DEAD SOULS

Volume 1

CHAPTER 1

At the gate of the hotel in the provincial town of NN, a britzka drove in, in which the gentleman “is not handsome, but not bad-looking, not too fat, not too thin; one cannot say that he is old, but it is not so that he is too young. This gentleman is Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. At the hotel, he eats a hearty meal. The author describes the provincial town: “The houses were one, two and one and a half stories high, with an eternal mezzanine, very beautiful, according to provincial architects.

In places, these houses seemed lost among the wide, field-like streets and endless wooden fences; in some places they crowded together, and here there was noticeably more movement of the people and liveliness. There were signs almost washed away by the rain with pretzels and boots, in some places with painted blue trousers and the signature of some Arshavian tailor; where is the store with caps, caps and the inscription: “Foreigner Vasily Fedorov” ... Most often, darkened double-headed state eagles were noticeable, which have now been replaced by a laconic inscription: “Drinking House”. The pavement was bad everywhere.”

Chichikov pays visits to city officials - the governor, vice-governor, chairman of the chamber * prosecutor, police chief, as well as the inspector of the medical board, the city architect. Chichikov builds excellent relationships everywhere and with everyone with the help of flattery, gains confidence in each of those whom he visited. Each of the officials invites Pavel Ivanovich to visit him, although little is known about him.

Chichikov attended a ball at the governor's, where “he somehow knew how to find himself in everything and showed in himself an experienced secular person. Whatever the conversation was about, he always knew how to support it: if it was about a horse farm, he talked about a horse farm; whether they talked about good dogs, and here he reported very sensible remarks; whether they interpreted it with regard to the investigation carried out by the Treasury, he showed that he was not unfamiliar with judicial tricks; whether there was a discussion about the billiard game - and in the billiard game he did not miss; whether they talked about virtue, and he talked about virtue very well, even with tears in his eyes; about making hot wine, and in hot wine he knew Zrok; about customs overseers and officials, and he judged them as if he himself were both an official and an overseer. But it is remarkable that he knew how to clothe all this with some degree, knew how to behave well. He spoke neither loudly nor softly, but exactly as he should. At the ball, he met the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich, whom he also managed to win over. Chichikov finds out the condition of their estates and how many peasants they have. Manilov and Sobakevich invite Chichikov to their estate. While visiting the chief of police, Chichikov met the landowner Nozdrev, "a man of about thirty, a broken fellow."

CHAPTER 2

Chichikov has two servants - the coachman Selifan and the footman Petrushka. The latter reads a lot and everything in a row, while he is not interested in what he has read, but in folding letters into words. In addition, Parsley has a "special smell" because he very rarely goes to the bathhouse.

Chichikov goes to the Manilov estate. For a long time he cannot find his estate. “The village of Manilovka could lure a few with its location. The master's house stood alone in the south, that is, on a hill, open to all the winds that only take it into their head to blow; the slope of the mountain on which he stood was dressed in trimmed turf. Two or three flowerbeds with lilac and yellow acacia bushes were scattered on it in the English style; here and there five or six birches in small clusters raised their small-leaved thin tops. Beneath two of them was a gazebo with a flat green dome, blue wooden columns and the inscription: "Temple of Solitary Reflection"; lower down is a pond covered with greenery, which, however, is not a wonder in the English gardens of Russian landowners. At the foot of this elevation, and partly along the slope itself, gray log huts darkened up and down ... ”Manilov is glad to have a guest. The author describes the landowner and his household: “He was a prominent person; his features were not devoid of pleasantness, but this pleasantness seemed to have been conveyed too much sugar; in his manners and turns there was something ingratiating himself with favors and acquaintances. He smiled enticingly, was blond, with blue eyes. In the first minute of a conversation with him, you cannot but say: “What a pleasant and a kind person!” In the next minute you will not say anything, and in the third you will say: “The devil knows what it is!” - and move away if you don’t move away, you will feel mortal boredom. You won’t expect any lively or even arrogant word from him, which you can hear from almost anyone if you touch on a subject that provokes him ... You can’t say that he was engaged in farming, he never even went to the fields, farming somehow went on by itself. .. Sometimes, looking from the porch at the yard and at the pond, he would talk about how nice it would be if all of a sudden to lead an underground passage from the house or build a stone bridge across the pond, on which there would be shops on both sides, and so that in merchants sat there and sold various small goods needed by the peasants ... All these projects ended with only one word. In his study there was always some kind of book, bookmarked on the fourteenth page, which he had been constantly reading for two years. Something was always missing in his house: in the living room there was beautiful furniture, upholstered in smart silk fabric, which, no doubt, was very expensive; but it was not enough for two armchairs, and the armchairs were simply upholstered with matting ... In the evening, a very smart candlestick made of dark bronze with three antique graces, with a mother-of-pearl smart shield, was placed on the table, and next to it was placed some kind of simple copper invalid, lame, curled up on the side and covered in fat, although neither the owner, nor the hostess, nor the servants noticed this.

Manilov's wife is very suitable for him in character. There is no order in the house, because she does not follow anything. She is well brought up, she received her upbringing in a boarding school, “and in boarding schools, as you know, three main subjects form the basis of human virtues: the French language, which is necessary for the happiness of family life, the piano, for composing pleasant minutes for a spouse, and, finally, the economic part itself: knitting purses and other surprises.

Manilov and Chichikov show an exaggerated courtesy towards each other, which brings them to the point that they both squeeze through the same door at the same time. The Manilovs invite Chichikov to dinner, which is attended by both of Manilov's sons: Themistoclus and Alkid. The first has a runny nose and bites his brother's ear. Alkid, swallowing tears, all smeared with fat, eats a leg of lamb.

