A brief retelling of "dead souls" chapter by chapter. Dead Souls Dead Souls Chapter 1

Arriving at the tavern, Chichikov ordered a stop in order to give the horses a rest and to have a snack himself. What follows is a short author's lyrical digression about the uniqueness of the stomach of a middle-class gentleman. It is this category of people that causes the envy of even big-handed gentlemen, since they are capable of absorbing an incredible amount of food both in one sitting and throughout the day, without harming their own body.

While Pavel Ivanovich was dealing with the piglet with sour cream and horseradish, he managed to ask the old woman who served the table in detail about who runs the inn, about her family, and also about the condition of the local landowners. The old woman knew both Manilov and Sobakevich. She did not favor the latter, since he always ordered only one dish, ate it, and also demanded refills for the same price.

When Chichikov was already finishing his pig, a light carriage drove up to the tavern. Two men came out. One lingered on the street, and the other entered the inn, talking with the servant. It was a tall, blond man with whom Pavel Ivanovich wanted to speak, but a second man came in next. The black-haired fellow with full cheeks, seeing Chichikov, spread his arms and cried out: “Ba, ba, ba! What destinies?" It turned out to be Nozdryov, whom Pavel Ivanovich met at the home of one of the city officials. Without waiting for an answer, the young man began to brag about his tricks at the fair. His speech was noisy and disordered. Jumping from one subject to another, Nozdryov talked about how he lost to smithereens at the fair. Immediately, without being distracted from the conversation, he introduced Chichikov to his companion, Mizhuev, his son-in-law, whom he blamed for his loss, since he did not give him more money. Nozdryov began to remember that one person had recently drunk seventeen bottles of champagne. Such an outright lie surprised Mizhuev, who entered into an argument with his relative. A new acquaintance invited Chichikov to his home. Nozdryov immediately ordered a purebred puppy to be dragged from the chaise and forced Chichikov to feel his ears and nose.

Nozdryov belonged to the category of people called broken fellows. A talker, a carouser, a reckless driver, he quickly got along with people, but, having made friends, he could fight that same evening. More than once Nozdryov was beaten for lying, slander or fraud, but the very next day he met with these people as if nothing had happened. Marriage did not calm down this reveler, especially since his wife soon died, leaving him with two children. A pretty nanny looked after the children. Not a single meeting at which Nozdryov was present was complete without a story: either the gendarmes would take him out under the arms, or his friends would push him out of the room, or he would lie so much that he himself would be ashamed. Nozdryov sometimes lied without any reason, for example, that his horse had some kind of blue or pink wool. This man also loved to do nasty things, and to those who were most close to him. Nozdryov spread the stupidest fables about his friend, but he also had upset trade deals and failed weddings. Nozdryov also had a passion for exchange. Everything was subject to barter. It often happened that, having gone so far as to remain in only a short frock coat, Nozdryov went to look for some friend in order to use his carriage.

Arriving at his estate, Nozdryov began to brag to his companions about his village, dogs, stables and horses. Dinner was poorly prepared. The cook was guided more by inspiration than by culinary recipes, but there was an abundance of various strong drinks. Chichikov noticed that Nozdryov, while pouring drinks for the guests, did not drink very much himself. Pavel Ivanovich also began secretly throwing wine into the plate. The dinner dragged on, Chichikov did not talk about the matter, waiting until he was alone with the owner. Finally Mizhuev left. When Nozdryov listened to Chichikov's request, he did not seem at all surprised. The owner began to ask why the guest needed this, calling him a swindler and a swindler. Finally, Nozdryov promised Pavel Ivanovich to simply give away his dead peasants on the condition that he buy a thoroughbred stallion from him. The guest began to refuse. Then the owner began to take turns offering other things Chichikov did not need. Then Nozdryov invited Pavel Ivanovich to play for money and again heard a refusal. This angered the owner. He called Chichikov trash and a fetish.

Having had dinner in silence, the quarreling friends went to their rooms. Chichikov scolded himself for talking to Nozdryov about his business. He was afraid that he would spread gossip about him. First thing in the morning, Chichikov suggested laying the chaise. In the courtyard he met Nozdryov, who spoke to the guest as if nothing had happened. At breakfast, the owner again began to invite Chichikov to play cards, to which he refused. We agreed on checkers. Nozdryov began to cheat, the guest refused to finish the game. It almost came to blows, because the owner wanted to force the guest to continue the game. The situation was saved by the police captain, who came to Nozdryov to inform him that he was on trial. Chichikov, without waiting for the end of the conversation, grabbed his hat, got into the chaise and ordered them to drive at full speed.

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dead souls chapter 4 summary
summary of dead souls chapter 4
summary of chapter 4 dead souls

While Pavel Ivanovich was dealing with the piglet under sour cream and horseradish, he managed to

way to ask the old woman who served the table about who runs the inn, about her family, and also about the condition of the local landowners. The old woman knew both Manilov and Sobakevich. She did not favor the latter, since he always ordered only one dish, ate it, and also demanded refills for the same price.

