Further actions of the nostril. Characteristics of Nozdryov in the poem “Dead Souls”: description of appearance and character in quotes

In the first half of the 19th century, many writers assigned a huge role to the theme of Russia in their work. At that time, a ruthless tyranny of landowners and officials reigned, and the life of the peasants was unbearably difficult. The life of serf Russia is reflected in many works. One of them was the novel-poem written by N.V. Gogol, “Dead Souls.” The image of Nozdryov, as well as Chichikov, Manilov and other heroes, is very vivid and outlines the attitude to reality of all representatives of the aristocracy of that time. The author in his work tried to convey to readers the immorality that reigned at that time in all its manifestations.

General sentiments in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century

Domestic government system at that time developed with an emphasis on serfdom. Important moral values were relegated to the background, and position in society and money were considered priorities. People did not strive for the best; they were not interested in either science or art. They did not try to leave descendants absolutely nothing cultural heritage. In achieving his goal - wealth - a person stops at nothing. He will deceive, steal, betray, sell. The current situation could not but worry thinking people, those who were far from indifferent to the fate of the Fatherland.

Representatives of the aristocracy in the work

The name "Dead Souls" was not chosen by chance by the author. It is very symbolic and perfectly reflects the mood of serf Russia. The author did not spare paint, depicting a whole gallery of faces, showing the spiritual decline that threatens the fatherland. At the beginning of the story, the reader is introduced to Manilov - an idle dreamer, a visionary. The series of portraits ends with the image of Plyushkin. This representative of the nobility appeared as “a hole in humanity.” In the work "Dead Souls" the image of Nozdryov appears approximately in the middle. In him you can see something from Plyushkin, something from Manilov.

Characteristics of Nozdrev’s image

For the first time in the work he appears in the city of NN. The reader does not learn anything special about him except that he was a card sharper. His whole being was somehow absurd: he was ridiculous, he spoke nonsense, without thinking about the consequences of his statements. The author himself, depicting the image of Nozdryov, speaks of him as a “broken guy.” Actually, this is true, and all the hero’s actions emphasize this. Nozdryov got used to thinking little about the future. So, for example, he exchanged his winnings at cards for absolutely unnecessary items and things, which he lost to other, more successful players the very next day. All this, according to Gogol himself, was due to some kind of nimbleness, liveliness and restlessness of the character of the hero. This “energy” forced Nozdryov to commit other actions, most of them rash and spontaneous.

Hero's Vices

Everything that Nozdryov has - purebred dogs, horses - is the best. But the hero’s boasting often has no basis. Despite the fact that his possessions border on someone else's forest, he speaks of it as his own. Illustrating the image of the landowner Nozdryov, it is impossible not to mention all the situations in which he found himself. Either he is taken out of a noble meeting, or he takes part in a fight. One of the character's distinguishing features is his tendency to do nasty things to people. Moreover, the closer he got to the person, the stronger his desire to annoy him. So, Nozdryov upsets weddings and trade deals. However, he himself perceived his actions as mischief, not considering them offensive. Moreover, Nozdryov was even sincerely surprised if he heard that one of his acquaintances was offended by him.

Main features of the hero

Revealing the image of Nozdryov, the author depicts vulgarity in a kind of deceitfully impudent form. Its origins can be traced to the comedies of Aristophanes and Plautus. However, there is a lot in the character that is originally Russian and national. Nozdrev's main traits are boasting, arrogance, a tendency to rowdy, unpredictability, and energy. As the author himself notes, people of this type are, as a rule, “reckless, revelers, talkers,” and in their faces you can always see something direct, daring, open. Among other things, they love to go for walks and are avid gamers. They are distinguished by sociability, combined with unceremoniousness. Sometimes it seems that friendship with them can last a very long time, but such people can fight with a “new acquaintance” at a party that same evening.