At the end of dinner, Manilov and Chichikov go to the owner's office, where they have a business conversation. Chichikov asks Manilov for revision tales - a detailed register of peasants who died after the last census. He wants to buy dead souls. Manilov is amazed. Chichikov convinces him that everything will happen in accordance with the law, that the tax will be paid. Manilov finally calms down and gives away the dead souls for free, believing that he has rendered Chichikov a great service. Chichikov leaves, and Manilov indulges in dreams, in which it comes to the point that for their strong friendship with Chichikov, the tsar will grant both of them the rank of general.

CHAPTER 3

Chichikov is poisoned at Sobakevich's estate, but gets caught in heavy rain and loses his way. His cart flips over and falls into the mud. Nearby is the estate of the landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka, where Chichikov comes. He goes into the room, which “was hung with old striped wallpaper; pictures with some birds; between the windows there are small antique mirrors with dark frames in the form of curled leaves; behind every mirror there was either a letter, or an old pack of cards, or a stocking; a wall clock with painted flowers on the dial ... it was impossible to notice anything else ... A minute later the hostess entered, an elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, one of those mothers, small landowners, who cry for crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they collect a little money in colorful bags placed in drawers of chests of drawers ... "

Korobochka leaves Chichikov to spend the night in his house. In the morning, Chichikov starts a conversation with her about selling dead souls. The box cannot understand why he needs them, he offers to buy honey or hemp from her. She is constantly afraid to sell cheap. Chichikov manages to convince her to agree to the deal only after he tells a lie about himself - that he conducts government contracts, promises to buy both honey and hemp from her in the future. The box believes it. Bidding has been going on for a long time, after which the deal did take place. Chichikov keeps his papers in a box, consisting of many compartments and having a secret drawer for money.

CHAPTER 4

Chichikov stops at a tavern, to which Nozdryov's chaise soon drives up. Nozdryov is “of medium height, a very well-built fellow with full ruddy cheeks, teeth as white as snow, and sideburns as black as pitch. He was fresh as blood and milk; health seemed to spurt from his face. He said with a very pleased look that he lost, and lost not only his money,

I but also the money of his son-in-law Mizhuev, who is present right there. Nozdryov invites Chichikov to his place, promising a tasty treat. He himself drinks in a tavern at the expense of his son-in-law. The author characterizes Nozdryov as a “broken fellow”, from that breed of people who “even in childhood and at school are known as good comrades and, for all that, are heavily beaten painfully ... They soon get to know each other, and before you have time to look back, as they already say you "you". Friendship will start, it seems, forever: but it almost always happens that the one who makes friends will fight with them that same evening at a friendly feast. They are always talkers, revelers, reckless people, prominent people. Nozdryov at thirty-five was exactly the same as he had been at eighteen and twenty: a go-getter. His marriage did not change him at all, especially since his wife soon departed for the next world, leaving behind two children who he absolutely did not need ... At home, he could not sit for more than a day. His sensitive nose could hear him for several tens of miles, where there was a fair with all sorts of congresses and balls; he was already there in the twinkling of an eye, arguing and causing confusion at the green table, for, like all such, he had a passion for cards ... Nozdryov was in a certain sense a historical person. Not a single meeting he attended was without a story. Some kind of story was bound to happen: either they would lead him out of the gendarme hall by the arms, or they would be forced to push him out of his own buddies ... And he would lie completely without any need: he would suddenly tell that he had a horse of some blue or pink wool, and such nonsense, so that the listeners finally all move away, saying: “Well, brother, it seems you have already begun to pour bullets.”

Nozdrev refers to those people who have "a passion to spoil their neighbor, sometimes for no reason at all." His favorite pastime was to exchange things and lose money and property. Arriving at Nozdryov's estate, Chichikov sees an unsightly stallion, about which Nozdryov says that he paid ten thousand for him. He shows a kennel where a dubious breed of dog is kept. Nozdrev is a master of lies. He talks about the fact that in his pond there is a fish of unusual size, that on his Turkish daggers there is a brand of a famous master. The dinner to which this landowner invited Chichikov was bad.

Chichikov starts business negotiations, at the same time he says that he needs dead souls for a profitable marriage, so that the bride's parents believe that he is a wealthy person. Nozdryov is going to donate dead souls and, in addition, he is trying to sell a stallion, a mare, a hurdy-gurdy, and so on. Chichikov flatly refuses. Nozdryov invites him to play cards, which Chichikov also refuses. For this refusal, Nozdryov orders to feed Chichikov's horse not with oats, but with hay, which the guest is offended by. Nozdryov does not feel awkward, and in the morning, as if nothing had happened, he invites Chichikov to play checkers. He recklessly agrees. The landlord starts cheating. Chichikov accuses him of this, Nozdryov climbs in to fight, calls the servants and orders to beat the guest. Suddenly, a police captain appears, who arrests Nozdryov for insulting the landowner Maksimov while drunk. Nozdryov refuses everything, says that he does not know any Maksimov. Chichikov quickly leaves.

CHAPTER 5

Through the fault of Selifan, Chichikov's chaise collides with another chaise, in which two ladies are traveling - an elderly and sixteen-year-old very beautiful girl. The men gathered from the village separate the horses. Chichikov is shocked by the beauty of the young girl, and after the carts have parted, he thinks about her for a long time. The traveler drives up to the village of Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich. “A wooden house with a mezzanine, a red roof and dark or, better, wild walls - a house like those we build for military settlements and German colonists. It was noticeable that during the construction of its architect, he constantly fought with the taste of the owner. The architect was a pedant and wanted symmetry, the owner - convenience and, apparently, as a result of this he boarded up all the corresponding windows on one side and turned in their place one small one, probably needed for a dark closet. The pediment also did not fit in the middle of the house, no matter how hard the architect struggled, because the owner ordered one column to be thrown out from the side, and therefore there were not four columns, as it was appointed, but only three. The yard was surrounded by a strong and unreasonably thick wooden lattice. The landowner seemed to be fussing a lot about strength. For the stables, sheds and kitchens, full-weight and thick logs were used, determined to stand for centuries. The village huts of the peasants were also built marvelously: there were no brick walls, carved patterns, and other frills, but everything was fitted tightly and properly. Even the well was lined with such strong oak, which is used only for mills and ships. In a word, everything he looked at was stubbornly, without shaking, in some kind of strong and clumsy order.

