The officials in chapter 7 are dead souls. Officialdom in the poem N
Images of officials in the poem “Dead Souls”
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol more than once addressed the topic of bureaucratic Russia. This writer’s satire affected contemporary officials in such works as “The Inspector General,” “The Overcoat,” and “Notes of a Madman.” This theme is also reflected in N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls,” where, starting from the seventh chapter, bureaucracy is the focus. In contrast to the portraits of landowners depicted in detail in this work, the images of officials are given in only a few strokes. But they are so masterful that they give the reader a complete picture of what a Russian official was like in the 30s and 40s of the 19th century.
This is the governor, embroidering on tulle, and the prosecutor with thick black eyebrows, and the postmaster, the wit and philosopher, and many others. The miniature portraits created by Gogol are well remembered for their characteristic details, which give a complete picture of a particular character. For example, why is the head of the province, a person occupying a very responsible government position, described by Gogol as a good-natured man who embroiders on tulle? The reader is forced to think that he is not capable of anything else, since he is characterized only from this side. And a busy person is unlikely to have time for such an activity. The same can be said about his subordinates.
What do we know from the poem about the prosecutor? It is true that he, as an idle man, sits at home. This is how Sobakevich speaks of him. One of the most significant officials in the city, called upon to monitor the rule of law, the prosecutor did not bother himself with public service. All he did was sign papers. And all the decisions were made for him by the solicitor, “the first grabber in the world.” Therefore, when the prosecutor died, few could say what was outstanding about this man. Chichikov, for example, thought at the funeral that the only thing the prosecutor could be remembered for was his thick black eyebrows. “...Why he died or why he lived, only God knows” - with these words Gogol speaks of the complete meaninglessness of the life of a prosecutor.
And what meaning is the life of the official Ivan Antonovich Kuvshinnoe Rylo filled with? Collect more bribes. This official extorts them using his official position. Gogol describes how Chichikov placed a “piece of paper” in front of Ivan Antonovich, “which he did not notice at all and immediately covered with a book.”
N.V. Gogol in the poem “Dead Souls” not only introduces the reader to individual representatives of the bureaucracy, but also gives them a unique classification. He divides them into three groups - lower, thin and thick. The lower ones are represented by petty officials (clerks, secretaries) Most of them are drunkards. The thin ones are the middle stratum of the bureaucracy, and the fat ones are the provincial nobility, who know how to derive considerable benefit from their high position.
The author also gives us an idea of the lifestyle of Russian officials in the 30s and 40s of the nineteenth century. Gogol compares officials with a squadron of flies swooping down on tasty morsels of refined sugar. They are occupied by playing cards, drinking, lunches, dinners, and gossip. In the society of these people, “meanness, completely disinterested, pure meanness” flourishes. Gogol portrays this class as thieves, bribe-takers and slackers. That is why they cannot convict Chichikov of his machinations - they are bound by mutual responsibility, each, as they say, “has a cannon.” And if they try to detain Chichikov for fraud, all their sins will come out.
In “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin,” Gogol completes the collective portrait of an official he gave in the poem. The indifference that the disabled war hero Kopeikin faces is terrifying. And here we are no longer talking about some small county officials. Gogol shows how a desperate hero, who is trying to get the pension he is entitled to, reaches the highest authorities. But even there he does not find the truth, faced with the complete indifference of a high-ranking St. Petersburg dignitary. Thus, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol makes it clear that vices have affected the entire bureaucratic Russia - from a small county town to the capital. These vices make people “dead souls.”
The author's sharp satire not only exposes bureaucratic sins, but also shows the terrible social consequences of inactivity, indifference and thirst for profit.
A generalized description of city officials in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” and received the best answer
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Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna is a widow-landowner, the second “saleswoman” of dead souls to Chichikov. The main feature of her character is commercial efficiency. For K., every person is only a potential buyer.
Manilov is a sentimental landowner, the first “seller” of 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.
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 “take a shit” on his best friend without any purpose. N.’s entire 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 simply does not know the limits in anything.
Stepan Plyushkin is the last “seller” of dead souls. This hero personifies the complete death of the human soul. In the image of P., the author shows the death of a 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
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.
Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich is the main character of the poem. He, according to the author, has betrayed his true destiny, but is still able to be cleansed and resurrected in soul.
