In this article we will describe the image of landowners created by Gogol in the poem " Dead souls"The table we have compiled will help you remember the information. We will sequentially tell you about the five characters presented by the author in this work.
The image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol is briefly described in the following table.
| landowner | Characteristic | Attitude towards asking for a sale dead souls |
| Manilov | Vulgar and empty. For two years, a book with a bookmark on one page has been lying in his office. His speech is sweet and cloying. | I was surprised. He thinks that this is illegal, but he cannot refuse such a pleasant person. Gives it to peasants for free. At the same time, he does not know how many souls he has. |
| Box | She knows the value of money, is practical and economical. Stingy, stupid, club-headed, hoarding landowner. | He wants to know what Chichikov’s souls are for. The number of deaths is known exactly (18 people). He looks at dead souls as if they were hemp or lard: they might come in handy on the farm. |
| Nozdryov | He is considered a good friend, but is always ready to play a trick on his friend. Kutila, card player, "broken fellow." When talking, he constantly jumps from subject to subject and uses swear words. | It would seem that it was easiest for Chichikov to get them from this landowner, but he was the only one who left him with nothing. |
| Sobakevich | Uncouth, clumsy, rude, unable to express feelings. A tough, evil serf owner who never misses a profit. | The smartest of all landowners. He immediately saw through the guest and made a deal to his advantage. |
| Plyushkin | Once upon a time he had a family, children, and he himself was a thrifty owner. But the death of the mistress turned this man into a miser. He became, like many widowers, stingy and suspicious. | I was amazed and delighted by his offer, since there would be income. He agreed to sell the souls for 30 kopecks (78 souls in total). |
Gogol's portrayal of landowners
In the works of Nikolai Vasilyevich, one of the main themes is the landowner class in Russia, as well as the ruling class (nobility), its role in the life of society and its fate.
The main method used by Gogol to portray various characters is satire. The process of gradual degeneration of the landowner class was reflected in the heroes created by his pen. Nikolai Vasilyevich reveals shortcomings and vices. Gogol's satire is colored with irony, which helped this writer speak directly about what was impossible to talk about openly under censorship conditions. At the same time, Nikolai Vasilyevich’s laughter seems good-natured to us, but he does not spare anyone. Each phrase has a subtext, a hidden, deep meaning. Irony in general is characteristic element Gogol's satires. It is present not only in the speech of the author himself, but also in the speech of the heroes.
Irony is one of the essential features of Gogol’s poetics; it adds greater realism to the narrative and becomes a means of analyzing the surrounding reality.
Compositional structure of the poem
The images of landowners in the poem, the largest work of this author, are presented in the most multifaceted and complete way. It is constructed as the story of the adventures of the official Chichikov, who buys up “dead souls.” The composition of the poem allowed the author to tell about different villages and the owners living in them. Almost half of the first volume (five of eleven chapters) is devoted to characterization different types landowners in Russia. Nikolai Vasilyevich created five portraits that are not similar to each other, but each of them at the same time contains features that are typical of a Russian serf owner. Acquaintance with them begins with Manilov and ends with Plyushkin. This construction is not accidental. There is a logic to this sequence: the process of impoverishment of a person’s personality deepens from one image to another, it increasingly unfolds as a terrible picture of the collapse of serf society.
Meeting Manilov
Manilov - representing the image of landowners in the poem "Dead Souls". The table only briefly describes it. Let us introduce you closer to this hero. The character of Manilov, which is described in the first chapter, is already manifested in the surname itself. The story about this hero begins with an image of the village of Manilovka, which is capable of “luring” few people with its location. The author describes with irony the master's courtyard, created as an imitation with a pond, bushes and the inscription "Temple of Solitary Reflection." External details help the writer create the image of the landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”.
Manilov: character of the hero
The author, speaking about Manilov, exclaims that only God knows what kind of character this man had. By nature he is kind, courteous, polite, but all this takes on ugly, exaggerated forms in his image. sentimental and beautiful to the point of cloying. The relationships between people seem festive and idyllic to him. Various relationships, in general, are one of the details that create the image of the landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”. Manilov did not know life at all; reality was replaced by empty fantasy. This hero loved to dream and think, sometimes even about things useful to the peasants. However, his ideas were far from the needs of life. He did not know about the real needs of the serfs and never even thought about them. Manilov considers himself a carrier of culture. He was considered the most educated man in the army. Nikolai Vasilyevich speaks ironically about the house of this landowner, in which there was always “something missing,” as well as about his sugary relationship with his wife.
Chichikov's conversation with Manilov about buying dead souls
Manilov in an episode of a conversation about buying dead the shower is compared to an overly smart minister. Gogol's irony here intrudes, as if accidentally, into a forbidden area. Such a comparison means that the minister is not so different from Manilov, and “Manilovism” is a typical phenomenon of the vulgar bureaucratic world.
