Hypocrisy in dead souls. Problem: rudeness, ignorance, hypocrisy

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov - main character famous poem by N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls", in the past he was an official and an inveterate careerist, who then became a clever swindler and manipulator. He travels through the villages of the Russian outback, meets with various landowners and nobles, tries to earn their trust and thus do things profitable for himself.

Chichikov is interested in purchasing so-called “dead souls”, documents for serfs who have already died, but due to the fact that the population census was carried out once every few years, they are considered alive. An enterprising businessman plans to resell these souls along with the land, which he plans to buy for pennies, and earn good capital from it. The image of Chichikov is a fresh and new look at adventurous image entrepreneur in Russian literature.

Characteristics of the main character

("Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich. In front of the box" Artist P. Sokolov, 1890)

The inner world of Chichikov before last chapter in the book remains mysterious and ambiguous for everyone. The description of his appearance is averaged to the maximum: neither handsome nor ugly, not very fat, but not thin, neither old nor young. The main features of this hero are averageness (he is a quiet and inconspicuous gentleman, distinguished by pleasant manners, roundness and smoothness) and a high degree of enterprise. Even his manner of communication does not reveal his character: he speaks neither loudly nor quietly, knows how to find an approach everywhere and is known as his own person everywhere.

Peculiarities inner world Chichikov is revealed through the manner of his communication with the landowners, whom he attracts to his side and, through skillful manipulation, persuades them to sell “dead souls.” The author notes the ability of a cunning adventurer to adapt to his interlocutor and copy his manners. Chichikov knows people very well, finds his own benefit in everything and, like a subtle psychologist, tells people what they need.

(Illustration by V. Makovsky "Chichikov at Manilov")

Chichikov is an active and active person; it is very important for him not only to save what he has earned, but also to increase it (as many times as possible). Moreover, irrepressible greed does not torment him like Plyushkin, because money for him is only a means to ensure a decent life.

Chichikov comes from a poor, respectable family, and his father advised him to always please his superiors and get along with the right people, and taught him that “a penny opens any door.” Having no initial concepts about duty and conscience, Chichikov, having matured, understands that moral values only hinder the achievement of set goals and therefore often neglects the voice of conscience, making a way in life with his own forehead.

(Illustration "Little Chichikov")

And although Chichikov is a swindler and a rogue, he cannot be denied perseverance, talent and ingenuity. At school, he sold buns to his classmates (who also treated him to them), at every job he tried to find his own profit and tried to get rich, and eventually came up with an idea with “ dead souls"and tried to pull it off, playing on the feelings and base instincts of the people around him. At the end of the work, Chichikov’s scam is discovered and becomes public knowledge, he is forced to leave.

The image of the main character in the work

("Chichikov's Toilet" Artist P.P. Sokolov 1966)

In his famous work, which took him 17 years of painstaking work, Gogol created a comprehensive picture of modern Russian realities and revealed a diverse gallery of characters and types of people of that time. The image of Chichikov, a talented entrepreneur and unprincipled swindler, represents, according to the author, “a terrible and vile force that is not capable of reviving the Fatherland.”

Trying to live according to the behests of his father, Chichikov tried to live frugally and save every penny, but realizing that you can’t make much wealth in an honest way, he finds a loophole in the Russian legislation of those years and begins to implement his plan. Having not achieved what he wanted, he brands himself as a swindler and a rogue, and is forced to abandon his plans.

What lesson this character learned from this situation remains unclear to us, because the second volume of this work was destroyed by the author. Do we have to guess what happened next and whether Chichikov is to blame for what he tried to do or whether society and the principles to which it is subordinated are to blame.

The poem “Dead Souls” is one of the most remarkable works of Russian literature. The great realist writer N.V. Gogol showed the whole of 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. Chichikov also finds a common language with the landowners from whom he buys dead peasants. With Manilov, he looks like a particularly amiable 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 the sake of 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 a great mind “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

The main character of the poem “Dead Souls” is Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. The complex character of literature opened his eyes to the events of the past and showed many hidden problems.

The image and characterization of Chichikov in the poem “Dead Souls” will allow you to understand yourself and find the traits that you need to get rid of so as not to become his likeness.

