The image of Chichikov, the main character of N. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol worked on this work for 17 years. According to the writer's plan, the grandiose literary work was to consist of three volumes. Gogol himself more than once reported that the idea for the work was suggested to him by Pushkin. Alexander Sergeevich was also one of the first listeners of the poem.

Work on “Dead Souls” was difficult. The writer changed the concept several times and reworked certain parts. Gogol worked on the first volume alone, which was published in 1842, for six years.

A few days before his death, the writer burned the manuscript of the second volume, of which only drafts of the first four and one of the last chapters survived. The author never got around to starting the third volume.

At first, Gogol considered “Dead Souls” satirical a novel in which he intended to show “all of Rus'.” But in 1840 the writer became seriously ill, and was healed literally by a miracle. Nikolai Vasilyevich decided that this was a sign - the Creator himself was demanding that he create something that would serve the spiritual revival of Russia. Thus, the concept of “Dead Souls” was rethought. The idea arose to create a trilogy similar to Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. This is where the genre definition of the author - a poem - arose.

Gogol believed that in the first volume it was necessary to show the decomposition of serf society, its spiritual impoverishment. In the second, to give hope for the cleansing of “dead souls.” In the third, the revival of a new Russia was already planned.

The basis of the plot the poem became an official's scam Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. Its essence was as follows. A census of serfs was carried out in Russia every 10 years. Therefore, peasants who died during the period between censuses were considered alive according to official documents (revision tales). Chichikov’s goal is to buy up “dead souls” at a low price, and then pawn them in the guardianship council and get a lot of money. The fraudster hopes that the landowners will benefit from such a deal: they do not have to pay taxes on the deceased until the next audit. In search of “dead souls” Chichikov travels around Russia.

This plot outline allowed the author to create a social panorama of Russia. In the first chapter, Chichikov is introduced, then the author describes his meetings with landowners and officials. The last chapter is again dedicated to the swindler. The image of Chichikov and his purchase of dead souls unite the storyline of the work.

The landowners in the poem are typical representatives of people of their circle and time: spendthrifts (Manilov and Nozdrev), hoarders (Sobakevich and Korobochka). This gallery is completed by a spender and a hoarder rolled into one - Plyushkin.

Image of Manilov especially successful. This hero gave the name to a whole phenomenon of Russian reality - “Manilovism”. In his interactions with others, Manilov is soft to the point of cloying, loving posing in everything, but an empty and completely inactive owner. Gogol showed a sentimental dreamer who can only arrange the ashes knocked out of a pipe in beautiful rows. Manilov is stupid and lives in the world of his useless fantasies.

landowner Nozdryov, on the contrary, is very active. But his ebullient energy is not directed at all to economic concerns. Nozdryov is a gambler, a spendthrift, a reveler, a braggart, an empty and frivolous person. If Manilov strives to please everyone, then Nozdryov constantly causes mischief. Not out of malice, really, that’s his nature.

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka- a type of economical, but narrow-minded and conservative landowner, quite tight-fisted. Her interests include pantry, barns and poultry houses. Korobochka even went to the nearest town twice in her life. In everything that goes beyond her everyday concerns, the landowner is impossibly stupid. The author calls her “club-headed.”

Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich the writer identifies it with a bear: he is clumsy and clumsy, but strong and strong. The landowner is primarily interested in the practicality and durability of things, and not in their beauty. Sobakevich, despite his rough appearance, has a sharp mind and cunning. This is an evil and dangerous predator, the only landowner capable of accepting the new capitalist way of life. Gogol notes that the time for such cruel business people is coming.

Image of Plyushkin does not fit into any framework. The old man himself is malnourished, starving the peasants, and a lot of food is rotting in his pantries, Plyushkin’s chests are filled with expensive things that are becoming unusable. Incredible stinginess deprives this man of his family.

