Ostrovsky thunderstorm image of Katerina. The image of Katerina in the play “The Thunderstorm”: the tragedy of the “female lot” in A’s interpretation
Censored edition
“After the campaign of the twelfth year, my sir,” began
postmaster, despite the fact that there was not just one gentleman sitting in the room, but whole
six, - after the campaign of the twelfth year, he was sent along with the wounded
and captain Kopeikin. Flying head, picky as hell, has been to
in guardhouses and under arrest, I tasted everything. Whether under Red or under
Leipzig, you can only imagine, his arm and leg were torn off. Well then
We haven’t yet had time to make any, you know, such orders about the wounded;
this kind of disabled capital was already established, you can imagine
yourself, in some way after. Captain Kopeikin sees: we need to work,
only his hand, you know, is his left. I visited my father's house, father
says: “I have nothing to feed you; I, you can imagine, barely
I'm getting bread." So my captain Kopeikin decided to go, my sir, to
Petersburg, to bother the authorities, would there be any assistance...
Somehow, you know, with convoys or government wagons - in a word, my sir,
He somehow dragged himself to St. Petersburg. Well, you can imagine: a kind of
some one, that is, Captain Kopeikin, suddenly found himself in the capital, which
there is nothing like it, so to speak, in the world! Suddenly there is a light in front of him, relatively
to say, a certain field of life, a fabulous Scheherazade, you know, something like that.
Suddenly some kind of, you can imagine, Nevsky preshpekt, or
there, you know, some kind of Gorokhovaya, damn it, or something like that
some Foundry; there's some kind of spitz in the air; the bridges are there
hanging like a devil, you can imagine, without anything, that is,
touches - in a word, Semiramis, sir, and that’s it! I bumped into it
rent an apartment, but all this is scary: curtains, curtains,
such devilry, you know, carpets - Persia, my sir, such... in a word,
relatively, so to speak, you are trampling capital under foot. We're walking down the street, and the nose
hears that it smells of thousands; and Captain Kopeikin’s entire banknote will be washed away
the bank, you know, out of about ten pieces of blue and silver is a trifle. Well,
You can’t buy a village with this, that is, you can buy it, maybe if you invest thousands
forty, yes forty thousand need to be borrowed from the French king. Well, somehow there
took shelter in a Revel tavern for a ruble a day; lunch - cabbage soup, a piece of broken
beef... He sees: there is nothing to heal. I asked where to go. Well,
where to go? Saying: the highest authorities are no longer in the capital, all this,
You know, in Paris, the troops did not return, but there is, they say, a temporary
commission. Try it, maybe there is something there. "I'll go to the commission,
- says Kopeikin, I’ll say: so and so, he shed, in a way, blood,
relatively speaking, he sacrificed his life." So, my sir, having gotten up early,
he scratched his beard with his left hand, because paying a barber is
will, in some way, make up a bill, the uniform he pulled on himself and on a piece of wood
as you can imagine, he went to the commission. He asked where he lived
boss. There, they say, is a house on the embankment: a peasant hut, you know:
glass in the windows, you can imagine, half-length mirrors,
marmors, varnishes, my sir... in a word, darkness of mind! Metal handle
any one at the door is comfort of the first quality, so first,
you see, you need to run into a shop and buy soap for a penny, but for about two hours,
in a way, rub your hands with it, and then how can you even take it up?
One doorman on the porch, with a mace: a kind of count's physiognomy, cambric
collars like some kind of well-fed fat pug... My Kopeikin
somehow dragged himself with his piece of wood into the reception area and pressed himself there in the corner
so as not to push your elbow, can you imagine some
America or India - a gilded, relatively speaking, porcelain vase
kind of like that. Well, of course, he stayed there for a long time, because he came
back at a time when the boss, in some way, barely got up from
bed and the valet brought him some kind of silver basin for various,
you know, these kinds of washings. My Kopeikin has been waiting for four hours, when he comes in
the official on duty says: “The boss is out now.” And in the room already
epaulette and axlebant, to the people - like beans on a plate. Finally, my sir,
the boss comes out. Well... you can imagine: boss! in the face, yes
say... well, in accordance with the rank, you know... with the rank... that’s what
expression, you know. In everything he behaves like a metropolitan; approaches one
to another: “Why are you, why are you, what do you want, what is your business?” Finally,
my sir, to Kopeikin. Kopeikin: “So and so, he says, he shed blood,
I lost, in some way, an arm and a leg, I can’t work, I dare
ask if there will be any assistance, some kind of
orders regarding, so to speak, remuneration, pension,
or something, you understand." The boss sees: a man on a piece of wood and the right sleeve
the empty one is fastened to the uniform. “Okay, he says, come see me one of these days!”