Hero's appearance

The main character, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, does not have an exact indication of his age. You can do mathematical calculations, distributing the periods of his life marked by ups and downs. The author says that this is a middle-aged man, there is an even more precise indication:

“...decent middle years...”

Other appearance features:

full figure;
roundness of shapes;
pleasant appearance.

Chichikov is pleasant in appearance, but no one calls him handsome. Fullness is in those sizes that it can no longer be thicker. In addition to his appearance, the hero has a pleasant voice. That is why all his meetings are based on negotiations. He easily talks to any character. The landowner is attentive to himself, he carefully chooses clothes, uses cologne. Chichikov admires himself, he likes his appearance. The most attractive thing for him is the chin. Chichikov is sure that this part of the face is expressive and beautiful. The man, having studied himself, found a way to charm. He knows how to evoke sympathy, his techniques bring a charming smile. The interlocutors do not understand what secret is hidden inside an ordinary person. The secret is the ability to please. Ladies call him a charming creature, they even look for things in him that are hidden from view.

Hero's personality

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov has a fairly high rank. He is a collegiate advisor. For man

“...without tribe and clan...”

Such an achievement proves that the hero is very persistent and purposeful. From childhood, a boy cultivates the ability to deny himself pleasure if it interferes with big things. To obtain a high rank, Pavel received an education, and he studied diligently and taught himself to get what he wanted by all means: by cunning, sycophancy, and patience. Pavel is strong in mathematical sciences, which means he has logical thinking and practicality. Chichikov is a cautious person. He can talk about various phenomena in life, noticing what will help achieve the desired result. The hero travels a lot and is not afraid to meet new people. But the restraint of his personality does not allow him to conduct long stories about the past. The hero is an excellent expert in psychology. He easily finds an approach and common topics of conversation with different people. Moreover, Chichikov’s behavior changes. He, like a chameleon, easily changes his appearance, demeanor, and style of speech. The author emphasizes how unusual the twists of his mind are. He knows his own worth and penetrates into the depths of the subconscious of his interlocutors.

Positive character traits of Pavel Ivanovich

The character has a lot of traits that do not allow him to be considered only a negative character. His desire to buy up dead souls is frightening, but until the last pages the reader is at a loss as to why the landowner needs dead peasants, what Chichikov has in mind. One more question: how did you come up with this method of enriching yourself and increasing your status in society?

protects his health, he does not smoke and monitors the amount of wine he drinks.
doesn't play gambling: cards.
a believer, before starting an important conversation, a man crosses himself in Russian.
takes pity on the poor and gives alms (but this quality cannot be called compassion; it does not manifest itself to everyone and not always).
slyness allows the hero to hide his true face.
neat and thrifty: things and objects that help preserve important events in memory are stored in a box.

Chichikov developed a strong character. The firmness and conviction that one is right is somewhat surprising, but also captivating. The landowner is not afraid to do what should make him richer. He is firm in his convictions. Many people need such strength, but most get lost, doubt and go astray from a difficult path.

Negative traits of a hero

The character also has negative qualities. They explain why the image was perceived by society as a real person; similarities with him were found in any environment.

never dances, although he attends balls with zeal.
loves to eat, especially at someone else's expense.
hypocritical: he can cry, lie, pretend to be upset.
deceiver and bribe-taker: in speech there are statements of honesty, but in reality everything says the opposite.
composure: politely, but without feelings, Pavel Ivanovich conducts business that makes his interlocutors shrink inside with fear.

Chichikov does not feel the right feeling for women - love. He considers them as an object capable of giving him offspring. He even evaluates the lady he likes without tenderness: “nice grandma.” The “acquirer” seeks to create wealth that will go to his children. On the one hand, this positive trait, the meanness with which he approaches this is negative and dangerous.

It is impossible to accurately describe the character of Pavel Ivanovich, to say that he is a positive character or bad guy. A real person taken from life is both good and bad at the same time. One character combines different personalities, but one can only envy his desire to achieve his goal. The classic helps young people to stop the traits of Chichikov in themselves, a man for whom life becomes a matter of profit, the value of existence, the mystery of the afterlife are lost.

PROBLEM: Meanness, betrayal, dishonor, envy.