When Chichikov was already finishing his pig, a light carriage drove up to the tavern. Two men came out. One lingered on the street, and the other entered the inn, talking with the servant. It was a tall, blond man with whom Pavel Ivanovich wanted to speak, but a second man came in next. The black-haired young man with full cheeks, seeing Chichikov, spread his arms and cried out: “Ba, ba, ba! What destinies?” It turned out to be Nozdryov, whom Pavel Ivanovich met at the home of one of the city officials. Without waiting for an answer, the young man began to brag about his tricks at the fair. His speech was noisy and disordered. Jumping from one subject to another, Nozdryov talked about how he lost to smithereens at the fair. Immediately, without being distracted from the conversation, he introduced Chichikov to his companion, Mizhuev, his son-in-law, whom he blamed for his loss, since he did not give him more money. Nozdryov began to remember that one person had recently drunk seventeen bottles of champagne. Such an outright lie surprised Mizhuev, who entered into an argument with his relative. A new acquaintance invited Chichikov to his home. Nozdryov immediately ordered a purebred puppy to be dragged from the chaise and forced Chichikov to feel his ears and nose.

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dead souls chapter 4 summary
summary of dead souls chapter 4
summary of chapter 4 dead souls

Chapter first

The first chapter tells how Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov drove into a hotel in a certain city of NN on his chaise. He introduced himself as a college adviser and didn’t tell anything else about himself. But he willingly asked about all the officials of this city, about landowners and other influential personalities. In addition, he asked whether there were epidemics in the province, and how many people died from diseases.

The main character was accompanied by his servants:

Selifan, a middle-aged man who likes to drink.
Petrushka, a footman of about thirty.

The councilor toured the city, inspected all the places and paid visits to city officials. Thanks to his insight and ability to flatter, he quickly made friends.

Chichikov was invited to the governor's ball, where he had the opportunity to meet such landowners as Sobakevich, Manilov and Nozdrev. All three invited a new friend to visit him, and he promised to visit him in the near future.

Chapter two

Chichikov decided to keep his promise and went to visit his friend Manilov. Accompanied by his coachman Petrushka and servant Selifan, he left the city.

The adviser was warned that the village was fifteen miles from the city, but in reality it turned out to be much further. The hero finally reached the village of Manilovka. The unremarkable village could hardly invite anyone to come to it. The master's house stood on a hill and was open to all winds. Chichikov counted about two hundred huts as he approached the landowner’s house.

Finally, Pavel Ivanovich met with Manilov.

The man seemed very pleasant and sociable. I never took care of my property and was not interested in the affairs of the village, but loved to dream. Manilov had a wife, with whom he was very pleased, and two sons - Themistoclus and Alcides.

The owner of the house invited Chichikov to the table. During dinner, the guest and the landowner showered each other with mutual compliments. Soon the conversation turned to the estate, and Pavel Ivanovich voiced the purpose of his visit. He asked to sell him souls that were no longer alive, but according to the auditor’s tale, they were listed as such.

After some persuasion, the main character finally convinced the gentleman to make a deal. Having discussed some details and agreed to meet in the city, he left the estate in high spirits. And the owner of the house was completely confused and thought about such a strange proposal for a long time.

Chapter Three

On the way back, Chichikov got caught in the rain, it became completely dark, and his cart went astray. Suddenly they found themselves at the gate of a landowner.

She turned out to be an elderly woman named Nastastya Petrovna Korobochka. The hostess let the wet poor fellows in to spend the night, and in the morning ordered them to be fed breakfast. It is clear that Nastasya Petrovna was a thrifty housewife and an intelligent landowner. Compared to the previous village, this one was much more well-kept.

At breakfast, an unexpected guest asked the hostess about the peasants and asked to sell those who had died, but were listed as alive in the audit. The hostess was shocked by the strange question. This was the first time she had heard that dead souls could still be sold. The woman did not want to agree to the deal, she reasoned like this: if someone needs these souls, then they have some kind of value; and since they have value, then there will still be someone willing to buy them, and it will be possible to sell them at a higher price.

In the end, the deal took place and the main character left the landowner's village.

Chapter Four

After talking with Korobochka, Chichikov drove back to the city, along the way he stopped at a tavern, where he met his new acquaintance Nozdrev.

Nozdryov was a sociable person; he had many acquaintances. But at the same time, he could easily start a fight with his own friends. His wife died many years ago, and there were children at home, whom he was not involved in raising at all. His whole life was spent in entertainment establishments. He was both a very sincere man and at the same time a desperate liar. But he lied so naturally that he even believed it himself.

Despite being thirty years old, he remained at heart the leader and reckless driver that he was in the years of his stormy youth.

Nozdryov invited Chichikov to his place for lunch. After eating, the newly made friends started talking about the estate and the serfs. Pavel Ivanovich offered the landowner a deal for the purchase and sale of the so-called “dead souls,” which he soon regretted greatly, because the conversation ended in a quarrel.

Nevertheless, despite this, the main character stayed overnight with the flighty landowner. In the morning the conversation resumed and almost ended in a fight, but the police captain who arrived on time prevented this. He informed the owner of the estate that he was on trial for insulting the landowner Maksimov. Chichikov took advantage of this moment and ran out of the house.

Chapter Five

After the strange events in the previous estate, the collegiate adviser thought for a long time about the failed deal, but at the same time he was glad that he managed to escape.

