Nozdryov’s characterization fits perfectly into a brief formulation: a frantic landowner.
The adjective in this case must be understood in all its richness of meanings recorded by Vladimir Ivanovich Dal in his explanatory dictionary.
The image and characteristics of Nozdryov in the poem “Dead Souls”
The author created a character without a name and considered his middle name unimportant for the reader. And the surname sounds like a dog's name (in Rus', livestock were often named after the owner's surname).
Its origin is eloquent: part of the nose - a very characteristic element, popularly associated with the genital area. The first impression is confirmed upon closer acquaintance.
Nozdryov is characterized as a “historical” person because he always gets involved in or provokes stories: scandalous, ugly and obscene, with gendarmes, fights and drunkenness. He is also a master of inventing unprecedented stories without any need: he will lie so much that he himself is already uncomfortable.
This is a “multilateral” person - in the sense of a “jack of all trades”: he can change everything for anything, go anywhere, join any project. Why not a young, restless, lively and nimble dog jumping from side to side?
The character’s actions and inner content are quite canine: enthusiastic rushing towards a person he barely knows, sudden mood swings, passion for the game, desire to win at any cost, public fights, a nose for merry gatherings. The desire to be a leader: he has the very best (two people can barely pull a giant fish out of his pond, a stallion in his stall costs at least ten thousand, etc.).
Nozdrev's behavior is devoid of any consciousness or direction. Even beatings do not enlighten him, his memory is so short: he soon fraternizes with those who pushed him out.
As befits a well-born hound, the character is accompanied by a biography: 35 years old, was married, had two children, buried his wife, is more interested in the pretty nanny of the family, is rarely at home, constantly running away to all sorts of public gatherings, which he senses with his sensitive nose for several dozen verst.
Nozdryov, although a well-born creature, is devoid of the noble qualities of its prototype: in many mythologies, a dog is a protector of heroes, a guide to the kingdom of the immortals, a conqueror of monsters-enemies of man and the universe. The landowner from Dead Souls looks more like a wandering, lascivious dog, hanging around taverns and looking for all sorts of rubbish.
Description of the portrait of Nozdryov
The image of the dog also organizes the presentation of the character’s portrait. At the first meeting, he is a dark-haired, well-built fellow, fresh and full-blooded, of medium height, with luxurious dark hair and tar sideburns.
People like Nozdryov are open-minded, direct and daring. Well done laughter awakens the sleeping person dead asleep, exposes all the sugar-white teeth, making the cheeks tremble and jump like a laughing bulldog.
It is not without reason that the appearance of the landowner emphasizes the abundance of hair: thick sideburns, disheveled thick hair, under a robe on a naked body - a chest covered with some kind of beard. He seems to be a picturesque young man, but his essence is revealed by the dog hair covering his body.
Nozdryov's attractiveness is physical, animalistic, even in some ways devilish. Appearance splashes with health, which does not kill, constant brawls and revelry. Even the ruddy cheeks-jowls are endowed with magical plant power: the sideburns on them miraculously grow back better than the old ones, torn out in the next fight.
Character traits, demeanor and speech
An analysis of the hero’s statements shows that the “dog” demeanor is inseparable from Nozdryov’s speech - in highest degree expressive and expressive.
Monologues and remarks are distinguished by an abundance of exclamation marks and superlative adjectives.
The vocabulary jumps from enthusiastic and affectionate words to swearing and barracks expressions. He constantly swears and curses, and the affectionate “soul” and “brother” are replaced by abusive “scum”, “fattyuk”, “scoundrel” and “scammer”.
Moreover, curses are also suitable for friendly address: he would even like to hang him in a friendly manner.
Likes to introduce a foreign word into a conversation - just because of its sound, without understanding the meaning. Sometimes the reveler’s speech reeks of soldierly naturalism; in polite society such expressions are not thrown around.
A dispute with a businessman about ransoming dead souls is reminiscent of a conversation between a person and barking dog– Nozdrev’s remarks are so abrupt and increasingly aggressive: “You’re lying!”, “Scoundrel!” and so on.
Life goals
None. Nozdryov is just a big fan of going for a walk. Drink and try your luck at cards, winning and immediately squandering money and things.
Play for the sake of playing, win, win and win: at any cost - the most bizarre lies, a marked deck, rearrangement of playing checkers on the board and even fists. This is a stupid, unconscious desire for some kind of victory over everyone and everything.
So Chichikov again miscalculated: the plan to beg dead souls for free from the lost, desperate landowner was initially doomed to failure.
Description of the village and estate of Nozdryov
The hospitable host led the guests around his estate for more than two hours - but there is no more or less definite description of the Nozdrev village in the book.
Only the impression of neglect, untidiness and abandonment.
The gentleman is not welcome at home: two men are whitewashing the ceiling in the dining room to the tune of a mournful song. In the stable there are two mares and an unsightly stallion with a goat wandering nearby - the rest of the stalls are empty. Nozdryov boasts of a wolf cub on a leash - the future “perfect beast.”
Wildness threatens to engulf culture in Nozdryov's kingdom: harrowed lands alternate with abandoned ones, swampy lowlands and sticky mud and forest in the distance.
The following detail succinctly characterizes the brave landowner: having reached the border of his property, the owner swears that the forest in the distance and beyond the forest is also his. Dog territoriality in action.
At the kennel, the handsome young man actually looks like the father of the family: the dogs are numerous, happy, well-groomed and kind.
