Characteristics and image of Chichikov in the poem Dead Souls by Gogol essay. The image of Chichikov in the poem “Dead Souls”: description of appearance and character with quotes Who is Chichikov in the poem Dead Souls

Chichikov's character traits

Important! Its extraordinary adaptability deserves special attention. He is a subtle psychologist and knows how to find a common language with everyone, regardless of whether he likes the person or not. He knows who, how and when to flatter, how to refuse, how to gain confidence. He behaves differently with each of the landowners: he is flattering and kind, he speaks without much ceremony, he behaves familiarly, etc.

The life story of Pavel Ivanovich

>Characteristics of heroes Dead Souls

Characteristics of the hero Chichikov

Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich is the main character of N.V. Gogol’s work “Dead Souls”, a former official, and now a schemer. He came up with the idea of ​​a scam involving the dead souls of peasants. This character is present in all chapters. He travels around Russia all the time, meets wealthy landowners and officials, gains their trust, and then tries to pull off all sorts of frauds. Chichikov is a new type of adventurer-inventor in Russian literature. The author himself partially justifies Chichikov’s actions, since he sees that he is not hopeless.

Outwardly, this character is not bad. He is not very fat, but not thin either, he does not look old, but he is no longer young. The main features of the hero are averageness and enterprise. His averageness is manifested not only in his appearance, but also in his manner of communication. He always speaks “neither loudly nor quietly, but absolutely as he should,” knows how to find an approach to everyone, and is known everywhere as “his man.” Chichikov has a little bit of everything. He is enterprising, but does not show rude efficiency, like Sobakevich. He does not have the dreaminess of Manilov, the innocence of Korobochka and the riotousness of Nozdryov. This person is active and active, he saves every penny, even the inheritance he receives does not squander, but increases it. At the same time, he is not prone to unbridled greed like Plyushkin. For Chichikov, money is not a goal, but a means. He just wants to ensure a decent existence for himself.

Little is known about the hero’s childhood and youth. Parents were nobles. His father strongly recommended that he hang out only with the rich and always please his superiors. He didn’t say anything about such things as a sense of duty, honor and dignity, so Pavel grew up like that. He himself quickly realized that such high values ​​interfered with the achievement of his cherished goal, which is why he made his way through his own efforts, drowning out the voice of conscience. At school he was a diligent student, but without talent. The only thing he knew how to do was sell things to his comrades and perform tricks for money. After studying, he entered the service in the government chamber. Then he changed more than one job and wanted to make money everywhere. When he once again had to start all over again, he came up with the idea of ​​“dead souls.” Despite the fact that Chichikov is a rogue and a swindler, the hero’s tenacity and ingenuity do not go unnoticed.

The poem Dead Souls is one of the most famous works of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. The key character in it is the adventurer Chichikov. The image of the main character, masterfully drawn by the author, often becomes the subject of discussion among both professional critics and ordinary readers. To understand what this character did to deserve such attention, you need to look at the plot of the work.

The work tells about a certain official by the surname Chichikov. This man really wanted to get rich and gain weight in society. He decided to achieve his goal by buying up the so-called dead souls, that is, serfs who are owned by the landowner according to papers, although in fact they are no longer alive. Both the seller and the buyer benefited from this. Chichikov thus acquired fictitious property, against which he could take out a bank loan, and the landowner was freed from the obligation to pay taxes for the dead peasant.

The work is compulsorily studied in school. In literature classes, students are often asked to write an essay on the topic: Dead Souls. Image of Chichikov. Of course, in order to write a competent work, you need to carefully read the source and form your own idea of ​​its main character. But if for some reason this is not possible, you can find detailed information about the character. This information will be useful when writing an essay, creating comparison tables for different characters, or preparing a presentation.

Text analysis allows you to reveal all the main features image Chichikov in the poem Dead Souls. A brief summary of the character’s actions and deeds, revealing his nature, begins with an acquaintance with Chichikov.

The author briefly described the hero’s appearance at the beginning of the work. Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is a somewhat ordinary character who may meet in any historical era and at any geographical point. There is nothing remarkable in his portrait:

• his appearance is not beautiful, but not ugly either;
• physique is neither plump nor thin;
• he is no longer young, but not yet old.

Thus, in all respects, this venerable collegiate adviser maintains the “golden mean”.

