The main parts of the composition of dead souls. The composition of the poem “Dead Souls” and its features (Gogol N
Nikolai Vasilyevich spent a long time thinking about what the meaning of the novel would be. As a result, I came to the conclusion that it was necessary to show all of Rus', the people with all the shortcomings, negative traits, contradictory characters. Gogol wanted to touch people, to show them what was happening in the world, what they should be afraid of. He wanted readers, after reading his work, to think about the problems posed in the work.
Nikolai Vasilyevich revealed the hidden corners of the human soul, manifestations of character in different situations, certain shortcomings that interfere with the conduct happy life. He wrote his creation not only for specific people living in certain time, but also for all generations. He was worried about a future in which what was depicted in the novel might be repeated. He showed by all means how “dead” the souls of people can be, and how difficult it is to awaken this soul and reach it. Gogol tried to expose Russia, to reveal negative qualities people, which, apparently, is not accepted by many readers for such treatment of the characters.
But there is no need to blame Gogol. He did what many could not: the writer managed to find the strength to convey the truth to people! The writer managed to reflect in his work what he planned.
The concept and composition of “Dead Souls”
The great writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was not accepted by many of his contemporaries, and all because they did not understand the entire underlying meaning of this or that work. Speaking about Gogol, it is impossible to ignore his magnificent novel “ Dead Souls", on which the writer worked for 17 years. It is worth considering that creative career Nikolai Vasilyevich was 23 years old. Therefore, it is clear that “Dead Souls” occupied a special place in Gogol’s life.
Faithful and reliable comrade A.S. Pushkin suggested the plot for this creation. It is noteworthy that the initial three chapters were created by Gogol in Russia, and the subsequent ones abroad. The work was hard, because Nikolai Vasilyevich thought through every detail and emphasized every word. Even the names in the novel became telling, because with this action the writer wanted to clearly expose the essence of wealthy people, show the character of the homeland, reveal the shortcomings and reveal the negative sides of people. Perhaps in connection with such an act, “Dead Souls” often succumbed to negative criticism, Gogol was attacked, because the truth that was told by the writer did not want to be accepted by the people, they were not ready for it.
Nikolai Vasilyevich, when creating the novel, did not want to miss anything. He dreamed of embodying in it everything that so disturbs and excites the soul. Therefore, the creator started many events associated with different mindsets of people, one hero Chichikov. Gogol depicted the everyday life of landowners. The character who travels to each active person reveals their shortcomings, which are inherent in any person. On the pages of the novel, readers can notice Manilov, who only does what he pictures of heavenly life, imagines something unattainable, instead of stopping to indulge himself with desires and getting down to business. It is noticeable that Manilov has an incorrect understanding of life, because dreaminess envelops him so much that it is quite difficult to get out of its whirlpool.
A reflection of complete lies, lies, and hypocrisy is shown in the character of Nozdryov, whom Chichikov also visits. Sobakevich also shows kulaks and an aggressive attitude towards people. One way or another, each character has its own trait, which is revealed by Chichikov. Drawing attention to the negative sides of the heroes, Gogol warns us that everyone should think about their lives, change their views, understand that with such similar feelings as the characters, one cannot walk calmly on the Earth. And throughout the entire poem, Nikolai Vasilyevich poses an important compositional problem: the gap between the ruling class and ordinary people. It’s not for nothing that in the composition “ Dead souls"The image of the road appears. This writer makes a hint that Russia should deliberately move only forward, without turning back or dawdling. Gogol has a very tender love for his homeland; he does not want it to fall or go into oblivion. The writer worries about Russia, which is why he devoted many years to writing “Dead Souls”!
Option 3
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol spent a long time discussing what the idea of the work would be. The writer was in deep thought. After a while, he decides that he needs to show the people Rus' as it really is. Without exaggeration and lies. He wanted to convey to humanity that problems need to be solved, people have lied and are plundering the country. The whole idea of the poem is about swindlers and their deeds. One of the swindlers is Chichikov, from the work we know that he bought the souls of deceased workers. And the landowners gladly sold, because they also wanted to profit. The writer showed Russia both from the good and the bad side. Not every writer of that time decided to do this.