The interior of the manor house is represented only by an office. Where there are no books or paper, but around there are sabers, two guns, pseudo-Turkish daggers, all kinds of smoking pipes. Objects of male military culture are randomly scattered, and among them is an extremely unnecessary organ, always leading to a comic march.
By the way, Chichikov, who had hoped for free money, slept poorly in this house. All night he was itching because of the unbearably painful biting small, persistent insects.
Attitude to the economy
Absent. In his own home, he is truly concerned with three passions: dogs, hunting, hunting territory. He doesn’t give Chichikov what he wants because he smells something unclean with his nose. And he also wants to drive the businessman at any cost - to catch him in a lie.
Nozdryov's attitude towards others
Intractable logical explanation, unconscious, distinguished, however, by the passion to “spoil one’s neighbor.” He spreads gossip about his closest friends and upsets their weddings or business deals.
At the next meeting, he reproaches that the person spat upon does not come to visit (at the same time the address is “Scoundrel”). Even after seeing his son-in-law off, he immediately says nasty things about him to Chichikov.
Nozdryov, like a dog, bites his hands playfully.
Favorite hobby
Let’s summarize what the hero of “Dead Souls” likes to do:
- All kinds of games - especially card games - awaken all the feelings with frantic force in the handsome man. Manic obsession with victory: he does not disdain a marked deck, for which he often gets beaten. By inciting him to play, he becomes as if possessed by a demon (as Chichikov thought to himself).
- Hyperbolic stories about their possessions, victories, premonitions, dishes served, and so on.
- Disputes and bets without pursuing even some kind of gain: after all, Nozdryov knows very well that his possessions end behind the mark - but he argues with his son-in-law that he has already bought the territory behind it. But he doesn’t even think about the inevitable loss and its price.
- Hunting and dogs. He understands animals: what a nose, ears, ribs should be like. Replenishes the domestic flock with new breeds. He takes better care than his own children: he orders him to comb out the puppy’s fleas, admires him, and checks his condition.
- Drunkenness. Among the treats for guests is a variety of alcohol: port wine, Madeira diluted with rum or aqua regia, a bottle of bourgoignon and champagne together, rowan trees spreading fusel.
- Attending fairs and other public gatherings.
Why is Nozdryov a dead soul?
The main conclusion after analyzing the character: for all its attractiveness, this is just a shell of a person. But even through it the animal essence of the landowner breaks through.
Illogicality, unconsciousness, wildness and unpredictability - these are main characteristic all his speeches and actions.
Nozdryov is a beast that never became a man, not inspired by the highest human properties: reason, conscience and kindness. He doesn’t even have devotion to his own home.
Quote from Nozdryov
Nozdrev's character, behavior and life are like the dinner he treats his guests to. The dishes are not prepared for the human stomach. Something complex and shapeless, with burnt and uncooked fragments.
“It is clear that the cook was guided more by some kind of inspiration and put in the first thing that came to hand: if there was pepper near him, he sprinkled pepper; it would be hot, but some kind of taste would probably come out.”
Here is a micro-image of Nozdryov’s essence: the wealth of matter – but disorder, formlessness, disorganization, inconsistency, aimlessness.
Conclusion
The image of the frantic Nozdryov fits well into the devilish mystery of Dead Souls. Having left the symbolic coffin - Korobochka's estate - he was carried away from the tavern by the hellhound and forcibly carried his feet away from it. Next he will meet with Cerberus Sobakevich.
The speech of the liar Nozdryov is also clearly individualized. Nozdryov is a “broken fellow” with his inherent “vigilance and liveliness of character.” His violent and restless nature in constant desire"to take a walk", and in passion for gambling, and in the desire for adventure, and in the ability to spoil one’s neighbor, and in uncontrollable lies. Nozdryov’s broken, highly disorganized, shameless nature is prone to committing all sorts of dishonest acts, to stirring up gossip and fables. Almost all of his speech is empty, vulgar chatter, complete lies.
Here are examples. “I alone drank seventeen bottles of champagne during dinner.” “In this field of Russians there is such death that the land is not visible; I caught one by the hind legs with my own hands.” “A pond in which... there was a fish of such size that two people had difficulty pulling the thing out.” The refutation of Nozdryov’s deceit is done not only by direct exposure, but also by another, very subtle, disguised method. In his office “Turkish daggers were shown, on one of which was mistakenly engraved: master Savely Sibiryakov.” The underlined words are undoubtedly Nozdryov’s lies and the “explanation” given by him.
Here is a pouch embroidered by some countess - this is also a detail extremely characteristic of the language of the liar Nozdryov. Here is the mountain ash, which, according to Nozdryov, had “the perfect taste of cream”; but this is how the owner characterizes it, but in fact, “to amazement, fusel sounds were heard in it.” In these examples, we clearly feel Nozdryov’s trait of lying and boasting and at the same time the author’s exposure of this boastfulness of the hero. Distrust of Nozdryov’s words thus increases.
Despite his dishonesty, Nozdryov is characterized by self-confidence and vehemence in defending his statements, even obviously false ones, which he passionately defends as true.
When his son-in-law doubted that the forest that Nozdryov was pointing to had so quickly become his property, Nozdryov calmly asserts: “Yes, I bought it recently.” - “When did you manage to buy it so soon?” (son-in-law objects). “Why, I bought it the other day and it was expensive, damn it,” he said. And when the son-in-law expresses doubt about what Nozdryov said and incriminates him, saying: “But you were at the fair at that time?” - Nozdryov, dexterous and dodging, sharply and fervently continues to prove his point: “Oh, you, Sofron! Isn’t it possible to be at the fair and buy land at the same time?”