The bureaucracy in “Dead Souls” is a thoroughly corrupt company of thieves and swindlers. In the system of city bureaucracy, the writer paints with large strokes the image of a “jug’s snout”, ready to sell his own mother for a bribe. The narrow-minded police chief and alarmist prosecutor, who died of fear because of Chichikov’s scam, is no better.

The main character is a rogue, in whom some traits of other characters are discernible. He is amiable and prone to posing (Manilov), petty (Korobochka), greedy (Plyushkin), enterprising (Sobakevich), narcissistic (Nozdryov). Among officials, Pavel Ivanovich feels confident because he has passed all the universities of fraud and bribery. But Chichikov is smarter and more educated than those with whom he deals. He is an excellent psychologist: he delights provincial society, masterfully bargains with every landowner.

The writer put a special meaning into the title of the poem. These are not only dead peasants whom Chichikov buys up. By “dead souls” Gogol understands the emptiness and lack of spirituality of his characters. There is nothing sacred for the money-grubbing Chichikov. Plyushkin has lost all human semblance. The box doesn’t mind digging up coffins for profit. At Nozdrev's, only the dogs have a good life; their own children are abandoned. Manilov's soul sleeps soundly. There is not a drop of decency and nobility in Sobakevich.

The landowners in the second volume look different. Tentetnikov- a philosopher disillusioned with everything. He is immersed in thought and does not do housework, but is smart and talented. Kostanzhoglo and a completely exemplary landowner. Millionaire Murazov also arouses sympathy. He forgives Chichikov and stands up for him, helping Khlobuev.

But we never saw the rebirth of the main character. A person who has let the “golden calf” into his soul, a bribe-taker, an embezzler and a swindler, is unlikely to be able to become different.

During his life, the writer did not find the answer to the main question: where is Rus' rushing like a fast troika? But “Dead Souls” remains a reflection of Russia in the 30s of the 19th century and an amazing gallery satirical images, many of which have become household names. “Dead Souls” is a striking phenomenon in Russian literature. The poem opened up a whole direction in her, which Belinsky called "critical realism".

What is the goal, and what means are used to achieve it?

A goal is primarily associated with some kind of desire, it gives a certain meaning to life and upon achieving the goal, a person loses interest. Therefore, you need to set a goal that is practically unattainable in order to persistently work towards it and not lose the meaning of life. The goal is usually the end result.

Means are actions to achieve a goal. At the very beginning, to get an education, you need to study. Getting a good position means working hard and fruitfully. In general, effort is the main means to achieving a goal.

As Honore de Balzac said: “To reach the goal, you must first go.” We set goals for ourselves as we walk the road of life. Along the way we make mistakes and get disappointed, but we must stubbornly move forward.

The hero of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" - Chichikov, clearly set a goal for himself: to get rich, become famous and recognized in society.

His father supported him in his goal and admonished him: “Most of all, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything in the world.” Already from his school years, Chichikov persistently begins to pursue his goal, using certain means: selling crafts and treats, thus already making his first savings. Later, he deceives his boss in order to advance through the ranks. He pulled off scams by selling souls, deceiving everyone around him. Well, in this work we see that worthy means are not always used to achieve the goal.

We can trace this theme in the work of Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov “Woe from Wit”. The Famus society in which Chatsky finds himself is mercantile, they achieve their goals at any cost.

Chatsky strives to serve his homeland honestly, and not to bow down to everyone: “I would be glad to serve, but it’s sickening to be served.” Chatsky, a noble man with new views on education, art and against serfdom. He sees his goal as conveying to society the correctness of his views; it’s a pity, but society does not understand and does not want to accept him, not thinking that thanks to Chatsky, they could change. It is difficult for the hero to go alone against the crowd and he gives up without achieving his goal.

From here we see that goals are one of the main things in a person’s life, which gives him inspiration. But as it turned out, the means differ. Therefore, at the very beginning of your journey, it is worth thinking about your goals and deciding on the means by which they will be achieved.

