In his poem “Dead Souls” N.V. Gogol sought, first of all, to show Rus' “from one side” - to satirically depict the negative sides of Russian life. In his characters, the writer reflected all the vices of people - individual, national, universal.

Gogol pays special attention to the main character of the work - a man of a “new type”, businessman Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. The author strives to demonstrate this character “in full” - that is why he reveals the social and psychological foundations of his nature and talks in detail about Chichikov’s childhood.

This man conceived and practically carried out a very simple, but inherently ingenious fraud. Chichikov bought dead peasant souls from landowners in order to pawn them as if they were alive and receive money for them. In order to implement his idea, the hero travels throughout Russia. We see how he visits landowners, finds an approach to each of them and, as a result, achieves his goal.

All the landowners with whom Chichikov made acquaintance in the city gladly invited him to their estate. Manilov, Korobochka, Sobakevich, Plyushkin - a series of landowners passes in front of us, each of whom is a bright character.

So, Manilov is educated and quite well-read, even, as they say, an esthete. But he does not go further than beautiful dreams and grandiose plans. I think this hero is simply not capable of practical activity, is not accustomed to it, he does not consider it necessary. Therefore, all his “progressive” endeavors were “covered with dust,” and he himself turned into a sky-smoker, looking at the world “through rose-colored glasses.”

The landowner Sobakevich is the complete opposite of Manilov. This rude, “uncouth” man stands firmly on his feet. He is all practical ingenuity, cunning, strength and impudence. “High matters” are absolutely alien to Sobakevich; he cares only about his own material gain and is ready to do anything for it, even deception and meanness. They say about such people that he will not miss his goal.

The landowner Korobochka, whom Chichikov visited due to a misunderstanding, is the embodiment of limitation and stagnation. Even the clock in this heroine’s room stopped a long time ago, and flies swarm around her, symbolizing the deadness of Korobochka’s soul, the worthlessness of her existence. The whole point of this woman’s life is to sell hemp and fluff at a higher profit.

Nozdryov is the embodiment of the Russian riotous spirit, a broad nature that cannot find use for itself. This person does not recognize any laws or principles, except one - interest and passion. And for this he is ready to do anything - any meanness and scam.

The landowner Plyushkin completes the series of landowners depicted in the poem. The author himself calls this hero “a hole in the body of humanity” - he seems so pathetic and worthless. Moreover, the name Plyushkin became a household name - it turned into a symbol of insane hoarding, stinginess to the extreme. After all, this landowner, having great wealth, starved himself and his peasants, “shaked” over every most unnecessary thing, and spent his life on fruitless hoarding.

It is important that Chichikov managed to find a common language with all these landowners, was able to identify their weak points and, by influencing them, achieve his goal. So, with Manilov, Chichikov is pure nobility and good manners. With Korobochka, “despite his affectionate appearance, he spoke, however, with greater freedom than with Manilov, and did not stand on ceremony at all.” With Sobakevich the hero is as rude and assertive as his interlocutor, with Plyushkin he is cunning and calculating.

Of course, the type and character of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is unique. With cunning, subtle knowledge of life and people, everyday ingenuity, and perseverance, this hero surpasses most people.

To understand the origins of his character, Gogol describes the childhood of Pavel Ivanovich, the conditions in which he was brought up: “The origin of our hero is dark and modest.”

Father told Pavlusha to “save a penny.” He made these words his life credo and with all his might he began to implement his father’s covenant into reality. Fate destroyed the hero's plans many times, but Chichikov did not give up. His perseverance and self-confidence evoke involuntary admiration.

Thus, in the poem “Dead Souls” Gogol was able to show almost all human vices, “placing” them in the images of landowners and officials. These characters, as well as the image of Chichikov, convey Gogol’s anxiety and feelings for the “bird of Rus'” - the writer’s beloved Russia.

