The third chapter of the poem is devoted to the image of Korobochka, which Gogol classifies as one of those “small landowners who complain about crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile little by little collect money in colorful bags placed in the drawers of the chest of drawers!” (or Korobochka are in some ways antipodes: Manilov’s vulgarity is hidden behind high phases, behind discussions about the good of the Motherland, and in Korobochka spiritual poverty appears in its natural form. Korobochka does not pretend to high culture: its entire appearance emphasizes a very unpretentious simplicity. This is emphasized by Gogol in the heroine’s appearance: he points out her shabby and unattractive appearance. This simplicity reveals itself in relationships with people. The main goal of her life is to consolidate her wealth and continuously accumulate. It is no coincidence that Chichikov sees traces of skillful management throughout the estate. This trait reveals her inner insignificance. She has no feelings other than the desire to acquire and benefit. The situation with “dead souls” is confirmation. Korobochka sells to peasants with the same efficiency with which she sells other items of her household. For her there is no difference between an animate and an inanimate being. In Chichikov’s proposal, only one thing frightens her: the prospect of missing something, not taking what can be obtained for “dead souls.” Korobochka is not going to give them up to Chichikov on the cheap. Gogol awarded her the epithet “club-headed”). This money is obtained from the sale of a wide variety of nat products. households

Korobochka understood the benefits of trade and, after much persuasion, agrees to sell such an unusual product as dead souls.

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

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

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

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

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

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. Having caught on to any topic, M.’s thoughts float into the distance, into abstract thoughts. This hero is not capable of thinking about real life, much less making any decisions. Everything in M.'s life: action, time, meaning - has been replaced by refined verbal formulas. As soon as Chichikov expressed his strange request for selling the dead shower in beautiful words, and M. immediately calmed down and agreed. Although before this proposal seemed wild to him. M.'s world is a world of false idyll, the path to death. It is not for nothing that even Chichikov’s path to the lost Manilovka is depicted as a path to nowhere. There is nothing negative in M., but there is nothing positive either. He is an empty place, nothing. Therefore, this hero cannot count on transformation and rebirth: there is nothing to be reborn in him. And therefore M., along with Korobochka, occupies one of the lowest places in the “hierarchy” of the heroes of the poem.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Introduction

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

§2. Image of the Box

§3. Artistic detail as a means

character characteristics

§4. Korobochka and Chichikov.

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How close is she to revival?

§2. Image of the Box

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

Apparently, she rarely goes to the city and does not communicate with her neighbors, because when asked about Manilov, he replies that there is no such landowner and names ancient noble families, which are more appropriate in the classic comedy of the 18th century - Bobrov, Kanapatiev, Pleshakov, Kharpakin. In the same row is the surname Svinin, which draws a direct parallel with Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” (Mitrofanushka’s mother and uncle are Svinin).

Korobochka’s behavior, her address to the guest as “father”, the desire to serve (Chichikov called himself a nobleman), to treat her, to arrange for an overnight stay as best as possible - all this character traits images of provincial landowners in the works of the 18th century. Mrs. Prostakova behaves the same way when she finds out that Starodum is a nobleman and has been accepted at court.

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

The image of the landowner Korobochka in the poem by N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls"

§2. Image of the Box

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka is a landowner, the widow of a college secretary, a very thrifty and thrifty elderly woman. Her village is small, but everything in it is in good order, the farm is flourishing and, apparently, brings in a good income. Korobochka compares favorably with Manilov: she knows all her peasants (“... she didn’t keep any notes or lists, but knew almost everyone by heart”), speaks of them as good workers (“all are nice people, all workers.” Hereinafter quoted . from: Gogol N.V. Collected works in eight volumes - (Library “Ogonyok”: domestic classics) - T.5. "Dead Souls". Volume one. - M., 1984), she herself is engaged in housekeeping - “she fixed her eyes on the housekeeper,” “little by little she moved into the household life.” Judging by the fact that, when asking Chichikov who he is, she lists those people with whom she constantly communicates: the assessor, merchants, the archpriest, her social circle is small and is connected mainly with economic affairs - trade and the payment of state taxes.

Apparently, she rarely goes to the city and does not communicate with her neighbors, because when asked about Manilov, he answers that there is no such landowner, and names old noble families that are more appropriate in a classic comedy of the 18th century - Bobrov, Kanapatiev, Pleshakov, Kharpakin. In the same row is the surname Svinin, which draws a direct parallel with Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” (Mitrofanushka’s mother and uncle are Svinin).

Korobochka’s behavior, her address to the guest “father”, the desire to serve (Chichikov called himself a nobleman), to treat her, to arrange for an overnight stay as best as possible - all these are characteristic features of the images of provincial landowners in the works of the 18th century. Mrs. Prostakova behaves the same way when she finds out that Starodum is a nobleman and has been accepted at court.