The owner himself seems to Chichikov like a bear. “To complete the resemblance, the tailcoat on him was completely bearish in color, the sleeves were long, the pantaloons were long, he stepped with his feet and at random and stepped incessantly on other people's legs. The complexion was red-hot, hot, which happens on a copper penny ... "

Sobakevich had a habit of expressing himself straightforwardly about everything. About the governor, he says that he is "the first robber in the world," and the police chief is "a swindler." Sobakevich eats a lot at dinner. He tells the guest about his neighbor Plyushkin, a very stingy man who owns eight hundred peasants.

Chichikov says that he wants to buy dead souls, to which Sobakevich is not surprised, but immediately starts bidding. He promises to sell 100 rudders for each dead soul, while saying that the dead were real masters. Trade for a long time. In the end, they agree on three rubles apiece, and at the same time draw up a document, since each fears dishonesty on the part of the other. Sobakevich offers to buy female dead souls cheaper, but Chichikov refuses, although it later turns out that the landowner nevertheless entered one woman in the bill of sale. Chichikov leaves. On the way, he asks the peasant how to get to Plyushkina. The chapter ends with a lyrical digression about the Russian language. “The Russian people are expressing themselves strongly! and if he rewards someone with a word, then it will go to his family and offspring, he will drag him with him to service, and retirement, and to St. . And where is everything that came out of the depths of Russia, where there are neither German, nor Chukhonian, nor any other tribes, and everything is itself a nugget, a lively and lively Russian mind that does not climb into a pocket for a word, does not hatch it out? , like a hen chickens, but immediately slaps like a passport on an eternal sock, and there is nothing to add later, what kind of nose or lips you have - you are outlined in one line from head to toe! Just as a myriad of churches, monasteries with domes, domes, and crosses are scattered over holy, pious Rus', so a myriad of tribes, generations, peoples throng, motley, and rush about on the face of the earth. And every people, bearing in itself a guarantee of strength, full of the creative abilities of the soul, its bright features and other gifts of the foot, each in a peculiar way distinguished itself by its own word, which, expressing any object, reflects in the expression of it a part of its own character. The word of the Briton will echo with the knowledge of the heart and the wise knowledge of life; The short-lived word of a Frenchman will flash and scatter like a light dandy; the German will intricately invent his own, not accessible to everyone, cleverly thin word; but there is no word that would be so sweeping, so briskly escaped from under the very heart, so seething and quivering, as aptly said Russian word».

CHAPTER 6

The chapter begins with a lyrical digression about travel. “Before, a long time ago, in the summers of my youth, in the summers of my irretrievably flashed childhood, it was fun for me to drive up to an unfamiliar place for the first time: it doesn’t matter whether it was a village, a poor county town, a village, a suburb, - I discovered a lot of curious things in him a childlike curious look. Every building, everything that bore only on itself the imprint of some noticeable feature, everything stopped and amazed me ... Now I indifferently drive up to any unfamiliar village and indifferently look at its vulgar appearance; my chilled gaze is uncomfortable, it’s not funny to me, and what in previous years would have awakened a lively movement in the face, laughter and incessant speeches, now slips by, and my motionless lips keep an indifferent silence. O my youth! O my freshness!

Chichikov goes to Plyushkin's estate, for a long time he cannot find the master's house. Finally finds a "strange castle" that looks like a "decrepit invalid". “In places it was one floor, in places two; on the dark roof, which did not reliably protect his old age everywhere, two belvederes stuck out, one opposite the other, both already tottering, deprived of the paint that once covered them. The walls of the house slitted bare stucco lattice in places and, apparently, suffered a lot from all sorts of bad weather, rains, whirlwinds and autumn changes. Of the windows, only two were open; the rest were shuttered or even boarded up. These two windows, for their part, were also half-sighted; one of them had a dark pasted triangle of blue sugar paper. Chichikov meets a man of indeterminate sex (he cannot understand whether this is a man or a woman). He decides that this is the housekeeper, but then it turns out that this is the rich landowner Stepan Plyushkin. The author tells how Plyushkin came to such a life. In the past, he was a thrifty landowner, he had a wife who was famous for hospitality, and three children. But after the death of his wife, "Plyushkin became more restless and, like all widowers, more suspicious and stingy." He cursed his daughter, as she ran away and married an officer of the cavalry regiment. The youngest daughter died, and the son, instead of studying, decided to join the military. Every year Plyushkin became more stingy. Very soon the merchants stopped taking goods from him, because they could not bargain with the landowner. All his goods - hay, wheat, flour, canvas - everything rotted. Plyushkin, on the other hand, saved up everything, and at the same time picked up other people's things that he didn’t need at all. His stinginess knew no bounds: for all Plyushkin's household there were only boots, he kept rusk for several months, he knew exactly how much liquor he had in his decanter, because he made marks. When Chichikov tells him what he came for, Plyushkin is very happy. He offers the guest to buy not only dead souls, but also runaway peasants. Traded. The received money hides in a box. It is clear that this money, like others, he will never use. Chichikov leaves, to the great joy of the owner, refusing the treat. Returns to the hotel.

CHAPTER 7

The narrative begins with a lyrical digression about two types of writers. “Happy is the writer who, past the characters of boring, nasty, striking in their sad reality, approaches characters that show the high dignity of a person who, from the great pool of daily revolving images, chose only a few exceptions, who never changed the sublime order of his lyre, did not descend from his peak to his poor, insignificant brethren, and, without touching the earth, all plunged into his images far torn away from her and exalted ... indifferent eyes do not see - all the terrible, amazing, trifles that have entangled our life, all the depths of cold, fragmented, everyday characters that our earthly, sometimes bitter and boring road is teeming with, and with the strong force of an inexorable chisel that dares to expose them convexly and brightly on public eyes! He cannot gather popular applause, he cannot see grateful tears and the unanimous delight of the souls excited by him ... Without division, without answer, without participation, like a familyless traveler, he will remain alone in the middle of the road. Severe is his field, and he will bitterly feel his loneliness.