Arrival of the character in “city N”

Chichikov begins your adventure from arrival in a city not named by the author. A smart man, who is also characterized by hypocrisy, he begins his activities by paying visits to the following officials:

• to the prosecutor;
• to the governor and his family;
• to the vice-governor;
• the chief of police;
• the chairman of the chamber.

Of course, a subtle calculation was visible under such behavior of Pyotr Ivanovich. The hero’s intentions are well revealed by his own quote: “Don’t have money, have good people to work with.”

Gain the favor of those who had rank and influence in the city, it was very useful for the implementation of the plan. And he succeeded to perfection. Chichikov knew how to impress the people he needed. Belittling his dignity and demonstrating his insignificance in every possible way, he demonstrated impeccable speech manners, made skillful compliments to the rulers: he admired the success of their activities and called them such unjustifiably high titles as “your excellency.” He spoke little about himself, but from his story one could conclude that he had to go through an extremely difficult life path and experience a lot for his own honesty and justice.

They began to invite him to receptions, where he maintained a favorable first impression of himself with his ability to take part in a conversation on any topic. At the same time, he behaved very decently and showed extensive knowledge about the subject of conversation. His speech was meaningful, his voice was neither quiet nor loud.

At this moment one can already catch a hint that this integrity is only a mask under which lies true character and the hero's aspirations. Chichikov divides all people into fat and thin. At the same time, fat people have a strong position in this world, while thin people only serve as executors of other people’s orders. The main character himself, of course, belongs to the first category, since he intends to firmly take his place in life. The author himself speaks about this, and this information begins to reveal another, true face of the character.

Start of activity

Chichikov begins his scam with an offer to buy non-existent peasants from the landowner Manilov. The master, burdened by the need to pay taxes for his dead servants, gave them away for free, although he was surprised at the unusual deal. In this episode, the main character is revealed as an easily addicted person, for whom success can quickly turn his head.

Having decided that the activity he has invented is safe, he heads for a new deal. His path lies to a certain Sobakevich, but the long road forces the hero to make a stop at the landowner Korobochka. As a quick-witted person, he wastes no time there either, acquiring almost two dozen more desired dead souls.

Only after escaping from Korobochka does he visit Nozdryov. The main feature of this person was the desire to ruin the lives of everyone around him. But Chichikov did not immediately understand this and carelessly decided to try his luck in a deal with this landowner. Nozdryov led the swindler by the nose for a long time. He agreed to sell souls only together with real goods, for example, a horse, or offered to win them at dominoes, but in the end Pyotr Ivanovich was left with nothing. This meeting showed that the hero of the poem is a frivolous person, unable to calculate his own actions.

Chichikov finally got to Sobakevich and outlined his proposal to him. However, the landowner turned out to be no less cunning than the buyer. His benefits he didn't want to miss out. Realizing that Pyotr Ivanovich’s actions were not entirely legal, he skillfully played on this, driving up the price of non-existent peasants. This made Chichikov very tired, but he showed determination. Ultimately, the seller and buyer reached a compromise and the deal was completed.

While Sobakevich was bargaining, he said a few words about a certain Plyushkin, and the hero went to visit this landowner. The master's household did not evoke positive emotions among the newcomer. Everything there was in disrepair, and the owner himself had a dirty, unkempt appearance. The landowner was not poor, but turned out to be a real miser. He kept all the money and things of any value hidden in chests. The painful stinginess of this character, whose name became a household name, helped Chichikov conclude a successful deal. Plyushkin was wary of this sale, but he was pleased with the opportunity to get rid of the need to pay taxes on dead peasants.

At first glance, Plyushkin did not play a big role in the plot of the work, but if you compare this character with the main character, there is something in common between them. Being a landowner and a nobleman, they were supposed to be a support for the state and an example to follow, while in reality both turned out to be useless to society as people trying to line their own pockets.

Trying to leave the city

Be that as it may, but after the deal with Plyushkin, Chichikov has reached his goal and no longer saw the need to stay in the city. In an effort to leave him as quickly as possible, he went to court to certify the authenticity of the documents. But this procedure required time, which he happily spent at receptions and surrounded by ladies interested in him.

However, the triumph turned into failure. Nozdryov hastened to expose Chichikov’s scam. This message caused a stir in the city. The guest who was accepted everywhere suddenly became unwanted.