The landowner's only entertainment when she is not busy with her household is fortune-telling on cards - “I decided to make fortunes on cards at night after prayer...”. And she spends her evenings with the maid.

Korobochka's portrait is not as detailed as the portraits of other landowners and seems to be stretched out: first Chichikov hears the “hoarse woman's voice” of the old servant; then “again some woman, younger than before, but very similar to her”; when he was shown into the rooms and he had time to look around, a lady came in - “an elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, ....” The author emphasizes Korobochka’s old age, then Chichikov directly calls her an old woman to himself. The appearance of the housewife in the morning does not change much - only the sleeping cap disappears: “She was dressed better than yesterday - in a dark dress (widow!) and no longer in the sleeping cap (but apparently there was still a cap on her head - a day cap ), but there was still something tied around the neck” (fashion late XVIII century - fichu, i.e. a small scarf that partially covered the neckline and the ends of which were tucked into the neckline of the dress See Kirsanova R.M. Russian costume artistic culture 18 - first half of the 20th centuries: Experience of an encyclopedia / Ed. T.G. Morozova, V.D. Sinyukova. - M., 1995. - P.115).

The author's description, which follows the portrait of the hostess, on the one hand emphasizes the typicality of the character, on the other hand, gives an exhaustive description: “one of those mothers, small landowners who cry about crop failures (namely, with words about crop failures and bad times a business conversation between Korobochka and Chichikov begins), losses and keep your head somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they are gradually collecting money in motley Motley - fabric from the remnants of yarn of various kinds, homespun fabric (Kirsanova) bags placed in dresser drawers. All the rubles are taken into one bag, fifty dollars into another, quarters into the third, although in appearance it seems as if there is nothing in the chest of drawers except underwear, night blouses, skeins of thread, and a torn salop Salop - outerwear made of fur and the rich fabrics that had gone out of fashion by 1830; the name “salopnitsa” has an additional connotation of “old-fashioned” (Kirsanova). Apparently, for this purpose Gogol mentions the cloak as an indispensable attribute of such landowners. , which will then turn into a dress if the old one somehow burns out during the baking of festive cakes with all sorts of yarn. Yarn is a filling that was laid out directly on the baking cake or pancake, in other words, baked. or it will disappear on its own. But the dress will not burn or fray on its own; thrifty old lady..." This is exactly what Korobochka is, so Chichikov immediately does not stand on ceremony and gets down to business.

An important role in understanding the image of the landowner is played by the description of the estate and the decoration of the rooms in the house. This is one of the techniques for characterizing a character that Gogol uses in “Dead Souls”: the image of all landowners consists of the same set of descriptions and artistic details - the estate, rooms, interior details or significant objects, an indispensable feast (in one form or another - from a full dinner , like Sobakevich, before Plyushkin offered Easter cake and wine), the owner’s manners and behavior during business negotiations and after them, attitude towards an unusual transaction, etc.

Korobochka's estate is distinguished by its strength and contentment; it is immediately clear that she good hostess. The courtyard into which the room's windows overlook is filled with birds and “all kinds of domestic creatures”; further on you can see vegetable gardens with “household vegetables”; fruit trees are covered with bird nets, and stuffed animals on poles are also visible - “one of them was wearing the cap of the mistress herself.” Peasant huts also show the wealth of their inhabitants. In a word, Korobochka’s farm is clearly thriving and generating sufficient profit. And the village itself is not small - eighty souls.

The description of the estate is divided into two parts - at night, in the rain, and during the day. The first description is scanty, motivated by the fact that Chichikov drives up in the dark, during heavy rain. But in this part of the text there is also an artistic detail, which, in our opinion, is essential for the further narrative - a mention of the external villa of the house: “stopped<бричка>in front of a small house, which was difficult to see in the darkness. Only one half of it was illuminated by the light coming from the windows; a puddle was still visible in front of the house, which was directly hit by the same light.” Chichikov is also greeted by the barking of dogs, which indicates that “the village was decent.” The windows of a house are a kind of eyes, and eyes, as we know, are the mirror of the soul. Therefore, the fact that Chichikov drives up to the house in the dark, only one window is illuminated and the light from it falls into a puddle, speaks, most likely, about the poverty of inner life, about the focus on one side of it, about the mundane aspirations of the owners of this house.

The “daytime” description, as mentioned earlier, emphasizes precisely this one-sidedness of Korobochka’s inner life - the focus only on economic activity, thrift and thrift.