When Nozdryov and Shlakov are playing checkers and, convicting the owner of a dishonest game (precisely in the fact that he pushed the checker), he declares: “She belongs over there,” Nozdryov flared up: “What, where is the place ... yes, brother, as I see it, a writer.”
To Chichikov’s next remark, Nozdryov objects: “Who do you think I am? Am I going to cheat? And when Chichikov refuses to play with him further, he, “getting excited,” says: “No, you cannot refuse: the game has begun.”
Nozdryov, a desperate gambler, inserts into his speech expressions related to card game: “wouldn’t squander it”; “if I hadn’t forgotten the password on the damned seven duck, I could have broken the whole bank”; “he should try playing with a doublet”; “swelled”, “blown virah”.
The speech of Nozdryov, who constantly visits both the city circle and the circle of revelry officers, is characterized, on the one hand, by the presence foreign words: meringue, meringues, subtle, scandalous, courage, en §goz, in the empyrean, etc., and on the other hand, in colloquial words and expressions: sharpened his teeth on the face; fool around with your wife; there is no way to get along; frost creeps down my skin; you can win the damn abyss; you'll get the devil bald; I won’t take the spitting off God knows what; It’s not yours that takes it.
V.V. Vinogradov notes in the speech of Nozdryov, who moves among the carousing officers, “echoes” of the “army” language: “how they caroused”; “he simply calls Bordeaux a burgundy”; “I spun it into a fortune”; “he calls this: “.use about the strawberry”; “you will be cruelly taken aback”; “I’ve been wanting to pick him up for a long time”; “in the mouth... as if the squadron had spent the night.”
Nozdryov’s speech is characterized by the following features: Rubber transitions from one feeling to another; for example, he says to Chichikov: “You’re a pig for this, such a cattle breeder! kiss me, soul, death I love you.” Or: “I won’t let you in!.. Nonsense, nonsense! We’ll build a little banch in a minute.” He doesn’t even let his son-in-law in, but he immediately says: “Well, to hell with you, go and have sex with your wife.” Numerous exclamatory and interrogative sentences: “Then I’ll see what kind of player he is! But, brother Chichikov, what a party we had in the first days! True, the fair was excellent.”
Nozdryov’s passion for dogs is expressed in a list of varieties of dogs: “both thick-dog and pure-dog, of all possible colors and stripes: murugi, black and tan, half-piebald, murugo-piebald, red-piebald, black-eared, gray-eared.” He also lists all sorts of dog nicknames: Shoot, Scold, Flurry, Fire, Skosyr, Cherkai, Dopekai, Pepekai, Severga, Killer whale, Reward, Trustee. In the words of Nozdryov, a dog expert, they emphasize and especially positive traits dogs: “busty with a mustache”; the wool stands up “like stubble”; “the barreliness of the ribs is incomprehensible”; “The paw is in a lump.”
In one of his articles, Belinsky notes that “the author of “Dead Souls” never speaks himself, he only makes his heroes speak in accordance with their characters. In him, sensitive Manilov is expressed in the language of a person educated in philistine taste, and Nozdryov - in the language historical person...". The speech of Gogol's heroes is psychologically motivated, determined by their characters, lifestyle, type of thinking, and situation.
Thus, in Manilov the dominant features are sentimentality, daydreaming, complacency, and excessive sensitivity. These qualities of the hero are extraordinarily accurately conveyed in his speech, elegantly florid, courteous, “delicate”, “sugary-sweet”: “observe delicacy in your actions”, “magnetism of the soul”, “name day of the heart”, “spiritual pleasure”, “ such a guy”, “a most respectable and most amiable person”, “I don’t have high art to express myself,” “chance brought me happiness.”
Manilov gravitates toward bookish, sentimental phrases; in the speech of this character we feel Gogol’s parody of the language of sentimental stories: “Open your mouth, darling, I’ll put this piece in for you.” This is how he addresses his wife. Manilov is no less “kind” with Chichikov: “you honored us with your visit,” “let me ask you to sit in these chairs.”
One of the main features of the landowner’s speech, as V.V. Litvinov noted, is “its vagueness, confusion, and uncertainty.” Starting a phrase, Manilov seems to be under the impression of his own words and cannot clearly finish it.
Characteristic and speech style hero. Manilov speaks quietly, ingratiatingly, slowly, with a smile, sometimes closing his eyes, “like a cat whose ears have been lightly tickled with a finger.” At the same time, the expression on his face becomes “not only sweet, but even cloying, similar to that mixture that the clever secular doctor sweetened mercilessly.”
In Manilov’s speech, his claims to “education” and “culture” are also noticeable. Discussing with Pavel Ivanovich selling the dead shower, he asks him a pompous and florid question about the legality of this “enterprise.” Manilov is very concerned about “whether this negotiation will not be in accordance with civil regulations and future views of Russia.” At the same time, he shows “in all the features of his face and in his compressed lips such a deep expression, which, perhaps, has never been seen in human face, unless from some too smart minister, and then at the moment of the most puzzling matter.”
The speech of Korobochka, a simple, patriarchal landowner mother, is also characteristic in the poem. The box is completely uneducated and ignorant. In her speech, colloquialisms constantly slip through: “something”, “theirs”, “manenko”, “tea”, “so hot”, “you’re putting up a fight.”
The box is not only simple and patriarchal, but timid and stupid. All these qualities of the heroine are manifested in her dialogue with Chichikov. Fearing deception, some kind of catch, Korobochka is in no hurry to agree to the sale of dead souls, believing that they might “somehow be needed on the farm.” And only Chichikov’s lies about running government contracts had an effect on her.