It is a pity that only the first volume of the poem reached the reader. The second author personally destroyed it, he burned it, but, thank God, the drafts reached people, and Gogol never began writing the third volume.
Nikolai Vasilyevich turned the souls of the heroes inside out in front of the reader. He showed how heroes behave in different situations and how their character manifests itself in this case. When this poem was created, the author hoped to convey it not only to the people who lived at that time. The writer wanted to make a work that would be read in a hundred years. He wanted no matter what people repeated the mistakes to pass. Gogol showed how strong the “dead” souls of living people can be when it comes to money, and how difficult it is to get to kind soul, which is always present in a person, even the most evil. The poem is very difficult for the reader, perhaps because Gogol brings dishonest people out into the open, and people find it unpleasant to read this.
Gogol is the only writer in Russia who was able to convey to people the truth of that time. He wrote the truth as it is and did not hide anything.
He very clearly expresses patriotic feelings for Rus'. The writer compares the territory of the state with the limitless spiritual wealth of his beloved people. He hopes for a bright future for his nation. Years and a millennium will pass, people will read the poem and will not, they will repeat the mistakes of their ancestors, such is the hope of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. But is this true in our time? I could write another poem about this. But the writer believes in his people, that sooner or later they will change in better side, they will become wiser.
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According to Gogol’s plan, the composition of the poem “Dead Souls” was supposed to consist of three volumes, like Dante’s “Divine Poem,” but only the first volume was realized, according to the author - “the porch to the house.” This is a kind of “Hell” of Russian reality. In volume 2, similar to “Purgatory,” new positive heroes were supposed to appear and, using the example of Chichikov, it was supposed to show the path of purification and resurrection of the human soul. Finally, in volume 3 - “Paradise” - the beautiful, perfect world and truly spiritual heroes.
The author also determined the genre of his work by analogy with the “Divine Comedy”: he called “Dead Souls” a poem. It is obvious that Gogol’s poem is not traditional, it is a new artistic construction that has no analogues in world literature. No wonder the debate about the genre of this work, which began immediately after the release of Dead Souls, has not subsided to this day. The originality of the genre of this work lies in the combination of the epic and lyrical principles (in lyrical digressions), the features of a travel novel and a review novel (through-out hero). In addition, here we find the features of the genre that Gogol himself identified in his work “ Educational book literature" and called it "a lesser kind of epic." Unlike a novel, such works tell a story not about individual characters, but about the people or part of them, which is quite applicable to the poem “Dead Souls.” It is characterized by a truly epic breadth of scope and grandeur of design, going far beyond the history of the purchase of audit dead souls by a certain swindler.
But another story is more important, showing the transformation of Russia and the revival of the people living in it. It would become, according to Gogol’s plan, the unifying beginning of all three volumes of “Dead Souls”, making the poem a genuine Russian “Odyssey”, similar to the great epic of the ancient Greek poet Homer. But in the center of it was not the cunning Homeric traveler, but the “scoundrel-acquirer,” as Gogol called the central character of his poem, Chichikov. He also has the important compositional function of a connecting character, connecting all parts of the plot and making it possible to easily introduce new faces, events, pictures, which, as a whole, make up the broadest panorama of Russian life. Material from the site
The composition of the first volume of “Dead Souls,” similar to “Hell,” is organized in such a way as to show as fully as possible the negative aspects of life in all components of the author’s contemporary Russia. The first chapter is a general exposition, followed by five portrait chapters (chapters 2-6), in which landowner Russia is presented; in chapters 7-10 it is given collective image bureaucracy, and the last - eleventh - chapter is dedicated to Chichikov. These are externally closed, but internally interconnected links. Outwardly, they are united by the plot of the purchase of “dead souls” (Chapter 1 tells about Chichikov’s arrival in the provincial town, then a series of his meetings with landowners are shown sequentially, in Chapter 7 we're talking about about the execution of the purchase, and in 8-9 - about the rumors associated with it; in chapter 11, along with Chichikov’s biography, his departure from the city is reported). Internal unity is created by the author’s reflections on contemporary Russia. This organically fits into the composition of the poem a large number of extra-plot elements (lyrical digressions, inserted episodes), as well as the inserted “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin”.