Updated: 2017-11-08

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The question of the goal and the means to achieve it has worried humanity since ancient times. Many writers, philosophers and public figures have reflected on it and have used historical, life and literary arguments to prove their point. In the Russian classics, there were also many answers and examples that, as a rule, prove the statement that the paths of achievement must correspond in everything to what needs to be achieved, otherwise it loses all meaning. In this collection, we have listed the most striking and illustrative examples from Russian literature for the final essay in the direction of “Goals and Means.”

1. In Pushkin’s novel “The Captain’s Daughter,” the main character always chose the right path to achieve goals, however, no less noble. Thanks to this, from an unintelligent nobleman, Grinev turns into a sincere officer, ready to sacrifice his life in the name of duty. Having sworn allegiance to the empress, he honestly serves, defending the fortress, and even death at the hands of rebel robbers does not frighten him. Just as honestly, he sought Masha’s favor, and achieved it. The opposite of Pyotr Grinev in the novel - Shvabrin - on the contrary, uses any means to achieve the goal, choosing the most vile of them. Having set out on the path of betrayal, he pursues personal gain, demands reciprocity from Masha, without hesitating to denigrate her in the eyes of Peter. In choosing goals and means, Alexey is driven by spiritual cowardice and self-interest, because he is devoid of ideas about honor and conscience. Mary rejects him for this reason, because a good goal cannot be achieved by deception.
2. What should be the final goal if the means to achieve it are cruelty, deception and human lives? In the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time" Grigory Pechorin's goals are momentary, encapsulated in the desire for momentary victories, to achieve which he chooses complex and sometimes cruel means. Hidden in his victories is a persistent search for meaning in life, which the hero is unable to find. In this search, he destroys not only himself, but also everyone who surrounds him - Princess Mary, Bela, Grushnitsky. To revive his own soul, he plays with the feelings of others, unwittingly becoming the cause of their misfortunes. But in the game with his own life, Grigory is hopelessly losing, losing those few people who were dear to him. “I realized that chasing lost happiness is reckless,” he says, and the goal, to achieve which so much effort and other people’s grief was put into, turns out to be illusory and unattainable.
3. In the comedy A.S. Griboedov’s “Woe from Wit”, the society in which Chatsky is forced to live lives according to market laws, where everything is bought and sold, and a person is valued not by his spiritual qualities, but by the size of his wallet and career success. Nobility and duty are nothing here compared to the importance of rank and title. That is why Alexander Chatsky turns out to be misunderstood and not accepted into a circle where mercantile goals dominate, justifying any means.
   He enters into a fight with Famus society, challenges Molchalin, who resorts to deception and hypocrisy in order to get a high position. Even in love, Alexander turns out to be a loser, because he does not defile the goal with vile means, he refuses to squeeze the breadth and nobility of his heart into the narrow framework of generally accepted and vulgar concepts with which Famusov’s house is replete.
4. A person is valuable by his deeds. But his deeds, even if subordinated to a high goal, do not always turn out to be good. In the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky's “Crime and Punishment” Rodion Raskolnikov decides for himself an important question from a moral point of view: does the end justify the means? Can he, according to his theory, dispose of people's lives at his own discretion?
   The answer lies in the title of the novel: Raskolnikov’s mental anguish, after the atrocity he committed, proves that his calculation was incorrect and his theory was erroneous. A goal based on unjust and inhumane means depreciates itself and becomes a crime for which sooner or later one must be punished.
5. In the novel M.A. Sholokhov's "Quiet Flows the Flow" the fate of the heroes is swept away by the revolutionary elements. Grigory Melekhov, who sincerely believes in a happy and wonderful communist future, is ready to give his life for the well-being and prosperity of his native land. But in the context of life, bright revolutionary ideas turn out to be untenable and dead. Gregory understands that the struggle between whites and reds, seemingly aimed at a “beautiful tomorrow,” in fact represents violence and reprisals against the helpless and dissenters. Brilliant slogans turn out to be deception, and behind the lofty goal hides the cruelty and arbitrariness of the means. The nobility of his soul does not allow him to come to terms with the evil and injustice that he observes around him. Tormented by doubts and contradictions, Gregory is trying to find the only correct path that will allow him to live honestly. He is unable to justify the numerous murders committed in the name of a ghostly idea that he no longer believes in.
