The way of life of a box in the poem Dead Souls. The image and characteristics of the box in the poem Dead Souls by Gogol essay

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 the drawers of the chest of drawers!” (or Korobochka are in some ways 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 throughout the estate. This trait 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 is obtained 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.

The image of the hoarder Korobochka is already devoid of those “attractive” features that distinguish Manilov. And again we have a type in front of us - “one of those mothers, small landowners who... little by little collect money into colorful bags placed in dresser drawers.” Korobochka's interests are entirely concentrated on farming. “Strong-browed” and “club-headed” Nastasya Petrovna is afraid to sell herself cheap by selling dead souls to Chichikov. The “silent scene” that appears in this chapter is curious. We find similar scenes in almost all chapters showing the conclusion of Chichikov’s deal with another landowner.

This is special artistic technique, a kind of temporary stop of action: it allows us to show with particular salience the spiritual emptiness of Pavel Ivanovich and his interlocutors. At the end of the third chapter, Gogol talks about the typicality of the image of Korobochka, the insignificance of the difference between her and another aristocratic lady.

The landowner Korobochka is thrifty, “gains a little money little by little,” lives secluded in her estate, as if in a box, and her homeliness over time develops into hoarding. Narrow-mindedness and stupidity complete the character of the “club-headed” landowner, who is distrustful of everything new in life. The qualities inherent in Korobochka are typical not only among the provincial nobility.

She owns a subsistence farm and trades in everything that is in it: lard, bird feathers, serfs. Everything in her house is done the old fashioned way. She carefully stores her things and saves money, putting them in bags. Everything goes into her business.

In the same chapter the author great attention pays attention to Chichikov’s behavior, focusing on the fact that Chichikov behaves simpler and more casually with Korobochka than with Manilov. This phenomenon is typical of Russian reality, and, proving this, the author gives lyrical digression about the transformation of Prometheus into a fly. Korobochka's nature is especially clearly revealed in the buying and selling scene. She is very afraid of selling herself cheap and even makes an assumption, which she herself is afraid of: “what if the dead will be useful to her in her household?” And again the author emphasizes the typicality of this image: “He is a different and respectable man, and even a statesman, but in reality he turns out to be a perfect Box.” It turns out that Korobochka’s stupidity, her “club-headedness” is not such a rare phenomenon.

Manilov - a sentimental landowner, the first “seller” dead souls. Gogol emphasizes the emptiness and insignificance of the hero, covered by the sugary pleasantness of his appearance and the details of the furnishings of his estate. M.'s house is open to all winds, the sparse tops of birch trees are visible everywhere, the pond is completely overgrown with duckweed. But the gazebo in M.’s garden is pompously named “Temple of Solitary Reflection.” M.’s office is covered with “blue paint, sort of grey,” which indicates the lifelessness of the hero, from whom you won’t get a single living word. Having caught on to any topic, M.’s thoughts float into the distance, into abstract thoughts. To think about real life, and even more so, this hero is not capable of making any decisions. Everything in M.'s life: action, time, meaning - has been replaced by refined verbal formulas. As soon as Chichikov expressed his strange request for selling the dead shower in beautiful words, and M. immediately calmed down and agreed. Although before this proposal seemed wild to him. M.'s world is a world of false idyll, the path to death. It is not for nothing that even Chichikov’s path to the lost Manilovka is depicted as a path to nowhere. There is nothing negative in M., but there is nothing positive either. He - empty place, nothing. Therefore, this hero cannot count on transformation and rebirth: there is nothing to be reborn in him. And therefore M., along with Korobochka, occupies one of the lowest places in the “hierarchy” of the heroes of the poem.

This man is a little reminiscent of Chichikov himself. “God alone could say what kind of character M. has. There is a family of people known by the name: neither this nor that, neither in the city of Bogdan, nor in the village of Selifan. His facial features were not without pleasantness, but in this pleasantness, it seemed , too much sugar." M. considers himself well-mannered, educated, noble. But let's look into his office. We see heaps of ashes, a dusty book, which has been open for the second year on page 14, there is always something missing in the house, only some of the furniture is upholstered in silk fabric, and two armchairs are upholstered in matting. M.’s weakness is also emphasized by the fact that the landowner’s housekeeping is handled by a drunkard clerk.