The carriage brought him to the village to Sobakevich, whom he also met at the ball.

A few words about the landowner Sobakevich: He was a serious, demanding man, he managed the farm seriously and thoughtfully, somewhat reminiscent of a bear. Either because of his strong physique, or because of the name Mikhail Semenovich. Everywhere in his house there were things as large as the owner.

A distinctive feature of Sobakevich was the ability to think very badly about everyone. He called everyone scammers and trusted no one.

The owner invited the guest to dinner, after which Chichikov dared to name the reason for his visit. Sobakevich reacted absolutely calmly to such a strange offer, agreed to carry out the deal, and even became so carried away that he began to praise every dead peasant.

During the transaction, Mikhail Semenovich started a conversation about the strange landowner Plyushkin, whose peasants often die of hunger.

Chapter Six

Soon after Chichikov left Sobakevich's estate, he found himself in front of a vast village. But its appearance was so dilapidated, abandoned and poor that it was difficult to imagine that someone lives here. At the end of the street a manor's house was visible, equally dilapidated and covered with mold.

Not far from the house, an old man in greasy rags, who could be mistaken for a beggar and given alms, was cursing. But it turned out to be none other than Plyushkin, the landowner of this village.

He was once a happy family man, he had a wife, two daughters and a son. They ran their household competently and thoughtfully. But after the death of his wife, the daughters got married, and the son went to serve in the regiment. After these events, Plyushkin became very suspicious and stingy.

He stopped looking after the estate, everything was slowly falling apart. The landowner walked the streets collecting carnations, feathers and all sorts of small things. Then he carefully hid what he had collected at home in the hope that it would come in handy.

Chichikov pondered for a long time how to approach and talk to Plyushkin. He was considering how to explain his visit. After several minutes of hesitation, he finally dared and met the master. Over a cup of tea, he offered to ransom dead souls from the master, for which he received approval.

The result of this visit was a deal to buy Chichikov one hundred and twenty dead and another seventy fugitive souls.

After a profitable purchase, the newly minted entrepreneur returned to the hotel and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Seven

The next morning, the entrepreneur prepared lists for the deed of sale in the chamber. Sobakevich and Manilov were waiting for him there.

Having drawn up the bill of sale, the comrades began to celebrate the profitable deal. During the feast, Chichikov answered those who were interested that he had bought peasants for withdrawal and would take them with him to the Kherson province.

After a pleasant feast, the adviser arrived at the hotel and fell asleep.

Chapter Eight

In the city everyone talked only about Pavel Ivanovich and his peasants. People often wondered how it was possible to transport so many peasants to another province.

At the same time, the people’s love for the newly-minted landowner grew, and rumors appeared that he was a millionaire. Women tried to attract his attention on themselves and bought the most beautiful dresses in the city.

There was a governor's ball in the city again, where the main character appeared. The officials greeted and hugged him and showered him with compliments.

Chichikov approached the governor’s wife to express his respect. Next to her stood her daughter, a young, pretty blonde, from whom Chichikov could not take his eyes off.

But the unexpected happened - a drunken Nozdryov appeared at the ball. Seeing a new acquaintance, he asked how many dead peasants he could buy. Almost everyone heard these words and were surprised by the strange words. After these words, the entrepreneur was very upset and did not find what to answer.

Chapter Nine

This chapter describes a conversation between two ladies. They tell each other the latest news, the main one of which is the news about a certain Chichikov, who is buying up dead souls in order to kidnap the governor's daughter. And Nozdryov is his accomplice and helps in this dirty business.

In general, the city is overgrown with rumors and gossip. And in an instant, the image of a millionaire state councilor, ransoming peasants for withdrawal, was destroyed. The town was divided into two parts:

the female part of the city was interested in the story of the kidnapping of the governor’s daughter;
The male population was worried about the issue of dead souls.

Both of them began to be distrustful of the newly-made landowner. No one now could answer the question - who is Chichikov, and what is the purpose of his visit to their city?

Chapter Ten

To discuss an important issue, everyone gathered at the chief of police. Officials put forward their own versions of Chichikov's arrival and suggested that he could be Captain Kopeikin.

Since few people knew about this captain, the postmaster began his story. It spoke of a certain captain whose limb was torn off in one of the battles. And in order to feed himself, he went to St. Petersburg to ask for the mercy of the monarch, but he was sent back several years ago, without being given the opportunity to see the ruler.

After several such unsuccessful visits, the unfortunate man was expelled from the city at public expense.

After this, rumors appeared about gangs of robbers, whose leader was considered Kopeikin.

After listening to the story, everyone unequivocally decided that Chichikov could not have been the captain, since all the limbs were in place. Then the officials decided to invite Nozdryov so that he would clarify and explain to everyone who Chichikov was. However, the reveler introduced even more everyone is confused by confidently declaring that our hero is:

kidnapper
spy
counterfeiter of securities.

Against the backdrop of all these events, the prosecutor died.

Chichikov was sick at that time, suffering from a cold. The adviser was sincerely perplexed why no one came to visit him. And only in the evening he learned about the new gossip of the city. Nozdryov came to him and declared him a forger, a kidnapper and guilty of the death of the prosecutor.