The evils of bureaucracy are not invented by the author. They were taken by Gogol from life itself. It is known that Emperor Nicholas I himself acted as Gogol’s postmaster, who read Pushkin’s letters to his wife. The scandalous story of the theft of the commission for the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is very reminiscent of the act of the mayor, who embezzled government money allocated for the construction of the church. These facts, taken from real life, emphasize the typicality of the negative phenomena that the satirist exposes in his comedy. Gogol's play highlighted all the typical vices of Russian bureaucracy, which were embodied in the individual images of the mayor and his entourage.

An unknown provincial town appears in the comedy as a state in miniature, in which, like a drop of water, all the abuses and vices of bureaucratic Russia are reflected. The traits that characterize city officials are also typical of representatives of other classes. All of them are distinguished by dishonesty, vulgarity, squalor of mental interests, and an extremely low cultural level. After all, in comedy there is not a single honest hero from any class. There is a social stratification of people here, some of whom occupy important government positions and use their power to improve their own well-being. At the top of this social pyramid is the bureaucracy.

Theft, bribery, embezzlement - these typical vices of bureaucracy are castigated by Gogol with his merciless laughter. The city's elite are disgusting. But the people under their control do not inspire sympathy either. The merchants oppressed by the mayor, hating him, try to appease him with gifts, and at the first opportunity they write a complaint against him to Khlestakov, whom everyone takes for an important St. Petersburg dignitary. Provincial landowners Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky are slackers and gossips, insignificant and vulgar people. At first glance, the innocently flogged non-commissioned officer evokes sympathy. But the fact that she only wants to receive monetary compensation for the insult she suffered makes her ridiculous and pathetic.

Worship of rank, embezzlement (the money allocated for the construction of the church was spent on their own needs),

permissiveness (scene with the non-commissioned officer's widow, complaints of merchants),

impunity (the capital is far away, and the auditor is not real),

desire for a profitable marriage (Governor’s daughter),

ignorance (the doctor is German, doesn’t understand Russian, and the patients look like blacksmiths; the teacher is mentally ill - throws chairs),

desire to live beyond one’s means, reluctance to work, but to live on parents’ money (Khlestakov),

bribery (bribery) - everyone gives bribes to Khlestakov...

Ticket No. 18

Theme, idea, problems of N.V.’s comedy Gogol "The Inspector General".

The theme is the depiction in the comedy of the entire bureaucratic Russia with all its vices, ridicule of the harmful vices of man, injustice, arbitrariness, fraud, pretense, hypocrisy and self-interest...

Of course, it's not just government officials who act in comedy. In the comedy we meet all the many faces of Russia: the landed nobility, the merchants, the bourgeoisie, and the peasantry. But the author pays special attention to the characteristics of city officials, since the upcoming arrival of the auditor disturbs their peace of mind.

Idea comedy “The Inspector General” in the epigraph preceding the comedy: “ There’s no point in blaming the mirror if your face is crooked.”- the main idea of ​​the play is laid down. Gogol’s idea is not only to laugh at what is happening, but to point out future retribution.

The environment, order, foundations are ridiculed. This is not “a mockery of Russia,” but “a picture and a mirror of social... life.” In the article “The St. Petersburg Scene in 1835-36,” Gogol wrote: “In The Inspector General, I decided to collect in one pile all the bad things in Russia that I knew then, all the injustices... and laugh at everything at once. But this, as we know, had a stunning effect.” The silent scene that ends the action is clear evidence of this. Retribution awaits officials of the county town. The exposure of negative heroes is given in comedy not through a positive hero (there is none in the play), but through action, deeds, and dialogues. Gogol's negative heroes expose themselves in the eyes of the viewer. They are exposed not through morality and teachings, but through ridicule. “Vice is struck here only by laughter,” wrote N.V. Gogol.

Issues. The breadth of artistic generalization allows us to see in the comedy a satire on the entire state bureaucratic system of Tsarist Russia. The author castigates in it bribe-takers, embezzlers, swindlers, liars holding responsible positions, with merciless, punishing laughter, which he called the only honest face of comedy.