Box
Let us describe another image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”. The table has already briefly introduced you to Korobochka. We learn about her in the third chapter of the poem. Gogol classifies this heroine as one of the small landowners who complain about losses and crop failures and always keep their heads somewhat to one side, while collecting money little by little into bags placed in the chest of drawers. This money is obtained by selling a variety of products subsistence farming. Korobochka's interests and horizons are completely focused on her estate. Her entire life and economy are patriarchal in nature.
How did Korobochka react to Chichikov’s proposal?
The landowner realized that trade dead souls profitable, and agreed after much persuasion to sell them. The author, describing the image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” (Korobochka and other heroes), is ironic. For a long time, the “club-headed” one cannot figure out what exactly is required of her, which infuriates Chichikov. After that, she bargains with him for a long time, afraid of making a mistake.
Nozdryov
In the image of Nozdryov in the fifth chapter, Gogol depicts a completely different form of decomposition of the nobility. This hero is a man of what is called a “jack of all trades.” In his very face there was something daring, direct, open. He is also characterized by a “breadth of nature.” According to the ironic remark of Nikolai Vasilyevich, Nozdryov - " historical person", because not a single meeting that he managed to attend was never without stories. He loses a lot of money at cards with a light heart, beats a simpleton at a fair and immediately “squanders everything.” This hero is an utter liar and a reckless braggart , a true master of “throwing bullets.” He behaves defiantly, if not aggressively, throughout. swear words, he has at the same time a passion for “fouling his neighbor.” Gogol created in Russian literature a new socio-psychological type of the so-called Nozdrevism. In many ways, the image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” is innovative. Brief Image The following heroes are described below.
Sobakevich
The author’s satire in the image of Sobakevich, whom we meet in the fifth chapter, takes on a more accusatory character. This character bears little resemblance to previous landowners. This is a tight-fisted, cunning tradesman, a “kulak landowner.” He is alien to the violent extravagance of Nozdryov, the dreamy complacency of Manilov, as well as the hoarding of Korobochka. Sobakevich has an iron grip, he is taciturn, he is on his own mind. There are few people who could deceive him. Everything about this landowner is strong and durable. In all the everyday objects surrounding him, Gogol finds a reflection of the character traits of this person. Everything surprisingly resembles the hero himself in his house. Each thing, as the author notes, seemed to say that she was “also Sobakevich.”
Nikolai Vasilyevich portrays a figure that amazes with its rudeness. This man seemed to Chichikov to look like a bear. Sobakevich is a cynic who is not ashamed of moral ugliness in others or in himself. He is far from enlightened. This is a die-hard serf owner who only cares about his own peasants. It is interesting that, apart from this hero, no one understood the true essence of the “scoundrel” Chichikov, but Sobakevich perfectly understood the essence of the proposal, reflecting the spirit of the times: everything can be sold and bought, the maximum benefit should be obtained. This is the generalized image of the landowners in the poem of the work, however, it is not limited to the depiction of only these characters. We present to you the next landowner.
Plyushkin
The sixth chapter is dedicated to Plyushkin. On it, the characteristics of the landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” are completed. The name of this hero has become a household word, denoting moral degradation and stinginess. This image is the last degree of degeneration of the landowner class. Gogol begins his acquaintance with the character, as usual, with a description of the estate and village of the landowner. At the same time, a “particular disrepair” was noticeable on all buildings. Nikolai Vasilyevich describes a picture of the ruin of a once rich serf owner. Its cause is not idleness and extravagance, but the painful stinginess of the owner. Gogol calls this landowner “a hole in humanity.” Its very appearance is characteristic - it is a sexless creature resembling a housekeeper. This character no longer causes laughter, only bitter disappointment.
Conclusion
The image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” (the table is presented above) is revealed by the author in many ways. The five characters that Gogol created in the work depict the diverse state of this class. Plyushkin, Sobakevich, Nozdrev, Korobochka, Manilov - different shapes one phenomenon - spiritual, social and economic decline. The characteristics of landowners in Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" prove this.
“Characteristics of “Dead Souls”” - The location of the landowners in the poem is not accidental. Problematic question. Among the landowners depicted in the poem, one can distinguish the type of kulak. The “living” soul of Chichikov or the “dead” one. Construction of the poem. The history of the creation of the poem. 1829 – publication of the first printed work. Gogol Nikolai Vasilievich (1809-1852).
“Nikolai Gogol Dead Souls” - Dead. In addition to Nikolai, the family had five more children. Mother, Maria Ivanovna Kosyarovskaya (1791-1868), from a landowner family. Parents' house. From 1821 to 1828 he studied at the gymnasium of higher sciences in Nizhyn. Plot. Cultural center The region was Kibintsy, the estate of D. P. Troshchinsky. Soul. Studies. Completely stopped any activity, died spiritually.
