Dead souls description of landowners. Read an essay on the topic of images of landowners in the poem Dead Souls, Gogol for free

In this article we will describe the image of landowners created by Gogol in the poem " Dead Souls"The table we have compiled will help you remember the information. We will sequentially tell you about the five characters presented by the author in this work.

The image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol is briefly described in the following table.

landowner	Characteristic	Attitude towards the request for the sale of dead souls
Manilov	Vulgar and empty. For two years, a book with a bookmark on one page has been lying in his office. His speech is sweet and cloying.	I was surprised. He thinks that this is illegal, but he cannot refuse such a pleasant person. Gives it to peasants for free. At the same time, he does not know how many souls he has.
Box	She knows the value of money, is practical and economical. Stingy, stupid, club-headed, hoarding landowner.	He wants to know what Chichikov’s souls are for. The number of deaths is known exactly (18 people). He looks at dead souls as if they were hemp or lard: they might come in handy on the farm.
Nozdryov	He is considered a good friend, but is always ready to play a trick on his friend. Kutila, card player, "broken fellow." When talking, he constantly jumps from subject to subject and uses swear words.	It would seem that it was easiest for Chichikov to get them from this landowner, but he was the only one who left him with nothing.
Sobakevich	Uncouth, clumsy, rude, unable to express feelings. A tough, evil serf owner who never misses a profit.	The smartest of all landowners. He immediately saw through the guest and made a deal to his advantage.
Plyushkin	Once upon a time he had a family, children, and he himself was a thrifty owner. But the death of the mistress turned this man into a miser. He became, like many widowers, stingy and suspicious.	I was amazed and delighted by his offer, since there would be income. He agreed to sell the souls for 30 kopecks (78 souls in total).

Gogol's portrayal of landowners

In the works of Nikolai Vasilyevich, one of the main themes is the landowner class in Russia, as well as the ruling class (nobility), its role in the life of society and its fate.

The main method used by Gogol to portray various characters is satire. The process of gradual degeneration of the landowner class was reflected in the heroes created by his pen. Nikolai Vasilyevich reveals shortcomings and vices. Gogol's satire is colored by irony, which helped this writer speak directly about what was impossible to talk about openly under censorship conditions. At the same time, Nikolai Vasilyevich’s laughter seems good-natured to us, but he does not spare anyone. Each phrase has a hidden subtext, deep meaning. Irony in general is characteristic element Gogol's satires. It is present not only in the speech of the author himself, but also in the speech of the heroes.

Irony is one of the essential features of Gogol’s poetics; it adds greater realism to the narrative and becomes a means of analyzing the surrounding reality.

Compositional structure of the poem

The images of landowners in the poem, the largest work of this author, are presented in the most multifaceted and complete way. It is constructed as the story of the adventures of the official Chichikov, who buys up “dead souls.” The composition of the poem allowed the author to tell about different villages and the owners living in them. Almost half of the first volume (five of eleven chapters) is devoted to characterization different types landowners in Russia. Nikolai Vasilyevich created five portraits that are not similar to each other, but each of them at the same time contains features that are typical of a Russian serf owner. Acquaintance with them begins with Manilov and ends with Plyushkin. This construction is not accidental. There is a logic to this sequence: the process of impoverishment of a person’s personality deepens from one image to another, it unfolds more and more as scary picture collapse of serf society.

Meeting Manilov

Manilov - representing the image of landowners in the poem "Dead Souls". The table only briefly describes it. Let us introduce you closer to this hero. The character of Manilov, which is described in the first chapter, is already manifested in the surname itself. The story about this hero begins with an image of the village of Manilovka, which is capable of “luring” few people with its location. The author describes with irony the master's courtyard, created as an imitation with a pond, bushes and the inscription “Temple of Solitary Reflection.” External details help the writer create the image of the landowners in the poem "Dead Souls".

Manilov: character of the hero

The author, speaking about Manilov, exclaims that only God knows what kind of character this man had. By nature he is kind, courteous, polite, but all this takes on ugly, exaggerated forms in his image. sentimental and beautiful to the point of cloying. The relationships between people seem festive and idyllic to him. Various relationships, in general, are one of the details that create the image of the landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”. Manilov did not know life at all; reality was replaced by empty fantasy. This hero loved to dream and reflect, sometimes even about things useful to the peasants. However, his ideas were far from the needs of life. He did not know about the real needs of the serfs and never even thought about them. Manilov considers himself a bearer of culture. He was considered the most educated man in the army. Nikolai Vasilyevich speaks ironically about the house of this landowner, in which there was always “something missing,” as well as about his sugary relationship with his wife.

Chichikov's conversation with Manilov about buying dead souls

In an episode of a conversation about buying dead souls, Manilov is compared to an overly smart minister. Gogol's irony here intrudes, as if accidentally, into a forbidden area. Such a comparison means that the minister is not so different from Manilov, and “Manilovism” is a typical phenomenon of the vulgar bureaucratic world.

Box

Let us describe another image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”. The table has already briefly introduced you to Korobochka. We learn about her in the third chapter of the poem. Gogol classifies this heroine as one of the small landowners who complain about losses and crop failures and always keep their heads somewhat to one side, while collecting money little by little into bags placed in the chest of drawers. This money is obtained by selling a variety of subsistence products. Korobochka's interests and horizons are completely focused on her estate. Her entire life and economy are patriarchal in nature.

How did Korobochka react to Chichikov’s proposal?

The landowner realized that trade dead souls profitable, and agreed after much persuasion to sell them. The author, describing the image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” (Korobochka and other heroes), is ironic. For a long time, the “club-headed” one cannot figure out what exactly is required of her, which infuriates Chichikov. After that, she bargains with him for a long time, afraid of making a mistake.

