Description of the hero Chichikov dead souls. The image of Chichikov in the poem “Dead Souls”: description of appearance and character in quotes

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We often say that happiness cannot be found in money, but at the same time we always note that a person with money is in a more advantageous position and can afford more than a poor person. A bunch of works of art on the topic of a wedding with an unloved, but rich person, or the injustice that has arisen associated with bribery, brings to mind another well-known phrase: money rules the world. This is probably why a person with small capital often strives to improve his financial situation at any cost. These methods and methods are not always legal; they often contradict the principles of morality. N. Gogol talks about one of these actions in the poem “ Dead Souls».

Who is Chichikov and why does he come to town N

Main character narration by retired official Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He “is not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” He considers himself a person of pleasant appearance, he especially liked his face “which he loved sincerely and in which, it seems, he found the chin most attractive, for he very often boasted of it to one of his friends.”

This man travels through the villages of Russia, but his goal is by no means as noble as one might think at first glance. Pavel Ivanovich buys “dead souls”, that is, documents for the ownership of people who have died but have not yet been included in the lists of the dead. The census of peasants was carried out every few years, so these same “dead souls” hovered and were considered alive in documents. They represented a lot of trouble and waste, since it was necessary to make payments for them before the next census (revision tales).

Chichikov's proposal to sell these people to the landowners sounds more than tempting. Many people find the item they are buying very strange, it sounds suspicious, but they want to get rid of it faster.” dead souls“takes its toll - one by one the landowners agree to the sale (the only exception was Nozdryov). But why does Chichikov need “dead souls”? He himself talks about it this way: “Yes, if I bought all these people who died out before they submitted new revision tales, buy them, let’s say, a thousand, yes, let’s say, the guardianship council will give two hundred rubles per head: that’s two hundred thousand for the capital " In other words, Pavel Ivanovich plans to resell his “dead souls”, passing them off as living people. Of course, it is impossible to sell serfs without land, but he finds a way out here too - buying land in a remote place, “for pennies.” Naturally, such a plan was not dictated good conditions life and financial situation, but, whatever one may say, this is a dishonorable act.

Last name meaning

It is difficult to judge unambiguously about the etymology of Pavel Ivanovich’s surname. It is not as prosaic as the surnames of other characters in the poem, but the very fact that the surnames of other characters are their characteristics (they draw attention to moral or physical flaws) suggests that there must be a similar situation with Chichikov.

And so, it is likely that this surname came from the word “chichik”. In Western Ukrainian dialects, this is the name given to a small songbird. N. Gogol was associated with Ukraine, so we can assume that he had in mind precisely this meaning of the word - Chichikov, like a bird, sings beautiful songs to everyone. There are no other meanings recorded in dictionaries. The author himself does not explain anywhere why the choice fell on this particular word and what he wanted to say by awarding Pavel Ivanovich such a surname. Therefore, this information should be perceived at the level of a hypothesis, and it should be argued that this absolutely correct explanation is impossible due to the small amount of information on this matter.

Personality and character

Arriving in the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich meets the local landowners and the governor. He produces on them good impression. This is the beginning trust relationships contributed to Chichikov’s further purchases - they spoke of him as a man of high morals and excellent upbringing - such a person cannot be a swindler and a deceiver. But, as it turned out, this was just a tactical move that allowed him to cleverly deceive the landowners.

The first thing that surprises you about Chichikov is his attitude to hygiene. For many of his new acquaintances, this became a sign of a person from high society. Pavel Ivanovich “waking up very early in the morning, washed himself, wiped himself from head to toe with a wet sponge, which was done only according to Sundays" He “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time,” when he washed himself, “plucked out two hairs that had come out of his nose.” As a result, those around him decided that “the visitor showed such attentiveness to the toilet that has not even been seen everywhere.”

Chichikov is a suck-up. “In conversations with these rulers, he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” At the same time, he tried not to say anything specific about himself, using general phrases; those present thought that he was doing this out of modesty.

