The artistic depth and scale of the work "Dead Souls" suggests that it can be considered the main one in the creative biography of Nikolai Gogol. The author worked long and painstakingly on its creation, starting with the understanding that, first of all, the writer should pass through all the problems and the storyline, as well as the character of the characters. Let's analyze the analysis of "Dead Souls" by Nikolai Gogol.

The humble beginning of a great poem

We will begin our analysis of the poem "Dead Souls" by Gogol with the fact that in the first volume of the work the author outlined only general features and called it a "pale beginning." How did Gogol come up with the idea for the plot, because in order to think through such a serious thing in detail, you need an appropriate approach and a solid foundation?

It turns out that the idea to write a new poem was given to Gogol by none other than Alexander Pushkin. The poet said that he had a plot in his outline that he himself would like to use, but recommended that Nikolai Vasilyevich do this. But it is important to remember what is most important: Pushkin "suggested" the leading idea of ​​the poem, and he outlined the plot in general terms. Gogol himself perfectly developed the storyline, because he knew a lot of real stories, which were based on various scams with "dead souls".

For example, let's include in the analysis of the poem "Dead Souls" one such case from the life of Gogol. When he was still quite young and lived in Mirgorod, he heard a similar story in sufficient detail - it was advantageous to count some serfs who had already died alive, at least until the upcoming revision. This practice spread throughout Russia, and on official papers, only after the audit, such peasants began to be considered dead. In view of this, until the so-called "revision tale" landlords had to continue paying taxes in the form of a poll tax.

What is the essence of the scam with "dead souls"

When a peasant remained “alive” only on official papers, he could be donated, sold or pledged, which was beneficial in some fraudulent scams. The landowner could be seduced by the fact that the serf did not bring more income, and in this way one could get some amount for him. There was a buyer who, in the event of a transaction, began to own a very real state.

Initially, Gogol, taking into account this basis of the scam, defined for his work such a genre as an adventurous picaresque novel. Some authors of that time already wrote in this spirit, and their novels were quite successful, although they were not so high in terms of artistic level. In the course of his work, Gogol modified the genre, and this is an important detail in the analysis of the poem Dead Souls. After the general idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe work became clear and the idea was clearly formed, Gogol himself designated the genre - a poem. Therefore, from an adventurous picaresque novel, it turned into a poem.

Analysis of the poem "Dead Souls" - features of the work

If we talk about the scale of Gogol's idea in relation to the poem "Dead Souls", then it is clear how it grew, because initially the author wanted to reflect only "one side" of Russia, and later with his thesis Gogol showed that he revised not only the genre model, but also wealth of ideas. The essence of his thesis lies in the thought: "all Russia" should be reflected in the poem. The new idea was so broad and rich that it was practically impossible to realize it within the narrow framework of an adventurous and picaresque novel. Therefore, this genre began to play the role of a shell, but lost the main role.

Let's talk a little about the main character of the poem Chichikov. His origins are shrouded in mystery, and this is the same technique that Gogol used to fully reveal his image. Analyzing the poem "Dead Souls", it becomes quite obvious that Chichikov is a man of the middle. He has a good appearance, that is, you cannot call him handsome, and he is not ugly. He's not fat, and he's not thin. Age is also incomprehensible - not young, at the same time not old. As readers, we don't know Chichikov's life story until we get to the last chapter.

In the eleventh chapter, the vulgar nature of this person becomes visible. About his origin, again, it is said very vaguely, again it is emphasized that he is not mean, but not a heroic warehouse either. The main quality of Chichikov is that he is an "acquirer". One can draw conclusions from the way Gogol calls him an "average" person. This means that he is not very different from everyone else, but a trait inherent in many is strengthened in his character - Chichikov is ready to make money, pursue a beautiful life, and at the same time he has almost no deep goals in life, and he is spiritually empty.

In accordance with the main idea of ​​the work - to show the way to achieve a spiritual ideal, on the basis of which the writer conceives the possibility of transforming both the state system of Russia, its social structure, and all social strata and each individual - the main themes and problems posed in poem "Dead Souls"

Changes, from the point of view of Gogol, should not be external, but internal, that is, we are talking about the fact that all state and social structures, and especially their leaders, should be guided in their activities by moral laws, the postulates of Christian ethics. So, the age-old Russian misfortune - bad roads - can be overcome not by changing bosses or tightening laws and control over their implementation. For this, it is necessary that each of the participants in this work, above all the leader, remember that he is responsible not to a higher official, but to God. Gogol called on every Russian person in his place, in his position, to do business as the highest - Heavenly - law commands.