“Landowners in Dead Souls” - Landowners. Plyushkin. Sobakevich. Attitude to housekeeping. Distinctive Features. Gogol. Housewife. “Dead” and “living” souls in N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”. Box. Manilov. Things. Hero of fairs. Characteristic. Nozdrev. Damn fist. Thrift. Images of landowners.
“Poem Dead Souls” - Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol... Letter from Gogol to V.A. Zhukovsky. Tendency to scam. Kulaks. Sobakevich. Characters of the poem. Clubheadedness. Devastator and destroyer of the economy. Boasting. “My heroes follow one after another, one more vulgar than the other.” The scam had strong legal and economic grounds.
“Dead Souls in Illustrations” - XIX century. Computer graphics. Agin's illustrations are not static. Watercolor is a painting technique. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is an absolute genius. The drawings are frankly grotesque. Vanguard. The wheel symbolizes isolation. A wealth of individual traits. Arrival of Chichikov. Dictionary. E.L. Nemirovsky. Natural, but precise, practiced gestures.
“Landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”” - The fear of being deceived and selling cheap forces Korobochka to go to the city. Gallery of landowners. Landowner Sobakevich Mikhail Semenovich. Thank you for your attention. Landowner Manilov. Landowner Nozdryov. N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”. Manilov's character is fully expressed in his speech. Landowner Stepan Plyushkin. Landowner Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna.
A brief description of Plyushkin in the work “Dead Souls” is a realistic description of the old landowner, his character and way of life. The fact is that this character is presented by the author in an unusual manner for him - without humor.
Stepan Plyushkin is one of the landowners in the poem by N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls". This is one of the most significant and deep characters not only of the mentioned work, but of the entire Russian literature generally.
The hero first appears in the sixth chapter, when he comes to the landowner to buy “dead souls” from him.
The image and characteristics of Plyushkin in the poem “Dead Souls”
The landowner is incredibly stingy and unkind.
The hero symbolizes spiritual collapse strong man, drowned in the vice of boundless stinginess, bordering on cruelty: in the barns of the landowner it is stored huge amount products that no one is allowed to take, as a result of which the peasants go hungry and supplies are lost as unnecessary.
Plyushkin is quite rich, he has a whole thousand serfs on his account. However, despite this, the old man lives like a beggar, eating crackers and dressing in rags.
Symbolism of the surname
Like most characters in Gogol's works, Plyushkin's surname is symbolic. With the help of contrast or synonymy of the surname in relation to the character of the corresponding character, the author reveals certain features of a given personality.
The meaning of the surname Plyushkina symbolizes an unusually stingy and greedy person, whose goal is the accumulation of material wealth without a specific purpose for their use. As a result, the collected wealth is not spent anywhere or is used in minimal quantities.
It is noteworthy that Plyushkin’s name practically does not appear in the text of the work. In this way, the author shows the hero’s callousness, detachment, and the absence of even a hint of humanity in him.
The fact that the landowner's name is Stepan can be learned from his words about his daughter, whom he calls by her patronymic. By the way, ordinary men from other estates did not know such a surname at all, calling the landowner by the nickname “patched.”
Plyushkin family
This character is the only one of all the landowners who has enough detailed biography. The hero's life story is very sad.
In the plot narration, Plyushkin appears before us as a completely lonely person leading a hermit’s lifestyle. The wife who inspired him to show the best human qualities and made his life meaningful has long left this world.
In their marriage they had three children, whom their father raised very carefully and with great love. During the years of family happiness, Plyushkin was completely different from his current self. At that time, he often invited guests to his house, knew how to enjoy life, and had a reputation as an open and friendly person.
Of course, Plyushkin was always very economical, but his stinginess always had reasonable limits and was not so reckless. His clothes, although not sparkling with newness, still looked neat, without a single patch.
After the death of his wife, the hero changed a lot: he became extremely distrustful and very stingy. The last straw that hardened Plyushkin’s temper was new problems in the family: his son lost a large amount into cards, eldest daughter ran away from home, and the youngest died.
Surprisingly, glimmers of light sometimes illuminate the dark recesses of the dead soul of the landowner. Having sold his “souls” to Chichikov and reflecting on the issue of drawing up a deed of sale, Plyushkin remembers his school friend. At this moment, a faint reflection of feeling appeared on the old man’s wooden face.
This fleeting manifestation of life, according to the author, speaks of the possibility of the revival of the hero’s soul, in which, as if in twilight, the dark and light sides mixed with each other.