Chapter Eleven

And finally, the most interesting part of the work “Dead Souls”, chapter 11, summary. In this chapter, Chichikov's personality is finally revealed. Although Gogol himself does not give him any assessment, but leaves the reader the opportunity to decide for himself who the main character is.

Pavel Ivanovich decided to leave this city as soon as possible, but, unfortunately, he did not succeed.

It turns out that he was not spoiled by fate. His mother died early, and his sick father sent his young son to study in the city. There he ordered the child to “study and please bosses and teachers, take care of money and increase it, be friends only with rich people.”

The smart child remembered his father’s words for a long time and tried to follow his advice all his life: he learned to get grades not for knowledge, since he did not like to read, but for diligence and good behavior. He never treated his friends, but he knew how to sell something profitably.

Soon after Chichikov graduated from college, his father died. He inherited several sweatshirts, frock coats, a dilapidated house and some money. The career either rose up or ended.

Immediately after college, Pavlusha entered the public service. Having achieved the favor of his boss, he was promoted to the position of military officer.

Our hero was no stranger to bribery. He masterfully organized the fight against bribes and at the same time accepted them without a twinge of conscience, swimming like cheese in butter.

But everything comes to an end, and in place of the old boss they sent a new one, a military man and very strict. Soon Chichikov was removed from his post, he had to leave his city and start his career from the very beginning in another place. In the new city, the hero got a job at the customs office, where he soon became a threat to all smugglers. But over time, he himself became a link in the chain of fraud and again earned hundreds of thousands.

However, he was not given the chance to become rich. During one drunken quarrel with another official, aspects of agreements with smugglers came to light and Chichikov was taken to court. All his property was cut; he had about ten thousand left. This was enough to get out of court.

Again he started his career from the very bottom. This time he was engaged in pawning the peasants to the guardianship council. But someone suggested that for the mortgage it did not matter whether they were alive or dead, the only important thing was that they were listed in the auditor’s book. And that the council will still allocate money for each of them. Then a new plan matured in the businessman’s head. He decided to go to those areas of the country that suffered the most from epidemics and redeem “dead souls” from the landowners. read our article.

Here is a summary of chapter 4 of the work “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol.

A very brief summary of “Dead Souls” can be found, and the one presented below is quite detailed.
General content by chapter:

Chapter 4 – summary.

When Chichikov was already finishing his pig, a light carriage drove up to the tavern. Two men came out. One lingered on the street, and the other entered the inn, talking with the servant. There was a tall, blond man with whom Pavel Ivanovich wanted to talk, but a second man came in next. The black-haired fellow with full cheeks, seeing Chichikov, spread his arms and cried out: “ Bah, bah, bah! What destinies ? It turned out to be Nozdryov, whom Pavel Ivanovich met at the home of one of the city officials. Without waiting for an answer, the young man began to brag about his tricks at the fair. His speech was noisy and disordered. Jumping from one subject to another, Nozdryov talked about how he lost to smithereens at the fair. Immediately, without being distracted from the conversation, he introduced Chichikov to his companion, Mizhuev, his son-in-law, whom he blamed for his loss, since he did not give him more money. Nozdryov began to remember that one person had recently drunk seventeen bottles of champagne. Such an outright lie surprised Mizhuev, who entered into an argument with his relative. A new acquaintance invited Chichikov to his home. Nozdryov immediately ordered a purebred puppy to be dragged from the chaise and forced Chichikov to feel his ears and nose.

Nozdryov

Gogol's work “Dead Souls” was written in the second half of the 19th century. The first volume was published in 1842, the second volume was almost completely destroyed by the author. And the third volume was never written. The plot of the work was suggested to Gogol. The poem tells about a middle-aged gentleman, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, traveling around Russia with the aim of buying so-called dead souls - peasants who are no longer alive, but who are still listed as alive according to documents. Gogol wanted to show all of Russia, the entire Russian soul in its breadth and immensity.

Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” can be read in a chapter-by-chapter summary below. In the above version, the main characters are described, the most significant fragments are highlighted, with the help of which you can form a complete picture of the content of this poem. Reading Gogol’s “Dead Souls” online will be useful and relevant for 9th graders.

Main characters

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov- the main character of the poem, a middle-aged college adviser. He travels around Russia with the aim of buying up dead souls, knows how to find an approach to every person, which he constantly uses.

Other characters

Manilov- landowner, no longer young. In the first minute you think only pleasant things about him, and after that you no longer know what to think. He is not concerned about everyday difficulties; lives with his wife and two sons, Themistoclus and Alcides.

Box- an elderly woman, a widow. She lives in a small village, runs the household herself, sells food and fur. Stingy woman. She knew the names of all the peasants by heart and did not keep written records.

Sobakevich- a landowner, looking for profit in everything. With its massiveness and clumsiness it resembled a bear. He agrees to sell dead souls to Chichikov even before he even talks about it.

Nozdryov- a landowner who cannot sit at home for a day. He loves to party and play cards: hundreds of times he lost to smithereens, but still continued to play; He was always the hero of some story, and he himself was a master at telling tall tales. His wife died, leaving a child, but Nozdryov did not care about family matters at all.