6. A. Solzhenitsyn’s novel “The Gulag Archipelago” is a study related to the political history of the USSR, according to Solzhenitsyn - “an experience of artistic research”, in which the author analyzes the history of the country - a utopia, building an ideal world on the ruins of human lives, numerous victims and lies, disguised for humanitarian purposes. The price for the illusion of happiness and peace, in which there is no place for individuality and dissent, turns out to be too high. The problems of the novel are diverse, since they include many questions of a moral nature: is it possible to justify evil in the name of good? What unites victims and their executioners? Who is responsible for mistakes made? Supported by rich biographical and research material, the book leads the reader to the problem of ends and means, convincing him that one does not justify the other.
7. It is human nature to seek happiness as the main meaning of life, its highest goal. For her sake, he is ready to use any means, but does not understand that this is unnecessary. The main character of the story V.M. Shukshin “Boots” - to Sergei Dukhanin - manifestations of tender feelings are not at all easy, because he is not used to unjustified tenderness and is even ashamed of it. But the desire to please someone close to him, the desire for happiness, pushes him to spend a lot. The money spent on buying an expensive gift turns out to be an unnecessary sacrifice, because his wife only needed attention. Generosity and the desire to give warmth and care fill the somewhat coarsened but still sensitive soul of the hero with happiness, which, as it turns out, is not so difficult to find.
8. In the novel by V.A. Kaverin's "Two Captains" the problem of ends and means is revealed in the confrontation between two characters - Sanya and Romashka. Each of them is driven by their own goals, each of them decides what is really important to them. In search of solutions, their paths diverge, fate pits them against each other in a duel that determines the moral guidelines of each, proves the noble strength of one, and the vile baseness of the other. Sanya is driven by honest, sincere aspirations; he is ready to take a difficult but direct path to find out the truth and prove it to others. Chamomile pursues small goals, achieving them in no less petty ways: lies, betrayal and hypocrisy. Each of them is experiencing the painful problem of choice, in which it is so easy to lose yourself and those you truly love.
9. A person does not always clearly understand his goal. In the Roman L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" Andrei Bolkonsky is in search of himself and his place in life. His shaky life guidelines are influenced by fashion, society, and the opinions of friends and relatives. He is delirious of glory and military exploits, dreams of making a career in the service, but not just rising to high ranks, but gaining eternal glory as a winner and hero. He goes to war, the cruelties and horrors of which instantly showed him all the absurdity and illusory nature of his dreams. He is not ready, like Napoleon, to follow the bones of soldiers to glory. The desire to live and make the lives of other people beautiful set new goals for Bolkonsky. Meeting Natasha instills love in his soul. However, in a moment that requires his perseverance and understanding, he gives in under the weight of circumstances and abandons his love. He is again tormented by doubts about the correctness of his own goals, and only before his death Andrei understands that the best moments of life, its great gifts are contained in love, forgiveness and compassion.
10. Character makes a person. It determines his life goals and guidelines. In “Letters about the good and the beautiful” D.S. Likhachev’s problem of the goal and the means to achieve it is considered by the author as one of the most important, forming the young reader’s concepts of honor, duty, and truth. “The end justifies the means” is a formula unacceptable to the author. On the contrary, every person should have a goal in life, but no less important are the methods that he uses to achieve what he wants. In order to be happy and in harmony with one’s own conscience, it is necessary to make a choice in favor of spiritual values, giving preference to good deeds and beautiful thoughts.

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Essay on “Goals and Means”.