In The Inspector General, Gogol made his contemporaries laugh at what they were accustomed to and what they no longer noticed. But most importantly, they are accustomed to carelessness in spiritual life. Spectators laugh at heroes who die spiritually. Let us turn to examples from the play that show such death.

The mayor sincerely believes that “there is no person who does not have some sins behind him. This is already arranged by God himself, and the Voltairians are in vain speaking against this.” To which Judge Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin objects: “What do you think, Anton Antonovich, are sins? Sins and sins are different. I tell everyone openly that I take bribes, but with what bribes? Greyhound puppies. This is a completely different matter.”

The judge is sure that bribes with greyhound puppies cannot be considered bribes, “but, for example, if someone’s fur coat costs five hundred rubles, and his wife’s shawl...”

A short essay-discussion on the topic Artistic Rus' in the poem “Dead Souls”, the image of Russia, “Russia of Dead Souls”, images of landowners and officials

The poem “Dead Souls” is one of the most significant works of Russian literature. Gogol masterfully reflected the problems of Russia, its vices and shortcomings. He identified unique types of people who have a special national flavor. The writer’s goal was to “illuminate a picture taken from a despicable life,” and he succeeded. Therefore, Russia, the homeland of dead souls, became the most vivid and realistic image in the work.

The author decided to show the degradation of Russia using the example of the nobility - the main supporting class of the state. Even if the nobles - dead souls, what can we say about other, lower strata of society who look to courtiers and landowners as examples to follow? Description of vices " the best people Fatherland" the writer begins with the hypocritical and lazy dreamer Manilov. This inactive person “sits away” his fortune and does not justify his privileged position. Such people can only talk, but are not going to do anything for the good of their homeland, so they only take from Russia, but do not give it anything in return.

After Manilov, Gogol introduces us to the thrifty Korobochka. It would seem, what is the vice? A woman runs the house and works to the envy of everyone. However, a very strong vice is obvious in her - greed. Profit became the only meaning of life for her. For the sake of profit or out of greed, she kills more than one peasant to death, therefore her activities are worse than Manilov’s inactivity. It also kills the future of Russia, because Korobochki are desperate enemies of progress.

The ruined Nozdryov is the antithesis of Korobochka. This man has undermined the credibility of his class, because he has sunk to the extreme degree of dishonor. He wanders in the status of “a guest worse than a Tatar” and is forced to live at the mercy of other nobles. He squandered the property of his ancestors, leaving his descendants poor and disgraced. It was because of such frivolous and vicious people that Russia gradually became merchant, and not noble. The privileged class began to humiliate itself in front of uneducated and greedy traders.

Then the author depicted the type of economic landowner Sobakevich. However, he did not become a positive image either. He turned out to be so narrow-minded and limited that after meeting his club-headed person it became clear: with such people Russia will not move forward and will not become better. They look into the past and are ready to stay in it forever.

The gallery of images of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” is closed by the miser Plyushkin (), who embodies the extreme degradation of the human being: “A person could condescend to such insignificance, pettiness, disgusting!” - writes the author. Gogol. The landowner destroyed all the goods he had earned, drove away the children and starved the peasants to death with poverty. With such people, Russia is in danger of falling into the abyss.

In the poem, Gogol reveals the vices of the city, as well as the bureaucratic class, which represents the state and, in this case, discredits it. District officials of the city of N thought only about how to line their pockets and deceive the townspeople. They are all connected by a single criminal network that surrounds the city. Patriotism is alien to them, like other moral concepts. In depicting this, the author does not mean just one city, he means the whole of autocratic Russia.

The new type of person that Chichikov () represents in the poem is hardly better than the old ones. As a bankrupt nobleman, he is forced to make a living through fraud. “It’s fairest,” writes Gogol, “to call him the owner-acquirer.” Chichikov's life credo is to save a penny. Therefore, the hero makes money in every possible way, not disdaining crime. Gogol also mercilessly ridicules the vices of this new type in order to prove that Russia is not on the same path with him.