After all the registered merchants, Chichikov becomes the owner of four hundred dead souls. He reflects on who these people were in life. Leaving the hotel on the street, Chichikov meets Manilov. Together they go to make a bill of sale. In the office, Chichikov gives a bribe to the official Ivan Antonovich Kuvshinnoye Rylo to speed up the process. However, the giving of a bribe goes unnoticed - the official covers the banknote with a book, and it seems to disappear. Sobakevich sits at the head. Chichikov arranges for the bill of sale to be completed within a day, since he supposedly needs to leave urgently. He gives the chairman a letter from Plyushkin, in which he asks him to be an attorney in his case, to which the chairman gladly agrees.

Documents are drawn up in the presence of witnesses, Chichikov pays only half of the fee to the treasury, while the other half "was attributed in some incomprehensible way to the account of another petitioner." After a successful deal, everyone goes to dinner at the police chief, during which Sobakevich eats a huge sturgeon alone. The tipsy guests ask Chichikov to stay and decide to marry him. Chichikov informs the audience that he is buying peasants for withdrawal to the Kherson province, where he has already acquired an estate. He himself believes in what he says. Parsley and Se-lifan, after sending the drunken owner to the hotel, go for a walk in a tavern.

CHAPTER 8

Residents of the city are discussing what Chichikov bought. Everyone tries to offer him help in delivering the peasants to the place. Among the proposed - a convoy, a police captain to pacify a possible rebellion, enlightenment of serfs. A description of the city dwellers follows: “they were all kind people, living in harmony with each other, treated in a completely friendly way, and their conversations bore the stamp of some special simplicity and brevity: “Dear friend Ilya Ilyich”, “Listen, brother, Antipator Zakharyevich!”... To the postmaster, whose name was Ivan Andreyevich, they always added: “Sprechen zadeich, Ivan Andreich?” - in a word, everything was very family. Many were not without education: the chairman of the chamber knew by heart Zhukovsky's "Lyudmila", which was still news that had not caught a cold ... The postmaster went more into philosophy and read very diligently, even at night, Jung's "Nights" and "The Key to the Mysteries of Nature ” Eckartshausen, from which he made very long extracts ... he was witty, flowery in words and loved, as he himself put it, to equip speech. Others were also more or less enlightened people: some read Karamzin, some Moskovskiye Vedomosti, some even read nothing at all... It is already known about plausibility, they were all reliable consumptive people, there was no one among them. All were of the kind to which the wives, in tender conversations taking place in solitude, gave names: egg-pods, plump, pot-bellied, nigella, kiki, buzz, and so on. But in general they were kind people, full of hospitality, and a person who ate bread with them or spent an evening playing whist was already becoming something close ... "

The ladies of the city were "what they call presentable, and in this respect they could be safely set as an example to everyone else ... They dressed with great taste, drove around the city in carriages, as the latest fashion prescribed, a lackey swayed behind, and a livery in gold braids ... In morals, the ladies of the city of N. were strict, full of noble indignation against everything vicious and all sorts of temptations, they executed all weaknesses without any mercy ... It must also be said that the ladies of the city of N. were distinguished, like many ladies from St. Petersburg, by unusual caution and propriety in words and expressions. They never said: “I blew my nose”, “I sweated”, “I spat”, but they said: “I relieved my nose”, “I managed with a handkerchief”. In no case was it possible to say: "this glass or this plate stinks." And you couldn't even say anything that would give a hint of this, but instead they said: "this glass is not behaving well" or something like that. In order to ennoble the Russian language even more, almost half of the words were completely thrown out of the conversation, and therefore it was very often necessary to resort to French, but there, in French, it’s another matter: words were allowed there that were much tougher than those mentioned.

All the ladies of the city are delighted with Chichikov, one of them even sent him a love letter. Chichikov is invited to the governor's ball. Before the ball, he spins for a long time in front of the mirror. At the ball, he is in the spotlight, trying to figure out who the author of the letter is. The governor introduces Chichikov to her daughter - the very girl he saw in the britzka. He almost falls in love with her, but she misses his company. Other ladies are outraged that all of Chichikov's attention goes to the governor's daughter. Suddenly, Nozdryov appears, who tells the governor about how Chichikov offered to buy dead souls from him. The news quickly spreads, while the ladies pass it on as if they do not believe in it, since everyone knows the reputation of Nozdryov. Korobochka comes to the city at night, who is interested in the prices of dead souls - she is afraid that she has sold too cheap.

CHAPTER 9

The chapter describes the visit of a "pleasant lady" to a "lady pleasant in every way". Her visit falls an hour earlier than the usual time for visits in the city - she is in such a hurry to tell the news she has heard. The lady tells her friend that Chichikov is a robber in disguise, who demanded that Korobochka sell him dead peasants. The ladies decide that the dead souls are just a pretext, in fact Chichikov is going to take the governor's daughter away. They discuss the behavior of the girl, herself, recognize her as unattractive, mannered. The husband of the mistress of the house appears - the prosecutor, to whom the ladies tell the news, which confuses him.

The men of the city are discussing the purchase of Chichikov, the women are discussing the kidnapping of the governor's daughter. The story is replenished with details, it is decided that Chichikov has an accomplice, and this accomplice is probably Nozdrev. Chichikov is credited with organizing a peasant riot in Borovki, Zadi-railovo-tozh, during which the assessor Drobyazhkin was killed. In addition, the governor receives news that a robber has escaped and a counterfeiter has appeared in the province. There is a suspicion that one of these persons is Chichikov. The public can't decide what to do.