Nozdryov

In the image of Nozdryov in the fifth chapter, Gogol depicts a completely different form of decomposition of the nobility. This hero is a man of what is called a “jack of all trades.” In his very face there was something daring, direct, open. He is also characterized by a “breadth of nature.” According to the ironic remark of Nikolai Vasilyevich, Nozdryov - " historical person", because not a single meeting that he managed to attend was never without stories. He loses a lot of money at cards with a light heart, beats a simpleton at a fair and immediately “squanders everything.” This hero is an utter liar and a reckless braggart , a real master"pouring bullets" He behaves defiantly everywhere, if not aggressively. This character’s speech is replete with swear words, and he has a passion for “spoiling his neighbor.” Gogol created in Russian literature a new socio-psychological type of so-called Nozdrevism. In many ways, the image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” is innovative. A brief image of the following heroes is described below.

Sobakevich

The author’s satire in the image of Sobakevich, whom we meet in the fifth chapter, takes on a more accusatory character. This character bears little resemblance to previous landowners. This is a tight-fisted, cunning tradesman, a “kulak landowner.” He is alien to the violent extravagance of Nozdryov, the dreamy complacency of Manilov, as well as Korobochka’s hoarding. Sobakevich has an iron grip, he is taciturn, he is on his own mind. There are few people who could deceive him. Everything about this landowner is strong and durable. In all the everyday objects surrounding him, Gogol finds a reflection of the character traits of this person. All amazingly resembles the hero himself in his home. Each thing, as the author notes, seemed to say that she was “also Sobakevich.”

Nikolai Vasilyevich portrays a figure that amazes with its rudeness. This man seemed to Chichikov to look like a bear. Sobakevich is a cynic who is not ashamed of moral ugliness in others or in himself. He is far from enlightened. This is a die-hard serf owner who only cares about his own peasants. It is interesting that, except for this hero, no one understood the true essence of the “scoundrel” Chichikov, but Sobakevich perfectly understood the essence of the proposal, reflecting the spirit of the times: everything can be sold and bought, the maximum benefit should be obtained. This is the generalized image of the landowners in the poem of the work, however, it is not limited to the depiction of only these characters. We present to you the next landowner.

Plyushkin

The sixth chapter is dedicated to Plyushkin. On it, the characteristics of the landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” are completed. The name of this hero has become a household word, denoting moral degradation and stinginess. This image is the last degree of degeneration of the landowner class. Gogol begins his acquaintance with the character, as usual, with a description of the estate and village of the landowner. At the same time, a “particular disrepair” was noticeable on all buildings. Nikolai Vasilyevich describes a picture of the ruin of a once rich serf owner. Its cause is not idleness and extravagance, but the painful stinginess of the owner. Gogol calls this landowner “a hole in humanity.” Myself appearance Its characteristic feature is that it is a sexless creature resembling a housekeeper. This character no longer causes laughter, only bitter disappointment.

Conclusion

The image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” (the table is presented above) is revealed by the author in many ways. The five characters that Gogol created in the work depict a versatile state of this class. Plyushkin, Sobakevich, Nozdrev, Korobochka, Manilov - different shapes one phenomenon - spiritual, social and economic decline. The characteristics of landowners in Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" prove this.

The poem “Dead Souls” was conceived by Gogol as a grandiose panorama of Russian society with all its features and paradoxes. The central problem of the work is the spiritual death and rebirth of representatives of the main Russian classes of that time. The author exposes and ridicules the vices of the landowners, the corruption and destructive passions of the bureaucrats.

The title of the work itself has a double meaning. “Dead souls” are not only dead peasants, but also other actually living characters in the work. By calling them dead, Gogol emphasizes their devastated, pitiful, “dead” souls.

History of creation

“Dead Souls” is a poem to which Gogol devoted a significant part of his life. The author repeatedly changed the concept, rewrote and reworked the work. Initially, Gogol conceived Dead Souls as a humorous novel. However, in the end I decided to create a work that exposes the problems of Russian society and will serve its spiritual revival. This is how the POEM “Dead Souls” appeared.

Gogol wanted to create three volumes of the work. In the first, the author planned to describe the vices and decay of the serf society of that time. In the second, give its heroes hope for redemption and rebirth. And in the third I intended to describe further path Russia and its society.

However, Gogol only managed to finish the first volume, which appeared in print in 1842. Until his death, Nikolai Vasilyevich worked on the second volume. However, just before his death, the author burned the manuscript of the second volume.

The third volume of Dead Souls was never written. Gogol could not find the answer to the question of what will happen next to Russia. Or maybe I just didn’t have time to write about it.

Description of the work

One day, in the city of NN a very interesting character, who stands out greatly from the background of other old-timers of the city - Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. After his arrival, he began to actively get acquainted with important persons cities, attended feasts and dinners. A week later, the newcomer was already on friendly terms with all the representatives of the city nobility. Everyone was delighted with the new man who suddenly appeared in the city.

Pavel Ivanovich goes out of town to pay visits to noble landowners: Manilov, Korobochka, Sobakevich, Nozdryov and Plyushkin. He is polite to every landowner and tries to find an approach to everyone. Natural resourcefulness and resourcefulness help Chichikov to gain the favor of every landowner. In addition to empty talk, Chichikov talks with the gentlemen about the peasants who died after the audit (“dead souls”) and expresses a desire to buy them. The landowners cannot understand why Chichikov needs such a deal. However, they agree to it.

As a result of his visits, Chichikov acquired more than 400 “dead souls” and was in a hurry to finish his business and leave the city. The useful contacts Chichikov made upon his arrival in the city helped him resolve all issues with documents.

