He described the most diverse types of landowners who lived in contemporary Russia. At the same time, he tried to clearly show their life, morals and vices. All landowners are depicted satirically, forming a unique art gallery. Arriving in the city of NN, main character met many new people. All of them, basically, were either successful landowners, or influential officials, since Chichikov had a plan to earn money great fortune. He described five families most colorfully, so it is by their characteristics that we can judge the people with whom the hero dealt.
This is, first of all, the good-natured and “sweet as sugar” landowner Manilov. Everything about him seems perfect, from the way he presents himself to his sweet tone. In fact, behind this mask hides a boring and lazy person who is of little interest in his household. For two years now he has been reading the same book, on the same page. The servants drink, the housekeeper steals, the kitchen cooks carelessly. He himself does not know who works for him and for how long. Against the background of this decline, the gazebo called “Temple of Solitary Reflection” looks rather strange. Chichikov’s request to sell “dead souls” seems illegal to him, but he is unable to refuse such a “pleasant” person, so he easily gives him the list of peasants for free.
Having been in Manilovka, the main character goes to Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. This is an elderly widow living in a small village and regularly running her household. Korobochka has many advantages. She is skillful and organized, her farm, although not rich, is thriving, the peasants are educated and focused on results. By nature, the housewife is thrifty and thrifty, but at the same time stingy, stupid and stupid. Selling to Chichikov " dead souls", she worries all the time not to sell herself too cheap. Nastasya Petrovna knows all her peasants by name, which is why she doesn’t keep a list. In total, eighteen peasants died. She sold them to the guest like lard, honey or cereal.
Immediately after Korobochka, the hero visited the reckless Nozdryov. This is a young widower of about thirty-five who loved cheerful and noisy companies. Outwardly, he is well built, radiant in health and looks younger than his age. He manages the farm poorly, as he is never at home a day, has little interest in children, and even less in peasants. The only thing that he always has in excellent condition is his kennel, as he is an avid hunter. In fact, he was a “historical” person, since not a single meeting was complete without his intervention. He liked to lie, use swear words and spoke abruptly, without bringing any topic to the end. At first, Chichikov thought that it would be easy to bargain with him for the “souls” of the peasants, but here he was mistaken. Nozdryov is the only landowner who left him with nothing and, in addition, almost beat him.
From Nozdryov, Gogol's businessman went to Sobakevich, a man who, with his clumsiness and massiveness, resembles a bear. The village in which he lived was huge, and the house was awkward. But at the same time, Sobakevich is a good business executive. All his houses and huts are built from good wood. Knowing his peasants very well and being a smart merchant, he immediately guesses why Chichikov came and makes a deal to his advantage. I visited Sobakevich and back side. As a serf owner, he was quite rude, uncouth and cruel. This character is incapable of expressing emotional experiences and will never miss his benefits.
The landowner Plyushkin seemed the strangest to Chichikov, according to appearance whom it was difficult to determine which class he belonged to. He looked like an old, grumpy housekeeper with shifty eyes and a cap on her head. The men called the owner “Patched” among themselves. In fact, Plyushkin was very rich. Thousands of peasants worked for him, his house once flourished, but after the death of his wife it fell into disrepair. He was always a thrifty landowner, but over time he turned into a real miser who hoarded all unnecessary rubbish, wore cast-offs and ate only crackers. He sincerely rejoiced at Chichikov’s offer as an opportunity to earn an extra penny.
So colorfully the writer described five images of landowners, revealing the five stages of human degradation and hardening of the soul. From Manilov to Plyushkin we observe a picture of the gradual extinction of the human in man. Both in the image of Chichikov buying up “dead souls” and in the description of the landowners, the author most likely expressed anxiety and worries for the future of the country and humanity as a whole.
Many people have heard about the landowners in Dead Souls, whom Nikolai Gogol so vividly portrayed, but not everyone knows why these characters were created and how they can be characterized.