1. A.S. Pushkin, novel " Captain's daughter»

Shvabrin is a nobleman, but he is dishonest: he takes revenge on Masha Mironova for her refusal, and during a duel with Grinev, he stabs him in the back. The complete loss of ideas about honor and dignity provokes him to betrayal: he goes over to the camp of the rebel Pugachev.

2. Karamzin " Poor Lisa»

Erast, the heroine’s lover, betrayed his feelings for the girl, choosing material well-being

3. N.V. Gogol, story “Taras Bulba”

Andriy, the son of Taras, being captured by love feelings, betrays his father, brother, comrades, and homeland. Bulba kills his son because he cannot live with such shame

4. A.S. Pushkin, tragedy "Mozart and Salieri"

The envious Salieri, jealous of the success of the great composer Mozart, poisoned him, although he considered him his friend.

PROBLEM: Worship of rank, servility, servility, opportunism.

A.P. Chekhov, story “The Death of an Official”

The official Chervyakov is infected with the spirit of veneration: Having sneezed and splashed the general’s bald head, he was so frightened that after repeated humiliations and requests, he died of fear.

2. A.S. Griboyedov, comedy "Woe from Wit"

Molchalin, the negative character of the comedy, is sure that you need to please everyone without exception. This will allow you to climb the career ladder. Caring for Sophia, Famusov's daughter, he pursues precisely this goal.

PROBLEM: Bribery, embezzlement

1. N.V. Gogol, comedy "The Inspector General"

The mayor, like all officials county town, - a bribe-taker and embezzler. He is convinced that all issues can be solved with the help of money and the ability to show off.

2. N.V. Gogol, poem "Dead Souls"

Chichikov, drawing up a bill of sale for the “dead” souls, gives a bribe to the official, after which things move faster.

PROBLEM: Rudeness, ignorance, hypocrisy

1. A.N. Ostrovsky, drama "The Thunderstorm"

Dikoy is a typical boor who insults everyone around him. Impunity gave rise to complete unbridledness in this man.

2. DI. Fonvizin, comedy "Minor"

Mrs. Prostakova considers her boorish behavior to be normal, which is why the people around her are “brutes” and “morons.”

3. A.P. Chekhov, story "Chameleon"

Police warden Ochumelov grovels before those who are above him on the career ladder, and feels like a master of the situation before those who are below. This is reflected in his behavior, which changes depending on the situation.

PROBLEM: The destructive influence of money (material goods) on the human soul, hoarding

1. A.P. Chekhov, story “Ionych”

Doctor Startsev, a promising and talented doctor in his youth, turns into Ionych’s hoarder. The main passion of his life is money, which became the cause of moral decay of the individual.

2. N.V. Gogol, poem “Dead Souls”

The stingy landowner Plyushkin personifies complete spiritual degradation. The passion for hoarding became the reason for the destruction of all family and friendly ties; Plyushkin himself simply lost his human appearance.

PROBLEM: Vandalism, unconsciousness

1. I.A. Bunin "Cursed days"

Bunin could not even imagine that the brutality and vandalism brought by the revolution would turn people into a maddened crowd, destroying everything in its path.

2. D.S. Likhachev, book “On the Good and the Beautiful”

The Russian academician was outraged when he learned that the monument to Bagration’s grave was blown up on the Borodino field. This is a terrible example of vandalism and oblivion.

3. V. Rasputin, story “Farewell to Matera”

When villages were flooded, not only people’s homes went under water, but also churches and graveyards, which is a terrible example of vandalism.

PROBLEM: The role of art

1. A.T. Tvardovsky, poem “Vasily Terkin”

Front-line soldiers say that soldiers exchanged smoke and bread for clippings from front-line newspapers, where chapters of the poem were published. This means that an encouraging word was sometimes more important than food.

2. L.N. Tolstoy, novel "War and Peace"

Natasha Rostova sings beautifully, at these moments she becomes unusually beautiful, and people around her are drawn to her.

3. A.I. Kuprin, story " Garnet bracelet»

Listening to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” Vera experienced, thanks to the hopelessly in love Zheltkov, a feeling similar to catharsis. Music awakened in her empathy, compassion, and a desire to love.

PROBLEM: Love for the Motherland, nostalgia

1. M.Yu. Lermontov, poem “Motherland”

The lyrical hero loves his homeland as it is, and is ready to go through all the trials with his people.