My Kopeikin is delighted: well, he thinks the job is done. In spirit, you can
imagine this one bouncing along the sidewalk; went to the Palkinsky tavern
drink a glass of vodka, had lunch, my sir, in London, ordered myself to serve
cutlet with capers, poulard with various finterleys, asked for a bottle of wine,
went to the theater in the evening - in a word, I went all out, so
say. On the sidewalk, he sees some slender Englishwoman walking like a swan,
you can imagine something like that. My Kopeikin is blood, you know,
got excited - he ran after her on his piece of wood: trick-trick after -
"Yes, no, I thought, to hell with the red tape for now, let me do it later, when I get it
pension, now I’ve been spending too much.” Meanwhile, he squandered
Please note, in one day almost half the money! In three or four days
He appears, my sir, to the commission, to the boss. "He came, he said,
find out: this way and that, through the possessed diseases and behind the wounds... shed, in
in some way, blood..." - and the like, you know, in official
syllable. “Well,” says the boss, “first of all I must tell you,
that we can’t do anything regarding your case without the permission of higher authorities
do. You can see for yourself what time it is now. Military operations, relatively
so to speak, they are not completely finished yet. Wait for the gentleman to arrive
Minister, be patient. Then rest assured that you will not be abandoned. And if
you have nothing to live with, so here you go, he says, as much as I can..." Well, you see, he gave
to him - of course, not much, but with moderation it would stretch to
further permissions there. But that’s not what my Kopeikin wanted. He's already
I thought that tomorrow they would give him the thousandth of some kind of jackpot:
on "you, my dear, drink and be merry; but instead, wait. And with him,
you see, in my head I have an Englishwoman, and souplets, and all sorts of cutlets. Here he is an owl
this one came out of the porch like a poodle that the cook had doused with water - and his tail
between his legs, and his ears drooped. Life in St. Petersburg has already dismantled him,
he has already tried something. And here live the devil knows how, sweets,
you know, none. Well, the man is fresh, lively, and has a voracious appetite.
He passes by some kind of restaurant: the cook is there, you can imagine
imagine a foreigner, a kind of Frenchman with an open physiognomy, underwear on
it is Dutch, an apron, the whiteness is equal, in some way, to the snow,
some kind of fepzeri works, cutlets with truffles, - in a word,
The soup is such a delicacy that you could simply eat yourself, that is, out of appetite.
Will he pass by the Milyutin shops, there he looks out of the window, in some
kind of like salmon, cherries - five rubles each, watermelon is huge,
stagecoach of sorts, leaned out of the window and, so to speak, is looking for a fool who would
paid a hundred rubles - in a word, there is temptation at every step, relatively so
say, your mouth is watering, but he wait. So imagine his position here, with
on the one hand, so to speak, salmon and watermelon, and on the other hand - him
a bitter dish called “tomorrow” is served. "Well, he wonders how they are there
they want it for themselves, but I’ll go, he says, I’ll raise the whole commission, all the bosses
I’ll say: as you wish.” And in fact: an annoying man, such a nayan,
There’s no sense in your head, you know, but there’s a lot of lynx. He comes to the commission:
“Well, they say, why else? After all, you’ve already been told.” - “Why, he says, I don’t
I can, he says, get by somehow. I need, he says, to eat a cutlet too,
a bottle of French wine, to entertain yourself too, to the theater, you know." - "Well
“Well,” says the boss, “I’m sorry.” On this account there is, so to speak in
in a way, patience. You have been given the means to feed yourself for now.
a resolution will be issued, and, without opinion, you will be rewarded as it should be: for
There has never been an example in Russia where a person brought,
Regarding, so to speak, services to the fatherland, he was left without charity. But
if you want to treat yourself to cutlets now and go to the theater, you understand, so
I'm sorry here. In this case, look for your own means, try yourself
help yourself." But my Kopeikin, you can imagine, doesn’t give a damn.
These words are like peas against a wall to him. It made such a noise, it blew everyone away! everyone
there, these secretaries, he began to chip and nail them all: yes, he says, then,
speaks! Yes, he says, he says! Yes, you, he says, have your responsibilities
do not know! Yes, you, he says, are law-sellers, he says! Spanked everyone. There
some official, you know, turned up from some even completely
outside department - he, my sir, and him! There was such a riot. What
what do you want to do with this devil? The boss sees: he needs to come running,
relatively, so to speak, to measures of severity. "Okay, he says, if you don't
want to be content with what they give you and wait calmly, in some way
kind of, here in the capital your fate is decided, so I’ll take you to the place
residence. Call, he says, the courier, escort him to the place
residence!" And the courier already there, you know, behind the door stands:
some three-yard-long man, you can imagine his arms,
in kind it is arranged for coachmen, - in a word, a kind of dentist... Here he is, a slave
God, in a cart and with a courier. Well, Kopeikin thinks, at least not
you need to pay for runs, thanks for that too. He is going, my sir, to
courier, and riding on a courier, in some way, so to speak,
reasons to himself: “Okay,” he says, “here you are saying that I should
I would look for funds and help myself; ok, he says, I’ll find it, he says.
means!" Well, how was he delivered to the place and where exactly was he taken,
none of this is known. So, you see, the rumors about Captain Kopeikin
sank into the river of oblivion, into some kind of oblivion, as the poets call it. But
excuse me, gentlemen, this is where, one might say, the thread begins
novel. So, where Kopeikin went is unknown; but it didn't work, you can
imagine, two months ago, how a gang appeared in the Ryazan forests
robbers, but the chieftain of this gang, my sir, was none other..."
