The image of provincial society in the poem Dead Souls. Essay “Provincial Society in Gogol’s Poem “Dead Souls”

Provincial Society.

Painting a broad picture of the noble-landlord Russia of his time, Gogol, in addition to the local nobles, also depicts provincial officials. In the notes to the first volume of the poem, Gogol wrote: “The idea of a city is an emptiness that has arisen to the highest degree. Idle talk. Gossip that has gone beyond limits. How all this arose from idleness and took on the expression of the ridiculous in the highest degree, how intelligent people come to do completely stupid things.”

This is the life of provincial society and its representatives that Gogol shows.

This is also the kingdom of “dead souls”, idleness and inner squalor. Provincial officials are essentially no different from the district officials previously depicted by Gogol in The Government Inspector. Like the mayor, the “miracle-worker-police chief” visited the shops and the living room as if he were visiting his own storeroom. The “freethinker” Lyapkin-Tyapkin’s penchant for reading Masonic books was shared by the city’s postmaster, who “went more into philosophy and read very diligently, even at night,” the books of mystics. Khlopov’s timidity was inherited by the “Morgun” prosecutor, who “died in fright” from the rumors that spread in the city in connection with Chichikova’s purchase of dead souls. The appointment of a new governor-general frightened the provincial officials and deprived them of their reason just as much as the expected arrival of the district auditor. The same nepotism, the same corruption and the same arbitrariness reign here as in the district town; The same bribery is flourishing (what is Ivan Antonovich alone worth - the “jug’s snout”!), the same ignorance and vulgarity. Like the heroes of The Inspector General, the officials of the provincial city are disconnected from the people, from their needs and demands.

Gossip, idle thinking and idle talk, pettiness of interests, and the pursuit of entertainment characterize provincial ladies.

Gogol caustically ridicules the emptiness of the life of provincial society, balls and parties, the eternal game of cards, the absurd proposals of officials about Chichikov, showing the extraordinary wretchedness of their thoughts. He mocks “etiquette and many of the most subtle decencies,” which the provincial ladies strictly observed both in their behavior and in their words. “They never said: I blew my nose, I sweated, I spat, but they said: I eased my nose, I managed with a handkerchief.” The desire of the ladies to emphasize their “culture” led them to an arrogant disregard for the Russian language. “In order to further refine the Russian language, almost half of the words were completely thrown out of the conversation, and therefore it was very often necessary to resort to the French language,” which, however, they greatly distorted.

This is the landowner-bureaucratic Russia as depicted by Gogol, the Russia of “dead souls.” The writer draws it satirically. He morally destroys landowners and officials with his shattering laughter, seeing them as enemies of social progress, idlers, cut off from the people, destroyers of the country. This is how the advanced Russian public perceived Gogol’s poem.

Herzen wrote: “Thanks to Gogol, we finally saw them (“nobles”) emerging from their palaces and houses without masks, without embellishment, always drunk and overeating: slaves of power without dignity and tyrants without the compassion of their serfs, sucking out the life and blood of the people with the same naturalness and naivety with which a child feeds on his mother’s breast. “Dead Souls” shocked all of Russia.

Such an accusation was necessary in modern Russia. This is a medical history written with a masterful hand. Gogol’s poetry is a cry of horror and shame that a man, humiliated by a vulgar life, emits when he suddenly notices his bruised face in the mirror.”

People

Russia in Gogol's time was ruled by landowners and officials similar to the heroes of Dead Souls. It is clear in what position the people, the serf peasantry, had to be.

Following Chichikov on his journey from one landowner's estate to another, we observe a bleak picture of the life of the serf peasantry; his destiny is poverty, disease, hunger, terrible mortality. The landowners treat the peasants as their slaves: they sell them individually, without families; they dispose of them like things: “Perhaps I’ll give you a girl,” Korobochka says to Chichikov, she knows the way, just you look! Don’t bring it, merchants have already brought one from me. In the seventh chapter, Chichikov reflects on the list of peasants he bought. And before us is revealed a picture of the life and back-breaking work of the people, their patience and courage, violent outbursts of protest. Particularly attractive are the images of Stepan Probka, endowed with heroic strength, a remarkable carpenter-builder, and Uncle Mikhei, who meekly replaced the murdered Stepak in his dangerous work,

In the soul of the enslaved peasantry there lives a desire for freedom. When the peasants can no longer endure serfdom, they run away from the landowners. True, flight did not always lead to freedom. Gogol tells the ordinary life of a fugitive: life without a passport, without work, almost always arrest, prison. But Plyushkin’s servant Popov still preferred life in prison to returning under the yoke of his master. Abakum Fyrov, escaping from serfdom, went to barge haulers.