So, the landowners in Dead Souls are positive or negative characters? In the poem Dead Souls Nikolai Gogol depicted what Russian landowners are like with the help of five characters.
The image of the landowner Manilov in Dead Souls
The first person Chichikov turns to with his vague proposal to buy dead souls is the courteous Manilov. With sugary speeches, memorized over many years of empty existence, he endeared himself to his new acquaintance.
The insensitive Manilov loved to indulge in dreams that led nowhere. He lived in his own serene world, in a world without problems and passions.
The image of the landowner Korobochka in Dead Souls
Further, the road led Chichikov to Korobochka, a very thrifty elderly landowner. This is very interesting character. She conducts business with intelligence and petty extravagance, so the village is in good condition. However, at the same time, Korobochka is slow to think, afraid of change: time seems to have stood still in her house.
All this did not give Chichikov the opportunity to immediately agree on a deal. The landowner Korobochka was terribly afraid of selling herself cheap, because she could not understand the purpose of buying dead souls.
The image of the landowner Nozdryov in Dead Souls
The next person who was offered to get rid of them was the landowner Nozdryov. This crazy man is full of energy and passion, but he directs his stormy flow in the wrong direction.
And again Nikolai Gogol makes the reader wonder at the worthlessness of the landowner’s life, because the lies and boasting of the landowner Nozdryov have neither limit nor meaning.
Although this and other landowners in Gogol’s Dead Souls are very bright characters, they have one thing in common - soul emptiness.
The image of the landowner Sobakevich in Dead Souls
In the village of Sobakevich, every building is solid and clumsy, which matches the owner himself. But the power of the strongly built landowner fades and goes to waste. She has nowhere to develop, so Sobakevich’s soul also does not know development.
Again, behind the outer shell there is only emptiness.
The image of the landowner Plyushkin in Dead Souls
Perhaps the most terrifying image in the poem is that of the landowner Plyushkin. A man who once led a bright, fulfilling life has turned into a fanatical collector, seeking to dominate everything that catches his eye. The surname Plyushkin speaks of an unhealthy passion to have every little thing, considering it a kind of bun, that is, useful.
1. Most interesting place in the poem there are chapters dedicated to five landowners.
2. The image of Manilov.
3. Image of the Box.
4. The image of Sobakevich.
5. Image of Nozdryov!
6. The image of Plyushkin.
7. The role of images of landowners in the novel.
The most interesting place in I. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” is the chapters dedicated to five landowners: Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich and Plyushkin. It is easy to notice that the chapters are arranged in a special sequence: from the least to the greatest degree of degradation of the characters.
The surname of the landowner Manilov is derived from the verb “to beckon.” The main features of this character are daydreaming, sentimentality and laziness. Gogol characterizes his hero as follows: “... a so-so person, neither this nor that, neither in the city of Bogdan, nor in the village of Selifan.” Manilov's house is located on the Jurassic, which is blown by all the winds, which speaks of his frivolity and inability to think realistically. The landowner loves to indulge in his dreams in the gazebo, on which there is an inscription: “Temple of Solitary Reflection.” This is the only secluded place for Manilov, where he can calmly fantasize about some completely unrealistic projects. But, it seems to him, digging an underground passage from the house or building a stone bridge across a pond are completely normal ideas. Housekeeping is not Manilov’s thing. Everything is going wrong on his estate, and the hero doesn’t even care about it.
Gogol says that Manilov’s hospitality and good looks are too cloying: “In the first minute of conversation with him, you can’t help but say: “What a pleasant and a kind person! The next time... you won’t say anything, and the third time you’ll say: “The devil knows what it is!” - and move away!..” This is manifested not only in the manners of the landowner, but also in his relationship with his wife. They lisp with each other all the time, and this greatly amuses the author.
The image of this hero has become one of the key ones for literature. From him came the name of such a phenomenon as “Manilovism”, which means the unnaturalness of a person.