CHAPTER 10

Officials are so concerned about the current situation that many even lose weight from grief. They collect a meeting from the chief of police. The police chief decides that Chichikov is Captain Kopeikin in disguise, an invalid without an arm and a leg, a hero of the war of 1812. Kopeikin, after returning from the front, received nothing from his father. He goes to Petersburg to seek the truth from the sovereign. But the king is not in the capital. Kopeikin goes to the nobleman, the head of the commission, whose audience he has been waiting for a long time in the waiting room. The general promises help, offers to come in one of these days. But the next time he says that he cannot do anything without the special permission of the king. Captain Kopeikin is running out of money, and the porter won't let him see the general anymore. He endures many hardships, eventually breaking through to an appointment with the general, saying that he can no longer wait. The general escorts him very rudely, sends him out of St. Petersburg at public expense. After some time, a gang of robbers appears in the Ryazan forests, led by Kopeikin.

Other officials nevertheless decide that Chichikov is not Kopeikin, since both his arms and legs are intact. It is suggested that Chichikov is Napoleon in disguise. Everyone decides that it is necessary to interrogate Nozdryov, despite the fact that he is a known liar. Nozdrev says that he sold Chichikov dead souls for several thousand and that already at the time when he studied with Chichikov at school, he was already a counterfeiter and a spy, that he was going to kidnap the daughter of the governor and Nozdryov himself helped him. Nozdryov realizes that he has gone too far in his stories, and possible problems scare him. But the unexpected happens - the prosecutor dies. Chichikov does not know anything about what is happening because he is ill. Three days later, having left the house, he discovers that he is either not received anywhere, or is received in a strange way. Nozdryov informs him that the city considers him a counterfeiter, that he was going to kidnap the daughter of the governor, that the prosecutor died through his fault. Chichikov orders to pack things.

CHAPTER 11

In the morning Chichikov could not leave the city for a long time - he overslept, the chaise was not laid, the horses were not shod. Leave only in the evening. On the way, Chichikov meets a funeral procession - the prosecutor is being buried. Behind the coffin are all the officials, each of whom thinks about the new governor-general and their relationship with him. Chichikov leaves the city. Next - a lyrical digression about Russia. "Rus! Rus! I see you, from my wonderful, beautiful far away I see you: poor, scattered and uncomfortable in you; daring divas of nature, crowned with daring divas of art, will not amuse, will not frighten the eyes, cities with many-windowed high palaces, grown into cliffs, picture trees and ivy, grown into houses, in noise and in the eternal dust of waterfalls; the head will not tip back to look at the stone blocks piled up endlessly above it and in the heights; they will not flash through the dark arches thrown one on top of the other, entangled in vine branches, ivy and countless millions of wild roses; Why is your melancholy song, rushing along your entire length and width, from sea to sea, heard and heard incessantly in your ears? What's in it, in this song? What calls, and sobs, and grabs the heart? What sounds painfully kiss, and strive to the soul, and curl around my heart? Rus! what do you want from me? what incomprehensible bond lurks between us? Why do you look like that, and why does everything that is in you turn eyes full of expectation on me? .. And a mighty space menacingly embraces me, reflecting with terrible force in my depths; my eyes lit up with an unnatural power: wow! what a sparkling, wonderful, unfamiliar distance to the earth! Rus!.."

The author discusses the hero of the work and the origin of Chichikov. His parents are nobles, but he doesn't look like them. Chichikov's father sent his son to the city to an old relative so that he could enter the school. The father gave his son parting words, which he strictly followed in life - to please the authorities, to hang out only with the rich, not to share with anyone, to save money. He did not have any special talents, but he had a "practical mind." Chichikov knew how to make money as a boy - he sold treats, showed a trained mouse for money. He pleased the teachers, the authorities, and therefore graduated from school with a gold certificate. His father dies, and Chichikov, having sold his father's house, enters the service. He betrays a teacher expelled from school, who was counting on a fake of his beloved student. Chichikov serves, striving to please his superiors in everything, even caring for his ugly daughter, hinting at a wedding. Gets a promotion and doesn't get married. Soon Chichikov is included in the commission for the construction of a government building, but the building, for which a lot of money has been allocated, is being built only on paper. New boss Chichikov hated the subordinate, and he had to start all over again. He enters the service at the customs, where his ability to search is revealed. He is promoted, and Chichikov presents a project to catch smugglers, with whom at the same time he manages to collude and get a lot of money from them. But Chichikov quarrels with a friend with whom he shared, and both are put on trial. Chichikov manages to save some of the money, starts everything from scratch as an attorney. He comes up with the idea of ​​​​buying dead souls, which in the future can be pledged to the bank under the guise of living ones, and, having received a loan, hide.

The author reflects on how readers can relate to Chichikov, recalls the parable of Kif Mokievich and Mokiya Kifovich, son and father. The existence of the father is turned into a speculative side, while the son is rowdy. Kifa Mokievich is asked to appease his son, but he does not want to interfere in anything: “If he remains a dog, then let them not find out about it from me, let it not be me who betrayed him.”

At the end of the poem, the britzka is moving quickly along the road. “And what Russian does not like to drive fast?” "Oh, threesome! bird troika, who invented you? To know that you could only be born among a lively people, in that land that does not like to joke, but spread out half the world as evenly as possible, and go and count the miles until it fills your eyes. And not a cunning, it would seem, road projectile, not captured by an iron screw, but hastily, alive with one ax and a hammer, a smart Yaroslavl peasant equipped and assembled you. The coachman is not in German boots: a beard and mittens, and the devil knows what he sits on; but he got up, and swung, and dragged on a song - the horses whirlwind, the spokes in the wheels mixed up in one smooth circle, only the road trembled, and the pedestrian who stopped screamed in fright - and there she rushed, rushed, rushed! .. And you can already see in the distance, as something dusts and drills the air.