IN brief description The rooms are primarily noted for the antiquity of their decoration: “the room was hung with old striped wallpaper; paintings with some birds; between the windows there are old small mirrors with dark frames in the shape of curled leaves; Behind every mirror there was either a letter, or an old deck of cards, or a stocking; wall clock with painted flowers on the dial...". In this description, two features clearly stand out - linguistic and artistic. Firstly, the synonyms “old”, “vintage” and “old” are used; secondly, the set of objects that catch Chichikov’s eye during a brief examination also indicates that the people living in such rooms are more drawn to the past than to the present. What is important is that flowers are mentioned several times (on the watch dial, leaves on the mirror frames) and birds. If we recall the history of the interior, we can find out that such a “design” is typical for the Rococo era, i.e. for the second half of the XVIII century.

Later in the episode, the description of the room is supplemented by one more detail, which confirms the “antiqueness” of Korobochka’s life: Chichikov discovers in the morning two portraits on the wall - Kutuzov and “some old man with red cuffs on his uniform, as they were sewn on under Pavel Petrovich

In the conversation about the purchase of “dead” souls, the whole essence and character of Korobochka is revealed. At first, she cannot understand what Chichikov wants from her - dead peasants have no economic value, and therefore cannot be sold. When she realizes that the deal can be profitable for her, then bewilderment gives way to another - the desire to get the maximum benefit from the sale: after all, if someone wants to buy the dead, therefore, they are worth something and are the subject of bargaining. That is, dead souls become for her on a par with hemp, honey, flour and lard. But she has already sold everything else (as we know, quite profitably), and this is a new and unknown business for her. The desire not to undercut the price is triggered: “I started to be very afraid that this buyer would somehow cheat her,” “I was afraid at first, so as not to somehow incur a loss. Maybe you, my father, are deceiving me, but they are... they are somehow worth more”, “I’ll wait a little, maybe merchants will come, and I’ll adjust the prices”, “somehow they’ll be needed on the farm in case they’re needed...”. With her stubbornness, she infuriates Chichikov, who was counting on easy consent. This is where the epithet arises, which expresses the essence not only of Korobochka, but of the entire type of similar people - “club-headed”. The author explains that neither rank nor position in society is the reason for this property; “club-headedness” is a very common phenomenon: “someone is both respectable and even a statesman. but in reality it turns out to be a perfect Box. Once you've hacked something into your head, you can't overpower him with anything; No matter how much you present him with arguments, clear as day, everything bounces off him, like a rubber ball bounces off a wall.”

Korobochka agrees when Chichikov offers her another deal that she understands - government contracts, that is, a state supply order that paid well and was beneficial for the landowner due to its stability.

The author ends the bidding episode with a generalized discussion about the prevalence of this type of people: “Is Korobochka really standing so low on the endless ladder of human improvement? Is the abyss really that great that separates her from her sister, inaccessibly fenced by the walls of an aristocratic house with fragrant cast-iron staircases, shining copper, mahogany and carpets, yawning over an unread book in anticipation of a witty social visit, where she will have the opportunity to show off her mind and express her expressed thoughts? thoughts that, according to the laws of fashion, occupy the city for a whole week, thoughts not about what is happening in her house and on her estates, confused and upset thanks to ignorance of economic affairs, but about what political revolution is being prepared in France, what direction fashionable Catholicism has taken " The comparison of the thrifty, thrifty and practical Korobochka with the worthless society lady makes one wonder what is Korobochka’s “sin”, is it just her “club-headedness”?

Thus, we have several grounds for determining the meaning of the image of Korobochka - an indication of her “club-headedness,” i.e. getting stuck on one thought, inability and inability to consider the situation from different sides, limited thinking; comparison with the habitually established life of a society lady; the clear dominance of the past in everything related to the cultural components of human life, embodied in fashion, interior design, speech and rules of etiquette in relation to other people.

Is it a coincidence that Chichikov ends up with Korobochka after wandering along a dirty and dark road, at night, during the rain? It can be suggested that these details metaphorically reflect the nature of the image - the lack of spirituality (darkness, rare reflections of light from the window) and the aimlessness - in spiritual and moral terms - of her existence (the confusing road, by the way, the girl who accompanies Chichikov to the main road confuses right and left). Then the logical answer to the question about the landowner’s “sin” will be the absence of the life of the soul, the existence of which has collapsed to one point - the distant past, when the deceased husband was still alive, who loved to have his heels scratched before going to bed. The clock that hardly strikes the appointed hour, the flies that wake up Chichikov in the morning, the confusion of the roads to the estate, the lack of external contacts with the world - all this confirms our point of view.

Thus, Korobochka embodies a state of mind in which life is reduced to a single point and remains somewhere far behind, in the past. Therefore, the author emphasizes that Korobochka is an old woman. And no future is possible for her, therefore, it is impossible to be reborn, i.e. It is not destined to unfold life to the fullness of being.