2. A. Blok, poem “Russia”

For lyrical hero Blok's love for his homeland is like love for a woman. He believes in the great future of his country.

3. I.A. Bunin, stories “Clean Monday”, “Antonov Apples”

I.A. Bunin left Russia forever in 1920. A feeling of nostalgia haunted him all his life. The heroes of his stories recall the great past of Russia, which was irretrievably lost: history, culture, traditions.

PROBLEM: Loyalty to your word (duty)

1. A.S. Pushkin, novel “Dubrovsky”

Masha, married to an unloved man, refuses to break the oath of fidelity given in the church when Dubrovsky tries to save her.

2. A.S. Pushkin, novel “Eugene Onegin”

Tatyana Larina, true to her marital duty and her given word, is forced to refuse Onegin. She became the personification of human moral strength.

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It often happens that it is not enough for us to know about the actions or opinions of another person; we want to have a complete understanding of him, even when his external data in no way affects his type of activity or is not relevant to the subject of discussion. This pattern has its reasons. Often, peering into a person’s face, we try to lament something hidden, something that he does not want to talk about. Therefore, the appearance of any character is important for comparing his characteristics and actions.

Who is Chichikov

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is a former official of a “cautious and chilled character.”
Until the last chapter of the work, many facts of the biography and origin of Pavel Ivanovich remain hidden for us; we can guess about some points based on their hints from the hero, and only after reading the last pages will we learn the true picture.

Chichikov is of humble origin. As he himself says, “without family or tribe.” And this is not an exaggeration. His parents really were simple people, this fact confuses Pavel Ivanovich, but, nevertheless, at some points he makes mention of this in society, citing the fact that such a position in society will help win over the landowners and they will become more accommodating. Despite his humble origins, Pavel Ivanovich managed to become a man of “brilliant education,” but “Chichikov did not know French at all” (this is the privilege of aristocrats). He was especially good at exact sciences; he could quickly and easily make calculations in his head - “he was strong in arithmetic.”

Passion for accumulating money

The judgment that events that occurred in childhood properly influence the character, the process of formation of principles and moral principles of a person, has long passed from the category of assumptions to the category of axioms. We find confirmation of this in Chichikov.

After working for some time as a collegiate official, he resigned and seriously began to look for a way to enrich himself. By the way, the thought of the need to improve his financial situation never left Pavel Ivanovich, despite the fact that it arose in him from an early age.

The reason for this was the humble origin of the protagonist and the poverty he experienced during his childhood. This is confirmed in the last paragraphs of the work, where the reader can observe the picture of young Chichikov’s departure to study. His parents say goodbye to him warmly and reverently, and give advice that would help their son take a more advantageous position in society:

“Look, Pavlusha, study, don’t be stupid and don’t act out, but most of all please your teachers and bosses. Don’t hang out with your comrades, they won’t teach you any good; hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Don’t treat or treat anyone, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything in the world. A comrade or friend will deceive you and in trouble will be the first to betray you, but a penny will not betray you, no matter what trouble you are in. You will do everything and ruin everything in the world with a penny.”

Gogol does not depict in detail the life of Pavel’s parents - a few snatched facts do not give a complete picture, but Nikolai Vasilyevich manages to achieve understanding among readers that the parents were honest and respectable people. They have felt the burden of earning a piece of bread and do not want their son to work hard as well, which is why they give him such unusual recommendations.

Chichikov tries his best to follow his parents' advice. And therefore, he manages to achieve significant results, but not as high as he wanted.

He learned to earn money and save it, denying himself everything he could. True, his earnings were based on an unfair and insidious method: in his behavior with his classmates, he was able to arrange the situation in such a way that “they treated him, and he, having hidden the received treat, then sold it to them.” “He didn’t have any special abilities for any science,” but he could skillfully craft, for example, he molded a bullfinch from wax and managed to sell it at a good price. He knew how to communicate with animals, and he had a talent for training animals. Pavlusha caught a mouse and taught it several tricks: it “stood on its hind legs, lay down and stood up when ordered.” They also managed to sell such a curiosity for a decent sum.

Gogol does not talk about how his father’s death affected Chichikov. The only thing he tells the reader is that Pavel inherited from his father “four irretrievably worn sweatshirts, two old frock coats lined with sheepskin, and an insignificant amount of money.” And he adds a sarcastic comment - the father happily gave advice on getting rich, but he himself could not accumulate anything.