In addition, the phrases “he is an insignificant worm of this world and does not deserve to be cared for much, that he has experienced a lot in his life, endured in the service for the truth, had many enemies who attempted even on his life, and that now, wanting to calm down, looking to finally choose a place to live” evoked a certain feeling of pity for Chichikov among those around him.

Soon, all his new acquaintances began to speak flatteringly about him and tried to please “such a pleasant, educated guest.”

Manilov, characterizing Chichikov, asserted that “he is ready to vouch, as for himself, that he would sacrifice all his estate in order to have a hundredth share of Pavel Ivanovich’s qualities.”

“The governor explained about him that he is a well-intentioned person; the prosecutor - that he is a sensible person; the gendarme colonel said that he learned man; the chairman of the chamber - that he is a knowledgeable and respectable person; the police chief - that he is a respectable and kind man; the police chief’s wife - that he is the most kind and courteous person.”

As we see, Pavel Ivanovich managed to gain the trust of the landowners and the governor the best way.

He managed to keep a fine line and not go too far with flattery and praise towards the landowners - his lies and sycophancy were sweet, but not so much that the lies were noticeable. Pavel Ivanovich not only knows how to present himself in society, but also has the talent to convince people. Not all landowners agreed to say goodbye to their “ dead souls" Many, like Korobochka, had great doubts about the legality of such a sale. Pavel Ivanovich manages to achieve his goal and convince him that such a sale is nothing unusual.

It should be noted that Chichikov has developed intellectual abilities. This is manifested not only when thinking about a plan to get rich from “dead souls”, but also in the manner of conducting a conversation - he knows how to maintain a conversation at the proper level, without having sufficient knowledge in a particular issue, it is unrealistic to look smart in the eyes of others and no flattery or sycophancy unable to save the situation.

In addition, he is very friendly with arithmetic and knows how to quickly carry out mathematical operations in his mind: “Seventy-eight, seventy-eight, thirty kopecks per head, that will be...” here our hero thought for one second, no more, and suddenly said: it will be twenty-four rubles ninety-six kopecks.”

Pavel Ivanovich knows how to adapt to new conditions: “he felt that the words “virtue” and “rare properties of the soul” could be successfully replaced with the words “economy” and “order”,” although he cannot always quickly figure out what to say: “Already Plyushkin stood for several minutes without saying a word, and Chichikov still could not start a conversation, entertained both by the appearance of the owner himself and by everything that was in his room.”

Having acquired serfs, Pavel Ivanovich feels awkward and anxious, but these are not pangs of conscience - he wants to get the matter over with as quickly as possible and is afraid that something might go wrong “still the thought came to me: that souls are not entirely real and that in such cases Such a burden always needs to be lifted off one’s shoulders as quickly as possible.”

However, his deception was revealed - Chichikov in an instant turns from an object of worship and a desired guest into an object of ridicule and rumors; he is not allowed into the governor’s house. “It’s just that you alone are not ordered to be allowed in, but all others are allowed,” the doorman tells him.

The others are also not happy to see him - they mumble something incomprehensible. This confuses Chichikov - he cannot understand what happened. Rumors about his scam reach Chichikov himself. As a result, he leaves home. In the last chapter, we learn that Pavel Ivanovich is of humble origin, his parents tried to provide him better life, so sending it to independent life, gave him such advice that, as his parents thought, would allow him to occupy a good place in life: “Pavlusha, study... please your teachers and bosses most of all. Don’t hang out with your comrades, they won’t teach you any good; and if it comes to that, then hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Don’t treat or treat anyone, but behave better so that you will be treated, and most of all, take care and save a penny... You will do everything and lose everything in the world with a penny.”

Thus, Pavel Ivanovich, guided by the advice of his parents, lived in such a way as not to spend money anywhere and save money, but to earn significant capital in an honest way turned out to be unrealistic, even with strict savings and acquaintance with the rich. The plan to buy “dead souls” was supposed to provide Chichikov with fortune and money, but in practice this turned out not to be the case. The stigma of a swindler and a dishonest person firmly stuck to him. Whether the hero himself learned a lesson from their current situation is a rhetorical question; it is likely that the second volume should have revealed the secret, but, unfortunately, Nikolai Vasilyevich destroyed him, so the reader can only guess what happened next and whether Chichikov should be blamed for such an act or it is necessary to mitigate his guilt by referring to the principles to which society is subject.