After some time, the landowner Korobochka let slip in the city that Chichikov was buying up “dead souls.” The whole city learned about Chichikov's affairs and was perplexed. Why would such a respected gentleman buy dead peasants? Endless rumors and speculation have a detrimental effect even on the prosecutor, and he dies of fear.

The poem ends with Chichikov hastily leaving the city. Leaving the city, Chichikov sadly recalls his plans shopping dead souls and pledging them to the treasury as living ones.

Main characters

Qualitatively new hero in Russian literature of that time. Chichikov can be called a representative of the newest class, just emerging in serf Russia - entrepreneurs, “acquirers”. The activity and activity of the hero distinguishes him favorably from other characters in the poem.

The image of Chichikov is distinguished by its incredible versatility, diversity. Even by the appearance of the hero it is difficult to immediately understand what kind of person he is and what he is like. “In the chaise sat a gentleman, not handsome, but not of bad appearance, neither too fat nor too thin, one cannot say that he is old, but not that he is too young.”

It is difficult to understand and embrace the nature of the main character. He is changeable, has many faces, is able to adapt to any interlocutor, and give his face the desired expression. Thanks to these qualities, Chichikov easily finds mutual language with landowners, officials and conquers desired position in society. Ability to charm and win over the right people Chichikov uses it to achieve his goal, namely receiving and accumulating money. His father also taught Pavel Ivanovich to deal with those who are richer and to treat money with care, since only money can pave the way in life.

Chichikov did not earn money honestly: he deceived people, took bribes. Over time, Chichikov's machinations become increasingly widespread. Pavel Ivanovich strives to increase his fortune by any means, without paying attention to any moral norms and principles.

Gogol defines Chichikov as a person with a vile nature and also considers his soul dead.

In his poem Gogol describes typical images landowners of that time: “businessmen” (Sobakevich, Korobochka), as well as not serious and wasteful gentlemen (Manilov, Nozdrev).

Nikolai Vasilyevich masterfully created the image of the landowner Manilov in the work. By this one image, Gogol meant a whole class of landowners with similar features. The main qualities of these people are sentimentality, constant fantasies and lack of active activity. Landowners of this type let the economy take its course and do nothing useful. They are stupid and empty inside. This is exactly what Manilov was - not bad at heart, but a mediocre and stupid poser.

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka

The landowner, however, differs significantly in character from Manilov. Korobochka is a good and tidy housewife; everything goes well on her estate. However, the landowner's life revolves exclusively around her farm. The box does not develop spiritually and is not interested in anything. She understands absolutely nothing that does not concern her household. Korobochka is also one of the images by which Gogol meant a whole class of similar narrow-minded landowners who do not see anything beyond their farm.

The author clearly classifies the landowner Nozdryov as an unserious and wasteful gentleman. Unlike the sentimental Manilov, Nozdrev is full of energy. However, the landowner uses this energy not for the benefit of the farm, but for the sake of his momentary pleasures. Nozdryov is playing and wasting his money. Distinguished by its frivolity and idle attitude towards life.

Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich

The image of Sobakevich, created by Gogol, echoes the image of a bear. Something from the big one wild beast There is in the appearance of the landowner: clumsiness, sedateness, strength. Sobakevich is not concerned about the aesthetic beauty of the things around him, but about their reliability and durability. Behind his rough appearance and stern character lies a cunning, intelligent and resourceful person. According to the author of the poem, it will not be difficult for landowners like Sobakevich to adapt to the changes and reforms coming in Rus'.

The most unusual representative of the landowner class in Gogol's poem. The old man is distinguished by his extreme stinginess. Moreover, Plyushkin is greedy not only in relation to his peasants, but also in relation to himself. However, such savings make Plyushkin a truly poor man. After all, it is his stinginess that does not allow him to find a family.

Bureaucracy

Gogol's work contains a description of several city officials. However, the author in his work does not significantly differentiate them from each other. All officials in “Dead Souls” are a gang of thieves, crooks and embezzlers. These people really only care about their enrichment. Gogol literally describes in a few outlines the image of a typical official of that time, rewarding him with the most unflattering qualities.

Analysis of the work

The plot of “Dead Souls” is based on an adventure conceived by Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. At first glance, Chichikov's plan seems incredible. However, if you look at it, the Russian reality of those times, with its rules and laws, provided opportunities for all sorts of fraud associated with serfs.

The fact is that after 1718, a capitation census of peasants was introduced in the Russian Empire. For every male serf, the master had to pay a tax. However, the census was carried out quite rarely - once every 12-15 years. And if one of the peasants ran away or died, the landowner was still forced to pay a tax for him. Dead or escaped peasants became a burden for the master. This created fertile ground for various types of fraud. Chichikov himself hoped to carry out this kind of scam.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol knew perfectly well how it worked Russian society with its serf system. And the whole tragedy of his poem lies in the fact that Chichikov’s scam absolutely did not contradict the current Russian legislation. Gogol exposes the distorted relationships of man with man, as well as man with the state, and talks about the absurd laws in force at that time. Because of such distortions, events become possible that contradict common sense.

"Dead Souls" - classic, which, like no other, is written in the style of Gogol. Quite often, Nikolai Vasilyevich based his work on some anecdote or comical situation. And the more ridiculous and unusual the situation, the more tragic the real state of affairs seems.