Gogol also depicts Korobochka’s inner speech, which conveys the landowner’s everyday intelligence, the very trait that helps her collect “little by little money into colorful bags.” “It would be nice,” Korobochka thought to herself, “if he took flour and cattle from my treasury. We need to appease him: there is still some dough left from last night, so go tell Fetinya to make some pancakes...”
Nozd-rev’s speech in “Dead Souls” is unusually colorful. As Belinsky noted, “Nozdryov speaks in the language of a historical man, a hero of fairs, taverns, drinking bouts, fights and gambling tricks.”
The hero's speech is very colorful and varied. It contains both “ugly Frenchized army-restaurant jargon” (“bezeshki”, “clique-matradura”, “burdashka”, “scandalous”), and expressions of card jargon (“banchishka”, “galbik”, “parole”, “break the bank”, “play with a doublet”), and dog breeding terms (“face”, “barrel ribs”, “busty”), and many swear expressions: “svintus”, scoundrel”, “you’ll get a bald devil”, “fetyuk” , “bestial”, “you’re such a cattle breeder”, “Jewish”, “scoundrel”, “death I don’t like such meltdowns”.
In his speeches, the hero is prone to “improvisation”: often he himself does not know what he can come up with in the next minute. So, he tells Chichikov that at dinner he drank “seventeen bottles of champagne.” Showing the guests the estate, he leads them to a pond where, according to him, there is a fish of such size that two people can hardly pull it out. Moreover, Nozdryov’s lies do not have any apparent reason. He lies “for the sake of words,” wanting to amaze those around him.
Nozdryov is characterized by familiarity: with any person he quickly switches to “you”, “affectionately” calling the interlocutor “sweetheart”, “cattle breeder”, “fetyuk”, “scoundrel”. The landowner is “straightforward”: in response to Chichikov’s request for dead souls he tells him that he is a “big swindler” and should be hanged “on the first tree.” However, after this, Nozdryov, with the same “ardor and interest,” continues the “friendly conversation.”
Sobakevich’s speech is striking in its simplicity, brevity, and accuracy. The landowner lives alone and unsociable, he is skeptical in his own way, has a practical mind, with a sober look on things. Therefore, in his assessments of those around him, the landowner is often rude; his speech contains swear words and expressions. Thus, characterizing city officials, he calls them “swindlers” and “Christ-sellers.” The governor, in his opinion, is “the first robber in the world”, the chairman is a “fool”, the prosecutor is a “pig”.
As V.V. Litvinov notes, Sobakevich immediately grasps the essence of the conversation, the hero is not easily confused, he is logical and consistent in the argument. So, arguing for the price requested for dead souls, he reminds Chichikov that “this kind of purchase... is not always permissible.”
It is characteristic that Sobakevich is capable of a large, inspired speech if the subject of conversation is interesting to him. So, talking about gastronomy, he reveals knowledge of German and French diets, “hunger cure.” Sobakevich’s speech becomes emotional, figurative, and vivid when he talks about the merits of dead peasants. “Another swindler will deceive you, sell you rubbish, not souls; and I have a real nut”, “I’ll lay my head down if you can find such a guy anywhere”, “Maxim Telyatnikov, shoemaker: whatever pricks with an awl, then boots, whatever boots, then thank you.” Describing his “product”, the landowner himself is carried away by his own speech, acquires “trot” and “the gift of speech”.
Gogol also depicts Sobakevich’s inner speech and his thoughts. So, noting Chichikov’s “perseverance,” the landowner remarks to himself: “You can’t knock him down, he’s stubborn!”
The last of the landowners to appear in the poem is Plyushkin. This is an old curmudgeon, suspicious and wary, always dissatisfied with something. Chichikov's visit itself infuriates him. Not at all embarrassed by Pavel Ivanovich, Plyushkin tells him that “being a guest is of little use.” At the beginning of Chichikov's visit, the landowner talks to him warily and irritably. Plyushkin does not know what the guest’s intentions are, and just in case, he warns Chichikov’s “possible attempts”, remembering his beggar-nephew.
However, in the middle of the conversation the situation changes dramatically. Plyushkin understands the essence of Chichikov’s request and comes to indescribable delight. All his intonations change. Irritation is replaced by outright joy, wariness - by confidential intonations. Plyushkin, who saw no use in visiting, calls Chichikov “father” and “benefactor.” Touched, the landowner remembers the “lords” and “saints”.
However, Plyushkin does not remain in such complacency for long. Unable to find clean paper to complete the deed of sale, he turns back into a grumpy, grumpy miser. He unleashes all his anger on the servants. In his speech, many abusive expressions appear: “what a face”, “fool”, “fool”, “robber”, “swindler”, “rascal”, “the devils will get you”, “thieves”, “shameless parasites”. The landowner’s vocabulary also includes the following colloquialisms: “bayut”, “boogers”, “hefty jackpot”, “tea”, “ehwa”, “stuffed up”, “already”.
Gogol also presents us with Plyushkin’s inner speech, revealing the landowner’s suspicion and mistrust. Chichikov’s generosity seems incredible to Plyushkin, and he thinks to himself: “The devil knows, maybe he’s just a braggart, like all these little money-makers: he’ll lie, lie, to talk and drink tea, and then he’ll leave!”
Chichikov’s speech, like Manilov’s, is unusually elegant, florid, full of bookish phrases: “an insignificant worm of this world,” “I had the honor to cover your deuce.” Pavel Ivanovich has “excellent manners”; he can carry on any conversation - about a horse farm, and about dogs, and about refereeing tricks, and about playing billiards, and about making hot wine. He talks especially well about virtue, “even with tears in his eyes.” Chichikov’s conversational style itself is also characteristic: “He spoke neither loudly nor quietly, but absolutely as he should.”