Another no less striking character in the story is the landowner Korobochka. Her surname was chosen by Gogol not by chance. By nature, the landowner is immensely economical and superstitious. Korobochka is the type of woman who can cry about a bad harvest, but still always saves a pretty penny for herself. Her chest of drawers, in addition to all sorts of nonsense, is filled with bags of money. The box is very petty, it only cares about maintaining household, in him she sees the meaning of life. Gogol gives her entourage “animal” surnames: Bobrov and Svinin, which once again emphasizes that the heroine is passionate only about her estate. The author highlights his cudgel-headedness among other “advantages” of his character. Korobochka demonstrates this quality in a situation when Chichikov tries to negotiate with her about the sale of “dead souls.” The heroine thinks that her interlocutor is going to dig them out of the graves dead peasants. She is in no hurry to sell her “wealth”, but instead tries to slip hemp and honey. Korobochka agrees to Chichikov's proposal only after he mentions the devil.
The next landowner whom Chichikov visited was Sobakevich. His image was composed by N.V. Gogol from everything big: big boots, cheesecakes “much larger than a plate,” “a turkey the size of a calf.” Even this character’s health is heroic. Thanks to such descriptions, the author achieves comic effect. By parading the great exploits of the heroes, Gogol thereby emphasizes the true essence of Sobakevich himself, whose main qualities can be called rudeness and clumsiness. All the objects in the house are as bulky and clumsy as their owner: a table, chairs, a wooden bureau - everything seems to shout: “And I, too, are Sobakevich!” In his opinion, everyone around is liars and the last scammers. He doesn't care at all human soul, the interest for Sobakevich is only in money.
From all of the above, we can conclude that Sobakevich is one of the most “dead souls” of the poem. There is nothing spiritual for him. The only things valuable to this hero are money and things. He is only interested in “earthly” matters.
Most bright character, in my opinion, is Nozdryov. This is the image of an inveterate reveler. The author is ironic about his character, speaking of him as a “historical” person. In relation to his hero, Gogol uses the figurative meaning of this word. Nozdryov’s “historicism” lies in the fact that he always ends up in some kind of story: he either gets drunk at a buffet, or mercilessly lies about the horse he allegedly acquired. Like any rake, he adores women. But most main feature Nozdryov’s character is a great desire to “mess up one’s neighbor.” Not once did he commit vile acts. For example, he told fictitious stories, disrupted a wedding, upset a trade deal, etc. But the most outstanding thing about his character is that after all his tricks, without a twinge of conscience, he continued to consider himself a comrade of the victim.
According to tradition, in the poem the furnishings in the house of each landowner correspond to the character of its owner. So Nozdryov’s home is imbued with the spirit of excitement and boasting. According to Nozdryov himself, in his domain there was once “a fish of such size that two people could hardly pull it out.” Its walls are haphazardly covered in paint, as the men whitewash them. His office, instead of books and papers, is filled with weapons. Nozdryov likes to exchange some things for others, not because of money or some other material interest, but simply because he is fascinated by this process. Since all kinds of tricks are main passion character, it is not difficult for him to fool Chichikov, whom Nozdryov gets drunk and tries to deceive when playing checkers.
What else can be said about Nozdrev? His description will tell everything much better: “...he sometimes returned home with only his sideburns, and then quite runny. But his healthy and full cheeks were so well created and contained so much plant power that his sideburns soon grew back, even better than before.”
And the final image in the gallery of Russian “dead souls” is a landowner named Plyushkin. As you know, in the poem all the names are speaking. Only “Plyushkin” is given in a figurative meaning. It looks more like a completely dried out cracker rather than a bun. The image of the landowner Plyushkin is very sloppy. Gogol mentions his double chin, which has to be constantly covered, as well as about a greasy robe, which evokes nothing but disgust in the reader. The author gives his hero a very succinct definition: “a hole in humanity.” This character is a symbol of the decadent mood and decay of all living things. And again the house speaks for its owner: the bread in the storerooms is rotting, the gates and fences are covered with mold, and the roofs in the huts are completely leaky. Gogol adds short story about the fate of his hero, whose wife first died, and after that his daughter ran away with the headquarters captain. These events became for Plyushkin last moments real life. After this, time stopped for the hero.