Throughout the entire story, the reader, although he understands the dubious good intentions of the protagonist’s actions, does not yet know his full story, according to which a final opinion about Chichikov could be formed. The author talks about the origin and upbringing of the hero, as well as the events preceding his arrival in “city N,” in chapter 11.

The hero grew up in a poor family. Although they belonged to a high class of nobles, they had very few serfs at their disposal. Pavel Ivanovich's childhood was overshadowed by the lack of friends and acquaintances. When the child grew up a little, his father sent him to school. Parting with his son did not upset Ivan, but at parting he gave Pavel one instruction. The instruction spoke of the need to learn and gain the favor of those above him in position. The head of the family called money the most valuable and reliable thing that should be protected.

Chichikov followed this advice all his life. He did not have good academic abilities, but he quickly understood how to earn the love of his teachers. Quiet and meek behavior allowed him to receive a good certificate, but after graduating from college he showed his unsightly quality. His face opened up when one of the mentors who loved him found himself in an extremely difficult financial situation. For the teacher, who was almost dying of hunger, money was collected by hooligan classmates, while the diligent Chichikov stingily allocated an insignificant amount.

Meanwhile, the protagonist's father died, leaving behind a pitiful inheritance. Chichikov, who is not stingy by nature, is forced to starve and look for ways to earn money. He hires out for service and tries to work honestly, but soon realizes that such work will not bring him the desired wealth with a luxurious house, a carriage with a coachman and expensive entertainment.

Wanting to get a promotion, he wins the favor of his boss by marrying his daughter. But as soon as the goal was achieved, he no longer needed the family. While Chichikov was advancing in his career, there was a change in management. Despite all his efforts, the hero could not find a common language with the new leader and was forced to look for other ways to obtain material wealth.

Luck to become a customs official smiled on the hero in the next city. But he decided to improve his financial situation with bribes, for which he soon appeared in court. Always striving to please those in power, Chichikov had some connections that allowed him to avoid punishment for a crime.

His nature was such that he turned this discrediting episode of his life into a story about how he innocently suffered in the service.

Unfortunately, one can only judge such an interesting character as Chichikov by the first volume. The second part of the work was burned by the author himself, and he never began the third. Based on the surviving sketches and drafts, it is known that the hero tried to continue his fraudulent activities. It is unknown how the poem would have ended, but the talentedly created image is still relevant. After all, to this day on the path of life you can meet a person like Chichikov.

Description of the hero by critics

Critics, for the most part deservedly those who appreciated the poem noted this acumen and the fraudulent nature of the character. Experts made the following judgments about the hero:

1. V. G. Belinsky called him a real hero of the modern era, who sought to acquire wealth, without which it was impossible to achieve success in the emerging capitalist society. People like him bought shares or collected donations for charity, but they were all united by this desire.
2. K. S. Aksakov ignored the moral qualities of the hero, only noted his cheating. For this critic, the main thing was that Chichikov was a truly Russian person.
3. A.I. Herzen characterized the hero as the only active person, whose efforts in the end were still worth little, since they were limited to fraud.
4. V. G. Marantsman saw in the hero himself a “dead soul”, full of negative qualities and devoid of morality.
5. P. L. Weil and A. A. Genis saw in Chichikov a “little man,” that is, a simple-minded scoundrel whose activities were neither smart nor large-scale.

The final image of Chichikov is ambiguous. This clearly intelligent person sets goals to arrange his own life, but every time he chooses the wrong means to achieve this. His vigorous activity and determination could have brought him prosperity long ago, but the thirst for wealth and luxury, unavailable to him in childhood, pushes him to commit crimes and fraud.

“All of Rus' will appear in it,” N.V. Gogol said about his work “Dead Souls.” Sending his hero on the road across Russia, the author strives to show everything that is characteristic of the Russian national character, everything that forms the basis of Russian life, the history and modernity of Russia, tries to look into the future... From the height of his ideas about the ideal, the author judges “all the terrible “, the amazing mud of little things that entangle our lives,” Gogol’s penetrating gaze explores the life of Russian landowners, peasants, and the state of people’s souls. The broad typification of the poem's images became the prerequisite for the fact that the names of many of Gogol's heroes became household names. And yet Gogol could be considered a genius if only for creating the image of the “dearest man” Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. What kind of person is this Chichikov? The author emphasizes that the time of virtuous heroes has passed, and therefore shows us... a scoundrel.