Contrast between internal and external in a character

The description of Nozdryov’s image in the work is quite clear. When portraying the hero, the author does not regret artistic means. The character portrait is expressive. Outwardly, he is a man of average height, well built, with ruddy, full cheeks, snow-white teeth and tar-colored sideburns. He was a fresh, healthy young man with physical strength. In the episode of the poem, the reader can trace the tradition of Russian heroism. However, the image of Nozdryov is a comic reflection of epic motifs. The contrast between his internal and external features is very noticeable. Nozdryov’s lifestyle is the direct opposite of his actions epic heroes. Everything that the character in the poem does makes no sense, and his “exploits” do not extend beyond a fight at a fair or card cheating. The image of Nozdryov comically reflects the motif of a “broad soul”, “daring revelry” - primordially Russian traits. The whole appearance of the character is only the appearance of that national “breadth” in in a good way. The hero not only cannot lay claim to “spiritual breadth,” but also displays absolutely opposite qualities. Nozdryov is a drunkard, impudent and a liar. At the same time, he is cowardly and completely insignificant.

Character's household

Depicting the landscape present in the episode of Chichikov’s visit to Nozdryov, the author points out the owner’s carelessness. His economy was in a very disorganized state and completely fell into disrepair. This, again, indicates a lack of orderliness and thoughtfulness in Nozdryov’s lifestyle. In his stable, the stalls were empty, the house was neglected, and it was in disarray. The only place that was properly maintained was the kennel. On it, the landowner felt like a “father of the family.” According to a number of critics, the hero himself is somewhat like a dog: he can bark and cuddle at the same time. Nozdryov’s character traits are also reflected in the interior of the house. There are no papers or books in his office. However, the walls are hung with sabers, guns, Turkish daggers and various pipes. The barrel organ is symbolic in this interior. There is one trumpet in this subject that just didn’t want to calm down. This detail was a kind of symbol of the character’s character. It shows the irrepressible energy, restlessness and agility of the hero.

Nozdryov's behavior

The hero's energy pushes him to various feats. So, for example, having a tendency to exchange, everything that he has is instantly exchanged for something else. The hero immediately spends the money that appears at the fair, buying all sorts of completely smoking candles, clamps, pistols, pots, tobacco, raisins, and so on. But all purchased items are rarely delivered home, since he can lose everything on the same day. Despite the disorder of his life in general, Nozdryov shows consistency that is surprising to him when making a deal with Chichikov. The landowner is trying to sell everything he can: dogs, a stallion, a barrel organ. Afterwards, Nozdryov starts a game of checkers and an exchange of chaises. But Chichikov notices the trickery and abandons the game. Nozdryov’s manners are also peculiar. His speech is always emotional, varied in composition, he speaks loudly, often screaming. But the image of Nozdryov is static in the sense that he appears to the reader as already fully formed. The hero's backstory is closed, and no internal changes occur to the character during the course of the story.

Conclusion

Gogol, portraying Nozdryov, created a colorful and easily recognizable character. The hero is a typical braggart, reckless driver, talker, debater, rowdy, reveler. He doesn't mind drinking at all and loves to play. However, despite all the “typicality”, some details and individual little things give the character individuality. The entire story is permeated with a fair amount of humor. However, the work depicts the heroes, their characters, manners, actions and behavior, reporting on a rather serious problem of that time - the loss of morality and spirituality. Gogol's novel-poem is “laughter through tears.” The author created the work, tormented by the question of what if people don’t come to their senses and start changing.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was a very bilious person and drew images for his characters in the poem “Dead Souls” from his friends, acquaintances and acquaintances. Fortunately, the society at that time was small and almost everyone knew each other.

So Nozdryov was depicted by Gogol with two very famous people. The appearance and image are from Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, yes, our great poet, and the character is from the legendary, but half-forgotten Count Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy.

An American (a relative of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy), a desperate fidget, a duelist, a gambler and an adventurer. He traveled with Kruzenshtern and Rezanov to America, managed to get everyone to quarrel and even wanted to seize ships and pirate, was landed on the Aleutian Islands, managed to get out of there, and reached St. Petersburg on foot from Kamchatka. He fought in several wars and the War of 1812, was demoted to the ranks of soldiers twice, but retired as a colonel, killed eleven people in duels, and so on and so forth.

Fyodor Tolstoy was close in character to Pushkin; they were friends and probably joked and teased the withdrawn Gogol. It was with Nozdrev that he took it out on them.

Nozdryov's age in the poem is 35 years. He is young, healthy and very energetic:

“He was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns. He was as fresh as blood and milk; health seemed to be dripping from his face. .."

Gogol pays special attention to his sideburns:

“...his thick and very good sideburns...” - which, however, often thinned out after Nozdryov was beaten for them for his next prank.