NOTES
"The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" has its own complex and not without
drama creative history. Three editions of this story have survived,
very significantly different from each other. The most acute in ideological
respect was the first.
Finally preparing the poem for publication, Gogol, in anticipation of censorship
difficulties somewhat softened the harshest bridges of the first edition of the story about
Kopeikine and withdrew from the final. Here's what I was doing
Kopeikin with an entire army of “fugitive soldiers” in the Ryazan forests. Not on roads
there was no more progress, but “all this, in fact, so to speak, is aimed
for only government money." People who traveled according to their needs, but
touched. But everything that was connected with the treasury - “there is no escape!”
Little of. As soon as Kopeikin hears that in the “village the time has come to pay
government quitrent - it's already there." He orders the headman to give everything that was demolished in
he writes an account of government dues and taxes and a receipt to the peasants that, they say,
They have all paid the taxes. This is Captain Kopeikin.
This whole place about Kopeikin the Avenger was censored
absolutely impassable. And Gogol decided to remove it, keeping it in subsequent
two editions only hint at this story. It says that in Ryazan
A gang of robbers appeared in the forests and that its chieftain was “no one else...”
- the story ended with this ironic exaggeration.
Nevertheless, Gogol managed to preserve one detail in the finale, which
to some extent made up for the autocensorship note. Talking about those rumors
about Captain Kopeikin, after he was expelled from St. Petersburg, disappeared into
Summer, the postmaster then adds an important, meaningful phrase: “But
excuse me, gentlemen, this is where the thread, one might say, begins
novel." The minister, having expelled Kopeikin from the capital, thought that was the end of the matter. But
no such luck! The story is just beginning! Kopeikin will still show himself and
will make you talk about yourself. Gogol could not openly under censored conditions
tell about the adventures of your hero in the Ryazan forests, but miraculously
the phrase about “the beginning of the novel” missed by the censor made it clear to the reader that
everything that has been told so far about Kopeikin is only the beginning, and most importantly -
still to come.
Gogol's image of Kopeikin goes back, as established by modern
researchers, to a folklore source - a robber song (“Kopeikin
with Stepan on the Volga"), recorded by Pyotr Kireevsky in several versions
from the words of N. Yazykov. V. Dahl and others. Gogol knew these folk songs and, by
According to Kireevsky, he once spoke about them at an evening with D.N.
Sverbeev (see: E. Smirnova-Chikina. Commentary on Gogol’s poem “The Dead”
souls". M., 1964, pp. 153-154; also: N. Stepanov. Gogol's "Tale of
captain Kopeikin" and its sources. - "Izvestia of the USSR Academy of Sciences", OLYA, 1959, vol.
XVIII, no. 1, p. 40-44).
In the very original edition, the ending of the story was complicated by one more
episode. Having saved up money, Captain Kopeikin suddenly went abroad, to
America. And from there he wrote a letter to the sovereign, in which he asked not to persecute
his comrades who remained in their homeland, innocent and personally involved in
well-known thing. Kopeikin calls on the Tsar to show royal mercy and in
regarding the wounded, so that in future nothing similar to what happened in
Ryazan forests, did not happen again. And the king "to this paradise", how ironic
noted in Gogol, showed unparalleled generosity, commanding to “stop
investigation of the guilty,” for he saw “how the innocent can sometimes happen.”
The censorship difficulties that Gogol faced turned out to be much more
more serious than he expected. In a weakened form, even without a finale,
"The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" contained a very sharp political
sting. And this was correctly guessed by the St. Petersburg censorship, with an ultimatum
which demanded that the author either throw out the entire “Tale...” or add to it
significant corrections. Gogol spared no effort to save "The Tale..."
But they turned out to be ineffective. On April 1, 1842, A. Nikitenko reported
to the writer: “Kopeikin’s episode turned out to be completely unmissable -
no one's power could protect him from death, and you yourself, of course,
agree that I had nothing to do here" ("Russian Antiquity", 1889, No. 8,
With. 385).
Gogol was very upset by this outcome of the matter. On April 10 he wrote
Pletnev: “The destruction of Kopeikin greatly embarrassed me! This is one of the best
places in the poem, and without it there is a hole that I can’t fill with anything and
sew up." Taking advantage of friendly relations with the censor Nikitenko,
Gogol decided to openly explain himself to him. The writer was convinced that without
Kopeikin to publish " Dead Souls"impossible. The story is necessary,
he explains in a letter to Nikitenko, “not for the connection of events, but for the purpose of
to distract the reader for a moment, to replace one impression with another." This
The note is extremely important.