Thus, Gogol described a gallery of images of landowners, revealing the pressing problems of the country. This is how the image of Russia in the poem “Dead Souls” was formed from fragments, an image long-suffering and deep, in need of change. And the author still hopes for a good future. The extraordinary potential of the Russian is manifested in the images of the “Yaroslavl efficient man”, the carpenter-hero Stepan Probka, the miracle shoemaker Makeich Telyatin, the carriage maker Mezheev. The people's love of freedom, their spiritual wealth, and their “lively and lively” mind give Gogol incentives to believe in his country and love it no matter what. Therefore, he compares Rus' with a flying “unbeatable troika”, which is shunned by “other peoples and states.”

In this article we will describe the image of landowners created by Gogol in the poem “Dead Souls”. The table we have compiled will help you remember the information. We will sequentially talk about the five heroes presented by the author in this work.

The image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol is briefly described in the following table.

Gogol's portrayal of landowners

In the works of Nikolai Vasilyevich, one of the main themes is the landowner class in Russia, as well as the ruling class (nobility), its role in the life of society and its fate.

The main method used by Gogol to portray various characters is satire. The process of gradual degeneration of the landowner class was reflected in the heroes created by his pen. Nikolai Vasilyevich reveals shortcomings and vices. Gogol's satire is colored with irony, which helped this writer speak directly about what was impossible to talk about openly under censorship conditions. At the same time, Nikolai Vasilyevich’s laughter seems good-natured to us, but he does not spare anyone. Each phrase has a subtext, a hidden, deep meaning. Irony is generally a characteristic element of Gogol's satire. It is present not only in the speech of the author himself, but also in the speech of the heroes.

Irony is one of the essential features of Gogol’s poetics; it adds greater realism to the narrative and becomes a means of analyzing the surrounding reality.

Compositional structure of the poem

The images of landowners in the poem, the largest work of this author, are presented in the most multifaceted and complete way. It is constructed as the story of the adventures of the official Chichikov, who buys up “dead souls.” The composition of the poem allowed the author to tell about different villages and the owners living in them. Almost half of the first volume (five of eleven chapters) is devoted to characterization different types landowners in Russia. Nikolai Vasilyevich created five portraits that are not similar to each other, but each of them at the same time contains features that are typical of a Russian serf owner. Acquaintance with them begins with Manilov and ends with Plyushkin. This construction is not accidental. There is a logic to this sequence: the process of impoverishment of a person’s personality deepens from one image to another, it increasingly unfolds as a terrible picture of the collapse of serf society.

Meeting Manilov

Manilov - representing the image of landowners in the poem "Dead Souls". The table only briefly describes it. Let us introduce you closer to this hero. The character of Manilov, which is described in the first chapter, is already manifested in the surname itself. The story about this hero begins with an image of the village of Manilovka, which is capable of “luring” few people with its location. The author describes with irony the master's courtyard, created as an imitation with a pond, bushes and the inscription "Temple of Solitary Reflection." External details help the writer create the image of the landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”.

Manilov: character of the hero

The author, speaking about Manilov, exclaims that only God knows what kind of character this man had. By nature he is kind, courteous, polite, but all this takes on ugly, exaggerated forms in his image. sentimental and beautiful to the point of cloying. The relationships between people seem festive and idyllic to him. Various relationships, in general, are one of the details that create the image of the landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”. Manilov did not know life at all; reality was replaced by empty fantasy. This hero loved to dream and think, sometimes even about things useful to the peasants. However, his ideas were far from the needs of life. He did not know about the real needs of the serfs and never even thought about them. Manilov considers himself a carrier of culture. He was considered the most educated man in the army. Nikolai Vasilyevich speaks ironically about the house of this landowner, in which there was always “something missing,” as well as about his sugary relationship with his wife.