It is worth noting the hero’s special maneuverability and mobility of speech. When communicating with people, Pavel Ivanovich masterfully adapts to each of his interlocutors. With Manilov, he speaks floridly, significantly, uses “vague periphrases and sensitive maxims.” “And really, what didn’t I suffer? like a barge
among the fierce waves... What persecution, what persecution he did not experience, what grief he did not taste, but for the fact that he observed the truth, that he was clear in his conscience, that he gave his hand to a helpless widow and a wretched orphan!.. - Even he is here! wiped away a tear that rolled out with a handkerchief.”
With Korobochka, Chichikov becomes a kind patriarchal landowner. “Everything is God’s will, mother!” - Pavel Ivanovich states thoughtfully in response to the landowner’s complaints about the numerous deaths among the peasants. However, having realized very soon how stupid and ignorant Korobochka is, he no longer stands on ceremony with her: “get lost and begone with your whole village,” “like some, not to say a bad word, mongrel lying in the hay: and She doesn’t eat it herself, and she doesn’t give it to others.”
In the chapter about Korobochka, Chichikov’s inner speech appears for the first time. Chichikov’s thoughts here convey his dissatisfaction with the situation, irritation, but at the same time the unceremoniousness and rudeness of the hero: “Well, the woman seems to be strong-headed!”, “Eck, what a club-head!... Go and have fun with her! she broke into a sweat, the damned old woman!”
WITH Nozdrev Chichikov speaks simply and laconically, “trying to get on familiar footing.” He understands perfectly well that there is no need for thoughtful phrases and colorful epithets here. However, the conversation with the landowner leads nowhere: instead of a successful deal, Chichikov finds himself drawn into a scandal, which ends only thanks to the appearance of the police captain.
With Sobakevich, Chichikov at first adheres to his usual manner of conversation. Then he somewhat reduces his “eloquence.” Moreover, in Pavel Ivanovich’s intonations, despite observing all external decency, one can feel impatience and irritation. So, wanting to convince Sobakevich of the complete uselessness of the subject of bargaining, Chichikov declares: “It’s strange to me, right: it seems that some kind of thing is happening between us.” theatrical performance or a comedy, otherwise I can’t explain it to myself... You seem to be a pretty smart person, you have information about education.”
The same feeling of irritation is present in the hero’s thoughts. Here Pavel Ivanovich is no longer shy about “more definite” statements and outright abuse. “What, really,” Chichikov thought to himself, “does he take me for a fool?” Elsewhere we read: “Well, damn him,” Chichikov thought to himself, “I’ll give him half a dime, for the dog’s nuts!”
In a conversation with Plyushkin, Chichikov returns to his usual courtesy and pompous statements. Pavel Ivanovich declares to the landowner that “having heard about his economy and rare management of his estates, he considered it his duty to make his acquaintance and personally pay his respects.” He calls Plyushkin “a venerable, kind old man.” Pavel Ivanovich maintains this tone throughout his entire conversation with the landowner.
In his thoughts, Chichikov discards “all ceremonies”; his inner speech is far from bookish and quite primitive. Plyushkin is unfriendly and inhospitable towards Pavel Ivanovich. The landowner does not invite him to dinner, citing the fact that his kitchen is “low, very nasty, and the chimney has completely fallen apart, if you start heating it, you’ll start a fire.” “Look there it is! - Chichikov thought to himself. “It’s good that I grabbed a cheesecake and a piece of lamb side from Sobakevich.” Asking Plyushkin about the sale of runaway souls, Pavel Ivanovich first refers to his friend, although he buys them for himself. “No, we won’t even let our friend smell this,” Chichikov said to himself...” Here the hero’s joy from a successful “deal” is clearly felt.
Thus, the speech of the heroes, along with the landscape, portrait, interior, serves in the poem “ Dead Souls"a means of creating integrity and completeness of images.
- 56.19 KbWhen he and Chichikov started talking about Plyushkin, Sobakevich called him a “dog” and added to his description: “It’s better to go to some obscene place than to go to him” 21.
The rude, kulak nature of Sobakevich is perfectly revealed in the deal with Chichikov. In essence, of all the removed landowners, he alone conducts the real deal, deftly navigating it, quickly realizing that he can get a certain benefit from it for himself, holding the main thread of this deal in his hands. Sobakevich’s kulak nature is also characterized by the hyperbolic sum he requested, which amazed Chichikov. Sobakevich’s language is characterized by the expressions of a real kulak, a trader: “Ek, where did they stop... after all, I’m not selling bast shoes”; “It’s a shame for you to say such a sum. You bargain, tell the real price”; “Why are you being stingy? Really, it’s not expensive” 22. It is necessary to note how dramatically Sobakevich’s speech changed when he got a taste for the operation being performed. Laconic, silent, Sobakevich enters “the very power of speech,” that is, he launches into such eloquence that Chichikov does not have time to insert a single word. Sobakevich develops a vivid description of the dead souls in question, trying to convince Chichikov of the usefulness of the goods being sold. “Just consider: for example, coachmaker Mikheev, because he never made any other carriages other than spring ones. And it’s not like Moscow work, that for one hour, such strength, it will trim and cover it with varnish” 23. Or another example: “And Cork Stepan, the carpenter? I'll lay my head if you can find such a guy anywhere. After all, what kind of power was that! If he had served in the guard, God knows what they would have given him, three arshins and an inch in height” 24. In the heat of excitement, Sobakevich falls into complete absurdity and begins to praise the dead as if they were alive, not even noticing the absurdity of his arguments. When Chichikov pulls him back, Sobakevich continues his arguments with even greater passion: “Well, no, not a dream. I’ll tell you what Mikheev was like, you won’t find people like him: he had such strength in his shoulders that a horse doesn’t have; I would like to know where else you would find such a dream” 25.