Isn't that how you, Rus', that brisk, unbeatable troika, are rushing about? The road smokes under you, the bridges rumble, everything lags behind and is left behind. The contemplative, amazed by God's miracle, stopped: is it not lightning thrown from the sky? what does this terrifying movement mean? and what kind of unknown power lies in these horses unknown to the light? Oh, horses, horses, what horses! Are whirlwinds sitting in your manes? Does a sensitive ear burn in every vein of yours? They heard a familiar song from above, together and at once strained their copper breasts and, almost without touching the ground with their hooves, turned into only elongated lines flying through the air, and all inspired by God rushes! .. Rus', where are you rushing to? Give an answer. Doesn't give an answer. A bell is filled with a wonderful ringing; the air torn to pieces rumbles and becomes the wind; flies past everything that is on earth,
and, squinting, step aside and give her way to other peoples and states.

In a letter to Zhukovsky, Gogol writes that he sees his main task in the poem to portray "all of Rus'." The poem is written in the form of a journey, and separate fragments of the life of Russia are combined into a common whole. One of Gogol's main tasks in "Dead Souls" is to show typical characters in typical circumstances, that is, to reliably depict modernity - the period of the crisis of serfdom in Russia. The key orientation in the image of landowners is a satirical description, social typification, and a critical orientation. The life of the ruling class and peasants is given by Gogol without idealization, realistically.

It was published in the second half of the 19th century and consists of two volumes. It tells about one landowner who roams the country in order to buy up peasant souls that are not alive. The work rivets to itself, forcing to read faster and faster in order to reach the moment in which the purpose of buying up dead souls will be told. I would like to know what benefits he will receive through such manipulations.

In contact with

The main character of the poem is Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, a middle-aged man of ordinary build. Opportunity to draw your own conclusion about the moral character, the author does not give any assessment of the personality of the hero.

In addition to Chichikov, there are several other characters in the novel, with whom he makes acquaintance in order to make a deal that is beneficial to him. Among them:

• Sobakevich
• Manilov
• box
• Nozdrev
• Plushkin

Each chapter of the volume provides an opportunity to get to know each character individually. Sometimes it is not possible to read the poem in full, therefore the work “Dead Souls” is briefly presented here.

Chapter first

The first chapter tells how Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov drove into a hotel in a certain city NN in his britzka. He introduced himself as a collegiate adviser and said nothing more about himself. But he willingly asked about all the officials of this city, about the landowners and other influential personalities. In addition, he asked if there were epidemics in the province, and how many people died from diseases.

The protagonist was accompanied by his servants:

• Selifan, a middle-aged man who loves to drink.
• Petrushka, lackey of about thirty.

The councilor traveled around the city, inspected all the places and paid visits to the officials of the city. 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 Nozdryov. All three invited a new friend to visit him, and he promised to visit 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 fact it turned out to be much further. The hero finally reached the village of Manilovka. An unremarkable village could hardly call someone to itself. The master's house stood on a hill and was open to all winds. Chichikov counted about two hundred huts as he drove up to the landowner's house.

Finally, Pavel Ivanovich met with Manilov.

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

The owner of the house invited Chichikov to the table. During dinner, the guest and the landowner showered mutual compliments on each other. Soon the conversation turned to the estate, and Pavel Ivanovich announced the purpose of his visit. He asked to sell him souls who are no longer alive, but according to the audit tale, they are listed as such.

After some persuasion, the main character nevertheless convinced the gentleman to make a deal. After discussing some details and arranging to meet in the city, he left the estate in high spirits. And the owner of the house was in complete confusion and pondered over such a strange proposal for a long time.

Chapter Three

On the way back, Chichikov got caught in the rain, it was already completely dark, and his wagon went astray. Suddenly they were 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 feed them breakfast. It can be seen that Nastasya Petrovna was a thrifty housewife and an intelligent landowner. Compared to the previous village, this one was much more well-groomed.

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

In the end, the deal went through and main character left the landowner's village.

Chapter Four

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

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 did not take care of at all. His whole life was spent in entertainment establishments. He was at the same time a very sincere person, 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 in his soul the ringleader and reckless driver, as he was in the years of stormy youth.

Nozdryov invited Chichikov to dinner. After eating, the newly-made friends started talking about the estate and serfs. Pavel Ivanovich offered the landowner a deal for the 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 to spend the night with the windy landowner. In the morning the conversation resumed and almost ended in a fight, but the police captain who arrived in 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 wagon 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, managed the household seriously and thoughtfully, somewhat resembled 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 host 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 talking about the strange landowner Plyushkin, whose peasants often die of starvation.

Chapter Six

Soon after Chichikov left Sobakevich's estate, he found himself in front of a vast village. But her appearance was so dilapidated, abandoned and poor that it was hard to imagine that someone lives here. At the end of the street I saw manor house, just as shabby and moldy.

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

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

He stopped monitoring the estate, everything was slowly falling apart. The landowner walked the streets collecting carnations, feathers and every little thing. Then he carefully hid the collected at home in the hope that it would come in handy.

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

The result of this visit was a deal on the purchase by Chichikov one hundred twenty dead and another seventy runaway souls.

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

Chapter Seven

The next morning, the businessman prepared lists for making a bill of sale in the chamber. Sobakevich and Manilov were waiting for him there.

Having issued the bill of sale, the comrades began to celebrate a profitable deal. During the feast, Chichikov replied to those interested that he had bought the 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 spoke only about Pavel Ivanovich and his peasants. People often wondered how such a number of peasants could be taken to another province.

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

In the city there was again a ball at the governor's, at which the main character appeared. Officials greeted and hugged him, bombarded him with compliments.

Chichikov, in order to express his respect, went up to the governor's wife. Next to her stood her daughter, a pretty young 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 if he could buy a lot of dead peasants. These words were heard by almost everyone and were surprised by strange words. The businessman after these words was very upset and did not find what to answer.