Gogol emphasized that the whole episode with Kopeikin was “very
necessary, even more than they think," the censors. They, the censors, "thought" about
in some places of the story (and Gogol deleted or softened them), and Gogol was
Apparently others are especially important. They, these places, will be revealed if we
Let's compare all the options and highlight the idea in them, without which Gogol could not imagine
a story for himself and for which he wrote.
In all variants, the minister (general, chief) tells Kopeikin
words that he repeats and in accordance with which he further acts:
“look for ways to help yourself” (first option); "try for now
help yourself, look for means for yourself" (second option); "look for yourself
money for yourself, try to help yourself" (third option, skipped
censorship). Gogol, as we see, only slightly modifies the arrangement of those
the same words, carefully preserving their meaning. Exactly the same as Kopeikin
in all variants, draws his own conclusions from these words: “Okay, he says, when you
he himself, he says, advised me to look for the means myself, okay, he says, I,
says, I will find the means" (first edition); "When the general says that I
I looked for the means to help myself - okay, he says, I’ll find it, he says
means!" (second edition); "Okay, he says, so you say,
so that I myself would look for funds and help, - okay, he says, I, he says,
I’ll find the means!” (third edition, passed by the censor). Gogol even went
to make Kopeikin himself guilty of his bitter fate (“he
the cause of everything himself"), but only to preserve the quoted words of the minister
and the captain's response to them. It's not the captain's personality that's the issue here, or even his
vengeance "treasury".
M. V. Petrashevsky felt this very well. In his "Pocket"
dictionary foreign words" in explaining the words "order of knighthood" he ironically
notes that in “our dear fatherland” the actions of the administration
are guided by “science, knowledge and dignity” (“Philosophical and
socio-political works of the Petrashevites", M., 1963, p. 354), and in
confirmation refers to "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" - the place where
the high chief admonishes the enraged Kopeikin: “There hasn’t been yet
example, so that in Russia a person who brings, relatively so
to say, services to society, were left without care." Following these
completely parodic sounding words This is exactly what arrogant advice follows
high boss: “Look for your own means, try for yourself
help."
To save the story, I had to make a serious sacrifice: extinguish
it has satirical accents. In a letter to Pletnev dated April 10, 1842, Gogol
also wrote about “Kopeikin”: “I’d rather decide to remake it than to lose
at all. I threw out all the generals, Kopeikin’s character became stronger, so
that it is now clear that he himself is the cause of everything and what was done to him
good" (II. V. Gogol, vol. XII, p. 54).
Within a few days, the writer created a new, third version
“The Tale of Captain Kopeikin,” “so,” he wrote to Prokopovich, “it’s already
no censorship can find fault" (ibid., p. 53).
Thus, Gogol was forced to distort greatly important episode in "Dead"
souls." In the first censored edition of the story, Kopeikin's character is designated
larger, bolder, sharper. Comparing both editions of the story, the censor
the committee noted that in the first of them “a wounded officer was presented,
who fought with honor for the fatherland, a simple but noble man,
came to St. Petersburg to apply for a pension. Here first some of
important government people receives him quite affectionately, promises him
pension, etc. Finally, to the officer’s complaints that he has nothing to eat, he answers:
"...so make a living for yourself as you know how." As a result, Kopeikin
becomes the chieftain of a bandit gang. Now the author, having left the main event in
in the very form it was, changed the character of the main character
in his story: he presents him as a restless, violent, greedy person
to pleasures, who cares not so much about means decently
exist as much as possible about the means to satisfy your passions, so
The authorities are finally in the need to expel him from St. Petersburg.
The committee determined: "...this episode should be allowed to be published in the form as
it is presented by the author" (M. I. Sukhomlinov. Research and articles on Russian
literature and education, vol. II. St. Petersburg, 1889, p. 318).
The story about Kopeikin appeared in print in a weakened form. Only after
In 1917, its pre-censorship text was restored.
Although after the second revision the story was ideologically
seriously weakened, but even in this form Gogol treasured it. Let out
of the original text, the minister and then the general were removed, and in their place
a rather skinny abstraction of a certain “boss” appeared, albeit the culprit
all of Kopeikin’s misfortunes were himself, but were preserved in the story extremely
an important picture of St. Petersburg for Gogol with its characteristic social
contrasts between that part of society whose life resembled a “fairy tale”
Scheherazade", and those whose "assignment bank" consists of "some
ten blues and silver coins." Inclusion of the picture of St. Petersburg into the general
composite frame" Dead souls"replenished, according to Gogol,
missing, very important link - important for the image of "the whole
Rus'" has acquired the necessary completeness.