Each of the heroes of the poem - Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich, Plyushkin, Chichikov - in itself does not represent anything valuable. But Gogol managed to give them a generalized character and at the same time create a general picture of contemporary Russia. The title of the poem is symbolic and ambiguous. Dead souls are not only those who ended their earthly existence, not only the peasants whom Chichikov bought, but also the landowners and provincial officials themselves, whom the reader meets on the pages of the poem. The words "dead souls" are used in the story in many shades and meanings. The safely living Sobakevich has a deader soul than the serfs whom he sells to Chichikov and who exist only in memory and on paper, and Chichikov himself - new type a hero, an entrepreneur, who embodied the features of the emerging bourgeoisie.
The chosen plot gave Gogol “complete freedom to travel all over Russia with the hero and bring out a wide variety of characters.” In the poem great amount characters, all social strata of serf Russia are represented: the acquirer Chichikov, officials of the provincial city and capital, representatives high nobility, landowners and serfs. A significant place in the ideological and compositional structure of the work is occupied by lyrical digressions, in which the author touches on the most pressing social issues, and inserted episodes, which is typical for the poem as literary genre.
The composition of "Dead Souls" serves to reveal each of the characters depicted in big picture. The author found an original and surprisingly simple compositional structure, which gave him the broadest opportunities for depicting life phenomena, and for combining the narrative and lyrical principles, and for poetizing Russia.
The ratio of parts in “Dead Souls” is strictly thought out and subordinated creative idea. The first chapter of the poem can be defined as a kind of introduction. The action has not yet begun, and the author is only general outline describes his heroes. In the first chapter, the author introduces us to the peculiarities of life in the provincial city, to city officials, landowners Manilov, Nozdrev and Sobakevich, as well as central character works - Chichikov, who begins to make profitable acquaintances and is preparing for active action, and his faithful companions - Petrushka and Selifan. The same chapter describes two men talking about the wheel of Chichikov’s chaise, a young man dressed in a suit “with attempts at fashion,” a nimble tavern servant and another “small people.” And although the action has not yet begun, the reader begins to guess that Chichikov came to the provincial town with some secret intentions, which become clear later.
The meaning of Chichikov’s enterprise was as follows. Once every 10-15 years, the treasury conducted a census of the serf population. Between censuses (“revision tales”), landowners were assigned a set number of serfs (revision) souls (only men were indicated in the census). Naturally, the peasants died, but according to documents, officially, they were considered alive until the next census. The landowners paid an annual tax for the serfs, including for the dead. “Listen, mother,” Chichikov explains to Korobochka, “just think carefully: you’re going bankrupt. Pay tax for him (the deceased) as for a living person.” Chichikov acquires dead peasants in order to pawn them as if they were alive in the Guardian Council and receive a decent amount of money.
A few days after arriving in the provincial town, Chichikov goes on a journey: he visits the estates of Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich, Plyushkin and acquires “dead souls” from them. Showing Chichikov's criminal combinations, the author creates unforgettable images of landowners: the empty dreamer Manilov, the stingy Korobochka, the incorrigible liar Nozdryov, the greedy Sobakevich and the degenerate Plyushkin. The action takes an unexpected turn when, heading to Sobakevich, Chichikov ends up with Korobochka.