All images of N.V. Gogol are very bright and unique in their own way. But there is one the main idea, which unites them. The author, showing clear examples of the degradation of humanity, urges readers not to become “ dead soul”, and always remain “alive”.
The work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol “Dead Souls” is one of the most bright works author. This poem, the plot of which is related to the description of Russian reality of the 19th century, is of great value for Russian literature. It was also significant for Gogol himself. No wonder he called it a “national poem” and explained that in this way he tried to expose the shortcomings Russian Empire, and then change the appearance of their homeland for the better.
The birth of the genre
The idea for Gogol to write “Dead Souls” was suggested to the author by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. At first, the work was conceived as a light humorous novel. However, after work began on the work “Dead Souls,” the genre in which the text was originally intended to be presented was changed.
The fact is that Gogol considered the plot to be very original and gave the presentation a different, more deep meaning. As a result, a year after the start of work on the work “Dead Souls,” its genre became more extensive. The author decided that his brainchild should become nothing more than a poem.
Main idea
The writer divided his work into 3 parts. In the first of them, he decided to point out all the shortcomings that took place in his contemporary society. In the second part, he planned to show how the process of correcting people takes place, and in the third - the lives of heroes who have already changed for the better.
In 1841, Gogol completed writing the first volume of Dead Souls. The plot of the book shocked the entire reading country, causing a lot of controversy. After the release of the first part, the author began work on a continuation of his poem. However, he was never able to finish what he started. The second volume of the poem seemed imperfect to him, and nine days before his death he burned the only copy of the manuscript. Only drafts of the first five chapters have been preserved for us, which today are considered a separate work.
Unfortunately, the trilogy remained unfinished. But the poem “Dead Souls” should have had significant meaning. Its main purpose was to describe the movement of the soul, which went through a fall, purification, and then rebirth. The main character of the poem, Chichikov, had to go through this path to the ideal.
Plot
The story told in the first volume of the poem “Dead Souls” takes us to the nineteenth century. It tells the story of a journey across Russia undertaken by the main character, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, to acquire so-called dead souls from landowners. The plot of the work provides the reader with full picture morals and life of the people of that time.
Let's look at the chapters of "Dead Souls" with their plot in a little more detail. This will give general idea about a brilliant literary work.
Chapter first. Start
Where does the work “Dead Souls” begin? The topic raised in it describes the events that took place at a time when the French were finally expelled from Russian territory.
At the beginning of the story, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, who held the position of collegiate adviser, arrived in one of the provincial cities. When analyzing “Dead Souls,” the image of the main character becomes clear. The author shows him as a middle-aged man with an average build and good appearance. Pavel Ivanovich is extremely inquisitive. Situations arise when one can even talk about his intrusiveness and annoyingness. So, from the tavern servant he is interested in the owner’s income, and also tries to find out about all the city officials and the most noble landowners. He is also interested in the state of the region to which he came.
A collegiate advisor does not sit alone. He visits all officials, finding the right approach to them and choosing words that are pleasant for people. That is why they treat him just as well, which even surprises Chichikov a little, who has experienced many negative reactions towards himself and even survived an assassination attempt.
The main purpose of Pavel Ivanovich’s visit was to find a place for peaceful life. To do this, while attending a party in the governor’s house, he meets two landowners - Manilov and Sobakevich. At a dinner with the police chief, Chichikov became friends with the landowner Nozdryov.
Chapter two. Manilov
The continuation of the plot is connected with Chichikov’s trip to Manilov. The landowner met the official on the threshold of his estate and led him into the house. The road to Manilov's home lay among gazebos on which signs were posted indicating that these were places for reflection and solitude.