His further life followed the same principle - he stubbornly saved money - “everything that smacked of wealth and contentment made an impression on him that was incomprehensible to himself.” But an economical life does not allow him to accumulate large capital, and this fact saddens him very much - he decides to get rich in any way. Over time, a loophole was found and Chichikov rushes to take advantage of it, trying to get rich by fraud. To do this, he travels to villages and tries to buy from local landowners " dead souls”, so that later, passing them off as real living people, they can be sold at a better price.

Appearance and character traits

Pavel Ivanovich is a stately man of middle age and “pleasant appearance”: “neither too fat, nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.”

It has just the right amount of everything - if it were a little fuller it would be too much and spoil it significantly. Chichikov himself also finds himself attractive. In his opinion, he has a beautiful face with an unusually beautiful chin.

He doesn't smoke, doesn't play cards, doesn't dance and doesn't like to drive fast. In fact, all of these preferences are associated with the avoidance of financial costs: tobacco costs money, added to this is the fear that “the pipe will dry out,” you can lose significantly at cards, in order to dance, you first need to learn how to do it, and this is also a waste—and This does not impress the main character; he tries to save as much as possible, because “a penny opens any door.”

The fact that Chichikov has an ignoble origin allowed him to outline for himself the ideal of a person close to high society (he knows very well what, in addition to financial and social status, distinguishes aristocrats, what first of all catches the eye and impresses people).

First of all, Chichikov is an undeniable pedant and a neat freak. He is very principled in terms of hygiene: when he needed to wash, he “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time,” wiped his entire body with a damp sponge, “which was done only on Sundays,” and diligently exterminated the hair that came out of his nose. This has an unusually positive impression on the district landowners - they are very surprised by such habits, I consider them a sign of high society.

The following qualities that noticeably distinguish him from the crowd are knowledge and understanding of the basics of psychology and the ability to flatter a person. His praises always know the measure - there are not many and not little - just enough so that a person does not suspect deception: “he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.”

Due to his duty and, looking at his origin, Chichikov witnessed various scenes, he was able to study the types of behavior of different people and now in communication he easily found the key to the trust of any person. He understood perfectly well what, to whom and in what form he needed to say so that a person would stop distrusting him: he, “who really knew great secret like".

Chichikov is a person of exceptional upbringing and tact in communication. Many find him charming, he has “charming qualities and techniques,” and his behavior in society is admired: “he did not like to allow himself to be treated with familiarity in any case.”

His efforts in the area of flattery are not in vain. The landowners, and even the governor of the city N himself, soon spoke of him as a man of the purest thoughts and aspirations. He is an ideal for them, an example to follow, everyone is ready to vouch for him.

But still, Chichikov does not always manage to find the key to the heart of the bosses and the aristocracy. The stumbling block was the new boss, appointed “in place of the previous mattress, a military man, strict, an enemy of bribe-takers and everything that is called untruth.” He immediately didn’t like Chichikov, and no matter how hard Pavel Ivanovich tried, “he just couldn’t get in, no matter how hard he tried.”

He behaved carefully with women, because he knew that they were too destructive for men: “their eyes are such an endless state into which a man has driven - and remember what their name was.” In general, it was not particularly difficult for him to distance himself - they were alien to him romantic impulses, he could find women beautiful, but the matter did not progress beyond these remarks.

Like any other person from ordinary people, he takes care of all the attributes of social life - he carefully folds letters and papers, monitors the condition of his clothes and stroller - everything about him must be impeccable. He must give the impression of a successful and promising person, so he always has a clean, rather expensive suit and a “beautiful small spring chaise.”

He thinks that any flaws, even the smallest ones, can cause a significant blow to his reputation.

In the story, justice prevails - Chichikov’s deception is revealed. He has no choice but to leave the city.

Thus, The Image of Chichikov is one of the examples when the writer’s fiction gives the reader a unique basis for analyzing various problems of society. This is an indisputable fact, the character of the story has taken root in society so much that all global deceivers began to be called after him. The image itself is not without positive qualities character, but their number and significance against the general background of the image do not give the right to talk about Pavel Ivanovich as a positive person.