In the “acquirer” of Ch., the author portrayed a new evil for Russia - quiet, average, but enterprising. The average character of the hero is emphasized by his appearance: he is an “average gentleman”, not too fat, not too thin, etc. Ch. is quiet and inconspicuous, round and smooth. Ch.'s soul is like his box - there is a place there only for money (following his father's commandment to “save a penny”). He avoids talking about himself, hiding behind empty book phrases. But Ch.’s insignificance is deceptive. It is he and others like him who begin to rule the world. Gogol speaks of people like Ch.: “terrible and vile force.” She is vile because she cares only about her own benefit and profit, using all means. And it’s scary because it’s very strong. “Acquirers,” according to Gogol, are not capable of reviving the Fatherland. In the poem, Ch. travels around Russia and stops in the city of NN. There he meets all the important people, and then goes to the estates of the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich, along the way he also ends up with Korobochka, Nozdryov and Plyushkin. Ch. sells dead souls to all of them, without explaining the purpose of his purchases. In bargaining, Ch. reveals himself as a great expert on the human soul and as a good psychologist. He finds his own approach to each landowner and almost always achieves his goal. Having bought up the souls, Ch. returns to the city to draw up deeds of sale for them. Here he announces for the first time that he intends to “take out” the purchased souls to new lands, to the Kherson province. Gradually, in the city, the hero’s name begins to become surrounded by rumors, at first very flattering for him, and later destructive (that Ch is a counterfeiter, a fugitive Napoleon and almost the Antichrist). These rumors force the hero to leave the city. Ch. is endowed with the most detailed biography. This speaks of
N.V. Gogol, when creating his poem “Dead Souls,” thought about showing what Rus' looks like from one side.” Chichikov is the main character of the poem and Gogol talks about him most of all. This is an ordinary official who buys “dead souls” from landowners. The author managed to show the entire sphere of activity of Russian officials, talk about the city and its inhabitants as a whole.
The first volume of the work clearly shows the bureaucratic and landowner life of Russia from the negative side. The entire provincial society, officials and landowners are part of a kind of “dead world”.
(Gogol's provincial town in the poem "Dead Souls")
The provincial town is shown very clearly. Here one can see the indifference of the authorities to ordinary residents, emptiness, disorder and dirt. And only after Chichikov comes to the landowners, a general view of Russian bureaucracy appears.
Gogol shows bureaucracy from the point of view of lack of spirituality and thirst for profit. The official Ivan Antonovich loves bribes very much, so he is ready to do anything for the sake of it. To get it, he is even ready to sell his soul.
(Official conversations)
Unfortunately, such officials are a reflection of the entire Russian bureaucracy. Gogol tries to show in his work a large concentration of swindlers and thieves who create a kind of corporation of corrupt officials.
The bribe becomes a legal matter the moment Chichikov goes to the chairman of the chamber. The most interesting thing is that the chairman himself accepts him as an old friend and immediately gets down to business, telling him that friends do not have to pay anything.
(Ordinary moments of social life)
During a conversation with an official, interesting moments in the life of city officials appear. Sobakevich characterizes the prosecutor as an “idle man” who constantly sits at home, and the lawyer does all the work for him. At the head of the entire system is the police chief, whom everyone calls the “benefactor.” His charity is to steal and enable others to do the same. No one in power has any idea what honor, duty and legality are. These are completely soulless people.
Gogol's story reveals all the masks, showing people from the side of their cruelty and inhumanity. And this applies not only to provincial, but also to district officials. The work is dedicated to the heroic year of 1812, which shows the full contrast of the petty, soulless bureaucratic world that Gogol saw at that time in modern Russia.
(Courtyard meetings and balls)
The worst thing is that the work shows the fate of the captain, who fought for his Motherland, is completely crippled, he cannot feed himself, but this does not bother anyone at all. The highest ranks of St. Petersburg do not pay any attention to him and this is very frightening. Society is on the verge of indifference to everything.
The work written by Gogol many years ago does not leave indifferent the inhabitants of the modern world, since all the problems remain relevant at the moment.
Relevance of images
In the artistic space of one of Gogol's most famous works, landowners and people in power are connected with each other. Lies, bribery and the desire for profit characterize each of the images of officials in Dead Souls. It’s amazing with what ease and ease the author draws essentially disgusting portraits, and so masterfully that you don’t doubt for a minute the authenticity of each character. Using the example of officials in the poem “Dead Souls,” the most pressing problems of the Russian Empire of the mid-19th century were shown. In addition to serfdom, which hampered natural progress, the real problem was the extensive bureaucratic apparatus, for the maintenance of which huge sums were allocated. People in whose hands power was concentrated worked only to accumulate their own capital and improve their well-being, robbing both the treasury and ordinary people. Many writers of that time addressed the topic of exposing officials: Gogol, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Dostoevsky.
Officials in "Dead Souls"
In “Dead Souls” there are no separately described images of civil servants, but nevertheless, the life and characters are shown very accurately. Images of city N officials appear from the first pages of the work. Chichikov, who decided to pay a visit to each of the powerful, gradually introduces the reader to the governor, vice-governor, prosecutor, chairman of the chamber, police chief, postmaster and many others. Chichikov flattered everyone, as a result of which he managed to win over every important person, and all this is shown as a matter of course. In the bureaucratic world, pomp reigned, bordering on vulgarity, inappropriate pathos and farce. Thus, during a regular dinner, the governor’s house was lit up as if for a ball, the decoration was blinding, and the ladies were dressed in their best dresses.