When analyzing “Dead Souls,” one can easily characterize Manilov based on this decoration. This is a landowner who has no problems, but at the same time is too cloying. Manilov says that the arrival of such a guest is comparable to a sunny day and the happiest holiday. He invites Chichikov to dinner. Present at the table are the mistress of the estate and the two sons of the landowner - Themistoclus and Alcides.
After a hearty lunch, Pavel Ivanovich decides to talk about the reason that brought him to these lands. Chichikov wants to buy peasants who have already died, but their death has not yet been reflected in the audit certificate. His goal is to draw up all the documents, supposedly these peasants are still alive.
How does Manilov react to this? He has dead souls. However, the landowner is initially surprised by this proposal. But then he agrees to the deal. Chichikov leaves the estate and goes to Sobakevich. Meanwhile, Manilov begins to dream about how Pavel Ivanovich will live next door to him and what kind of good friends they will be after he moves.
Chapter three. Getting to know the Box
On the way to Sobakevich, Selifan (Chichikov’s coachman) accidentally missed the right turn. And then it began to rain heavily, and Chichikov fell into the mud. All this forces the official to look for accommodation for the night, which he found with the landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. Analysis of “Dead Souls” indicates that this lady is afraid of everything and everyone. However, Chichikov did not waste time and offered to purchase the deceased peasants from her. At first the old woman was intractable, but after the visiting official promised to buy everything from her lard and hemp (but next time), she agrees.
The deal was completed. The box treated Chichikov to pancakes and pies. Pavel Ivanovich, having eaten a hearty meal, moved on. And the landowner began to worry very much that she did not take enough money for the dead souls.
Chapter Four. Nozdryov
After visiting Korobochka, Chichikov drove onto the main road. He decided to visit a tavern he came across along the way to have a little snack. And here the author wanted to give this action some mystery. He does lyrical digressions. In “Dead Souls” he reflects on the properties of appetite inherent in people like the main character of his work.
While in the tavern, Chichikov meets Nozdryov. The landowner complained that he lost money at the fair. Then they follow to Nozdryov’s estate, where Pavel Ivanovich intends to make good money.
By analyzing “Dead Souls,” you can understand what Nozdryov is like. This is a person who really loves all kinds of stories. He tells them everywhere he goes. After a hearty lunch, Chichikov decides to bargain. However, Pavel Ivanovich cannot beg for dead souls or buy them. Nozdryov sets his own conditions, which consist of an exchange or purchase in addition to something. The landowner even suggests using dead souls as bets in the game.
Serious disagreements arise between Chichikov and Nozdrev, and they postpone the conversation until the morning. The next day, the men agreed to play checkers. However, Nozdryov tried to deceive his opponent, which was noticed by Chichikov. In addition, it turned out that the landowner was on trial. And Chichikov had no choice but to run when he saw the police captain.
Chapter Five. Sobakevich
Sobakevich continues the images of landowners in Dead Souls. It is to him that Chichikov comes to him after Nozdryov. The estate he visited was a match for its owner. Just as strong. The owner treats the guest to dinner, talking during the meal about city officials, calling them all swindlers.
Chichikov talks about his plans. They did not frighten Sobakevich at all, and the men quickly moved on to concluding the deal. However, here troubles began for Chichikov. Sobakevich began to bargain, talking about the most best qualities already deceased peasants. However, Chichikov does not need such characteristics, and he insists on his own. And here Sobakevich begins to hint at the illegality of such a deal, threatening to tell anyone about it. Chichikov had to agree to the price offered by the landowner. They sign the document, still fearing a trick from each other.
There are lyrical digressions in “Dead Souls” in the fifth chapter. The author ends the story about Chichikov’s visit to Sobakevich with discussions about the Russian language. Gogol emphasizes the diversity, strength and richness of the Russian language. Here he points out the peculiarity of our people to give everyone nicknames associated with various offenses or the course of circumstances. They do not leave their owner until his death.