Plyushkin- an unusual person, by whose appearance it is difficult to determine which class he belongs to. Chichikov at first mistook him for an old housekeeper. He lives alone, although his estate used to be full of life.

Selifan- coachman, Chichikov's servant. He drinks a lot, is often distracted from the road, and likes to think about the eternal.

Volume 1

Chapter 1

A carriage with an ordinary, unremarkable car enters the city of NN. He checked into a hotel, which, as often happens, was poor and dirty. The gentleman's luggage was carried in by Selifan (a short man in a sheepskin coat) and Petrushka (a young man about 30 years old). The traveler almost immediately went to the tavern to find out who occupied leadership positions in this city. At the same time, the gentleman tried not to talk about himself at all, nevertheless, everyone with whom the gentleman spoke was able to form the most pleasant description of him. Along with this, the author very often emphasizes the insignificance of the character.

During dinner, the guest finds out from the servant who is the chairman of the city, who is the governor, how many rich landowners are, the visitor did not miss a single detail.

Chichikov meets Manilov and the clumsy Sobakevich, whom he quickly managed to charm with his manners and ability to behave in public: he could always carry on a conversation on any topic, he was polite, attentive and courteous. People who knew him spoke only positively about Chichikov. At the card table he behaved like an aristocrat and a gentleman, even arguing in a particularly pleasant way, for example, “you deigned to go.”

Chichikov hastened to pay visits to all the officials of this city in order to win them over and show his respect.

Chapter 2

Chichikov had been living in the city for more than a week, spending his time carousing and feasting. He made many useful contacts and was a welcome guest at various receptions. While Chichikov was spending time at another dinner party, the author introduces the reader to his servants. Petrushka wore a wide frock coat from a lordly shoulder and had a large nose and lips. He was of a silent nature. He loved to read, but he liked the process of reading much more than the subject of reading. Parsley always carried “his special smell” with him, ignoring Chichikov’s requests to go to the bathhouse. The author did not describe the coachman Selifan, saying that he belonged to too low a class, and the reader prefers landowners and counts.

Chichikov went to the village to Manilov, which “could lure few with its location.” Although Manilov said that the village was only 15 versts from the city, Chichikov had to travel almost twice as far. At first glance, Manilov was a distinguished man, his facial features were pleasant, but too sweet. You won’t get a single living word from him; it was as if Manilov lived in an imaginary world. Manilov had nothing of his own, no peculiarity of his own. He spoke little, most often thinking about lofty matters. When a peasant or clerk asked the master about something, he answered: “Yes, not bad,” without caring about what would happen next.

In Manilov’s office there was a book that the master had been reading for the second year, and the bookmark, once left on page 14, remained in place. Not only Manilov, but also the house itself suffered from a lack of something special. It was as if something was always missing in the house: the furniture was expensive, and there wasn’t enough upholstery for two chairs; in the other room there was no furniture at all, but they were always going to put it there. The owner spoke touchingly and tenderly to his wife. She was a match for her husband - a typical girl's boarding school student. She was trained in French, dancing and playing the piano to please and entertain her husband. Often they spoke tenderly and reverently, like young lovers. One got the impression that the couple did not care about everyday trifles.

Chichikov and Manilov stood in the doorway for several minutes, letting each other go ahead: “do me a favor, don’t worry so much about me, I’ll pass later,” “don’t make it difficult, please don’t make it difficult. Please come in." As a result, both passed at the same time, sideways, touching each other. Chichikov agreed with Manilov in everything, who praised the governor, the police chief, and others.

Chichikov was surprised by Manilov's children, two sons six and eight years old, Themistoclus and Alcides. Manilov wanted to show off his children, but Chichikov did not notice any special talents in them. After lunch, Chichikov decided to talk with Manilov about one very important matter - about dead peasants who, according to documents, are still listed as alive - about dead souls. In order to “relieve Manilov of the need to pay taxes,” Chichikov asks Manilov to sell him documents for the now non-existent peasants. Manilov was somewhat discouraged, but Chichikov convinced the landowner of the legality of such a deal. Manilov decided to give away the “dead souls” for free, after which Chichikov hastily began to get ready to see Sobakevich, pleased with the successful acquisition.

Chapter 3

Chichikov went to Sobakevich in high spirits. Selifan, the coachman, was arguing with the horse, and, carried away by thoughts, stopped watching the road. The travelers got lost.
The chaise drove off-road for a long time until it hit a fence and overturned. Chichikov was forced to ask for overnight accommodation from the old woman, who let them in only after Chichikov told about his noble title.

The owner was an elderly woman. She can be called thrifty: there were a lot of old things in the house. The woman was dressed tastelessly, but with pretensions to elegance. The lady's name was Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna. She didn’t know any Manilov, from which Chichikov concluded that they had drifted into quite the wilderness.

Chichikov woke up late. His laundry was dried and washed by the fussy Korobochka worker. Pavel Ivanovich did not stand on ceremony with Korobochka, allowing himself to be rude. Nastasya Filippovna was a college secretary, her husband had died long ago, so the entire household was her responsibility. Chichikov did not miss the opportunity to inquire about dead souls. He had to persuade Korobochka for a long time, who was also bargaining. Korobochka knew all the peasants by name, so she did not keep written records.