The sequence of events has makes a lot of sense and dictated by the development of the plot: the writer sought to reveal in his characters an increasing loss human qualities, the death of their souls. As Gogol himself said: “My heroes follow one after another, one more vulgar than the other.” Thus, in Manilov, who begins a series of landowner characters, the human element has not yet completely died, as evidenced by his “strivings” towards spiritual life, but his aspirations are gradually dying out. The thrifty Korobochka no longer has even a hint of spiritual life; everything for her is subordinated to the desire to sell the products of her natural economy at a profit. Nozdryov completely lacks any moral and moral principles. There is very little humanity left in Sobakevich and everything that is bestial and cruel is clearly manifested. The series of expressive images of landowners is completed by Plyushkin, a person on the verge of mental collapse. The images of landowners created by Gogol are typical people for their time and environment. They could have become decent individuals, but the fact that they are the owners of serf souls deprived them of their humanity. For them, serfs are not people, but things.
The image of landowner Rus' is replaced by the image of the provincial city. The author introduces us to the world of officials dealing with affairs government controlled. In the chapters devoted to the city, the picture expands noble Russia and the impression of her deadness deepens. Depicting the world of officials, Gogol first shows their funny sides, and then makes the reader think about the laws reigning in this world. All the officials who pass before the reader’s mind’s eye turn out to be people without the slightest concept of honor and duty; they are bound by mutual patronage and mutual responsibility. Their life, like the life of the landowners, is meaningless.
Chichikov's return to the city and the registration of the deed of sale is the culmination of the plot. The officials congratulate him on acquiring the serfs. But Nozdryov and Korobochka reveal the tricks of the “most respectable Pavel Ivanovich,” and general amusement gives way to confusion. The denouement comes: Chichikov hastily leaves the city. The picture of Chichikov's exposure is drawn with humor, acquiring a pronounced incriminating character. The author, with undisguised irony, talks about the gossip and rumors that arose in the provincial city in connection with the exposure of the “millionaire”. The officials, overwhelmed by anxiety and panic, unwittingly discover their dark illegal affairs.
“The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” occupies a special place in the novel. It is plot-related to the poem and has great importance to reveal the ideological and artistic meaning of the work. “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” gave Gogol the opportunity to transport the reader to St. Petersburg, create an image of the city, introduce the theme of 1812 into the narrative and tell the story of the fate of the war hero, Captain Kopeikin, while exposing the bureaucratic arbitrariness and arbitrariness of the authorities, the injustice of the existing system. In “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” the author raises the question that luxury turns a person away from morality.
The place of the “Tale...” is determined by the development of the plot. When ridiculous rumors about Chichikov began to spread throughout the city, officials, alarmed by the appointment of a new governor and the possibility of their exposure, gathered together to clarify the situation and protect themselves from the inevitable “reproaches.” It is no coincidence that the story about Captain Kopeikin is told on behalf of the postmaster. As head of the postal department, he may have read newspapers and magazines and could have gleaned a lot of information about life in the capital. He loved to “show off” in front of his listeners, to show off his education. The postmaster tells the story of Captain Kopeikin at the moment of the greatest commotion that gripped the provincial city. “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” is another confirmation that serfdom is in decline, and new forces, albeit spontaneously, are already preparing to embark on the path of struggle against social evil and injustice. The story of Kopeikin, as it were, completes the picture of statehood and shows that arbitrariness reigns not only among officials, but also in the higher strata, right up to the minister and the tsar.
In the eleventh chapter, which concludes the work, the author shows how Chichikov’s enterprise ended, talks about his origin, talks about how his character was formed, and his views on life were developed. Penetrating into the spiritual recesses of his hero, Gogol presents to the reader everything that “eludes and hides from the light,” reveals “intimate thoughts that a person does not entrust to anyone,” and before us is a scoundrel who is rarely visited by human feelings.
On the first pages of the poem, the author himself describes him somehow vaguely: “... not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too thick nor too thin.” Provincial officials and the landowners, whose characters the following chapters of the poem are devoted to, characterize Chichikov as “well-intentioned,” “efficient,” “learned,” “the most kind and courteous person.” Based on this, one gets the impression that we have before us the personification of the “ideal of a decent person.”
