Dead souls are hypocrisy. Problem: rudeness, ignorance, hypocrisy. Positive character traits of Pavel Ivanovich

Poem "Dead Souls" occupies a special place in Gogol's work. The writer considered this work to be the main work of his life, the spiritual testament of Pushkin, who suggested to him the basis of the plot. In the poem, the author reflected the way of life and morals of different layers of society - peasants, landowners, officials. The images in the poem, according to the author, “are not at all portraits of insignificant people; on the contrary, they contain the features of those who consider themselves better than others.” The poem shows landowners, owners of serf souls, “masters” of life, in close-up. Gogol consistently, from hero to hero, reveals their characters and shows the insignificance of their existence. Starting with Manilov and ending with Plyushkin, the author intensifies his satire and exposes the criminal world of landowner-bureaucratic Russia.

The main character of the work is Chichikov- until the last chapter of the first volume remains a mystery to everyone: both for officials of the city of N and for readers. The author reveals the inner world of Pavel Ivanovich in scenes of his meetings with landowners. Gogol draws attention to the fact that Chichikov is constantly changing and almost copies the behavior of his interlocutors. Talking about Chichikov’s meeting with Korobochka, Gogol says that in Russia a person talks differently to the owners of two hundred, three hundred, five hundred souls: “... even if you reach a million, there will be all shades.”

Chichikov has studied people well, knows how to find a benefit in any situation, and always says what they would like to hear from him. So, with Manilov, Chichikov is pompous, amiable and flattering. He talks to Korobochka without any special ceremony, and his vocabulary is in tune with the style of the hostess. Communication with the arrogant liar Nozdryov is not easy, since Pavel Ivanovich does not tolerate familiar treatment, “...unless the person is of too high a rank.” However, hoping for a profitable deal, he does not leave Nozdryov’s estate until the last moment and tries to become like him: he addresses himself as “you,” adopts a boorish tone, and behaves familiarly. The image of Sobakevich, personifying the thoroughness of a landowner's life, immediately prompts Pavel Ivanovich to conduct as thorough a conversation as possible about dead souls. Chichikov manages to win over the “hole in the human body” - Plyushkin, who has long lost contact with the outside world and forgotten the norms of politeness. To do this, it was enough for him to play the role of a “motishka”, ready, at a loss to himself, to save a casual acquaintance from the need to pay taxes for dead peasants.

It is not difficult for Chichikov to change his appearance, because he has all the qualities that form the basis of the characters of the depicted landowners. This is confirmed by the episodes in the poem where Chichikov is left alone with himself and does not need to adapt to those around him. While examining the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich “teared off a poster nailed to a post so that when he came home, he could read it thoroughly,” and after reading it, “he folded it neatly and put it in his little chest, where he used to put everything he came across.” This is reminiscent of the habits of Plyushkin, who collected and stored various kinds of rags and toothpicks. The colorlessness and uncertainty that accompany Chichikov until the last pages of the first volume of the poem make him similar to Manilov. That is why officials of the provincial city are making ridiculous guesses, trying to establish the true identity of the hero. Chichikova's love for neatly and pedantically arranging everything in his little chest brings him closer to Korobochka. Nozdryov notices that Chichikov looks like Sobakevich. All this suggests that in the character of the main character, as in a mirror, the traits of all landowners were reflected: Manilov’s love for meaningless conversations and “noble” gestures, and Korobochka’s pettiness, and Nozdryov’s narcissism, and Sobakevich’s rudeness, and Plyushkin’s hoarding.

And at the same time, Chichikov differs sharply from the landowners shown in the first chapters of the poem. He has a different psychology than Manilov, Sobakevich, Nozdryov and other landowners. He is characterized by extraordinary energy, business acumen, and determination, although morally he does not rise at all above the owners of serf souls. Many years of bureaucratic activity left a noticeable imprint on his demeanor and speech. Evidence of this is the warm welcome given to him in the provincial “high society”. Among officials and landowners, he is a new person, an acquirer who will replace the Manilovs, Nozdrevs, Sobakeviches and Plyushkins.

Chichikov's soul, just like the souls of landowners and officials, became dead. The “brilliant joy of life” is inaccessible to him; he is almost completely devoid of human feelings. In order to achieve his practical goals, he pacified his blood, which “played strongly.”