The origin of the hero, as the author says, is “dark and modest.” His parents are impoverished nobles, and his father, sending Pavlush to a city school, can leave him only “half a copper” and a wise order: to please the Teachers and superiors and, most importantly, to save and save a penny. Even as a child, Pavlusha reveals great practicality. He knows how to deny himself everything, just to save at least a small amount. He pleases teachers, but only as long as he depends on them. After graduating from college, Pavlusha no longer considers it necessary to help the drunken teacher.

Chichikov convinces himself that he has no “attachment to money for money’s sake.” Money is a means to achieve a life of “all pleasures.” The author notes with bitter irony that the hero of the poem would sometimes even like to help people, “but only so that it does not involve a significant amount.” And so gradually the desire for hoarding obscures the most important moral principles for the hero. Deception, bribery, meanness, fraud at customs - these are the means by which Pavel Ivanovich tries to ensure a decent existence for himself and his future children. It is not surprising that it is precisely such a hero who conceives a fantastic scam: the purchase of “dead souls” with the aim of pawning them in the treasury. He has long been no longer interested in the moral aspect of such transactions; he completely justifies himself by the fact that he “takes advantage of the surplus,” “takes where everyone would take.”

We must give the hero his due. He does not enjoy patronage, there are not enough stars in the sky; everything he achieves is the result of hard work and constant hardship. Moreover, every time the contours of luck appear on the horizon, another disaster befalls the hero. Gogol pays tribute to the “irresistible strength of his character,” for he understands how difficult it is for a Russian person to “throw a rein on everything that would like to jump out and walk free.”

Chichikov is not only tireless in inventing cunning plans. His entire appearance is already adapted to make it easier to “save a penny.” There are no striking features in his appearance, he is “not too fat, not too thin,” “not handsome, but not bad-looking either.” Chichikov knows people well and speaks to everyone in a language understandable to the interlocutor. He captivates officials with “the pleasantness of his secular address”, he charms Manilov with his sugary tone, he knows how to intimidate Korobochka, and with Nozdryov he plays Checkers for the souls of dead peasants. Even with Plyushkin, who avoids communicating with people, Chichikov finds a common language.

Chichikov represents a new type of businessman-entrepreneur for Russian reality. But this does not mean that Gogol excludes him from a number of literary associations. Sometimes Pavel Ivanovich resembles a romantic secular hero, who “... was ready to give an answer, probably no worse than those given in fashionable stories...”. Secondly, Pavel Ivanovich has something of the image of a romantic robber (according to rumors, he breaks into Korobochka “like Rinald Rinaldina”). Thirdly, city officials compare him to Napoleon, who was “released” from Helena. Finally, Chichikov is even identified with the Antichrist. Of course, such associations are parodic. But not only. The worst thing, according to Gogol, is that the appearance of such a hero means that vice has ceased to be majestic, and evil has ceased to be heroic. Chichikov is an anti-hero, an anti-villain. He embodies only the prose of adventurism for the sake of money.

Of course, it is no coincidence that officials compare Chichikov with Captain Kopeikin. Within the framework of the plot, this comparison is comical (the postmaster does not pay attention to the fact that Chichikov’s arms and legs are in place), but for the writer it is of great importance, it is not for nothing that even the surname of the noble captain is consonant with Chichikov’s “save a penny.” The hero of the War of 1812 personifies the romantic era of the recent past, but now time has finally shrunk, and the Chichikovs have become his heroes. And the worst thing is that in life they are perceived by people the same way as in the poem. They are called interesting, everyone is happy with them. And therefore Gogol considers it necessary to look deeper into their souls, to discover their “innermost thoughts,” that which “eludes and hides from the light.”

But nevertheless, it is Chichikov in the poem who is one of the few “people of the path” who, according to Gogol, were destined to be reborn. Yes, the hero’s goal is petty, but movement towards it is better than complete immobility. However, the second volume of the poem, in which the hero was supposed to come to the purification of the soul, was never published.

The social soil on which the Chichikovs flourished has long been destroyed. And the evil of hoarding continues to entangle humanity. Is this why the image of Chichikov can be considered Gogol’s brilliant discovery?