In its first volume, the emphasis is on all those negative phenomena in the life of the country that need to be corrected. But the main evil for the writer does not lie in social problems as such, but in the reason for which they arise: the spiritual impoverishment of his contemporary man. That is why the problem of the necrosis of the soul becomes central in the 1st volume of the poem. All other themes and problems of the work are grouped around it.

“Be not dead, but living souls!” - calls the writer, convincingly demonstrating what abyss the one who has lost his living soul falls into. By “dead soul” is meant not only a purely bureaucratic term used in Russia in the 19th century. Often, a “dead soul” is a person who is mired in worries about vain things. The symbolism of the definition of "dead souls" contains the opposition of the dead (inert, frozen, spiritless) beginning and the living (inspired, high, bright).

Gallery of landowners and officials shown in the 1st volume of the poem. "Dead souls", shown in the 1st volume, can only be opposed by the "living soul" of the people, appearing in the author's lyrical digressions. The originality of Gogol's position lies in the fact that he not only contrasts these two principles, but points to the possibility of the awakening of the living in the dead. So the poem includes the theme of the resurrection of the soul, the theme of the path to its rebirth. It is known that Gogol intended to show the way of the revival of two heroes from the 1st volume - Chichikov and Plyushkin. The author dreams of the "dead souls" of Russian reality being reborn, turning into truly "living" souls.

But in his contemporary world, the mortification of the soul was reflected in the most diverse aspects of life. In the poem "Dead Souls" the writer continues and develops the general theme that runs through all of his work: the belittling and decay of man in the ghostly and absurd world of Russian reality.

Now it is enriched with an idea of ​​what the true, lofty spirit of Russian life consists of, what it can and should be. This idea permeates the main theme of the poem: the writer's reflection on Russia and its people. The present Russia is a terrifying picture of decay and decay, which has affected all sectors of society: landlords, officials, even the people.

Gogol in an extremely concentrated form demonstrates "the properties of our Russian breed." Thus, Plyushkin's thrift turns into stinginess, dreaminess and hospitality of Manilov - into an excuse for laziness and sugariness. The prowess and energy of Nozdryov are remarkable qualities, but here they are excessive and aimless, and therefore become a parody of Russian heroism.

At the same time, drawing extremely generalized types of Russian landowners, Gogol reveals the theme of landowner Russia, which correlates with the problems of relations between landowners and peasants, the profitability of landlord economy, and the possibility of its improvement. At the same time, the writer condemns not serfdom and not landlords as a class, but how exactly they use their power over the peasants, the wealth of their lands, for the sake of which they are generally engaged in farming. And here the main theme remains the theme of impoverishment, which is connected not so much with economic or social problems, but with the process of necrosis of the soul.

The two most important themes of the author's reflections - the theme of Russia and the theme of the road - merge in a lyrical digression, which completes the first volume of the poem. "Rus-troika", "all inspired by God", appears in it as a vision of the author, who seeks to understand the meaning of its movement; "Rus, where are you going? Give an answer. Doesn't give an answer." But in that high lyrical pathos that permeates these final lines, the writer's faith that the answer will be found and the soul of the people will appear alive and beautiful sounds.

According to Gogol's plan, the poem "Dead Souls" was supposed to represent "all of Russia", even if only "on one side", in the first part, so it would be wrong to talk about the presence of one or more central characters in this work. Chichikov could become such a hero, but in the scope of the entire three-part plan. In the 1st volume of the poem, he stands among other characters that characterize different types of entire social groups in contemporary Russia, although he also has the additional function of a connecting hero. That is why one should consider not so much individual characters as the entire group to which they belong: landowners, officials, the acquirer hero. All of them are given in a satirical light, because their souls have become dead. Such are the representatives of the people who are shown as a component of real Russia, and there is a living soul only in those representatives of the people's Russia, which is embodied as the author's ideal.

Why does Chichikov buy dead souls? This question often arises among readers, and not only because they may not have read the work very carefully, but due to the fact that the meaning of the Chichikov scam is not entirely clear.

The fact is that, according to the laws of the Russian Empire of the 1830-1840s, the dead serfs were formally considered alive until the next revision, so they could be the subject of trade operations of their owners. Having bought a large number of such peasants, Chichikov could be considered a rich landowner, which would give him weight in society. However, this is not the main goal of the swindler Chichikov. He had the opportunity to realize his fictitious capital. Upon learning of an oversight in the legislation concerning dead souls, Chichikov exclaimed to himself: “Oh, I’m Akim-simplicity - I’m looking for mittens, and both are in my belt! Yes, if I buy all these who have died out before they have yet filed new revision tales, get them, let's say, a thousand, and, let's say, the board of trustees will give two hundred rubles per capita, that's two hundred thousand capital. Chichikov knows that for such an operation one must also be the owner of the land, the landowner, and intends to use another opportunity for enrichment: “True, without land one can neither buy nor mortgage. Why, I'll buy on withdrawal, on withdrawal; Now the land in the Tauride and Kherson provinces is given away for free, just populate.