Chichikov's conversation with Manilov about buying dead souls

In an episode of a conversation about buying dead souls, Manilov is compared to an overly smart minister. Gogol's irony here intrudes, as if accidentally, into a forbidden area. Such a comparison means that the minister is not so different from Manilov, and “Manilovism” is a typical phenomenon of the vulgar bureaucratic world.

Box

Let us describe another image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls”. The table has already briefly introduced you to Korobochka. We learn about her in the third chapter of the poem. Gogol classifies this heroine as one of the small landowners who complain about losses and crop failures and always keep their heads somewhat to one side, while collecting money little by little into bags placed in the chest of drawers. This money is obtained by selling a variety of subsistence products. Korobochka's interests and horizons are completely focused on her estate. Her entire life and economy are patriarchal in nature.

How did Korobochka react to Chichikov’s proposal?

The landowner realized that trading in dead souls was profitable, and after much persuasion she agreed to sell them. The author, describing the image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” (Korobochka and other heroes), is ironic. For a long time, the “club-headed” one cannot figure out what exactly is required of her, which infuriates Chichikov. After that, she bargains with him for a long time, afraid of making a mistake.

Nozdryov

In the image of Nozdryov in the fifth chapter, Gogol depicts a completely different form of decomposition of the nobility. This hero is a man of what is called a “jack of all trades.” In his very face there was something daring, direct, open. He is also characterized by a “breadth of nature.” According to the ironic remark of Nikolai Vasilyevich, Nozdryov is a “historical man”, since not a single meeting that he managed to attend was never without stories. He loses a lot of money at cards with a light heart, beats a simpleton at a fair and immediately “squanders it all.” This hero is an utter liar and a reckless braggart, a true master of “casting bullets.” He behaves defiantly everywhere, if not aggressively. This character’s speech is replete with swear words, and he has a passion for “spoiling his neighbor.” Gogol created in Russian literature a new socio-psychological type of the so-called Nozdrevism. In many ways, the image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” is innovative. A brief image of the following heroes is described below.

Sobakevich

The author’s satire in the image of Sobakevich, whom we meet in the fifth chapter, takes on a more accusatory character. This character bears little resemblance to previous landowners. This is a tight-fisted, cunning tradesman, a “kulak landowner.” He is alien to the violent extravagance of Nozdryov, the dreamy complacency of Manilov, as well as the hoarding of Korobochka. Sobakevich has an iron grip, he is taciturn, he is on his own mind. There are few people who could deceive him. Everything about this landowner is strong and durable. In all the everyday objects surrounding him, Gogol finds a reflection of the character traits of this person. Everything surprisingly resembles the hero himself in his house. Each thing, as the author notes, seemed to say that she was “also Sobakevich.”

Nikolai Vasilyevich portrays a figure that amazes with its rudeness. This man seemed to Chichikov to look like a bear. Sobakevich is a cynic who is not ashamed of moral ugliness in others or in himself. He is far from enlightened. This is a die-hard serf owner who only cares about his own peasants. It is interesting that, apart from this hero, no one understood the true essence of the “scoundrel” Chichikov, but Sobakevich perfectly understood the essence of the proposal, reflecting the spirit of the times: everything can be sold and bought, the maximum benefit should be obtained. This is the generalized image of the landowners in the poem of the work, however, it is not limited to the depiction of only these characters. We present to you the next landowner.

Plyushkin

The sixth chapter is dedicated to Plyushkin. On it, the characteristics of the landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” are completed. The name of this hero has become a household word, denoting moral degradation and stinginess. This image is the last degree of degeneration of the landowner class. Gogol begins his acquaintance with the character, as usual, with a description of the estate and village of the landowner. At the same time, a “particular disrepair” was noticeable on all buildings. Nikolai Vasilyevich describes a picture of the ruin of a once rich serf owner. Its cause is not idleness and extravagance, but the painful stinginess of the owner. Gogol calls this landowner “a hole in humanity.” Its very appearance is characteristic - it is a sexless creature resembling a housekeeper. This character no longer causes laughter, only bitter disappointment.

