like flies, and Chichikov took note of this.
Having had a very hearty lunch, the men retired to the living room, and Pavel Ivanovich got down to business. Sobakevich listened to him without saying a word. Without asking any questions, he agreed to sell the dead souls to the guest, but charged a high price for them, as for living people.
They bargained for a long time and agreed on two and a half rubles per head, and Sobakevich demanded a deposit. He compiled a list of peasants, gave each a description of his business qualities and wrote a receipt for receiving the deposit, striking Chichikov with how intelligently everything was written. They parted satisfied with each other, and Chichikov went to Plyushkin.
Chichikov at Plyushkin's
He entered a large village, striking in its poverty: the huts were almost without roofs, their windows were covered with bull's bladders or covered with rags. The master's house is large, with many outbuildings for household needs, but they are all almost collapsed, only two windows are open, the rest are boarded up or closed with shutters. The house gave the impression of being uninhabited.
Chichikov noticed a figure dressed so strangely that it was impossible to immediately recognize whether it was a woman or a man. Paying attention to the bunch of keys on his belt, Pavel Ivanovich decided that it was the housekeeper, and turned to her, calling her “mother” and asking where the master was. The housekeeper told him to go into the house and disappeared. He entered and was amazed at the chaos that reigned there. Everything is covered in dust, there are dried bits of wood on the table, and a bunch of strange things are piled in the corner. The housekeeper entered, and Chichikov again asked for the master. She said that the master was in front of him.
It must be said that Plyushkin was not always like this. Once he had a family and was simply a thrifty, albeit somewhat stingy owner. His wife was distinguished by her hospitality, and there were often guests in the house. Then the wife died, the eldest daughter ran away with an officer, and her father cursed her because he could not stand the military. The son went to the city to enter civil service. but he signed up for the regiment. Plyushkin cursed him too. When the youngest daughter died, the landowner was left alone in the house.
His stinginess assumed terrifying proportions; he carried into the house all the rubbish found around the village, even an old sole. The quitrent was collected from the peasants in the same amount, but since Plyushkin asked an exorbitant price for the goods, no one bought anything from him, and everything rotted in the master’s yard. His daughter came to him twice, first with one child, then with two, bringing him gifts and asking for help, but the father did not give him a penny. His son lost the game and also asked for money, but also received nothing. Plyushkin himself looked like if Chichikov had met him near the church, he would have given him a penny.
While Pavel Ivanovich was thinking about how to start talking about dead souls, the owner began to complain about the hard life: the peasants were dying, and taxes had to be paid for them. The guest offered to bear these expenses. Plyushkin happily agreed, ordered the samovar to be put on and the remains of the Easter cake brought from the pantry, which his daughter had once brought and from which the mold had to be scraped off first.
Then he suddenly doubted the honesty of Chichikov’s intentions, and he offered to draw up a deed of sale for the dead peasants. Plyushkin decided to sell Chichikov some runaway peasants as well, and after bargaining, Pavel Ivanovich took them for thirty kopecks. After this, he (to the great satisfaction of the owner) refused lunch and tea and left in excellent spirits.
Chichikov is running a scam with “dead souls”
On the way to the hotel, Chichikov even sang. The next day he woke up in a great mood and immediately sat down at the table to write deeds of sale. At twelve o'clock I got dressed and, with papers under my arm, went to the civil ward. Coming out of the hotel, Pavel Ivanovich ran into Manilov, who was walking towards him.
They kissed so hard that both of them had toothaches all day long, and Manilov volunteered to accompany Chichikov. In the civil chamber, it was not without difficulty that they found the official in charge of deeds of sale, who, having received the bribe, sent Pavel Ivanovich to the chairman, Ivan Grigorievich. Sobakevich was already sitting in the chairman’s office. Ivan Grigorievich gave instructions to the same
official to fill out all the papers and collect witnesses.
When everything was properly completed, the chairman proposed to inject the purchase. Chichikov wanted to supply them with champagne, but Ivan Grigorievich said that they would go to the police chief, who would only blink an eye at the merchants in the fish and meat aisles, and a wonderful dinner would be prepared.
And so it happened. The merchants considered the police chief to be their man, who, although he robbed them, did not behave and even willingly baptized merchant children. The dinner was magnificent, the guests drank and ate well, and Sobakevich alone ate a huge sturgeon and then did not eat anything, but just sat silently in a chair. Everyone was happy and did not want to let Chichikov leave the city, but decided to marry him, to which he gladly agreed.
Feeling that he had already begun to say too much, Pavel Ivanovich asked for a carriage and arrived at the hotel completely drunk in the prosecutor's droshky. Petrushka with difficulty undressed the master, cleaned his suit, and, making sure that the owner was fast asleep, went with Selifan to the nearest tavern, from where they came out in an embrace and fell asleep crosswise on the same bed.
Chichikov’s purchases caused a lot of talk in the city, everyone took an active part in his affairs, they discussed how difficult it would be for him to resettle so many serfs in the Kherson province. Of course, Chichikov did not spread that he had acquired dead peasants; everyone believed that they had bought living ones, and a rumor spread throughout the city that Pavel Ivanovich was a millionaire. He was immediately interested in the ladies, who were very presentable in this city, traveled only in carriages, dressed fashionably and spoke elegantly. Chichikov could not help but notice such attention to himself. One day they brought him an anonymous love letter with poetry, at the end of which it was written that his own heart would help him guess the writer.
Chichikov at the governor's ball
After some time, Pavel Ivanovich was invited to a ball with the governor. His appearance at the ball caused great enthusiasm among all those present. The men greeted him with loud cheers and strong hugs, and the ladies surrounded him, forming a multi-colored garland. He tried to guess which of them wrote the letter, but he couldn’t.