Description of the portrait and first impression of Plyushkin
When meeting Plyushkin, Chichikov first mistakes him for the housekeeper.
After talking with the landowner, main character realizes with horror that he was mistaken.
In his opinion, the old man looks more like a beggar than a rich owner of the estate.
His whole appearance is like this: his long chin covered with a scarf; small, colorless, mobile eyes; a dirty, patched robe indicates that the hero has completely lost touch with life.
Appearance and condition of the suit
Plyushkin's face is very elongated and at the same time is distinguished by excessive thinness. The landowner never shave, and his beard began to look like a horse comb. Plyushkin has no teeth left at all.
The hero’s clothes can hardly be called such; they look more like old rags - the clothes look so worn and unkempt. At the time of the story, the landowner is about 60 years old.
The character, demeanor and speech of the landowner
Plyushkin is a man with a difficult character. Probably, the negative traits that manifested themselves so clearly in him in his old age also existed in previous years, but their such pronounced appearance was smoothed out by family well-being.
But after the death of his wife and daughter, Plyushkin finally broke away from life, became spiritually impoverished, and began to treat everyone with suspicion and hostility. The landowner experienced such an attitude not only towards strangers, but also towards relatives.
By the age of 60, Plyushkin had become very unpleasant due to his difficult character. Those around him began to avoid him, his friends visited him less and less, and then completely stopped all communication with him.
Plyushkin’s speech is abrupt, laconic, caustic, loaded with colloquial expressions, for example: “poditka, they beat, ehva!, actor, already, podtibrila.”
The landowner is able to notice any little things and even the most insignificant errors and shortcomings. In this regard, he often finds fault with people, expressing his comments by shouting and cursing.
Plyushkin is not capable of good deeds, he became insensitive, distrustful and cruel. He doesn’t even care about the fate of his own children, and the old man suppresses his daughter’s attempts to establish a relationship with him in every possible way. In his opinion, his daughter and son-in-law are trying to get closer to him in order to get material benefits from him.
It is noteworthy that Plyushkin absolutely does not understand the true consequences of his actions. He actually fancies himself a caring landowner, although, in fact, he is a tyrant, an incredible miser and a stingy man, a rude and grumpy old man who destroys the destinies of the people around him.
Favorite activities
The joy in Plyushkin's life consists of only two things - constant scandals and the accumulation of material wealth.
The landowner likes to spend time in all alone. He sees no point in receiving guests or acting as such. For him, this is just a waste of time that can be spent on more useful activities.
Despite large financial savings, the landowner leads an ascetic lifestyle, denying literally everything not only to relatives, servants and peasants, but also to himself.
One more thing favorite activity Plyushkina - to grumble and become poor. He believes that the supplies stored in his barns are not enough, there is not enough land and there is not even enough hay. In fact, the situation is completely opposite - there is plenty of land, and the amount of reserves is so huge that they spoil right in the storage facilities.
Plyushkin loves to create scandals for any reason, even if it is an insignificant trifle. The landowner is always dissatisfied with something and demonstrates it in the most rude and unsightly form. A picky old man is very difficult to please.
Attitude to the economy
Plyushkin is a rich but very stingy landowner. However, despite the huge reserves, it seems to him that they are not enough. As a result, a huge number of unused products become unusable without leaving the storage facility.
Having a large fortune at his disposal, including 1000 serfs, Plyushkin eats crackers and wears rags - in a word, he lives like a beggar. The landowner has not been monitoring what is going on on his farm for many years, but at the same time he does not forget to control the amount of liquor in the decanter.
Plyushkin's life goals
In short, the landowner has no specific goal in life. Plyushkin is completely absorbed in the process of accumulating material resources without a specific purpose for their use.
House and interior of rooms
Plyushkin's estate reflects the spiritual desolation of the character himself. The buildings in the villages are very old, dilapidated, the roofs have long since become leaky, the windows are clogged with rags. There is devastation and emptiness all around. Even the churches look lifeless.
The estate seems to be falling apart, which indicates that the hero has fallen out of real life: instead of the main things, the focus of his attention is on empty and meaningless tasks. It’s not for nothing that this character is practically devoid of a name and patronymic - it’s as if he doesn’t exist.
The Plyushkin estate is striking in its appearance - the building is in a terrible, dilapidated condition. From the street, the house looks like an abandoned building in which no one has lived for a long time. It’s very uncomfortable inside the building – it’s cold and dark all around. Natural light enters only one room - the owner's room.
The whole house is littered with old things, which are becoming more and more every year - Plyushkin never throws away broken or unnecessary things, because he thinks that they can still be useful.
The landowner's office is also in complete disarray. The appearance of the room embodies real chaos. There is a chair that cannot be repaired, as well as a clock that has long stopped. In the corner of the room there is a dump - in the shapeless heap you can see an old shoe and a broken shovel.