M. is a dreamer, and his dreams are completely divorced from reality. He dreams of “how good it would be if suddenly an underground passage was built from the house or a stone bridge was built across the pond.” G. emphasizes the inactivity and social uselessness of the landowner, but does not deprive him human qualities. M. is a family man, loves his wife and children, sincerely rejoices at the arrival of a guest, tries in every possible way to please him and do something pleasant.

Nozdryov is the third landowner from whom Chichikov is trying to buy dead souls. This is a dashing 35-year-old “talker, carouser, reckless driver.” N. lies constantly, bullies everyone indiscriminately, he is very passionate, ready to “mess up” to the best friend without any purpose.

All of N.’s behavior is explained by his dominant quality: “nimbleness and liveliness of character,” that is, unrestrainedness bordering on unconsciousness. N. doesn’t think or plan anything, he just doesn’t know the limits in anything. On the way to Sobakevich, in the tavern, N. intercepts Chichikov and takes him to his estate.

There he quarrels to death with Chichikov: he does not agree to play cards for dead souls, and also does not want to buy a stallion of “Arab blood” and receive souls in addition.

The next morning, forgetting about all the grievances, N. persuades Chichikov to play checkers with him for dead souls. Caught in cheating, N. orders Chichikov to be beaten, and only the appearance of the police captain calms him down. It is N. who almost destroys Chichikov.

Confronted with him at the ball, N. shouts loudly: “he’s trading dead souls!”, which gives rise to a lot of the most incredible rumors. When officials call on N. to sort things out, the hero confirms all the rumors at once, without being embarrassed by their inconsistency. Later he comes to Chichikov and himself talks about all these rumors. Instantly forgetting about the insult he had caused, he sincerely offers to help Chichikov take away governor's daughter. home furnishings fully reflects the chaotic character of N. Everything at home is stupid: there are sawhorses in the middle of the dining room, there are no books or papers in the office, etc.

We can say that N.'s boundless lie is reverse side Russian prowess, which N. is endowed with in abundance. N. is not completely empty, it’s just that his unbridled energy does not find proper use. With N. in the poem begins a series of heroes who have retained something alive in themselves. Therefore, in the “hierarchy” of heroes, he occupies a relatively high - third - place.

Stepan Plyushkin is the last “seller” of dead souls. This hero personifies complete mortification human soul. In the image of P. the author shows the death of the bright and strong personality, consumed by the passion of stinginess. The description of P.'s estate (“he does not grow rich according to God”) depicts the desolation and “cluttering” of the hero’s soul. The entrance is dilapidated, there is a special disrepair everywhere, the roofs are like a sieve, the windows are covered with rags. Everything here is lifeless - even the two churches, which should be the soul of the estate.

P.'s estate seems to be falling apart into details and fragments, even the house - in some places one floor, in others two. This indicates the collapse of the owner’s consciousness, who forgot about the main thing and focused on the tertiary. He no longer knows what is going on in his household, but he strictly monitors the level of liquor in his decanter.

Portrait of P. (either a woman or a man, a long chin covered with a scarf so as not to spit, small, not yet extinguished eyes running around like mice, a greasy robe, a rag on his neck instead of a scarf) speaks of the hero’s complete “fallout” from the image of a rich landowner and from life in general.

P. has, the only one of all the landowners, quite detailed biography. Before the death of his wife, P. was a zealous and wealthy owner. He carefully raised his children. But with the death of his beloved wife, something broke in him: he became more suspicious and stingier. After troubles with the children (my son lost at cards, eldest daughter ran away, and the youngest died) P.’s soul finally became hardened - “a wolfish hunger of stinginess took possession of him.” But, oddly enough, greed did not take control of the hero’s heart to the last limit. Having sold dead souls to Chichikov, P. ponders who could help him draw up a deed of sale in the city. He recalls that the Chairman was his schoolmate.

This memory suddenly revives the hero: “... on this wooden face... expressed... a pale reflection of feeling.” But this is only a momentary glimpse of life, although the author believes that P. is capable of rebirth. At the end of the chapter about P. Gogol describes a twilight landscape in which shadow and light are “completely mixed” - just like in P.’s unfortunate soul.