Nozdryov’s irrepressible energy makes him lie, cheat, bully everyone around him:

“Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person. Not a single meeting where he was present was complete without a story. Some story would certainly happen: either the gendarmes would lead him out of the hall by the arm, or his own friends would be forced to push him out.”

He is incorrigibly gambling - cards, checkers, bets, anything to compete and argue. Nozdryov is always on first name terms with people, he always holds on to his familiarity, to his best comrade. But he can’t resist doing something mean to his friend:

“There are people who have a passion to spoil their neighbors, sometimes for no reason at all... Nozdryov had the same strange passion.”

At the same time, he is not malicious, not vindictive: he lies, and puts up, and acts meanly from the bottom of his heart.

"...what can only happen in Rus', after a few time he already met again with those friends who were pestering him, and met as if nothing had happened.."

It is clear from everything that Gogol was sharply disliked this type of people. Nikolai Vasilyevich expressed his attitude towards Nozdryov in the words of coachman Chichikov:

“What a nasty master!” Selifan thought to himself. “I have never seen such a master. I mean, I should spit on him for that!”

For the first time in the work he appears in the city of NN. The reader does not learn anything special about him except that he was a card sharper. His whole being was somehow absurd: he was ridiculous, he spoke nonsense, without thinking about the consequences of his statements.

The author himself, depicting the image of Nozdryov, speaks of him as a “broken guy.” Actually, this is true, and all the hero’s actions emphasize this. Nozdryov is used to living for today, thinking little about the future. So, for example, he exchanged his winnings at cards for absolutely unnecessary items and things, which he lost to other, more successful players the very next day.

All this, according to Gogol himself, was due to some kind of nimbleness, liveliness and restlessness of the character of the hero. This “energy” forced Nozdryov to commit other actions, most of them rash and spontaneous.

Tasks:

• the formation of ideas about the role of the landowner Nozdryov in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”;
• development of skills in characterizing a literary character;
• development of imaginative thinking.

Equipment:

• illustrations of B. Kustodiev’s paintings “Merchant’s Wife at Tea”, “Tavern”, “Innkeeper”, “Fair”, “Still Life with Pheasants”;
• illustrations by P. M. Boklevsky (“Nozdryov”) to N. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”.

Characteristics plan(offered to students before analyzing the topic as homework for the previous lesson):

1. Nozdryov. His role in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”:

a) portrait characteristics of the hero; the role of the portrait in understanding the essence of the hero;

b) Nozdryov’s speech, examples of vivid words and expressions; the role of speech characteristics;

c) Nozdryov’s estate, office interior;

d) what is the significance of the remark that “dinner, apparently, was not the main thing in Nozdryov’s life; the dishes did not play a big role: some were burnt, some were not cooked at all”;

e) Nozdryov’s reaction to Chichikov’s proposal to sell dead souls;

g) what is the purpose of introducing a character into the text of the poem.

2. What new features of Chichikov’s nature appear before the reader? How does he reveal himself in communication with Nozdryov?

Lesson progress

I. Immersion in the topic.

Presentation of illustrations of B. Kustodiev’s paintings “Merchant’s Wife at Tea”, “Still Life with Pheasants”, “Inn”, “Innkeeper”, “Fair”.

• What associations do you have when you perceive these illustrations?
• Why are they presented at the beginning of the conversation about the landowner Nozdryov?
• What is the similarity between these illustrations and the content of chapter 4 of the poem “Dead Souls,” which tells about Nozdryov?

The paintings show the fullness of life, a riot of colors, bright colorful personalities, vanity, transience of the moment, dynamics. The subjects of the paintings somehow reflect distinctive features Nozdryov's nature. The illustrations help to penetrate Nozdryov’s world, the world of extravagance, “extraordinary lightness,” the world of impetuosity, some kind of higher emotionality, the world of openness and “love” for everyone.

II. Study of the text in connection with the topic.

1. Portrait characteristics the hero and the role of the portrait in understanding the essence of the hero’s character.

Chapter 4: He was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns, he was as fresh as blood and milk; his health seemed to be dripping from his face.

The main details of the portrait are rosy cheeks, freshness of face, keyword portrait - health. The details reflect the essence of the hero’s inner portrait, his broken character, his senseless actions. Just as his health overflows, so his emotionality goes beyond all boundaries.