Attitude towards others
Plyushkin is a picky, scandalous person. Even the most insignificant reason is enough for him to start a quarrel. The hero shows his dissatisfaction in the most unsightly way, stooping to rudeness and insults.
The landowner himself is completely confident that he is behaving caringly and kindly, but people simply do not notice or appreciate this, because they are biased towards him.
Probably due to the fact that his son once lost at cards and did not return home, Plyushkin is prejudiced towards officers, considering them all to be spendthrifts and gamblers.
Plyushkin's attitude towards the peasants
Plyushkin treats the peasants cruelly and irresponsibly. The appearance, clothing and dwellings of the serfs look almost the same as those of the owner. They themselves walk around half-starved, skinny, exhausted. From time to time, escapes occur among the peasants - Plyushkin's existence as a serf looks less attractive than life on the run.
The landowner speaks negatively about his serfs - in his opinion, they are all quitters and slackers. In fact, the peasants work honestly and diligently. It seems to Plyushkin that the serfs are robbing him and doing their work very poorly.
But in reality, things are different: the landowner intimidated his peasants so much that, despite the cold and hunger, they under no circumstances dare to take anything from the master’s storehouse.
Did Plyushkin sell Dead Souls to Chichikov?
The landowner sells about two hundred “souls” to the main character. This number exceeds the number of “peasants” that Chichikov purchased from other sellers. This traces Plyushkin’s desire for profit and accumulation. When entering into a deal, the hero understands perfectly well what it is and what profit he can get for it.
Quoted description of Plyushkin
| Plyushkin's age | “... I’m living in my seventh decade!...” |
| First impression | “... For a long time he could not recognize what gender the figure was: a woman or a man. The dress she was wearing was completely indefinite, very similar to a woman’s hood, on her head was a cap, like that worn by village courtyard women, only one voice seemed to him somewhat hoarse for a woman ... " “...Oh, woman! oh no! […] Of course, woman! ..." (Chichikov about P.’s appearance) “... Judging by the keys hanging from her belt and the fact that she scolded the man with rather obscene words, Chichikov concluded that this was probably the housekeeper...” |
| Appearance | “... it was more like a housekeeper than a housekeeper: […] his entire chin with the lower part of his cheek looked like a comb made of iron wire, the kind they use to clean horses in a stable...” “... he [Chichikov] has never seen anything like this before. His face was nothing special; it was almost the same as that of many thin old men, one chin only protruded very far forward, so that he had to cover it with a handkerchief every time so as not to spit; the small eyes had not yet gone out and ran from under the high eyebrows like mice..." “...Plyushkin muttered something through his lips, because he had no teeth...” |
| Cloth | “... His attire was much more remarkable: no amount of effort or effort could have been used to find out what his robe was made of: the sleeves and upper flaps were so greasy and shiny that they looked like yuft*, the kind that goes into boots; in the back, instead of two, there were four floors dangling, from which cotton paper came out in flakes. He also had something tied around his neck that couldn’t be made out: a stocking, a garter, or a belly, but not a tie...” “... if Chichikov had met him, so dressed up, somewhere at the church door, he would probably have given him a copper penny. But standing before him was not a beggar, standing before him was a landowner...” |
| Personality and character |
“... has eight hundred souls, but lives and dines worse than my shepherd!...” “... Fraudster […] Such a miser that it is difficult to imagine. In prison, convicts live better than he: he starved all the people to death...” (Sobakevich about P.) “... human feelings, which were not deep in him anyway, became shallow every minute, and every day something was lost in this worn-out ruin...” “... the miser Plyushkin […] the fact that he feeds people poorly?..” “... he definitely has people dying in large quantities? ..." (Chichikov) “... I don’t even advise you to know the way to this dog! - said Sobakevich. “It’s better to go to some obscene place than to go to him...” “...does not like officers due to a strange prejudice, as if all military gamblers and spendthrifts...” “... Every year the windows in his house were closed, finally only two remained...” “... every year […] his small gaze turned to the pieces of paper and feathers that he collected in his room...” “... he became more unyielding to the buyers who came to take away his household goods...” “... this is a demon, not a person...” (customers’ opinion about P.) “... the words “virtue” and “rare qualities of the soul” can be successfully replaced with the words “economy” and “order” ...” (Chichikov about P.) |
| Plyushkin's house | “... This strange castle looked like some kind of decrepit invalid, long, prohibitively long...” “... a house that now seemed even sadder. Green mold has already covered the dilapidated wood on the fence and gates..." “... The walls of the house were cracked in places by the bare plaster lattice and, as you can see, they suffered a lot from all sorts of bad weather, rains, whirlwinds and autumn changes. Only two of the windows were open, the others were covered with shutters or even boarded up...” “... my kitchen is low, very nasty, and the chimney has completely collapsed: if you start heating, you’ll start a fire...” |
