The image of officials in the poem "Dead Souls" (by chapters). The image and characteristics of the prosecutor in the poem Dead Souls by Gogol What the prosecutor did in Dead Souls

The share of the prosecutor's participation in the narrative is small: Chichikov's first meeting with him in the governor's house, his appearance at the ball in Nozdryov's company, the death of the prosecutor and Chichikov's collision with the funeral procession - nevertheless, Gogol pays attention to the prosecutor for a reason. The inability of those in power to discern a fraudster in a visitor emphasizes a very important idea - to show “insignificant people.” “I needed,” Gogol wrote, “to take away from all the wonderful people I knew everything vulgar and disgusting that they had taken by accident, and return it to its rightful owners. Don’t ask why the first part should be all vulgarity and why everything in it should be every single person must be SOPE: other topics will give you the answer to that. That’s all!” So, Chichikov successfully buys dead souls, and the one who should have stopped him - the prosecutor - dies.

The prosecutor becomes one of the first listeners of Nozdryov's revelations. They almost shout in his ears that Chichikov is buying up dead souls. The atmosphere thickens. The prosecutor is brought to the attention of a lady's invention about the kidnapping of the governor's daughter.

All this needs to be thought through. "...He began to think and think and suddenly, as they say, for no reason at all, he died. Whether it was paralysis or something else, he just sat there and fell backwards out of his chair. They screamed, as usual, They clasped their hands: “Oh, my God!” - they sent for the doctor to draw blood, but they saw that the prosecutor was already just a soulless body. Only then did they learn with condolences that the dead man actually had a soul, although he was so modest. never showed it."

V. Ermilov, assessing the significance of the figure of the prosecutor for the theme of “Dead Souls,” wrote: “The subtlest sad irony is hidden in the history of the prosecutor. The comedy of Sobakevich’s remark that in the whole city there is only one prosecutor “a decent man, and even that is a pig” has its own internal significance. Indeed, the prosecutor experiences the general confusion and fear caused by the Chichikov “case” more deeply than anyone else.

He even dies for the sole reason that he began to think... He died from the lack of habit of thinking.

By his very position, he really should have thought more than anyone else about everything that surfaced in the minds of the shocked officials in connection with the incomprehensible case of Chichikov...” The death of the prosecutor gives Gogol the opportunity for another lyrical insertion, reflections on the fact that in the face of death everyone is equal: “Meanwhile, the appearance of death was just as scary in a small person, just as it is scary in a great man: the one who not so long ago walked, moved, played whist, signed various papers and was so often seen among officials with his thick eyebrows and a blinking eye, was now lying on the table, his left eye was no longer blinking at all, but one eyebrow was still raised with some kind of questioning expression. What the dead man asked: why he died or why he lived - only God knows about this." But no death will make city officials think about the frailty of the world: "All their thoughts were concentrated at that time in themselves: they thought, somehow there will be a new governor-general, how he will get down to business and how he will receive them..." This sad picture ends the first volume of the poem.

Officialdom in N.V. Gogol’s poem “ Dead souls»

Sample text essays

In Tsarist Russia of the 30-40s of the 19th century, a real disaster for the people was not only serfdom, but also an extensive bureaucratic bureaucratic apparatus. Called to guard law and order, representatives of the administrative authorities thought only about their own material well-being, stealing from the treasury, extorting bribes, and mocking powerless people. Thus, the topic of exposing the bureaucratic world was very relevant for Russian literature. Gogol addressed her more than once in such works as “The Inspector General,” “The Overcoat,” and “Notes of a Madman.” It also found expression in the poem “Dead Souls,” where, starting from the seventh chapter, bureaucracy is the focus of the author’s attention. Despite the absence of detailed and detailed images similar to the landowner heroes, the picture of bureaucratic life in Gogol’s poem is striking in its breadth.

With two or three masterful strokes, the writer draws wonderful miniature portraits. This is the governor, embroidering on tulle, and the prosecutor with very black thick eyebrows, and the short postmaster, a wit and philosopher, and many others. These sketchy faces are memorable because of their characteristic funny details, which are filled with deep meaning. Indeed, why is the head of an entire province characterized as a good-natured man who sometimes embroiders on tulle? Probably because there is nothing to say about him as a leader. From here it is easy to draw a conclusion about how negligently and unconscionably the governor treats his job responsibilities, to civic duty. The same can be said about his subordinates. Gogol widely uses in the poem the technique of characterizing the hero by other characters. For example, when a witness was needed to formalize the purchase of serfs, Sobakevich tells Chichikov that the prosecutor, as an idle person, is probably sitting at home. But this is one of the most significant officials of the city, who must administer justice and ensure compliance with the law. The characterization of the prosecutor in the poem is enhanced by the description of his death and funeral. He did nothing but mindlessly sign papers, as he left all decisions to the solicitor, “the first grabber in the world.” Obviously, the cause of his death was rumors about the sale of “dead souls”, since it was he who was responsible for all the illegal affairs that took place in the city. Bitter Gogolian irony is heard in thoughts about the meaning of the prosecutor’s life: “...why he died, or why he lived, only God knows.” Even Chichikov, looking at the prosecutor's funeral, involuntarily comes to the conclusion that the only thing the deceased can be remembered for is his thick black eyebrows.