The officials in the provincial town were of two types: the first were subtle and followed the ladies everywhere, trying to charm them with bad French and greasy compliments. Officials of the second type, according to the author, resembled Chichikov himself: neither fat nor thin, with round pockmarked faces and slicked hair, they looked sideways, trying to find an interesting or profitable business for themselves. At the same time, everyone tried to harm each other, to do some kind of meanness, usually this happened because of the ladies, but no one was going to fight over such trifles. But at dinners they pretended that nothing was happening, discussed Moscow News, dogs, Karamzin, delicious dishes and gossiped about officials of other departments.
When characterizing the prosecutor, Gogol combines the high and the low: “he was neither fat nor thin, had Anna on his neck, and it was even rumored that he was introduced to a star; however, he was a great good-natured man and sometimes even embroidered on tulle himself...” Note that nothing is said here about why this man received the award - the Order of St. Anne is given to “those who love truth, piety and fidelity,” and is also awarded for military merit. But no battles or special episodes where piety and loyalty were mentioned are mentioned at all. The main thing is that the prosecutor is engaged in handicrafts, and not in his official duties. Sobakevich speaks unflatteringly about the prosecutor: the prosecutor, they say, is an idle person, so he sits at home, and the lawyer, a well-known grabber, works for him. There is nothing to talk about here - what kind of order can there be if a person who does not understand the issue at all is trying to solve it while an authorized person is embroidering on tulle.
A similar technique is used to describe the postmaster, a serious and silent man, short, but witty and philosopher. Only in this case, various qualitative characteristics are combined into one row: “short”, “but a philosopher”. That is, here growth becomes an allegory for the mental abilities of this person.
The reaction to worries and reforms is also shown very ironically: from new appointments and the number of papers, civil servants are losing weight (“And the chairman lost weight, and the inspector of the medical board lost weight, and the prosecutor lost weight, and some Semyon Ivanovich ... and he lost weight”), but there were and those who courageously kept themselves in their previous form. And meetings, according to Gogol, were only successful when they could go out for a treat or have lunch, but this, of course, is not the fault of the officials, but the mentality of the people.
Gogol in “Dead Souls” depicts officials only at dinners, playing whist or other card games. Only once does the reader see officials at the workplace, when Chichikov came to draw up a bill of sale for the peasants. The department unequivocally hints to Pavel Ivanovich that things will not be done without a bribe, and there is nothing to say about a quick resolution of the issue without a certain amount. This is confirmed by the police chief, who “only has to blink when passing a fish row or a cellar,” and balyks and good wines appear in his hands. No request is considered without a bribe.
Officials in “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin”
The most cruel story is about Captain Kopeikin. A disabled war veteran, in search of truth and help, travels from the Russian hinterland to the capital to ask for an audience with the Tsar himself. Kopeikin’s hopes are dashed by a terrible reality: while cities and villages are in poverty and lacking money, the capital is chic. Meetings with the king and high-ranking officials are constantly postponed. Completely desperate, Captain Kopeikin makes his way into the reception room of a high-ranking official, demanding that his question be immediately put forward for consideration, otherwise he, Kopeikin, will not leave the office. The official assures the veteran that now the assistant will take the latter to the emperor himself, and for a second the reader believes in a happy outcome - he rejoices along with Kopeikin, riding in the chaise, hopes and believes in the best. However, the story ends disappointingly: after this incident, no one met Kopeikin again. This episode is actually frightening, because human life turns out to be an insignificant trifle, the loss of which will not suffer at all to the entire system.
When Chichikov’s scam was revealed, they were in no hurry to arrest Pavel Ivanovich, because they could not understand whether he was the kind of person who needed to be detained, or the kind who would detain everyone and make them guilty. The characteristics of officials in “Dead Souls” can be the words of the author himself that these are people who sit quietly on the sidelines, accumulate capital and arrange their lives at the expense of others. Extravagance, bureaucracy, bribery, nepotism and meanness - this is what characterized the people in power in Russia in the 19th century.
Work test
Officialdom in N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls"
Sample essay text
In Tsarist Russia of the 30-40s of the 19th century, a real disaster for the people was not only serfdom, but also an extensive bureaucratic bureaucratic apparatus. Called to guard law and order, representatives of the administrative authorities thought only about their own material well-being, stealing from the treasury, extorting bribes, and mocking powerless people. Thus, the theme of exposing the bureaucratic world was very relevant for Russian literature. Gogol addressed it more than once in such works as “The Inspector General,” “The Overcoat,” and “Notes of a Madman.” It also found expression in the poem “Dead Souls,” where, starting from the seventh chapter, bureaucracy is the focus of the author’s attention. Despite the absence of detailed and detailed images similar to the landowner heroes, the picture of bureaucratic life in Gogol’s poem is striking in its breadth.