Sobakevich Mikhailo Semenych is a landowner, the fourth “seller” of dead souls. The very name and appearance of this hero (reminiscent of a “medium-sized bear”, his tailcoat is of a “completely bearish” color, he walks at random, his complexion is “red-hot, hot”) indicate the power of his nature. From the very beginning, S.’s image is associated with the theme of money, thriftiness, and calculation (at the moment of entering the village, S. Chichikov dreams of a 200,000-dollar dowry). Talking with Chichikov S., not paying attention to Chichikov’s evasiveness, busily moves on to the essence of the question: “Do you need dead souls?” literary poem artistic

The main thing for S. is the price; everything else does not interest him. S. bargains knowledgeably, praises his goods (all souls “what vigorous nut") and even manages to deceive Chichikov (slips him " female soul" - Elizaveta Sparrow). S.'s spiritual appearance is reflected in everything that surrounds him. In his house, all “useless” architectural beauties have been removed. The peasants' huts were also built without any decorations. In S.’s house there are paintings on the walls depicting exclusively greek heroes who look like the owner of the house. The dark-colored blackbird with speckles and the pot-bellied walnut bureau (“the perfect bear”) are also similar to S. In turn, the hero himself also looks like an object - his legs are like cast iron pedestals. S. is a type of Russian kulak, a strong, prudent master. Its peasants live well and reliably. The fact that S.’s natural strength and efficiency turned into dull inertia is rather not the hero’s fault, but rather the hero’s misfortune. S. lives exclusively in modern times, in the 1820s. From the height of his power, S. sees how the life around him has been crushed. During the bargaining, he remarks: “...what kind of people are these? flies, not people,” are much worse than dead people. S. occupies one of the highest places in the spiritual “hierarchy” of heroes, because, according to the author, he has many chances for rebirth. By nature he is endowed with many good qualities, he has rich potential and a powerful nature. Their implementation will be shown in the second volume of the poem - in the image of the landowner Kostanzhoglo.

Work:

Dead Souls

Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna is a widow-landowner, the second “saleswoman” of dead souls to Chichikov. Main feature her character is commercial businesslike. For K., every person is only a potential buyer.

K.'s inner world reflects her household. Everything in it is neat and strong: both the house and the yard. It's just that there are a lot of flies everywhere. This detail personifies the frozen, stopped world of the heroine. The hissing clock and the “outdated” portraits on the walls in K’s house speak about this.

But such “fading” is still better than the complete timelessness of Manilov’s world. At least K. has a past (husband and everything connected with him). K. has character: she begins to frantically bargain with Chichikov until she extracts from him a promise to buy many other things in addition to souls. It is noteworthy that K. remembers all his dead peasants by heart. But K. is stupid: later she will come to the city to find out the price of dead souls, and thereby expose Chichikov. Even the location of the village K. (aside from the main road, away from real life) indicates the impossibility of its correction and revival. In this she is similar to Manilov and occupies one of the lowest places in the “hierarchy” of the heroes of the poem.

The image of the landowner Korobochka in the poem “Dead Souls”

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 the drawers of the chest of drawers!” (or M. and Korobochka are in a 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 be high culture: in its entire appearance a very unpretentious simplicity. This is emphasized by Gogol in the appearance of the heroine: 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, incessant accumulation. It is no coincidence that Chichikov sees traces of skillful management of her estate. This the household reveals her inner insignificance. She has no feelings other than the desire to acquire and benefit. The situation with the “dead strangling” is confirmation of this. Korobochka trades with 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. In Chichikov’s proposal, only one thing frightens her: 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.

The image of the hoarder Korobochka is already devoid of those “attractive” features that distinguish Manilov. And again we have a type in front of us - “one of those mothers, small landowners who... little by little collect money into colorful bags placed in dresser drawers.” Korobochka's interests are entirely concentrated on farming. “Strong-browed” and “club-headed” Nastasya Petrovna is afraid to sell herself cheap by selling dead souls to Chichikov. The “silent scene” that appears in this chapter is curious. We find similar scenes in almost all chapters showing the conclusion of Chichikov’s deal with another landowner. This is a special artistic technique, a kind of temporary stop of action: it allows you to show with particular prominence the spiritual emptiness of Pavel Ivanovich and his interlocutors. At the end of the third chapter, Gogol talks about the typicality of the image of Korobochka, the insignificance of the difference between her and another aristocratic lady.