Chichikov in the story by N.V. Gogol’s “Dead Souls”: analysis of the hero, image and characteristics

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The image of Chichikov is the leading image of the poem "Dead Souls"

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“It is very doubtful,” writes Gogol, “that the hero we have chosen will please the readers.” By appearance This person is very pleasant and courteous. He knows how to talk to everyone, tell a person a pleasant compliment, insert a good word into a conversation at the right time and appropriately, charm a person with his behavior and good manners, and, finally, show off his intelligence and experience. However, all this is only the external mask of a notorious rogue and swindler, a cunning businessman.

From childhood, Chichikov embarked on the path of acquisition and from school he steadily followed the advice of his father: “Most of all, take care and save a penny, this thing is more reliable than anything in the world.” Even as a child, he quickly added to the fifty dollars given by his father: “he molded a bullfinch out of wax, painted it and sold it very profitably,” and then embarked on other speculations. Having accumulated one bag of money, he began to save another.
At the school, having “understood” the spirit of his superiors, Chichikov groveled and kowtowed to the teachers; in his certification he always had a note about “exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.” Ahead he imagined life “in all comforts, with all sorts of prosperity, carriages, a well-appointed house, delicious dinners...”

Upon leaving school, he zealously took up his service and tried to please his superiors in everything. Having become a police officer, he immediately began to take bribes, but soon a “much more extensive” field of activity opened up before him: he ended up on the commission for the construction of a “very capital” building. Here Chichikov quickly became rich, but unexpectedly his thieves' tricks were discovered, and he lost everything. Tirelessly and energetically, Chichikov again sets about creating a career and gets a job at customs, where he earns over five hundred thousand rubles. Having suffered a wreck here too, he decided on a new adventure: the acquisition of “dead souls.”

His new enterprise was based on the fact that it was beneficial for the landowners to get rid of taxes for peasants who died after the audit, since they had to pay these taxes before the next audit, which brought significant damage to the “soul owners”. Peasants who died during the period between revisions were officially listed as alive, and therefore they could be pledged to the guardianship council and thus receive a lot of money.

In order to buy dead souls, Chichikov comes to provincial town N.
With greater caution and foresight, he sets about implementing a far-fetched plan and, in the very first steps, displays exceptional ability to navigate. “He asked with extreme accuracy who the governor of the city was, who the chairman of the chamber was, who the prosecutor was, in a word, he did not miss a single significant official, but with even greater accuracy, if not even with participation, he asked about all the significant landowners: how many souls did they have? peasants, how far they live from the city, what their character is and how often they come to the city; asked carefully about the state of the region: were there any diseases in their province, epidemic fevers, any killer fevers, smallpox and the like, and all this and with such accuracy that showed more than just simple curiosity.” Chichikov learned in detail how to get to all public places, and made visits to “all city dignitaries,” deftly flattering everyone. Meanwhile, he had already identified the landowners he needed to visit.

In city N, he makes acquaintance with precisely those officials who, in his opinion, can be useful in preparing documents for “dead souls.” In order to ensure complete success in the upcoming business, he strives to arouse the trust and appreciation of officials, which he achieves without much difficulty.
Chichikov's ability to adapt to any situation is revealed even more clearly on a trip to the landowners. With great skill, he recognizes the character of each landowner and deftly determines his attitude towards them: pretending to be a sensitive and dreamy person, he receives “dead souls” from Manilov for free, persuades Korobochka to sell “dead souls” with a promise to buy honey, hemp, flour from her, rump and feathers. He managed to win over even the “fist” Sobakevich.

And Chichikov’s weight cannot be considered only as the personification of a rogue entrepreneur. Chichikov appears before us as a living person, with the feelings of joy and grief, love and disappointment inherent in every person. True, these character traits do not make Chichikov attractive. They only create the vital fullness of the image. The constant desire for personal gain, narrowly selfish calculations and the absence of any public interests turn Chichikov into a sharply negative type. Giving a generalized description of your hero. Gogol speaks of him not only as an owner-acquirer, but also as a scoundrel.