Gogol also talks about cases of mass indignation, and the episode of the murder of assessor Drobyazhkin shows the struggle of the serf peasantry against their oppressors.

The great realist writer, Gogol, figuratively speaks about the downtroddenness of the people: with the captain-police officer, even if you don’t go yourself, but only send one of your caps to your place, then this one cap will drive the peasants to their very place of residence.”

In a country where the peasants were ruled by the cruel and ignorant Korobochki, Nozdryovs and Sobakevichs, it was no wonder to meet the stupid Uncle Mitya and Uncle Minya, and the yard girl Pelageya, who did not know where the right side was and where the left side was. But Gogol sees at the same time the mighty power of the people, suppressed, but not killed by serfdom. It manifests itself in Mikheev’s talent. Stepan Probka, Milushkin, in the hard work and energy of the Russian person, in his ability not to lose heart under any circumstances. “Russian people are capable of anything and get used to any climate. Send him to Kamchatka, just give him warm mittens, he claps his hands, an ax in his hands, and goes off to cut himself a new hut,” say officials, discussing the resettlement of Chichikov’s peasants to the Kherson province. Gogol speaks about the high qualities of the Russian person in his remarks about the “lively people”, about the “efficient Yaroslavl peasant”, about the remarkable ability of the Russian people to aptly characterize a person in one word.

Thus, depicting feudal-serf Rus', Gogol showed not only landowner-bureaucratic Russia, but also people’s Russia, with its persistent and freedom-loving people. He expressed his faith in the living, creative forces of the working masses. A vivid image of the Russian people is given by the writer in his famous likening of Russia to a “three bird”, personifying the essence of the national Russian character.

In the notes to the first volume of Dead Souls, Gogol wrote: “The idea of the city. Gossip that has crossed the limits, how all this arose from idleness and took on the expression of the ridiculous to the highest degree... The whole city with all the whirlwind of gossip is a transformation of the inactivity of the life of all humanity en masse.” This is how the writer characterizes the provincial town of NN and its inhabitants. It must be said that the provincial society of Gogol’s poem, as well as Famusov’s in Griboedov’s play “Woe from Wit,” can be conditionally divided into male and female. The main representatives of male society are provincial officials. Undoubtedly, the theme of bureaucracy is one of the central themes in Gogol’s work. The writer devoted many of his works, such as the story “The Overcoat” or the comic play “The Inspector General,” to various aspects of bureaucratic life. In particular, in “Dead Souls” we are presented with provincial and higher St. Petersburg officials (the latter in “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin”).