Images of landowners and their comparison with Chichikov (“Based on the poem “Dead Souls”)

"Dead Souls" is one of the brightest works of Russian and world literature, the pinnacle of art. Gogol's mastery. One of the main themes in TV Gogol. theme about the Russian landowner class, about the Russian nobility as the ruling class, about its fate and role in public life. It is characteristic that the main way of depicting landowners in Ggol is yavl. satire. The images of landowners reflect the process of gradual gradation of the landowner class, revealing all its faults and shortcomings. Gogol's satire is colored with irony and “hits right in the forehead.” Gogol’s laughter seems good-natured, but he spares no one, every phrase has a deep, hidden meaning, subtext. The poem is structured as the story of the adventures of Chichikov, an official who buys up “dead souls.” The composition of the poem allowed the author to talk about different landowners and their villages. Gogol creates five characters, five portraits that are so different from each other, and at the same time, in each of them the typical features of a Russian landowner appear. Our acquaintance begins with Manilov and ends with Plyushkin. This sequence has its own logic: from one landowner to another, the process of impoverishment of the human personality deepens, an ever more terrible picture of the decomposition of serf society unfolds

Manilov (I chapter) opens a portrait gallery of landowners. His character is already evident in his surname itself. The description begins with a picture of the village of Manilovka, which “could lure few with its location.” The author ironically describes the manor's courtyard, with the pretense of an "English garden with an overgrown pond", sparse with bushes and with a pale inscription "Temple of Solitary Reflection." Speaking about Manilov, the author exclaims: “God alone could say what Manilov’s character was.” He is kind by nature, polite, courteous, but all this took on ugly forms in him. Manilov is beautiful-hearted and sentimental to the point of cloying. Relations between people seem to him idyllic and festive. Manilov did not know life at all; reality was replaced by empty fantasy. He loved to think and dream, sometimes even about things useful for the peasants. But his spotlight was far from the demands of life. He did not know about the real needs of the peasants and never thought about them. (or M. lives in illusory world, and the process of fantasy itself gives him great pleasure; he is a sentimental dreamer, incapable of practical action)
Manilov considers himself a bearer of spiritual culture. Once in the army he was considered the most educated man. The author speaks ironically about the situation in Manilov’s house, in which “something was always missing,” and about his sugary relationship with his wife. At the time of the conversation about dead souls, Manilov was compared to an overly smart minister. In comparison with other landowners, Manilov indeed seems to be an enlightened person, but this is only one appearance

The third chapter of the poem is devoted to the image of Korobochka, which Gogol classifies as one of those “small landowners who complain about crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile little by little collect money in colorful bags placed in dresser drawers!” (or M. and Korobochka are in some way antipodes: Manilov’s vulgarity is hidden behind high phases, behind discussions about the good of the Motherland, and in Korobochka spiritual poverty appears in its natural form. Korobochka does not pretend to high culture: its entire appearance emphasizes a very unpretentious simplicity. This is emphasized by Gogol in the heroine’s appearance: he points out her shabby and unattractive appearance. This simplicity reveals itself in relationships with people. The main goal of her life is to consolidate her wealth, to constantly accumulate. It is no coincidence that Chichikov sees traces of skillful management in her estate. This economy reveals her inner insignificance. She has no feelings other than the desire to acquire and benefit. The situation with “dead souls” is confirmation. Korobochka sells to peasants with the same efficiency with which she sells other items of her household. For her there is no difference between an animate and an inanimate being. There is only one thing that frightens her in Chichikov’s proposal: the prospect of missing something, not taking what can be obtained for “dead souls.” Korobochka is not going to give them up to Chichikov on the cheap. Gogol awarded her the epithet “club-headed.”) This money comes from the sale of a wide variety of nat products. households Korobochka understood the benefits of trade and, after much persuasion, agrees to sell such an unusual product as dead souls

When moving to the image of Nozdryov, Gogol emphasizes the contrast between him and the box. In contrast to the immobile landowner, Nozdryov is distinguished by his daring and “broad scope of nature.” He is mobile, ready to do any business, without thinking about what, but all his activity is devoid of ideas and goals. Therefore, all his impulses end as easily as they begin, without any positive results: “Everything ends either in trifles, or in all kinds of stories.” . His activity is aimed at burning life. He is a carouser and a reckless driver. Nozdryov finds himself everywhere where the pleasures of life can await him. Unlike Korobochka, Nozdryov is not prone to petty hoarding. His ideal is people who always know how to have fun through life, unencumbered by any worries. In the chapter about Nozdryov there are few details reflecting the life of his serfs, but the description of the landowner itself provides comprehensive information about this, since for Nozdryov serfs and property are equivalent concepts. Both are a source of burning life. Wherever Nozdryov appears, there is chaos, a scandal. In Nozdryov’s understanding, his life is filled with meaning. In this respect, he resembles Manilov, but differs in that he likes to lie and embellish. In a conversation with Chichikov, he brags about absolutely everything: a stallion, a pond, a dog, and he simply does not exhaust himself in his lies. A lie for the sake of the lie itself. In relations with people, Nozdryov is free from any norms and principles. He gets along with people easily, but does not stay true to his word or anyone else's. In Nozdryov’s desire to cause discord in someone else’s life, one can feel the desire to harm everyone. As a result, all the versatility of the hero is devoid of any positive beginning. Gogol called Nozdryov a “historical man.” (“Nozdryov was in some respects a historical man”) Not a single meeting where he was present was complete without stories.