2. The hero's speech. Examples of the most striking and typical words and expressions of the hero. The role of speech characteristics.

As a man is, so is his speech (Cicero):

And I, brother,...

Blown away...

Swelled, lost everything...

Kiss me, soul, death love you...

Banchishka

Distortion French words: burdashka, bonbon, rosette, bezeshka, superflu.

Nozdryov's speech is as sparkling as his nature. This speech cannot be called fearless, this is the speech of an emotional, assertive person who does not care about tomorrow. The main values ​​of life are partying, drinking, dogs, and in general everything that is called “carousing.” This is a person distinguished by “restless briskness and liveliness of character,” as Gogol put it. All this is reflected in the hero’s speech.

But is it only negative that we can see in the speech portrait of the hero?

We cannot say that Nozdryov is devoid of creativity. His speech is a game with generally accepted words, and not every person is capable of this game. Nozdryov is busy with speech creation. Note his experiments with French words.

3. Nozdryov's estate. His house. What significance does the interior play for understanding the essence of Nozdryov’s nature?

Stable: two horses, the rest of the stalls are empty.

A pond in which there was a fish of such size that two people could hardly pull it out.

Kennel: the most worthy sight on Nozdryov’s estate.

Mill: “then we went to inspect the water mill, where the flutter was missing, into which the top stone, which quickly rotates on a spindle, is installed - “fluttering,” in the wonderful expression of the Russian peasant.”

Nozdryov's House:

Cabinet. However, there were no visible traces of what happens in offices, that is, books or paper; Only sabers and two guns hung - one worth three hundred, and the other eight hundred rubles.

The barrel organ: it played not without joy, but in the middle of it, it seems, something happened, for the mazurka ended with the song: “Malbrug went on a hike,” and “Malbrug went on a hike” unexpectedly ended with some long-familiar waltz. Nozdryov had long ago stopped whistling, but there was one very lively pipe in the barrel organ, which did not want to calm down, and for a long time afterwards it whistled alone.

Pipes: wooden, clay, meerschaum, smoked and unsmoked, covered with suede and not covered, a pipe with an amber mouthpiece, recently won, a pouch embroidered by some countess, somewhere at the post station, who fell head over heels in love with him, whose handles in his words, were the most sublime superflue - a word that probably meant to him highest point perfection.

Nozdryov is a Russian landowner, but a landowner devoid of any spiritual life. Maybe he devotes all his energy to managing the estate and has no time to immerse himself in reading? No, the estate has long been abandoned, there is no rational management. Consequently, there is neither spiritual nor material life, but there is emotional life, which has absorbed everything. Constant lies, the desire to argue, passion, the inability to suppress one’s feelings - this is what constitutes the essence of Nozdryov. For a Russian landowner, hunting is one of the components of life, and for Nozdryov the kennel replaced everything. He is a certain Troekurov, who has lost power and influence, and has changed his rough, strong nature.

4. What is the significance of Gogol’s remark that “dinner, apparently, was not the main thing in Nozdryov’s life; the dishes did not play a big role: some were burnt, some were not cooked at all”? Remember that both Manilov and Korobochka Chichikov are treated well, and the description of the dinner takes up quite a bit of space in the chapter.

Lunch, eating food, abundance and variety of dishes is a symbolic designation of animal life in Gogol. Thus, the author emphasizes that the hero is devoid of spirituality. Nozdryov is depicted as an extremely emotional person, in whom there are living feelings, although distorted, so there is no description of eating food here.

5. How does Nozdryov react to Chichikov’s proposal to sell dead souls? How to evaluate Nozdryov’s behavior after Chichikov’s refusal to continue playing checkers?

This broken fellow is devoid of any moral principles, social preferences, this is a kind of childishness, a kind of primitivism, a prehistoric existence of relationships.

III. Key takeaways from the lesson

1. What new features of Chichikov’s nature appear before the reader? How does he reveal himself in communication with Nozdryov?

Chichikov is, of course, the antipode of Nozdryov. The conditions in which Pavel Ivanovich was formed forced him to hide his emotions and desires, forced him to think first, then act, made him prudent and enterprising. In Chichikov there is no emotionality, no recklessness, no stupidity, no “life over the edge.” The hero of the new capitalist era, the era of selfishness and calculation, is deprived strong emotions, which means he is deprived of the feeling of the fullness of life. These thoughts come to us precisely at the moment of reading the chapter about Nozdryov. Thus, the chapter represents the type of Russian landowner, but it also reveals a lot about the nature of the main character, Chichikov.