Chapter six. Plyushkin
Very interesting hero is Plyushkin. "Dead Souls" shows him as a very greedy person. The landowner does not even throw away his old sole that has fallen off his boot and carries it into the already quite decent pile of similar rubbish.
However Plyushkin dead sells souls very quickly and without haggling. Pavel Ivanovich is very happy about this and refuses the tea with crackers offered by the owner.
Chapter seven. Deal
Having achieved his initial goal, Chichikov is sent to the civil chamber to finally resolve the issue. Manilov and Sobakevich had already arrived in the city. The chairman agrees to become the attorney for Plyushkin and all other sellers. The deal took place, and champagne was opened for the health of the new landowner.
Chapter eight. Gossip. Ball
The city began to discuss Chichikov. Many decided that he was a millionaire. Girls began to go crazy for him and send love messages. Once at the governor's ball, he literally finds himself in the arms of the ladies. However, his attention is attracted by a sixteen-year-old blonde. At this time, Nozdryov comes to the ball, loudly inquiring about the purchase of dead souls. Chichikov had to leave in complete confusion and sadness.
Chapter Nine. Profit or love?
At this time, the landowner Korobochka arrived in the city. She decided to clarify whether she had made a mistake with the cost of dead souls. The news about the amazing purchase and sale becomes the property of the city residents. People believe that dead souls are a cover for Chichikov, but in fact he dreams of taking away the blonde he likes, who is the daughter of the governor.
Chapter ten. Versions
The city literally came to life. News appears one after another. In them we're talking about about the appointment of a new governor, about the presence of supporting papers about false banknotes, about an insidious robber who escaped from the police, etc. Many versions arise, and they all relate to Chichikov’s personality. The excitement of people negatively affects the prosecutor. He dies from the blow.
Chapter Eleven. Purpose of the event
Chichikov does not know what the city is talking about about him. He goes to the governor, but he is not received there. In addition, the people he meets on the way shy away from the official in different directions. Everything becomes clear after Nozdryov arrives at the hotel. The landowner tries to convince Chichikov that he tried to help him kidnap the governor’s daughter.
And here Gogol decides to talk about his hero and why Chichikov buys dead souls. The author tells the reader about his childhood and schooling, where Pavel Ivanovich already showed the ingenuity given to him by nature. Gogol also talks about Chichikov’s relationships with his comrades and teachers, about his service and work in the commission located in a government building, as well as about his transfer to serve in customs.
The analysis of “Dead Souls” clearly indicates the inclinations of the protagonist, which he used to complete his deal described in the work. After all, in all his places of work, Pavel Ivanovich managed to make a lot of money by concluding fake contracts and conspiracies. In addition, he did not disdain working with smuggling. In order to avoid criminal punishment, Chichikov resigned. Having switched to work as an attorney, he immediately formed an insidious plan in his head. Buy Chichikov is dead He wanted to pawn their souls, as if they were alive, in the treasury in order to receive money. Next, his plans were to buy a village in order to provide for future offspring.
In part, Gogol justifies his hero. He considers him the owner, who with his mind has built such an interesting chain of transactions.
Images of landowners
These heroes of Dead Souls are especially vividly presented in five chapters. Moreover, each of them is dedicated to only one landowner. There is a certain pattern in the placement of chapters. The images of the landowners of “Dead Souls” are arranged in them according to the degree of their degradation. Let's remember who was the first of them? Manilov. “Dead Souls” describes this landowner as a lazy and dreamy, sentimental and practically unadapted person to life. This is confirmed by many details, for example, a farm that has fallen into disrepair and a house standing in the south, open to all winds. The author, using the amazing artistic power of the word, shows his reader the deadness of Manilov and his worthlessness life path. After all, behind external attractiveness there is a spiritual emptiness.