Gogol sought to understand the psychological nature of Chichikov as a new phenomenon, and for this, in the last chapter of the poem he talks about his life. Chichikov's biography explains the formation of the character revealed in the poem. The hero's childhood was dull and joyless, without friends and maternal affection, with constant reproaches from his sick father, and could not but affect his future fate. His father left him an inheritance of half a copper and a covenant to study diligently, please teachers and bosses, and, most importantly, save a penny. Pavlusha learned his father’s instructions well and directed all his energy towards achieving his cherished goal - wealth. He quickly realized that all lofty concepts only interfere with the achievement of his goal, and began to make his own way. At first, he acted childishly and straightforwardly - he pleased the teacher in every possible way and thanks to this he became his favorite. As he grew up, he realized that you can find a special approach to each person, and began to achieve more significant success. Promising to marry the daughter of his boss, he received a position as a military officer. While serving at customs, he managed to convince his superiors of his integrity, and later established contacts with smugglers and made a huge fortune. All of Chichikov’s brilliant victories ultimately ended in failure, but no failures could break his thirst for profit.

However, the author notes that in Chichikov, unlike Plyushkin, “there was no attachment to money for the sake of money, he was not possessed by miserliness and stinginess. No, it was not they who moved him - he imagined life ahead in all its pleasures, so that finally later, over time, he would certainly taste all this, that’s why the penny was saved.” Gogol notes that the main character of the poem is the only character capable of manifesting the movements of the soul. “Apparently the Chichikovs also turn into poets for a few minutes,” says the author, when his hero stops “as if stunned by a blow” in front of the governor’s young daughter. And it was precisely this “human” movement of the soul that led to the failure of his promising venture. According to the author, sincerity, sincerity and selflessness are the most dangerous qualities in a world where cynicism, lies and profit reign. The fact that Gogol transferred his hero to the second volume of the poem suggests that he believed in his spiritual revival. In the second volume of the poem, the writer planned to spiritually “cleanse” Chichikov and put him on the path of spiritual resurrection. The resurrection of the “hero of the time,” according to him, was supposed to be the beginning of the resurrection of the entire society. But, unfortunately, the second volume of “Dead Souls” was burned, and the third was not written, so we can only guess how Chichikov’s moral revival took place.

All topics in the book “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol. Summary. Features of the poem. Essays":

Summary of the poem “Dead Souls”:

The poem “Dead Souls” is one of the most remarkable works of Russian literature. The great realist writer N.V. Gogol showed the whole of modern Russia, satirically depicting the local nobility and provincial bureaucracy. But the poem also contains a completely new hero in Russian literature, a representative of the emerging class of “acquirers.” In the image of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, Gogol brought to public attention the features of the “knight of a penny.”

At first glance, Chichikov gives the impression of a slippery, many-sided person. This is emphasized by his appearance: “In the chaise sat a gentleman who was not handsome, but not of bad appearance, neither too fat nor too thin, one cannot say that he was old, but not that he was too young.”

Chichikov, like a chameleon, is constantly changing. He is able to give his face the necessary expression to seem like a pleasant interlocutor. Speaking with officials, the hero of the poem “very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” Therefore, he quickly gains the necessary reputation in the city. Chichikov also finds a common language with the landowners from whom he buys dead peasants. With Manilov, he looks like a particularly amiable and courteous person, which charms the owner. At Korobochka, Noz-drevo, Sobakevich and Plyushkin, Chichikov behaves in accordance with the situation and knows how to find an approach to everyone. Only he did not catch Nozdryov in his net. But this was Chichikov’s only failure.

He uses all his ability to charm a person to achieve results. But he has one goal - wealth, and for the sake of this Pavel Ivanovich is ready to be a hypocrite, practicing for hours in front of the mirror. The main thing for him is money. The hero of the poem needs them not in themselves, but as a means of further accumulation. Even as a child, Chichikov well learned his father’s orders to please his bosses, be friends “with those who are richer” and save “a penny.” His father’s words sank into the boy’s soul: “You will do everything and ruin everything in the world with a penny.”

Possessing great intelligence “from the practical side,” Chichikov began saving money at school, profiting from his comrades and being particularly stingy. Already in those years the soul of this “acquirer” was revealed. Chichikov made his way through deception and sycophancy, stopping at nothing. He is cunning, steals from the state, and “cheats” his colleagues. Accuracy becomes his element.