The writer gives a close-up of a typical image of the official Ivan Antonovich Pitcher Snout. Taking advantage of his position, he extorts bribes from visitors. It’s funny to read about how Chichikov put a “piece of paper” in front of Ivan Antonovich, “which he did not notice at all and immediately covered with a book.” But it’s sad to realize what a hopeless situation Russian citizens found themselves in, dependent on dishonest, self-interested people representing state power. This idea is emphasized by Gogol’s comparison of the civil chamber official with Virgil. At first glance, it is unacceptable. But the vile official, like the Roman poet in The Divine Comedy, leads Chichikov through all the circles of bureaucratic hell. This means that this comparison strengthens the impression of the evil that permeates the entire administrative system of Tsarist Russia.

Gogol gives in the poem a unique classification of officials, dividing representatives of this class into lower, thin and fat. The writer gives a sarcastic characterization of each of these groups. The lowest are, according to Gogol's definition, nondescript clerks and secretaries, as a rule, bitter drunkards. By “thin” the author means the middle stratum, and the “thick” are the provincial nobility, which firmly holds on to their places and deftly extracts considerable income from their high position.

Gogol is inexhaustible in choosing surprisingly accurate and apt comparisons. Thus, he likens officials to a squadron of flies that swoop down on tasty morsels of refined sugar. Provincial officials are also characterized in the poem by their usual activities: playing cards, drinking, lunches, dinners, gossip. Gogol writes that in the society of these civil servants “meanness, completely disinterested, pure meanness” flourishes. Their quarrels do not end in a duel, because “they were all civil officials.” They have other methods and means through which they play dirty tricks on each other, which can be more difficult than any duel. There are no significant differences in the way of life of officials, in their actions and views. Gogol portrays this class as thieves, bribe-takers, slackers and swindlers who are bound together by mutual responsibility. That’s why the officials felt so uncomfortable when Chichikov’s scam was revealed, because each of them remembered their sins. If they try to detain Chichikov for his fraud, then he too will be able to accuse them of dishonesty. A comical situation arises when people in power help a swindler in his illegal machinations and are afraid of him.

Gogol pushes the boundaries in the poem county town, introducing “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” into it. It no longer talks about local abuses, but about the arbitrariness and lawlessness that is committed by the highest St. Petersburg officials, that is, the government itself. The contrast between the unheard-of luxury of St. Petersburg and the pitiful beggarly position of Kopeikin, who shed blood for his fatherland and lost an arm and a leg, is striking. But, despite his injuries and military merits, this war hero does not even have the right to the pension due to him. A desperate disabled person tries to find help in the capital, but his attempt is frustrated by the cold indifference of a high-ranking official. This disgusting image of a soulless St. Petersburg nobleman completes the characterization of the world of officials. All of them, starting with the petty provincial secretary and ending with the representative of the highest administrative power, are dishonest, selfish, cruel people, indifferent to the fate of the country and the people. It is to this conclusion that N. V. Gogol’s wonderful poem “Dead Souls” leads the reader.

The episodes with the participation of the prosecutor in Dead Souls are small. Chichikov's first meeting with him in the governor's house, appearance at the ball in Nozdryov's company, the death of the prosecutor, Chichikov's collision with the funeral procession.

But if you look closely at the text, it becomes clear that Gogol pays attention to the prosecutor for a reason.

Sharp, extremely characteristic features The author gives the appearance of his character. This is a man “with very black thick eyebrows and a somewhat winking left eye,” that is, with obvious signs of a nervous tic, a disordered nervous system. This sign cannot be considered random. Indeed, the prosecutor turned out to be an easily excitable person who died of fright at the news of Chichikov’s scam. Not the least role was played by the understanding that he, the prosecutor, the guardian of the law, made such an official oversight.

The inability of those in power to discern a fraudster in a visitor emphasizes a very important idea - to show “insignificant people.”

“I needed,” Gogol wrote, “to take away from all the wonderful people I knew everything that was vulgar and disgusting that they had taken by accident, and return it to its rightful owners. Don’t ask why the first part should be all vulgarity and why every single person in it should be vulgar: other topics will give you the answer to that. That's all!

One of storylines poem: Chichikov successfully buys dead souls, takes with him the deeds of sale, and the one who should have prevented him - the prosecutor - dies.

Let us remember how Nozdryov appears at the ball with the prosecutor: he literally drags him by the arm. The prosecutor becomes one of the first listeners of Nozdryov's revelations. Nozdryov appeals to him, repeating: “Here is His Excellency here... isn’t it, prosecutor?” They almost shout in his ears that Chichikov is buying up dead souls. The prosecutor cannot fail to understand that it is necessary to look into it and check the legality of the transactions. The atmosphere thickens. The prosecutor is brought to the attention of a lady's invention about the kidnapping of the governor's daughter.