This statement given to me is quite contradictory and ambiguous, like any other question that involves long discussions. Does the end always justify the means? And does it justify it at all? Should one correspond to the other, and what should be the goal for all means to be good for it?

On the one hand, a person’s entire life is a movement with some purpose, which in most cases is taken as the “meaning of life.” A house, a family, a good job, a car, an apartment, a garden with gooseberries, your own small business, world peace - all this can become the meaning of everyone’s existence. Does it make sense to think about the means to achieve your goal? Of course, yes, because in our lives any obsessive thought can be broken by reality and the very fact that a person is constantly changing, growing up and improving. And if today, for example, it seems to me that it’s worth going over your head to live in the capital, then tomorrow, quite possibly, I will kiss my grandmother’s hands in a small village on the very outskirts of our country, strive for something completely different and condemn yourself for what you did earlier. For example, the main character of the novel F.M. For a long time, Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” considered his goal to prove to himself and those around him that with the help of evil deeds one can come to good. In other words, he believed that criminal means were acceptable in achieving a noble goal. According to Raskolnikov’s theory, there were two types of people: those worthy and those unworthy of life, and the hero believed that by killing the latter, an ideal, kind world could be created. However, having committed the murder of the old woman, the hero realized that his idea was inhumane, and he himself, having taken this step, did not become better than those scoundrels who surrounded him. These included, for example, Svidrigailov, a vile and low personality who did not disdain any means to achieve his dirty goals. Raskolnikov's repentance and Svidrigailov's suicide once again proved that the end does not always justify the means.

Another example is the hero of the novel N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls". Chichikov's goals were high social status and self-enrichment. The hero decided to take a rather desperate step: having bought out many “dead souls” from various landowners, he would, without much difficulty, at the same time acquire the status of a large landowner, and, having received a large loan for his peasants, the hero would also have the opportunity to have large capital. To this end, Chichikov began his difficult path and resorted to a variety of means, but the very character of the hero did not allow him to stoop too low and behave, for example, the same way as those landowners to whom he approached with his deal. Of course, the final ending of the novel remained in the second volume, however, it seems to me that the fact that Chichikov, having managed to find an approach to each landowner, nevertheless achieved his goal and collected the required number of dead souls, without having done anything like that, was enough. that he himself might be ashamed. Thus, Chichikov’s goal justified the means attached to it.

In conclusion, I would like to note once again that there is not and cannot be a specific answer to the question posed in the test. The end can justify the means only if the honor and dignity of a person do not suffer.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is one of the most mysterious writers of the 19th century. His life and work are full of mysticism and secrets. Our article will help you prepare qualitatively for a literature lesson, for the Unified State Exam, test assignments, and creative work on the poem. When analyzing Gogol’s work “Dead Souls” in grade 9, it is important to rely on additional material in order to familiarize yourself with the history of creation, issues, and understand what artistic means the author uses. In “Dead Souls” the analysis is specific due to the meaningful scale and compositional features of the work.

Brief Analysis

Year of writing– 1835 -1842 The first volume was published in 1842.

History of creation– the idea for the plot was suggested to Gogol by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The author worked on the poem for about 17 years.

Subject- the morals and life of landowners in Rus' in the 30s of the 19th century, a gallery of human vices.

Composition– 11 chapters of the first volume, united by the image of the main character – Chichikov. Several chapters of the second volume that survived and were found and published.

Direction– realism. The poem also has romantic features, but they are secondary.

History of creation

Nikolai Vasilyevich wrote his immortal brainchild for about 17 years. He considered this work the most important mission in his life. The history of the creation of “Dead Souls” is full of gaps and mysteries, as well as mystical coincidences. While working on the work, the author became seriously ill, being on the verge of death, but he was suddenly miraculously healed. Gogol took this fact as a sign from above, which gave him the chance to complete his main work.