With two or three masterful strokes, the writer draws wonderful miniature portraits. This is the governor, embroidering on tulle, and the prosecutor with very black thick eyebrows, and the short postmaster, a wit and philosopher, and many others. These sketchy faces are memorable because of their characteristic funny details that are filled with deep meaning. In fact, why is the head of an entire province characterized as a good-natured man who sometimes embroiders on tulle? Probably because there is nothing to say about him as a leader. From here it is easy to draw a conclusion about how negligently and dishonestly the governor treats his official duties and civic duty. The same can be said about his subordinates. Gogol widely uses the technique of characterizing the hero by other characters in the poem. For example, when a witness was needed to formalize the purchase of serfs, Sobakevich tells Chichikov that the prosecutor, as an idle person, is probably sitting at home. But this is one of the most significant officials of the city, who must administer justice and ensure compliance with the law. The characterization of the prosecutor in the poem is enhanced by the description of his death and funeral. He did nothing but mindlessly sign papers, as he left all decisions to the solicitor, “the first grabber in the world.” Obviously, the cause of his death was rumors about the sale of “dead souls”, since it was he who was responsible for all the illegal affairs that took place in the city. Bitter Gogolian irony is heard in thoughts about the meaning of the prosecutor’s life: “...why he died, or why he lived, only God knows.” Even Chichikov, looking at the funeral of the prosecutor, involuntarily comes to the idea that the only thing the deceased can be remembered for is his thick black eyebrows.
The writer gives a close-up of a typical image of the official Ivan Antonovich, the Jug Snout. Taking advantage of his position, he extorts bribes from visitors. It’s funny to read about how Chichikov put a “piece of paper” in front of Ivan Antonovich, “which he did not notice at all and immediately covered with a book.” But it’s sad to realize what a hopeless situation Russian citizens found themselves in, dependent on dishonest, self-interested people representing state power. This idea is emphasized by Gogol’s comparison of the civil chamber official with Virgil. At first glance, it is unacceptable. But the vile official, like the Roman poet in The Divine Comedy, leads Chichikov through all the circles of bureaucratic hell. This means that this comparison strengthens the impression of the evil that permeates the entire administrative system of Tsarist Russia.
Gogol gives in the poem a unique classification of officials, dividing representatives of this class into lower, thin and fat. The writer gives a sarcastic characterization of each of these groups. The lowest are, according to Gogol's definition, nondescript clerks and secretaries, as a rule, bitter drunkards. By “thin” the author means the middle stratum, and the “thick” are the provincial nobility, which firmly holds on to their places and deftly extracts considerable income from their high position.
Gogol is inexhaustible in choosing surprisingly accurate and apt comparisons. Thus, he likens officials to a squadron of flies that swoop down on tasty morsels of refined sugar. Provincial officials are also characterized in the poem by their usual activities: playing cards, drinking, lunches, dinners, gossip. Gogol writes that in the society of these civil servants, “meanness, completely disinterested, pure meanness” flourishes. Their quarrels do not end in a duel, because “they were all civil officials.” They have other methods and means by which they harm each other, which can be more difficult than any duel. There is nothing in the way of life of officials, in their actions and views significant differences. Gogol portrays this class as thieves, bribe-takers, slackers and swindlers who are connected with each other by mutual responsibility. That is why officials feel so uncomfortable when Chichikov’s scam was revealed, because each of them remembered their sins. If they try to detain Chichikov for his fraud, then he will be able to accuse them of dishonesty.A comical situation arises when people in power help the swindler in his illegal machinations and are afraid of him.
In his poem, Gogol expands the boundaries of the district town, introducing into it “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin.” It no longer talks about local abuses, but about the arbitrariness and lawlessness that is committed by the highest St. Petersburg officials, that is, the government itself. The contrast between the unheard-of luxury of St. Petersburg and the pitiful beggarly position of Kopeikin, who shed blood for his fatherland and lost an arm and a leg, is striking. But, despite his injuries and military merits, this war hero does not even have the right to the pension due to him. A desperate disabled person tries to find help in the capital, but his attempt is frustrated by the cold indifference of a high-ranking official. This disgusting image of a soulless St. Petersburg nobleman completes the characterization of the world of officials. All of them, starting with the petty provincial secretary and ending with the representative of the highest administrative power, are dishonest, selfish, cruel people, indifferent to the fate of the country and the people. It is to this conclusion that N. V. Gogol’s wonderful poem “Dead Souls” leads the reader.