Exposing the immoral, vicious, flawed natures of officials, Gogol uses the technique of typification, because even in vivid and individual images (such as the police chief or Ivan Antonovich), common features inherent in all officials are revealed. Already creating portraits of officials using the technique of reification, the author, without saying anything about their spiritual qualities, character traits, only described the “wide backs of heads, tailcoats, frock coats of provincial cut...” of clerical officials or “very thick eyebrows and a somewhat winking left eye.” prosecutor, spoke about the deadness of souls, moral backwardness and baseness. None of the officials bother themselves with concerns about state affairs, and the concept of civic duty and public good is completely alien to them. Idleness and idleness reign among the bureaucrats. Everyone, starting with the governor, who “was a great good-natured person and embroidered on tulle,” spends their time pointlessly and unproductively, not caring about fulfilling their official duty. It is no coincidence that Sobakevich notes that “... the prosecutor is an idle person and, probably, sits at home, ... the inspector of the medical board is also, probably, an idle person and went somewhere to play cards, ... Trukhachevsky, Bezushkin - they are all they burden the earth for nothing...” Mental laziness, insignificance of interests, dull inertia form the basis of the existence and character of officials. Gogol speaks with irony about the degree of their education and culture: “... the chairman of the chamber knew “Lyudmila” by heart, ... the postmaster delved into ... philosophy and made extracts from “The Key to the Mysteries of Nature,” ... whoever read “ Moskovskie Vedomosti”, who haven’t even read anything at all.” Each of the provincial governors sought to use their position for personal purposes, seeing in it a source of enrichment, a means to live freely and carefree, without spending any labor. This explains the bribery and embezzlement that reigns in bureaucratic circles. For bribes, officials are even capable of committing the most terrible crime, according to Gogol - instituting an unfair trial (for example, they “hushed up” the case of merchants who “death” each other during a feast). Ivan Antonovich, for example, knew how to benefit from every business, being an experienced bribe-taker, he even reproached Chichikov that he “bought peasants for a hundred thousand, and gave one little white for their work.” Solicitor Zolotukha is “the first grabber and visited the guest yard as if he were his own pantry.” He had only to blink, and he could receive any gifts from the merchants who considered him a “benefactor,” for “even though he will take it, he will certainly not give you away.” For his ability to take bribes, the police chief was known among his friends as a “magician and miracle worker.” Gogol says with irony that this hero “managed to acquire modern nationality,” for the writer more than once denounces the anti-nationalism of officials who are absolutely ignorant of the hardships of peasant life, who consider the people “drunkards and rebels.” According to officials, peasants are “a very empty and insignificant people” and “they must be kept with a tight grip.” It is no coincidence that the story about Captain Kopeikin is introduced, for in it Gogol shows that anti-nationality and anti-people character are also characteristic of the highest St. Petersburg officials. Describing bureaucratic St. Petersburg, the city of “significant persons”, the highest bureaucratic nobility, the writer exposes their absolute indifference, cruel indifference to the fate of the defender of the homeland, doomed to certain death from hunger... So officials, indifferent to the life of the Russian people, are indifferent to the fate of Russia who neglect their official duty, use their power for personal gain and are afraid of losing the opportunity to carefreely enjoy all the “benefits” of their position, therefore provincial governors maintain peace and friendship in their circle, where an atmosphere of nepotism and friendly harmony reigns: “... they lived between in harmony with themselves, treated themselves in a completely friendly manner, and their conversations bore the stamp of some special innocence and meekness...” Officials need to maintain such relationships in order to collect their “income” without any fear...

This is the male society of the city of NN. If we characterize the ladies of the provincial town, then they are distinguished by external sophistication and grace: “many ladies are well dressed and in fashion,” “there is an abyss in their outfits...”, but internally they are as empty as men, their spiritual life poor, interests primitive. Gogol ironically describes the “good tone” and “presentability” that distinguish the ladies, in particular their manner of speaking, which is characterized by extraordinary caution and decency in expressions: they did not say “I blew my nose,” preferring to use the expression “I relieved my nose with a handkerchief,” or in general the ladies spoke French, where “words appeared much harsher than those mentioned.” The ladies’ speech, a true “mixture of French with Nizhny Novgorod,” is extremely comical.

Describing the ladies, Gogol even characterizes their essence at the lexical level: “...a lady fluttered out of the orange house...”, “...a lady fluttered up the folded steps...” Using metaphors, the writer “fluttered” and “fluttered out” shows the “lightness” characteristic of a lady, not only physical, but also spiritual, inner emptiness and underdevelopment. Indeed, the largest part of their interests is outfits. So, for example, a lady who is pleasant in all respects and simply pleasant is having a meaningless conversation about the “cheerful chintz” from which the dress of one of them is made, about the material where “the stripes are very narrow, and eyes and paws go through the entire stripe... " In addition, gossip plays a big role in the lives of ladies, as well as in the life of the entire city. Thus, Chichikov’s purchases became the subject of conversation, and the “millionaire” himself immediately became the subject of ladies’ adoration. After suspicious rumors began to circulate about Chichikov, the city was divided into two “opposite parties.” “The women’s was exclusively concerned with the kidnapping of the governor’s daughter, and the men’s, the most stupid, paid attention to the dead souls.” This is the pastime of provincial society, gossip and empty talk are the main occupation of the city’s residents. Undoubtedly, Gogol continued the traditions established in the comedy “The Inspector General”. Showing the inferiority of provincial society, immorality, baseness of interests, spiritual callousness and emptiness of the townspeople, the writer “collects everything bad in Russia”, with the help of satire he exposes the vices of Russian society and the realities of the contemporary reality of the writer, so hated by Gogol himself.