Chichikov was rescued from their entourage by the governor's wife, holding on the arm a pretty sixteen-year-old girl, in whom Pavel Ivanovich recognized the blonde from the carriage that encountered him on the way from Nozdryov. It turned out that the girl was the governor’s daughter, who had just graduated from the institute. Chichikov turned all his attention to her and spoke only to her, although the girl got bored from his stories and began to yawn. The ladies did not like this behavior of their idol at all, because each had her own views on Pavel Ivanovich. They were indignant and condemned the poor schoolgirl.
Unexpectedly, Nozdryov appeared from the living room, where the card game was going on, accompanied by the prosecutor, and, seeing Chichikov, immediately shouted to the whole room: What? Did you sell a lot of dead people? Pavel Ivanovich did not know where to go, and meanwhile the landowner, with great pleasure, began to tell everyone about Chichikov’s scam. Everyone knew that Nozdryov was a liar, nevertheless his words caused confusion and controversy. Upset Chichikov, anticipating a scandal, did not wait until dinner was over and went to the hotel.
While he, sitting in his room, was cursing Nozdryov and all his relatives, a car with Korobochka drove into the city. This club-headed landowner, worried whether Chichikov had deceived her in some cunning way, decided to personally find out how much dead souls are worth these days. The next day the ladies stirred up the whole city.
They could not understand the essence of the scam with dead souls and decided that the purchase was made as a distraction, and in fact Chichikov came to the city to kidnap the governor’s daughter. The governor's wife, having heard about this, interrogated her unsuspecting daughter and ordered Pavel Ivanovich no longer to be received. The men also couldn’t understand anything, but they didn’t really believe in the kidnapping.
At this time, a new general was appointed to the province - the governor and officials even thought that Chichikov had come to their city on his instructions to check. Then they decided that Chichikov was a counterfeiter, then that he was a robber. They interrogated Selifan and Petrushka, but they could not say anything intelligible. They also talked with Nozdryov, who, without blinking an eye, confirmed all their guesses. The prosecutor was so worried that he had a stroke and died.
Chichikov knew nothing about all this. He caught a cold, sat in his room for three days and wondered why none of his new acquaintances visited him. Finally he recovered, dressed warmly and went to visit the governor. Imagine Pavel Ivanovich’s surprise when the footman said that he was not ordered to receive him! Then he went to see other officials, but everyone received him so strangely, they conducted such a forced and incomprehensible conversation that he doubted their health.
Chichikov leaves town
Chichikov wandered around the city aimlessly for a long time, and in the evening Nozdryov showed up to him, offering his help in kidnapping the governor’s daughter for three thousand rubles. The cause of the scandal became clear to Pavel Ivanovich and he immediately ordered Selifan to pawn the horses, and he himself began to pack his things. But it turned out that the horses needed to be shod, and we left only the next day. When we were driving through the city, we had to miss the funeral procession: they were burying the prosecutor. Chichikov drew the curtains. Fortunately, no one paid attention to him.
the essence of the dead souls scam
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov was born into a poor noble family. By sending his son to school, his father ordered him to live frugally, behave well, please teachers, be friends only with the children of rich parents, and most of all in life value a penny. Pavlusha did all this conscientiously and was very successful in it. not disdaining to speculate on edibles. Not distinguished by intelligence and knowledge, his behavior earned him a certificate and a letter of commendation upon graduating from college.
Most of all, he dreamed of a quiet, rich life, but for now he denied himself everything. He began to serve, but did not receive a promotion, no matter how much he pleased his boss. Then, having checked. that the boss had an ugly and no longer young daughter, Chichikov began to look after her. It even got to the point that he settled in the boss’s house, started calling him daddy and kissed his hand. Soon Pavel Ivanovich received a new position and immediately moved to his apartment. but the matter of the wedding was hushed up. Time passed, Chichikov succeeded. He himself did not take bribes, but received money from his subordinates, who began to take three times more. After some time, a commission was organized in the city to build some kind of capital structure, and Pavel Ivanovich settled there. The structure did not grow above the foundation, but the members of the commission built beautiful large houses for themselves. Unfortunately, the boss was changed, the new one demanded reports from the commission, and all the houses were confiscated to the treasury. Chichikov was fired, and he was forced to start his career again.
He changed two or three positions, and then got lucky: he got a job at the customs office, where he showed his best side, was incorruptible, was the best at finding contraband and earned a promotion. As soon as this happened, the incorruptible Pavel Ivanovich conspired with a large gang of smugglers, attracted another official to the case, and together they pulled off several scams, thanks to which they put four hundred thousand in the bank. But one day an official quarreled with Chichikov and wrote a denunciation against him, the case was revealed, the money was confiscated from both, and they themselves were fired from customs. Fortunately, he managed to avoid trial, Pavel Ivanovich had some money hidden, and he began to arrange his life again. He had to become an attorney, and it was this service that gave him the idea of dead souls. Once he was trying to get several hundred peasants from a bankrupt landowner to pledge to the board of guardians. In between, Chichikov explained to the secretary that half of the peasants had died out and he doubted the success of the business. The secretary said that if the souls are listed in the audit inventory, then nothing terrible can happen. It was then that Pavel Ivanovich decided to buy up more dead souls and put them in the guardianship council, receiving money for them as if they were alive. The city in which we met with Chichikov was the first on his path to realizing his plan, and now Pavel Ivanovich in his chaise drawn by three horses rode further.