| Plyushkin's room | “... he finally found himself in the light and was amazed at the chaos that appeared. It seemed as if the floors were being washed in the house and all the furniture had been piled here for a while...” (Chichikov’s impression) “...It would have been impossible to say that there was a living creature living in this room if his presence had not been announced by the old, worn cap lying on the table...” |
| Village and Plyushkin's estate |
“... He noticed some special disrepair in all the village buildings: the logs on the huts were dark and old; many roofs were leaky like a sieve; on others there was only a ridge at the top and poles on the sides in the form of ribs..." “... The windows in the huts were without glass, others were covered with a rag or a zipun; balconies under roofs with railings […] are askew and blackened, not even picturesquely…” “... A crowd of buildings: human buildings, barns, cellars, apparently dilapidated, filled the courtyard; near them, to the right and left, gates to other courtyards were visible. Everything said that farming had once taken place here on an extensive scale, and everything now looked gloomy. Nothing was noticeable to enliven the picture: no doors opening, no people coming out from somewhere, no living troubles and worries at home! |
| Peasants of Plyushkin | “... Meanwhile, on the farm, income was collected as before: a man had to bring the same amount of rent, every woman was obliged to bring the same amount of nuts; the weaver had to weave the same number of pieces of canvas - it all fell into the storerooms, and everything became rotten and a hole, and he himself finally turned into some kind of hole in humanity ... " “... After all, my people are either a thief or a swindler: they will steal so much in a day that there will be nothing to hang a caftan on...” (P. about his peasants) |
| Plyushkin about the past |
“... But there was a time when he was just a thrifty owner! he was married and a family man, and a neighbor came to him for lunch, to listen and learn from him about housekeeping and wise stinginess...” “... The owner himself came to the table in a frock coat, although somewhat worn, but neat, the elbows were in order: there was no patch anywhere...” (Plyushkin in the past) “... two pretty daughters […] son, a broken boy...” “... the good housewife died...” (about Plyushkin’s wife) |
| Plyushkin's greed | “... Plyushkin became more restless and, like all widowers, more suspicious and stingy. […] The owner’s stinginess began to become more noticeable […] Finally, the last daughter […] died, and the old man found himself alone as the guardian, guardian and owner of his wealth...” “... Why would Plyushkin seem to need such a destruction of such products? in his entire life he would not have had to use it even for two such estates as he had, but even this seemed not enough to him...” “... the hay and bread rotted, the luggage and stacks turned into pure manure, even if you planted cabbage on them, the flour in the cellars turned into stone, and it was necessary to chop it, it was scary to touch cloth, linens and household materials: they turned to dust. He had already forgotten how much he had... |
Conclusion
The image of Plyushkin and the characteristics of his essence serve illustrative example to how much a person can sink morally and physically. It is no coincidence that the author calls this hero “a hole in humanity.”
Plyushkin is not interested in spiritual development his personality, he is indifferent to his own inner world. The landowner is characterized by pettiness, stinginess and a complete lack of deep feelings. There is no shame, no conscience, no sympathy in him.
The name Plyushkina became a household name. It denotes pathological greed, pettiness and stinginess. IN modern world the so-called “Plyushkin syndrome” occurs quite often and characterizes those people who strive for the aimless accumulation of material resources.
Plyushkin with his whole appearance and unfriendly meeting puzzled Chichikov to such an extent that he immediately could not figure out where to start the conversation. In order to win over the gloomy old man and gain benefit for himself, he decides to try to influence him with such a flowery speech, which would combine respect for the owner, and the courtesy of Chichikov himself and his ability to dress his thoughts in a decent manner. cultured person book form.
The initial version was outlined by Chichikov as follows: “Having heard a lot about the virtue and rare properties of the soul (of the owner), ... I considered it my duty to personally pay tribute.” This option was instantly rejected, as it was too much. Chichikov replaces the moral and psychological nature of his “introduction” with an economic one (this is both more specific and closer to the point) and says that “having heard a lot about his economy and rare management of estates, ... he considered it a duty to get acquainted and personally pay his respects.”
When Plyushkin shows irritation from the very first words and begins to complain about his poverty, Chichikov deftly turns the conversation towards his goal: “However, they told me that you have more than a thousand souls.”
And Plyushkin’s next bilious remark, where he involuntarily touched upon the fever that was killing off his men, i.e., precisely the topic that interests the guest, Chichikov skillfully picks up and again leads directly to what he needs, but outwardly combines it with expression of participation: “Tell me! and starved a lot?” Chichikov is in a hurry to find out the number and cannot hide his joy at the upcoming profit. Hence: a stream of interrogative sentences: “How many in number... No... Really? A hundred and twenty?”