Unlike Nozdryov, Sobakevich cannot be considered a person with his head in the clouds. This hero stands firmly on the ground, does not indulge himself with illusions, soberly evaluates people and life, knows how to act and achieve what he wants. When characterizing his life, Gogol notes the thoroughness and fundamental nature of everything. These are natural features of Sobakevich’s life. He and the furnishings of his house bear the stamp of clumsiness and ugliness. Physical strength and clumsiness appear in the appearance of the hero himself. “He looked like a medium-sized bear,” Gogol writes about him. The animal nature predominates in Sobakevich. He is devoid of any spiritual needs, far from daydreaming, philosophizing and noble impulses of the soul. The meaning of his life is to satiate his stomach. He himself has a negative attitude towards everything related to culture and education: “Enlightenment is a harmful invention.” A local existence and a hoarder coexist in it. Unlike Korobochka, he understands well environment and understands the time in which he lives, knows the people. Unlike other landowners, he immediately understood the essence of Chichikov. Sobakevich is a cunning rogue, an arrogant businessman who is difficult to deceive. He evaluates everything around him only from the point of view of his own benefit. His conversation with Chichikov reveals the psychology of a kulak who knows how to force peasants to work for themselves and extract maximum benefit from it. He is straightforward, quite rude and does not believe in anything. Unlike Manilov, in his perception all people are robbers, scoundrels, fools. (In Sobakevich’s house everything surprisingly resembled him. Every thing seemed to say: “And I, too, Sobakevich”
The last landowner whom Chichikov visits, Plyushkin, is similar in aspirations to K. and S., but his desire for hoarding takes on the character of a comprehensive passion. His only purpose in life is to accumulate things. As a result, he does not distinguish the important, the necessary from the trifles, the useful from the unimportant. Everything he comes across is of interest. Plyushkin becomes a slave to things. The thirst for hoarding pushes him along the path of all sorts of restrictions. But he himself does not experience any unpleasant sensations from this. Unlike other landowners, his life story is given in full. She reveals the origins of his passion. The greater the thirst for hoarding becomes, the more insignificant his life becomes. At a certain stage of degradation, Plyushkin ceases to feel the need to communicate with people. He began to perceive his children as plunderers of his property, not experiencing any joy when meeting them. As a result, he found himself completely alone. Gogol dwells in detail on the description of the situation of the peasants of this rich landowner. *************************************** **********************************Chichikov

In "M.d." Gogol typifies the images of Russian landowners, officials and peasants. The only person who stands out big picture Russian life- This is Chichikov. Revealing his image, the author tells about his origin and the formation of his character. Chichikov is a character whose life story is given in every detail. From the eleventh chapter we learn that Pavlusha belonged to the poor noble family. His father left him an inheritance of half a copper and a covenant to study diligently, please teachers and bosses and, most importantly, to take care and save a penny. Chichikov quickly realized that all lofty concepts only interfere with the achievement of his cherished goal. He makes his way in life through his own efforts, without relying on anyone’s patronage. He builds his well-being at the expense of other people: deception, bribery, embezzlement, fraud at customs - the main character’s tools. No setbacks can break his thirst for profit. And every time he commits unseemly acts, he easily finds excuses for himself.
With each chapter we see more and more new possibilities of Chichikov: with Manilov he is cloyingly amiable, with Korobochka he is petty-insistent and rude, with Nozdryov he is assertive and cowardly, with Sobakevich he bargains insidiously and relentlessly, Plyushkina conquers with his “generosity.”
But let's reverse Special attention to those moments of the poem where Chichikov does not need to disguise himself and change himself for the sake of adaptation, where he is left alone with himself. While inspecting the city of N, our hero “teared off a poster nailed to a post so that when he got home he could read it thoroughly,” and after reading it, “folded it neatly and put it in his little chest, where he used to put everything he came across.” This collection of unnecessary things, careful storage of rubbish vividly resembles Plyushkin’s habits. Chichikov and Manilov are brought together by uncertainty, due to which all assumptions about him turn out to be equally possible. Nozdryov notices that Chichikov is similar to Sobakevich: “No straightforwardness, no sincerity! Perfect Sobakevich.” In Chichikov’s character there is Manilov’s love for phrases, Korobochka’s pettiness, Nozdrev’s narcissism, and the rude tight-fistedness, cold cynicism of Sobakevich, and Plyushkin’s greed. It is easy for Chichikov to turn out to be a mirror of any of these interlocutors, because he has all the qualities that form the basis of their characters. Still, Chichikov differs from his counterparts on the estates, he is a man of the new time, a businessman and acquirer, and has all the necessary qualities: “He is pleasant in turns and actions, and smart in business games,” but he is also a “dead soul,” because he the joy of life is inaccessible.
Chichikov knows how to adapt to any world, even his appearance is such that he will suit any situation: “not handsome, but not bad-looking either,” “not too fat, not too thin,” “middle-aged man” - everything about him is vague , nothing stands out.
The idea of success, enterprise, and practicality overshadow all human motives in him. The "selflessness", patience and strength of character of the protagonist allow him to constantly be reborn and show enormous energy to achieve his goal.
Chichikov is forced to flee the city, but this time he achieved his goal, moved one step closer to his faceless “happiness”, and everything else is no longer important to him.

The most interesting place in I. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” there are chapters dedicated to five landowners: Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich and Plyushkin. It is easy to notice that the chapters are arranged in a special sequence: from the least to the greatest degree of degradation of the characters. The surname of the landowner Manilov is derived from the verb “to lure.”

The main features of this character are daydreaming, sentimentality and laziness. Gogol characterizes his hero as follows: “...a so-so person, neither this nor that, neither in the city of Bogdan, nor in the village of Selifan.” Manilov's house is located on the Jurassic, which is blown by all the winds, which speaks of his frivolity and inability to think realistically. The landowner loves to indulge in his dreams in the gazebo, on which there is an inscription: “Temple of Solitary Reflection.” This is the only thing discreet place for Manilov, where he can calmly fantasize about some completely unrealistic projects. But, as it seems to him, digging an underground passage from the house or building a stone bridge across a pond are completely normal ideas. Running a household is not Manilov’s thing.