The idea of ​​“Dead Souls” and the very fact of their existence as a social phenomenon was suggested to Gogol by Pushkin. It was Alexander Sergeevich, according to the author, who gave him the idea to write a large-scale work capable of revealing the entire essence of the Russian soul. The poem was conceived as a work in three volumes. The first volume (published in 1842) was conceived as a collection of human vices, the second gave the characters the opportunity to realize their mistakes, and in the third volume they change and find the path to the right life.

While in work, the work was edited by the author many times, its main idea, characters, plot changed, but only the essence was preserved: the problems and plan of the work. Gogol finished the second volume of “Dead Souls” shortly before his death, but according to some information, he himself destroyed this book. According to other sources, it was given by the author to Tolstoy or one of his close friends, and then lost. There is an opinion that this manuscript is still kept by the descendants of high society around Gogol and will someday be found. The author did not have time to write the third volume, but there is information about its intended content from reliable sources; the future book, its idea and general characteristics were discussed in literary circles.

Subject

Meaning of the name“Dead Souls” is twofold: this phenomenon itself - the sale of dead serf souls, rewriting them and transferring them to another owner and the image of people like Plyushkin, Manilov, Sobakevich - their souls are dead, the heroes are deeply unspiritual, vulgar and immoral.

main topic“Dead Souls” - the vices and morals of society, the life of a Russian person in the 1830s of the 19th century. The problems that the author raises in the poem are as old as the world, but they are shown and revealed in the way that is characteristic of a researcher of human characters and souls: subtly and on a large scale.

Main character- Chichikov buys from landowners long-dead, but still registered serfs, whom he needs only on paper. Thus, he plans to get rich by receiving payment for them from the board of guardians. Chichikov's interaction and collaboration with scammers and charlatans like himself becomes the central theme of the poem. The desire to get rich in every possible way is characteristic not only of Chichikov, but also of many of the heroes of the poem - this is the disease of the century. What Gogol’s poem teaches is between the lines of the book - Russian people are characterized by adventurism and a craving for “easy bread.”

The conclusion is clear: the most correct way is to live according to the laws, in harmony with conscience and heart.

Composition

The poem consists of the complete first volume and several surviving chapters of the second volume. The composition is subordinated to the main goal - to reveal a picture of Russian life, contemporary to the author, to create a gallery of typical characters. The poem consists of 11 chapters, full of lyrical digressions, philosophical discussions and wonderful descriptions of nature.

All this breaks through the main plot from time to time and gives the work a unique lyricism. The work ends with a colorful lyrical reflection on the future of Russia, its strength and power.

The book was originally conceived as a satirical work, this influenced the overall composition. In the first chapter, the author introduces the reader to the residents of the city, to the main character - Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. From the second to the sixth chapters, the author gives a portrait of the landowners, their unique way of life, a kaleidoscope of quirks and morals. The next four chapters describe the life of bureaucrats: bribery, arbitrariness and tyranny, gossip, the way of life of a typical Russian city.

Main characters

Genre

To determine the genre of “Dead Souls”, it is necessary to turn to history. Gogol himself defined it as a “poem,” although the structure and scale of the narrative are close to the story and novel. The prose work is called a poem due to its lyricism: a large number of lyrical digressions, remarks and comments by the author. It is also worth considering that Gogol drew a parallel between his brainchild and Pushkin’s poem “Eugene Onegin”: the latter is considered a novel in verse, and “Dead Souls” is, on the contrary, a poem in prose.

The author emphasizes the equivalence of the epic and the lyrical in his work. Criticism has a different opinion about the genre features of the poem. For example, V. G. Belinsky called the work a novel, and this opinion is usually taken into account, since it is completely justified. But according to tradition, Gogol’s work is called a poem.

Work test

Rating analysis

Average rating: 4.7. Total ratings received: 3875.