The businessman in him began to speak, and Chichikov forgot even about expressing condolences. However, he soon comes to his senses and decides to combine an expression of condolences with a practical matter, stating all this respectfully, even somewhat bookishly: “For your pleasure, I am ready to take a loss.” “This is how we will do it: we will make a deed of sale on them.” “Being motivated by participation..., I am ready to give.” “I suddenly understood your character. So, why not give me...”
It is not for nothing that Gogol twice here speaks of Chichikov like this: “he expressed his readiness.” Once Chichikov even literally repeats Plyushkin’s words: “I’ll fasten the buckle for two kopecks, if you please.” Thus, observations of the speech of Chichikov, as well as other main characters of the poem, convince us of the enormous skill that Gogol possessed in depicting characters by means of their individual speech characteristics.
Linguistic characterization is a brilliant means of revealing not only the central characters, but also the secondary characters of the poem. Gogol masters the art of linguistic characterization to such perfection that he minor characters are endowed with exclusively expressive, distinctive speech that is unique to them.
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In Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" all the characters have collective and typical traits. Each of the landowners whom Chichikov visits with his strange request for the purchase and sale of “dead souls” personifies one of the characteristic images of the landowners of Gogol’s modernity. Gogol’s poem in terms of describing the characters of landowners is interesting primarily because Nikolai Vasilyevich was a foreigner in relation to Russian people, Ukrainian society was closer to him, so Gogol was able to notice specific features character and behavior of certain types of people.
Plyushkin's age and appearance
One of the landowners whom Chichikov visits is Plyushkin. Before the moment of personal acquaintance, Chichikov already knew something about this landowner - mainly it was information about his stinginess. Chichikov knew that thanks to this trait, Plyushkin’s serfs were “dying like flies,” and those who did not die were running away from him.
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In the eyes of Chichikov, Plyushkin became an important candidate - he had the opportunity to buy up many “dead souls.”
However, Chichikov was not ready to see Plyushkin’s estate and get to know him personally - the picture that opened before him plunged him into bewilderment, Plyushkin himself also did not stand out from the general background.
To his horror, Chichikov realized that the person he mistook for the housekeeper was in fact not the housekeeper, but the landowner Plyushkin himself. Plyushkin could have been mistaken for anyone, but not for the richest landowner in the district: he was extremely skinny, his face was slightly elongated and just as terribly skinny as his body. His eyes were small and unusually lively for an old man. The chin was very long. His appearance was complemented by a toothless mouth.
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Plyushkin's clothes were absolutely not like clothes; they could hardly even be called that. Plyushkin paid absolutely no attention to his suit - he was worn out to such an extent that his clothes began to look like rags. It was quite possible for Plyushkin to be mistaken for a tramp.
Natural aging processes were also added to this appearance - at the time of the story, Plyushkin was about 60 years old.
The problem of the name and the meaning of the surname
Plyushkin's name never appears in the text; it is likely that this was done deliberately. In this way, Gogol emphasizes Plyushkin’s detachment, the callousness of his character and the lack of a humanistic principle in the landowner.
There is, however, a point in the text that can help reveal the name Plyushkin. The landowner from time to time calls his daughter by her patronymic - Stepanovna, this fact gives the right to say that Plyushkin was called Stepan.
It is unlikely that this character's name was chosen as a specific symbol. Translated from Greek, Stepan means “crown, diadem” and indicates a permanent attribute of the goddess Hera. It is unlikely that this information was decisive when choosing a name, which cannot be said about the hero’s surname.
In Russian, the word “plyushkin” is used to nominate a person characterized by stinginess and a mania for accumulating raw materials and material resources without any purpose.
Marital status of Plyushkin
At the time of the story, Plyushkin is a lonely person leading an ascetic lifestyle. He has been a widow for a long time. Once upon a time, Plyushkin’s life was different - his wife brought the meaning of life into Plyushkin’s being, she stimulated the emergence of positive qualities in him, contributed to the emergence of humanistic qualities. They had three children in their marriage - two girls and a boy.
At that time, Plyushkin was not at all like a petty miser. He happily received guests and was a sociable and open person.
Plyushkin was never a spender, but his stinginess had its reasonable limits. His clothes were not new - he usually wore a frock coat, it was noticeably worn, but looked very decent, there wasn’t even a single patch on it.
Reasons for character change
After the death of his wife, Plyushkin completely succumbed to his grief and apathy. Most likely, he did not have a predisposition to communicate with children, he was of little interest and fascination with the process of education, so the motivation to live and be reborn for the sake of children did not work for him.