The reason for this lies in the initially unspiritual life of a woman in Russia, in her traditional position, but not social, but psychological. Comparison with a society lady and details that indicate how Korobochka conducts “ free time"(fortune telling on cards, chores around the house) reflect the absence of any intellectual, cultural, spiritual life. Later in the poem, the reader will encounter an explanation of the reasons for this state of a woman and her soul in Chichikov’s monologue after meeting a beautiful stranger, when the hero discusses what happens to a pure and simple girl and how “rubbish” turns out of her.

Korobochka’s “club-headedness” also receives a precise meaning: it is not excessive practicality or commercialism, but a limited mind, which is determined by a single thought or belief and is a consequence of the general limitations of life. And it is the “club-headed” Korobochka, who never gave up the thought of a possible deception on the part of Chichikov and comes to the city to inquire “how much are dead souls these days,” becomes one of the reasons for the collapse of the hero’s adventure and his rapid flight from the city.

Why does Chichikov get to Korobochka after Manilov and before meeting Nozdryov? As was said earlier, the sequence of images of landowners is built along two lines. The first is descending: the degree of “sin” in each subsequent case becomes more severe, responsibility for the state of the soul increasingly lies with the person himself. The second is ascending: how possible is it for a character to revive his life and “resurrect” his soul?

Manilov lives quite openly - he appears in the city, is present at evenings and meetings, communicates, but his life is like a sentimental novel, and therefore illusory: he is very reminiscent in appearance, and in his reasoning, and in his attitude towards people, of the hero of sentimental and romantic works, fashionable at the beginning of the 19th century. One can guess about his past - a good education, short government service, retirement, marriage and life with his family on the estate. Manilov does not understand that his existence is not connected with reality, therefore he cannot realize that his life is not going as it should. If we draw a parallel with Dante's " Divine Comedy", then he is more reminiscent of sinners of the first circle, whose sin is that they are unbaptized infants or pagans. But the possibility of rebirth is closed to him for the same reason: his life is an illusion, and he does not realize it.

The box is too immersed in the material world. If Manilov is entirely in fantasy, then she is in the prose of life, and intellectual and spiritual life comes down to habitual prayers and the same habitual piety. The fixation on material things, on profit, the one-sidedness of her life is worse than Manilov’s fantasies.

Could Korobochka's life have turned out differently? Yes and no. The influence of the surrounding world, society, circumstances left their mark on her, made her inner world just the way he is. But there was still a way out - sincere faith in God. As we will see later, it is true Christian morality, from Gogol’s point of view, that is the saving force that keeps a person from spiritual fall and spiritual death. Therefore, the image of Korobochka cannot be considered a satirical image - her one-sidedness, “club-headedness” no longer evokes laughter, but sad reflections: “But why, in the midst of unthinking, cheerful, carefree minutes, will another wonderful stream suddenly rush by itself: laughter has not yet had time to completely escape from the face , but he has already become different among the same people, and his face has already illuminated with a different light...”

A further meeting with Nozdryov - a scoundrel, a brawler and a rogue - shows that worse than the one-sidedness of life can be dishonor, a willingness to do nasty things to one’s neighbor, sometimes for no reason at all, and excessive activity that has no purpose. In this respect, Nozdryov is a kind of antipode to Korobochka: instead of one-sidedness of life - excessive scatteredness, instead of veneration of rank - contempt for any conventions, even to the point of violating the elementary norms of human relations and behavior. Gogol himself said: “...My heroes follow one after another, one more vulgar than the other.” There is vulgarity spiritual decline, and the degree of life’s vulgarity is the degree of triumph of death over life in the human soul.

So, the image of Korobochka reflects the widespread, from the author’s point of view, type of people who limit their lives to only one sphere, who “rest their foreheads” on one thing and do not see, and most importantly - do not want to see - anything that exists apart from the subject of their attention. Gogol chooses the material sphere - taking care of the household. The box reaches a level sufficient in this area for a woman, a widow, who has to manage a decent-sized estate. But her life is so concentrated on this that she does not and cannot have any other interests. Therefore, her real life remains in the past, and the present, and especially the future, is not life. but only existence.

§3. Artistic detail as a means of characterizing a character

In addition to the artistic details mentioned above, the episode contains references to objects that also have important to understand the image of the Box.

An important detail are the clocks: “... the wall clock has come to want to strike. The hissing was immediately followed by wheezing, and finally, straining with all their might, they struck two o’clock with a sound as if someone were beating a broken pot with a stick, after which the pendulum began to calmly click again to the right and left.” A watch is always a symbol of time and the future. The lethargy, again a certain oldness of the clocks (and therefore the time) in Korobochka’s house, emphasizes the same lethargy of life.