So, Chichikov is going to use the state's oversight and extract his own benefit. It should be noted that such cases occurred in reality. Pushkin told Gogol about one of them, so that he would use it as the plot of a work of art. Gogol took Pushkin's advice and created a brilliant poem about Russia. What is the main idea of ​​the poem, what is criminal in Chichikov's scam?

Chichikov causes economic damage to the state, intending to fraudulently obtain land and money. After all, in fact, Chichikov will not populate these lands, and the state will give them away not only free of charge, but also in vain. No less significant is the moral damage from this scam, since Chichikov, buying dead peasants from the landowners, involves them in his crime. The poem depicts Chichikov's five visits to the landowners, and each of these visits shows how this criminal deal affects people. Manilov gives his peasants to Chichikov out of naivete, which comes from a lack of character and senseless "beautiful spirit." Through this image, Gogol warns of the dangers of carelessness and mental laziness. The box sells dead souls, obeying the pressure of Chichikov. In this case, he acted as a tempter, embarrassing the old landowner to such an extent that she, who never left her estate, went to the city to find out how much dead souls are now. By talking about dead souls, Chichikov brought the sharper and moth Nozdryov to a frenzy, and the matter almost came to assault. The offer to sell dead souls made to Sobakevich evoked an instant response from him. At the same time, the landowner discovered his inherent cynicism and greed. The landowner Plyushkin, on the other hand, sincerely rejoices at the “good luck” that has fallen to sell many dead and runaway peasants for a penny profit.

The reader, perhaps, does not immediately think, but then he understands more and more clearly the hidden damage of Chichikov's criminal enterprise - moral. Having taken possession of the formally dead people, Chichikov, along with their names, takes with him the memory of them, that is, they no longer belong to the place where they lived and died. Chichikov seems to "wash out" the fertile layer of soil - the peasants; The "soil" of the nation disappears into nowhere. This is the deepest semantic metaphor behind this story. And finally, having made the dead an object of sale, Chichikov extends his greed to the afterlife. This moral and religious idea was especially close to Gogol, it permeates all his work.

In May 1842, the first volume of Gogol's "Dead Souls" was published. The work was conceived by the author during his work on The Inspector General. In "Dead Souls" Gogol addresses the main theme of his work: the ruling classes of Russian society. The writer himself said: “My creation is huge and great, and its end will not be soon.” Indeed, "Dead Souls" is an outstanding phenomenon in the history of Russian and world satire.

"Dead Souls" - a satire on serfdom

"Dead Souls" - a work In this, Gogol is the successor of Pushkin's prose. He himself speaks about this on the pages of the poem in a lyrical digression about two types of writers (Chapter VII).

Here a feature of Gogol's realism is revealed: the ability to expose and show in close-up all the flaws of human nature, which are not always evident. Dead Souls reflected the basic principles of realism:

1. Historicism. The work is written about the modern writer of the time - the turn of the 20-30s of the XIX century - then serfdom was experiencing a serious crisis.
2. Typicality of characters and circumstances. The landowners and officials are depicted satirically with a pronounced critical orientation, the main social types are shown. Gogol pays special attention to details.
3. satirical typography. It is achieved by the author's characterization of characters, comic situations, reference to the past of heroes, hyperbolization, use of proverbs in speech.

The meaning of the name: literal and metaphorical

Gogol planned to write a work of three volumes. He took the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri as a basis. Likewise, Dead Souls was to be in three parts. Even the title of the poem refers the reader to Christian beginnings.

Why Dead Souls? The name itself is an oxymoron, a juxtaposition of the incomparable. The soul is a substance that is inherent in the living, but not in the dead. Using this technique, Gogol gives hope that not everything is lost, that a positive beginning in the crippled souls of landowners and officials can be reborn. This should have been the second volume.

The meaning of the title of the poem "Dead Souls" lies in several planes. On the very surface - the literal meaning, because it was dead souls that were called the dead peasants in bureaucratic documents. Actually, this is the essence of Chichikov's machinations: to buy up dead serfs and take money on their security. In the circumstances of the sale of the peasants, the main characters are shown. "Dead Souls" are the landlords and officials themselves, whom Chichikov encounters, because there is nothing human, alive left in them. They are ruled by greed (officials), stupidity (Korobochka), cruelty (Nozdrev) and rudeness (Sobakevich).