Later, he begins to develop a conflict with his older children - as a result, they, tired of constant grumbling and deprivation, leave their father’s house without his permission. The daughter gets married without Plyushkin’s blessing, and the son starts marriage military service. Such freedom became the reason for Plyushkin’s anger - he curses his children. The son was categorical towards his father - he completely broke off contact with him. The daughter still did not abandon her father, despite this attitude towards her family, she visits the old man from time to time and brings her children to him. Plyushkin does not like to bother with his grandchildren and perceives their meetings extremely coolly.
Plyushkin's youngest daughter died as a child.
Thus, Plyushkin remained alone in his large estate.
Plyushkin's estate
Plyushkin was considered the richest landowner in the district, but Chichikov, who came to his estate, thought it was a joke - Plyushkin’s estate was in a dilapidated state - repairs had not been made to the house for many years. Moss could be seen on the wooden elements of the house, the windows in the house were boarded up - it seemed that no one actually lived here.
Plyushkin's house was huge, now it was empty - Plyushkin lived alone in the whole house. Because of its desolation, the house resembled ancient castle.
The inside of the house was not much different from appearance. Since most of the windows in the house were boarded up, the house was incredibly dark and it was difficult to see anything. The only place where he penetrated sunlight– these are Plyushkin’s personal rooms.
An incredible mess reigned in Plyushkin's room. It seems that the place has never been cleaned - everything was covered in cobwebs and dust. Broken things were lying everywhere, which Plyushkin did not dare to throw away, because he thought that he might still need them.
The garbage was also not thrown out anywhere, but was piled right there in the room. Plyushkin's desk was no exception - important papers and documents lay mixed in with trash.
Behind Plyushkin's house there is a huge garden. Like everything else in the estate, it is in disrepair. No one has looked after the trees for a long time, the garden is overgrown with weeds and small bushes that are entwined with hops, but even in this form the garden is beautiful, it stands out sharply against the background of deserted houses and dilapidated buildings.
Features of Plyushkin's relationship with serfs
Plyushkin is far from the ideal of a landowner; he behaves rudely and cruelly with his serfs. Sobakevich, talking about his attitude towards the serfs, claims that Plyushkin starves his subjects, which significantly increases the mortality rate among the serfs. The appearance of Plyushkin’s serfs confirms these words - they are excessively thin, immeasurably skinny.
It is not surprising that many serfs run away from Plyushkin - life on the run is more attractive.
Sometimes Plyushkin pretends to take care of his serfs - he goes into the kitchen and checks whether they are eating well. However, he does this for a reason - while undergoing food quality control, Plyushkin manages to eat to his heart’s content. Of course, this trick was not hidden from the peasants and became a reason for discussion.
Plyushkin always accuses his serfs of theft and fraud - he believes that the peasants are always trying to rob him. But the situation looks completely different - Plyushkin has intimidated his peasants so much that they are afraid to take at least something for themselves without the knowledge of the landowner.
The tragedy of the situation is also created by the fact that warehouse space Plyushkin's are overflowing with food, almost all of it becomes unusable and then thrown away. Of course, Plyushkin could give the surplus to his serfs, thereby improving their living conditions and raising his authority in their eyes, but greed takes over - it’s easier for him to throw away unsuitable things than to do a good deed.
Characteristics of personal qualities
In his old age, Plyushkin became an unpleasant type due to his quarrelsome character. People began to avoid him, neighbors and friends began to visit less and less, and then they stopped communicating with him altogether.
After the death of his wife, Plyushkin preferred a solitary way of life. He believed that guests always do harm - instead of doing something truly useful, you have to spend time in empty conversations.
By the way, this position of Plyushkin did not bring desired results– his estate steadily fell into disrepair until it finally took on the appearance of an abandoned village.
There are only two joys in the life of the old man Plyushkin - scandals and the accumulation of finances and raw materials. Sincerely speaking, he gives himself wholeheartedly to both one and the other.
Plyushkin surprisingly has the talent to notice any little things and even the most insignificant flaws. In other words, he is overly picky about people. He is unable to express his comments calmly - he mainly shouts and scolds his servants.
Plyushkin is not capable of doing anything good. He is a callous and cruel person. He is indifferent to the fate of his children - he has lost contact with his son, and his daughter periodically tries to reconcile, but the old man stops these attempts. He believes that they have a selfish goal - his daughter and son-in-law want to enrich themselves at his expense.
Thus, Plyushkin is a terrible landowner who lives for a specific purpose. In general, he is endowed with negative character traits. The landowner himself does not realize the true results of his actions - he seriously thinks that he is a caring landowner. In fact, he is a tyrant, ruining and destroying the destinies of people.
Plyushkin in the poem “Dead Souls”: analysis of the hero, image and characteristics
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