In addition to the clock, time is also represented in Korobochka’s speech. It does not use calendar terms to designate dates, but is guided by church and folk holidays (Christmas time, Philip Lent), characteristic of folk speech. This indicates not so much closeness way of life landowner to the people, how much about her lack of education.

Two are interesting artistic details that touch parts of the toilet Boxes: a cap on the scarecrow and a stocking behind the mirror. if the first characterizes it from the point of view of only practical orientation and the likeness of a person (after all, a scarecrow should depict a person), then the role of the second detail is unclear. It can be assumed, judging by the row “letter” - “old deck of cards” - “stocking”, that this is some kind of entertainment or girlish fortune-telling, which also confirms that Korobochka’s life is in the past.

The description of the yard and the description of the room begin with the mention of birds (chickens and turkeys in the yard, “some” birds in the paintings, “indirect clouds” of magpies and sparrows), and also additionally characterizes the essence of the mistress of the estate - her soul is down to earth, practicality is the main measure of values .

In Korobochka’s speech there are not only colloquial and folk expressions, but also words characteristic of past era- “avant-garde.”

In general, we can say that the artistic detail in Gogol’s poem is a means of characterizing the character, adding nuances or implicitly indicating the essential features of the image.

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Introduction

§2. Image of the Box

§3. Artistic detail as a means

character characteristics

§4. Korobochka and Chichikov.

Conclusion

Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How close is she to revival?

§2. Image of the Box

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

Apparently, she rarely goes to the city and does not communicate with her neighbors, because when asked about Manilov, he answers that there is no such landowner, and names old noble families that would be more appropriate in a classic comedy of the 18th century - Bobrov, Kanapatiev, Pleshakov, Kharpakin. In the same row is the surname Svinin, which draws a direct parallel with Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” (Mitrofanushka’s mother and uncle are Svinin).

Korobochka’s behavior, her address to the guest “father”, the desire to serve (Chichikov called himself a nobleman), treat him, and arrange for an overnight stay as best as possible - all these are characteristic features of the images of provincial landowners in the works of the 18th century. Mrs. Prostakova behaves the same way when she finds out that Starodum is a nobleman and has been accepted at court.

Korobochka's portrait is not as detailed as the portraits of other landowners and seems to be stretched out: first Chichikov hears the “hoarse woman's voice” of the old servant; then “again some woman, younger than before, but very similar to her”; when he was shown into the rooms and he had time to look around, a lady came in - “an elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, ....” The author emphasizes Korobochka’s old age, then Chichikov directly calls her an old woman to himself. The appearance of the housewife in the morning does not change much - only the sleeping cap disappears: “She was dressed better than yesterday - in a dark dress (widow!) and no longer in the sleeping cap (but apparently there was still a cap on her head - a day cap ), but something was still tied around the neck” (the fashion of the late 18th century was fichu, i.e. a small scarf that partially covered the neckline and the ends of which were tucked into the neckline of the dress).

The author’s description, which follows the portrait of the hostess, on the one hand emphasizes the typicality of the character, on the other hand, gives an exhaustive description: “one of those mothers, small landowners who cry about crop failures (it is with words about crop failures and bad times that the business conversation between Korobochka and Chichikov begins ), losses and keep your head a little to one side, and meanwhile they collect a little money in colorful bags placed on the drawers of the chests of drawers. All the rubles are taken into one bag, fifty rubles into another, quarters into a third, although from the outside it seems as if there is nothing in the chest of drawers except linen, night blouses, skeins of thread, and a torn cloak, which can then turn into a dress if the old one will somehow burn out while baking holiday cakes with all sorts of yarn, or it will wear out on its own. But the dress will not burn or fray on its own; thrifty old lady..." This is exactly what Korobochka is, so Chichikov immediately does not stand on ceremony and gets down to business.

An important role in understanding the image of the landowner is played by the description of the estate and the decoration of the rooms in the house. This is one of the techniques for characterizing a character that Gogol uses in “Dead Souls”: the image of all landowners consists of the same set of descriptions and artistic details - the estate, rooms, interior details or significant objects, an indispensable feast (in one form or another - from a full dinner , like Sobakevich, before Plyushkin’s offer of Easter cake and wine), the owner’s manners and behavior during business negotiations and after them, attitude towards an unusual transaction, etc.

Korobochka's estate is distinguished by its strength and contentment; it is immediately clear that she is a good housewife. The courtyard into which the room's windows overlook is filled with birds and “all kinds of domestic creatures”; further on you can see vegetable gardens with “household vegetables”; fruit trees are covered with bird nets, and stuffed animals on poles are also visible - “one of them was wearing the owner’s cap.” Peasant huts also show the wealth of their inhabitants. In a word, Korobochka’s farm is clearly thriving and generating sufficient profit. And the village itself is not small - eighty souls.