The entire plot of the poem is structured as an exposure of Chichikov, since the center of the story is a scam involving the purchase and sale of “dead souls.” In the system of images of the poem, Chichikov stands somewhat apart. He plays the role of a landowner traveling to fulfill his needs, and is one by origin, but has very little connection with the lordly local life. Every time he appears before us in a new guise and always achieves his goal. In the world of such people, friendship and love are not valued. They are characterized by extraordinary persistence, will, energy, perseverance, practical calculation and tireless activity; a vile and terrible force is hidden in them.
Understanding the danger posed by people like Chichikov, Gogol openly ridicules his hero and reveals his insignificance. Gogol's satire becomes a kind of weapon with which the writer exposes Chichikov's “dead soul”; suggests that such people, despite their tenacious mind and adaptability, are doomed to death. And Gogol’s laughter, which helps him expose the world of self-interest, evil and deception, was suggested to him by the people. It is in the soul of the people throughout for long years Hatred towards the oppressors, towards the “masters of life” grew and strengthened. And only laughter helped him survive in a monstrous world, without losing optimism and love of life.
The plot and composition of "Dead Souls". Why did the author call his work a poem?
The plot of Gogol’s “Dead Souls” was presented to the author A.S. Pushkin. It is even more important that the adventure with souls took place in life. It was important for Gogol that Chichikov’s “negotiation” actually happened, because incidents of this kind characterized modern Russia.
“The documented history of the poem begins on October 7, 1835 - the date that marks Gogol’s letter to Pushkin. Here in this letter are famous lines: “I started writing Dead Souls. The plot stretches out into a long novel and, it seems, will be very funny. But now I stopped it on the third chapter. I'm looking for a good sneaker with whom I can get along briefly. In this novel I want to show at least from one side all of Rus'” (X, 375).” (Yu. Mann, “In search of a living soul”, Moscow, “Book”, 1987, p. 7).
In his new work, Gogol wants to show, albeit “from one side,” but the whole of Rus'. Until now, Gogol was limited to other frameworks: the image of Mirgorod, St. Petersburg. Now the writer has set himself the task of describing concretely and materially all of Russia, the entire state. Hence the genre designation for “Dead Souls” - “novel”, which was first used by Gogol. Before that he called his prose works stories.
Pushkin conveyed to Gogol the plot of his own work, unknown to us, which he was thinking about, from which he himself wanted to make something like a poem. Pushkin found that such a plan made it possible for Gogol, following the hero, to explore the whole of Russia and bring to light many diverse characters.
“...Yes, if I bought all these people who became extinct before they submitted their audit reports, I would buy, let’s say, a thousand of them, yes, let’s say, the guardianship council would give two hundred rubles per head: that’s two hundred thousand for the capital!..” thought Chichikov . “... And in this way this strange plot was formed in the head of our hero, for which I don’t know whether the readers will be grateful to him, and how grateful the author is, it’s difficult to express. For, no matter what you say, if this thought had not occurred to Chichikov, this poem would not have been born.” (N.V. Gogol, “Dead Souls”, Moscow, “Terra”, 1994, p. 237).
Actually, the plot of the poem is simple: Russia had a poor system for registering serfs. The revision tale, that is, the inventory of serfs, took place once every four years. Only men were considered souls. They were a commodity. The official Chichikov took advantage of all this and pawned the dead souls for money.
On the plot with dead souls could be created picaresque novel. This is how Gogol initially imagined the genre of his work. In addition, this plot was modern.
Pushkin told Gogol about one gentleman who was buying up dead souls in the Pskov province - from this the plot of Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” was born.