Sobakevich’s speech is distinguished by accuracy, persuasiveness, efficiency, without any curtsies to the guest who came to him, although he sometimes makes hints about the close relationship that supposedly exists between them, trying to get at least a drop of benefit for himself through this cunning move: “only for dating”, “I can’t help but please my neighbor”; “What happens in sincerity between short friends must remain in their mutual friendship” 26.
3. Speech characteristics Boxes.
Korobochka is “one of those mothers, small landowners who cry over crop failures and losses” (as Gogol characterizes her), and this is perfectly reflected in her speech. “Yes, the trouble is, times are bad, so last year there was such a bad harvest that God forbid.” “What a pity, really, that I sold honey to merchants so cheaply.” More examples: “The people are dead, but pay as if they were alive.” “Now I have nothing to ride: there is no one to shoe the horses.” “The harvest is bad, the flour is already so unattractive” 27. Korobochka’s speech reflects her stupidity and ignorance, fear of the new, unusual, fear of Chichikov’s proposal to sell dead souls: “Really, I don’t know, because I never sold the dead.” “Really, I’m afraid at first, lest I somehow incur a loss.” “My such an inexperienced widow’s business! I’d better wait a little longer” 28. Sometimes the speech of the “club-headed” Korobochka reveals the extreme primitiveness of her thoughts, reaching the point of some kind of childish naivety. “Do you really want to dig them out of the ground?” she asks Chichikov about the dead. Or in another place: “Or maybe they’ll be needed on the farm just in case.” In Korobochka’s speech there are many colloquial words and expressions: hog, greasy, underwear, small fry, something, manenko, maybe, how they slept; what will you sip your tea with? tea, assessor; I don’t understand; apply to prices; I can’t clean everything up, what should I do? Korobochka, an Old Testament landowner-serf, living in the “decent wilderness,” preserves the elementary principles of landowner hospitality and displays in the scene with Chichikov the traits of cordiality necessary for her environment. Hence her address to Chichikov: “my father,” “father.” She kindly turns to Chichikov with suggestions: “Would you like, father, to have some tea?” “Sit here, father, on this sofa.” “Do you need anything to rub your back with?” At night she wishes the guest “good night”, and in the morning she kindly greets: “Hello, father. How did you rest?” Korobochka's religiosity is emphasized by her speech. She keeps saying: “at what time did God bring you”; “God grant that it passes”; “there was such a bad harvest that God forbid”; “God saved me from such trouble”; “holy saints, what passions”; “the power of the cross is with us”; "By God."
Korobochka speaks in a primitive, poor language, expressing her thoughts most often in simple sentences. “It’s true that from such a road you really need to rest. Sit here, father, on this sofa. Hey, Fetinya, bring a feather bed, pillows and a sheet. For some time God sent: such thunder - I had a candle burning in front of the image all night. Eh, my father, you’re like a hog, your whole back and side are covered in mud! where did you deign to get so dirty?” 29. The above passage is typical of Korobochka’s speech. Here is a kind address to the guest, and sympathy for him, and a hospitable offer, and an order to his maid, and an expression of religiosity. At the same time, she often uses colloquial words, and she also has elements of official speech.
4. Speech characteristics of Nozdryov.
The speech of the liar Nozdryov is also clearly individualized. Nozdryov is a “broken fellow” with his inherent “vigilance and liveliness of character.” His violent and restless nature is reflected in the constant desire to “take a walk”, and in the passion for gambling, and in the desire for adventure, and in the ability to spoil his neighbor, and in uncontrollable lies. Nozdryov’s broken, highly disorganized, shameless nature is susceptible to committing all sorts of dishonest acts and inflating gossip and fables. Almost all of his speech is empty, vulgar chatter, complete lies.
Here are examples. “I alone drank seventeen bottles of champagne during dinner.” “In this field of Russians there is such death that the land is not visible; I caught one by the hind legs with my own hands.” “A pond in which... there was a fish of such size that two people could hardly pull it out” 30. The refutation of Nozdryov’s deceit is done not only by direct exposure, but also by another, very subtle, disguised method. In his office “Turkish daggers were shown, on one of which, by mistake, was carved: master Savely Sibiryakov.” The underlined words are undoubtedly Nozdryov’s lies and the “explanation” given by him. Here is a pouch embroidered by some countess - this is also a detail extremely characteristic of the language of the liar Nozdryov. In these examples, we clearly feel Nozdryov’s trait of lying and boasting and at the same time the author’s exposure of this boastfulness of the hero. Distrust of Nozdryov’s words thus increases. The speech of Nozdryov, who constantly visits both the city circle and the circle of revelry officers, is characterized, on the one hand, by the presence of foreign words: meringue, bezeshki, courage en gros, in the empyrean, etc., and on the other hand, by colloquial words and expressions : sharpened his teeth on the face; fool around with your wife; there is no way to get along; frost creeps down my skin; you'll get the devil of a bald man; I won’t take the spitting off the devil knows him; It’s not yours that takes it. There are “echoes” of “army” language in the speech of Nozdryov, who moves among carousing officers: “how they caroused”; “he simply calls Bordeaux a burgundy”; “I spun it into a fortune”; “you will be cruelly taken aback”; “I’ve been wanting to pick him up for a long time”; “in the mouth... as if the squadron had spent the night.” Nozdryov’s speech is characterized by the following features: sharp transitions from one feeling to another, for example, he says to Chichikov: “You’re a pig for this, you kind of cattle breeder! kiss me, soul, death I love you" 31. Or: “I won’t let you in!.. Nonsense, nonsense! We’ll build a banchishka this minute” 32. Numerous exclamatory and interrogative sentences: “Then I’ll see what kind of player he is! But, brother Chichikov, what a party we had in the first days! True, the fair was excellent” 33.