Censored edition
“After the campaign of the twelfth year, my sir,” began
postmaster, despite the fact that there was not just one gentleman sitting in the room, but whole
six, - after the campaign of the twelfth year, he was sent along with the wounded
and captain Kopeikin. Flying head, picky as hell, has been to
in guardhouses and under arrest, I tasted everything. Whether under Red or under
Leipzig, you can only imagine, his arm and leg were torn off. Well then
We haven’t yet had time to make any, you know, such orders about the wounded;
this kind of disabled capital was already established, you can imagine
yourself, in some way after. Captain Kopeikin sees: we need to work,
only his hand, you know, is his left. I visited my father's house, father
says: “I have nothing to feed you; I, you can imagine, barely
I'm getting bread." So my captain Kopeikin decided to go, my sir, to
Petersburg, to bother the authorities, would there be any assistance...
Somehow, you know, with convoys or government wagons - in a word, my sir,
He somehow dragged himself to St. Petersburg. Well, you can imagine: a kind of
some one, that is, Captain Kopeikin, suddenly found himself in the capital, which
there is nothing like it, so to speak, in the world! Suddenly there is a light in front of him, relatively
to say, a certain field of life, a fabulous Scheherazade, you know, something like that.
Suddenly some kind of, you can imagine, Nevsky preshpekt, or
there, you know, some kind of Gorokhovaya, damn it, or something like that
some Foundry; there's some kind of spitz in the air; the bridges are there
hanging like a devil, you can imagine, without anything, that is,
touches - in a word, Semiramis, sir, and that’s it! I bumped into it
rent an apartment, but all this is scary: curtains, curtains,
such devilry, you know, carpets - Persia, my sir, such... in a word,
relatively, so to speak, you are trampling capital underfoot. We're walking down the street, and the nose
hears that it smells of thousands; and Captain Kopeikin’s entire banknote will be washed away
the bank, you know, out of about ten pieces of blue and silver is a trifle. Well,
You can’t buy a village with this, that is, you can buy it, maybe if you invest thousands
forty, yes forty thousand need to be borrowed from the French king. Well, somehow there
took shelter in a Revel tavern for a ruble a day; lunch - cabbage soup, a piece of broken
beef... He sees: there is nothing to heal. I asked where to go. Well,
where to go? Saying: the highest authorities are no longer in the capital, all this,
You know, in Paris, the troops did not return, but there is, they say, a temporary
commission. Try it, maybe there is something there. "I'll go to the commission,
Kopeikin says, I’ll say: so and so, he shed, in a way, blood,
relatively speaking, he sacrificed his life." So, my sir, having gotten up early,
he scratched his beard with his left hand, because paying a barber is
will, in some way, make up a bill, the uniform he pulled on himself and on a piece of wood
as you can imagine, he went to the commission. He asked where he lived
boss. There, they say, is a house on the embankment: a peasant hut, you know:
glass in the windows, you can imagine, half-length mirrors,
marmors, varnishes, my sir... in a word, darkness of mind! Metal handle
any one at the door is comfort of the first quality, so first,
you see, you need to run into a shop and buy soap for a penny, but for about two hours,
in a way, rub your hands with it, and then how can you even take it up?
One doorman on the porch, with a mace: a kind of count's physiognomy, cambric
collars like some kind of well-fed fat pug... My Kopeikin
somehow dragged himself with his piece of wood into the reception area and pressed himself there in the corner
so as not to push your elbow, can you imagine some
America or India - a gilded, relatively speaking, porcelain vase
kind of like that. Well, of course, he stayed there for a long time, because he came
back at a time when the boss, in some way, barely got up from
bed and the valet brought him some kind of silver basin for various,
you know, these kinds of washings. My Kopeikin has been waiting for four hours, when he comes in
the official on duty says: “The boss is out now.” And in the room already
epaulette and axlebant, to the people - like beans on a plate. Finally, my sir,
the boss comes out. Well... you can imagine: boss! in the face, yes
say... well, in accordance with the rank, you know... with the rank... that’s what
expression, you know. In everything he behaves like a metropolitan; approaches one
to another: “Why are you, why are you, what do you want, what is your business?” Finally,
my sir, to Kopeikin. Kopeikin: “So and so, he says, he shed blood,
I lost, in some way, an arm and a leg, I can’t work, I dare
ask if there will be any assistance, some kind of
orders regarding, so to speak, remuneration, pension,
or something, you understand." The boss sees: a man on a piece of wood and the right sleeve
the empty one is fastened to the uniform. “Okay, he says, come see me one of these days!”