The landowner Korobochka is thrifty, “gains a little money little by little,” lives secluded in her estate, as if in a box, and her homeliness over time develops into hoarding. Narrow-mindedness and stupidity complete the character of the “club-headed” landowner, who is distrustful of everything new in life. The qualities inherent in Korobochka are typical not only among the provincial nobility.

She owns a subsistence farm and trades in everything that is in it: lard, bird feathers, serfs. Everything in her house is done the old fashioned way. She carefully stores her things and saves money, putting them in bags. Everything goes into her business. In the same chapter, the author pays much attention to Chichikov’s behavior, focusing on the fact that Chichikov behaves simpler and more casually with Korobochka than with Manilov. This phenomenon is typical of Russian reality, and, proving this, the author gives a lyrical digression about the transformation of Prometheus into a fly. Korobochka's nature is especially clearly revealed in the buying and selling scene. She is very afraid of selling herself short and even makes an assumption, which she herself is afraid of: “what if the dead will be useful to her in her household?” . It turns out that Korobochka’s stupidity, her “club-headedness” is not such a rare phenomenon.


Among the landowners visited main character Gogol's poem Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, in search of his unusual acquisition, there was one woman.

The image and characteristics of Korobochka in the poem “Dead Souls” allow us to imagine how they lived in the deep, hidden territories of Russia of the past, way of life and traditions.

The image of the heroine

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov came to the landowner Korobochka by accident. He lost his way when he tried to visit Sobakevich's estate. Terrible bad weather forced the traveler to ask to spend the night in an unfamiliar estate. The woman's rank is college secretary. She is a widow living on her estate. There is some autobiographical information about the woman. It is not known whether she has children, but it is certain that a sister lives in Moscow. Korobochka goes to her after Chichikov leaves. The old landowner runs a small farm: about 80 peasants. The author describes the landlady and the men living in the village.

What's special about the heroine:

Ability to save. The small landowner puts the money into bags and puts them in the chest of drawers.

Stealth. Nastasya Petrovna does not talk about her wealth. She pretends to be poor, trying to evoke pity. But the purpose of this feeling is to raise the price of the product offered.

Courage. The landowner confidently goes to court with requests to solve her problems.

Korobochka sells what its peasants do: honey, feathers, hemp, lard. The woman is not surprised by the guest’s desire to buy the souls of people who went to afterworld. She's afraid of selling herself short. Faith and unbelief are intertwined in the landowner. Moreover, two opposing feelings are connected so tightly that it is difficult to determine where the line is. She believes in God and the devil. After prayer, the landowner lays out the cards.

Nastasya Petrovna's farm

A lonely woman manages better than the men encountered in the poem. The description of the village does not frighten, like Plyushkin’s, and does not surprise, like Manilov’s. The gentlemen's house is well maintained. It is small but strong. Dogs bark to greet guests and warn their owners. The author describes the houses of the peasants:
  • the huts are strong;
  • lined up scattered;
  • are constantly being repaired (the worn-out board is replaced with a new one);
  • strong gates;
  • spare carts.
Korobochka watches over her house and the peasants' huts. Everyone on the estate is busy; there are no people hanging around between houses. The landowner knows exactly when, for what holiday, lard, hemp, flour or cereal will be ready. Despite her short-sighted mind, Nastasya Petrovna’s apparent stupidity is businesslike and lively, aimed at profit.

Peasants of the village

Chichikov examines the peasants with interest. These are strong, living men and women. There are several characters in the village. Each one complements the image of the hostess in a special way.

The maid Fetinya expertly fluffs the feather beds, making them so comfortable that the guest sleeps longer than usual.

The yard peasant woman opened the gate at night, without fear uninvited guests. She has a hoarse voice and a strong figure, hidden under an army coat.