Prompted by Pushkin plot of "Dead Souls" was attractive to Gogol, as it gave him the opportunity, together with their hero, the future Chichikov, to “travel” throughout Russia and show “all of Rus'.” The social problems of “Dead Souls” are integrated with the problem of the spiritual state, or rather, the lack of spirituality of the “modern” and, above all, “Russian man”. In his letters, Gogol explains that it is not the province, and not a few ugly landowners, and not what is attributed to them, that is the subject of “Dead Souls”, that the real and only subject of the “art” of their author is “man and the soul of man”, and “modern man” and the “present state” of his “soul”.

Poem "Dead Souls"- a realistic work. The principles of artistic realism were formulated by Gogol in a digression on two types of writers. The writer attributes his work to the critical direction. Its historical limitations are obvious, which is expressed in the fact that for Gogol the “fertile grain” of Russian life was hidden not in the social, democratic trends in the development of “reality,” but in the national specificity of the spiritual “nature” of the Russian person. Gogol wrote during the crisis of serfdom in Russia. Depicting landowners and officials, Gogol used satirical description, social typification, as well as a general critical focus. The author pays great attention to descriptions of nature, the estate, the house, the interior, and the details of the portrait. Through satirical descriptions, the author characterizes the characters, paying attention to details. Various plans are correlated: a lyrical digression about a bird-troika and a description of a trip along bad Russian roads.

The poem goes back to the traditions of the ancient epic, where integral existence was recreated in all contradictions. By “poem” the writer meant “a lesser kind of epic... Prospectus for a textbook of literature for Russian youth. The hero of epics is a private and invisible person, but significant in many respects for observing the human soul.” Lyrical digressions, which are elements of the poem, in “Dead Souls” reflect the author’s perception of reality. Gogol himself called the work not only a poem, but also a novel, but for this the work lacks a love affair. The poem contains elements of a picaresque, adventure and social novel.

The plot and composition of the poem

Three compositional links are clearly distinguished: a display of estates (chapters 2-6), a depiction of the life of the provincial city, provincial officials (chapters 7-10), a narration about the life fate of the protagonist of the poem.

The road in all its meanings is the compositional core of the narrative, combining its spatial coordinates (Russian provincial city) with temporal ones (the movement of the chaise) into a symbol of “all Rus'” and its path from serf-dominated deadness to the great future.

Image of Chichikov and its ideological and compositional role influence the plot of the poem. The poem is stylized as a description of a journey; individual fragments of the life of Rus' are combined into a whole. If we consider the role of the image, it lies in the characteristics of the entrepreneur-adventurer. As follows from the hero’s biography, he uses for his own purposes either the position of an official or the mythical position of a landowner. The composition of the poem is built on the principle of “closed spaces”: landowners’ estates, the city.

The self-title of the poem is also symbolic - “Dead Souls”. Its literal meaning, related to the plot, is not only the dead peasants crossed out from the audit lists, called “souls” in the language of official documents. In addition, these are the dead souls of the owners of living and dead peasant souls, concealing the possibility of their awakening.

The theme of the homeland and people in the poem

Gogol says that the peasants for the most part are ignorant, downtrodden and narrow-minded: the yard girl Korobochka has no idea where is right and where is left; Petrushka and Selifan are stupid and lazy; Uncle Mityai and Uncle Minai are only capable of speculating whether Chichikov’s chaise will reach Moscow and Kazan. However, Gogol puts forward the idea that the Russian people have talents and creative abilities: in a lyrical digression about the Russian language, in a digression about the three-bird, in the characterization of the “Yaroslavl efficient man.”

“A Lesson for Tsars” was taught by the author of “Dead Souls” with “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin.” The time of its action is precisely indicated: “six years after the French.” This is the time of the height of the Alexander reaction, the time of Arakcheev and the birth of the Decembrist movement. Captain Kopeikin is one of the participants in the War of 1812, whom the subsequent reaction turned from a defender of the Fatherland into a robber chieftain. The Tale of Captain Kopeikin reminds us of the threat of a revolutionary “revolt” in Russia. In lyrical digressions about Rus' and the bird-troika, Gogol expresses his attitude to the future of Russia. “Rus, where are you rushing?” This question is addressed not to the “proud horse” - a symbol of Russian statehood, but to the “three bird” - a symbol of the national element of Russian life, its future and world-historical self-determination.