• Nozdryov at the age of 35 was exactly the same as he was at eighteen and twenty: a lover of a walk;
• He's at home more than a day I couldn’t sit still;
• He had a passion for cards;
• He did not play entirely sinlessly and purely;
• Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person;
• The closer someone got with him, the more likely he was to annoy everyone: he spread a fable, the stupidest of which is difficult to invent, upset a wedding, a trade deal...;
• Restless agility and liveliness of character;
• Nozdryov is a trash person.

Home national trait Russian character – openness, “breadth of soul.” In Nozdryov, Gogol depicts how this trait is distorted if there is no spiritual life.

IV. Homework

A written answer to the question: “What human type does Gogol depict when representing the landowner Nozdryov?”

The role of the episode in the poem by N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls" "Chichikov at Nozdryov's"

History of creation:

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol worked on the poem “Dead Souls” abroad. The first volume was published in 1841. The writer planned to write the poem in three parts. His task in this work was to show Rossi with negative side, as he himself said, “on one side.”

This poem shows a separate landowner Chichikov, Russian society, Russian people, economy (economy of landowners).

The title “Dead Souls”, I think, has a double meaning. On the one hand, N.V. Gogol included in the title the souls of the dead peasants, about whom so much is said in the poem. On the other hand, these are the “Dead Souls” of landowners. The writer showed here all the callousness, the emptiness of the soul, the idleness of life, all the ignorance of the landowners.

The story about Captain Kopeikin shows the attitude of officials towards to the common people, the fact that the state does not respect people who gave their health, and in many cases, their lives for it; that the state for which they fought in the War of 1812 does not fulfill its promises, does not care about these people.

There are many episodes in this poem. I think they can even be divided into groups. One group is the episodes of Chichikov’s visits to landowners. I think this group is the most important in the poem. I want to describe, perhaps even comment on, one episode from this group - this is the episode when Chichikov visits the landowner Nozdryov. The action took place in the fourth chapter.

After visiting Korobochka, Chichikov stopped at the tavern for lunch and to give the horses a rest. He asked the owner of the tavern about the landowners, and, as was his custom, Chichikov began asking the owner about her family and life. As he talked and ate, he heard the sound of the wheels of an approaching carriage. Nozdryov and his companion, son-in-law Mezhuev, got out of the chaise.

Then we went to the office. There they had a disagreement due to our hero’s reluctance to play cards. Before the quarrel, Chichikov offered to buy “dead souls” from Nozdryov. Nozdryov began to set his own conditions, but Chichikov did not accept any of them.

After the conversation, Chichikov was left alone with himself.

The next day they began to play checkers on the condition: if our hero wins, then his soul; if he loses, then “there is no trial.” The author characterizes Nozdryov as follows: “He was of average height, a very well-built fellow, with full pleasant cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns. It was fresh, like blood and salt; health seemed to be dripping from his face.”

Nodryov joined our hero, told about the fair, that he was blown to smithereens there. Then Chichikov, Nozdryov and Mezhuev’s son-in-law went to Nozdryov’s. After dinner, Mezhuev’s son-in-law left. Chichikov and Nozdryov, as usual, began to “cheat.” Chichikov noticed this and became indignant, after which a quarrel ensued and they began waving their hands at each other. Nozdryov called his servants Pavlusha and Porfiry and began shouting to them: “Beat him, beat him!” Chichikov turned pale, his soul “sank to his feet.” And if it weren’t for the police captain, who entered the room to announce to Nozdryov that he was in custody for inflicting a personal insult with rods while drunk on the landowner Maximov; be our hero severely crippled. While the captain was announcing the notice to Nozdryov, Chichikov quickly took his hat, went downstairs, got into the chaise and ordered Selifan to drive the horses at full speed.

I think the theme of this episode was to show, characterize the person who played not last role in the life of our hero. In my opinion,
N.V. Gogol also wanted to show with this episode all the “recklessness” of the young landowners, including Nozdryov. Here the writer showed how young landowners like Nozdryov, and in principle like all landowners, do nothing more than “hang around” at balls and fairs, play cards, drink “ungodly,” think only about themselves and how to be mean to others.