Chapter Nine

This chapter describes a conversation between two ladies. They tell each other last news, the main of which is the news about a certain Chichikov 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 state councilor-millionaire who ransoms the peasants for withdrawal was destroyed. The town is 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 non-settlement was worried about the issue of dead souls.

Both those and others began to distrust the newly minted landowner. No one now could answer the question - who is Chichikov, and what is the purpose of his arrival in their city?

Chapter Ten

For discussion important issue everyone gathered at the police chief. Officials put forward their versions of Chichikov's arrival, suggested that he might be Captain Kopeikin.

Since few people knew about this captain, the postmaster began his story. It spoke of a certain captain who had a limb 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 a few 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 that, there were rumors about gangs of robbers., whose leader was considered Kopeikin.

After listening to the story, everyone unequivocally decided that Chichikov could not be the captain in any way, since all the limbs were in place. Then the officials decided to invite Nozdryov to clarify and explain to everyone who Chichikov was. However, the reveler introduced even more all in confusion, confidently declaring that our hero is:

• kidnapper
• spy
• forger of securities.

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

Chichikov was ill at that time, he was tormented by a cold. The adviser sincerely wondered 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 after all.

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 the sick father sent his little son to study in the city. There he ordered the child to "learn and please bosses and teachers, take care of money and increase it, be friends only with rich people."

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

Shortly after Chichikov graduated from college, his father died. He inherited several jerseys, frock coats, a dilapidated house and some money. Career then rose up, then broke off.

Immediately after the school, Pavlusha entered public service. Having won the favor of his superior, he was promoted to the position of assistant officer.

Bribery was not alien to our hero. He skillfully organized the fight against bribes and at the same time took them without a twinge of conscience, bathed like cheese in butter.

But everything ends sometime, and a new, military and very strict one was sent to replace the old boss. 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 in customs, where he soon became a thunderstorm for all smugglers. But over time, he himself became a link in the chain of fraud and again earned hundreds of thousands.

However, it was not given to him to become rich. In the course of one drunken quarrel with another official, moments of agreements with smugglers surfaced and Chichikov was taken to court. All property fell under the reduction, the money left him about ten thousand. This was enough to get away from the court.

Again he started his career from the bottom. This time he was engaged in the pledge of peasants to the Board of Trustees. But someone suggested that for a mortgage it didn't matter whether they were alive or dead, the only important thing was that they were listed in the audit book. And that the council would still allocate money for each of them. Then a new plan ripened in the head of a businessman. He decided to go to those areas of the country that were most affected by epidemics and redeem the "dead souls" from the landowners. read our article.

The work of N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls" was written in the second half of the 19th century. In this article you can read the first volume of the poem "Dead Souls", which consists of 11 chapters.

Heroes of the work

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov - the main character, travels around Russia to find dead souls, knows how to find an approach to any person.

Manilov - young landowner. Lives with his children and wife.

Box - aged woman, widow. Lives in a small village, sells various products and furs in the market.

Nozdryov - a landowner who often plays cards and tells various tall tales and stories.

Plushkin - a strange man who lives alone.

Sobakevich - the landowner, everywhere tries to find great profit for himself.

Selifan - the coachman and servant of Chichikov. A lover of drinking once again.

The content of the poem "Dead Souls" by chapters briefly

Chapter 1

Chichikov, along with the servants, arrives in the city. The man moved into an ordinary hotel. During lunch, the main character asks the innkeeper about everything that happens in the city, so he gets useful information about influential officials and famous landowners. At the governor's reception, Chichikov personally meets most of the landowners. The landowners Sobakevich and Manilov say they would like the hero to visit them. So for several days Chichikov comes to the vice-governor, the prosecutor and the farmer. The city begins to have a positive attitude towards the protagonist.

Chapter 2

A week later, the main character goes to Manilov in the village of Manilovka. Chichikov forgive Manilov so that he sells him dead souls - dead peasants who are written on paper. The naive and accommodating Manilov gives the hero dead souls for free.

Chapter 3

Chichikov then goes to Sobakevich, but loses his way. He goes to spend the night with the landowner Korobochka. After sleeping, already in the morning Chichikov talks with the old woman and persuades her to sell her dead souls.

Chapter 4

Chichikov decides to stop by a tavern on his way. He meets the landowner Nozdryov. The gambler was too open and friendly, but his games often ended in fights. The main character wanted to buy dead souls from him, but Nozdryov said that he could play checkers for the souls. This fight almost ended in a fight, so Chichikov decided to retire. Pavel Ivanovich thought for a long time that he had trusted Nozdryov in vain.

Chapter 5

The main character comes to Sobakevich. That one was enough big man, he agreed to sell dead souls to Chichikov and even filled them with a price. The men decided to make a deal after some time in the city.

Chapter 6

Chichikov arrives in the village of Plyushkin. The estate was very miserable in appearance, and the magnate himself was too stingy. Plyushkin sold the dead souls to Chichikov with joy and considered the protagonist a fool.

Chapter 7

In the morning, Chichikov goes to the ward to draw up documents for the peasants. On the way he meets Manilov. In the ward they meet Sobakevich, the chairman of the ward helps the protagonist quickly complete the paperwork. After the deal, they all go together to the postmaster to celebrate this event.

Chapter 8

The news about Pavel Ivanovich's purchases spread throughout the city. Everyone thought that he was a very rich man, but they had no idea what kind of souls he actually buys. At the ball, Nozdryov decides to betray Chichikov and shouted about his secret.

Chapter 9

The landowner Korobochka arrives in the city and confirms the purchase of the dead souls of the protagonist. Rumors are spreading around the city that Chichikov wants to kidnap the governor's daughter.

Chapter 10

The officials get together and raise various suspicions about who Chichikov is. The postmaster puts forward his version that the main character is Kopeikin from his own story "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin". Suddenly, due to excessive stress, the prosecutor dies. Chichikov himself has been ill for three days with a cold, he comes to the governor, but he is not even allowed into the house. Nozdryov tells the main character about the rumors that are circulating around the city, so Chichikov decides to leave the city in the morning.