In the image of Chichikov, Gogol exposed the new hero of Russian life, who imperiously declared the right to his existence - a bourgeois businessman, a clever entrepreneur whose goal was personal enrichment.

Image, character, characteristics of the official Chichikov in the poem Dead Souls

If, drawing images of landowners. ( This material will help you write competently on the topic The image, character, characteristics of the official Chichikov in the poem Dead Souls. Summary does not make it possible to understand the full meaning of the work, so this material will be useful for a deep understanding of the work of writers and poets, as well as their novels, novellas, short stories, plays, and poems.) Gogol gave a picture of the economic collapse of the natural serf economy and the moral degeneration of the ruling class, then in the image of Chichikov he showed the typical features of a predator, a “scoundrel,” an “acquirer” of the bourgeois fold generated by the initial stage of capitalist accumulation.

In the eleventh chapter of the first volume, Gogol talks in detail about life path Chichikov from birth until the moment when this “hero” began buying up dead souls; how Chichikov’s character developed, what vital interests formed in him under the influence environment, guided his behavior.

Even as a child, he received instructions from his father on how to become one of the people: “most of all please teachers and bosses... hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you... and most of all, take care and save a penny, this the thing is more reliable than anything in the world... You can do everything and lose everything in the world with a penny.” This behest of his father was the basis of his relationships with people, even from school. Saving a penny, but not for its own sake, but as a means to achieve material well-being and a prominent position in society, became the main Goal of his entire life.

Already at school, he quickly gained the favor of the teacher and, possessing “great intelligence on the practical side,” successfully accumulated money.

Service in various institutions developed and polished Chichikov’s natural abilities - practical intelligence, deft ingenuity, hypocrisy, patience, the ability to “comprehend the spirit of the boss”, feel for a weak string in a person’s soul and skillfully influence it for personal purposes, energy and perseverance in achieving conceived, complete unscrupulousness and heartlessness.

Having received the position of police officer, Chichikov “became a noticeable person. Everything turned out to be in him that is needed for this world: pleasantness in turns and actions, and agility in business affairs.” All this distinguished Chichikov in his further service; This is how he appears before us during the purchase of dead souls.

Chichikov uses “irresistible strength of character,” “quickness, insight and perspicacity,” and all his ability to charm a person to achieve the desired enrichment.

Widely using all his practical intelligence, courtesy and resourcefulness, Chichikov managed to charm both the provincial city and the estates. Having quickly figured out a person, he knows how to approach everyone in a special way, subtly calculating his moves and adapting the manner of address and the very tone of speech to the character of the landowner. One has only to observe how Chichikov behaves and speaks with Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Sobakevich and Plyushkin to be convinced of this and be amazed at the inexhaustible variety of “all the shades and subtleties of his address.”

This internal “multifacetedness” of Chichikov, elusiveness, is emphasized by his appearance, given by Gogol in vague tones. “In the chaise sat a gentleman, not handsome, but not of bad appearance, neither too fat nor too thin, one cannot say that he is old, but not that he is too young.”

Chichikov's facial expression constantly changes, depending on who he is talking to and what he is talking about. Going to the governor's ball, he spends an hour in front of the mirror, studying different facial expressions and mannerisms to use at the ball. “I tried to tell him (the person) a lot different expressions: sometimes important and sedate, sometimes respectful, but with some smile, sometimes simply respectful without a smile; several bows were made into the mirror, accompanied by unclear sounds, partly similar to French, although Chichikov did not know French at all.”

Gogol constantly emphasizes the external neatness of his hero, his love for cleanliness and a good, fashionable suit. Chichikov is always carefully shaven and perfumed; He always wears clean underwear and a fashionable dress of “brown and reddish colors with a sparkle” or “the color of Navarino smoke with flames.”

And this external neatness and cleanliness of Chichikov, strikingly contrasting with the internal dirt and uncleanliness of this hero, fully completes the image of the “scoundrel”, the “acquirer”-predator, who uses everything to achieve his main goal - profit, acquisition.