The “daytime” description, as mentioned earlier, emphasizes precisely this one-sidedness of Korobochka’s inner life - the focus only on economic activity, thrift and thrift.

The brief description of the rooms first of all notes the antiquity of their decoration: “the room was hung with old striped wallpaper; paintings with some birds; between the windows there are old small mirrors with dark frames in the shape of curled leaves; Behind every mirror there was either a letter, or an old deck of cards, or a stocking; wall clock with painted flowers on the dial...". In this description, two features clearly stand out - linguistic and artistic. Firstly, the synonyms “old”, “vintage” and “old” are used; secondly, the set of objects that catch Chichikov’s eye during a brief examination also indicates that the people living in such rooms are more drawn to the past than to the present. What is important is that flowers are mentioned several times (on the watch dial, leaves on the mirror frames) and birds. If we recall the history of the interior, we can find out that such a “design” is typical for the Rococo era, i.e. for the second half of the 18th century.

The reason for this lies in the initially unspiritual life of a woman in Russia, in her traditional position, but not social, but psychological. The comparison with a society lady and the details about how Korobochka spends her “free time” (fortune telling on cards, housework) reflect the absence of any intellectual, cultural, spiritual life. Later in the poem, the reader will encounter an explanation of the reasons for this state of a woman and her soul in Chichikov’s monologue after meeting a beautiful stranger, when the hero discusses what happens to a pure and simple girl and how “rubbish” turns out of her.

Manilov lives quite openly - he appears in the city, is present at evenings and meetings, communicates, but his life is like a sentimental novel, and therefore illusory: he is very reminiscent in appearance, and in his reasoning, and in his attitude towards people, of the hero of sentimental and romantic works, fashionable at the beginning of the 19th century. One can guess about his past - a good education, short government service, retirement, marriage and life with his family on the estate. Manilov does not understand that his existence is not connected with reality, therefore he cannot realize that his life is not going as it should. If we draw a parallel with Dante's "Divine Comedy", then he is more reminiscent of sinners of the first circle, whose sin is that they are unbaptized infants or pagans. But the possibility of rebirth is closed to him for the same reason: his life is an illusion, and he does not realize it.

Could Korobochka's life have turned out differently? Yes and no. The influence of the surrounding world, society, circumstances left their mark on her, making her inner world what it is. But there was still a way out - sincere faith in God. As we will see later, it is true Christian morality, from Gogol’s point of view, that is the saving force that keeps a person from spiritual fall and spiritual death. Therefore, the image of Korobochka cannot be considered a satirical image - her one-sidedness, “club-headedness” no longer evokes laughter, but sad reflections: “But why, in the middle of unthinking, cheerful, carefree minutes, will another wonderful stream suddenly rush by itself: laughter has not yet had time to completely escape from the face , but he has already become different among the same people, and his face has already illuminated with a different light...”

A further meeting with Nozdryov - a scoundrel, a brawler and a rogue - shows that worse than the one-sidedness of life can be dishonor, a willingness to do nasty things to one’s neighbor, sometimes for no reason at all, and excessive activity that has no purpose. In this respect, Nozdryov is a kind of antipode to Korobochka: instead of one-sidedness of life there is excessive scatteredness, instead of veneration for rank there is contempt for any conventions, even to the point of violating the elementary norms of human relations and behavior. Gogol himself said: “...My heroes follow one after another, one more vulgar than the other.” Vulgarity is a spiritual fall, and the degree of vulgarity in life is the degree of triumph of death over life in the human soul.

§3. Artistic detail as a means of characterizing a character

In addition to the artistic details mentioned above, the episode contains references to objects that are also important for understanding the image of the Box.

An important detail is the clock: “... the wall clock began to want to strike. The hissing was immediately followed by wheezing, and finally, straining with all their might, they struck two o’clock with a sound as if someone were beating a broken pot with a stick, after which the pendulum began to calmly click again to the right and left.” A watch is always a symbol of time and the future. The lethargy, again a certain oldness of the clocks (and therefore the time) in Korobochka’s house, emphasizes the same lethargy of life.

In addition to the clock, time is also represented in Korobochka’s speech. It does not use calendar terms to designate dates, but is guided by church and folk holidays (Christmastide, Philip Fast), characteristic of popular speech. This testifies not so much to the closeness of the landowner’s way of life to the folk one, but to her lack of education.

There are two interesting artistic details that relate to parts of Korobochka's toilet: the cap on the scarecrow and the stocking behind the mirror. if the first characterizes it from the point of view of only practical orientation and the likeness of a person (after all, a scarecrow should depict a person), then the role of the second detail is unclear. It can be assumed, judging by the row “letter” - “old deck of cards” - “stocking”, that this is some kind of entertainment or girlish fortune-telling, which also confirms that Korobochka’s life is in the past.