Another plot part The first volume is a parody and, as it were, comedic use of adventurous motifs. Contemporaries already brought this picture of a “rebellious” city closer to the plot of “The Inspector General.” The difference was, however, very significant. In The Inspector General, the mistakes of officials involuntarily reveal the true way of life and true characters, including the character of Khlestakov himself. In “Dead Souls,” false assumptions pile on top of each other, revealing, first of all, the stupidity and narrow-mindedness, the low culture of provincial society. The chain of hypotheses grows, ever intensifying, but they all slide past genuine Chichikov, although it would seem that everyone has the key. Chichikov - the kidnapper governor's daughter- a counterfeiter - a robber - finally, an ataman of a gang - and, moreover, legless and armless. Here the absurdity has reached such a limit that even provincial society, but the exposed absurdity only forces him to be replaced by another, not at all better: Chichikov is Napoleon in disguise!..” (V.V. Gippius, “From Pushkin to Blok”, Nauka publishing house, Moscow - Leningrad, 1966, p. 139).
The main material of the poem is enriched satirical theme bureaucratic arbitrariness, bribery, self-interest and lawlessness.
As for the composition of the work, it is extremely simple and expressive. It has three links.
First: five portrait chapters (2 – 6), in which all types of landowners available at that time are given; second – counties and officials (chapters 1, 7 – 10); the third is chapter 11, which contains the background story of the main character. The first chapter describes Chichikov’s arrival in the city and his acquaintance with officials and surrounding landowners.
At five portrait chapters, dedicated to Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich and Plyushkin, Chichikov’s visits to landowners’ estates with the aim of purchasing “dead souls” are described. In the next four chapters - the hassle of processing “purchases”, excitement and gossip in the city about Chichikov and his enterprise, the death of the prosecutor, who was frightened by the rumors about Chichikov. The eleventh chapter concludes the first volume.
In the second volume, which has not reached us in full, there is much more tragedy and dynamism. Chichikov continues to pay visits to landowners. New characters are introduced. At the same time, events take place leading to the rebirth of the main character.
Compositionally, the poem consists of three outwardly not closed, but internally interconnected circles - the landowners, the city, the biography of the hero - united by the image of the road, plot-related by Chichikov’s scam.
“... It was not in jest that Gogol called his novel a “poem” and that he did not mean a comic poem by it. It was not the author who told us this, but his book. We do not see anything humorous or funny in it; In not a single word of the author did we notice an intention to make the reader laugh: everything is serious, calm, true and deep... Do not forget that this book is only an exposition, an introduction to the poem, that the author promises two more of the same big books, in which we will meet Chichikov again and see new faces in which Rus' will express itself from its other side...” (“V.G. Belinsky about Gogol”, OGIZ, State Publishing House fiction, Moscow, 1949).
V.V. Gippius writes that Gogol built his poem on two levels: psychological and historical.
The main task is to bring out as many characters as possible who are attached to the landowner environment. “But the significance of Gogol’s heroes outgrows their initial social characteristics. Manilovshchina, Nozdrevshchina, Chichikovshchina received... the meaning of large typical generalizations. And it wasn't just later historical rethinking; the generalized nature of the images is provided for in the author's plan. Gogol reminds us of this about almost each of his heroes.” (V.V. Gippius, “From Pushkin to Blok”, publishing house “Nauka”, Moscow-Leningrad, 1966, p. 127).
On the other hand, each Gogol image is historical because it is marked by the features of its era. Long-lasting images are supplemented by newly emerging ones (Chichikov). The images from “Dead Souls” have acquired long-lasting historical significance.
The novel remains inevitably within the image individuals and events. There is no place in the novel for the image of the people and the country.
The genre of the novel did not accommodate Gogol’s tasks. “Based on these tasks (which were not canceled, but included an in-depth image real life), it was necessary to create special genre– large epic form, broader than the novel. Gogol calls “Dead Souls” a poem - not at all jokingly, as hostile criticism said; It’s no coincidence that on the cover of Dead Souls, drawn by Gogol himself, the word poem is highlighted in large letters" (V.V. Gippius, “From Pushkin to Blok”, publishing house “Nauka”, Moscow-Leningrad, 1966).