Gogol satirically castigates his hero - a “scoundrel”, a representative of those predators who appeared in large numbers in the 30s, when bourgeois-capitalist forces had already begun to develop within the framework of the feudal-serf system. This was noted by Belinsky, who said that “Chichikov, as an acquirer, is no less, if not more than Pechorin, a hero of our time.”

Belinsky and Chernyshevsky noted that Chichikov was typical of the bourgeois world.

Belinsky wrote that abroad one meets “the same Chichikovs, only in a different dress: in France and England they do not buy up dead souls, but bribe living souls in free parliamentary elections! The whole difference is in civilization, not in essence.” Chernyshevsky wrote that in England “The Chichikovs... are busy with stock exchange and factory tricks.”

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We often say that happiness cannot be found in money, but at the same time we always note that a person with money is in a more advantageous position and can afford more than a poor person. Many works of art on the theme of a wedding with an unloved, but rich, or the resulting injustice associated with bribery, lead to another well-known phrase: money rules the world. This is probably why a person with small capital often strives to improve his financial situation at any cost. These methods and methods are not always legal; they often contradict the principles of morality. N. Gogol talks about one of these actions in the poem “Dead Souls”.

Who is Chichikov and why does he come to town N

The main character of the story is a retired official Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He “is not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” He considers himself a person of pleasant appearance, he especially liked his face “which he loved sincerely and in which, it seems, he found the chin most attractive, for he very often boasted of it to one of his friends.”

Chichikov's proposal to sell these people to the landowners sounds more than tempting. Many find the item to be purchased very strange, it sounds suspicious, but the desire to quickly get rid of the “dead souls” takes its toll - one by one the landowners agree to the sale (the only exception was Nozdryov). But why does Chichikov need “dead souls”? He himself talks about it this way: “Yes, if I bought all these people who died out before they submitted new revision tales, buy them, let’s say, a thousand, yes, let’s say, the guardianship council will give two hundred rubles per head: that’s two hundred thousand for the capital " In other words, Pavel Ivanovich plans to resell his “dead souls”, passing them off as living people. Of course, it is impossible to sell serfs without land, but he finds a way out here too - buying land in a remote place, “for pennies.” Naturally, such a plan is not dictated by good living conditions and financial situation, but, whatever one may say, this is a dishonorable act.

Last name meaning

Personality and character

Arriving in the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich meets the local landowners and the governor. He makes a good impression on them. This beginning of a trusting relationship contributed to Chichikov’s further purchases - they spoke of him as a man of high morals and excellent upbringing - such a person cannot be a swindler and a deceiver. But, as it turned out, this was just a tactical move that allowed him to cleverly deceive the landowners.

The first thing that surprises you about Chichikov is his attitude to hygiene. For many of his new acquaintances, this became a sign of a person from high society. Pavel Ivanovich “waked up very early in the morning, washed himself, wiped himself from head to toe with a wet sponge, which was done only on Sundays.” He “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time,” when he washed himself, “plucked out two hairs that had come out of his nose.” As a result, those around him decided that “the visitor showed such attentiveness to the toilet that has not even been seen everywhere.”

Chichikov is a suck-up. “In conversations with these rulers, he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” At the same time, he tried not to say anything specific about himself, using general phrases; those present thought that he was doing this out of modesty.

Soon, all his new acquaintances began to speak flatteringly about him and tried to please “such a pleasant, educated guest.”

Manilov, characterizing Chichikov, asserted that “he is ready to vouch, as for himself, that he would sacrifice all his estate in order to have a hundredth share of Pavel Ivanovich’s qualities.”

“The governor explained about him that he is a well-intentioned person; the prosecutor - that he is a sensible person; the gendarme colonel said that he was a learned man; the chairman of the chamber - that he is a knowledgeable and respectable person; the police chief - that he is a respectable and kind man; the police chief’s wife - that he is the most kind and courteous person.”

As we see, Pavel Ivanovich managed to gain the trust of the landowners and the governor in the best possible way.