Provincial officials are the men's society. Undoubtedly, the theme of officialdom is one of the central themes in Gogol’s work. The writer devoted many of his works, such as the story “The Overcoat” or the comic play “The Inspector General,” to various aspects of bureaucratic life. In particular, in “Dead Souls” we are presented with provincial and higher St. Petersburg officials (the latter in “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin”).
Exposing the immoral, vicious, flawed natures of officials, Gogol uses the technique of typification, because even in vivid and individual images (such as the police chief or Ivan Antonovich), common features inherent in all officials are revealed. Already creating portraits of officials using the technique of reification, the author, without saying anything about their spiritual qualities, character traits, only described the “wide backs of heads, tailcoats, frock coats of provincial cut ...” of clerical officials or the “very thick eyebrows and somewhat winking left eye” of the prosecutor, spoke about the deadness of souls, moral backwardness and baseness. None of the officials bother themselves with concerns about state affairs, and the concept of civic duty and public good is completely alien to them. Idleness and idleness reign among the bureaucrats. Everyone, starting with the governor, who “was a great good-natured person and embroidered on tulle,” spends their time pointlessly and unproductively, not caring about fulfilling their official duty. It is no coincidence that Sobakevich notes that “... the prosecutor is an idle man and, probably, sits at home,... the inspector of the medical board is also, probably, an idle man and went somewhere to play cards,... Trukhachevsky, Bezushkin - they are all burdening the earth for nothing...”. Mental laziness, insignificance of interests, dull inertia form the basis of the existence and character of officials. Gogol speaks with irony about the degree of their education and culture: “... the chairman of the chamber knew “Lyudmila” by heart, ... the postmaster delved into ... philosophy and made extracts from “The Key to the Mysteries of Nature,” ... some read “Moskovskie Vedomosti”, some even completely I haven’t read anything.” Each of the provincial governors sought to use their position for personal purposes, seeing in it a source of enrichment, a means to live freely and carefree, without spending any labor. This explains the bribery and embezzlement that reigns in bureaucratic circles. For bribes, officials are even capable of committing the most terrible crime, according to Gogol - instituting an unfair trial (for example, they “hushed up” the case of merchants who “death” each other during a feast). Ivan Antonovich, for example, knew how to benefit from every business, being an experienced bribe-taker, he even reproached Chichikov that he “bought peasants for a hundred thousand, and gave one little white for their work.” Solicitor Zolotukha is “the first grabber and visited the guest yard as if he were his own pantry.” He had only to blink, and he could receive any gifts from the merchants who considered him a “benefactor,” for “even though he will take it, he will certainly not give you away.” For his ability to take bribes, the police chief was known among his friends as a “magician and miracle worker.” Gogol says with irony that this hero “managed to acquire modern nationality,” for the writer more than once denounces the anti-nationalism of officials who are absolutely ignorant of the hardships of peasant life, who consider the people “drunkards and rebels.” According to officials, peasants are “a very empty and insignificant people” and “they must be kept with a tight grip.” It is no coincidence that the story about Captain Kopeikin is introduced, for in it Gogol shows that anti-nationality and anti-people character are also characteristic of the highest St. Petersburg officials. Describing bureaucratic Petersburg, the city of “significant persons”, the highest bureaucratic nobility, the writer denounces their absolute indifference, cruel indifference to the fate of the defender of the homeland, doomed to certain death from hunger... So officials, indifferent to the life of the Russian people, indifferent to the fate of Russia, neglecting official duty, use their power for personal gain and are afraid of losing the opportunity to carefreely enjoy all the “benefits” of their position, therefore provincial governors maintain peace and friendship in their circle, where an atmosphere of nepotism and friendly harmony reigns: “... they lived in harmony with each other, they behaved in a completely friendly manner, and their conversations bore the stamp of some special innocence and meekness...” Officials need to maintain such relationships in order to collect their “income” without any fear...
This is the male society of the city of NN. If we characterize the ladies of the provincial town, then they are distinguished by external sophistication and grace: “many ladies are well dressed and in fashion,” “there is an abyss in their outfits ...”, but internally they are as empty as men, their spiritual life is poor, interests are primitive. Gogol ironically describes the “good tone” and “presentability” that distinguish the ladies, in particular their manner of speaking, which is characterized by extraordinary caution and decency in expressions: they did not say “I blew my nose,” preferring to use the expression “I relieved my nose with a handkerchief,” or in general the ladies spoke French, where “words appeared much harsher than those mentioned.” The ladies’ speech, a true “mixture of French with Nizhny Novgorod,” is extremely comical.
Describing the ladies, Gogol even characterizes their essence at the lexical level: “...a lady fluttered out of the orange house...”, “...a lady fluttered up the folded steps...” Using the metaphors “fluttered” and “fluttered out,” the writer shows the “lightness” characteristic of a lady, not only physical, but also spiritual, internal emptiness and underdevelopment. Indeed, the largest part of their interests is outfits. So, for example, a lady who is pleasant in all respects and simply pleasant is having a meaningless conversation about the “cheerful chintz” from which the dress of one of them is made, about the material where “the stripes are very narrow, and eyes and paws go through the entire stripe...”. In addition, gossip plays a big role in the lives of ladies, as well as in the life of the entire city. Thus, Chichikov’s purchases became the subject of conversation, and the “millionaire” himself immediately became the subject of ladies’ adoration. After suspicious rumors began to circulate about Chichikov, the city was divided into two “opposite parties.” “The women’s was exclusively concerned with the kidnapping of the governor’s daughter, and the men’s, the most stupid, paid attention to the dead souls”... This is the pastime of the provincial society, gossip and empty talk are the main occupation of the city residents. Undoubtedly, Gogol continued the traditions established in the comedy “The Inspector General”. Showing the inferiority of provincial society, immorality, baseness of interests, spiritual callousness and emptiness of the townspeople, the writer “collects everything bad in Russia”, with the help of satire he exposes the vices of Russian society and the realities of the contemporary reality of the writer, so hated by Gogol himself.