Deep meaning of the name

All new aspects are opened as you read the poem "Dead Souls". The meaning of the name, lurking in the depths of the work, makes one think about the fact that any person, a simple layman, can eventually turn into Manilov or Nozdryov. It is enough to settle in his heart with one small passion. And he will not notice how vice will grow there. To this end, in Chapter XI, Gogol urges the reader to look deep into the soul and check: “Is there any part of Chichikov in me too?”

Gogol laid in the poem "Dead Souls" the meaning of the name is multifaceted, which is revealed to the reader not immediately, but in the process of comprehending the work.

Genre originality

When analyzing Dead Souls, another question arises: "Why does Gogol position the work as a poem?" Indeed, the genre originality of the creation is unique. In the process of working on the work, Gogol shared his creative findings with friends in letters, calling Dead Souls both a poem and a novel.

About the second volume of "Dead Souls"

In a state of deep creative crisis, Gogol wrote the second volume of Dead Souls for ten years. In correspondence, he often complains to friends that things are going very tight and not particularly satisfying.

Gogol refers to the harmonious, positive image of the landowner Costanjoglo: reasonable, responsible, using scientific knowledge in the arrangement of the estate. Under his influence, Chichikov reconsiders his attitude to reality and changes for the better.

Seeing in the poem "life lies", Gogol burned the second volume of "Dead Souls".

The poem "Dead Souls" was conceived by Gogol as a grandiose panorama of Russian society with all its peculiarities and paradoxes. The central problem of the work is the spiritual death and rebirth of representatives of the main Russian estates of that time. The author denounces and ridicules the vices of the landowners, venality and pernicious passions of bureaucracy.

The title itself has a double meaning. "Dead Souls" are not only dead peasants, but also other actually living characters of the work. Calling them dead, Gogol emphasizes their devastated, miserable, "dead" little souls.

History of creation

"Dead Souls" is a poem to which Gogol devoted a significant part of his life. The author repeatedly changed the concept, rewrote and reworked the work. Gogol originally conceived Dead Souls as a humorous novel. However, in the end, I decided to create a work that exposes the problems of Russian society and will serve its spiritual revival. And so the POEM "Dead Souls" appeared.

Gogol wanted to create three volumes of the work. In the first, the author planned to describe the vices and decay of the feudal society of that time. In the second, give your heroes hope for redemption and rebirth. And in the third I intended to describe the future path of Russia and its society.

However, Gogol managed to finish only the first volume, which appeared in print in 1842. Until his death, Nikolai Vasilievich worked on the second volume. However, just before his death, the author burned the manuscript of the second volume.

The third volume of Dead Souls was never written. Gogol could not find an answer to the question of what would happen next with Russia. Or maybe I just didn't have time to write about it.

Description of the artwork

One day, a very interesting character appeared in the city of NN, who stood out against the background of other old-timers of the city - Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. After his arrival, he began to actively get acquainted with important people of the city, attended feasts and dinners. A week later, the visitor was already on "you" with all representatives of the city's nobility. Everyone was delighted with the new person who suddenly appeared in the city.

Pavel Ivanovich goes out of town to pay visits to noble landowners: Manilov, Korobochka, Sobakevich, Nozdrev and Plyushkin. With each landowner, he is kind, trying to find an approach to everyone. Natural resourcefulness and resourcefulness help Chichikov to get the location of each landowner. In addition to empty talk, Chichikov talks with the gentlemen about the peasants who died after the revision (“dead souls”) and expresses a desire to buy them. The landowners cannot understand why Chichikov needs such a deal. However, they agree to it.

As a result of his visits, Chichikov acquired more than 400 "dead souls" and was in a hurry to finish his business and leave the city. Useful acquaintances made by Chichikov upon arrival in the city helped him settle all the issues with the documents.

After some time, the landowner Korobochka let slip in the city that Chichikov was buying up "dead souls." The whole city found out about the affairs of Chichikov and was perplexed. Why would such a respected gentleman buy dead peasants? Endless rumors and conjectures have a detrimental effect even on the prosecutor, and he dies of fear.

The poem ends with Chichikov hurriedly leaving the city. Leaving the city, Chichikov sadly recalls his plans to buy dead souls and pledge them to the treasury as living ones.

main characters

A qualitatively new hero in Russian literature of that time. Chichikov can be called a representative of the newest class that is just emerging in serf Russia - entrepreneurs, "purchasers". The activity and activity of the hero favorably distinguishes him from the background of other characters in the poem.