Everything is going wrong on his estate, and the hero doesn’t even care about it. Gogol says that Manilov’s hospitality and good looks are too cloying: “In the first minute of conversation with him, you can’t help but say: “What a pleasant and a kind person!” To the next one. You won’t say anything, but the third time you’ll say: “The devil knows what it is!” - and move away!..” This is manifested not only in the manners of the landowner, but also in his relationship with his wife. They lisp with each other all the time, and this greatly amuses the author. The image of this hero has become one of the key ones for literature. From him came the name of such a phenomenon as “Manilovism,” which means the unnaturalness of a person. Another no less striking character in the story is the landowner Korobochka. Her surname was chosen by Gogol not by chance.

By nature, the landowner is immensely economical and superstitious. Korobochka is the type of woman who can cry about a bad harvest, but still always saves a pretty penny for herself. Her chest of drawers, in addition to all sorts of nonsense, is filled with bags of money. Korobochka is very petty, she only cares about housekeeping, and in it she sees the meaning of life. Gogol gives her entourage “animal” surnames: Bobrov and Svinin, which once again emphasizes that the heroine is passionate only about her estate. The author highlights his cudgel-headedness among other “advantages” of his character. Korobochka demonstrates this quality in a situation when Chichikov tries to negotiate with her about the sale of “dead souls”. The heroine thinks that her interlocutor is going to dig them out of the graves dead peasants. She is in no hurry to sell her “wealth”, but instead tries to slip hemp and honey. Korobochka agrees to Chichikov's proposal only after he mentions the devil.

The next landowner whom Chichikov visited was Sobakevich. His image was composed by N.V. Gogol from everything big: big boots, cheesecakes “much larger than a plate,” “a turkey the size of a calf.” Even this character’s health is heroic. Thanks to such descriptions, the author achieves a comic effect. By parading the great exploits of the heroes, Gogol thereby emphasizes the true essence of Sobakevich himself, whose main qualities can be called rudeness and clumsiness. All the objects in the house are as bulky and clumsy as their owner: a table, chairs, a wooden bureau - everything seems to shout: “And I, too, are Sobakevich!” In his opinion, everyone around is liars and the last scammers. He doesn't care at all human soul, the interest for Sobakevich is only in money. From all of the above, we can conclude that Sobakevich is one of the most “dead souls” of the poem.

There is nothing spiritual for him. The only things valuable to this hero are money and things. He is only interested in “earthly” matters. Most bright character, in my opinion, is Nozdryov. This is the image of an inveterate reveler. The author is ironic about his character, speaking of him as a “historical” person. In relation to his hero, Gogol uses figurative sense this word. Nozdrev’s “historicism” lies in the fact that he always ends up in some kind of story: he either gets drunk at a buffet, or mercilessly lies about the horse he allegedly acquired. Like any rake, he adores women. But most main feature Nozdryov’s character is a great desire to “mess up one’s neighbor.”

Not once did he commit vile acts. For example, he told fictitious stories, disrupted a wedding, upset a trade deal, etc. But the most outstanding thing about his character is that after all his tricks, without a twinge of conscience, he continued to consider himself a comrade of the victim. According to tradition, in the poem the furnishings in the house of each landowner correspond to the character of its owner. So Nozdryov’s home is imbued with the spirit of excitement and boasting. According to Nozdryov himself, in his domain there was once “a fish of such size that two people could hardly pull it out.” Its walls are haphazardly covered in paint, as the men whitewash them. His office, instead of books and papers, is filled with weapons.

Nozdryov likes to exchange some things for others, not because of money or some other material interest, but simply because he is fascinated by this process. Since all kinds of tricks are main passion character, it is not difficult for him to fool Chichikov, whom Nozdryov gets drunk and tries to deceive when playing checkers. What else can be said about Nozdrev? His description will tell everything much better: “...he would sometimes return home with only his sideburns, and then quite runny. But his healthy and full cheeks were so well created and contained so much plant power that his sideburns soon grew back, even better than before.”

AND final image in the gallery of Russian “dead souls” - this is a landowner named Plyushkin. As you know, in the poem all the names are speaking. Only “Plyushkin” is given in figurative meaning. It looks more like a completely dried out cracker rather than a bun. The image of the landowner Plyushkin is very sloppy. Gogol mentions his double chin, which he has to constantly cover, as well as his greasy robe, which evokes nothing but disgust in the reader. The author gives his hero a very succinct definition: “a hole in humanity.” This character is a symbol of the decadent mood and decay of all living things. And again the house speaks for its owner: the bread in the storerooms is rotting, the gates and fences are covered with mold, and the roofs in the huts are completely leaky. Gogol adds a short story about the fate of his hero, whose wife first died, and after that his daughter ran away with the captain. These events became for Plyushkin last moments real life. After this, time stopped for the hero.

All images of N.V. Gogol are very bright and unique in their own way. But there is one the main idea, which unites them. Author showing illustrative examples degradation of humanity, encourages readers not to become a “dead soul,” but to always remain “alive.”

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Abstract

Topic: N.V. Gogol. "Dead Souls". The system of images of the poem: images of landowners (Manilov, Korobochka)

Target: give students an idea of the system of images of the poem “Dead Souls”; familiarize students with the images of landowners using the example of Manilov and Korobochka.

The poem “Dead Souls” was conceived by N.V. Gogol as a broad epic canvas, where the author undertakes to truthfully reflect, as in a pure mirror, living modernity.

Image system The poem is constructed in accordance with three main plot-compositional links: landowner Russia, bureaucratic Russia and the image of Chichikov. The relationship of parts in “Dead Souls” is strictly thought out and subject to creative intent.