In Korobochka’s speech there are not only colloquial and folk expressions, but also words characteristic of the past era - “avantageous”.

In general, we can say that the artistic detail in Gogol’s poem is a means of characterizing the character, adding nuances or implicitly indicating the essential features of the image.

§4. Korobochka and Chichikov

Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" is structured in such a way that upon careful, thoughtful reading you understand that the characters Chichikov meets - officials and landowners - are connected with the hero not only by the plot line. Firstly, the story of Chichikov himself is placed at the very end of the first volume, which means that he must also obey the laws of constructing the poem - ascending and descending lines. Secondly, Chichikov has the amazing property of immediately choosing exactly the manner of behavior and the motivation for the offer to sell “dead” souls that is most suitable for the interlocutor. Is this just a natural skill, a property of his character? As we see from Chichikov’s life story, this trait was inherent in him from the very beginning, almost from childhood - he always guessed weakness person and the possibility of a “loophole into the soul.” In our opinion, this can be explained by: that the hero contains in concentrated form all these officials and landowners, whom he cleverly deceives, using them as a means of achieving personal goals. And this idea is most confirmed in the episode of the meeting with Korobochka.

Why exactly in this part of the poem, when agreement with the “club-headed” landowner is reached, does the author give detailed description Chichikov's travel box, and as if the reader is looking over his shoulder and seeing something hidden? After all, we meet with a description of the hero’s other things already in the first chapter.

If we imagine that this box is a kind of house (every character in the poem necessarily has a house, from which, in fact, the characterization begins), and Gogol’s house, its appearance and interior decoration symbolize the state of a person’s soul, his entire essence, then Chichikov’s box characterizes him as a person with a double and even triple bottom.

The first tier is what everyone sees: an intelligent interlocutor who can support the desired topic, a respectable man, at the same time businesslike and able to spend his time in a varied and decent way. The same is in the box - in the top drawer, which can be removed, “in the very middle is a soap dish, behind the soap dish there are six or seven narrow partitions for razors; then square nooks for a sandbox and an inkwell with a boat hollowed out between them for feathers, sealing wax and everything that is longer; then all sorts of partitions with lids and without lids for something shorter, filled with business cards, funeral tickets, theater tickets and others, which were folded up as souvenirs.”

The second layer of Chichikov’s personality is a businessman, a prudent and clever buyer of “dead souls”. And in the box - “there was a space occupied by stacks of sheets of paper.”

And finally, what is hidden in the very depths and unknown to most people who have dealt with the hero - the main objective the hero’s life, his dream about money and what this money gives in life - prosperity, honor, respect: “then followed a secret box for money, which pulled out imperceptibly from the side of the box. He always pulled out so hastily and was moved back at the same moment by the owner that it’s probably impossible to say how much money was there.” Here it is, the true essence of the hero - benefit, income on which his future depends.

The fact that this description is located precisely in the chapter dedicated to Korobochka emphasizes an important idea: Chichikov is also a little Korobochka, as, indeed, are Manilov, and Nozdryov, and Sobakevich, and Plyushkin. That’s why he understands people so well, that’s why he knows how to adapt, adapt to another person, because he himself is a little bit of that person.

Conclusion

The image of Korobochka is one of the gallery of human types presented in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”. The author uses various means of creating an image: direct characterization and generalization to a common type, artistic details included in the description of the estate, interior, appearance and the character's behavior. An important characteristic is the character’s reaction to Chichikov’s proposal to sell “dead” souls. The character's behavior reveals the true human essence, because the opportunity to make a profit without spending practically anything is important for landowners.

Korobochka appears before the reader as a limited, stupid old woman, whose interests relate only to farming and making a profit. There is nothing in her that leaves signs of spiritual life: no true faith, no interests, no aspirations. The only thing that worries her in a conversation with Chichikov is not to undercut the price, although the subject of the bargain is unusual and even at first frightens and bewilders her. But the reason for this is, for the most part, the education system itself and the position of women in society.

Thus, Korobochka is one of the types of landowners and human types that make up the image of Gogol’s contemporary Russia.

List of used literature

1. Gogol N.V. Collected Works in eight volumes. – (Library “Ogonyok”: domestic classics) – T.5. "Dead Souls". Volume one. – M., 1984.

2. Kirsanova R.M. Costume in Russian artistic culture of the 18th – first half of the 20th centuries: Experience of an encyclopedia / Ed. T.G. Morozova, V.D. Sinyukova. – M., 1995. – P.115

3. Razumikhin A. “Dead Souls” Experience of modern reading // Literature (Appendix to “First of September”). - No. 13 (532). – April 1-7, 2004.