Chichikov was tired from a long conversation with the hostess, and was rather glad not that he received less than twenty souls from her, but that this dialogue was over. Nastasya Filippovna, delighted with the sale, decided to sell Chichikov flour, lard, straw, fluff and honey. To appease the guest, she ordered the maid to bake pancakes and pies, which Chichikov ate with pleasure, but politely refused other purchases.

Nastasya Filippovna sent a little girl with Chichikov to show the way. The chaise had already been repaired and Chichikov moved on.

Chapter 4

The chaise drove up to the tavern. The author admits that Chichikov had an excellent appetite: the hero ordered chicken, veal and pig with sour cream and horseradish. At the tavern, Chichikov asked about the owner, his sons, their wives, and at the same time found out where each landowner lived. At the tavern, Chichikov met Nozdryov, with whom he had previously dined with the prosecutor. Nozdryov was cheerful and drunk: he had lost at cards again. Nozdryov laughed at Chichikov’s plans to go to Sobakevich, persuading Pavel Ivanovich to come and visit him first. Nozdryov was sociable, the life of the party, a carouser and a talker. His wife died early, leaving two children, whom Nozdryov was absolutely not involved in raising. He could not sit at home for more than a day; his soul demanded feasts and adventures. Nozdryov had an amazing attitude towards dating: the closer he got to a person, the more fables he told. At the same time, Nozdryov managed not to quarrel with anyone after that.

Nozdryov loved dogs very much and even kept a wolf. The landowner boasted so much about his possessions that Chichikov was tired of inspecting them, although Nozdryov even attributed a forest to his lands, which could not possibly be his property. At the table, Nozdryov poured wine for the guests, but added little for himself. In addition to Chichikov, Nozdryov’s son-in-law was visiting, with whom Pavel Ivanovich did not dare talk about the true motives of his visit. However, the son-in-law soon got ready to go home, and Chichikov was finally able to ask Nozdryov about dead souls.

He asked Nozdryov to transfer the dead souls to himself without revealing his true motives, but this only intensified Nozdryov’s interest. Chichikov is forced to come up with various stories: supposedly dead souls are needed to gain weight in society or to get married successfully, but Nozdryov senses the falsehood, so he allows himself to make rude statements about Chichikov. Nozdryov invites Pavel Ivanovich to buy from him a stallion, mare or dog, complete with which he will give away his souls. Nozdryov didn’t want to give away dead souls just like that.

The next morning, Nozdryov behaved as if nothing had happened, inviting Chichikov to play checkers. If Chichikov wins, then Nozdryov will transfer all the dead souls to him. Both played dishonestly, Chichikov was greatly exhausted by the game, but the police officer unexpectedly came to Nozdryov, informing him that from now on Nozdryov was on trial for beating a landowner. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chichikov hastened to leave Nozdryov’s estate.

Chapter 5

Chichikov was glad that he left Nozdryov empty-handed. Chichikov was distracted from his thoughts by an accident: a horse harnessed to Pavel Ivanovich’s chaise got mixed up with a horse from another harness. Chichikov was fascinated by the girl who was sitting in another cart. He thought about the beautiful stranger for a long time.

Sobakevich's village seemed huge to Chichikov: gardens, stables, barns, peasant houses. Everything seemed to be made to last. Sobakevich himself seemed to Chichikov to look like a bear. Everything about Sobakevich was massive and clumsy. Each item was ridiculous, as if it said: “I, too, look like Sobakevich.” Sobakevich spoke disrespectfully and rudely about other people. From him Chichikov learned about Plyushkin, whose peasants were dying like flies.

Sobakevich reacted calmly to the offer of dead souls, even offering to sell them before Chichikov himself spoke about it. The landowner behaved strangely, raising the price, praising the already dead peasants. Chichikov was dissatisfied with the deal with Sobakevich. It seemed to Pavel Ivanovich that it was not he who was trying to deceive the landowner, but Sobakevich.
Chichikov went to Plyushkin.

Chapter 6

Lost in his thoughts, Chichikov did not notice that he had entered the village. In the village of Plyushkina, the windows in the houses were without glass, the bread was damp and moldy, the gardens were abandoned. The results of human labor were nowhere to be seen. Near Plyushkin’s house there were many buildings overgrown with green mold.

Chichikov was met by the housekeeper. The master was not at home, the housekeeper invited Chichikov to his chambers. There were a lot of things piled up in the rooms, it was impossible to understand in the heaps what exactly was there, everything was covered in dust. From the appearance of the room it cannot be said that a living person lived here.

A bent man, unshaven, in a washed-out robe entered the chambers. The face was nothing special. If Chichikov met this man on the street, he would give him alms.

This man turned out to be the landowner himself. There was a time when Plyushkin was a thrifty owner, and his house was full of life. Now strong feelings were not reflected in the old man’s eyes, but his forehead betrayed his remarkable intelligence. Plyushkin's wife died, his daughter ran away with a military man, his son went to the city, and his youngest daughter died. The house became empty. Guests rarely visited Plyushkin, and Plyushkin did not want to see his runaway daughter, who sometimes asked her father for money. The landowner himself started a conversation about the dead peasants, because he was glad to get rid of dead souls, although after a while suspicion appeared in his gaze.