Episode Role :

This episode played a big role in the poem; Nozdryov, annoyed with Chichikov when he visited him, betrayed him at the governor’s ball. But Chichikov was saved by the fact that everyone knew Nozdryov as a liar, a hypocrite, a bully, so his words were perceived as “the ravings of a madman,” as a joke, as a lie, whatever, but not as the truth.

While reading this episode, my impressions varied from beginning to end. At the beginning of the episode, the actions were not very interesting for me: this is when Chichikov met Nozdryov, how they were driving to his house. Then I gradually began to be indignant at Nozdryov’s boorish behavior - this is when, after dinner, Chichikov offered to buy “dead souls” from him, and Nozdryov began to wonder why he needed this. All of Chichikov’s attempts to pull the wool over Nozdryov’s ears were thwarted by him. Nozdryov said that Chichikov was a big swindler and that if he were his boss, he would have hanged him from the first tree. While reading, I was outraged by Nozdryov’s behavior towards Chichikov; after all, Chichikov is his guest.

Then exciting actions took place, this is when the next day after Chichikov arrived at Nozdryov’s, they began to play checkers. I have already stated this point. I was worried about the situation that was heating up during the game of checkers; things were heading towards a quarrel, a fight.

There were a lot of things that happened in this episode, but those were the actions that stayed with me.

Artistic details :

First, let's see how the author describes the tavern: “A darkened wooden, narrow, hospitable canopy on carved wooden posts, similar to ancient church candlesticks; the tavern was something like a Russian hut, several in large size, carved patterned cornices made of fresh wood around the windows and under the roof sharply and vividly dazzled its dark walls; there were jugs of flowers painted on the shutters; narrow wooden staircase, wide entryway. The interior of the tavern: a frost-covered samovar, scraped walls, a three-coal cabinet with teapots and cups in the corner, gilded porcelain eggs in front of images hanging on blue and red ribbons, a recently fallen cat, a mirror showing four eyes instead of two, and some kind of face instead flatbread; finally, bunches of fragrant herbs and carnations were stuck near the images, dried to such an extent that those who wanted to smell them only sneezed, and nothing more.”

Let's move on to the description of Nozdryov's household: in the house there were wooden trestles in the middle of the dining room. In the stable there were two mares, one dappled gray, the other a brown stallion, empty stalls; a pond, a water mill, where there was not enough flutter; forge. Nozdryov’s office: “There were no visible traces of books or paper in it, only sabers and two guns hung.” This suggests that Nozdryov was not interested in anything, did not take care of his farming, everything was neglected.

The hero's inner world in this episode:

Let's pay attention to inner world our hero in this episode. Here Chichikov at some points did not know what to answer Nozdryov to his annoying questions. It was in moments like this when Nozdryov asked him: “Why do you need them (dead souls)?”

In this episode, Chichikov, I think, felt awkward because of Nozdryov’s boorish behavior: he is offended by him, since our hero’s pride was affected. After Chichikov quarreled with Nozdryov after dinner because he did not play cards with him, he remained in the most unfavorable mood. The author describes his thoughts and feelings this way: “He was internally annoyed with himself for visiting them and wasting his time. But he scolded himself even more for talking to Nozdryov about the matter, acting carelessly, like a child, like a fool: for the matter was not at all of the kind that should be entrusted to Nozdryov. Nozdryov is a rubbish person, Nozdryov can lie, add, spread rumors and the devil knows what kind of gossip, not good, not good. “I’m just a fool,” he said to himself.”

I think that in this episode Chichikov behaved tolerantly and restrained, despite Nozdryov’s boorish behavior. But this is understandable, because our hero wants to achieve his goal at any cost.

In my opinion, the author wanted to show with this episode that not everything in life is as simple as one would like. That if everything turned out fine with Korobochka, then with Nozdryov everything went very abnormally - in life there are both white and black stripes.

I also think that this episode teaches us that we need to know a person very well, study him carefully before trusting him. After all, what happened with Chichikov: he trusted Nozdryov about the “dead souls,” and Nozdryov betrayed him by telling everyone about this matter.

But I repeat, Chichikov was saved by the fact that everyone considered Nozdryov a liar, no one believed him. Such luck may not happen in life.