What other vivid images were created in the work “Dead Souls”? The heroic landowners in the image of Korobochka are people who are focused only on their farm. It is not without reason that at the end of the third chapter the author draws an analogy between this landowner and all aristocratic ladies. The box is distrustful and stingy, superstitious and stubborn. In addition, she is narrow-minded, petty and narrow-minded.
Next in terms of degree of degradation comes Nozdryov. Like many other landowners, he does not change with age, not even trying to develop internally. The image of Nozdryov represents a portrait of a reveler and a braggart, a drunkard and a cheater. This landowner is passionate and energetic, but all of him positive traits are wasted. The image of Nozdryov is as typical as that of previous landowners. And this is emphasized by the author in his statements.
Describing Sobakevich, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol resorts to comparing him with a bear. In addition to clumsiness, the author describes his parodically inverted heroic power, earthiness and rudeness.
But the extreme degree of degradation is described by Gogol in the image of the richest landowner in the province - Plyushkin. During his biography, this man went from a thrifty owner to a half-crazy miser. And it was not social conditions. Plyushkin's moral decline provoked loneliness.
Thus, all landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” are united by such traits as idleness and inhumanity, as well as spiritual emptiness. And he contrasts this world of truly “dead souls” with faith in the inexhaustible potential of the “mysterious” Russian people. It is not for nothing that at the end of the work the image of an endless road along which a trio of birds rushes appears. And in this movement the writer’s confidence in the possibility of the spiritual transformation of humanity and in the great destiny of Russia is manifested.
1. The most interesting place in the poem is the chapters dedicated to the five landowners.
2. The image of Manilov.
3. Image of the Box.
4. The image of Sobakevich.
5. Image of Nozdryov!
6. The image of Plyushkin.
7. The role of images of landowners in the novel.
The most interesting place in I. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” is the chapters dedicated to five landowners: Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich and Plyushkin. It is easy to notice that the chapters are arranged in a special sequence: from the least to the greatest degree of degradation of the characters.
The surname of the landowner Manilov is derived from the verb “to beckon.” The main features of this character are daydreaming, sentimentality and laziness. Gogol characterizes his hero as follows: “... a so-so person, neither this nor that, neither in the city of Bogdan, nor in the village of Selifan.” Manilov's house is located on the Jurassic, which is blown by all the winds, which speaks of his frivolity and inability to think realistically. The landowner loves to indulge in his dreams in the gazebo, on which there is an inscription: “Temple of Solitary Reflection.” This is the only secluded place for Manilov, where he can calmly fantasize about some completely unrealistic projects. But, it seems to him, digging an underground passage from the house or building a stone bridge across a pond are completely normal ideas. Housekeeping is not Manilov’s thing. Everything is going wrong on his estate, and the hero doesn’t even care about it.
Gogol says that Manilov’s hospitality and good looks are too cloying: “In the first minute of conversation with him, you can’t help but say: “What a pleasant and kind person!” The next time... you won’t say anything, and the third time you’ll say: “The devil knows what it is!” - and move away!..” This is manifested not only in the manners of the landowner, but also in his relationship with his wife. They lisp with each other all the time, and this greatly amuses the author.
The image of this hero has become one of the key ones for literature. From him came the name of such a phenomenon as “Manilovism”, which means the unnaturalness of a person.
Another no less striking character in the story is the landowner Korobochka. Her surname was chosen by Gogol not by chance. By nature, the landowner is immensely economical and superstitious. Korobochka is the type of woman who can cry about a bad harvest, but still always saves a pretty penny for herself. Her chest of drawers, in addition to all sorts of nonsense, is filled with bags of money. Korobochka is very petty, she only cares about housekeeping, and in it she sees the meaning of life. Gogol gives her entourage “animal” surnames: Bobrov and Svinin, which once again emphasizes that the heroine is passionate only about her estate. The author highlights his cudgel-headedness among other “advantages” of his character. Korobochka demonstrates this quality in a situation when Chichikov tries to negotiate with her about the sale of “dead souls.” The heroine thinks that her interlocutor is going to dig up dead peasants from the graves. She is in no hurry to sell her “wealth”, but instead tries to slip hemp and honey. Korobochka agrees to Chichikov's proposal only after he mentions the devil.