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Essay on literature on the topic: Provincial society in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”

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Provincial society in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”

Provincial Society.

This is the life of provincial society and its representatives that Gogol shows. This is also the kingdom of “dead souls”, idleness and inner squalor. Provincial officials are essentially no different from the district officials previously depicted by Gogol in The Government Inspector. Like the mayor, the “miracle-worker-police chief” visited the shops and the living room as if he were visiting his own storeroom. The “freethinker” Lyapkin-Tyapkin’s penchant for reading Masonic books was shared by the city’s postmaster, who “went more into philosophy and read very diligently, even at night,” the books of mystics. Khlopov’s timidity was inherited by the “Morgun” prosecutor, who “died in fright” from the rumors that spread in the city in connection with Chichikova’s purchase of dead souls. The appointment of a new governor-general frightened the provincial officials and deprived them of their reason just as much as the expected arrival of the district auditor. The same nepotism, the same corruption and the same arbitrariness reign here as in the district town; The same bribery is flourishing (what is Ivan Antonovich alone worth - the “jug’s snout”!), the same ignorance and vulgarity. Like the heroes of The Inspector General, the officials of the provincial city are disconnected from the people, from their needs and demands.

Gossip, idle thinking and idle talk, pettiness of interests, and the pursuit of entertainment characterize provincial ladies.

People

Russia in Gogol's time was ruled by landowners and officials similar to the heroes of Dead Souls. It is clear in what position the people, the serf peasantry, had to be.

Gogol also talks about cases of mass indignation, and the episode of the murder of assessor Drobyazhkin shows the struggle of the serf peasantry against their oppressors.

Provincial society in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”

In the notes to the first volume of Dead Souls, Gogol wrote: “The idea of the city. Gossip that has crossed the limits, how all this arose from idleness and took on the expression of the ridiculous to the highest degree... The whole city with all the whirlwind of gossip is a transformation of the inactivity of the life of all humanity en masse.” This is how the writer characterizes the provincial town of NN and its inhabitants. It must be said that the provincial society of Gogol’s poem, as well as Famusov’s in Griboedov’s play “Woe from Wit,” can be conditionally divided into male and female. The main representatives of male society are provincial officials. Undoubtedly, the theme of officialdom is one of the central themes in Gogol’s work. The writer devoted many of his works, such as the story “The Overcoat” or the comic play “The Inspector General,” to various aspects of bureaucratic life. In particular, in “Dead Souls” we are presented with provincial and higher St. Petersburg officials (the latter in “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin”).