“...He began to think and think and suddenly, as they say, for no apparent reason he died. Whether he was suffering from paralysis or something else, just as he was sitting, he fell backwards out of his chair. They screamed, as usual, clasping their hands: “Oh, my God!” - they sent for a doctor to draw blood, but they saw that the prosecutor was already one soulless body. Only then did they learn with condolences that the deceased definitely had a soul, although due to his modesty he never showed it.”

V. Ermilov, assessing the significance of the figure of the prosecutor for the theme of “Dead Souls,” wrote: “The subtlest sad irony is hidden in the story of the prosecutor. The comedy of Sobakevich’s remark that in the whole city there is only one prosecutor “a decent man, and even that one is a pig” has its own internal meaning. In fact, the prosecutor most deeply experiences the general confusion and fear caused by the Chichikov “case.” He even dies for the sole reason that he began to think... He died from the lack of habit of thinking. By his very position, he really should have thought more than anyone else about everything that surfaced in the minds of the shocked officials in connection with the incomprehensible case of Chichikov...”

The death of the prosecutor provokes Gogol to reason about the equality of people in her face: “Meanwhile, the appearance of death was just as terrible in a small person, just as it is terrible in a great man: the one who not so long ago walked, moved, played whist, signed various papers and was so often seen among officials with his thick eyebrows and blinking eye, now he was lying on the table, his left eye was no longer blinking at all, but one eyebrow was still raised with some kind of questioning expression. What the dead man asked: why he died or why he lived - only God knows about this.”

The story of the prosecutor is another link in the chain of heroes who “don’t know why they live.” Those around them learn about the existence of their soul only after death. Gogol directly connects the death of the prosecutor with Chichikov’s scam, making it clear that it is far from harmless.

The callousness, callousness and selfishness of city officials are especially clearly manifested during the funeral of the prosecutor. Leaving the city, Chichikov sees officials following the coffin and thinking only about their careers: “All their thoughts were concentrated at that time in themselves: they thought what the new governor-general would be like, how he would get down to business and how he would receive them. ..” This sad picture ends the first volume of the poem.

In the description of the death of the prosecutor, the features of Gogol's comicism also visibly appeared; the funny turns into sad, the funny becomes scary - in a word, “laughter through tears.”

The share of the prosecutor's participation in the narrative is small: Chichikov's first meeting with him in the governor's house, his appearance at the ball in Nozdryov's company, the death of the prosecutor and Chichikov's collision with the funeral procession - nevertheless, Gogol pays attention to the prosecutor for a reason.
The inability of those in power to discern a fraudster in a visitor emphasizes a very important idea - to show “insignificant people.”
“I needed,” Gogol wrote, “to take away from all the wonderful people I knew everything vulgar and disgusting that they had taken by accident, and return it to its rightful owners. Don’t ask why the first part should be all vulgarity and why everything in it should be every single person must be SOPE: other topics will give you the answer to that. That’s all!”
So, Chichikov successfully buys dead souls, and the one who should have stopped him - the prosecutor - dies.
The prosecutor becomes one of the first listeners of Nozdryov's revelations. They almost shout in his ears that Chichikov is buying up dead souls. The atmosphere thickens. The prosecutor is brought to the attention of a lady's invention about the kidnapping of the governor's daughter. All this needs to be thought through.
"...He began to think and think and suddenly, as they say, for no reason at all, he died. Whether it was paralysis or something else, he just sat there and fell backwards out of his chair. They screamed, as usual, They clasped their hands: “Oh, my God!” - they sent for the doctor to draw blood, but they saw that the prosecutor was already just a soulless body. Only then did they learn with condolences that the dead man actually had a soul, although he was so modest. never showed it."
V. Ermilov, assessing the significance of the figure of the prosecutor for the theme of “Dead Souls,” wrote: “The subtlest sad irony is hidden in the history of the prosecutor. The comedy of Sobakevich’s remark that in the whole city there is only one prosecutor “a decent man, and even that is a pig” has its own internal significance. Indeed, the prosecutor experiences the general confusion and fear caused by the Chichikov “case” more deeply than anyone else. He even dies for the sole reason that he began to think... By his very position, he really should have died. think most of all about everything that surfaced in the minds of the shocked officials in connection with the incomprehensible case of Chichikov..."
The death of the prosecutor gives Gogol the opportunity for another lyrical insertion, reflections on the fact that in the face of death everyone is equal: “Meanwhile, the appearance of death was just as terrible in a small person, just as it is terrible in a great man: the one who not so long ago walked , moved, played whist, signed various papers and was so often seen among the officials with his thick eyebrows and blinking eye, now lay on the table, his left eye no longer blinked at all, but one eyebrow was still raised with some kind of questioning expression "What the dead man asked: why he died or why he lived - only God knows about this."
But no death will make city officials think about the frailty of the world: “All their thoughts were concentrated at that time in themselves: they thought what the new governor-general would be like, how he would get down to business and how he would receive them...” This The first volume of the poem ends with a sad picture.

Slide 2

Let's repeat what we learned

The main method of depicting landowners in the poem is detailed portraits, which are accompanied by:

• interior,
• details,
• characteristics of other characters, the hero’s behavior during the transaction,
• speaking names.