The yard girl Pelageya shows Chichikov the way back. She runs barefoot, which is why her feet are covered in mud and look like boots. The girl is uneducated, and for her there is not even an understanding of right and left. She shows with her hands where the chaise should go.

Dead Souls

The peasants that Korobochka sells have amazing nicknames. Some of them complement the characteristics of a person, others are simply invented by the people. The hostess remembers all the nicknames, she sighs and regretfully lists them to the guest. The most unusual:
  • Disrespect-Trough;
  • Cow brick;
  • Wheel Ivan.
The box feels sorry for everyone. Skilled Blacksmith burned like coal due to drunkenness. All were nice workers; it is difficult to include them in the list of Chichikov’s nameless purchases. Dead souls The boxes are the most alive.

Character image

There is a lot of typical stuff in the description of the Box. The author believes that there are many such women in Rus'. They are not likable. Gogol called the woman “club-headed,” but she is no different from the prim, educated aristocrats. Korobochka’s thriftiness does not evoke affection; on the contrary, everything in her household is modest. Money ends up in bags, but does not bring anything new to life. Around the landowner great amount flies They personify stagnation in the soul of the hostess, in the world around her.

The landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka cannot be changed. She chose the path of hoarding that makes no sense. The life of the estate takes place away from real feelings and events.

Introduction

§1. The principle of constructing images of landowners in the poem

§2. Image of the Box

§3. Artistic detail as a means

character characteristics

§4. Korobochka and Chichikov.

Conclusion

List of used literature


Introduction

The poem “Dead Souls” was created by N.V. Gogol for about 17 years. Its plot was suggested by A.S. Pushkin. Gogol began working on the poem in the fall of 1835, and on May 21, 1842, “Dead Souls” appeared in print. The publication Gogol's poem caused fierce controversy: some admired it, others saw it as slander against modern Russia and “a special world of scoundrels.” Gogol worked on the continuation of the poem until the end of his life, writing the second volume (which was later burned) and planning to create a third volume.

According to the writer’s plan, the poem should have depicted not only contemporary Russia with all its problems and shortcomings (serfdom, bureaucratic system, loss spiritual origin, illusory, etc.), but also the basis on which the country could be reborn in a new socio-economic situation. The poem “Dead Souls” was supposed to be an artistic search for a “living soul” - the type of person who could become the owner new Russia.

Gogol based the composition of the poem on the architectonics “ Divine Comedy» Dante – the hero’s journeys, accompanied by a guide (the poet Virgil), first through the circles of hell, then, through purgatory, through the spheres of heaven. On this journey lyrical hero poems I met the souls of people burdened with sins (in the circles of hell) and marked by grace (in heaven). Dante's poem was a gallery of types of people embodied in artistic images famous characters mythology and history. Gogol also wanted to create a large-scale work that would reflect not only the present of Russia, but also its future. “...How huge, original story... All of Rus' will appear in it!..” - wrote Gogol to Zhukovsky. But for the writer it was important to depict not the external side of Russian life, but its “soul” - internal state human spirituality. Following Dante, he created a gallery of types of people from different segments of the population and classes (landowners, officials, peasants, metropolitan society), in which psychological, class, and spiritual traits were reflected in a generalized form. Each of the characters in the poem is both typical and clearly individualized - with its own characteristics of behavior and speech, attitude to the world and moral values. Gogol's skill was manifested in the fact that his poem “Dead Souls” is not just a gallery of types of people, it is a collection of “souls”, among which the author is looking for a living one, capable of further development.

Gogol was going to write a work consisting of three volumes (in accordance with the architectonics of Dante’s “Divine Comedy”): “hell” of Russia, “purgatory” and “paradise” (future). When the first volume was published, the controversy that flared up around the work, especially negative assessments, shocked the writer, he went abroad and began work on the second volume. But the work was very difficult: Gogol’s views on life, art, and religion changed; he experienced a spiritual crisis; friendly ties with Belinsky were severed, who harshly criticized the writer’s ideological position expressed in “Selected Passages from Correspondence with Friends.” The second volume, practically written, was burned in a moment of mental crisis, then restored, and nine days before his death, the writer again set fire to the white manuscript of the poem. The third volume remained only in the form of an idea.