Exposing the immoral, vicious, flawed natures of officials, Gogol uses the technique of typification, because even in vivid and individual images (such as the police chief or Ivan Antonovich), common features inherent in all officials are revealed. Already creating portraits of officials using the technique of reification, the author, without saying anything about their spiritual qualities, character traits, only described the “wide backs of heads, tailcoats, frock coats of provincial cut...” of clerical officials or “very thick eyebrows and a somewhat winking left eye.” prosecutor, spoke about the deadness of souls, moral backwardness and baseness. None of the officials bother themselves with concerns about state affairs, and the concept of civic duty and public good is completely alien to them. Idleness and idleness reign among the bureaucrats. Everyone, starting with the governor, who “was a great good-natured person and embroidered on tulle,” spends their time pointlessly and unproductively, not caring about fulfilling their official duty. It is no coincidence that Sobakevich notes that “... the prosecutor is an idle person and, probably, sits at home, ... the inspector of the medical board is also, probably, an idle person and went somewhere to play cards, ... Trukhachevsky, Bezushkin - they are all they burden the earth for nothing...” Mental laziness, insignificance of interests, dull inertia form the basis of the existence and character of officials. Gogol speaks with irony about the degree of their education and culture: “... the chairman of the chamber knew “Lyudmila” by heart, ... the postmaster delved into ... philosophy and made extracts from “The Key to the Mysteries of Nature,” ... whoever read “ Moskovskie Vedomosti”, who haven’t even read anything at all.” Each of the provincial governors sought to use their position for personal purposes, seeing in it a source of enrichment, a means to live freely and carefree, without spending any labor. This explains the bribery and embezzlement that reigns in bureaucratic circles. For bribes, officials are even capable of committing the most terrible crime, according to Gogol - instituting an unfair trial (for example, they “hushed up” the case of merchants who “death” each other during a feast). Ivan Antonovich, for example, knew how to benefit from every business, being an experienced bribe-taker, he even reproached Chichikov that he “bought peasants for a hundred thousand, and gave one little white for their work.” Solicitor Zolotukha was “the first grabber and visited the guest yard as if he were his own pantry.” He had only to blink, and he could receive any gifts from the merchants who considered him a “benefactor,” for “even though he will take it, he will certainly not give you away.” For his ability to take bribes, the police chief was known among his friends as a “magician and miracle worker.” Gogol says with irony that this hero “managed to acquire modern nationality,” for the writer more than once denounces the anti-nationalism of officials who are absolutely ignorant of the hardships of peasant life, who consider the people “drunkards and rebels.” According to officials, peasants are “a very empty and insignificant people” and “they must be kept with a tight grip.” It is no coincidence that the story about Captain Kopeikin is introduced, for in it Gogol shows that anti-nationality and anti-people character are also characteristic of the highest St. Petersburg officials. Describing bureaucratic St. Petersburg, the city of “significant persons”, the highest bureaucratic nobility, the writer exposes their absolute indifference, cruel indifference to the fate of the defender of the homeland, doomed to certain death from hunger... So officials, indifferent to the life of the Russian people, are indifferent to the fate of Russia who neglect their official duty, use their power for personal gain and are afraid of losing the opportunity to carefreely enjoy all the “benefits” of their position, therefore provincial governors maintain peace and friendship in their circle, where an atmosphere of nepotism and friendly harmony reigns: “... they lived between in harmony with themselves, treated themselves in a completely friendly manner, and their conversations bore the stamp of some special innocence and meekness...” Officials need to maintain such relationships in order to collect their “income” without any fear...

Describing the ladies, Gogol even characterizes their essence at the lexical level: “...a lady fluttered out of the orange house...”, “...a lady fluttered up the folded steps...” Using metaphors, the writer “fluttered” and “fluttered out” shows the “lightness” characteristic of a lady, not only physical, but also spiritual, inner emptiness and underdevelopment. Indeed, the largest part of their interests is outfits. So, for example, a lady who is pleasant in all respects and simply pleasant is having a meaningless conversation about the “cheerful chintz” from which the dress of one of them is made, about the material where “the stripes are very narrow, and eyes and paws go through the entire stripe... " In addition, gossip plays a big role in the lives of ladies, as well as in the life of the entire city. Thus, Chichikov’s purchases became the subject of conversation, and the “millionaire” himself immediately became the subject of ladies’ adoration. After suspicious rumors began to circulate about Chichikov, the city was divided into two “opposite parties.” “The women’s was exclusively concerned with the kidnapping of the governor’s daughter, and the men’s, the most clueless, paid attention to the dead souls.” This is the pastime of provincial society, gossip and empty talk are the main occupation of the city’s residents. Undoubtedly, Gogol continued the traditions established in the comedy “The Inspector General”. Showing the inferiority of provincial society, immorality, baseness of interests, spiritual callousness and emptiness of the townspeople, the writer “collects everything bad in Russia”, with the help of satire he exposes the vices of Russian society and the realities of the contemporary reality of the writer, so hated by Gogol himself.