What compositional parts can the poem be divided into?

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. The reader begins to guess that Chichikov came to the provincial town with some secret intentions, which become clear later.

In chapters 2-6 we Chichikov meets with landowners. Each chapter is dedicated to one meeting. All these chapters are built according to the same plan: a description of the estate, the interior of the house, the appearance of the landowner, the meeting of the owner and the guest, a joint dinner, the scene of the purchase and sale of dead souls.

Basic diagram “System of images of the poem”

Who will be at the center of the novel's image system?

The images presented in the poem can be divided into representatives of the village and the city. Who in the city will represent " powerful of the world this"?

In what order does Chichikov visit the landowners? (Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich, Plyushkin)

	Images of landowners The garden, laid out in the “Aglitsky style”, is neglected. A gazebo with the inscription “Temple of Solitary Reflection” is adjacent to a pond overgrown with greenery.		“His facial features were not without pleasantness, but this pleasantness seemed to have too much sugar in it.”	There has been a book in my office for two years now, hidden on page 14. Mismanagement and impracticality are everywhere: something is always missing in the house. The furniture was upholstered in smart fabric, but there was not enough for two chairs. On the table is a bronze candlestick with three ancient graces, and next to it is “some kind of copper invalid, lame and covered in grease.”	At first he was “confused and confused” and suspected Chichikov of madness. But since he was not used to thinking, he completely trusted Chichikov.	Speaking surname landowner is formed from the words “to lure, deceive.” Enthusiastic naivety, daydreaming, carelessness, stupidity and lack of independence are the main features of the landowner. His image captures the type of idle dreamer, a “romantic” slacker. Gogol shows that Manilov is vulgar and empty, he has no real spiritual interests. The relationship with his wife, the upbringing of Alcides and Themistoclus, and the cloying sweetness of his speeches reinforce this impression. This hero lives a worthless life; behind his external attractiveness lies a spiritual emptiness	In economic terms, it symbolizes mismanagement, and in moral terms, it symbolizes spiritual decay that occurred due to idle daydreaming, living in the world of one’s dreams.
Manilov claims that dead souls are an insignificant commodity. Chichikov objects to him and defends the dead, speaking about them: “Very not rubbish!”
Box	“the window looked almost into the chicken coop; at least the narrow courtyard in front of him was filled with birds and all kinds of domestic creatures...; the pig and his family appeared right there..." This small courtyard, or chicken coop, was blocked by a plank fence, behind which stretched spacious vegetable gardens with cabbage, onions, potatoes, beets and other household vegetables..." "The vegetable gardens were followed peasant huts, which, although they were lined up scattered...showed the contentment of the inhabitants..."	“An elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, one of those mothers, small landowners who cry when the harvest fails... and meanwhile they gradually collect money in colorful stockings...” In the portrait, Gogol’s face and does not pay attention to her eyes, as if they are not there - this emphasizes her lack of spirituality	The room was hung with old striped wallpaper; paintings with some birds; between the windows are antique mirrors with dark frames in the shape of curled leaves; Behind every mirror there was either a letter, or an old deck of cards, or a stocking; wall clock with painted flowers on the dial.” the next day: “Looking around the room, he now noticed that not all of the paintings were birds: between them hung a portrait of Kutuzov and a painted oil paints some old man..."	Everything new and unprecedented frightens her; her reluctance to sell dead souls is explained by the fact that all her life she has strived for hoarding, and believes that they can somehow be useful in the household. She shows a complete lack of understanding of the meaning of this transaction, fear of selling too cheap and being deceived (she goes to the city to find out “how much dead souls are walking around these days”)	Her main feature is petty stinginess. Limited, stubborn, suspicious. The meaning of the surname: the landowner is enclosed in a “box” of her space and her concepts. Korobochka's thriftiness is her only virtue. It is no coincidence that Chichikov repeats “club-headed” about her, thereby speaking of her impenetrable intellectual poverty.	She is a representative of a departing, dying Russia, and there is no life in her, since she is turned not to the future, but to the past.
Korobochka does not scold his deceased peasants, like Manilov, but expresses the hope that the dead “will somehow be needed on the farm.”
Nozdryov	The farm is neglected: the field is full of hummocks, the stable is almost empty, the house is filled with useless things. “...an office, in which, however, there were no visible traces of what happens in offices, that is, books or paper; only sabers and two guns were hanging.” “There were bread crumbs on the floor, and tobacco ash was even visible on the tablecloth.”	“He was of average height, a very well built fellow. With full rosy cheeks, teeth as white as snow, and jet-black sideburns. It was fresh, like blood and milk; health seemed to be dripping from his face..."	“an office in which... there were no visible traces of what happens in offices, that is, books or paper; only sabers and two guns were hanging.”	I tried to find out from Chichikov why he needed dead souls. Not believing a single word of Chichikov, he declared: “Well, I know you: after all, you are a big swindler, let me tell you this out of friendship! If I were your boss, I would hang you from the first tree.” He bargains with Chichikov for a long time, trying to leave him out in the cold. It all ends in a quarrel: “You’ll get a bald head!” I wanted to give it away for nothing, but now you won’t get it! Even if you give me three kingdoms, I won’t give it up... Porfiry, go tell the groom not to give oats to his horses...”	“Everyone has met a lot of such people. They are called broken fellows, they are reputed even in childhood and at school for being good comrades, and for all that they can be beaten very painfully. In their faces you can always see something open, direct, and daring. They soon get to know each other, and before you know it, they’re already saying “you.” They will make friends, it seems, forever: but it almost always happens that the person who has become friends will fight with them that same evening at a friendly party. They are always talkative, revelers, reckless people, prominent people. Nozdryov at thirty-five years old was exactly the same as he was at eighteen and twenty: a lover of a walk.” “Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person. Not a single meeting where he attended was complete without a story.” “Nozdryov was in many respects a multifaceted person, that is, a man of all trades. At that very moment he invited you to go anywhere, even to the ends of the world, to enter into whatever enterprise you wanted, to exchange whatever you had for whatever you wanted... this simply happened from some kind of restless agility and liveliness of character.” Lack of development is a sign of non-living. He is rude and his speech is filled with curse words. He behaves brazenly, defiantly, aggressively, his energy has turned into destructive and scandalous vanity.”	Economic decline is associated with carelessness and waste of life. The moral decay of the hero is manifested in reckless lies, extravagance and cheating.