See Kirsanova R.M. Costume in Russian artistic culture of the 18th – first half of the 20th centuries: Experience of an encyclopedia / Ed. T.G. Morozova, V.D. Sinyukova. – M., 1995. – P.115

Pestryad - fabric made from the remnants of yarn of various kinds, homespun fabric (Kirsanova)

Salop - outerwear made of fur and rich fabrics, which had gone out of fashion by 1830; the name “salopnitsa” has an additional connotation of “old-fashioned” (Kirsanova). Apparently, for this purpose Gogol mentions the cloak as an indispensable attribute of such landowners.

Pryazhentsy - a filling that was laid out directly on a baked flatbread or pancake, in other words, baked.

One of the significant signs of Gogol’s poetics gives the narrative greater realism, becoming artistic medium critical analysis of reality. In Gogol's largest work, the poem "Dead Souls", the images of landowners are presented most fully and multifacetedly. The poem is structured as the story of the adventures of Chichikov, an official who buys “dead souls.” The composition of the poem allowed the author to talk about different...

Greedy, empty, wasteful and crazy people. Starting from the seventh chapter of the poem “Dead Souls,” 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...

But evil and arbitrariness breed. And this is clear evidence of the anti-people nature of the state apparatus. Except for irony and sarcasm. Gogol uses the grotesque in the poem in the depiction of the most disgusting hero - Plyushkin. It represents the last degree of degradation, the complete deadness of the soul. He even outwardly lost his human appearance, because Chichikov, seeing him, did not immediately understand what gender this...

"Mustache" that decorated his office. The irony and sarcasm in the characterization of Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev and Sobakevich are replaced by a grotesque image of Plyushkin. He is certainly the most deadened among the "dead souls", since it was in this hero that Gogol showed the limit of spiritual emptiness. He even Outwardly he lost his human appearance, because Chichikov, seeing him, could not understand what gender this figure was...

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov ends up with the landowner Korobochka at an inopportune hour, having lost his way, and even rolled out in the mud after falling from a chaise. The horses, driven by the not entirely sober coachman Selifan, literally crash into the fence of her house.

The image of Korobochka is very interesting. Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka gives shelter to belated travelers, since Chichikov introduces himself as a nobleman, which makes a favorable impression on the widow-landowner. Let's briefly look at Chichikov's visit to Korobochka and a brief description of Korobochka.

Characteristics of the landowner Korobochka

Korobochka's strong and neat farm is located in a secluded place, far from public roads, so life on the estate looks frozen. Significant details that emphasize the frozen world of the heroine and the image of Korobochka itself are a huge number of flies and hissing like snakes. Wall Clock.

The landowner living in the wilderness is cordial, hospitable and caring. She, despite two o'clock in the morning, offers Chichikov food, rubbing his back after a fall, and even scratching his heels before bed, as was previously done to the late master.

But Chichikov, whose eyes are already sticking together from the desire to sleep, as if they had been doused with honey, gratefully refuses everything.

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka’s caring nature is manifested in the fact that she gives the servants the task of cleaning and drying all the guest’s dirty clothes. After this, Chichikov literally falls into a huge, lush feather bed, and in the morning he wakes up from an invasion of flies, one of which even manages to get into his nose.

Chichikov amazes the landowner with his proposal to sell dead peasant souls. Nastasya Petrovna is lost and does not understand all the benefits of the offer made to her, because before that she had to trade only honey, flour, hemp, bird feathers, but not dead serfs.

Chichikov mentally calls her “strong-headed” and “club-headed” in his hearts.

Some more details of the image of landowner Korobochka

The image of Korobochka is also revealed in the fact that, after haggling a fair amount, the widow of the college secretary finally agrees to the deal and treats Chichikov to all kinds of dishes: mushrooms, pies, pancakes. The pancakes are so delicious that Pavel Ivanovich eats three of them at once.

After such a warm welcome, Chichikov gets into his chaise and leaves with the thought that Korobochka is a born entrepreneur, trying with all his might to sell his products profitably to anyone and everyone and earn as much money as possible. more money. Then you can carefully put them in bags and hide them in the chest of drawers. This is the image of Korobochka.

Chichikov also visited other landowners of the city No., among them were such characters from Dead Souls as Nozdryov, Sobakevich and Manilov. Check out their characteristics to get a complete impression of Gogol's gallery of landowners.

In her old age and with existing illnesses, she does not sit idly by, but is completely immersed in worries about her small estate, so there is no need to talk about broad-mindedness, sophistication and sublimity. Chichikov believes that Korobochka stands very low on the “ladder of human improvement.”

Box biography of dead souls. The image of the landowner Korobochka in the poem by N.V.

The image of the landowner Korobochka in the poem by N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls"

§2. Image of the Box

Characteristics of the landowner Korobochka

Some more details of the image of landowner Korobochka