Souls dead and alive in the poem by N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls"

The purpose of Chichikov's life. Father's Testament

This is what V.G. wrote. Sakhnovsky in his book “About the performance “Dead Souls”:

“...It is known that Chichikov was not too fat, not too thin; that, according to some, he even resembled Napoleon, that he had the remarkable ability to talk to everyone as an expert on what he pleasantly talked about. Chichikov's goal in communication was to make the most favorable impression, to win over and inspire confidence. It is also known that Pavel Ivanovich has a special charm, with which he overcame two disasters that would have knocked someone else down forever. But the main thing that characterizes Chichikov is his passionate attraction to acquisitions. To become, as they say, “a man of weight in society,” being a “man of rank,” without clan or tribe, who rushes about like “some kind of barge among the fierce waves,” is Chichikov’s main task. To get yourself a strong place in life, regardless of anyone’s or any interests, public or private, is what Chichikov’s through-and-through action consists of.

And everything that smacked of wealth and contentment made an impression on him that was incomprehensible to himself, Gogol writes about him. His father's instruction - “take care and save a penny” - served him well. He was not possessed by stinginess or stinginess. No, he imagined a life ahead with all sorts of prosperity: carriages, a well-appointed house, delicious dinners.

“You will do everything and ruin everything in the world with a penny,” his father bequeathed to Pavel Ivanovich. He learned this for the rest of his life. “He showed unheard-of self-sacrifice, patience and limitation of needs.” This is what Gogol wrote in his Biography of Chichikov (Chapter XI).

...Chichikov comes to poison. There is an evil that is rolling across Rus', like Chichikov in a troika. What evil is this? It is revealed in everyone in their own way. Each of those with whom he does business has his own reaction to Chichikov’s poison. Chichikov leads one line, but he has a new role with each character.

...Chichikov, Nozdryov, Sobakevich and other heroes of “Dead Souls” are not characters, but types. In these types, Gogol collected and generalized many similar characters, identifying in all of them a common life and social structure...”

What are “dead souls”?

The primary meaning of the expression “dead souls” is this: these are dead peasants who are still on the audit lists. Without such a very specific meaning, the plot of the poem would be impossible. After all, Chichikov’s strange enterprise lies in the fact that he buys dead peasants who were listed as alive in the audit lists. And that this is legally feasible: it is enough just to draw up a list of peasants and formalize the purchase and sale accordingly, as if the subject of the transaction were living people. Gogol shows with his own eyes that the law of purchase and sale of living goods rules in Russia, and that this situation is natural and normal.

Consequently, the very factual basis, the very intrigue of the poem, built on the sale of revision souls, was social and accusatory, no matter how the narrative tone of the poem seemed harmless and far from exposure.

True, one can remember that Chichikov does not buy living people, that the subject of his transaction are dead peasants. However, Gogol’s irony is hidden here too. Chichikov buys up the dead in exactly the same way as if he were buying up living peasants, according to the same rules, in compliance with the same formal and legal norms. Only in this case Chichikov expects to give a significantly lower price - well, as if for a product of lower quality, stale or spoiled.

“Dead Souls” - this capacious Gogol formula begins to be filled with its deep, changing meaning. This is a conventional designation for the deceased, a phrase behind which there is no person. Then this formula comes to life - and behind it stand real peasants, whom the landowner has the power to sell or buy, specific people.

The ambiguity of meaning is hidden in Gogol’s phrase itself. If Gogol had wanted to emphasize one single meaning, he would most likely have used the expression “revision soul.” But the writer deliberately included in the title of the poem an unusual, bold phrase that was not found in everyday speech.