There was innovative courage in the fact that Gogol called “Dead Souls” a poem. Calling his work a poem, Gogol was guided by his following judgment: “a novel does not take the whole life, but a significant incident in life.” Gogol imagined the epic differently. It “encompasses in some features, but the entire era of time, among which the hero acted with the way of thoughts, beliefs and even confessions that humanity made at that time...” “...Such phenomena appeared from time to time among many peoples. Many of them, although written in prose, can nevertheless be considered poetic creations.” (P. Antopolsky, article “Dead Souls”, poem by N.V. Gogol”, Gogol N.V., “Dead Souls”, Moscow, graduate School, 1980, p. 6).
A poem is a work about significant phenomena in the state or in life. It implies historicity and heroism of the content, legendary, pathetic.
“Gogol conceived Dead Souls as a historical poem. With great consistency, he attributed the time of action of the first volume at least twenty years ago, to the middle of the reign of Alexander the First, to the era after Patriotic War 1812.
Gogol directly states: “However, we must remember that all this happened shortly after the glorious expulsion of the French.” That is why, in the minds of officials and ordinary people of the provincial city, Napoleon is still alive (he died in 1821) and can threaten to land from St. Helena. That is why the true story or fairy tale about the unfortunate one-armed and one-legged veteran - the captain of the victorious Russian army, who took Paris in 1814, has such a vivid effect on the postmaster's listeners. That is why one of the heroes of the second volume (on which Gogol... worked much later), General Betrishchev, completely emerged from the epic of the twelfth year and is full of memories of it. And if Chichikov invented some kind of mythical story generals of the twelfth year, then this circumstance is grist for Gogol’s historical mill.” ( Introductory article P. Antopolsky, “Dead Souls”, Moscow, Higher School, 1980, p. 7). This is on the one hand.
On the other hand, it was impossible to call “Dead Souls” anything other than a poem. Because the name itself betrays its lyrical-epic essence; soul is a poetic concept.
The genre of “Dead Souls” has become a unique form of raising everyday life material to the level of poetic generalization. The principles of artistic typification used by Gogol create an ideological and philosophical situation when reality is realized exclusively in the context of a global ethical doctrine. In this regard special role plays the title of the poem. After the appearance of Dead Souls, fierce controversy broke out. The author was reproached for encroaching on sacred categories and attacking the foundations of faith. The title of the poem is based on the use of an oxymoron, social characteristic characters correlates with their spiritual and biological state. A specific image is considered not only in the aspect of moral and ethical antinomies, but also within the framework of the dominant existential-philosophical concept (life-death). It is this thematic collision that determines the specific perspective of the author’s vision of the problems.
Features of the genre and composition of Gogol's poem "Dead Souls". Artistic Features poems
Gogol had long dreamed of writing a work “in which all of Rus' would appear.” It was meant to be grandiose description life and morals
Russia first thirds of the XIX century. The poem became such a work
"Dead Souls", written in 1842. First edition of the work
was called "The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls." This
the name was reducing true meaning This work translated into the realm of an adventure novel. Gogol did this for censorship reasons, in order for the poem to be published.
Why did Gogol call his work a poem? The definition of the genre became clear to the writer only in last moment, since, while still working on the poem, Gogol calls it either a poem or a novel. To understand the features of the genre of the poem "Dead Souls", you can compare this work with the "Divine Comedy" by Dante, a poet of the Renaissance. Its influence is felt in Gogol's poem. The Divine Comedy consists of three parts. In the first part, the shadow of the ancient Roman poet Virgil appears to the poet, which accompanies lyrical hero to hell, they go through all the circles, a whole gallery of sinners passes before their eyes. The fantastic nature of the plot does not prevent Dante from revealing the theme of his homeland - Italy, and its fate. In fact, Gogol planned to show the same circles of hell, but hell in Russia. It is not for nothing that the title of the poem “Dead Souls” ideologically echoes the title of the first part of Dante’s poem “The Divine Comedy,” which is called “Hell.”
Gogol, along with satirical negation, introduces a glorifying, creative element - the image of Russia. Associated with this image is the “high lyrical movement,” which in the poem at times replaces the comic narrative.