Sobakevich	“Chichikov once again looked around the room and everything that was in it - everything was solid, awkward in of the highest degree and had some strange resemblance to the owner of the house himself... The table, armchairs, chairs - everything was of the heaviest and most restless quality - in a word, every object, every chair seemed to say: “And I, too, are Sobakevich!”	“A healthy and strong man,” whom nature “cut from all sides”; very similar “to a medium-sized bear”; “It seemed that this body had no soul at all, or it had one, but not at all where it should be, but, like the immortal Koshchei, somewhere behind the mountains, and was covered with such a thick shell that everything that moved on at the bottom of it, did not produce absolutely any shock on the surface.”			“The devil’s fist,” as Chichikov puts it, is the embodiment of lasting strength; One cannot fail to note the swiftness of his attacks on everyone who seems to be his enemy, his persistence in realizing his desires.	A tight-fisted and stubborn owner. He gravitates towards the old, serf-like forms of farming; hostility towards the city and education is combined with a passion for profit and predatory accumulation.
Plyushkin	Plyushkin's house is an "extinct place." “He [Chichikov] noticed some special disrepair in all the village buildings: the logs on the huts were dark and old, many of the roofs were leaking like a sieve. The windows in the huts were without glass, others were covered with a rag or zipun. In many places, behind the huts, huge stacks of grain lay in rows, apparently stagnant for a long time; in color they looked like old, poorly baked brick, on top of them all sorts of rubbish grew..." "This strange castle looked like some kind of old invalid [ manor house], excessively long. In some places it was one floor, in others it was two.” “Green mold has already covered the dilapidated wood on the fence and gate. A crowd of buildings: human buildings, barns, cellars, apparently dilapidated, filled the house... Everything said that farming was going on here on an extensive scale, and everything looked gloomy today. Nothing was noticeable to enliven the picture: no doors opening, no people coming out from anywhere, no living troubles and worries at home.”	“His face was nothing special; it was almost the same as that of many thin old men, one chin only protruded very far forward, so that he had to cover it with a handkerchief every time so as not to spit; the small eyes had not yet gone out and ran from under their high eyebrows, like mice, when, sticking their sharp muzzles out of the dark holes, pricking their ears and blinking their whiskers, they look out to see if a cat or a naughty boy is hiding somewhere, and sniff the very air suspiciously. His outfit was much more remarkable: no amount of effort or effort could have been used to find out what his robe was made of: the sleeves and upper flaps were so greasy and shiny that they looked like which one goes on boots; in the back, instead of two, there were four floors dangling, from which cotton paper came out in flakes. He also had something tied around his neck that could not be made out: a stocking, a garter, or a belly, but not a tie. In a word, if Chichikov had met him, so dressed up, somewhere at the church door, he would probably have given him a copper penny.	“He [Chichikov] entered the dark, wide entryway, from which a cold air blew in, as if from a cellar. From the hallway he found himself in a room, also dark, slightly illuminated by the light coming out from under a wide crack located at the bottom of the door. Having opened this door, he finally found himself in the light and was amazed at the chaos that appeared. It seemed as if the floors were being washed in the house and all the furniture had been piled here for a while. It would be impossible to say that this room was inhabited by Living being, if only his presence had not been announced by the old worn cap lying on the table.” "On one table there was even a broken chair, and next to it a clock with a stopped pendulum, to which the spider had already attached a web.” "From the middle of the ceiling hung a chandelier in a canvas bag, the dust making it look like a silk cocoon in which a worm sits. In the corner of the room there was a heap of things piled up on the floor that were coarser and unworthy to lie on the tables. It was difficult to decide what exactly was in the pile, because there was such an abundance of dust on it that the hands of anyone who touched it became like gloves; More noticeably than anything else, a broken piece of a wooden shovel and an old boot sole protruded from there.”	For Plyushkin, the sale of “dead souls” turned out to be a real gift.	The surname emphasizes the “flattening”, distortion of the character and his soul. Only this landowner is given a biography (that is, his character is given by the writer in development) - it is shown how the process of degradation took place. The story about Plyushkin's past makes his image more tragic than comic. Using the technique of contrast, Gogol forces the reader to compare the human and the ugly within the same life. “...anything can happen to a person. Today’s fiery young man would recoil in horror if they showed him his portrait in old age.” Gogol calls Plyushkin “a hole in humanity.”	There are none in Plyushkino human feelings, even father's. Things are more valuable to him than people, in whom he sees only swindlers and thieves. Following the changes in Plyushkin’s life, one cannot help but notice that the “death” of the soul begins with the poverty of feelings.

Conclusion: thus, the landowners in the poem are united by vulgarity and spiritual emptiness. The author does not limit himself to explaining the spiritual failure of the characters only by social reasons. It may be caused by inner world man, his psychology. Therefore, Plyushkin’s fall is not directly related to his position as a landowner. Gogol's realism includes the deepest psychologism.