The image of Chichikov is distinguished by its incredible versatility, diversity. Even by the appearance of the hero, it is difficult to immediately understand what a person is and what he is like. “In the britzka sat a gentleman who was not handsome, but not bad-looking either, neither too fat nor too thin, one cannot say that he was old, but not so much that he was too young.”

It is difficult to understand and embrace the nature of the protagonist. He is changeable, many-sided, able to adapt to any interlocutor, to give the face the desired expression. Thanks to these qualities, Chichikov easily finds a common language with landowners, officials and wins the right position in society. Chichikov uses the ability to charm and win over the right people to achieve his goal, namely, obtaining and accumulating money. Even his father taught Pavel Ivanovich to deal with those who are richer and take care of money, since only money can pave the way in life.

Chichikov did not earn money honestly: he deceived people, took bribes. Over time, Chichikov's machinations are gaining more and more scope. Pavel Ivanovich seeks to increase his fortune by any means, not paying attention to any moral norms and principles.

Gogol defines Chichikov as a man with a vile nature and also considers his soul to be dead.

In his poem, Gogol describes the typical images of the landowners of that time: "business executives" (Sobakevich, Korobochka), as well as not serious and wasteful gentlemen (Manilov, Nozdrev).

Nikolai Vasilievich masterfully created the image of the landowner Manilov in the work. By this image alone, Gogol meant a whole class of landowners with similar features. The main qualities of these people are sentimentality, constant fantasies and lack of activity. The landlords of such a warehouse let the economy take its course, do nothing useful. They are stupid and empty inside. This is exactly what Manilov was like - in his soul not a bad, but mediocre and stupid poseur.

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka

The landowner, however, differs significantly in character from Manilov. Korobochka is a good and tidy mistress, everything in her estate is going well. However, the landowner's life revolves exclusively around her household. The box does not develop spiritually, it is not interested in anything. She does not understand absolutely anything that does not concern her economy. The box is also one of the images by which Gogol meant a whole class of similar limited landowners who see nothing further than their household.

The author unequivocally classifies the landowner Nozdrev as not a serious and wasteful gentlemen. Unlike the sentimental Manilov, Nozdryov is full of energy. However, the landowner uses this energy not for the benefit of the economy, but for the sake of his momentary pleasures. Nozdryov plays, wastes money. It is distinguished by its frivolity and idle attitude to life.

Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich

The image of Sobakevich, created by Gogol, echoes the image of a bear. There is something from a large wild beast in the appearance of the landowner: sluggishness, sedateness, strength. Sobakevich is not concerned about the aesthetic beauty of the things around him, but their reliability and durability. Behind the rough appearance and harsh character lies a cunning, intelligent and resourceful person. According to the author of the poem, it will not be difficult for such landowners as Sobakevich to adapt to the changes and reforms coming in Russia.

The most unusual representative of the class of landowners in Gogol's poem. The old man is distinguished by his extreme stinginess. Moreover, Plyushkin is greedy not only in relation to his peasants, but also in relation to himself. However, such savings make Plushkin a truly poor man. After all, it is his stinginess that does not allow him to find a family.

officialdom

Gogol in the work has a description of several city officials. However, the author in his work does not significantly differentiate them from each other. All officials in "Dead Souls" are a gang of thieves, crooks and embezzlers. These people really care only about their enrichment. Gogol literally describes in a few lines the image of a typical official of that time, rewarding him with the most unflattering qualities.

Analysis of the work

The plot of "Dead Souls" is based on an adventure conceived by Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. At first glance, Chichikov's plan seems incredible. However, if you look at it, the Russian reality of those times, with its rules and laws, provided opportunities for all sorts of machinations related to serfs.

The fact is that after 1718, a per capita census of peasants was introduced in the Russian Empire. For each male serf, the master had to pay a tax. However, the census was carried out quite rarely - once every 12-15 years. And if one of the peasants escaped or died, the landowner was forced to pay tax for him anyway. The dead or runaway peasants became a burden for the master. This created fertile ground for various kinds of fraud. Chichikov himself hoped to carry out such a scam.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol knew perfectly well how Russian society was organized with its serf system. And the whole tragedy of his poem lies in the fact that Chichikov's scam absolutely did not contradict the current Russian legislation. Gogol denounces the distorted relations of man with man, as well as man with the state, speaks of the absurd laws in force at that time. Because of such distortions, events that are contrary to common sense become possible.

"Dead Souls" is a classic work, which, like no other, is written in the style of Gogol. Quite often, Nikolai Vasilievich based his work on some kind of anecdote or a comical situation. And the more ridiculous and unusual the situation, the more tragic the real state of affairs seems.