• Also read -

Year of writing: 1835

Genre: prose poem, novel

Main characters: nobleman Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, Manilov - landowner, Korobochka - landowner, landowners Nozdrev and Sobakevich.

Plot: In the work, the story is about a gentleman whose identity remains a mystery. This man arrives in a small town, the name of which the author did not voice, in order to give free rein to the reader's imagination. The character's name is Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. Who he is and why he came is not yet known. Genuine purpose: buying dead souls, peasants. Chapter 1 talks about who Chichikov is and about those who will surround him to implement his plan.

Our protagonist has developed a good skill: to recognize strong and weak sides person. It also adapts well to changing environments. Chapters 2 to 6 speak of landowners and their possessions. In the work, we learn that one of his friends is a gossip leading a wild life. This terrible man puts Chichikov's position in jeopardy, and after the rapid development of some events, he flees the city. The post-war period is presented in the poem.

Detailed retelling

A certain Mr. Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov arrives in the provincial town of NN, accompanied by the coachman Selifan and the footman Petrushka. The man himself was not too old, but not too young, not handsome, but it cannot be said that he was bad-looking, not fat, but not thin either. He settles in a hotel and almost immediately begins a conversation with the sexual, asking him many questions about the officials of this city and the most prosperous landowners. Having settled down, Chichikov begins to pay visits to all city officials, attends an evening with the governor, where he makes many useful acquaintances. He charmed all those present with his manners, behaved like an aristocrat, retaining an "unpleasant" impression of himself.

Having tested the ground, Chichikov, without wasting a minute, proceeds to pay visits to the landowners, but already of a business nature. The essence of his scam was to buy dead peasants from them, who on paper were still considered alive. Having a certain number of "souls", he could receive land from the state where he planned to establish his estate.

First, he visits the village of Manilov, the road to which took an order of time. Chichikov found the estate rather neglected, although Manilov himself did not care. Unburdened by everyday trifles, he lived in a fantasy world and reveled in his fantasies. He found the visitor's offer very strange, but after he convinced him of the legitimacy, he calmed down and gave his souls for nothing.

The happy businessman leaves Manilov and goes to the property of Sobakevich, with whom he met at a reception at the governor. But on the way, a thunderstorm catches the travelers, and the britzka goes astray. So Chichikov finds himself in the village with another landowner, Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. He does not miss the opportunity to bargain with her for the dead peasants. The box was very surprised at such a case, but her second thought was the desire to sell as profitably as possible and not to sell too cheap. Noticing that the widow is very suspicious and timid, he explains to her that he himself will pay taxes for the purchased peasants, after which she agrees. Tired of bargaining with Box, departs, leaving her in extreme anxiety.

On the way to Sobakevich, he stops at a tavern for lunch, and meets there the landowner Nozdrev, whom he met at a dinner with the prosecutor. The young serf-owner, bursting with energy and health, is glad to meet him and immediately takes Pavel Ivanovich to his house. Hearing Chichikov's request, the gambler Nozdryov gets excited and offers to play cards for dead souls instead of buying. He agrees, but immediately notices that the owner is cheating and also begins to play dishonestly. This was followed by a quarrel, which almost escalated to a fight, but Nozdryov very quickly thawed out and Chichikov manages to slip away from his estate.

After all the misadventures, he finally reaches the estate of Mikhail Sobakevich. The owner looked like a big clumsy bear, and his dwelling was like a rough and strong lair. Making a deal with him was not so easy. Although he did not have a lively mind and beauty of speech, he bargained and counted money regularly. Pavel Ivanovich parted ways with Sobakevich in extreme indignation.

The final point of the schemer's route is the estate of Stepan Plyushkin, in the past an economic and economical landowner. This frugality soon turned into stinginess, and then completely into morbid greed. The guest, entering the village, sees the collapse and desolation, the owner's house looks no less deplorable. They make a deal without problems: seduced by the possibility of not paying taxes for the dead, Plyushkin agrees.

In the province, rumors spread about the newly-made rich gentleman Chichikov. For a short time, he made a splash on everyone and attracted everyone's attention. However, soon his trick with the stingy peasants became obvious, and Pavel Ivanovich, realizing what was going on, hastily retires, leaving his discouraged inhabitants in bewilderment.

This work shows us the whole truth of Russian life of that time. The poem is relevant at all times, as it teaches us to live honestly and not to pursue material wealth. Gogol condemns such qualities of people as hypocrisy and venality, and calls to change life for the better.

Picture or drawing Dead souls

Other retellings and reviews for the reader's diary

• Summary of Schiller's deceit and love

  Young Ferdinand and beautiful Louise are in love with each other. Her parents, in the morning, discuss their relationship. And although the girl’s father, musician Miller, is not delighted with their feelings, but after consulting with his wife, they decide that they will not oppose the happiness of the young

• Summary of Nosov Druzhok

  Two boys are going to their aunt's dacha. They do not want to return home early with their mother and persuade her to leave them with their aunt. Aunt's dog brought out 6 puppies. The guys decided to take one with them. Putting it in a suitcase, the boys go home by train.

• Summary Brothers Terence

  The story of old Mikion deprived of the joy of fatherhood. He lived all his life alone, while his brother, Demea, fate measured happiness in a double amount - two sons, Ctesiphon and Aeschines.

• Summary The village of Stepanchikovo and its inhabitants of Dostoevsky

  Stepanchikovo - the estate of Yegor Ilyich Rostanev. A widowed retired colonel lived here with his mother, sister and daughter. In addition, Foma Opiskin lived under the same roof with them, who, with his flattery and ability to interpret dreams, gained confidence in the female half of the house.

• Summary of the Countess de Monsoro Dumas

  Life is a difficult thing, but you need to know how to love it, otherwise it will simply be impossible to live normally. Sixteenth century - or rather the end of this century. France. At this time, very interesting and dangerous events take place there.