The next landowner whom Chichikov visited was Sobakevich. His image was composed by N.V. Gogol from everything big: big boots, cheesecakes “much larger than a plate,” “a turkey the size of a calf.” Even this character’s health is heroic. Thanks to such descriptions, the author achieves a comic effect. By parading the great exploits of the heroes, Gogol thereby emphasizes the true essence of Sobakevich himself, whose main qualities can be called rudeness and clumsiness. All the objects in the house are as bulky and clumsy as their owner: a table, chairs, a wooden bureau - everything seems to shout: “And I, too, are Sobakevich!” In his opinion, everyone around is liars and the last scammers. The human soul is not at all important to him; Sobakevich’s interest lies only in money.
From all of the above, we can conclude that Sobakevich is one of the most “dead souls” of the poem. There is nothing spiritual for him. The only things valuable to this hero are money and things. He is only interested in “earthly” matters.
The most striking character, in my opinion, is Nozdryov. This is the image of an inveterate reveler. The author is ironic about his character, speaking of him as a “historical” person. In relation to his hero, Gogol uses the figurative meaning of this word. Nozdryov’s “historicism” lies in the fact that he always ends up in some kind of story: he either gets drunk at a buffet, or mercilessly lies about the horse he allegedly acquired. Like any rake, he adores women. But the most important feature of Nozdryov’s character is the great desire to “spoil one’s neighbor.” Not once did he commit vile acts. For example, he told fictitious stories, disrupted a wedding, upset a trade deal, etc. But the most outstanding thing about his character is that after all his tricks, without a twinge of conscience, he continued to consider himself a comrade of the victim.
According to tradition, in the poem the furnishings in the house of each landowner correspond to the character of its owner. So Nozdryov’s home is imbued with the spirit of excitement and boasting. According to Nozdryov himself, in his domain there was once “a fish of such size that two people could hardly pull it out.” Its walls are haphazardly covered in paint, as the men whitewash them. His office, instead of books and papers, is filled with weapons. Nozdryov likes to exchange some things for others, not because of money or some other material interest, but simply because he is fascinated by this process. Since all kinds of tricks are the main passion of the character, it is not difficult for him to fool Chichikov, whom Nozdryov gets drunk and tries to deceive in a game of checkers.
What else can be said about Nozdrev? His description will tell everything much better: “...he sometimes returned home with only his sideburns, and then quite runny. But his healthy and full cheeks were so well created and contained so much plant power that his sideburns soon grew back, even better than before.”
And the final image in the gallery of Russian “dead souls” is a landowner named Plyushkin. As you know, in the poem all the names are speaking. Only “Plyushkin” is given in a figurative meaning. It looks more like a completely dried out cracker rather than a bun. The image of the landowner Plyushkin is very sloppy. Gogol mentions his double chin, which he has to constantly cover, as well as his greasy robe, which evokes nothing but disgust in the reader. The author gives his hero a very succinct definition: “a hole in humanity.” This character is a symbol of the decadent mood and decay of all living things. And again the house speaks for its owner: the bread in the storerooms is rotting, the gates and fences are covered with mold, and the roofs in the huts are completely leaky. Gogol adds a short story about the fate of his hero, whose wife first died, and after that his daughter ran away with the headquarters captain. These events became the last moments of real life for Plyushkin. After this, time stopped for the hero.
All images of N.V. Gogol are very bright and unique in their own way. But there is one main idea that unites them. The author, showing clear examples of the degradation of humanity, urges readers not to become a “dead soul,” but to always remain “alive.”