Gradually, Chichikov’s scams became increasingly widespread. From a modest police officer to a customs official, Gogol traces the path of his hero. He strives to increase his fortune by any means. The hero immediately grabs onto the idea of buying “dead souls.” Chichikov's entrepreneurial talent is not consistent with moral standards. There are no moral principles for him. Chichikov concludes with joy: “And now the time is convenient, not long ago there was an epidemic, a lot of people died out, thank God, a lot.” He builds his well-being on human grief, on the deaths of others.

Chichikov is the same creature of time as Onegin or Pechorin. Belinsky wrote about this, noting that “Chichikov, as an acquirer, is no less, if not more than Pechorin, a hero of our time.” Gogol shows this hero with all the power of his skill in the wonderful poem “Dead Souls,” which became an example of accusatory satire. The image of Chichikov should serve as a warning to those who are trying to get rich in any way, turning into a ruthless predator

The image of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is perhaps the most successful of Gogol's caricatures. The life story of only this character, who plays the main role in the poem “Dead Souls,” is revealed by the author in great detail. The novelty of the character he took on forced the writer to engage in such an artistic and comprehensive study.

Pavel Ivanovich combines many of the features of the landowners of that time. The hero would not be complete without a description in the eleventh chapter of the conditions in which his formation took place.

As an inheritance from an impoverished nobleman, Pavel Ivanovich received some copper and instructions to study well and please everyone, and to save and save money. He took the absence of lofty words about debt in the will literally. And life itself soon confirmed that these concepts did not lead to anything good (in his understanding). At school, Pavlushi’s knowledge, behavior, and respectfulness evoked only approval and praise from the teachers, who set the boy as an example to other students. Having entered the government chamber after studying, he continues to please his boss and show attention to his daughter. The same behavior is characteristic of him in any situation. Chichikov quickly realized: in order to please a person, you need to talk to him about his interests, about topics close to him. This behavior helps him remain his own person in any society. Gradually, Pavel Ivanovich drowns out his still living soul, tries not to hear the quiet voice of conscience, builds his happiness on the misfortune of others. And all this for their own benefit. The tools that Chichikov skillfully and actively uses are fraud and deception, theft from the treasury, insult, and bribery. Constant accumulation and acquisition become the meaning of life for the main character. And at the same time, Chichikov needs money not for its own sake. They serve as a means to achieve a good, prosperous life for his family. The image of Chichikov differs sharply from other characters in his determination and strength of character. He achieves his goal by any means, showing extraordinary resourcefulness, resourcefulness, and perseverance.

Chichikov in the poem “Dead Souls” is not like everyone else in his activity, activity, and enterprise. Manilov’s head in the clouds and Korobochka’s naivety are not characteristic of him. He cannot be compared with the miser Plyushkin, but Nozdryov’s careless wastefulness is also not for him. The entrepreneurial spirit of this hero is far from the businesslike nature of Sobakevich. All these qualities indicate the clear superiority of Pavel Ivanovich over other characters in the poem.

The image of Chichikov is incredibly multifaceted. People like him are very difficult to immediately unravel, to understand what they really are. Chichikov managed to please most residents of the city as soon as he appeared in it. He managed to present himself as a secular, developed and decent person. During the conversation, he finds an individual key to everyone in whom he is interested. His ostentatious goodwill is only a means to profitably use the high position of the right people. It costs nothing for Chichikov to reincarnate, change his behavior and at the same time not forget about his own goals. His ability to adapt to everyone is amazing. When Pavel Ivanovich bargains with Manilov, he shows delicacy, sensitivity and courtesy. But with Korobochka, on the contrary, he behaves assertively, rudely, and impatiently. He understands that Plyushkin is very easy to persuade; he must speak to Sobakevich in a businesslike manner. The energy of the main character is tireless, but it is aimed at low actions.

The image of Chichikov is an example of a trader and entrepreneur, a new type of person, whom Gogol defined as a vile, vile, “dead soul.”

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

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

Hero's appearance

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

“...decent middle years...”

Other appearance features:

full figure;
roundness of shapes;
pleasant appearance.

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

Hero's personality

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

“...without tribe and clan...”

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

Positive character traits of Pavel Ivanovich

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

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

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

Negative traits of a hero

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

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

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

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

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

Who is Chichikov

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

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

Passion for accumulating money

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Appearance and character traits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thus, The Image of Chichikov is one of the examples when the writer’s fiction provides the reader with a unique basis for analyzing various problems of society. This is an indisputable fact, the character of the story has taken root in society so much that all global deceivers began to be called after him. The image itself is not devoid of positive character traits, but their number and significance against the general background of the image do not give the right to talk about Pavel Ivanovich as a positive person.