A significant place in the poem “Dead Souls” is occupied by lyrical digressions and inserted episodes, which is characteristic of the poem as a literary genre. In them, Gogol touches on the most pressing Russian social issues. The author’s thoughts about the high purpose of man, about the fate of the Motherland and the people are contrasted here gloomy pictures Russian life.
So, let's go for the hero of the poem "Dead Souls" Chichikov to N.
From the very first pages of the work, we feel the fascination of the plot, since the reader cannot assume that after Chichikov’s meeting with Manilov there will be meetings with Sobakevich and Nozdrev. The reader cannot guess the end of the poem, because all its characters are derived according to the principle of gradation: one is worse than the other. For example, Manilov, if considered as a separate image, cannot be perceived as positive hero(on his table there is a book open on the same page, and his politeness is feigned: “Let me not allow you to do this >>), but in comparison with Plyushkin, Manilov even wins in many ways. However, Gogol put the image of Korobochka in the center of attention , since it is a kind of unified beginning of all characters. According to Gogol, this is a symbol of the “box man”, which contains the idea of an insatiable thirst for hoarding.
The theme of exposing officialdom runs through all of Gogol’s work: it stands out both in the collection “Mirgorod” and in the comedy “The Inspector General”. In the poem "Dead Souls" it is intertwined with the theme of serfdom.
“The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” occupies a special place in the poem. It is plot-related to the poem, but is of great importance for the disclosure ideological content works. The form of the tale gives the story vital character: She denounces the government.
The world of “dead souls” is contrasted in the poem lyrical image people's Russia, about which Gogol writes with love and admiration.
Behind scary world of landowner and bureaucratic Russia, Gogol felt the soul of the Russian people, which he expressed in the image of a quickly rushing forward troika, embodying the forces of Russia: “Isn’t it so for you, Rus', that a brisk, unstoppable troika rushes along?” So, we settled on what Gogol depicts in his work. He depicts the social disease of society, but we should also dwell on how Gogol manages to do this.
Firstly, Gogol uses social typification techniques. In depicting the gallery of landowners, he skillfully combines the general and the individual. Almost all of his characters are static, they do not develop (except for Plyushkin and Chichikov), and are captured by the author as a result. This technique emphasizes once again that all these Manilovs, Korobochki, Sobakevichs, Plyushkins are dead souls. To characterize his characters, Gogol also uses his favorite technique - characterizing the character through detail. Gogol can be called a “genius of detail”, so accurately sometimes details reflect the character and inner world character. What is it worth, for example, the description of Manilov’s estate and house! When Chichikov drove into Manilov's estate, he drew attention to the overgrown English pond, to the rickety gazebo, to the dirt and desolation, to the wallpaper in Manilov's room - either gray or blue, to two chairs covered with matting, which were never reached. the owner's hands. All these and many other details bring us to main characteristic, made by the author himself: “Neither this nor that, but the devil knows what it is!” Let us remember Plyushkin, this “hole in humanity,” who even lost his gender.
He comes out to Chichikov in a greasy robe, some kind of incredible scarf on his head, desolation, dirt, disrepair everywhere. Plyushkin is an extreme degree of degradation. And all this is conveyed through detail, through those little things in life that A.S. admired so much. Pushkin: “Not a single writer has ever had this gift to expose the vulgarity of life so clearly, to be able to outline in such force the vulgarity of a vulgar person, so that all the little things that escape the eye would flash large in everyone’s eyes.”
The main theme of the poem is the fate of Russia: its past, present and future. In the first volume, Gogol revealed the theme of the past of his homeland. The second and third volumes he conceived were supposed to tell about the present and future of Russia. This idea can be compared with the second and third parts" Divine Comedy“Dante: “Purgatory” and “Paradise”. However, these plans were not destined to come true: the second volume turned out to be unsuccessful in concept, and the third was never written. Therefore, Chichikov’s trip remained a trip into the unknown. Gogol was at a loss, thinking about the future of Russia : “Rus, where are you going? Give an answer! Doesn't give an answer."