Conclusion

The image of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” (the table is presented above) is revealed by the author in many ways. The five characters that Gogol created in the work depict the diverse state of this class. Plyushkin, Sobakevich, Nozdrev, Korobochka, Manilov are different forms of one phenomenon - spiritual, social and economic decline. The characteristics of landowners in Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" prove this.

What human vices does Gogol expose in the poem, “dead souls” and received the best answer

Answer from Marat Baimukhametov[guru]
In his book, Gogol caustically and mercilessly ridicules officials, landowners and nobles. Gogol's satire is directed against stupidity, vulgarity, tyranny and other vices in which Russian society is mired. At the same time, laughing at the ugliness of the existence of the inhabitants of one of the Russian cities, Gogol is not trying to denigrate and disgrace the entire Russian way of life. The writer’s heart aches for Russia. Gogol is horrified by the situation of the country and the Russian people. He wants to see her future free from the power of a soulless and oppressive crowd that has lost its human form.
Each hero of Dead Souls is dominated by one characteristic quality. Due to this, the images of the heroes are somewhat grotesque. Manilov is sweet to the point of cloying, the box is stupid, Plyushkin is stingy to the point of impossibility, Nozdryov is deceitful and clueless. Despite some exaggeration, their features are not uncommon among people.
Chichikov deserves special attention. From the point of view of the average person, there is nothing bad about him. On the contrary, he is practical, careful, and prudent. It has everything in moderation. Neither fat, nor race, neither tall nor short, looks respectable, but not defiant, does not stand out in any way. The saying “Neither in the city of Bogdan, nor in the village of Selifan” is quite applicable to him, as to Manilov. Chichikov, both in terms of external and internal content, is simply no good. It easily adapts to the situation, like water that takes the shape of the vessel into which it is poured. However, he is moving towards his goal slowly but surely. In a world of stupid and self-righteous people, he feels like a duck to water, knowing very well how to earn recognition in such an environment. Chichikov behaves completely differently with different people. With bitter irony, Gogol writes that in Russia “it is impossible to count all the shades and subtleties of our appeal.” Gogol laughs at the rooster's importance, the tyranny of the authorities and the servility and servility of the lower ranks. In Gogol's depiction, the city is filled with a mass of worthless, gray people who are born, live and die, without leaving behind any noticeable trace. Natural human feelings, living thoughts, and any high aspirations are alien to these people. Their existence comes down to satisfying base needs: eating well and plentifully, sleeping, living in warmth and peace, enjoying the respect of their peers. Self-interested, vain people engage in empty, meaningless conversations and engage in worthless and petty matters. At the same time, they pretend to be educated and try to behave in a foreign manner.
Plyushkin, Manilov, Sobakevich and others look stupid and ridiculous in the poem. They can only cause laughter. However, Gogol chose a humorous tone, witticisms, and funny descriptions as tools to combat existing shortcomings. After all, in fact, the writer has no time for laughter. Beneath his irony and mockery lies great pain and sorrow. Gogol is sad about the deplorable state of the Russian land, about the fact that the country is in the hands of a crowd of idlers and thieves. Gogol is sad that Rus' still preserves serfdom that the peasants are still poor, and their owners only care about their well-being. Landowners, nobles, officials are the real “dead souls” in Gogol’s depiction. The writer is horrified at how low people can sink. “And a person could stoop to such insignificance, pettiness, and disgustingness! " - the author exclaims
It is unbearably painful for the writer to see humiliated and impoverished Russia, the enslaved Russian people. "Rus! Rus! I see you, from my wonderful, beautiful distance, I see you: poor, scattered and uncomfortable in you... But what incomprehensible, secret force attracts you to you? “These are Gogol’s sad thoughts.
So Gogol laughs at human vices, which kill souls and turn society into a stagnant swamp.

Reply from 3 answers[guru]