My Kopeikin is delighted: well, he thinks the job is done. In spirit, you can
imagine this one bouncing along the sidewalk; went to the Palkinsky tavern
drink a glass of vodka, had lunch, my sir, in London, ordered myself to serve
cutlet with capers, poulard with various finterleys, asked for a bottle of wine,
went to the theater in the evening - in a word, I went all out, so
say. On the sidewalk, he sees some slender Englishwoman walking like a swan,
you can imagine something like that. My Kopeikin is blood, you know,
got excited - he ran after her on his piece of wood: trick-trick after -
"Yes, no, I thought, to hell with the red tape for now, let me do it later, when I get it
pension, now I’ve been spending too much.” Meanwhile, he squandered
Please note, in one day almost half the money! In three or four days
He appears, my sir, to the commission, to the boss. "He came, he said,
find out: this way and that, through the possessed diseases and behind the wounds... shed, in
in some way, blood..." - and the like, you know, in official
syllable. “Well,” says the boss, “first of all I must tell you,
that we can’t do anything regarding your case without the permission of higher authorities
do. You can see for yourself what time it is now. Military operations, relatively
so to speak, they are not completely finished yet. Wait for the gentleman to arrive
Minister, be patient. Then rest assured that you will not be abandoned. And if
you have nothing to live with, so here you go, he says, as much as I can..." Well, you see, he gave
to him - of course, not much, but with moderation it would stretch to
further permissions there. But that’s not what my Kopeikin wanted. He's already
I thought that tomorrow they would give him the thousandth of some kind of jackpot:
on "you, my dear, drink and be merry; but instead, wait. And with him,
you see, in my head I have an Englishwoman, and souplets, and all sorts of cutlets. Here he is an owl
this one came out of the porch like a poodle that the cook had doused with water - and his tail
between his legs, and his ears drooped. Life in St. Petersburg has already dismantled him,
he has already tried something. And here live the devil knows how, sweets,
you know, none. Well, the man is fresh, lively, and has a voracious appetite.
He passes by some kind of restaurant: the cook is there, you can imagine
imagine a foreigner, a kind of Frenchman with an open physiognomy, underwear on
it is Dutch, an apron, the whiteness is equal, in some way, to the snow,
some kind of fepzeri works, cutlets with truffles, - in a word,
The soup is such a delicacy that you could simply eat yourself, that is, out of appetite.
Will he pass by the Milyutin shops, there he looks out of the window, in some
kind of like salmon, cherries - five rubles each, watermelon is huge,
stagecoach of sorts, leaned out of the window and, so to speak, is looking for a fool who would
paid a hundred rubles - in a word, there is temptation at every step, relatively so
say, your mouth is watering, but he wait. So imagine his position here, with
on the one hand, so to speak, salmon and watermelon, and on the other hand - him
a bitter dish called “tomorrow” is served. "Well, he wonders how they are there
they want it for themselves, but I’ll go, he says, I’ll raise the whole commission, all the bosses
I’ll say: as you wish.” And in fact: an annoying man, such a nayan,
There’s no sense in your head, you know, but there’s a lot of lynx. He comes to the commission:
“Well, they say, why else? After all, you’ve already been told.” - “Why, he says, I don’t
I can, he says, get by somehow. I need, he says, to eat a cutlet too,
a bottle of French wine, to entertain yourself too, to the theater, you know." - "Well
“Well,” says the boss, “I’m sorry.” On this account there is, so to speak in
in a way, patience. You have been given the means to feed yourself for now.
a resolution will be issued, and, without opinion, you will be rewarded as it should be: for
There has never been an example in Russia where a person brought,
Regarding, so to speak, services to the fatherland, he was left without charity. But
if you want to treat yourself to cutlets now and go to the theater, you understand, so
I'm sorry here. In this case, look for your own means, try yourself
help yourself." But my Kopeikin, you can imagine, doesn’t give a damn.
These words are like peas against a wall to him. It made such a noise, it blew everyone away! everyone
there, these secretaries, he began to chip and nail them all: yes, he says, then,
speaks! Yes, he says, he says! Yes, you, he says, have your responsibilities
do not know! Yes, you, he says, are law-sellers, he says! Spanked everyone. There
some official, you know, turned up from some even completely
outside department - he, my sir, and him! There was such a riot. What
what do you want to do with this devil? The boss sees: he needs to come running,
relatively, so to speak, to measures of severity. "Okay, he says, if you don't
want to be content with what they give you and wait calmly, in some way
kind of, here in the capital your fate is decided, so I’ll take you to the place
residence. Call, he says, the courier, escort him to the place
residence!" And the courier is already there, you know, standing outside the door:
some three-yard-long man, you can imagine his arms,
in kind it is arranged for coachmen, - in a word, a kind of dentist... Here he is, a slave
God, in a cart and with a courier. Well, Kopeikin thinks, at least not
you need to pay for runs, thanks for that too. He is going, my sir, to
courier, and riding on a courier, in some way, so to speak,
reasons to himself: “Okay,” he says, “here you are saying that I should
I would look for funds and help myself; ok, he says, I’ll find it, he says.
means!" Well, how was he delivered to the place and where exactly was he taken,
none of this is known. So, you see, the rumors about Captain Kopeikin
sank into the river of oblivion, into some kind of oblivion, as the poets call it. But
excuse me, gentlemen, this is where, one might say, the thread begins
novel. So, where Kopeikin went is unknown; but it didn't work, you can
imagine, two months ago, how a gang appeared in the Ryazan forests
robbers, but the chieftain of this gang, my sir, was none other..."