Fragmentary, unfinished sentences, showing that his words can’t keep up with his flying thoughts: “How we started drinking, brother... Staff captain Kisses... so nice! such a mustache, brother!.. Lieutenant Kuvshinnikov... Oh, brother, what a lovely man!” 34. An uncontrollable cascade of vulgar and abusive words with which he addresses Chichikov and his son-in-law: pig, cattle breeder, scoundrel, fetyuk, rakalia, rubbish, swindler, scoundrel, skaldyrnik, dogevich, shilnik, disgusting stove-maker.
Nozdryov’s passion for dogs is expressed by Gogol in listing the varieties of dogs: “both thick-canine and pure-dog, of all possible colors and stripes: murugi, black and tan, half-piebald, murugo-piebald, red-piebald, black-eared, gray-eared.” . He also lists all sorts of dog nicknames: Shoot, Scold, Flurry, Fire, Skosyr, Cherkai, Dopekai, Pepekai, Severga, Killer whale, Reward, Trustee. The words of Nozdryov, a dog expert, emphasize especially the positive qualities of dogs: “breasted with a mustache”; the wool stands up “like stubble”; “the barreliness of the ribs is incomprehensible”; “The paw is all in a lump.”
5. Speech characteristics of Plyushkin.
The image of Plyushkin is built on one leading feature: it is an all-encompassing and devastating passion - stinginess. Hence the unsociability, distrust of people, suspicion. Plyushkin is constantly in a state of irritation, ready to snap at every person. He sank to the point of loss human image and turned into “a hole in humanity.” Gogol with unique skill conveys these features in Plyushkin’s language. Almost nothing remains in it from its former cultural owner; its language is replete with colloquial expressions or abuse. His speech is terse and incoherent, sharply colored emotionally, since Plyushkin is constantly in a state of irritation. Irritation and hostility are felt in the following explanation between Plyushkin and Chichikov.
When Chichikov asks Plyushkin, whom he mistook for the housekeeper: “Where is it?” [master], Plyushkin biliously replies: “What, father, are you blind or what?.. Ehwa! And I’m the owner!” 35. When Chichikov considered it his duty to express respect to the owner, he “muttered something disapprovingly through his lips,” probably (Gogol suggests): “The devil would take you with your respect.” True, Plyushkin formally and politely addresses the guest with the words “I ask you to humbly sit down,” but he immediately shows himself to be extremely inhospitable, speaking sharply negatively about hospitality in general: “I see little use in them (guests). They have established a very indecent custom of visiting each other, but there are omissions in the household, and feed their horses with hay” 36 . From the very first words, Plyushkin launches into grumbling complaints about shortcomings: “My kitchen is so nasty, and the pipe has completely fallen apart.” “At least a tuft of hay on the whole farm.” “The land is small, the man is lazy, he doesn’t like to work, he thinks he’s going to a tavern.” And he concludes pessimistically: “Just look, you’ll walk around the world in your old age” 37 . The irritation of the gloomy miser Plyushkin, who does not trust people, can be heard in his next remark. When Chichikov noticed that Plyushkin, as he was told, had more than a thousand souls, he, with some annoyance in his voice, increasingly turning into a rude tone, asked: “Who said that? And you, father, would spit in the eyes of the one who said this! He, the mockingbird, apparently wanted to make fun of you” 38. And the reluctance to show that he is still rich, and the distrust of the person, and petty resentment towards the guest’s questions turn out to be in his words. As soon as Chichikov asked in amazement: “A whole hundred and twenty?”, Plyushkin answered sharply and touchily: “I’m too old, father, to lie: I’ve been living for seventy years!” And although Chichikov immediately rushed to express his condolences to Plyushkin, nevertheless, the latter, in the same unfriendly, irritable tone, continues: “But you can’t put condolences in your pocket,” and in confirmation of his words, he biliously ridicules the condolences shown to him by the captain, who pretends to be relative of Plyushkin.
Plyushkin softens, expresses undisguised joy, and hears completely different words; “Oh, father! oh, my benefactor! They consoled the old man! Oh, my goodness! oh, you are my saints!” The joy that flashed on Plyushkin’s face instantly disappears, and again his speech is peppered with complaints about fate, complaints about his “people”: “The clerks are so unscrupulous...”. “It’s been a year since I’ve been running around. The people are painfully gluttonous, out of idleness they have acquired the habit of eating, but I myself have nothing.” “For the sake of my poverty, they would have already given forty kopecks.” “Put on two kopecks” 39 . And only at the moment of Chichikov’s departure, when Plyushkin received money from him, when the guest showed himself to be so well-bred that he even refused tea, he finds a few polite words for him: “Farewell, father, may God bless you!” Plyushkin's suspicion is further manifested further, in his attitude towards Proshka, Mavra and the courtyard servants in general.