Chichikov refused treats, impressed by the dirty dishes. Plyushkin decided to bargain, manipulating his plight. Chichikov bought 78 souls from him, forcing Plyushkin to write a receipt. After the deal, Chichikov, as before, hurried to leave. Plyushkin locked the gate behind the guest, walked around his property, storerooms and kitchen, and then thought about how to thank Chichikov.

Chapter 7

Chichikov had already acquired 400 souls, so he wanted to quickly finish his business in this city. He reviewed and put in order all the necessary documents. All the peasants of Korobochka were distinguished by strange nicknames, Chichikov was dissatisfied that their names took up a lot of space on paper, Plyushkin’s note was brevity, Sobakevich’s notes were complete and detailed. Chichikov thought about how each person passed away, making guesses in his imagination and playing out entire scenarios.

Chichikov went to court to have all the documents certified, but there they made him understand that without a bribe things would take a long time, and Chichikov would still have to stay in the city for a while. Sobakevich, who accompanied Chichikov, convinced the chairman of the legality of the transaction, Chichikov said that he had bought the peasants for removal to the Kherson province.

The police chief, officials and Chichikov decided to complete the paperwork with lunch and a game of whist. Chichikov was cheerful and told everyone about his lands near Kherson.

Chapter 8

The whole city is gossiping about Chichikov’s purchases: why does Chichikov need peasants? Did the landowners really sell so many good peasants to the newcomer, and not thieves and drunkards? Will the peasants change in the new land?
The more rumors there were about Chichikov's wealth, the more they loved him. The ladies of the city of NN considered Chichikov a very attractive person. In general, the ladies of the city of N themselves were presentable, dressed with taste, were strict in their morals, and all their intrigues remained secret.

Chichikov found an anonymous love letter, which interested him incredibly. At the reception, Pavel Ivanovich could not understand which of the girls wrote to him. The traveler was a success with the ladies, but he was so carried away by small talk that he forgot to approach the hostess. The governor's wife was at the reception with her daughter, whose beauty Chichikov was captivated - not a single lady interested Chichikov anymore.

At the reception, Chichikov met Nozdryov, who, with his cheeky behavior and drunken conversations, put Chichikov in an uncomfortable position, so Chichikov was forced to leave the reception.

Chapter 9

The author introduces the reader to two ladies, friends who met early in the morning. They talked about women's little things. Alla Grigorievna was partly a materialist, prone to denial and doubt. The ladies were gossiping about the newcomer. Sofya Ivanovna, the second woman, is unhappy with Chichikov because he flirted with many ladies, and Korobochka completely let slip about dead souls, adding to her story the story of how Chichikov deceived her by throwing 15 rubles in banknotes. Alla Grigorievna suggested that, thanks to the dead souls, Chichikov wants to impress the governor’s daughter in order to steal her from her father’s house. The ladies listed Nozdryov as Chichikov’s accomplice.

The city was buzzing: the question of dead souls worried everyone. The ladies discussed more the story of the kidnapping of the girl, supplementing it with all imaginable and inconceivable details, and the men discussed the economic side of the issue. All this led to the fact that Chichikov was not allowed on the threshold and was no longer invited to dinners. As luck would have it, Chichikov was at the hotel all this time because he was unlucky enough to get sick.

Meanwhile, the city residents, in their assumptions, went so far as to tell the prosecutor everything.

Chapter 10

Residents of the city gathered at the police chief. Everyone was wondering who Chichikov was, where he came from and whether he was hiding from the law. The postmaster tells the story of Captain Kopeikin.

In this chapter, the story about Captain Kopeikin is included in the text of Dead Souls.

Captain Kopeikin had his arm and leg torn off during a military campaign in the 1920s. Kopeikin decided to ask the Tsar for help. The man was amazed by the beauty of St. Petersburg and the high prices for food and housing. Kopeikin waited to receive the general for about 4 hours, but he was asked to come later. The audience between Kopeikin and the governor was postponed several times, Kopeikin’s faith in justice and the tsar became less and less each time. The man was running out of money for food, and the capital became disgusting due to pathos and spiritual emptiness. Captain Kopeikin decided to sneak into the general’s reception room to definitely get an answer to his question. He decided to stand there until the sovereign looked at him. The general instructed the courier to deliver Kopeikin to a new place, where he would be completely in the care of the state. Kopeikin, overjoyed, went with the courier, but no one else saw Kopeikin.

All those present admitted that Chichikov could not possibly be Captain Kopeikin, because Chichikov had all his limbs in place. Nozdryov told many different fables and, getting carried away, said that he personally came up with a plan to kidnap the governor’s daughter.

Nozdryov went to visit Chichikov, who was still ill. The landowner told Pavel Ivanovich about the situation in the city and the rumors that were circulating about Chichikov.

Chapter 11

In the morning, everything did not go according to plan: Chichikov woke up later than planned, the horses were not shod, the wheel was faulty. After a while everything was ready.