For Gogol - a deeply religious man and an original writer - the most important thing was the spirituality of man, his moral basis, and not just the external social circumstances in which contemporary Russia was located. He perceived both Rus' and its fate like a son, deeply experiencing everything that he observed in reality. Gogol saw Russia’s way out of the spiritual crisis not in economic and social transformations, but in the revival of morality, the cultivation true values, including Christian ones, in the souls of people. Therefore, the assessment that the work received in democratically minded criticism and which for a long time determined the perception of the first volume of the novel - a critical image of Russian reality, the “hell” of feudal Russia - does not exhaust the concept, plot, or poetics of the poem. Thus, the problem of the philosophical and spiritual content of the work and the definition of the main philosophical conflict in the images of “Dead Souls” arises.

The purpose of our work is to analyze one of the images of the poem from the point of view of the main philosophical conflict of the poem - the landowner Korobochka.

The main research method is literary analysis episode of Chichikov's meeting with Korobochka. and analysis and interpretation of artistic details.


§1. The principle of constructing images of landowners in the poem

Home philosophical problem The poem “Dead Souls” is the problem of life and death in the human soul. This is indicated by the name itself - “dead souls”, which reflects not only the meaning of Chichikov’s adventure - the purchase of “dead”, i.e. peasants existing only on paper, in revision tales, but also, in a broader, generalized sense, the degree of deadness of the soul of each of the characters in the poem. The main conflict - life and death - is localized in the internal area, spiritual plan. And then the composition of the first volume of the poem is divided into three parts, which form ring composition: Chichikov’s arrival in the district town and communication with officials - traveling from landowner to landowner “according to his own need” - return to the city, scandal and departure from the city. Thus, the central motif that organizes the entire work is the motif of travel. wanderings. Wandering as plot basis The work is typical for Russian literature and reflects the idea of ​​searching for high meaning and truth, continuing the tradition of the “walkings” of Old Russian literature.

Chichikov travels through the Russian outback, county towns and estates in search of “dead” souls, and the author accompanying the hero - in search of a “living” soul. Therefore, the gallery of landowners appearing before the reader in the first volume is a natural sequence of human types, among which the author is looking for someone who is capable of becoming the real master of the new Russia and reviving it economically, without destroying morality and spirituality. The sequence in which the landowners appear before us is built on two foundations: on the one hand, the degree of deadness of the soul (in other words, is the human soul alive) and sinfulness (let’s not forget about the “circles of hell”, where souls are arranged according to the severity of their sins) ; on the other, the opportunity to be reborn, to gain vitality, which Gogol understands as spirituality.

In the sequence of images of landowners, these two lines combine and create a double structure: each subsequent character is in a lower “circle”, the degree of his sin is heavier, death in his soul increasingly replaces life, and at the same time, each subsequent character is closer to rebirth, because According to Christian philosophy, the lower a person has fallen, the heavier his sin, the greater his suffering, the closer he is to salvation. The correctness of this interpretation is confirmed by the fact that, firstly, each subsequent landowner has more and more detailed history previous life (and if a person has a past, then a future is possible), secondly, in excerpts from the burned second volume and sketches for the third, it is known that Gogol was preparing a revival for two characters - the scoundrel Chichikov and the “hole in humanity” Plyushkin, those. to those who are in the first volume at the very bottom of spiritual “hell”.

Therefore, we will consider the image of the landowner Korobochka from several positions:

How do life and death compare in the character’s soul?

What is Korobochka’s “sin”, and why is she between Manilov and Nozdryov?

How close is she to revival?

§2. Image of the Box

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka - landowner, widow of a collegiate secretary, very economical and thrifty elderly woman. Her village is small, but everything in it is in good order, the farm is flourishing and, apparently, brings in a good income. Korobochka compares favorably with Manilov: she knows all her peasants (“... she didn’t keep any notes or lists, but knew almost all of them by heart”), speaks of them as good workers (“all are nice people, all workers”), she herself works household - “fixed her eyes on the housekeeper”, “little by little everyone moved into economic life". Judging by the fact that, when asking Chichikov who he is, she lists those people with whom she constantly communicates: the assessor, merchants, the archpriest, her social circle is small and is connected mainly with economic affairs - trade and the payment of state taxes.