He managed to keep a fine line and not go too far with flattery and praise towards the landowners - his lies and sycophancy were sweet, but not so much that the lies were noticeable. Pavel Ivanovich not only knows how to present himself in society, but also has the talent to convince people. Not all landowners agreed to say goodbye to their “dead souls” without question. Many, like Korobochka, had great doubts about the legality of such a sale. Pavel Ivanovich manages to achieve his goal and convince him that such a sale is nothing unusual.

The others are also not happy to see him - they mumble something incomprehensible. This confuses Chichikov - he cannot understand what happened. Rumors about his scam reach Chichikov himself. As a result, he leaves home. In the last chapter, we learn that Pavel Ivanovich is of humble origin, his parents tried to provide him with a better life, therefore, sending him into an independent life, they gave him such advice that, as his parents thought, would allow him to take a good place in life: “ Pavlusha, study... please your teachers and bosses most of all. Don’t hang out with your comrades, they won’t teach you any good; and if it comes to that, then hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Don’t treat or treat anyone, but behave better so that you will be treated, and most of all, take care and save a penny... You will do everything and lose everything in the world with a penny.”

Chichikov in the story by N.V. Gogol’s “Dead Souls”: analysis of the hero, image and characteristics

4.4 (87.14%) 14 votes

The poem “Dead Souls” is one of the most remarkable works of Russian literature. The great realist writer N.V. Gogol showed the whole hall modern Russia, satirically depicting landed nobility and provincial bureaucracy. But in the poem there is also absolutely new hero in Russian literature, a representative of the emerging class of “acquirers”. In the image of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, Gogol brought to public attention the features of the “knight of a penny.”

At first glance, Chichikov gives the impression of a slippery, many-sided person. This is emphasized by his appearance: “In the chaise sat a gentleman who was not handsome, but not of bad appearance, neither too fat nor too thin, one cannot say that he was old, but not that he was too young.”

Chichikov, like a chameleon, is constantly changing. He is able to give his face the necessary expression to seem like a pleasant interlocutor. Speaking with officials, the hero of the poem “very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” Therefore, he quickly gains the necessary reputation in the city. Mutual language Chichikov is also found with landowners, from whom he buys dead peasants. With Manilov, he looks like a particularly kind and courteous person, which charms the owner. At Korobochka, Noz-drevo, Sobakevich and Plyushkin, Chichikov behaves in accordance with the situation and knows how to find an approach to everyone. Only he did not catch Nozdryov in his net. But this was Chichikov’s only failure.

He uses all his ability to charm a person to achieve results. But he has one goal - wealth, and for this Pavel Ivanovich is ready to be a hypocrite, practicing for hours in front of the mirror. The main thing for him is money. The hero of the poem needs them not in themselves, but as a means of further accumulation. Even as a child, Chichikov well learned his father’s orders to please his bosses, be friends “with those who are richer” and save “a penny.” His father’s words sank into the boy’s soul: “You will do everything and ruin everything in the world with a penny.”

Possessing great intelligence “from the practical side,” Chichikov began saving money at school, profiting from his comrades and being particularly stingy. Already in those years the soul of this “acquirer” was revealed. Chichikov made his way through deception and sycophancy, stopping at nothing. He is cunning, steals from the state, and “cheats” his colleagues. Accuracy becomes his element.

Gradually, Chichikov’s scams became increasingly widespread. From a modest police officer to a customs official, Gogol traces the path of his hero. He strives to increase his fortune by any means. The hero immediately grabs onto the idea of buying “dead souls.” Chichikov's entrepreneurial talent is not consistent with moral standards. There are no moral principles for him. Chichikov concludes with joy: “And now the time is convenient, not long ago there was an epidemic, a lot of people died out, thank God, a lot.” He builds his well-being on human grief, on the deaths of others.

Chichikov is the same creature of time as Onegin or Pechorin. Belinsky wrote about this, noting that “Chichikov, as an acquirer, is no less, if not more than Pechorin, a hero of our time.” Gogol shows this hero with all the power of his skill in the wonderful poem “Dead Souls,” which became an example of accusatory satire. The image of Chichikov should serve as a warning to those who are trying to get rich in any way, turning into a ruthless predator