On the way, Chichikov met a funeral procession - the prosecutor died. Next, the reader learns about Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov himself. The parents were nobles who had only one serf family. One day, his father took little Pavel with him to the city to send his child to school. The father ordered his son to listen to teachers and please bosses, not to make friends, and to save money. At school, Chichikov was distinguished by his diligence. Since childhood, he understood how to increase money: he sold pies from the market to hungry classmates, trained a mouse to perform magic tricks for a fee, and sculpted wax figures.

Chichikov was in good standing. After some time, he moved his family to the city. Chichikov was attracted by a rich life, he actively tried to make his way into the people, but with difficulty he got into the government chamber. Chichikov did not hesitate to use people for his own purposes; he was not ashamed of such an attitude. After an incident with one old official, whose daughter Chichikov even planned to marry in order to get a position, Chichikov’s career took off sharply. And that official talked for a long time about how Pavel Ivanovich deceived him.

He served in many departments, cheated and cheated everywhere, launched an entire campaign against corruption, although he himself was a bribe-taker. Chichikov began construction, but several years later the declared house was never built, but those who supervised the construction got new buildings. Chichikov became involved in smuggling, for which he was put on trial.

He started his career again from the bottom rung. He was engaged in transferring documents for peasants to the guardianship council, where he was paid for each peasant. But one day Pavel Ivanovich was informed that even if the peasants died, but were listed as alive according to the records, the money would still be paid. So Chichikov came up with the idea of buying peasants who were dead in fact, but alive according to documents, in order to sell their souls to the guardianship council.

Volume 2

The chapter begins with a description of the nature and lands belonging to Andrei Tentetnikov, a 33-year-old gentleman who thoughtlessly wastes his time: he woke up late, took a long time to wash his face, “he was not a bad person, he’s just a smoker of the sky.” After a series of unsuccessful reforms aimed at improving the lives of peasants, he stopped communicating with others, completely gave up, and became mired in the same infinity of everyday life.

Chichikov comes to Tentetnikov and, using his ability to find an approach to any person, stays with Andrei Ivanovich for some time. Chichikov was now more careful and delicate when it came to dead souls. Chichikov hasn’t talked about this with Tentetnikov yet, but with conversations about marriage he has revived Andrei Ivanovich a little.

Chichikov goes to General Betrishchev, a man of majestic appearance, who combined many advantages and many shortcomings. Betrishchev introduces Chichikov to his daughter Ulenka, with whom Tentetnikov is in love. Chichikov joked a lot, which was how he was able to win the favor of the general. Taking this opportunity, Chichikov makes up a story about an old uncle who is obsessed with dead souls, but the general does not believe him, considering it another joke. Chichikov is in a hurry to leave.

Pavel Ivanovich goes to Colonel Koshkarev, but ends up with Pyotr Rooster, whom he finds completely naked while hunting for sturgeon. Having learned that the estate was mortgaged, Chichikov wanted to leave, but here he meets the landowner Platonov, who talks about ways to increase wealth, which Chichikov is inspired by.

Colonel Koshkarev, who divided his lands into plots and manufactories, also had nothing to profit from, so Chichikov, accompanied by Platonov and Konstanzhoglo, goes to Kholobuev, who sells his estate for next to nothing. Chichikov gives a deposit for the estate, borrowing the amount from Konstanzhglo and Platonov. In the house, Pavel Ivanovich expected to see empty rooms, but “he was struck by the mixture of poverty with the shiny trinkets of later luxury.” Chichikov receives dead souls from his neighbor Lenitsyn, charming him with his ability to tickle a child. The story ends.

It can be assumed that some time has passed since the purchase of the estate. Chichikov comes to the fair to buy fabric for a new suit. Chichikov meets Kholobuev. He is dissatisfied with Chichikov’s deception, because of which he almost lost his inheritance. Denunciations are discovered against Chichikov regarding the deception of Kholobuev and dead souls. Chichikov is arrested.

Murazov, a recent acquaintance of Pavel Ivanovich, a tax farmer who fraudulently made himself a million-dollar fortune, finds Pavel Ivanovich in the basement. Chichikov tears out his hair and mourns the loss of a box of securities: Chichikov was not allowed to dispose of many personal belongings, including the box, which contained enough money to give a deposit for himself. Murazov motivates Chichikov to live honestly, not break the law and not deceive people. It seems that his words were able to touch certain strings in Pavel Ivanovich’s soul. Officials hoping to receive a bribe from Chichikov are confusing the matter. Chichikov leaves the city.

Conclusion

“Dead Souls” shows a broad and truthful picture of life in Russia in the second half of the 19th century. Along with beautiful nature, picturesque villages in which the originality of the Russian people is felt, greed, stinginess and the never-vanishing desire for profit are shown against the backdrop of space and freedom. The arbitrariness of landowners, poverty and lack of rights of peasants, a hedonistic understanding of life, bureaucracy and irresponsibility - all this is depicted in the text of the work, as in a mirror. Meanwhile, Gogol believes in a bright future, because it is not for nothing that the second volume was conceived as “the moral cleansing of Chichikov.” It is in this work that Gogol’s manner of reflecting reality is most clearly noticeable.

You have only read a brief retelling of “Dead Souls”; for a more complete understanding of the work, we recommend that you read the full version.

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