It became famous work. In terms of its scale, it ranks next to Evgeny Onegin. Getting acquainted with a poem where the author uses apt figurative language, you become engrossed in the adventures of Chichikov. And now, having reached chapter 10, we are faced with such a technique as an insertion design. The author inserts a story about Captain Kopeikin into his work, thereby taking the reader’s attention away from the main plot. Why does the writer introduce a story about Captain Kopeikin in Dead Souls, what is the role of this story and what plot is described in Captain Kopeikin, which may well be a separate story? We will talk about this in, revealing the meaning of the story, as well as answering questions about who told about the captain and how the short story about Kopeikin is included in the plot of the poem.
The Tale of Captain Kopeikin summary
The story about the captain is introduced by the author unexpectedly for the reader. It is akin to a joke that one of the characters wanted to tell. She appears when officials are trying to unravel the mystery of Chichikov’s presence in their city. And it was the postmaster, inspired by what was happening, who shouted out that Chichikov was Captain Kopeikin. Then the author tells a story that introduces us to the life of Kopeikin.
If you stop at the story about Captain Kopeikin, then the essence of the plot will be as follows.
Kopeikin was a soldier who fought for his Motherland in the war against the French. There he loses his leg and arm, becoming disabled. And at the end of the war, the soldier returns home, to where he is no longer needed. Even his parents cannot accept him, since they themselves have nothing to eat. The soldier would be happy to earn money, but there is no way. So he goes to the sovereign so that he allocates funds for his maintenance. Further, the author describes how the soldier toiled in the general’s reception room, awaiting the king’s mercy. At first, it seemed to Kopeikin that a decision had been made in his favor, but when he visited the reception the next day, he realized that there would be no help. The general only advises going to the village and waiting for a decision there. That's how the soldier was brought to the village at government expense. Then we learn that a gang of robbers began to operate in the forests, and the ataman was none other than... Then we can only guess that it was Kopeikin who led the robbers. As we continued reading, we saw no sympathy from the officials, nor was there any indignation about the bureaucracy. They only doubted that Chichikov was the same Kopeikin.
The role of the Tale of Captain Kopeikin
Now I would like to dwell on the role of the story in poem Dead souls. As we see, the author, almost at the very end, makes an insert about the captain, when we have already become acquainted with their heroes, their rotten souls, the slavish position of the peasants, the harmful nature of officials, and have become acquainted with the acquirer Chichikov.
1. The place that “The Tale...” occupies in the poem.
2. Social problems.
3. Motives of folk legends.
“The Tale of Captain Kopeikin,” at a superficial glance, may seem like an alien element in N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls.” In fact, what does it have to do with the fate of the main character? Why does the author devote such a significant place to “The Tale...”? The postmaster suddenly imagined that Chichikov and Kopeikin were one and the same person: but the rest provincial officials resolutely rejected such an absurd assumption. And the difference between these two characters is not only that Kopeikin is disabled, but Chichikov has both arms and legs in place. Kopeikin becomes a robber solely out of despair, since he has no other way to get everything he needs to support his life; Chichikov consciously strives for wealth, not disdaining any dubious machinations that could bring him closer to his goal.
But despite the huge difference in the fate of these two people, the story of Captain Kopeikin largely explains, oddly enough, the motives of Chichikov’s behavior. The situation of the serfs is, of course, difficult. But the position of a free person, if he has neither connections nor money, can also turn out to be truly terrible. In “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin,” Gogol shows the disdain of the state, represented by its representatives, for ordinary people who gave everything to this state. The chief general advises a man with one arm and one leg: “...Try to help yourself for now, look for the means yourself.” Kopeikin perceives these mocking words as a guide to action - almost like an order from the high command: “When the general says that I should look for the means to help myself, well... I... will find the means!”
Gogol shows the enormous wealth stratification of society: an officer who became disabled in the war waged by his country has only fifty rubles in his pocket, while even the doorman of the general-in-chief “looks like a generalissimo,” not to mention the luxury in which he is drowning his master. Yes, such a striking contrast, of course, should have shocked Kopeikin. The hero imagines how he “will take some kind of herring, a pickled cucumber, and two pennies’ worth of bread,” in the windows of restaurants he sees “cutlets with truffles,” and in stores - salmon, cherries, watermelon, but the miserable disabled person cannot afford all this , but soon there will be nothing left for bread.