Apparently, she rarely goes to the city and does not communicate with her neighbors, because when asked about Manilov, he replies that there is no such landowner and names ancient noble families, which are more appropriate in classic comedy XVIII century - Bobrov, Kanapatiev, Pleshakov, Kharpakin. In the same row is the surname Svinin, which draws a direct parallel with Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” (Mitrofanushka’s mother and uncle - Svinin).

Korobochka’s behavior, her address to the guest as “father”, the desire to serve (Chichikov called himself a nobleman), to treat her, to arrange for an overnight stay as best as possible - all this character traits images of provincial landowners in works of the XVIII century. Mrs. Prostakova behaves the same way when she finds out that Starodum is a nobleman and has been accepted at court.

Korobochka, it would seem, is devout; in her speeches there are constantly sayings and expressions characteristic of a believer: “The power of the cross is with us!”, “Apparently, God sent him as a punishment,” but there is no special faith in her. When Chichikov persuades her to sell dead peasants promising benefits, she agrees and begins to “calculate” the benefits. Korobochka's confidant is the son of the archpriest, who serves in the city.

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N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls” Images of landowners. Box Completed by: Anastasia Devitaeva, student of class 9A, MBOU Secondary School No. 23, Novosibirsk, supervisor: Elena Valerievna Labodina

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Box. Description of appearance Meaning of the name: frugality, mistrust, feeble-mindedness, stubbornness. “...The hostess, an elderly woman, came in, wearing some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck...” Almost identical details of clothing are repeated in the portrait, but Gogol does not pay attention to her face and eyes, as if they do not exist - this emphasizes her lack of spirituality.

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Box. Characteristics “One of those mothers, small landowners who cry about crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they collect a little money in colorful bags placed on the drawers of chests of drawers. All the rubles are taken into one bag, fifty rubles into another, quarters into the third, although in appearance it seems as if there is nothing in the chest of drawers except underwear and night blouses... a thrifty old lady...” A typical small landowner is the owner of 80 serfs. Korobochka is a housewife.

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Box. Characteristics 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. Gogol speaks about this type of people: “... different and respectable, and a statesman... a person, but in reality he turns out to be a perfect Korobochka. Once you’ve got something in your head, you can’t overcome it with anything, no matter how much you present him with arguments, clear as day, everything bounces off him, like a rubber ball bounces off a wall.”

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Box. The estate She has a “nice village”, the yard is full of all kinds of birds, there are “spacious vegetable gardens with cabbage, onions, potatoes, beets and other household vegetables”, there are “apple trees and other fruit trees”. She conducts “abundant farming” herself and devotes a lot of time to it. A large number of dogs in the village indicates that the owner cares about the safety of her condition. He saves money, but doesn’t know how to manage it - it lies like a dead weight. Bunches of herbs are hung everywhere. Important detail- a hoarse wall clock that every time unexpectedly breaks the silence of the house and gives a feeling of deep distance from life. Everything is in its place, there are even ropes that “are no longer needed.”

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Box. Details of the situation The author depicts the thriftiness of the Box as almost absurd: among the many useful and necessary items, there are those that are “no longer needed anywhere.” The pettiness and limited interests of Korobochka are emphasized by bird-animal images: Bobrov, Svinin; Chichikov, who fell out of the chaise, has his back and side covered in mud, “like a hog”; the scarecrow in the mistress's cap is a parody double of Korobochka. The things in the house reflect her naive idea of ​​beauty and her range of entertainment (darning, fortune telling, cooking).

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Box. Lifestyle Korobochka's mental horizons are extremely limited. Gogol emphasizes her stupidity, ignorance, superstition, and points out that her behavior is guided by self-interest, a passion for profit. She is very afraid of being “cheap” when selling. Everything “new and unprecedented” scares her.

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Box. Reaction to Chichikov's proposal Everything “new and unprecedented” frightens her; her reluctance to sell “dead souls” is also explained by the fact that she has been striving for hoarding all her life, and believes that they might somehow be useful on the farm. She shows a complete lack of understanding of the meaning of this transaction, a 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”).