Plyushkin’s speech is replete with edifying maxims, which are the result of his many years of life experience, and his gloomy, grumpy character, and his extreme suspicion and curmudgeoning: “You can’t put condolences in your pocket.” “After all, whatever you say, you cannot resist the word of God.” “You can recognize a person in good company anywhere: he doesn’t even eat, but he’s full.” Plyushkin turned into an unsociable misanthrope. He is distrustful of people. Characteristic are the epithets with which he defines people who, from his point of view, are unworthy: spendthrifts, thieves, swindlers. Already in these very epithets one can see the miser. Plyushkin's speech is compressed, laconic, caustic, interspersed with many colloquial words and expressions, which makes it even more vivid and individualized. Here are a number of examples: “Here they fight; thousands of souls, and you count the gifts, but you still don’t count anything.” “It’s crazy that from then on it will reach one hundred and twenty.” “Ehwa! And I’m the owner!” “And such a bad joke that there’s at least a tuft of hay on the whole farm.” “He, the mockingbird, apparently wanted to joke with you.” “We were single-handed people, we climbed fences together.” “The theater actress lured out” (money). “It was full of boogers and all sorts of rubbish” 40.
6. Speech characteristics of Chichikov.
An example of the highest mastery and linguistic individualization is Chichikov’s speech. With its richness and versatility, it helps to reveal this classic image. Chichikov is a clever, enterprising businessman and acquirer; seeks the favor and attention of everyone around him: landowners, officials, city dwellers. This is what he achieves different ways: with all your appearance, and behavior, and manner of speaking. He fully appreciated the meaning of polite, amiable, self-possessed, decent speech: “he dropped his words with weight.” In Chapter 4, Gogol notes: “Any expression that was in any way rude or insulting to decency was unpleasant to him.” Elsewhere (Chapter 11), the author says that Chichikov “never allowed himself an indecent word in his speech.” He showed amazing politeness not only in actions, but also in words even in his service at customs, when he addressed those being searched with exquisite delicacy: “Would you like to worry a little and stand up?” “Would you like, madam, to be invited to another room?” Let me, with a knife, rip open the lining of your overcoat a little.” Obviously, the service taught the “victim” Chichikov to skillfully take care of softening his expressions for various selfish reasons, and this skill served him well and is used by him later. We highlight two brilliant examples of this:
1) when Chichikov, in a conversation with Sobakevich, persistently calls “non-existent” souls instead of dead ones;
2) when in the second volume Gogol says about Chichikov that he did not “stole”, but “used” (a softening typical of Chichikov).
Chichikov has a brilliant gift for maintaining a lively conversation in society on any topic, thereby showing his versatile knowledge and at the same time being able to position society in his favor. Chichikov talks little about himself, with “noticeable modesty,” and his conversation in such cases took somewhat bookish turns:
“That he is an insignificant worm of this world and is not worthy of being cared for much, that he has experienced a lot in his life, endured in the service of truth, had many enemies who even attempted on his life, and that now, wanting to calm down, he is looking to choose finally, a place to live, and that, having arrived in this city, he considered it an indispensable duty to pay his respects to its first dignitaries” 41. Giving this brief but so pompous description of himself, embedded in several ready-made formulas, Chichikov sometimes adds to them words about likening his fate to a barge among the waves (by Manilov), thereby trying to evoke even greater sympathy in the listener.
The set of images with which Chichikov characterizes “the field of his service” is presented in more detail by General Betrishchev (in the second volume). In general, in the second volume he speaks shorter and differently about himself, emphasizing mainly the purpose of his trips. He says: “To see the light, the movement of people - “whatever you say, there is, as it were, living book, the second science." He repeats these words essentially without change, like a learned formula, to Platonov, Kostanzhoglo, and Platonov’s brother Vasily. Since his bureaucratic years, Chichikov has apparently preserved the manner of introducing himself in an elevated, official tone and recommending himself to certain people who have a desire for ostentatious, external culture. So, when Manilov invites Chichikov to come to his estate, he immediately replies that he “will consider it a sacred duty.” Arriving at General Betrishchev, Chichikov introduced himself as follows: “Having respect for the valor of the men who saved the fatherland on the battlefield, I considered it my duty to introduce myself personally to Your Excellency” 42. So in Chichikov’s speech there appears a gloss that he tries to impose on himself. But one has only to listen to his explanations by Selifan, as all this external gloss of speech already disappears and one hears swear words and scoldings, well known in feudal Russia: “What, swindler, which road are you going on?”; “You’re drunk as a cobbler”; “When I flog you, you will know me.”
He attacks Selifan with abuse: rubbish, Urban, scoundrel, dissolute, fool, I’ll bend the horn and tie the string in a knot; go, go. Chichikov’s speech superbly reveals his character, the character of a clever businessman and swindler who knows how to quickly get used to it, adapt to circumstances, adapt to people, get caught up in their interests and even speeches, be unusually amiable with one, and more simple and unceremonious in the selection of expressions with others. , with some - cautious, with some - compliant, and even persistent. So he comes to the kind Manilov, and a kind of competition in politeness and courtesy takes place between them, and Chichikov is in no way inferior to the owner not only in actions, but also in speech. “Do me a favor, don’t worry so much about me”; “don’t be difficult, please don’t be difficult”; “Please come in” - such expressions pour out of Chichikov’s mouth, completely in tune with the owner. As soon as Manilov started talking about a good neighbor, about a person with whom one could “talk about courtesy, about good treatment” and so on, Chichikov immediately picked up this idea with a peculiar proverb: “Don’t have money, have good people for conversion."