Hence the sharpness with which Kopeikin demands from the nobleman a final decision on his issue. Kopeikin has nothing to lose - he is even glad that the general-in-chief ordered him to be expelled from St. Petersburg at public expense: “... at least there is no need to pay for the passes, thanks for that.”
So we see that human life and blood mean nothing in the eyes of the majority influential officials, both military and civilian. Money is something that can, to a certain extent, give a person confidence in the future. It is no coincidence that the main instruction Chichikov received from his father was the advice to “save a penny”, which “will not betray you, no matter what trouble you are in,” with which “you will do everything and ruin everything.” How many unfortunate people in Mother Rus' meekly endure insults, and all because there is no money that would provide these people with relative independence. Captain Kopeikin becomes a robber when, in fact, he no longer has any other choice - except perhaps starvation. Of course, we can say that Kopeikin’s choice makes him an outlaw. But why should he respect a law that did not protect his human rights? Thus, in “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” Gogol shows the origins of that legal nihilism, the finished product of which is Chichikov. Outwardly, this well-intentioned official tries to emphasize his respect for ranks and legal norms, because in such behavior he sees the guarantee of his well-being. But old saying“The law of the drawbar: wherever you turn, that’s where you come out”, undoubtedly, perfectly reflects the essence legal concepts Chichikov, and not only he himself is to blame for this, but also the society in which the hero grew up and was formed. In fact, was Captain Kopeikin the only one who stomped around in the reception rooms of high-ranking officials to no avail? The indifference of the state in the person of the general-in-chief turns an honest officer into a robber. Chichikov hopes that, having amassed a decent fortune, albeit fraudulently, over time he can become a worthy and respected member of society...
It is known that initially Gogol did not end the story about Kopeikin with the fact that the captain became the chieftain of a bandit gang. Kopeikin released in peace everyone who was going about their business, confiscating only government, that is, state property - money, provisions. Kopeikin's detachment consisted of fugitive soldiers: there is no doubt that they, too, had to suffer in their lifetime from both commanders and landowners. Thus, Kopeikin appeared in the original version of the poem as folk hero, whose image echoes the images of Stenka Razin and Emelyan Pugachev. After some time, Kopeikin went abroad - just like Dubrovsky in Pushkin’s story of the same name - and from there he sent a letter to the emperor asking him not to persecute the people from his gang who remained in Russia. However, Gogol had to cut this continuation of “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” due to censorship requirements. Nevertheless, a halo remained around the figure of Kopeikin “ noble robber“- a person offended by fate and people in power, but not broken or resigned.
/ / / “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” (analysis of an episode of Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”)
It's no secret that Pushkin suggested the idea of creating the poem "" to Gogol. And it should be noted that Gogol did an excellent job implementing this idea. In his work, the author managed to collect many of the flaws of life in Russia at that time and skillfully ridicule them. “Dead Souls” has become a classic of Russian literature. The poem has not lost its relevance in our time.
The composition of “Dead Souls” is incredibly rich and filled with all kinds of lyrical digressions, remarks by the author, and literary inserts. But “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” stands apart. This story was told by the postmaster to officials of the city "NN".
It is immediately worth noting that it is not plot-related to the main content of the poem. This separate work with your heroes and storyline. But it was no coincidence that he included “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” in the main content of the poem. The author wanted to show us all the soullessness and inhumanity of the bureaucratic apparatus.
Without going into details, the plot of “The Tale...” boils down to how an ordinary soldier, who lost an arm and a leg in the war, tried to achieve better position for himself, but was expelled and presumably led a band of robbers.
In “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin,” Gogol pays the main attention to the “eternal” wandering of Captain Kopeikin bureaucratic offices. And, ultimately, not finding understanding from government officials, he rebels against them.
It should also be noted that in “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” Gogol does not use portrait elements. We do not find a description of the main character, he does not even have a name or patronymic, but only a military rank. The official is also impersonal. At first it is called " statesman”, then - “chief”, later - “nobleman” or “dignitary”. All this is done in order to generalize as much as possible and show us the attitude of the bureaucratic apparatus to the common man.
Moreover, the contrast between a simple person and “nobleman” emphasizes the description of his house, which “... you’ll be afraid to just approach...” and the small room that Captain Kopeikin rented.
In "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" we do not meet lyrical digressions. Gogol put his attitude to the events taking place in the postmaster’s style of narration. From his lips this story sounded like an anecdote, a mockery, an incident. One got the impression that if the postmaster had been in the place of that nobleman, he would have done the same. Unfortunately, the public around him was of the same opinion. With this, Gogol once again emphasized the soullessness of the bureaucratic apparatus.
In my opinion, “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” is a kind of message to careless officials. She warns that human patience is not unlimited and at one moment it can result in popular anger. It is not for nothing that Gogol later calls the captain ataman, as if reminding us of the popular uprisings led by Stepan Razin and Emelyan Pugachev.
